Business of fashion

Long read: The rise of the scented object



Scented ceramic objects at Avery Perfume Gallery at Selfridge, London, UK.

I first became aware of the power of ceramic as a scent diffuser at a Chanel beauty launch. We were given tiny ceramic tiles in the shape of a camellia that were scented with Chanel no 5. The porous surface lets the scent linger for ages on a ceramic tile, making it both pretty and useful – who doesn’t love that? A year later, I was given an Hermès scented ceramic tile in the store when testing some fragrances. So much nicer than a paper blotter, no? And keepable too. (more…)



Vintage Coach repurposed



Coach Vintage at Barneys. Vintage Coach bags sourced by Coach, repurposed and sold in a collaboration with Barneys

You know a heritage brand is on the up again when fans start to clamour for its vintage numbers. It happened with Gucci, it’s probably happening with Coach and I imagine it will happen with DKNY.

When a classic brand goes through a downturn and then an upswing, it creates a new swell of interest around it. So with Gucci, suddenly all the buzz around Alessandro Michele had people scouring their lofts and closets for long-neglected snaffle loafers and printed scarves. Online consignment site Vestiaire Collective already did a brisk business in selling pre-loved Gucci, but the renewed interest has brought a whole new rush of customers on the hunt for pre-Michele Gucci (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: CARTIER, MARI GIUDICELLI, LANVIN, PAUL SMITH, DOVER STREET MARKET



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. CARTIER X SOFIA COPPOLA
Sofia Coppola for Cartier
If, like me, you feel like you haven’t seen enough of Sofia Coppola lately, Keep It Chic has news. Apparently, Sofia Coppola has teamed up with Cartier as a ‘friend of the brand’. Whatever that means, I think I’ll like it…. (more…)



On Chanel and the rise of playful luxury



On Chanel and the rise of playful luxury
From designer stickers to cartoon character smartphone covers to kidult footwear, there’s no stopping the rise of playful luxury. And no-one is more in tune with this emerging product category than Chanel, whose LED trainers illuminated the SS16 catwalk. As the AW16 Chanel show kicks off, Bon has published my article on how the heritage house embraced the next generation of international big spenders, one kitsch accessory at a time. Read the article at Bon.se.
Bon Magazine Chanel playful luxury

WORDS: Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Bon Magazine, Sabrina Shim