a wardrobe staple. When I was younger, I would always look up to the women I saw strutting around in the most sophisticated camel coats, belted at the waist with the collar popped, and I dreamed of a day when I would own one. When that day came and I walked away with the coat of my dreams, I’d never loved an item of clothing more in my life. In my opinion, everyone, male or female, should have a camel coat in their collection.
(@harrison)
June 2005
Global connections for the smallest brands
I have found so many incredible, independent brands on my various shopping binges. I often scan the new-in sections of my favourite online department stores to see what’s on their rails, and by doing so, I’ve spotted items I adore from brands I’ve never heard of. Net-A-Porter, LuisaViaRoma, Selfridges, Matches or Mytheresa; I’ll hold up my hands and say that I scour these sites weekly to search for items to fall in love with. I’ve found beautiful jewellery brands, cool sportswear collections, stunning accessories retailers and even the most established of brands that had somehow previously bypassed my radar. And I don’t think I’m alone here. Without these huge online stockists, a lot of brands wouldn’t be given the recognition they deserve. It’s hard to be acknowledged when the market is saturated with messages and you’re not able to shout loud enough. While these sites may take a sizeable cut from the product sales and awareness that they enable, that percentage is probably worth it for brands that otherwise would have to rely on their physical or online store for word of mouth.
(@rawpixel/Unsplash.com)
We’re living in a world of possibilities and opportunities. Anyone can open their own store if they have something worthwhile to sell. Etsy revolutionised the marketplace for individual retailers in June 2005 by providing online storefronts for creative people selling handmade items. I remember the day when my step-dad decided he wanted to pursue a career in woodwork, and suddenly the house was filled with his creations; a beautiful coffee table, a kitchen worktop, shelving units, jewellery boxes, you name it. So I mentioned that he should start an Etsy store. A few years later and he’s managed to create and run a successful small business, all from our back-garden work shed.
It’s no longer just the largest of companies that are able to thrive. Social media has been a starting point for a number of upcoming brands to grow their business. Just look at Fashionnova and their rise to viral fame after countless social stars were paid to promote their clothing. They now have 12 million Instagram followers and a huge customer base. Whatever the strategy, as long as your product is good and your customers can find you, you’ve got the world at your feet.
Brands I fell in love with online
RIXO
RIXO was founded in 2015 by two London College of Fashion alumni with a love of vintage fashion. Their designs are so recognisable and desired all over the world, and again stocked at Net-A-Porter, which is where I stumbled upon their dresses. The prints and luxurious silks are always impeccable and it’s clear they are destined for amazing heights.
Saskia Diez
Saskia Diez is a German jewellery designer who opened her own online store in 2009, but who I personally found on Net-A-Porter in 2017. It is seldom that I buy items from brands that I don’t know much about, but I immediately fell in love with the delicacy of her creations and had added a pair of droplet earrings to my basket and checked out within five minutes. I’ve been hooked on her designs ever since.
Strathberry
Strathberry is a Scottish brand that is taking on the global accessories market. I personally met the owner in 2014 at a press day for new brands and their designs blew me away. But without this chance meeting, the Internet would have been my first introduction, as they were initially based purely online. They are now sold at Selfridges, Saks and Monnier Frères, inevitably opening them up to much wider audiences around the world. I followed their journey after our first meeting, as they followed mine, and we continued to chat and collaborate over the years since. With Meghan Markle becoming an avid fan of their bags, it catapulted the brand even further into the headlines and their bags sold out overnight. At the start of 2018, I launched my own collaboration line of bags and accessories with them, which again sold out overnight, much to my extreme elation. They’re bound to grow and grow, and I can’t wait to see all of their successes.
(Strathberry Collaboration Imagery)
April 2008
Five years ago, my other half didn’t own one luxury branded item of clothing. My accessories wardrobe is filled with a number of my favourite brands that I’ve collected over the years, from Dior to Chanel and Valentino, but my other half just wasn’t bothered. He wore his beaten-up Levi’s, Vans trainers and assortment of band T-shirts, and that was as far as his brand affiliations went. Which of course is absolutely fine; he rocked his style and it suited him. No one needs to own designer clothes if they’re not interested. But over the last couple of years I’ve noticed him becoming more interested in certain brands and trying new fashion styles. We all adapt our styles as we mature, but if you ask me, or him for that matter, it’s all down to the brands and clothing he’s seeing on his (or my) Instagram feed. He’s exposed to so many more styling ideas: those cool new trainers that just launched, that awesome logo-heavy hoodie, that new backpack. Fashion inspiration is everywhere – we cannot escape it.
Lookbook.nu was one of the first accounts I signed up to when I started blogging. It launched in April 2008 as a place to share a photo of your outfit, with a description of the items you’re wearing, and then other users can like it and comment. This platform is all about the love – no negativity or thumbs down are allowed, because what purpose does that serve? Lookbook was huge in its heyday, inspiring outfit ideas and serving as an image-based blog of sorts. That’s before hundreds of thousands of people started their own blogs to post their outfit shots on instead.
Two years later, Pinterest became another haven for those looking for visual advice on what to wear that day. I have scrolled the Pinterest feeds for OOTD (outfit of the day) inspo many a time when I’ve been at a loss for ideas. Pinterest’s filtering system is particularly useful; if you want to find outfits featuring the Dior Book tote or Louis Vuitton Capucine bag, you can. Thousands of them.
You only need to look at the abundance of university courses that have been established since the early 2000s, based on varying fashion topics from business to marketing and fashion design, to know that people want to learn more, see more and do more with fashion. But mainly, they want to dress better and feel better, and it’s because of the abundance of inspiration hitting their eyes every time they scroll.
Fashion is no longer an interest for a select few. It’s been opened up, democratised and offered up to the audience on a plate. In previous years, you would only see the latest Chanel Cruise Collection images if you actively searched for them. Now, they’re at the top of
