Design

The next step for DeMellier bags: Apple ‘leather’



Demellier New York tote small grained leather

An interesting update in WWD on handbag brand, DeMellier*. On track to become a $50 million business, the article puts the brand’s success down to a number of factors with a focus on price point and ethics. (more…)



Trend report: Connolly AW22



Connolly aw22

How soon is too soon to talk about AW22 tweed winter coats and handknit sweaters? I’m writing this during a June heatwave but by the time I finish, we could well be buried in a freak ice storm. This is London, anything could happen.

This is the AW22 collection from Connolly which I was fortunate enough to witness up close at the Clifford Street store a couple of weeks ago. God, it was heaven. Connolly is a unique store anyway, in a quiet 1719 townhouse selling fashion (by which I mean impeccably crafted clothes) alongside art, homewares and luxury leather goods in a welcoming home-from-home setting. The clothes are designed by Marc Audibet with knitwear designed by Lorraine Acornley, who I know from her previous work with Begg & Co. (more…)



Atelier Mayer returns



Atelier Mayer Marrakech

“Anyone can come to Marrakech and go shopping. But I’m editing a special collection showcasing hand-craftsmanship.”

She’s back! The wonderful Carmen Haid has revived her brand Atelier Mayer, expanding its original scope from vintage fashion to lifestyle and interiors. Now with the business based in Marrakech, selling a mix of vintage design pieces and made to order items, her range includes bespoke vases, bowls and tableware alongside vintage furniture. (more…)



The culture of fashion: The 90s is officially vintage – here’s why that’s a good thing



Jil Sander 1990s

It recently dawned on me that the 1990s, the era that defined me, is properly vintage. While it’s a discombobulating thought (I mean, I don’t feel middle-aged), there are some positives. One is that the minimalist-slash-deconstructivist designers of the time – Margiela, Lang, Demeulemeester, Sander, Prada, Klein – have become established as classics and thus there’s a new market for them. (more…)