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Summer Styling Hacks

Written by Jenna Jones on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Partner Blogs.

By Rachael Perry, Stylist & Personal Shopper

Summer has been particularly elusive this year, but in the last couple of weeks, she’s definitely given us a teaser of what could be to come. Gorgeous, balmy nights sat out in the garden with a glass of Rose. Sunday afternoons spent on a terrace bar with your friends, an Aperol spritz in hand. It really doesn’t get any better, and whilst some people may disagree with me, I’ll stand firm on the fact that there is no better place in the world than London in the summer. There’s such an undeniable buzz and people are just happier!

The only thing that really gets to us all, is the heat. The unbearable, stifling heat that (combined with the vicious new strain of hayfever) feels like it might be literally suffocating us. London isn’t built for the heat and unless you’re a member of a handful of specific clubs with pools, it’s inescapable. As a celebrity stylist and private shopper, it’s my job to help people still look chic while braving this heat. So, I’ve compiled a list of a few summer styling hacks that will hopefully make life that little bit easier when the next inevitable heatwave commences…

  1. Pick your fabrics wisely – go for loose cottons or linens, they’re breathable fabrics that will keep you cool. Avoid synthetics at all costs!
  2. Invest in some underarm sweat pads – you can buy these easily online. You attach them to the inside armpit of your shirt and they catch any sweat. At the end of the day, you just take them off and throw them away, so you won’t get discolouring on your clothes from sweat and you don’t have to wash your shirts after every wear.
  3. Carry a mini fan or water face spray – you can pick these up in your local chemist or online, but when you’re feeling the heat there’s nothing more effective than a refreshing spritz!
  4. Sandals over sneakers – I know, London is grubby, but spending an extra 5 minutes in the shower when you get home is a small price to pay, trust me. Anything with an open toe will keep you much cooler, and there are plenty of chic options around. All hail the Birkenstock!
  5. Summer tailoring – one way to still make sure your look is elevated, even when you’re dressing for the heat, is to pick well tailored pieces made out of lighter fabrics. A gorgeous linen pair of shorts for example, with a plain cotton T-shirt or even a matching waistcoat, will become your go-to for sunny days.

Stay cool out there!

Partner Spotlight – Menage Modern Vintage

Written by Jenna Jones on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Partner Blogs.

Love it or loathe it, our style choices say a lot about us. Think Steve Jobs and his distinctive all black attire or how a certain look determines every defining shift in Madonna’s musical career. What we wear creates an impact and how we shop for said wears, even more so.

So, as we start to understand the devastating impact of fast fashion on our planet and seek more sustainable avenues to satiate our sartorial needs, there was no better time to sit down with Chiara Menage, Founder of Menage Modern Vintage.

Read on for the story of how it all began, Chiara’s ultimate fashion era and her top tips on vintage shopping…

Could you start by telling us how Menage Modern Vintage was born?

I started my website, Menage Modern Vintage, in 2018. I had a wardrobe full of clothes that I had collected over the years, which I no longer wore. Some of them had real sentimental and collectable value and I wanted to find good homes for them, so someone else could enjoy them. When I started telling people about the project I discovered a lot of them felt the same way; you could say it has backfired on me – instead of emptying my own wardrobe I now have an inventory of literally thousands of clothes, shoes and accessories.

What is the best part of your job?

I have met a lot of interesting people doing the job; because it’s a small business I’ve been able to build personal relationships with my clients. I visit them at home and I’d say the moment when they open up their wardrobes is the most exciting part, you never know what treasures you’re going to find.

My previous career in the film industry has opened up another fun aspect of the job, which I didn’t predict at the outset: supplying costumes for the film industry. I sometimes get an early brief and they ask me to source special pieces, which I really enjoy. Clothes and costume can say so much about character, both on screen and off.

What does fashion mean to you? Has it always been a part of your DNA?

Actually, I have never been very interested in fashion as such. My mother made all my childhood clothes, which was a mixed blessing, but I did learn about quality of fabric and what goes into making a garment. I’m more interested in these aspects and I did inherit a love of clothes. The first thing I bought for myself was from Kensington Market, a mecca for all sorts of vintage clothes which I frequented a lot in the 1980s. It was a wonderful Victorian petticoat which I wore with a military belt and DMs. I’ve been buying vintage ever since.

It is becoming increasingly popular to source vintage and shop second-hand. What for you are the main reasons to opt for vintage over luxury/fast fashion?

Sustainability is the most important issue in today’s fashion industry. The sheer wastefulness of fast fashion and over-consumption; the disposability of cheaply manufactured goods, the injustices in the supply chain; the horrendous environmental damage during the production process and the eventual disposal of all those thousands of tonnes of discarded clothing into landfill. All good reasons to only ever buy second hand.

