Trends

Trend report: What to wear for SS23



WWD backstage at Jil Sander SS23

Let’s say it now, there’s not a lot of newness around at the mo. The world’s in flux, designers are scared for their jobs, no one’s taking risks and the big brands especially just wanna sell. Who can blame them? BOF’s Angelo Flaccavento was maybe a bit harsh with his ‘clothes to die from not for’ (lol) summing up of MFW SS23, but he had a point. It’s a commercial season, so let’s just get that out of the way. Honestly, I’m not sad about the black-everything revival, I can’t complain about the loafer love-fest and as a New Luddite, it’s great to see women’s watches in the spotlight. Read on for my round-up of what I’ll be wearing and doing this season…


1/ BACK TO BLACK.
While the dopamine dressing of post-Covid revenge shopping was all about colour and fabulosity, it seems a few factors have conspired resulting in a somewhat desaturated counter-trend. Black is back according to Net-a-Porter, with Dries van Noten and Versace populating their collections with over half of all-black looks and online customer searches for ‘black’ increasing by 30% during SS23 Fashion Month. Global political doom and the COL crisis are easy to blame, but I prefer to point to a nostalgia for late-80s fashion editors in their monochrome Alaïa, Comme and Donna Karan get-ups. Keep silhouettes similarly architectural and offset the dystopia with a chunky gold chain*, cuff*, ring, watch or sculptural earrings*.
Jil Sander SS23 black dress
LINDA SPIERINGS TATJANA PATITZ wearing AZZEDINE ALAIA 1986
The Row SS23
Jil Sander ss23 runway
Cecilie Moosgaard and Amalie Moosgaard gold earrings
Dries van Noten ss23 runway


2/ MADE YOU BLUSH.
Alternatively, there’s an influx of romantic blush tones – a close relative of beige but a whole lot more joyful. Blush denim* (below), chinos* (below), Harrington jackets* (very Miu Miu), socks* and shirts* are all easy to wear and play nicely with similarly light tones of grey, pale denim, white and cream. (Add a coat of Chanel Watermelon nail polish* for a brighter boost.)
Jil Sander SS23 blush dress
J Crew Blush Chino
J Crew blush jeans


3/ STREET STYLE.
Proof that exhibitionist fashion is taking a back seat this season, my favourite ad campaigns and look books celebrate the beauty of the everyday. The Row shot their models on the streets of Paris, Lemaire’s show featured models posing like (extremely chic) regular people while overdressed editors looked on, and you know what I thought of the Bottega ad campaign. That said, those who are dressing up are doing it for brunch – according to Elle restaurants are the new runway. Baguette bags at the ready!
The row SS23 street style
Bottega Veneta SS23 ad campaign
Lemaire ss23
Bottega Veneta ss23 campaign


4/ TECH-NO. 
Have we reached peak app? I’m seeing a lot of stuff out there about Gen Z digital push-back and my poor screen-fatigued eyes and information overloaded brain have sympathy. There’s an emerging renegade subculture of teens who eschew smart phones and limit social media, while comments on this article say that you can’t do anything in the States without apps or 2fa – i.e. entering the premises of the business you work for, ordering from menus etc. In France on the other hand, phones aren’t even allowed in the classroom. There’s also been a rediscovery of the unhurried medium of physical books and the joy of libraries. And in New York, while Mayor Eric Adams is cutting down on library budgets, one new building has the visual aesthetic of an Hermès store interior (below).
Adams Street Library in Dumbo, Brooklyn - Justin Kaneps for the New York Times


5/ OFFICINE GÉNÉRALE.
New on my radar: Officine Générale womenswear. The French mainly-menswear brand has upped its womenswear offer to include gentlewoman-style coats, blazers, trousers and shorts. It helps that founder Pierre Mahéo is a trained tailor and knows how to cut a decent shoulder. I love the vibe of this mac (below).
Officine Generale charlene jacket chalkstripe woo
Officine Generale ss23 ad featuring Malgosia Bela BY LAURENCE ELLIS
Officine Generale ss23 new sophie pants heavy cotton


