luxury

When you really fall in love with a brand, you fall hard. Well, at least I know I do. I’ve been a fan of the Isabel Marant’s casual but undeniably French creations for as long as I can remember. While I don’t have the finances to own everything from the label, I do own a red and black checked jacket (quite the trademark), a blazer and a slinky black satin top. Almost everything else I own in my wardrobe is a high-street copy of the designer’s classic pieces—high-waisted jeans with barrel legs, knitwear with exaggerated shoulders, and a classic black belt to wrap around my oversize jumpers.  Just last week, Marant showed her spring/summer 2021 collection. It was full of her signature styles: oversize shoulders, slouchy boots, flashes of bold prints and silv...

When it comes to luxury handbags, there has been a notable shift towards quiet understated styles, and a move away from anything too shouty or distinctive. This desire for timeless pieces is a mood we are seeing across the fashion world for autumn/winter 2020 and many houses are delving through the archive to create handbags that are rooted in heritage. There is one bag that is an exception to this rule, however, as at Bottega Veneta the handbags look like they have been dipped into a bowl of linguini and are as distinctive as they come. Fringing is a trend that we have seen across many of the major designer collections, but no-one took it as seriously as Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta. The brand has created oversize crossbody bags and fold-over clutches that have a leather fringe ...

As far as mother-daughter duos are concerned, few are as chic as Vanessa Paradis and Lily-Rose Depp. The former model and her It-girl daughter possess that certain je ne sais quoi typical of French women, who seamlessly manage to toe the line between effortless and put together.  The pair attended Chanel’s S/S21 fashion show today and unsurprisingly exemplified this exact aesthetic. Offering a modern take on mother-daughter dressing, both Depp and Paradis wore the same outfit formula of jeans and a blazer, though of course, each put an entirely unique spin on the look.  Paradis opted for black jeans and boots and finished her look with a woven tweed jacket which featured intricate detailing along the neckline and pockets. Depp, on the other hand, opted for a ...

When it comes to shopping, I’m that person who spends hours trying things on in the changing rooms and generally flits about looking confused. I’ll pick something up and carry it around for a little while, hoping that somehow a decision will be made via osmosis, before decisively placing it back on the rail, only to pick it up again 10 minutes later. However, I like to think that the reason for all this dithering about is that I only want to buy things that I’m actually going to wear. It was with this flip-flopping mindset that I sat at my laptop a few months ago contemplating Gucci logo belts. It had been on my mind for a while, and I was lucky enough to get a voucher for Browns, so it suddenly became ...

In early March, just weeks before the world went into lockdown, Chanel hosted its autumn 2020 runway show. Pairs of models stormed the runway in knee-high boots, strutting in unison while dressed in shades of tweed with bows in their hair.  And while Chanel runways are always much-talked-about events, this season, in particular, one accessory seemed to steal the show. The brand debuted a range of logo-embellished CC tights, which the majority of models were wearing on the day, either in a white or black colourway. And as if by some kind of fashion editor intuition, the moment I saw them I just knew they would become a cult favourite.  Unsurprisingly, six months later the item is already in high demand, appearing on the Instagram feeds of several high-profile i...

In early March, just weeks before the world went into lockdown, Chanel hosted its Fall 2020 runway show. Pairs of models stormed the runway in knee-high boots, strutting in unison while dressed in shades of tweed with bows in their hair.  And while Chanel runways are always much-talked-about events, this season, in particular, one accessory seemed to steal the show. The brand debuted a range of logo embellished CC tights, which the majority of models were wearing on the day, either in a white or black colourway. And as if by some kind of Fashion Editor intuition, the moment I saw them I just knew they would become a cult favourite.  Unsurprisingly, six months later the item is already in high demand, appearing on the Instagram feeds of several high-profile inf...

After several rounds of closet cleanouts recently, I’ve really honed in on what I want in my wardrobe. It boils down to one simple thing: quality over quantity. In my donation pile are trendy items with a short shelf life. The items with a permanent place in my closet? Well-made basics, special pieces from emerging brands, and investment items that I’ll never part ways with. Perhaps the most prized among these investment pieces is a Chanel bag that I bought over a decade ago in Paris that remains one of the best purchases I’ve made to this day. If you’re similarly considering an investment purchase and want to know what is worth putting your money behind, a Chanel bag is an item that holds its value that I guarantee you’ll never want to part ways with. So, which are worth the investment? I...

Boots are always a key investment for this time of year, however when we spoke to luxury fashion buyers to compile our autumn winter 2020 trend report, they all stressed how this is the year of the boot. If you are considering purchasing a pair of designer boots, then below we have a guide to the brands we think are really worth investing in. “Boots are a staple for this season,” said Tiffany Hsu, the Fashion Buying Director at MyTheresa. “The utilitarian mood was a favorite in Milan—particularly from the likes of Prada and Miu Miu, who offered full, army-inspired, heavy-duty styles. High combat boots are making a comeback, and we set our eyes on the iconic Ann Demeulemeester knee-high, lace-up black boots.” If you’re into the chunky boot t...

There are few brands that rival Chanel when it comes to buying an investment handbag. The classic flap bags are not just a timeless wardrobe staple, they also increase in value over time. However, once you’ve made the decision to buy it how do you know which one is for you? From the high price tag to the sheer number of Chanel bags available, the decision can be daunting enough to make even Choupette’s hairs stand on end. And as the French fashion house brings out new iterations of the classics, as well as exciting one-off pieces, it just makes us want to own one even more. Of course, most would probably say they’d like to buy the classic Chanel 2.55 flap bag. The iconic piece was first created by Coco Chanel herself when she got fed up of carrying her bag in her arms. To fr...

Two words I have heard being used a lot this autumn by fashion buyers is “quiet luxury.” This aesthetic is certainly nothing new, as it is a phrase that perfectly describes the Phoebe Philo era at Celine and the ethos behind Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s 14-year-old brand The Row. However this move towards classic, elevated pieces, that are beautiful and special, but not too shouty or flashy, is particularly resonating in 2020. Elizabeth von der Goltz, Global Buying Director, at Net-a-Porter anticipates that this autumn winter 2020 season they will see the customer buying classic luxury pieces: “We predict the customer will continue to shop for more investment pieces from the likes of Bottega and Loewe, to fine jewelry and watches from the likes of Audemars Pigu...