There are of course other great advantages. You can afford to buy much better quality when you buy second hand, even high end designer items become accessible. This in turn means the clothes last longer and keep their value. But most of all, it’s so much more enjoyable to discover something unexpected, rather than wandering aimlessly around the high street being sold stuff that everyone else is wearing.

If you could relive any era of fashion what one would it be and why?

I have a soft spot for the seventies, although there were some truly awful moments; the nineties was when I started buying for myself, Vivienne Westwood, Rifat Ozbek, John Galliano, other great designers when I could afford it. I worked in Great Portland Street, which was at the time a centre of the rag trade, they used to have brilliant sample sales. Sadly I didn’t know then what I know now and I gave so much of it away. I see some of the pieces at auction now and want to cry.

What advice would you give to someone foraying into vintage shopping for the first time?

Not everyone can pull off a head to toe vintage look. If you’re new to buying, choose a statement piece you love and wear it with dependable wardrobe staples. Buy from trusted sources – there are sellers who are jumping on the bandwagon and trying to pass off as “vintage”. Be aware that sizing has changed over the years, and a size 12 from 20 years ago is more like a 10 nowadays, so check measurements if buying online. If you’re rummaging in a shop, trust your fingers, feel the quality of the fabric. Hold the garment up to the light to show up any moth holes. And put everything in the freezer for a week when you get home to kill off any lurking moth eggs.

And finally, what does the future hold for Menage Modern Vintage?

I never know from one moment to the next and that’s how I like it.

Work Flow…With Jane Shepherdson CBE

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Fashion, Finance, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Amira Hashish

Jane Shepherdson is a trailblazer in the fashion industry. With more than 20 years of experience as brand director of Topshop and CEO of Whistles, she has a wealth of knowledge to impart and is passionate about nurturing talent. 

Having transformed the High Street retailers into global fashion brands, she is using her experience to find a way to enjoy fashion without damaging the planet. She joined rental and resale platform MY WARDROBE HQ in 2019 as Chair and has taken it to new heights. 

Also the director of the London Fashion Fund, which champions small businesses to change the future of the industry, she is a true pioneer. We can think of no one more brilliant to kick off our series of Work Flow interviews with inspiring business leaders. Here she joins Amira Hashish in conversation…

What inspired your route into retail?

I’ve always loved fashion, but discovered early on that I didn’t have the talent to actually design clothes so I found the next best thing, which was being a buyer. That entailed working closely with a designer and putting a collection together that would both delight and sell.

Tell us about your latest projects…

Having left traditional retail behind, after realising the incredible environmental harm we were causing, I have moved into fashion rental. I am currently the Chair of MY WARDROBE HQ, a luxury fashion rental platform, which fulfills both my desire to make beautiful designer pieces available to many who could not afford them and to enjoy fashion without harming the planet quite as much.

I’m also a Director of the London Fashion Fund, an organisation that funds small fashion businesses that will change the future of the industry both socially and environmentally. It’s a real privilege to meet and work with super smart entrepreneurs who are changing our relationship with fashion and hopefully the future for all of us. We have invested in businesses who are growing cotton hydroponically using 80% less water. Now we are partnering with the big High Street retailers and even a small business making leather from microbial weaving. It’s a revelation!

What do you love most about what you do?

I really love meeting people with ideas. Especially those who have an idealism and optimism for our future. If I can help them in any small way, I get great satisfaction from that.

If you had to pick a career defining moment what would it be?

Well, this is going back a long way but when we first showed our Topshop Unique collection on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. It was a huge moment for the whole team. We felt that we had proved that Topshop was a hotbed of creativity and that we had gained huge credibility within the industry.

How do you manage your time?

I’m not brilliant at managing my time and consequently I like to get things done as soon as possible, which doesn’t always work. I feel like I am always rushing but perhaps that’s the way I work best?

Do you have any advice for those keen to follow in your footsteps?

Only do something you are passionate about. Don’t just follow the money. This is your life, you have to engage with it fully.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned along the way?

The best thing that you can do is to surround yourself with people who are absolutely brilliant at what they do. Don’t fear their brilliance, bask in the reflected glow of it.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?

I’m not sure there has been one person who has influenced me but I have been hugely influenced and astonished by the talent and creativity of those in my team. I have learned so much from them.

How has the fashion landscape changed over the years and what does the future of the British High Street look like?

The fashion landscape has changed almost unrecognisably in the last five years. The combination of e-commerce and Covid has meant that we have all changed the way that we interface with brands and they have had to catch up. Visiting a High Street store is no longer necessary, so their presence has to offer something more than a physical representation of an online store. We expect experiences, a showcase, theatre and visual stimulation. In my opinion, we aren’t getting much of that yet, but things are changing.

