Shop the post: an olfactory escape



Lola James Harper - The Betty Lee

Going anywhere nice this year? If not, perhaps you’d like an olfactory vacation? No, not the classic coconut-and-vanilla beachy blends, but something much more niche and personal.

It’s the era of the hyper-specific location perfume. Rather than Mediterranean colognes and fruity-florals, the latest crop of wanderlust fragrances are landing in far-flung places like Dubai, Tokyo and the Sahara Desert or close-to-home hang-outs like The Woody Office of Daddy and The Bomboneria in Barcelona*. (more…)



Au revoir Jane, the ultimate garconne



Jane Birkin - the ultimate garconne

Celebrities dying is nothing new, but word of Jane Birkin’s passing feels personal. Not because she was an icon or a diva but because she wasn’t.

Despite her obvious physical beauty and talent she always came across to me as down to earth and real. I remember ‘meeting’ her with That’s Not My Age at a Miller Harris event (Lyn Harris had created a bespoke fragrance for her and they had remained friends). Well, Alyson actually spoke to her while I hovered awkwardly. (more…)



Found: the perfect white jeans*



Vogue Italia September 1991 - Carre Otis white jeans by Michael Roberts

White jeans have enjoyed a renaissance in recent seasons. Not so much the skinny hipsters of Y2K-era Liz Hurley, but a more forgiving straight leg or roomier boyfriend cut, ideally ending at the ankle to wear with boots, loafers or sandals.

If you’re tall, Studio Nicholson*, The Row*, Raey and Toteme* should fit the bill (if you have an equally capacious budget). But I think I’ve hit the white jean jackpot at Arket. Its Rose cropped straight jeans* (below) are a milky-white, mid-weight 100% organic cotton denim, with a higher-than average rise, straight-verging-on-barrelled silhouette and most importantly for the non-statuesque, they hit the right part of the ankle. (more…)



The Culture of fashion: Susy Dyson’s Cartier bangles



Cartier coloured enamel bangles

Think of Cartier classics and you probably think of Jeanne Toussaint’s panther-themed pieces or Aldo Cipullo’s 70s signatures, the Love bracelet or the Juste un Clou. But not so much pieces like these simple enamel hinged bangles from the 1980s (above).

This threesome (sold singly) is part of an auction taking place this week of 70s Peruvian model Susy Dyson’s jewellery and accessories. Dyson was a favourite model of Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, Karl Lagerfeld and Issey Miyake, not to mention Helmut Newton. Her personal style seen in the accompanying auction imagery sums up the casual-yet-jet-set glamour of the 70s. Youthful, free-spirited and chic, it straddles the high-low style and status that we now accept as standard. (more…)