Trends

This old thing



Jane Birkin - Hermes Birkin bag

I’ve been reading up about the crazy world of status bags and watches and deduced that the only way around the unavailability of ‘It’ Hermès Birkins and Rolex Daytonas is to go the imperfect route. As even pre-loved icons are hard to obtain (mint-conditioned pieces command the highest prices), better to go for the less-than-pristine patina, no?

For me, this aligns with my love of a well-worn leather tote. I just came across a picture on Pinterest of Jane Birkin’s legendary Birkin (above). You know, the one she adorned with personal charms and trinkets – and then auctioned for charity. This bag lived! The picture linked to a ten-year-old old Purse Forum thread on ‘slouchy, floopy, used Birkins’, imploring Birkin owners to share their own photos. (more…)



On my radar: Wanderlust fragrances



Wanderlust perfumes - Voyeur Verde by Maya Njie

The annual escape has begun! Nah, not the hell of Heathrow airport, but the olfactory escape of citrus colognes and wanderlust perfumes. While last year’s big summer scent was all about the return to eau-de-sun-sea-and-sex beachy hedonism, I feel this summer leans more to Mediterranean citruses and herbaceous green notes. (more…)



Lemaire SS23 highlights



Lemaire ss23

What a week it’s been in the UK. If you’re craving calm and serenity after the last few days of chaos, please join me in appreciating the SS23 collection from Lemaire. Ahhhhh that feels better.

There was quite a bit of model-audience interaction at last weeks’ menswear shows. Lemaire also had an element of this with the models posing as everyday people just hanging out doing not very much, while the press and visitors mingled among them wondering which were the models and which were the guests. (In a case of role reversal, the peacocks were the watchers and the understated androgynes were the watched.) (more…)