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Zara is a designer brand now



Zara SRPLS ss24

Everyone’s talking about Rachel Tashjian’s Washington Post deep dive into the cult-like allure of Zara.

From its 1975 Spanish origins to its current position as global gateway to high end aesthetics, it’s certainly the brand of the moment for those who aspire to The Row, Bottega, Loewe et al on a non-luxury budget.

Tashjian spoke to a number of A-list fashion creatives who have worked with or are working with Zara. Think Fabien Baron, Narciso Rodriguez, photographer Craig McDean, hairstylist Guido and even Linda Evangelista, who modelled for Zara’s collaboration with Steven Meisel last autumn. (more…)



Nautical niceties for AW24 menswear



SS Daley AW24

There’s nothing new about nautical themes in fashion, but we can never get enough of them. SS Daley is my AW24 menswear highlight so far (above and below). Styled by Harry Lambert, it’s a romantic, eclectic take on the Oxbridge student life of a bygone era, with an added nautical influence via an E.M Forster story about an English boy’s encounter with an Italian fisherman. Give me all the messy layering, practical headgear, fish-print foulards and pops of yellow please. Amy de la Haye’sShip Shape’ (act 2 of ‘Oh Boy! Dressing Boys 1750-1930’) exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum looks like a good source for further maritime-themed inspo. (more…)



Armani, Armani, Ar-Ar-Armani



Alessandra Carlsson Beri Smither Harue Miyamoto for Emporio Armani by Peter Lindbergh 1989

Before The Row, Lemaire and Brunello Cucinelli, there was Calvin, Donna and best of all, Giorgio. A fabric meister, rigorous deconstructor (before Margiela), uber-minimalist yet (contrary to expectation) anti-perfectionist, Giorgio Armani is the godfather of what we now call ‘quiet luxury’.

Fantastic Man has a, well, fantastic deep dive on the man himself in its latest issue, as well as a mention of Made In Milan, Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mini-documentary, that gives us a delicious glimpse into Mr Armani’s influences and philosophies. (more…)