Quote of the day: Christian Lacroix



Christian Lacroix System magazine

“For me, the question is: is fashion a way to be like your neighbour or is it a way of being yourself, different from your neighbour? Nothing is ugly nowadays. If you look at everyone’s Instagram accounts, there is beautiful food, beautiful flowers, beautiful muscles… everything is too beautiful. Bring back ugliness! Baudelaire said there is no beauty without something bizarre.”
Christian Lacroix, System magazine issue 13

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Christian Lacroix by Dominique Issermann, System magazine
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

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Trend report: what to wear for SS24



Bally SS24

Spring is properly here, so it’s off with the coats and on with the T-shirts. LOL April Fool! Alas no, it’s still pretty chilly in NW10, so my Spring trend report is leaning a little towards knits and waterproofs for another few weeks. But amongst the leather outerwear and aristo-inspired Barbours and barn jackets, there are skin-baring T-bar shoes, shiny, happy tinted lip oils and molto pops of primary colour (the Italians do it better). Walk this way…

1/ ENGLISH ECCENTRIC. Vintage 80s Vogues and Tatlers seem to have crowded designers’ mood boards for Spring. Well, that’s the vibe I’m getting from the likes of Erdem, who channelled aristo English design tropes with his chintzy florals and patchworks layers (in fact made from actual Chatsworth House curtain remnants). Team your Erdem x Barbour coat (below) with a Skippers Mill Shetland knit and Burberry wrap skirt* for a Guinness-fuelled lunch at The Devonshire while perusing The Bible of British of Taste.
Bruce Weber and Grace Coddington for Vogue
ERDEM Barbour SS24
Elle UK Liz Collins
Bible of British Taste


2/ BARN DANCE
. If Barbour’s not your bag, then Prada’s oversized Barn jacket (below) may fit the bill. Size up when pairing with spring’s flapper-esque dresses or tailored Bermuda shorts*. Everlane* and Zara (below) have the afffordable versions, while J Crew’s Heritage Barn Jacket* is an update of an old fave.
Prada SS24 Alasdair McLellan for The Gentlewoman
Prada SS24 barn jacket
Zara quilted barn jacket


3/ LUST FOR LEATHER.
Spring sees an overwhelming return to leather at every price tier. I’m chalking it up to a digital-fatigue desire for skin-on-skin tactility and sensuality, something you can get from the look, feel and smell of leather. Another – more commercial – factor: brands can charge more for leather. Whether that’s Arket’s £77 leather scarf*(below), Zara’s £469 camel belted coat or Phoebe Philo’s £6,000 drop-waist jackets, the perceived value of leather being hardwearing, combined with the classic styling of bikers and 60s-style single-breasted coats offers an irresistible trend with built-in longevity.
Lolita Jacobs at Toteme by Sandra Semburg
Arket leather scarf
COS ss24 leather biker
TOD'S ss24 leather coat
Arket short leather trench coat
Gucci leather jacket ss24
Zara leather biker jacket


4/ THE NOSTALGIC HANDBAG.
As an antidote to the chaotic ‘main character’ bag, the nostalgic top handle is a good foil to all the architectural blazers and oversize tailoring still at large. Shoulder bag straps tend to leave a dent in structured shoulders, whereas a handheld bag adds a semblance of retro primness to power silhouettes. I especially like the classic bamboo handle of Jil Sander’s Goji*, the resin handle at Dries* and the sculptural metal at Bottega Veneta*. Meanwhile, Prada’s glossy trapezoid (below) is perfectly at odds with the season’s hero XL leather jacket and tissue-sheer skirt.
Prada top-handle box bag


5/ A DROP OF BORDEAUX.
When it comes to accessories, Spring’s colour du jour is a full-bodied bordeaux. Easily found in handbags and leathergoods, such as Tod’s’ utility-luxe waist bag* (below), the good news is vintage versions can be readily sourced – patina optional – from any number of resale platforms. Playing nicely with white, camel grey and of course, denim, a bordeaux belt*, loafer* or tote* will add the required veneer of old-money refinement.
TOD'S SS24 leather waist bag


6/ TO THE MAX.
I know it never went away but Sportmax seems to be experiencing a renaissance. Along with MaxMara, it has tapped into the classic-yet-contemporary sweet spot everyone’s craving right now, abetted by the latest Mario Sorrenti campaign. Head this way for architectural dresses* and retro-futuristic eyewear*.
SportMax SS24 Mario Sorrenti


7/ THE SKINNY T-BAR.
Can we have an ‘Amen’ for the return of proper shoes? As a proud member of the “never worn a Croc” club, I’m advocating for the skinny, sexy, grown-up T-bar. With its nod to gamine 20s garconnes, the slender-strapped T-bars from Ferragamo* (below – love the croc print and comma heel), The Row* and Toteme* are surprisingly versatile.
Ferragamo T Bar


