7 March, 2016

On Chanel and the rise of playful luxury

From designer stickers to cartoon character smartphone covers to kidult footwear, there’s no stopping the rise of playful luxury. And no-one is more in tune with this emerging product category than Chanel, whose LED trainers illuminated the SS16 catwalk. As the AW16 Chanel show kicks off, Bon has published my article on how the heritage house embraced the next generation of international big spenders, one kitsch accessory at a time. Read the article at Bon.se.
Bon Magazine Chanel playful luxury

WORDS: Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Bon Magazine, Sabrina Shim

Disneyrollergirl 1 Comment Brands, Business of fashion, Designers, Magazines, Trends AW16, BON magazine, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, luxury, SS16, trends

12 February, 2016

Written in the stars

Just when did astrology get so fashionable? Let’s not question it. If you’re a fan, you’ll be interested to know about these personalisation gift ideas from two of my favourite luxury brands for Valentine’s Day (and beyond).

A couple of weeks ago I got to meet the fabulous Shelley von Strunckel at Smythson in Bond Street, where she gave a talk about astrology to introduce Smythson’s new collection of zodiac sign motifs. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 1 Comment Brands, Design, News, Retail concepts, Trends Chloe, luxury, news, personalisation, Smythson, trends

5 February, 2016

Perfect pairing: sweater + sunnies

Is it sunglasses weather yet? Well kind of, I mean, hello, Fashion Week! Spring is really not that far off, so I’m going right ahead and busting out my sunnies anyway. Because they protect from wind and rain too, right?

Plus, we all know there’s no such thing as seasons any more, it’s basically summer and winter everywhere, all the time. So in the spirit of winter-to-spring dressing, I’m wearing my new Cutler & Gross 0734 sunnies (I’ve always wanted round sunglasses) with an ultra-cosy Barrie cashmere sweater, accompanied by the warming scent of Nasomatto’s Pardon (tonka bean meets sandalwood meets oud) and just the teeniest smudge of Bobbi Brown Liquid Face Highlighter. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Design, Shopping, Trends accessories, Barrie, Cutler & Gross, knitwear, luxury, shopping

30 January, 2016

Oh la la Lesage

inside Lesage couture embroidery studio with Chanel

“There is only one person who knows how to make this piece; this lady has been working here for thirty years.” This, and many other such factoids are the type of geeky nugget one gobbles up on a visit to the Lesage couture embroidery workshops on the outskirts of Paris. On an industrial estate that’s a step up from your average (think sun-dappled and tree-dotted), it’s where the hands of dedicated embroiderers stitch and bead Chanel’s finest couture showpieces. (more…)