Colette

Streetwear retail grows up



Aime Leon Dore London cafe

Something interesting is happening in the world of streetwear. It’s fixing up, shedding its scrappy roots and going all out for growth. Latest development? In the space of a few weeks, two of its most culty brands have opened retail stores that cement their influence and ambition for mass expansion.

On June 17th, Hypebeast unveiled an impressive new seven-storey HQ-slash-store-slash-event-space in NYC’s Chinatown. Two weeks earlier, Aimé Leon Dore (above and below) opened its London store in the heart of Soho, a two-storey retail destination incorporating a marble-floored café and a VIP private lounge. A sneaker’s throw from Supreme and Stussy, Aimé Leon Dore is a far more refined proposition than these rough and ready rivals. Its branding is more preppie-adjacent than skater kid, yet it speaks to the same youthful demographic. (more…)



An olfactory tribute to Colette



Lola James Harper Colette concept store candle and room scent

Colette may be no more, but I like this olfactory tribute to the OG Paris concept store. Fragrance and lifestyle brand, Lola James Harper has reproduced the classic figgy Colette candle, ‘L’Air de Colette‘ in a newly reconfigured candle and room spray (from £35). It’s the old scent with a new name, ‘213 Rue Saint-Honoré Air‘, so if you’re mourning the demise of one of the best retail destinations of our time, here’s the perfect olfactory memento.

I remember discovering Lola James Harper’s candles in Colette. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: Glossier, Le Kilt, Colette and more…!



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands and industry stories currently buzzing on my radar…

1. GLOSSIER TO THE UK
Glossier UK launch
Am I the only person left who hasn’t tried Glossier? The 35 million dollar blogger beauty brand is finally extending its reach worldwide with a big buzz of coverage in the media last week. London is getting the first of the European push (exact date still tbc), which has come about thanks to Glossier’s phenomenally engaged social media fan base. (more…)



Beauty news: & Other Stories – the beauty booty



Everyone’s getting jolly excited about H&M’s new launch – & Other Stories. Pitched as a brand about ‘style’ rather than ‘fashion’, it’s been seeding videos for the last few weeks and launch day is almost upon us (8th March, Regent Street, London).

I’m interested to see what the beauty offer is like up close. (more…)