8/ CIAO ITALIA.
Quiet luxury but make the colours sing – as only the Italians can. Simone Bellotti brings his Italian sensibility to Bally, injecting his contemporary takes on demure classics with welcome zings of tomato red (below) and lemon sorbet (top), while Ferragamo’s supple leather single-breasted coat and bourgeois handbag in tennis lawn green (below) are a winning combination. For a quick fix, tuck a Benetton crew neck (pick a colour, any colour!) into a cropped cigarette trouser and accent with hi-shine Oxfords* or Mary Janes*.
Bally SS24
Bally SS24 Ferragamo ss24
Ferragamo SS24 menswear leather


9/ LIP SERVICE.
Lip oils, balms and glosses are ousting the lipstick monopoly with tinted lip oils a fuss-free way to add pigment to lips, aided by moisture boosting ingredients. Pitched as “lip care” to tie in with our quest for self-care, the latest crop of lip oils are also aspirationally marketed to justify a higher price. I prefer a lip oil to a gloss, although they do need frequent re-application. Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil* (in four shades) is on my wish list, along with Gisou’s new Honey Infused Lip Oil* (below), Merit’s Lip Oil*  (three shades) and Dior’s cult Lip Glow Oil*. For dry lips, prep first with the new ceramide-infused Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Ointment*.
Gisou tinted lip oil


10/ REVISITING THE WENDERS WAVE.
The Wim Wenders revival has put the wavy, centre-part bob firmly on my radar. Nastassja Kinski in Paris, Texas (below) is the main muse, with Jennifer Alfano, Sylke Golding and Celine’s Tess Breeden (below) offering a contemporary-casual update.
Nastassja Kinski Paris Texas
Tess Breeden for Celine SS24


11/ STICK A PIN ON IT.
Need a styling hack? The humble safety pin comes into its own as a DIY fastening-meets-jewellery-detail. Pin your supersized pin above (or in place of) your top button, Bally-style* to give a jacket an A-line swing (below). Or if you want pure decoration, Ilaria Icardi’s 18-karat gold safety pin pendant comes alone or with a set of bangles (below), while Ambush’s safety pin earring* comes with its own teddy charm.
Bally ss24 safety pin trend
ILARIA Icardi gold safety pin
Ilaria Icardi safety pin pendant with bangles


12/ FARA HOMIDI SKIN
. Is this the new, sexier answer to Westman Atelier? Fara Homidi has just added a foundation compact to her lipstick line-up, accompanying the pebble-like compacts with Japanese brushes for optimum your-skin-but-dewier application. What’s so special about it? Continuing her USP to combine prep with finish in a single ‘system’, Homidi’s Essential Face Compact (in hand-polished lacquered metal, below) is a duo of sheer, balmy highlighter (aka the ‘Shine Baume’) plus ‘Smooth Veil’ concealer-foundation hybrid, available in 15 shades to celebrate a range of skintones, all refillable. Available from Violet Grey* and Fara Homidi Beauty* in the U.S and Niche Beauty* and Moda Operandi* in Europe.
Fara Homidi Skin foundation-concealer hybrid


13/ PH-PERFECT BODYCARE.
The latest development in the microbiome beauty movement is bodycare. Luna Daily’s* microbiome balancing bodycare includes the new Everywhere Lotion for dry, itchy skin, a super-mild Everywhere Exfoliator* and genius Spray-to-Wipe Mini*, a pocket version of the microbiome-balancing spray that has multiple uses from on-the-go festivals and camping hygiene to post-gym freshen-up. Buy it at Cult Beauty*, Sephora* or Boots*.
Luna Daily microbiome beauty

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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Bally SS24; Bruce Weber/Vogue; Erdem SS24; Elle/ Liz Collins; The Bible of British Taste; The Gentlewoman; Prada SS24; Zara; Sandra Semburg; Arket; COS SS24; Tod’s SS24; Arket SS24; Gucci SS24; Zara SS24; Prada SS24; Tod’s SS24; Sportmax SS24; Ferragamo SS24; Bally SS24 x 2; Ferragamo x 2 SS24; Gisou; Paris Texas; Celine SS24; Bally SS24; Ilaria Icardi x2; Fara Homidi Skin; Luna Daily
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week
CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman
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What’s the secret ingredient to Larry David-core style?



Larry David normcore style

I enjoyed this Guardian feature on Larry David’s costume design. It looks at how the Curb Your Enthusiasm character’s style has evolved over the years and how his post-normcore ‘look’ has infiltrated fashion – via TikTok of course.

A key takeaway: real-life Larry takes the clothes home after a season’s filming and the costume designer, Leslie Schilling often spots him re-wearing certain pieces in TV interviews, mixed with his own clothes. That co-mingling of character and real-life persona through the medium of clothes is a genius storytelling tool. It blurs the line even more between Larry David the person and Larry David the character, convincing us that they’re one and the same (even though they’re not). Is this a happy accident or a deliberate strategy of crafting a character? You decide.

Read more here.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Larry David via Mr Porter*
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week
CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman
CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare



Dries Van Noten: Say it ain’t so!



Dries van Noten X Gill Button

A sad week for Dries heads. It’s just been announced Dries Van Noten is stepping down from his namesake brand after 38 years and the fashion world is in mourning.

A thoroughly nice (and normal!) guy who respects women, a brilliantly consistent designer who charms through clever juxtapositions (more…)