Where do you go to get away from it all?

I love to travel. I took a year out and did a road trip around the West Coast of America a couple of years ago. I spent all my time hiking, canoeing and generally exploring the incredible physical landscapes the US has to offer. I’m off to Corsica for the month of June. We are driving there with our dog, Dexter. We will be stopping in Paris for a few days, Nice for a weekend, and then going back through the Alps or walking in flower-filled meadows. Contrast is everything.

How to Create an Eco-Friendly Wardrobe

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

It’s common knowledge that fashion is one of the most polluting industries. According to style magazine, The Face, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. What’s more, the magazine also reported that annually, 300,000 tonnes of unwanted garments are binned. The scale of the waste, from the garments themselves to the water and energy used in their production, is gobsmacking. Of course, it would be remiss not to touch on the awful conditions that the staff at some of the biggest fashion houses are forced to work in. Fashion’s problems run deep, with more issues than Vogue and more dirty secrets than Cosmo.

So, in the rare moments that we aren’t campaigning on Oxford Street and writing to the CEOs of some of the biggest fashion troublemakers, it’s time to think about how we can affect some change on a personal level, assessing our options putting our greenest foot forward. There are many ways to approach curating an eco-friendly wardrobe, and I want to caveat this by saying that 99 per cent of the options available won’t break the bank. In fact, my first tip will actually help you save money while doing a little bit of good…

Shop Your Wardrobe

One of the best ways to curate a wardrobe that doesn’t hurt the environment (any further) is to shop the rails in your own bedroom or dressing room. In other words, rethink the clothes you already own, adopt a fresh perspective and look at the new ways you can style pieces for a fresh new look.

Shopping your wardrobe requires careful organisation. If you’re anything like me, your wardrobe starts the year in perfect order and quickly descends into a chaos of creases, making it impossible to see beyond the handful of pieces you keep on rotation. Giving yourself more of a boutique experience when it comes to getting dressed in the morning or for an evening out means creating a shopfloor environment. For example, group your blazers near your shirts or camisoles, stack your jeans in a neat pile on a shelf and hang dresses of the same length or style together. Not only will this take your wardrobe to level-Kondo, but it will also make the process of selecting pieces a pleasure rather than a (physically exerting) chore.

Of course, this kind of organisational activity will help you rediscover both the pieces you love and those that you never want to wear again. For the pieces that fall into the second category, keep a bag close by to fill and take to your local charity shop.

Renter’s Paradise

To maintain all that extra wardrobe space and to keep up the organisational pace, renting clothes for special occasions, or even nights out with friends, is a sure-fire way to keep your look fresh and eco-aware. Rental sites like Hurr and Rotaro offer style-led, high-fashion, designer items on a short-term basis across accessories like handbags and jewellery and clothing from bridalwear to winter coats. 

Making a conscious step away from the mindset that tells us we must buy-to-keep, from anything including housing and cars to pets and clothing, really does serve to help save the environment. One particularly interesting feature of the Hurr site is that each garment is listed with environmental savings. For example, renting a shimmering, rhinestone-embellished, Prada shift dress for £134 instead of buying it for £2,500, saves the carbon dioxide equivalent of 42 trees or 9,041 miles in a car.

Pre-Loved Updates

Now, if you must buy new clothes with any frequency, the best way to do this is by shopping second hand. Charity and vintage shops are perfect for the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough (or, in my case, a perfect Eighties jacket with in-tact shoulder pads). Second-hand shopping is understandably daunting for newcomers, but once you get the hang of it, there’s really no greater pleasure.

It’s all about approaching the rails with an open mind. The easiest mistake to make is to go looking for a specific item, and in your haste to find said item, miss out on all the brilliant finds that fail to resemble the piece in your mind’s eye. In this way, second-hand shopping should really be seen as a fun outing or activity to do with friends when you can give it the time it needs (with all the necessary coffee breaks).

Shopping the Top Eco Players

And finally, for those who can’t break from their retail therapy, there are so many options out there for truly sustainable new garments. From retailers and makers on Instagram to pop-up clothes shops on some of London’s cooler highstreets, the choice is overwhelming. A quick Google search will bring up countless options to suit your style and taste, but a few of my favourites are Franks, Sézane and Boyish.

The Hotels Making Waves in Fashion

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Lifestyle, Travel.

