216: Young me is screaming right now
Plus a Sephora sale shopping list, 25% off Studio Nicholson, and the brand that plans to be the next Gap.
Which one of you bought the Giorgio Armani leather jacket in under 20 minutes? I’m not mad, I just want to talk. (No really, send pics please.)
A few freebies from my vintage watchlist, since I’m reminded how good it feels to build community out of these hunted-down pieces, and that buying something for one’s self isn’t the only or even ultimate way to enjoy it:
A Gaultier-era Hermes leather top; a Yohji AW96 cardigan; a slinky silk Gucci tank; a cute-as-a-button Moschino skirt suit; and one that needs a good lint rolling; an Alaia keyhole bodysuit; a Miu Miu SS00 lady bag; a Miu Miu SS00 baby bag (for $240, going for $890 here); a gold Lanvin choker; a cherry-red Prada bikini; Krizia velvet pants; bejeweled McQueen platforms; a Schiaparelli straw hat; an Armani straw hat; and one more leather jacket from Plein Sud I might regret giving up, but I think you deserve to have it.
If you get any of these, let me know? xoxo
With News Editor em seely-katz
What’s new
The floppy, studded overlap between Balenciaga and The Row that defined Olsen paparazzi pics of the ‘00s and remain in heavy rotation on nostalgia accounts today—The City Bag—is back. OG fans of the style had a field day when the news of the relaunch hit inboxes, with Reddit in particular becoming ground zero for adoringly shared pictures of personal archives that spanned every color of the rainbow in duplicate and even triplicate (very Liana Satenstein-coded). Something about this bag is like catnip to collectors, and its return to the scene amid a noticeable wave of messy bags like Miu Miu’s, Coach’s, and even Balenciaga’s newer Rodeo couldn’t communicate a clearer, “let me show you how it’s done.” To echo the title of one Reddit post, “Young me is screaming right now.”
When I had dinner a few weeks ago with Sonia and Maurice, the founders of Still Here, they told me they wanted to brand to be the next Gap. I can see it. You can tell the SS24 collection that just landed is going to age very well—both in terms of the quality of the garments (indestructible) and the longevity of the styles (relevant in any decade). The prices may not be back-to-school-shopping-with-mom affordable, but the focus and patience on making the greatest possible product has made Still Here one of those New York brands you’re already nostalgic for, even though it’s just getting started. The latest release includes a denim skirt that will re-center minis this summer, and to quickly chime in on the leather jeans discourse: expect an excellent 5-pocket pair in the brand’s next drop.
Thom Browne brings his self-contained universe to Saks, where athletic tweeds and signature-striped cashmere knits almost convince you to dump your multi-brand assortment of a wardrobe, the result of a lifetime’s work, to go the way of label loyalist. The die hards who do just that seem satisfied and always look great in a TB uniform (and I could really see myself in this skirt and knit).
If Julie Andrews wanted to cosplay a Bushwick-based “multidisciplinary” something-or-other, she might dress in Burberry’s SS24, now at Bergdorf Goodman—mini-subversions, like a reinterpretation of the label’s knight on horseback logo as scattered carabiners and chains printed on a silk blouse and a spongy, ruched take on a buttoned-up stand collar jacket in of-the-moment cobalt, accompany merch-y deployments of Burberry check as in a baseball cap or twill scarf.
It is nothing but compliments to the chef that the first batch of SC103’s latest collection at Oroboro is enough to whet but not satisfy. Aside from obligatory Links tote iterations, a wisp of lavender chiffon takes on the mantle of “blouse,” fabric gathering into a delicate floral wad at the shoulder; collage and printmaking elements are foregrounded in a crafty cotton vest; and lace is deemed sporty enough to comprise a pair of basketball shorts.
Only Tibi’s SS24 collection can make laziness look deeply considered: Oh, this t-shirt? Yeah, it’s meant to be as wrinkled as last week’s unfolded laundry. The slothful summer uniform of casual dresses (this one cotton and cap-sleeved) abound in every possible manifestation, a pleated cheetah print skirt sounds like Tibi trolling on paper but its gestalt makes perfect sense, and what do you mean those beloved runway sock/flat combos were just boots all along?
With tons of exclusives to lure us in, the Courrèges capsule at MyTheresa threatens to usurp the Loewe Anagram tank with its own strappy logo top while serving up some of the first instances of a “mod” resurgence we’ve seen outside of Etsy this decade with a high-necked mini dress and white iteration of its signature vinyl jacket and matching miniskirt.
