Erdem x Barbour

For the S/S 24 collection, Erdem partnered up with Barbour to create a show piece inspired by the late Duchess of Devonshire. Looking to the master couturiers who would have dressed Cavendish, Erdem reworked Barbour’s signature waxed cotton into a trapeze opera coat.

Deborah Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, (1920-2014) photographed by Mario Testino in a November 2010 issue of Vogue, was the grandmother of fashion model Stella Tennant (1970–2020) and aristocrat William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington. 

The coat highlights Cavendish’s love of the great outdoors. A decidedly feminine take on the iconic British jacket, it features a couture-inspired open neck and comes with a detachable quilted gilet made up of antique-inspired floral linens and cottons.

«My work has always been about creating pieces with a human hand and I felt there was real synergy in our approach to craftsmanship. It was wonderful to collaborate with a brand with such an extraordinary history,» says Erdem Moralioglu in the press release.

To shop the Erdem x Barbour convertible floral-print quilted corduroy-trimmed waxed-cotton coat, click here please.icon

I am completely obsessed with this piece and needless to say, it has found its way into Sandra’s Closet.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Erdem x Barbour
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Wall & Wardrobe – De Gournay x Erdem

With so many of us at home right now, there’s no better time to make your space beautiful. Here is your welcome dose of whimsy as I would like to show you an amazing collaboration between de Gournay and British fashion house Erdem. The exclusive collection features limited edition Chinoise wallpapers alongside whimsical floral tiered dresses and other dreamy pieces, so that you can match your look to your interior design. This is what I call elevating your level of style!

Erdem Moralioglu – a designer feted for a signature expression of halcyon romance – whose creation of a new hand painted design for wallpaper and as a fabric for a line of his elegant silhouettes deftly pairs the realms of fashion and interiors.

A riotous depiction of nature in full bloom, the new design is a springtime vision of flora and birds: presenting the medium in a kaleidoscopic rendition of saturated tones.

Hydrangea, hollyhock, irises, chrysanthemum and morning glory jostle amidst a verdant lattice of branches, with sparrows, warblers, pheasant and egrets interspersed throughout. Honouring specific instruction from Erdem that the birds appear especially full of life, they appear darting through foliage, taking flight and energetically craning their necks.

With de Gournay’s provision of hand painted design work, the Erdem team plotted elements into a motif for clothing: altered in scale as a florid pattern garlanded across grounds of navy, white and black. The resulting collection for S/S 2020 combines the exquisite character of both brands, with de Gournay’s first executions of wallpaper in ‘Adam Grey’, ‘Kelly Gren’, and a ‘Golden Yellow’ painted to join their iconic Chinoiserie collection and seen for the first time within exclusive photography of the project. Each panel (91.5cm x 150cm-350cm) takes around 120 hours to produce and is handpainted in watercolour at De Gournay’s studio in Wuxi, outside Shanghai.

Exclusive to Net-à-Porter: Oleanna floral-print cotton-poplin midi dress
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Erdem’s three separate capsules of stunning dresses and separates come with a white background for Net-à-Porter, navy for Bergdorf Goodman and black for Erdem’s own South Audley Street store and e-site. All three are available now.

I am in love with the Giudita tie-neck belted floral-print silk-voile dress.
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A mutual dedication to beauty informs the endeavour, the results of which compliment the illustrious merits shared by Erdem and de Gournay both.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Erdem / de Gournay
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Erdem for NARS Strange Flowers Collection

For Summer 2018, NARS collaborates once again with long time fashion design partner, Erdem Moralioglu. The designer brings his nostalgic romance and dreamlike narrative to beauty with the limited-edition Erdem for NARS Strange Flowers Collection.

Bold yet timeless, the color collection is a custom designed palette of demure and daring shades for eyes, lips and cheeks, with additional newness in the form of NARS’ first lip powder palette and blotting paper. The highly covetable 13-piece capsule collection is encased in sophisticated soft-touch packaging adorned with one of three original floral prints Erdem created for the collaboration.

