11 December, 2015

Anthropologie: The secret to selling beautiful books

What could be nicer than thumbing through beautiful coffee table books with the experts from Anthropologie? More than the painted plates, gypset rugs and delightful trinket trays (OK, on a par with the trinket trays), it’s the irresistible book selection that gets me every time. I sat down with Zoe Hodson and Nicole Sierra from Anthropologie’s home buying team to get the lowdown on the art of book buying, the cult of colouring books and what makes the perfect coffee table tome. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Books, Design, News, Retail concepts, Shopping, Trends Anthropologie, books, Garance Dore, Interview, long read, shopping

27 November, 2015

Beautiful freaks: Iain R Webb on clubs, counter culture and unbridled creativity

Iain R Webb

The wonderful Iain R Webb, award-winning fashion writer and author of the book As Seen In BLITZ, sent me a whole essay in answer to an email I sent him a few months ago when I was after a few lines to use for a quote for an article. I decided it was too good not to share in its entirety, so he said I could publish it here. Read and be inspired…

IAIN R WEBB writes…
In the summer of 1980 I left St Martins School of Art, having studied fashion design, first in my class. Within a week I was last in the dole queue. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 1 Comment Magazines, Trends Iain R Webb, long read, magazines, trends

10 November, 2015

Smythson stories: how the Mara diary is made*

Making of a Smythson diary Mara midnight

“Our Featherweight paper is the same paper that’s used for bank notes. It’s extremely thin but durable enough to be written on without the ink showing through.”

I’m being taken on a personal tour of Smythson’s Hertfordshire bookbinding workshops, where its famous diaries are produced, from printed page to hand-finished leather covers. My guide is pointing out each artisanal technique while I take in the familiar sky blue paper hue that serves as a permanent presence throughout the premises. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Business of fashion, News craft, factory visit, how it's made, long read, luxury, Smythson, SPONSORED POST, stationery

22 October, 2015

How high street brands are disrupting the beauty industry

Topshop makeup and H&m Beauty - affordable and high quality make up on the high street

High street beauty has officially gone premium. Topshop’s beauty is five years old and thriving, J Crew’s lipsticks are a cult buy and H&M is going large on its beauty offer with a litany of launches happening in the next few months.

While Topshop kicked things off five years ago, launching its in-house make-up line on the LFW catwalk, the game changer was arguably & Other Stories in 2013, which paired a luxury Scandi aesthetic with an inviting experiential retail model. In fact, & Other Stories was intended as a beauty concept but was so appealing, it was extended to fashion. (more…)