brands

Old Burberry



The Queen wearing Burberry at Windsor Great Park in 1985 by Tim Graham via Vogue

Having an #oldburberry moment and thinking about the signature check in a classic old money outdoorsy context.

Kinda nailed by this old school photo of The Queen at Windsor Great Park in 1985 by Tim Graham. This was in the days when Burberry was more of a traditional British brand rather than a luxury brand. Still quietly well regarded, but not ‘fashion’ and definitely not ‘hype’. (more…)



R.I.P social media influencers, welcome back PR



Metier Sergeant all Day Cabas bag worn by Nicole Kidman in The Undoing

“There is a sense of growing ennui among influencers and brands. Celebrity is key to having those big moments that will live much longer than just an Instagram Story, as is working to place your brand in something that feels part of a cultural zeitgeist or nostalgia for millions. Beloved TV personalities from shows like ‘Dynasty,’ ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Sex and The City’ inspire nostalgia in generations while capturing new ones, so this intergenerational and international reach is incredibly attractive.”
Communications consultant, Alexandra Carello, WWD

This is an interesting feature in WWD describing the apparent fatigue with polished Instagram content and highlighting the shift to ‘cultural pioneers’, professional experts and social activists. It also flags the success of product placement in recent style-setting shows like Emily In Paris, The Undoing (featuring the Métier bag*, above and below) and Gossip Girl. (more…)



Not your mother’s Tiffany?



Tiffany ad campaign 2021

Love, love, love the clean and classic styling on this Tiffany silver campaign.

The copy is a bit confusing though. It implies classic Tiffany is old fashioned with its “Not your mother’s Tiffany” strapline (which has riled its Instagram followers), yet then suggesting ‘mother knows best’.

Anyway, it’s always interesting to see heritage companies go back to basics; they all seem to do it. It’s a sort of way to reinforce their power, to show new customers their worth (these Elsa Peretti cuffs are iconic after all). (more…)



Business of beauty: who will be the next make-up mogul?



Violette beauty line

With a couple of recent beauty brand launches, it’s interesting to speculate who will be the next make-up-artist-turned-make-up-mogul after Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury. I’m currently enjoying watching the rise of Gucci Westman and Westman Atelier, but next in the running we have Violette Serrat and Lisa Eldridge.

Violette rose quickly from freelance MUA to Estee Lauder Global Beauty Director after growing a dedicated following of her beautifully shot (and very ‘French girl style’) YouTube videos. Her aspirational but relatable style now translates to Violette_FR, a capsule beauty line that includes Boum Boum Milk spray serum, liquid eye shadows and – already! – a unisex musk oil perfume (above). (more…)