Another Tomorrow is among a cohort of brands vying for Toteme’s de-facto spot in the wallet-mind of upwardly mobile women (think: Rohe, Leset, Bettter), and its recent arrival at Bergdorf Goodman—including everything from a better-than-basic cotton-lyocell black hoodie to a multitasking convertible trench in optic white—makes its candidacy that much more plausible. Especially with Bergdorf’s credibility comeback underway, but that’s a story for another time.
Altuzarra’s new Botanical capsule harnesses the brand’s generation-spanning appeal (it’s hard to imagine a judgemental aunt intoning you’re wearing that? in the face of a cream-colored, delicately-bodiced dress in crushed cotton), along with dashes of plant-based influence, like the anatomically-conscious leaf print on a silk sundress, to radiant effect: a nasturtium-colored satin coat and tri-toned straw bag are unbeatable as transitional-weather accouterments.
Sophie Bille Brahe’s “Ensemble de Coeur” collection feels like it should have been released ahead of Valentine’s Day—every piece of jewelry drips with love hearts hewn from 18 karat certified recycled yellow gold and Top Wesselton diamonds, with prices starting at $8.5k for a single earring and most available upon request.
Back in the mortal sphere, Santangelo’s new jewelry collection is live, deftly sculpting less exorbitantly-priced materials into pieces that feel like poignant, heart-rending glimpses into summers gone by—glass beads in that currently inescapable, always beautiful shade of cobalt hang as makeshift crosses on complex sterling silver necklaces; shells proliferate in pairs, dangling from post earrings nestled under Keshi pearls, even an old wristwatch bends to the designer’s will as a pointer finger ring—these are Proustian baubles!
With both the “mens’” and “womens’” pieces displayed as a united front, Wales Bonner’s SS24 “Marathon” collection leads with a spirit of communality—pieces like a skirt crocheted out of myriad circles, slim-but-shapely denim blazer, and linen trousers trailing raffia pom-poms are designed to mingle in with your partner’s wardrobe until the question of who initially bought them becomes part of an irrelevant mythos.
Few designers’ canons are as ripe for self-reference as Jean Paul Gaultier’s, and as if we needed any more confirmation of this fact, Très Gaultier’s new collection renders the stuff of legends wearable (and, relatively, affordable). The bullet bra has never seemed so effortless as it does when baked into a smartly structured raw denim jacket, trompe l’oeil prints turn low-key tank dresses into smutty pinstriped statements, and much more food for thought.
The lucky claim-staker to Paolina Russo’s first SS24 drop is Addicted Seoul—the trip off the beaten path is well worth the trove of pieces that made us go googly-eyed when they showed on the runway last year, like a hip-baring maxi skirt and matching wrapped top knit with the brand’s esoteric distortion of a Fair Isle-type pattern or baggy jeans in a gradient from chestnut to grass stain green, laser-etched in gestural symbols and floral shadows.
Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s SS24 goes kind of…trad? with a black maxi skirt spilling its train behind the wearer (ok, it has leather detailing on the butt), or a slim-fit white button-down (ok, it’s made of hemp and can be laced up myriad ways), or… Never mind, this one-shoulder, FULLY sheer take on the naked dress is absolutely godless, and we’re relieved to report LdSS remains as sacrilegious as ever.
Eileen Fisher’s full-granola indigo-dye collaboration with the Seattle-based pigment co, Botanical Colors, is almost fully sold out of its 269 pieces. About 30 SKUs of hand-dyed, oversized linen dresses, separates, and outerwear can still be claimed by the kooky-aunt aspiring among you.
There’s also: Great Eros opens its swim collection for preorder, introducing drapey wrapped tops meant for the water and Missoni-esque prints on cover-ups; the sock brand on everyone’s moodboard has a moodboard of its own filled, apparently, with home goods—the Comme Si x USM Modular Furniture collaboration of ribbed socks and poplin boxers makes the case for cross-industry inspiration; Carne Bollente’s SS24 is as horny as ever, with a centerpiece being its sweatshirt spoofing Gap’s signature lettering with the word S-E-X; vintage purveyor Constant Practice releases a slew of Burberry Prorsum from the early 2000s like nubby cashmere sweaters and leather trench coats; new Lemaire bag about to haunt me alert—Lemaire’s Mini Fortune Croissant is about to be in every sly tastemaker’s armpit this summer; I’ve switched over to using Lesse’s new Calming Cleanser as my only face wash and have legitimately reached a new level of balanced skin I didn’t know I was lacking; Byredo releases an 18-color Mineralscapes eyeshadow palette in earthy but shimmery tones inspired by its home in Sweden; Nordic Knots offers custom, made to measure rugs with a turnaround time under three months; and the chaotic collaboration between Collina Strada and UGG is here to terrorize and delight with its spiky, sparkly slippers and sandals.