It was really interesting to explore my aesthetic in collaboration with NARS and see how far we could push different elements through color and product,” says Erdem. “It was fascinating to develop new pigments and palettes as well as the cosmetics themselves.”

The Erdem for NARS Strange Flowers Collection includes:

BLUSH
Featuring a silky-soft pearlescent finish that departs sheer, yet buildable color, the velvety formula gleams in two new shades.

LOVES ME (pictured above) and LOVES ME NOT (pictured below) – CHF 41.40 each

LIPSTICK
Six new shades, featuring a creamy, smooth formula, range from bare to bold, sheer to intense.


Lipstick Shades in BLOODFLOWER, WILDFLOWER, VODOO LILY, MOON ORCHID, LARKSPUR (left to right) – CHF 45.00 each

LIP POWDER PALETTE
The new innovative palette includes a creamy primer and precision-tip lip brush to paint lips with four delicate shades of petal pinks, rose reds, and poisonous purples. The matte and metallic powders can be worn alone or layered on lips—with or without balm—for a range of unexpected looks and effects.

POISON ROSE LIP POWDER PALETTE
Shades, left to right: LIP PRIMING BALM, nude ZIRA, shimmering rose gold CALYPSO, matte rose DAMASK, matte fuchsia OTTOMAN, matte scarlet TRAVEL LIP BRUSH – CHF 66.00

EYESHADOW PALETTES
Two six-well palettes of highly pigmented, velvety-matte shades deliver longwearing, crease-resistant color. The formula can be applied sheer or layered for more dramatic effects.

NIGHT GARDEN EYESHADOW PALETTE Shades, top to bottom, left to right: OLEANDER, shimmering pale gold INDIO, satin forest green REBORN, satin marigold FAUNA, matte deep brown SPRUNG, satin midnight blue MATIRA, satin black

FLEUR FATALE EYESHADOW PALETTE Shades, top to bottom, left to right: MYTHIOS, shimmering ivory THISTLE, metallic mink FLOURISH, shimmering steel blue BELLADONNA, matte soft brown DAYDREAM, shimmering copper HOLLY HOCK, satin mulberry
CHF 66.00 each

MULTI-USE HIGHLIGHTING PENCIL
Illuminate intrigue with a multi-use highlighting pencil for eyes and cheeks. The new, ultra-smooth formula provides effortless blending and on-the-go radiance.
WHITE PHOX, opalescent lavender – CHF 41.40

BLOTTING PAPERS
Fresh-plucked blotting papers instantly soften and mattify. Perfect for shine control in the summer months. CHF 32.40

In Switzerland available in May 2018. So beautiful!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of NARS

UBS Unique – Economy of Fashion

During the vibrant atmosphere of London Fashion Week, I had the pleasure to participate in a very interesting new project combining the world of finance and fashion: UBS Unique – Economy of Fashion.

Just as the world around us is changing, the face of wealth is evolving. The global income of women will grow from USD 13 trillion to USD 18 trillion by 2021* – more than China and India’s combined GDP growth and since 2015, women have held 30%** of global private wealth.

As women are looking for a response to their needs, UBS Unique has been created. The aim? To catalyze a long-term change in the financial industry to better serve women and to enable them to make the most of their wealth.

My lovely host, Kathrin Genovese Head Vice Chairmen Office, Global Ultra High Net Worth

Therefore a lovely group of female ultra high net worth individuals from all over the world was invited by UBS to London for two inspiring days. The event had it all: shows, talks and insights on how fashion can change the world for the better.

As I thought you might be interested in what I have taken home from UBS Unique, here’s a quick roundup of insights from the event’s speakers.