6/ GLOW-UP FOR GUYS.
Men’s make-up has had quite a few false starts but it looks like we’re getting closer to guys accepting the odd cosmetic enhancement. ‘Enhance’ seems to be the key word this go-around. We’ve seen lots of full-on lewks from TikTokers and brands like Valentino Beauty aiming to reach expressive Gen Zs , but the enhancer crowd are pitching invisible concealers, skin boosters and glow-givers rather than lashes-n-nails. Chanel had a head start a few years ago with Boy de Chanel but doesn’t seem to have pushed it much further than a concealer and eyeliner. I’m keeping an eye out for Peter Dundas’s new unisex Dundas Enhancers (below) created with Anastasia Beverly Hills, which launches imminently. Looks promising.
Dundas Enhancers unisex beauty


7/ LOAFERS LOVE-FEST.
Loafers for spring? Hardly ground-breaking but there are a lot more loafers around at the moment, so if you’re a fan, make the most of it. (Per BOF recently, “sneakerheads have moved on or grown up and now people care about limited-edition loafers more than they do what sneakers are dropping this week”.) As you know, I am a fan. For spring I love Porte & Paire’s croc-stamped leather loafers*, Jil Sander’s blonde metal heel-caps (below)* and Hereu’s cream woven Sineus*.
Francoise Hardy wearing loafers
Jil Sander heel cap loafer


8/ THE BEAUTY PLAYGROUND RETURNS.
The beauty playground is officially back – Gen Z demands it. That’s the message we’re getting from the new beauty retail openings. Glossier recently opened its new SoHo flagship with a big bang – putting fun and novelty front and centre with a merch store, funfair-style claw machines and selfie opportunities at every turn (below). Jones Road also opened its first store earlier this month, a hands-on, touch-and-try destination with cross-generational appeal. And Sephora finally opened in London’s Westfield White City. No I haven’t been yet – waiting for the swarms to subside – but suffice to say it’s created with discovery and excitement in mind. Play, experience and buzzy brands are at the heart of the Sephora retail strategy. As a customer, I expect a surprise each time I visit a physical store, a compulsion to buy there and then rather than wait to buy online. The bricks-and-mortar beauty retail renaissance has begun.
Glossier SoHo NYC store merch
Glossier SoHo New York store lipstick mosaic
Glossier SoHo store wet bar


9/ READING LIST.
The big one I’m looking forward to is the publication of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier* by Marisa Meltzer (below, currently slated for early autumn). Ugly by Anita Bhagwandas (recently launched – buy it here*) also looks like a cracking read, while I can 100% vouch for I thought I Heard You Speak* by Audrey Golden (below), an immersive oral history of Factory records from the perspective of the women whose contributions were often overlooked (published in May). For the fashion scholar, the definitive J. Crew history book has just dropped. Maggie Bullock’s The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J. Crew* journeys from its 1983 beginnings through highs and lows charting America’s fashion and social history along the way.
Glossy by Marisa Meltzer book
I Thought I Heard You Speak Audrey Golden


10/ WRIST CANDY.
The spotlight on women’s watches is growing. Latest is a new website run by former Watchonista exec Jessica Owens. The Daily Grail is an online ‘newspaper’ documenting trends, watch collectors and happenings aimed squarely at the underserved female watch community (below). Meanwhile, mini watch exhibitions are all the rage. If you’re quick you can just catch the Omega ‘Her Time’ townhouse take-over in Mayfair, showcasing its archive of women’s designs from Andrew Grima’s influential 70s pieces to decadent secret watches. (Until 29th March.)
Daily Grail watches website -image via clairerose

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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Jil Sander SS23/ WWD; Jil Sander SS23; 80s Alaïa: The Row SS23; Jil Sander SS23; Cecilie Moosgaard and Amalie Moosgaard; Dries van Noten SS23; Jil Sander SS23; J. Crew SS23 x 2; The Row SS23; Bottega Veneta SS23; Lemaire SS23; Bottega Veneta SS23; Adams Street Library/Justin Kaneps / New York Times; Officine Générale x 3; Dundas Enhancers; Francoise Hardy; Jil Sander loafers; Glossier x 3; Glossy; I Thought I Heard You Speak; The Daily Grail/  @clairerose
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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The culture of fashion: AKILA x Keith Haring eyewear



AKILA x Keith Haring eyewear Paradise red

What’s the deal with all the Keith Haring collabs? The FT has the answer to all my questions here (pay wall), looking at the legacy of Keith Haring as an activist and accessible artist who coined the phrase “art is for everybody”. The company responsible for the never-ending list of collabs (Uniqlo, Primark, Junya Watanabe and Coach among them) is Artestar. The licensing agency also represents photographers, designers and creatives, and its success highlights the merchification of culture in the modern age.

