From the vaults: Stella Tennant for Gap
Photographer… David Sims possibly?
Update: I was right
Gap
Nails Inc x Diet Coke
If anyone ever asks my top 5 brands I can reel them off in under 5 seconds. Sony, Gap, Disney, Levi’s, Coke. Easy.
Sony was really cool when I was growing up (hey, they invented the Walkman and had a great logo). Even though their products got less reliable over the years I still have an allegiance to them, I can’t help it. Maybe it’s because Big Audio Dynamite wrote a song about them.
Gap is just a brand I love the idea of. Great American classic wardrobe staples and their ad campaigns are always so beautifully produced. Plus, I have just found the perfect ankle length chinos I’ve been looking for all my life. Disney? Well, duh, can I just say Mickey Mouse? What other reason do you need? Levi’s – again, all about American heritage. I love everything this brand stands for, it’s a nostalgia thing. And finally, Coke. It’s weird, even when I hear bad things about the brand, all I can think about are the red and white colour combo, the iconic logo, the even more iconic bottles and those brilliant ad campaigns.
And now, Nails Inc has collaborated with Coke to launch the Diet Coke City Collection of nail polishes. WTF has Diet Coke got to do with nails? Not a lot, but I really don’t care. I’m not even a Nails Inc fan but I will be making it my business to nab one of those ruby red bottles. That’s the power of the brand for ya.
The Nails Inc Coke set is available from Boots between now and 30th June, free when you buy two 500ml bottles of Diet Coke from selected Boots (subject to availability).
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Is it time for turn-up jeans again?
I must say, I felt terribly pleased with myself a few months ago when I unearthed a barely-worn pair of (ahem) Hobbs biker boots circa 2003 from the forgotten depths of my wardrobe. It made a welcome change from the Converse-and-jeans rut I’d unwittingly got myself into. When you spend your days haring around London from one appointment to another in all sorts of weather you can’t really cut it in 4-inch Chloe heels.
Biker boots feel fantastically practical and protective, yet rebelliously cool at the same time. What I have noticed is I’ve been turning up my (straight-legged Nudie) jeans oh-so-slightly in order to show off the buckle, as without that essential detail I could be wearing any old generic work boot. Which makes me wonder, as the biker girl look takes off – witness all the leather jackets and biker boots in magazines and stores from Gap to Burberry –will we see a return to turn-up jeans? Last time we had the turn-up trend it was all about showing off the selvedge seam on your limited edition, uber-rare Japanese denim jeans, and the time before that it was the eighties-copies-the-fifties look channelling Marlon Brando in The Wild One.
As someone who will always champion the androgynous look over anything overtly sexy, I reckon this one’s a goer. After the boyfriend jeans and the high-waisted flare, let’s welcome back the straight-leg turn-up. Keep the turn-up small to elongate the leg and as with any masculine-inspired look, remember to factor in loose, flowy hair, a generous application of eyeliner and a good swipe of lipgloss.
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Banana Republic coming to London
Today’s news: Banana Republic is coming to London – to the old Dickins & Jones store. I can’t say it appeals to me (a more spendy version of Gap? No ta) and it seems other people think the same. I wonder how it will do?
In the meantime, I hear Phoebe Philo has been quietly designing for Gap. Of course, she has been paid thousands to do this and her influence can already be seen in the spring and high summer collections. The evidence? Lots of preppie-ish cottons, dresses and fine knits in a muted palette and some fabulous (but rather expensive) bags.
