In 1971, Manolo Blahnik created shoes for the designer Ossie Clark's catwalk show in London. Relatively new to shoemaking, the Spanish designer forgot to put steel pins in the heels of the shoes, which meant that models wobbled, unbalanced, down the catwalk.
Clare Vivier and Heather Taylor have perfected the art of hosting by dividing responsibilities, with Vivier focusing on wine and Taylor on flowers and dessert. Their friendship of 20 years has led to a seamless collaboration that enhances the dinner party experience.
From dawn to dusk Muslims fast from food and distraction, with sunset being an energy-shifting moment. Programming this pause into one of the fashion industry's most tightly scheduled weeks was deliberate. As soon as I found out that fashion week would fall [now], I had to incorporate it. This collection was built around the themes of Ramadan.
I did an internal crowdsource to invite everyone to submit their ideas about how they would like to celebrate 170 years. We've played around with a lot of cinematic narratives, but this time, I felt we should probably do something a little bit more institutional to reflect the anniversary year. The trench offered a way to celebrate a cornerstone of Burberry's past, while showing its relevance across generations and geographies.
Set beyond a fairly unassuming entrance - save for a red carpet lining the stone steps - Bertrand's Townhouse is a newly opened hotel (just this month, in fact) in London' s Bloomsbury neighborhood. Tucked down a street just off from the pretty Bloomsbury Square, the hotel is named for Bertrand Russell, the renowned British philosopher and writer. He was part of the Bloomsbury Set (sort of - he was considered to be more on the periphery), a network of British writers, artists, and intellectuals.
The restaurant is a reincarnation of the original Automat that once stood a few roads over on Dover Street (in the very same site that now holds Martin Kuczmarski's wildly in-demand bar and restaurant, The Dover), and brought New York's brasserie-style diner concept to British shores. In-the-know Londoners loved it, lapping up the diner-esque menu and the Art Deco styling (patterned carpets and all).
This edit is not a list of things to buy because the calendar says so, but a considered curation for those who value provenance over hype. It's an understanding of what will be appreciated and enjoyed long after the romantic day itself has passed.
Fifteen years after the death of Lee McQueen, the brand is struggling to maintain momentum. The founder is a hallowed name in the fashion industry, and one of the few modern designers to whose character and story the wider public feel a connection. But the generation who wore McQueen's original bumsters have aged out of shock-value fashion, and the name has less power over younger consumers.
Rosie's Naked Shoes: Stepping out of her hotel, Huntington-Whiteley donned a pair of barely-there black leather pumps with transparent mesh fabric, adding a sheer contrast to her covered yet avant-garde look. She tucked a skin-tight black turtleneck sweater under a pair of brown suede trousers, featuring an asymmetrical low-rise waistline and a long halter-like drawstring that wrapped around her neck.
Looking back at 'em through rose-tinted glasses, the 2010s seemed like they were a much better time. London hosted the Olympics, Sherlock was on the telly, and everyone was wearing Joni jeans and tea dresses from Topshop. Could things be returning to the simpler days when all you had to worry about was how tight your skinny jeans were and how to get the perfect side parting? Maybe, because Topshop is making a comeback to British high streets.
These brands specialize in just that: pieces created by hand to your exacting designs and specifications, and never to be replicated. Maybe you're looking for top-of-the-range headphones to match your jet. Or could it be a suit for a pirate-esque get together? Or even an engraved signet ring, depicting a favored holiday destination in full color? For all of the above and more, here's who Elite Traveler recommends.
Choosing a particular model does not necessarily mean focusing on excessive colour, but rather knowing how to identify the lines and volumes that communicate a precise aesthetic vision that breaks with convention. This process requires a certain awareness of materials and proportions, as a shoe with a strong design has the ability to transform even the simplest outfit into a sophisticated and modern style statement.
Last year, traditional luxury brands struggled to keep the attention of aspirational shoppers, and it was their lower-priced counterparts that swooped in to fill the gap. The formerly squeezed middle of the market - sitting below pure luxury labels but above mass-market brands - was able to capitalise on luxury's ever-growing prices and perceived lack of innovation. Tightening consumer budgets also played a part.
The end of the show did not mark the end of the trip. Back at the Le Grand Bellevue the group divided between fireside hot chocolates and the hotel's spa. The hotel's Le Grand Spa is over 3,000 square metres and has eight different types of saunas, several ice showers, foot baths and an outdoor bubble pool (named thus as it's bigger than your standard jacuzzi).
