Style findings: April dispatches from the Wallpaper* fashion team

Craft works
17 April

Tod’s T Factory project has already seen Alessandro Dell’acqua and Alber Elbaz  on its collaborative roster, and now the Italian label has commissioned burgeoning Japanese talent Mame Kurogouchi to reinterpret its heritage-steeped designs. Kurogouchi found particular aesthetic affinity in both her and Tod’s affection for craft. ‘We both strive to give contemporary relevance to a special and endangered form of knowledge that is not to be found in books, but that can only be learned through experience,’ she explains. The result is a collection of dresses, outerwear, shoes and bags in timeless black, navy blue and tan, featuring traditional Japanese flourishes, including leather embroidery that nods to kogin zashi quilting. ‘I founded Mame Kurogouchi exactly on the idea to rediscover crafts that in Japan were in danger to disappear,’ its founder adds. Her aim just got even more international reach.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Pig out
15 April

Beloved nose-to-tail dining revolutionary St JOHN has temporarily shuttered its doors in London, but fans of the restaurant can still purchase its wine selection online - the 10-litre Bag in Box proving a particular favourite. If you’re also keen to offer sartorial support, we also suggest a visit to Dover Street Market’s online outpost, which is stocking a host of collaborative styles from Junya Watanabe MAN’s S/S 2020 collection, including a t-shirt printed with the restaurant’s famed pig logo. When St JOHN’s London locations reopen their doors in the future, we suggest sporting it for your first visit.

Writer: Laura Hawkins
 

Type beast
14 April

American artist Carlos Valencia is famed for his tongue in cheek typographical images and grayscale photographic montages. It’s an approach which attracted art obsessed Hedi Slimane – who as part of stylish line of artist collaborations for Celine, from Christian Marclay to Anneli Sanaye Henriksson – tapped Valencia for the maison’s S/S 2020 collection. We’re most carried away by the brand’s text-embroidered selection of raffia baskets, including this floral-detailed design, accentuated with floral motifs and the phrase ‘Uh Huh.’ It’ll allow you to bust out a ballsy one-liner with any dressed down look. 

Writer: Laura Hawkins. Photography: Aylin Bayhan

Happy camp-ing
8 April

Camper continues its Before & After project with a new collaboration with Dutch skate brand Pop Trading Company. Tapping into Camper’s unique design DNA, the first of the two new style revisits the brands Runner XL sneaker, updating its wavy tread in extra light rubber, and giving it a streamlined padded exterior. The second reworks Camper’s classic Chasis chucker boot with a crepe bumper sole and super soft leather upper. The collaboration forms part of Camper Together’s continuing project, which unites the Mallorcan brand with other members of the art, design and fashion worlds. It’s bringing us a touch of Balearic bliss.

Writer: Jason Hughes

Scents of occasion
7 April

No working from home setup is complete without a therapeutic scent - as many workspace still life images posted on Instagram can testify. If you’re looking for something with a little more sex appeal than a scented candle, we suggest investing in a peachy incense burner from Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s homeware range. The figurative selection is handmade in London and inspired by the ceramic jewellery pieces in the designer’s A/W 2020 offering. Consider this a smoking hot desk side accessory.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Family values
6 April

We’ve adapted new rituals as our world view has become more four-wall centric, and the daily art of getting dressed is producing even more pleasure. It’s fitting, then, that the slow-paced sustainability focused label & Daughter, has launched ‘Seven Days, Seven Dresses’ a working week-uplifting collection of everyday dresses, in tiered, ruffled and sleeveless styles, in an array of alluring fabrics from raw hemp to striped cotton. The styles incorporate deadstock fabrics from Italian mills and are made in both a small women’s only atelier in South London and in a family run factory in Portugal. As warmer days approach, these dresses will make your morning wardrobe choices even more enjoyable, even if for now you’re only wearing them around the house.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Sun-seeking chic
2 April

Colourful hues and patterns abounded in Marni’s nature-celebrating collection, which featured couture-shape dresses festooned with felt tip landscape doodles and crochet tunics, trailing with knitted plants. To top it all off, creative director Francesco Risso placed leaves as hats on models’ heads, but if you’re into something a little more sophisticated, may we direct you to the collection’s accompanying cat-eye sunglasses. The acetate styles are imagined in a spectrum of bold, irregularly striped tones and bring a retro and pop-colour flair to summer styling. Pop on a pair as part of your self-isolation style, and take in the beauty of the setting sun from your window.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Fab-ulous form
1 April

We’re always on the lookout for an enticing new logo, and Fendi is a brand synonymous with striking design. Take its famed double FF logo, which was created by then creative director Karl Lagerfeld in 1965. Now, the house has added new typography to its repertoire. Fendi’s latest Fab bag, a striking cross body style available in highlighter hues or buttery caramels, features a a new squared FF logo clasp, designed by creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi. The buckle has been imagined in metal or in a glamorous crystal style. We’ll be opting for the twinkling latter version, bringing a touch of disco to any ensemble.

Writer: Laura Hawkins