«The future of fashion will see creativity re-emerge as a key driver to take us from our current crisis state and into a new model for fashion. If we don’t push creativity at every step of the fashion supply chain to find new ways to design, produce, sell, wear and dispose of clothes, then we face a bleak future for fashion.”»Christina Dean

From left to right: Christina Dean, my humble self, Giorgia Caovilla and Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis.

The look of love – how will the fashion industry change?

Women should “fall in love with the fact that fashion is a force for good,” says Christina Dean, founder of Redressan organisation working to reduce waste in the fashion industry. Christina believes fashion’s ethical future is in the hands of young designers and consumers. Or as Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis describes it vividly, “it’s down to designers to rebel. There’s a lot of pressure on designers to become commercial so it stops creativity. I am anyway bored of all the fashion shows. There are too many.”

Online shopping is definitely an opportunity as emerging designers cannot always afford a retail space. They have a different pricing model. But in terms of sustainability it can cause also problems as people end up buying multiple sizes knowing they’re going to return it.

Dress with Sense – the practical guide to a conscious closet by Redress

How can you play your part in making fashion more ethical?

As I am always promoting, you can easily play your part in making fashion more ethical by buying the things you love and wear them for longer. When shopping, think about the value, not the price. And consider ways you can make sure your investments match your ethics.

You can also donate your quality, branded items with high value to charity Redress for resale.

Designer Mary Katrantzou and me framed by UBS key speakers, James Gifford, Senior Impact Investing Strategist, Chief Investment Office, UBS Wealth Management, to the left and Helen Brand, Head of Equity Research, European Luxury Goods, UBS Investment Bank

A short industry outlook

The top 3 words executives used to describe the fashion industry in 2016*** were: «Uncertain, Changing, Challenging.» But despite the wider economic slowdown last year, fashion has been a key value-creating industry for the world economy. In 2017, a slight recovery is expected to a point where the industry may see some growth next year.

Let’s take China for example. Chinese growth hit a soft patch: a stock market dip and real estate concerns have decelerated chinese growth, and shifted attention to India, Turkey, and other high-growth markets. China’s fundamentals, including growth of the middle and upper classes, remain strong and the government’s new fiscal policies are expected to improve conditions in 2017, but uncertainty remains.

A woman shops in a Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai. © SCMP Photos

London-based Helen BrandHead of Equity Research, European Luxury Goods, UBS Investment Bank, trusts in the mid market and expects “growth going forward to come from the Chines middle class consumer and therefore more at the entry level price points, with more chances for the handbag category compared to watches as many brands still have to strengthen the CHF 2000-5000 offer.

 When you think about China, factors such as pollution, a deteriorating environment, inhumane work conditions in factories, mass production come immediately to your mind. China and sustainability, connecting the dots between economy and ecology seems to be a complex problem. Therefore a valid question was raised during one of the panel discussions: how can we as consumers/potential investors contribute to overcome these issues?

Tailor-made investments – how can you invest ethically in fashion?

What’s impact investing? Put simply, it’s investing in ways that help make the world a better place. And it can make a big difference to the fashion industry, “especially when dealing with problems in supply chains,” says James Gifford, Senior Impact Investing Strategist at UBS. It’s good news for investors, too.

Impact investing is one of the tools that we can use to improve terrible situations such as exposure to slavery and trafficking – lots of brands don’t have full transparency throughout their entire supply chain.  Shareholders can take part in helping brands address that. Most critical is the intent – the willingness to change for the good. This impact must be measured with defined performance indexes to make it tangible to all stakeholders of the corporation.

Many investors assume that impact investment is a form of charity. In reality, quiet the opposite is the case. Gifford delivers the facts: two thirds of impact investment funds deliver comparable results to more traditional funds. Generating a financial return is indispensable and sustainable in itself; generated profits are more likely to be re-invested in impact projects and new investors may follow.

