circularity

Positive fashion: Now you can buy your secondhand Levi’s from its own dedicated recommerce site



Secondhand Levi's
Secondhand Levi’s have been a thing for as long as I can remember. I can still recall the smell from the endless folded piles of denim at the Emperor of Wyoming, where after ten try-ons you *might* leave with your perfect fit and preferred shade of blue.

In 2015, vintage Levi’s hit the headlines when RE/DONE jeans arrived on the scene with its innovative model of tweaking old 501s to a modern fit. It was so successful that Levi’s decided to work with the founders than compete.

And this month Levi’s has launched its very own secondhand Levi’s microsite (more…)



The new direct-to-consumer classics



Paravel luggage - direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand

No-fashion fashion; it seems the world is catching up with the ‘gentlewoman style’ set (according to the New York Times), who covet the best version of a thing that they can wear forever. This was the premise of my book, The New Garconne, which came out in 2016. The wardrobe building blocks featured in there have held up pretty well, although silhouettes have morphed slightly over time. But classics are classics, so I think we will always need a blazer, a tailored pant, a slim-heeled shoe and a decent tote.

Interestingly, some of today’s best classics don’t come from the heritage brands but from ‘direct-to-consumer’ (aka DTC) start-ups. (more…)



Positive fashion: Maggie Marilyn introduces circularity-first wear-now-recycle-later basics



Maggie Marilyn Somewhere basics collection

Here’s a very cool concept I can get on board with. Maggie Marilyn, known for its sustainable but high-priced designs is introducing a new lower-priced offer of direct-to-consumer elevated basics. Think boxy blazers, organic merino wool sweaters and the perfect white jean.

While the proportions and fabrics look great, the ‘Somewhere’ concept goes further. Marilyn will introduce a “take-back scheme” in 2021, allowing well-loved pieces to be sent back to be recycled into new ones. This circularity-first concept (similar to For Days) feels like a real shift in how we consume. (more…)



On Farfetch, circularity and the business of positivity



Graduate Fashion Week 2019 Farfetch Conscious Design Hub

Heads up! There’s a trendy new buzzword in town. Forget diversity, authenticity and sustainability; ‘positivity’ neatly encapsulates all three and can be moulded at will to suit the subject. The British Fashion Council has a positive fashion initiative, there’s a great website dedicated to Positive Luxury and it’s the tagline I use on here for anything related to considered fashion or beauty.

On which note, there was a palpable positivity at London’s graduate showcase, Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) last week. Now in its 28th year, something felt different this time – it seemed buzzier, less scrappy and had the ego boost of support from industry heavyweights including LVMH and Farfetch. (more…)