By Amira Hashish

The evolution of hotels into lifestyle brands is reaching new heights with a flurry of fashion lines stemming from our favourite holiday haunts. From grand dames collaborating with rising designers to boutique guesthouses curating their own collections, hotel merchandise has never been so coveted. Some pieces make a statement with logos on proud display, others take a more subtle approach. The fashion set can’t get enough with the likes of Olivia Palermo regularly spotted in Emporio Sirenuse and Kate Moss wearing ISSIMO loafers. Here are some of the collections that will brighten up your wardrobe…

Palm Heights x Bode

The Cayman Islands’ first all-suite boutique hotel is rippling through the travel world for all the right reasons. Founder and creative director Gabriella Khalil has made it her mission to blend considered design, food, art, culture and wellness. The hotel champions collaboration and that extends to its merchandise. A standout piece is a terry cloth beach jacket by rising menswear designer Emily Bode; striped towels used throughout the property have been repurposed to create the retro style coverall. Cotton hoodies, beach bags and slides are also part of the hotel’s in-house range, palmheights.store.

Sunset Tower x Sporty & Rich

Hotelier Jeff Klein reinvented the landmark Hollywood hotel a little over a decade ago. He is all about the understated and elegant look with an edge. Design highlights include a dark and moody bar and a pool area with the signature LA vista. There are pink leather semi-circular booths and sofas covered in fabric that Klein designed himself. Meanwhile, Sporty & Rich defines itself as a wellbeing label with simple yet thoughtfully made products that emphasise longevity. Its founder Emily Oberg, who has reinvented streetwear, has long loved Sunset Tower so the collaboration came naturally. Subtly co-branded tracksuits, t-shirts, and accessories in lavender,  chocolate, heather grey and cream are the epitome of laid-back luxe, sportyandrich.com.

Palazzo Avino x The Pink Closet

Palazzo Avino is a pink palace of dreams in Ravello on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Once a 12th century private villa for an Italian noble family, it is now one of the most spectacular hotels in the Mediterranean. The hotel’s owner Mariella Avino has conceived what can only be described as the walk-in wardrobe of dreams in The Pink Closet. Less a shop, more an experience, it is a beautiful curation of clothing and jewellery. Its own sleepwear and lipstick line is a lovely reminder of this fabulously fanciful destination, thepinkcloset.com.

Nobu Ibiza Bay x LOVE BRAND & Co.

On the shores of Talamanca Bay, Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay blends chilled out holiday vibes with a healthy balance of fun and Japanese fusion cuisine. The hotel has teamed up with LOVE BRAND & Co. to create shorts and shirts that embody its spirit. The summer lifestyle brand is rooted in travel. Founders Oliver and Rose have been chasing the sun together since they met in 2010. With family ties to the Bahamas, the couple have spent the last decade soaking up island life and creating their collection. The Sea Weave print and colours are inspired by the Posidonia seagrass meadows in Ibiza. It is all for a good cause with a percentage of sales going to the conservation fund Ibizan Preservation to help protect the threatened seagrass meadows, lovebrand.com.

Il Pellicano x ISSIMO

To say that the owner and artistic director of legendary Pellicano hotel group Marie-Louise Sciò is one of Italy’s tastemakers would be an understatement. Her boutique hotel on the Argentario Coast of Tuscany is the region’s most fashionable retreat. So it’s not surprising that she launched her own concept store, e-commerce and lifestyle platform called ISSIMO. As well as the hotel’s logo sweatshirt and t-shirt you will find a trove of fashion, beauty and home gifts by Il Pellicano’s collaborators and friends, issimoissimo.com.

Ritz Paris x FRAME

Sometimes the best pairings are the most unexpected. The iconic Parisian hotel has teamed up with denim brand Frame for its first foray into the world of fashion and the results are sublime. Each of the 22 pieces in the capsule collection is crafted from luxury materials and designed to evoke the sense of place the famed hotel has established. Instagram has gone wild for the double act and it has firmly put the Ritz on the map for the next generation of travellers, frame-store.com.

Eden Rock St Barths x PatBO 

Brazilian brand PatBo makes swimwear with sass. Founder and creative director Patricia Bonaldi began her career by opening a multi-brand store in her hometown of Uberlândia. Soon after, she started receiving requests to design her own pieces and so PatBo was born. Her capsule collection for Eden Rock comprises a gloriously feminine range of beachwear and nightwear paying homage to the hotel’s glamorous sunbeds and sea views, patbo.com.

Emporio Sirenuse

Carla Sersale of Le Sirenuse (featured in our Insider’s Guide to Positano) and her niece Viola Parrocchetti have been beavering away on Emporio Sirenuse since 2013. Their carefully curated collection of beachwear, resort wear, design and lifestyle items are favoured amongst the glitterati. Let’s just say the Le Sirenuse straw bag is a must for any Amalfi-goer worth their salt. MATCHESFASHION and Net-A-Porter stock the collection too. The Emporio works directly with small, family-owned enterprises in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, using a network of talented artisans, many of them selected personally by Viola during the six years she spent living in India, emporiosirenuse.com. 

Follow @thedesigneditor and @clubrapport for more travel inspiration.