How to invest

  • Invest in best in class – some great companies that are trying really hard to improve.
  • Underweight / overweight the good guys and the bad guys.
  • You can engage your fund managers and advisors on this topic as most of them might not have thought about these issues. So having that dialogue can have an impact already.
  • Shareholder engagement is where shareholders use their voice to encourage companies to improve their behaviour. This can be done through fund managers or family offices.
  • Shareholder engagement can be very effective and you don’t even have to own that many shares to have a voice.

Great show: Mary Katrantzou’s F/W 2017 presentation took place at Tate Modern.

During those two amazing days, we had also the chance to talk to two outstanding designers who both have build up their brand in a breakneck pace. Cherry on the cake was the possibility to experience the excitement of fashion week as guests of Mary Katrantzou and Erdem at their shows.

With Erdem in his Mayfair store for a private shopping event during the «Economy of Fashion».

I don’t believe in fast fashion – I get a kick out of seeing real women wear my clothes on the street,” says Erdem Moralioglu, founder of the designer label ERDEM.

Shaping up – how Erdem Moralioglu built his brand

Since launching in 2005, the brand has become synonymous with versatile and powerful femininity. After studying at London’s Royal College of Art, Erdem started his own company and fashion line at the age of 27. The business took off when Barneys bought his first collection. In 2014, he put his collection online and opened his flagship store in Mayfair in 2015.

Today, ERDEM is sold in over 170 of the world’s most exclusive retailers, including Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Joyce, Colette, Dover Street Market, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.
In the beginning of November 2017 his collection for H&M will hit the stores as he is the next designer to collaborate with the Swedish clothing giant (for more info, click here please).

With Mary Katrantzou in the private shopping suite at the at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, wearing an amazing coat from her F/W 2017 collection.

Print can be as definitive as a cut or a drape and allows a woman to filter beauty found in design, in a subversive way. All my prints are constructed through digital technology. Digital print allows me to experiment with print in a way that fine art and other methods could not. It opens up a huge spectrum for possibility; I can create possibility out of impossibility, surrealism out of realism and both vice versa,” says Mary Katrantzou.

Pioneering digital prints – how Mary Katrantzou became the fashion world’s darling

Greek-born Mary Katrantzou had an appreciation of applied design from an early age. Having begun training as an architect at Rhode Island’s School of Design, she transferred to Central Saint Martin’s in London to study textiles and finished also with a fashion MA in 2005. Katrantzou shifted her direction from textile design to womenswear with a focus on print as she loved the way printed textiles can change the shape of a woman’s body.

Success from the first moment: Mary Katrantzou’s graduate collection in 2008.

Her graduate collection in 2008 of digital trompe l’oeil prints of oversized jewellery on simple shift dresses served as a counterpoint to the minimalist movement that was dominating the runways at the time. From there, Katrantzou picked up 15 prestigious stockists including Browns, Joyce and Colette. Today she boasts over 250 stockists worldwide. Among the many prestigious awards, she received in her career, she also won the Swiss Textiles Award in 201, which helped her grow her business further. And would she rule out ever taking on an investor? “In the future, who knows,” says Katrantzou. “But true global scale is our ambition.”

Best of both worlds… fashion and finance.

I hope that you enjoyed this little insight into the new interactive event Economy of Fashion under the roof of the UBS Unique platform that was a great success. For two days, we received an exclusive insight into the business of fashion of emerging and established designers, disruptive technologies and brands that are making their mark on the industry.

I met amazing ladies from all over the world and it was a pleasure exchanging knowledge while enjoying some fun shopping and great food.

I would love to conclude with a quote from shoe designer Giorgia Caovilla: “The future of fashion will shorten the distance to be able to convey more clearly its message: LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!’”

LoL, Sandra

*Harnessing the power of women investors in wealth management, Ernst & Young LLP, 2016
** Global Wealth 2016: Navigating the client landscape, Boston Consulting Group, 2016
*** Source BoF-McKinsey Global Fashion Survey, September 2016

Photos: © Sam Bowen for UBS, © Sandra Bauknecht, © Redress, © Mary Katrantzou