Turning tips into memories

The latest fashion news: London and beyond

From the British heritage brand celebrating its 50th anniversary to the latest from Paris Fashion Week, here are the hot topics all fashionistas should know about.

Celebrating 50 years of Margaret Howell

British fashion label Margaret Howell turns 50 this year, but it’s never felt more relevant. In fact, it’s come full circle. Established by its proprietor-of-the-same name in 1970, Margaret Howell’s ranges have always featured pieces that are understatedly stylish, but never at the expense of being comfortable and practical – alluding to the tail end of the Second World War which overshadowed Howell’s childhood and early adulthood.

Corduroy, cotton and cashmere have remained staples of the designer’s ranges over the years. ‘Her work came as a complete rejection of the flashy synthetics of 70s glam: androgynous, practical, outdoorsy, British,’ comments Sarah Mower in an article on the designer for Vogue. In a year that’s seen us first retreat back inside our homes, then swap glamorous cocktail parties for regular laps around our local park, never has there been a better time to look to Margaret Howell for sartorial inspiration.

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Fashion Week: from Milan to Paris

Milan Fashion Week drew to a close on 27 September, after showing the world how it can be still be achieved with a largely online affair. Yes, there was less fanfare and demure excitement than that displayed at the physical shows of yesteryear, but innovations were rife. The award for originality must surely go to Moschino (pictured). The brand put on a puppet (sorry, fashion) show to exhibit Jeremy Scott's SS21 collection. In it, a series of marionette models strutted the runway in miniature replicas of Scott’s latest outfits, a range largely comprised of princess dresses. Topping off the spectacle was the audience: marionette replicas of Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful et al, sharing notes and snapping pictures on their phones.

Another highlight came on the closing day of the event, when five little-known black Italian designers fronted a digital fashion show, 'We Are Made in Italy', to highlight the Italian fashion industry’s race problem and the insidious belief that to be Italian is to be white.

Next stop: Paris, where Fashion Week will mimic the format presented in Milan, with a mix of live and virtual runway shows, film screenings, talks and more. Brands running live shows this time include Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Chloé and Isabel Marant, while Loewe and Vivienne Westwood are among those going virtual.

A.P.C. collaborates with Catherine Deneuve

French ready-to-wear brand A.P.C. has run a slew of starry collaborations in recent months, the latest of which is with Nouvelle Vague darling and muse of Yves Saint Laurent, Catherine Deneuve. The actress and style icon, who is a neighbour of A.P.C. founder and creative director Jean Touitou, was given free rein over the label’s workshop and fabrics, with Touitou inviting Deneuve to ‘express her vision of chic, touched with whimsy’. The resulting capsule wardrobe features items named after some of the most prominent screen roles portrayed by Deneuve over the last half a century.

The interaction follows on from A.P.C.’s recent collaboration with actor and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, which resulted in a quintessentially ‘French girl’ range, featuring striped T-shirts, denim culottes and a denim jumpsuit with statement sleeves.

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Gwyneth Paltrow poses naked for her birthday

Speaking of Paltrow, the actor and Goop founder's recent nude picture of herself on Instagram while celebrating her 48th birthday went viral. The picture features Paltrow posing under trees in the hazy, golden hue of late-afternoon sunlight, and is captioned: ‘In nothing but my birthday suit today… thank you all so much for the birthday wishes.’ Paltrow went on to credit her own wellness brand for giving her the confidence to pose naked. She said: ‘and thank you to @goop’s insanely amazing brand-new body butter for making me think I can still get my kit off.’

The post was praised by celebrities including the model Naomi Cambell and socialite Paris Hilton, but it was Paltrow’s 16-year-old daughter Apple who stole the show, simply commenting ‘MOM’ underneath the picture, capturing all teenage children’s mortification at their parents’ actions.

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