Item Of Interest: The Thing You Kind Of Already Have, Except It's Perfect
In this fortnightly column, we take a keen interest in things, celebrating the moods and whims that fuel desire. In this edition: indulging the idea that, sometimes, the most compelling things on the runway are things that are already in your closet.
Have you seen the latest Celine Winter 2022 show? If the answer's no, my suggestion is you get on it right this instant! Hedi Slimane is doing something special these days, and his designs and clothes are at a point of sublime desirability. He isn't trying to wow or blow us away with daring new inventions. His stroke of genius is to show you the perfect, Platonic ideal of something you kind of already own.
A look from Celine's Winter 2022 collection that's made up of pieces – blue jeans, a black turtleneck and a beige coat – that you quite possibly already have a version of hanging in your wardrobe.
That's all I could think about looking at this collection of what are arguably staple pieces. A trench coat, a car coat, washed denim jeans, black turtlenecks, grey blazers... the wheel stays firmly invented. But that isn't the point! The point is that those jackets and coats are cut with just the right proportions of length, boxiness and flow. The jeans are just the right amount of flared. The turtlenecks roll over with just enough volume at the neck. It's kind of like a wardrobe trick mirror: familiar, but everything's a little better.
READ MORE: Item Of Interest: “B-Side” Bags, AKA Hidden Gems From Big Name Brands
It got me thinking about that little old thing we call "investment" pieces. I've written before about bags worth investing in. (Read: putting in not negligible amounts of money.) I maintain that a leather good designed outside of trend cycles will pay tremendous style and pleasure dividends. But we are, I think, also coming round to this way of thinking when it comes to clothes. In a funny way, the most persuasive things you could see on a catwalk are versions of what's already hanging in your wardrobe.
The Bar jacket is such a big part of the heritage and history of Dior that it's sometimes easy to forget how modern it still is. There are lots of copies and variations out there, which emulate the Bar jacket's soft, curved silhouette. Naturally, the house that originated it still does it best. This one's an interpretation by Maria Grazia Chiuri in a lightweight, ever-so-slight spongy blend of wool and silk. The basic tenets are still there: soft, rounded shoulders; nipped and flared waist; and high lapels. Tailoring is set to make a huge comeback in the coming season, and this certainly holds up.
Parkas and technical outerwear are a city-living staple, and Balenciaga makes some of the most compelling ones for the fashion crowd. Though the fabric label says polyester (quite unromantic) the truth is there are grades of polyester just as there are grades of cotton, linen and leather. The technical fabrics that Balenciaga uses – here a fairly tough-wearing technical ripstop – feel entirely luxurious when worn. There's creative director Demna's brilliant way of constructing a silhouette too, and this parka has a gently oversized fit with shortened sleeves and a maxi collar. The collar is designed to be popped up, which transforms the utilitarian look into something more dramatic and reminiscent of Cristobal Balenciaga's face-framing haute couture collars.
Burberry trench coats have long been a symbol of success. They've endured specifically because they aren't flashy. The practical design, such as the cotton gabardine it's made of that's so tightly woven it's water resistant, means that Burberry trenches are subtle as far as status symbols go. The English brand has not let up on its quality and design – the latter continually updated and refined by creative director Riccardo Tisci. This is a pretty good coat that's modern and simplified, yet still recognisable. What's neat is that it's cut from a tropical gabardine which is more breathable and suited for warmer climes, and the epaulette detail is extended into the sleeves with D-rings so you can wear it more casually rolled up.
Miuccia Prada loves a skirt. She once told Cathy Horyn, writing for The New York Times, that a skirt was like a T-shirt to her. The brand even put on an exhibition dedicated to skirts back in 2006. And in the brand's Spring Summer 2022 collection, the arching design element was skirts with sensual trains trailing behind them. It's why if someone says they're looking for a killer skirt, I automatically reply "go to Prada". This all-black pencil style is cut from chino cotton, with a detachable metal belt to break up the industrial, uniform aesthetic.
Celine makes some incredible shirts for women. The brand's shirting style is very reminiscent of French dress shirts for men, down to the handsome details. On this shirt, there are mother-of-pearl buttons on the placket and cuffs, and a modestly flouncy lavalliere collar that nimbly toes the line between shirt and blouse.
If you're going to buy a silk scarf, it only makes sense to go to Hermes. The brand's scarves are second only perhaps to its leather goods – and the innovation and creativity on offer can be astounding. The classic 90 by 90 centimetre size is ideal for wearing it multiple ways. This one's a recent breakthrough for Hermes, where they figured out how to print a scarf on both sides. The result is that you get an alternate colour palette on the flip side that's fully realised instead of it being an underside to hide away. The design is lots of fun too: a gallery of historical, mythical and strange characters in the style of '50s comic books.
Yes, Loewe is first and foremost a leather goods house. But in recent years, creative director Jonathan Anderson has expanded the scope of crafts for the brand. The handwoven basket bags are fast becoming a modern classic – just see the plethora of options available in this year's edition of the Paula's Ibiza summer capsule. This one's a more understated and timeless option. The adjustable leather top handles means you can carry it by hand or on the shoulder, the embossed leather anagram patch adds a touch of sophistication, and the size is large and roomy enough to throw a lot inside.
Here's a real challenge no one ever talks about: finding the perfect black pump. You'd imagine it were simple, but the fact is that the details rarely align correctly. The answer: Manolo Blahnik's Maysli slingbacks. The suede adds some depth and texture to the black, and the matching buckle adds a thrilling but subtle piece of decoration. It's got some real fashion history to it too! This style was first developed for the American designer Isaac Mizrahi's catwalk collection, and has since gone on to become a Blahnik signature.
You rarely get more than two options when it comes to T-shirts these days: printed or basic. You could perhaps blame the advent of streetwear for that one. Or, for a change, you could sail right into Miu Miu where girly, imaginative twists abound. I adore this sailor-style top with a cute little bow and embroidered logo on the chest. The brand describes it as a "fresh and ironic character" – and it really does bring to mind the adorable Madeline comics and the sounds of a Belgian nun singing 'Dominique'.
With the return of nightlife, I've been thinking (from a daydream's distance) of what a good going out dress might be. The perfectly-timed return of sexiness and the '90s in fashion, and the fervour around Fendi and Versace's creative swap, has led me to this dress from Versace's Jeans Couture line. It's short, it's colourful, it's playful. And the simple silhouette makes it look like a silk scarf (this print is called Garland Sun) is offhandedly and casually wrapped around one's body.