Farewell Oliviero Toscani, a brilliant photographer and art director who changed the world through his audacious activism dressed as fashion advertising.
I became aware of him in the 1980s via his vibrant fashion shoots for Benetton using groups of racially diverse, often street cast models in simple studio settings, styled in layers upon layers by (my old boss) Caroline Baker.
But Oliviero Toscani is possibly best known for art directing visionary Benetton ad campaigns opening up discussion around controversial subjects such as AIDS, racial discrimination and religion by featuring provocative, non-fashion images of a kissing nun and priest, three raw hearts labelled ‘white’, ‘black’, ‘yellow’, and a man dying of AIDS in the arms of his family (below).
These campaigns, along with Benetton’s equally unflinching magazine Colors were part of Toscani’s tenure as Benetton art director (from 1982-2000), but more lastingly, cement his influence as a cultural provocateur 25 years later.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES:Benetton; Caroline Baker (Benetton); Benetton x 3 NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
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Just after New Year I treated myself to a banana bread and coffee date at the new Violet Cakes cafe in the New Bond Street Alaïa store. Food and fashion have been forging an alliance for some time and I was reminded that Azzedine Alaïa was a natural instigator of this idea as far back as the 1980s.
Unlike other luxury fashion houses with their ultra brand-coded cakes and confectioneries (hello Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami cakes) this is a somewhat more wholesome approach. The food is consumed round an aluminium communal table nodding to the original spirit of Azzedine Alaïa himself, famous for inviting models, seamstresses, editors and even passing VIP clients to join the home-made feast at the studio table.
It’s both convivial and voyeuristic; you can chat to fellow customers or simply people watch as influencers art direct their cream teas just so for the Instagram gaze. I struck up conversation about my table mate’s well-loved raincoat (a prized Japanese purchase) while his son quietly amused himself with a toy train and a cookie.
In case you’re wondering, the food is delicious. My banana bread was faultless and the cappuccino my ideal strength and temperature. (London cappuccinos are usually far too tepid and milky fyi.) Note the placemats and strategic setting of a knife and fork to show off the embroidered logo (top).
The popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels has helped luxury brands with café add-ons to reach wannabe customers by showing them a step-by-step entry into the experience. No need to be intimidated if you know exactly where you’re going in the store – in this case, straight up the spiral staircase, past the £5000 puffer coats and to the £5 coffees and pastries. Afterwards, bookish aesthetes can wander to the window seats and peruse the Claire de Rouen-curated art, fashion and literature books, all part of creative director Pieter Mulier’s ambition for intellectual stimulation and cultural exchange.
What these environments do is make the place a destination for more than just shopping. Immersing yourself in a brand universe that feels genuine and is meaningfully executed, you’re lulled into a mood where you might want to buy something bigger, or at least feel a sense of belonging. As the luxury slowdown continues, this is the smart way to keep aspirational customers interested for when the tide eventually turns back in favour.
Visit Violet Cakes and Claire de Rouen at Alaïa, 139 New Bond Street, W1
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES:Violet Cakes at Alaïa New Bond Street by Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare
Thoughts and prayers to all the fashion journalists this week. I’m not sure what’s up with the planets but it’s been a whirlwind of arrivals, departures and confirmations.
