Clog comfort
30 March
The chic stay-in shoe has never been so relevant, so it’s fortuitous that we can step into Rosetta Getty’s take on the classic Scandinavian clog, launched in collaboration with Danish footwear label Ecco. Crafted from sustainable leather, in a range of bold colourways, or swathed in snuggly shearling, these styles are set to ensure you stay at home in style and ease, the clog’s last is created using Ecco’s Fluidform Direct comfort technology. Slip into one asap.
Writer: Laura Hawkins
Uplifting energy
26 March
Although the global pandemic currently has the West tightly in its grip, hope comes in the form of a beacon from the East, where recovery and reawakening is already afoot. The Hong Kong-based knitwear label Ply-Knits brings a similar message of optimism with its latest collection and lookbook, which was created at the end of Febuary when most of China was on lockdown. Despite the extended closure of founder Carolyn Yim’s family-owned factory in Dongguan, Yim combatted a low budget and restricted mobility to create a series of still-life images that relied on neotenic compositions to evoke feelings of warmth and empathy. Inspired by the works of Erwin Wurm, the lookbook features a cast of different characters assembled out of Ply-Knits’ latest cashmere capsule collection for Browns London. Ranging from familiar crewneck and turtleneck silhouettes, teamed with oversized sleeves, extra loose bodies and zigzag ribbed cuffs, the succinct collection packs a vibrant punch that reiterates that brighter times will soon be round the corner.
Writer: Pei-Ru Keh
Indoor workout wonders
23 March
Champion celebrated its 100th birthday last year. Established as a ‘Knickerbocker Knitting Company’ (maker of baggy-kneed trousers) by New York brothers Abraham and William Feinbloom, for many it now defines a certain kind of American athleticism and verve. Rick Owens debuted a capsule collection designed in collaboration with the brand at his Paris menswear show in June. Its unisex mesh shorts, oversized togas, reverse weave sweats and hooded windbreakers have a muscular opulence. ‘When I started my label in the nineties, I hand drew my logo as a cross between the Champion logo and a Jean Patou perfume label – they both had a similar vintage calligraphic flair,’ Owens says. ‘I wasn’t conscious of it then, but I see now how that balance has defined my ongoing aesthetic – a 1930s black and white movie version of both American uniform utility and European glam.’
Writer: Dal Chodha
Chinoiserie chic
19 March
We’re coming to value the great outdoors with even more vigour, so it’s natural that we’ve come into full bloom over de Gournay’s latest scenic collaboration with Erdem. Erdem Moralioglu – who has long drawn on the botanical world in his romantic vision of womanhood – looked to Hydrangea, Hollyhock, Irises, Chrysanthemum and Morning Glory for his de Gournay collaboration, and these florals are festooned across his hand-painted wallpaper designs, interspersed by a lattice of Chinoiserie-inspired branches and perched on by inquisitive sparrows, warblers, pheasant and egrets. The designs usher in a touch of interior design cheer, bringing a halcyon vision of the natural world into the home.
Writer: Laura Hawkins
Soho special
18 March
A sleepy passage in London’s Soho has a new addition; an equally unassuming yet fertile two-floor space from Swedish menswear retailers Très Bien. Designed by Stockholm-based studio MP12, 23A Meard Street showcases new collections and exclusive items on a six week rotation. It is the company’s first shop outside of Malmö. Viewed from the street, the Georgian townhouse looks deceptively bare – MP12 have installed a partitioning wall that separates the interior from its quintessentially British façade. ‘The general impression is that Swedes strive for simplicity, but we wouldn’t necessarily want to call it minimalism,’ they say. ‘More than anything, the store design is driven by functionality in both expression and utilisation.’ The store was conceived as a modular space, composed of the same materials used across Sweden’s mid-century public housing. Co-founded by brothers Simon and Hannes Hogemann in 2006, Très Bien is known for its gallant mix of brands. ‘In order for this to be fully expressed, the space had to be neutral but distinct. It had to be adaptable too so that other brands can project their own aesthetic onto it whilst maintaining the impression of a Très Bien store,’ Hannes said.
Writer: Dal Chodha
Foldaway fantastic
17 March
The line between form and function is what marks out good design. Maison Martin Margiela’s former head of jewellery, the Belgian-born Stephanie D’heygere, launched her eponymous accessories label after a decade of working for a host of illustrious names and won the esteemed ANDAM Accessories Award in 2018. Her approach is playful and eccentric. For S/S 2020, D’heygere worked in collaboration with Longchamp. ‘Once I knew about the collaboration to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ANDAM, I realised how many people have the Pliage bag. You see people wearing it in the street everywhere…on a fancy lady, a teenager. It’s beyond age, gender and money,’ she says. Her brief was to reinterpret Longchamp’s omnipresent lightweight, waterproof foldaway tote as a piece of clothing, resulting in a quirky convertible poncho, which is on sale now. ‘It’s a very democratic bag and it was nice to do a different kind of collaboration, twisting the Pliage. It came very naturally. It was immediate and spontaneous. I had a Longchamp when I was a teen, my grandmother and mom have one. I kind of grew up around them.’
Writer: Dal Chodha
