11 September, 2021

Shop the post: Grace Wales Bonner on a multiplicity vision

Fashion month has kicked off and it feels like it’s properly back. Quite rightly there’s a concurrent spotlight on newer talent and younger businesses, who will need extra help in reorienting themselves after the ravages of the pandemic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many mentoring projects!

The 8th LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers just took place, with the main prize won by Nensi Dojaka and three designers sharing the Karl Lagerfeld Prize of €150K each (congrats to my fave, Lukhanyo Mdingi). While prize money is great, it’s not everything. (Remember Thomas Tait’s experience?) So alongside the cash, the LVMH Prize offers access to LVMH’s top tier of luxury business experts, helping designers to bolster their businesses and develop their brands.

Matchesfashion* is also committed to nurturing on-the-rise talent. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Business of fashion, Designers, News, Retail concepts, Shoots, Shopping, Trends AW21, culture of fashion, Jil Sander, Lucie Meier, Luke Meier, Matchesfashion, menswear, shopping, trends, Wales Bonner

18 August, 2021

On my wish list: Celine boots

Summer’s all but fizzled out here, so I’ve turned my attention to winter boots.

Celine has the perfect Western boot around, with a medium heel, not-too-pointy toe and steel toe cap. I love the styling with the vintage 501-style jeans, boxy blazer and bourgeois bag. I have versions of all three components already which I think is the secret sauce to Hedi’s success – making it look like your own wardrobe (but elevated). (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Design, Designers, Fashion shows, Trends AW21, boots, Celine, design, Hedi Slimane, trends

8 July, 2021

Everyone’s talking about Balenciaga couture

Balenciaga Couture Fall 21

The highlight of couture week has been Balenciaga couture Fall 21. A tribute to the absolute essence of Balenciaga, it was both austere and grandiose, and I think it’s fair to say, surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Having kind of tuned out recent Balenciaga ready-to-wear collections (too hype-y, too meme-y!), I was enthralled by this first Balenciaga couture collection in 53 years. The minimalist silhouettes, (what a fab trench!), the space-age headgear, the jeans and tee treatment and the baublicious jewels. What looked like a crocodile skin skirt and trousers were in fact made from tiny pieced-together squares of leather. There were shades of Margiela (one of Demna Gvasalia’s most respected designers), McQueen and – to my eye – Raf’s Dior. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Business of fashion, Design, Designers, Events, Fashion shows, Menswear, News, Trends Alexander McQueen, AW21, Balenciaga, Business of Fashion, couture, craft, Demna Gvasalia, design, Dior, Margiela

16 June, 2021

What’s going on at Gap?

Yeezy Gap

Kanye’s first Yeezy Gap jacket drooped last week, but is it any cop?

The single nylon puffer was the first piece from the much hyped ten-year project to appear as a pre-order on the U.S Gap website (to be shipped in the autumn). In bright blue, the voluminous $200 jacket wasn’t your average Gap fare. (Some memes compared it to a Smurf-coloured bin bag.)

Early reactions on fashion forums were mixed – 65/35 against I’d say. The 35% were quite emphatic in their enthusiasm, applauding Gap for giving so much trust and control to Team Yeezy. Gap even temporarily erased its entire Instagram feed save for one picture of the polarising item. At this stage, one could concede, what exactly does Gap have to lose? (more…)