2015 has been a busy old year for me. I’ve been juggling working on a book (ETA August 2016 – whoop!) with freelance writing for my regulars and consulting on a new brand. Trying to fit blogging around all that has been a challenge! But I’ve been privileged to work on some great collaborations, as well as getting some amazing behind the scenes access and insights that I’ve loved sharing. (more…)
If you saw the 3-week exhibition Mademoiselle Privé, you’ll know that Chanel straddles the past and present exceptionally well. One of my highlights was the short film shown towards the end, written and directed by Karl Lagerfeld in which he finds himself face-to-face with Chanel’s ‘ghost’ brilliantly played by Geraldine Chaplin. “What do you think you’re doing!” she asks Karl, highly unamused. “I’m keeping you alive,” is his answer, explaining how he has reinvented the brand while keeping the house codes top of mind. The film is actually quite a hoot, but the sentiment beneath it is serious business.
Chanel is the most famous luxury fashion house in the world. Its stable of couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, fine jewellery and beauty have been coveted for decades, from the Chanel no 5 perfume worn by Marilyn Monroe to everybody’s favourite 2.55 handbag. And so, while London’s creative and curious queued in a never-ending snake for the Saatchi Gallery exhibition a few weeks ago, I was busy being treated to my own Chanel education, in a guided tour of the actual Chanel apartment in Paris, on a two-day trip hosted by Chanel. (more…)
What is the future of fashion week? That’s the question that WWD is asking this week. The CFDA has instructed the Boston Consulting Group to research what fashion week might look like in the future, in light of the way social media has brought consumers into the equation.
It’s a conversation that many have been having for years now. Fashion shows used to be for press and buyers to evaluate the collections before planning their store buy or magazine features. The six month lead time would allow for designers to produce the clothes in time for them to hit the stores, and magazines to shoot their collections in tandem with their three month production schedules. The only people covering shows in real time would be newspapers.
But a number of things have changed in recent years to impact that. (more…)
Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…
1. JUST BURBERRY
I got to attend the unveiling of the new Burberry Christmas ad in the Regent Street flagship on Tuesday and as expected, it was fun, stylish and very British. And it totally made me want to see Billy Elliot. The celeb-filled event completely overshadowed the week’s other Burberry news, that the brand is consolidating all its sub-brands under one big Burberry-checked umbrella. So no more Burberry Brit, London or Prorsum – just ‘Burberry’ (which is what we all called it anyway). (more…)
