week 12.
Saint Laurent AW24 by Anthony Vaccarello
Saint Laurent’s creative director Antony Vaccarello seems to be having a bit of a ‘f**k you!’ moment these days. After his AW24 women’s show which was basically the same (admittedly beautiful) look repeated 40 times, he broke more rules by showing his men’s collection entirely outside the menswear calendar. On top of that, he repeated the same single-minded vision too: in a homage to tailoring, he had pretty much 40 versions of a slouchy, fluid suit – sometimes single-breasted but usually double – in a range of moody, almost womenswear-y shades. He certainly believes in driving a point home. Needless to say though, the suits were gorgeous and covetable and we will be buying our own versions from Cos as soon as we can.
Dries Van Noten to Step Down
The fashion crowd are wearing black armbands this week. Mercifully it’s a retirement not a death but if feels like it for many: Dries Van Noten has announced that he is stepping down from Creative Director at his eponymous label after 38 years of often spectacularly good work. Regular readers will know we are BIG fans here and even though the label will continue (and no doubt will be still a favourite), we fear that extra little spark from one of the original Antwerp Six will be missing. We imagine Dries’s already beautiful garden will profit from his increased free time though.
Stella McCartney x Veuve Clicquot
At The Editors, we are known to enjoy a glass of champagne now and again and so it is reassuring to know that our efforts in drinking the stuff are helping the environment too. Stella McCartney has been working with esteemed champagne producer Veuve Clicquot to create faux leather from the waste fibres from the grape harvest. The end result has the look and handle of leather but has a significantly lower carbon and water footprint than both real leather and fossil-fuel alternatives. Centre-stage in the collection is a basket weave bucket bag with grape-shaped tags but our favourite has to be a wildly impractical but very chic cross-body champagne bottle holder, perfect for a hands-free cycle ride to a picnic this summer perhaps.
Who Is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci story
After the theatrics and excesses of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci, new Creative Director Sabato de Samo has pared things down to a much more discrete (and possibly more sellable) version. But what about the guy behind it? – he’s not given much away so far. In an attempt to address this anonymity, the house has just released a short documentary, entitled ‘Who Is Sabato de Sarno?’ that gives a glimpse into the preparation of his inaugural women’s show in Milan. Narrated by Robin’s style hero (and Gucci ambassador) Paul Mescal, it paves the way for de Sarno’s new, grown-up vision for the brand. And in other fashion film news, the tell-all documentary about John Galliano’s rise, fall and rise again hits cinema screens this week too.
Diptyque’s Fleur de Cerisier Scented Candle
As anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Japan during springtime will tell you, Sakura – or Cherry Blossom season – is a spectacular and insanely popular phenomenon. For those of us not able to be there though, help is at hand, at least in an olfactory way. As spring kicks in but with still a chill in the air, we have the option of staying indoors and using a new Fleur de Cerisier scented candle from Diptyque. It has a floral and fruity aroma that, whilst not having the full impact of a walk in Shinjuku Park, gives a very welcome touch of spring to your home. Pair with a glass or two of sake to complete the dream. (For more scented candle recommendations, check in later for a list of our favourites).