What’s on sale
Hey friend, have you heard the good news? About Sephora? Being on sale? Depending on your “status” with the beauty retailer, you could be getting anywhere from 10% to 20% off your cart, with Sephora’s in-house brand down by 30% off for all. Use YAYSAVE. If I’m being completely honest, I won’t be going very ham because my beauty cache is in a state of embarrassing surplus, but here’s how I’d build a cart if I had any less of a bunker-sized back stock:
Tools: Dyson Airwrap, which I don’t currently own but do think about a lot; the T3 AireBrush, which I just got and have used literally every day since instead of my Dyson hairdryer-flat iron combo I previously relied on; Tweezerman tweezers—the best, and they never need sharpening; NuFace Mini, but I wish there was an option to get it without the add-ons, you don’t need them; buncha Slip skinny scrunchies; and a Sephora-brand exfoliating shower mitt, because you should re-up on these every so often as they cling to bacteria easily.
Skin: Eadem brightening serum (I am reminded to switch over to the spare one I have instead of using separate vit C and niacinamide products like I currently am); Ilia Base Face Milk—have it, use it, love it for the deep-seeping hydration; Moon Juice Acid Potion, my favorite AHA and a bottle lasts for eons; The Ordinary Salicylic Acid that I already bought in bulk recently; and The Outset’s Day and Night moisturizers, though I wished they lasted longer.
Hair: Nutrafol!!! A few to last me the coming months before another deal comes up and Ouai’s Fine Hair Shampoo and Leave-In Conditioner—in fact I will be buying this after an eye-opening experience with a travel-sized bottle that I couldn’t stop using when I got home.
Makeup: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks pigment stick for everywhere on my face that needs a little color and Simihaze tinted lip balm—I have a few, I love the packaging.
Body: Salt & Stone deodorant, I like all of the flavors ;) and I didn’t know where to put it, but Moon Juice’s beauty pills that save me having to obsess over individual supplements in the darkest corners of longevity Reddit.
A lot of Studio Nicholson names that have been in our mouths this month are graciously 25% off for a short spell—my Denali trench is among the selection on sale, as is the Holin coat, the bow-legged Acuna pants, and the high v-necked knit Nohwe knit.
The biggest draw of the Simonett sale is a trove of Coperni up to 50% off: the brand’s cheekiest pieces like a black dress topped with a silver nipple-pinching hand-brooch ($395 from $534) and jeans that wear mini jeans on each leg, with the mini flys gaping at the knees ($619 from $920), are still up for grabs. Besides Coperni, pieces from Beaufille, Chopova Lowena, Nodaleto, and more are well-stocked and steeply discounted.
Everything at Apiece Apart is 20% off with FRIENDS20, from the new season’s perfect, 100% cotton striped dolman button-down to easy navy blue pleated shorts, which ring up to under $80 with the extra discount.
Use UEWJFBN to access the early days of the Rus archive sale, with up to 70% off the brand’s high-quality, offbeat knits—ribbed lounge pants are $92 down from $309, a tube top and v-neck that look great layered as per the site’s styling (and fare just as well apart) are a combined $155, and plenty more seasonally versatile pieces like a long, crepe yarn vest/dress fall under $100.
The no-business-being-this-chic gardening supply store Gardenheir (which made the Plasticana clogs inescapable last year) is offloading some last pieces with a sale that strips already discounted items including Japanese cotton filed shirts, Himalayan cashmere, and French corduroy work pants by an extra 40% off in cart.
The genderless, confounding, cozy sweaters at Leret Leret are up to 50% off in its archive sale, from modish cream cardigans knit with retro patterns to burgundy crewnecks sporting abstract patterns—this shop is the logical conclusion of the thought “what if you could wear a Cold Picnic rug?”
Take 20% all the stock at Tons Shop, with a focus on accessories—from hard-to-find Blumarine x Suicoke collaborations to timeless Margiela slingbacks ($424 down from $890), even the sale section takes the extra percent off, leaving grails like Jil Sander slides hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Wolf Circus’ sample sale has nary an item over $200: smoky quartz embedded in 14 karat gold makes up organically-shaped stud earrings and a matching ring, under $250 as a pair, if you’re in the market for a matching set!
Hem’s sitewide sale takes up to 40% off its whole stock of highbrow homeware with a sense of humor: undefined, donut-shaped “furniture” (essentially bean bags for grownups), lambswool throw blankets edged in that shade of cobalt (a running theme this send), and even sets of chubby, pleasing-to-the-hand ceramic mugs go for hundreds of dollars less than usual until April 15th.
I may earn some money if you make a purchase through one of the links above.
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Into all of this. 🖤
I never thought this bag was quite me even when Miss Moss or Miss Miller were carrying with a Breton shirt and flats. I do appreciate it and love the colors ❤️❤️