Netaporter

On trunk shows, experiential retail and Hannah Warner’s extreme nail art




The Independent published a story this week about the growth of online trunk showsModa Operandi, Net-a-Porter et al giving customers the chance to shop ahead of the season by pre-ordering almost straight from the runway. The analogue version of this is the physical trunk show, more popular in America, but also being used in the UK by smaller retailers and designers to offer their customers a more intimate experience and learn from the feedback. I wrote about this a while ago for Glass magazine and noticed that trunk shows seem to be particularly popular with jewellers. Especially with more expensive pieces, it seems the live shopping experience can add to the emotional value of the piece. This month, contemporary multi-brand jeweller Kabiri is holding weekly trunk shows with a different designer every Thursday where customers can meet the makers and also try out special pieces from their collections.

Owner Nathalie Kabiri says, “although we have a successful online store, you can’t replicate the interaction of meeting the brands personally. We pride ourselves on our close working relationships with designers and decided to hold the series of trunk shows so that our designers can give advice to customers, to help them achieve the perfect jewellery purchase.” One of those designers is Hannah Warner whose darkly gothic aesthetic has earned her commissions from Mugler and Jean-Paul Gauliter. Tomorrow at Kabiri in Marylebone Road, Warner will be launching her gold nail jewellery; thorn-like nail attachments that are applied by a manicurist. These have been much buzzed about since being seen on the Mugler AW12 runway. The following Thursday, British jewellers, Cabinet will hold a trunk show at Kabiri in King’s Road. Although the trunk shows are open to the public, you have to book a place. Find all the details are here.



What the appointment of Harper’s Bazaar’s Lucy Yeomans as Net-a-Porter editor-in-chief means for the industry




Today has been a day of breathless retail-meets-media news. Net-a-Porter announced Harper’s Bazaar’s Lucy Yeomans as editor-in-chief of the etail site starting in April, with Jenny Dickinson (currently deputy editor of Elle) taking over her role as acting editor of Harper’s Bazaar. A few hours later came the news that fashion director Amanda Brooks is to leave Barneys New York due to a move to the UK with her husband and family. (more…)



Dark and lovely



I’m not a great fan of faded denim. Given the choice, I prefer my jeans stiff, dark and densely pigmented. And as traditional faux-fading processes are found to be harmful to their makers and the environment, fashion is finally catching up with me.

One of the suggestions Levi’s makes is to wash jeans less, using only cold water. Funnily enough, this is something I’ve done for years. Using only a tiny bit of detergent, I soak jeans in a bucket of water then rinse, roll in a towel and dry flat. But mostly I try to avoid washing them at all, which is obviously much easier if they’re dark to start with (yeah, it helps if you’re a bit of a scruff).

As it happens, my favourite inky-hued jeans are back online at Netaporter.com. I have these Levi’s Made & Crafted chino jeans already in indigo and khaki but will be buying another pair of the indigo as I wear mine a lot. If you want a dark wash jean that’s versatile enough to wear all year round (day to night, dressed up or down, yada yada) then I’d thoroughly recommend these…

Buy Levi’s Made & Crafted jeans at Netaporter.com



Vogue Fashion’s Night Out in pictures



Did anyone go to Fashion Night Out? Wasn’t it a blast? I had so many things I wanted to go to, from checking out Lulu Kennedy’s ‘Honolulu’ at Liberty, to getting my nails did by Sophy Robson at Chanel, to falling whizzing round Rupert Sanderson’s roller disco. In the event, I mostly got waylaid in various spots around Bond Street shooting the breeze with every blogger in town…

Liberty London Girl’s packaging contest judging at Starbucks

Jeanette DJing at Vivienne Westwood

Good to see Phillip Sallon back on the social circuit

Alcohol was served in anything but glasses: punch in a teacup at Moschino, cocktails in coconuts at Lulu Kennedy/Liberty and jam jar bevvies at Harvey Nichols

I spy an Hermes horsebox – with the longest queues ever for ‘bangle bowling’ (bowl a bangle into a scarf-covered riding hat and win a paper bangle!)

Rupert Sanderson was hilarious fun (but not so hilarious for poor Katie Chutzpah who sustained a fractured-elbow-shaped injury). Here’s a photo she took of me doing my best Olivia-Newton-John-in-Xanadu impression.

I loved Netaporter’s idea of a shoppable ‘window’ where punters could win prizes. Here’s my photo from London:

And here’s the NYC version:

And finally, to Harvey Nichols’ fashion fairground, a complete madhouse of London’s craftiest designers customising FNO tees, bags and anything else in sight (J W Anderson even stuck Harajuku stickers on a Celine bag and someone’s boots). My Secret Tees looked great of course and the bids are already stacking up. Feel free to bid if you fancy winning a one-off tee from one of London’s coolest creatives. All profits to Kids Company – yay!)

Roksanda Ilincic on customising duty

Pin the ponytail on Karl’s head

Secret Teeeees!