Retail concepts

Trend report: What to wear for AW24



Miu Miu tweed sweater

Shops are back! Cash is cool! Corporate-core is a vibe! It’s like the 2020s never happened lol. Sweats, leggings and Crocs have been demoted and tailoring and tactile tops have regained their position in the corner office for AW24. And with the global slowdown of luxury, we’re also witnessing the demise of loud logos on clothes and accessories. Instead, discreet luxury totes whisper subtle brand codes (the Toteme ‘T’!) and it’s grocery stores and ‘hypebeast snacks’ that are the new entry-level status signifiers. Oh, and high-end lipstick is the eternal ‘affordable luxury’ treat for uncertain times. Because some things never change… (more…)



Quote of the day: Kate Phelan



Kate Phelan by Paul Wetherell

“I do think we are starting to feel ecom fatigue. We are leaning more towards the desire to have an experience and take time and pleasure in the discovery of new and exciting brands. We live our lives very differently today. We look at our feeds constantly, bombarded by imagery and products to buy. So maybe we need to be more aware as to what people actually do with their time and put the personality of the store at the forefront of the experience.”
Kate Phelan on reviving Harvey Nichols* in her new role as creative director, FT (more…)



On my radar: Reluxe x Madewell



Reluxe x Madewell

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Reluxe founder Clare Richardson briefly at a Reluxe x Sana Jardin breakfast event in the Reluxe store. Clare is better known to me through her styling work for publications including Vogue, Holiday and Wall Street Journal magazine, very much in the ‘gentlewoman style’ vein of classic but sexy dressing.

During her talk, Clare made the point that women founders are natural multi-hyphenates, which suits her as a freelance stylist but also explains her segue into founding a luxury resale business. She has smartly chosen to use her top tier fashion industry contacts to foster collabs with relevant brands, the latest being Madewell. (more…)



Gentlewoman style: Rika Studios



Rika Studios SS24

Jennifer Alfano published a fab interview with Rika Studios founder Ulrika Lundgren a few weeks ago, which I missed first time round.

It reminded me what a great, underexposed brand this is, the underexposure possibly intentional. (more…)