Design

The beauty object: Estee Lauder Disney Collection



Estee Lauder Disney compact

I just wrote my first piece for Stylist, discussing the allure of aesthetically pleasing beauty and personal care objects that appeal to all our senses. One thing I wasn’t able to mention there was the new Estee Lauder X Disney Collection collaboration that launches on Monday.

Fun fact: I’m a big Mickey Mouse fan, thanks to the Americana craze that dominated the 80s when I was a teen. (more…)



Face Values: creativity and intuition with the artist Shira Barzilay



Shira Barzilay Koketit

We really lucked out getting the artist Shira Barzilay (aka Koketit) to create special artworks to illustrate my beauty book, Face Values. Her linear ‘doodle poetry’ added a beautiful gentle dimension to the text-heavy sections and she interpreted our themes spontaneously, just letting her imagination lead. I was so impressed and enthralled with her work and – as always – keen to know how the magic happens. So, I’m very glad she indulged me with this Q&A. Do check out her work on IG if you don’t know it already @koketit and enjoy learning more about her creative process and artistic intuition below… (more…)



SS22 trend report: Bodycon, but make it body positive



Acielle street style SS22

To get a real sense of next season trends, I like to look at Acielle’s (Aka Style Du Monde) Fashion Month street style photography. Not so much the super-peacock types, but the ones wearing denim with interesting tops and choice accessories. That’s the best way to see a more ‘everyperson’ way of wearing fashion.

My big takeaway for SS22 is the almost universal appetite for barely-there, bodycon and cutaway clothing. It was first evident to me at Collina Strada and Eckhaus Latta at New York Fashion Week. What was interesting about those designers’ treatments was the body positivity expression. Eckhaus Latta especially took a 1990s influence and added a decidedly inclusive 2020s interpretation (below). (more…)



Yang Li is now creative director of Shang Xia



Yang Li Shang Xia

Great news for fans of Yang Li. He is now creative director of Shang Xia, the Chinese luxury brand founded in 2010 by Hermès and Qiong Er Jiang. Now majority owned by Italian holding company Exor, it will stage its first ever show at Paris Fashion Week on October 4th.

Until this point, Shang Xia has exemplified the quiet luxury vibe of Hermès, focusing on ‘good taste’ craftsmanship and style designed for longevity. But as hype culture accelerates in the luxury space, some wonder if we’ll now see the brand looking to attract a younger, cooler crowd. Definitely one to watch. (more…)