But this latest Haring collab isn’t just a print slapped onto a tee. The AKILA x Keith Haring collaboration is a range of optical eyewear that lets you cosplay as the bespectacled artist himself. The arms have ‘hands’ that mimic Haring’s own playful drawings and the lenses have a discreet logo too. Available in two frame shapes, a pop-py colour palette and fairly affordable at £140, they’re suitably on brand.

It’s all further evidence of our desire to embody our favourite artists and a continuation of the trend for turning famous artists into cute avatars.

AKILA x Keith Haring eyewear
Keith Haring signature eyewear

The AKILA x Keith Haring collection will be live at AKILA on Monday 20th March.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: AKILA x Keith Haring
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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Dior AW23: steel skirts, haute gorpcore and garconne beauty



DIOR FINALE AUTUMN-WINTER 2023 ©ADRIEN DIRAND

I’m very much enjoying all the variations on classics at the AW23 shows. Sacai, Saint Laurent, Bottega and Prada are doing it for me – and Dior, of course.

Almost entirely in black, the Dior AW23 show was a ‘reincarnation’ of 50s French Girl Style, with Édith Piaf, Juliette Gréco and Catherine Dior (Mr Dior’s sister) the season’s muses. More ‘The New Garconne’ than The New Look, if you will. My top five takeaways…

STEEL SKIRTS. It feels like there’s a major shift away from sweatpants and massive trousers to skirts of all descriptions. At Dior, full pleat and calf length hobblesome skirts (made from fabric with stainless steel thread woven into the weft for a gently lived-in look) avoided 50s pastiche territory thanks to their non-twee styling and indie-girl makeup.
Dior AW23

Dior AW23


COCKTAIL PUFFERS
. Houndstooth check puffers were light, loose and effortless, while an evening puffer in moiré silk was the gorpcore-glam hybrid piece of dreams – perfect for rainy London society soirées. With a couple of excellent trenches in the mix, watch out Burberry, Dior might steal your thunder…

Dior AW23 puffer
Dior AW23
Dior AW23 trench


SOCKS WITH EVERYTHING
. The reason those 50s-esque silhouettes look modern? The casual styling, in particular the black superfine wrinkled socks, teamed with contrasting pale Mary Jane and ankle strap comma heels.
Christian Dior fall 2023 socks


ARCHIVE FLORALS
. A floral tribute ran through the show, a reference to muse Catherine Dior who grew and sold flowers during the war as a symbol of hope. The set design was phenomenal, the creation of artist Joana Vasconcelos, whose bulbous sculptures were covered in floral patterned fabric and beads from past Dior collections. Meanwhile, the blurry abstract floral prints on wrap dresses and skirts were revived from the archive. I especially love the skirt and short leather bomber combo.
Dior AW23
Dior AW23


GARCONNE BEAUTY.
Of course, I loved the gamine crops – this entire look on Greta Hofer is short hair goals. The pixie cut and major dark eye is a winning combination; Peter Philips makes it look so simple. It’s an intense eyeliner-smoky-eye hybrid but ‘worn down’, concentrated on the inner and outer corners of the eye and using the central pitch black shade from the 5 Color Couture Palette Black Bow palette* on top of the Dior Show 24h Stylo* in matte black. Brows were slightly enhanced and elongated using Dior On Set Brow* and lips were left neutrally coloured. (Should you want more hair adornment, straw tiaras are a thing.)

P.S: for more throwback French Girl Style, enjoy this 80s gem from Clive James, featuring Beatrice Dalle, Ines de la Fressange and Françoise Sagan
Dior AW23 Greta Hofer
Dior AW23 beauty Helina
Dior AW23 straw tiara
Dior AW23 Maya

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Dior AW23; Adrien Dirand
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
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In bed with Le Corbusier



Tekla Le Corbusier blanket Cashmere Lambswool

More blanket hype.

Not sure how I missed the memo first time round, but Tekla has done a second blanket collection inspired by Le Corbusier.

You can’t get any more classic than these mid-century colourways from Le Corbusier’s palette, the Architectural Polychromy, a collaboration with Les Couleurs Suisse AG. The blankets come in checks or stripes and are woven in Scotland from lambswool and cashmere.

My hot water bottle just exploded in bed for the second time, so maybe it’s time to invest in a Tekla instead…

Tekla Le Corbusier blanket Cashmere Lambswool
Tekla Le Corbusier blanket Cashmere Lambswool

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Tekla Le Corbusier
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