https://www.scmp.com/rss/322848/feed Melissa Twigg was born in South Africa, brought up in London and educated at the University of Bristol, where she read English, and the University of London Institute in Paris, where she studied French literature. She went on to work for Paris-based publishing house Éditions Gallimard before jumping ship to the world of journalism. Her writing career began at Condé Nast and it took her to Cape Town and then Hong Kong. She returned to London in 2016 where she has worked for a number of national... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Melissa Twigg Melissa Twigg Nightwear has, over the last few years, made a glorious return to what it once was. Gone are the oversized T-shirts and ratty boxers that people slouched around in during the 1990s and 2000s. In their place are silky tops and gossamer gowns that characters from Mad Men would feel at home in. For a long time, this revolution focused on high-end pyjamas. Nighties (seen as the preserve of old ladies, little girls and women on honeymoon) took longer to find themselves back in fashion, and their... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3352688/why-nightgowns-are-making-comeback-mad-mens-betty-draper-would-approve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3352688/why-nightgowns-are-making-comeback-mad-mens-betty-draper-would-approve?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:33:08 +0000 Melissa Twigg Melissa Twigg For decades, anyone with multiple piercings in each ear was most likely to be a punk, a goth or a teenager intent on upsetting their parents. Now, however, the “curated ear” – that popular pick ‘n’ mix of hoops, studs and diamonds – has become all but ubiquitous among the fashion set. But for those of us who like the look but can’t stomach the thought of an afternoon with a needle gun and numbing spray, there is another solution. For the last few years, the ear cuff – the low-stakes, high-impact... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3349502/rise-ear-cuff-painless-statement-accessory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3349502/rise-ear-cuff-painless-statement-accessory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Melissa Twigg Melissa Twigg In 2018, my house in London was broken into and quite a few things were stolen. At the time, these losses conjoined into one upsetting blur – but over the years I stopped caring about most of them: the laptops and iPads have long been replaced, as have my bike and radio, and the clothes would no longer be particularly fashionable even if they were still hanging in my wardrobe. There is, however, one item that I have struggled to forget about: a necklace filled with individually chosen charms... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3348802/why-charm-jewellery-remains-timeless-way-wear-your-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3348802/why-charm-jewellery-remains-timeless-way-wear-your-story?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:00:16 +0000 Melissa Twigg Melissa Twigg First there was Princess Diana, then there was Kim Kardashian. Both women dominated the aesthetic of an era, and their faces and bodies were constantly splashed across newspaper front pages and in glossy magazines. Their love lives, children and mental health were dissected in forensic detail, and the power of their brands mixed with the adulation of their fans meant that almost anything they touched turned to gold. But whereas Diana’s tragic and untimely death held her star power in amber, Kim... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3338495/kim-kardashians-star-power-fading-even-her-multibillion-dollar-brand-skims-continues-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3338495/kim-kardashians-star-power-fading-even-her-multibillion-dollar-brand-skims-continues-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 03:00:14 +0000 When Bernard Arnault was made CEO of his grandfather’s small construction firm in the early 1980s, he was an unknown businessman living in Lille. Today, he is the on/off richest person in the world and that same business – LVMH – is Europe’s most profitable listed company. Arnault and his five children have become the de facto royal family of France, sitting on the front row of Paris Fashion Week and attending international presidential inaugurations – and all this came from reviving dormant... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3307553/heritage-revival-how-lvmh-and-kering-thrived-dior-and-gucci-while-others-schiaparelli-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3307553/heritage-revival-how-lvmh-and-kering-thrived-dior-and-gucci-while-others-schiaparelli-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:00:13 +0000 The “Kate Effect” has transformed the finances of multiple British fashion brands, as have the Carla, Meghan and Michelle effects in their respective countries. This is a well-known retail phenomenon, whereby well-dressed women in the public eye – such as the Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle, Carla Bruni or Michelle Obama – cause the careers of individual designers to skyrocket, unleashing a stampede for any item of clothing they wear. Melania Trump has many of the same attributes as these... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3297256/fashion-world-finally-ready-accept-melania-trump-it-has-kate-middleton-meghan-markle-and-michelle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3297256/fashion-world-finally-ready-accept-melania-trump-it-has-kate-middleton-meghan-markle-and-michelle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:00:08 +0000 Most women are well acquainted with the feeling of wearing the wrong bra: the black one that makes your light-coloured shirt suddenly look transparent; the gauzy one that tells everyone in a 10-metre radius that you’re cold; the sturdy beige one that keeps poking out of what was meant to be a sexy, summery top. But studies show that wearing a badly fitting bra doesn’t just ruin your outfit – it can also have serious health implications. According to most lingerie brands, nearly 80 per cent of us... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3295739/sizing-your-bra-how-staying-healthy-means-getting-measured-different-times-life-and-choosing-quality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3295739/sizing-your-bra-how-staying-healthy-means-getting-measured-different-times-life-and-choosing-quality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:00:09 +0000 After unexpectedly bagging the award for best female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy, at this year’s Golden Globes, 62-year-old actress Demi Moore could be on the brink of her first-ever Oscar nomination for Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 satirical body-horror film The Substance. The Ghost actress may have shaken up the Oscar race with her portrayal of a 50-year-old “past her prime” actress who tries desperately to restore her youth, but nobody seems to have cheated the ageing process... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3293732/demi-moore-now-and-then-62-year-old-actress-just-won-golden-globe-her-role-substance-has-defied?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3293732/demi-moore-now-and-then-62-year-old-actress-just-won-golden-globe-her-role-substance-has-defied?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Wouldn’t it be useful if you could somehow get some of your five a day from your wardrobe? Creative director Jonathan Anderson certainly thinks so – his latest collection for Loewe was laden with as many veggies as your average Californian health restaurant. And while the crops in question (turnips, carrots and radishes) were closer to a medieval peasant’s diet than classic green juice ingredients, they have never looked more modern. Particularly when modelled by Emily Blunt at her recent... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3264574/how-emily-blunt-planted-vegetable-fashion-trend-fall-guy-stars-ripe-red-carpet-look-showed-greens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3264574/how-emily-blunt-planted-vegetable-fashion-trend-fall-guy-stars-ripe-red-carpet-look-showed-greens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 20:00:13 +0000 Brigitte Macron had big shoes to fill when she first stepped into the Élysée Palace in 2017 – well, size seven ballet flats, to be exact. Few would want to follow in the footsteps of Carla Bruni, the supermodel wife of former president Nicolas Sarkozy. But while Macron may not have initially been as accustomed to the cameras as her predecessor, she has won the hearts of the French fashion world with her sleek outfits, her eye for colour, and her industry-approved tendency to upstage her... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3258730/brigitte-macrons-style-diplomacy-french-first-lady-always-puts-her-most-fashionable-foot-forward-she?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3258730/brigitte-macrons-style-diplomacy-french-first-lady-always-puts-her-most-fashionable-foot-forward-she?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:00:26 +0000 As the mercury drops and trousers inevitably replace skirts and dresses, traditional navy and black slacks are also being replaced by silver. Yes, you read that right: look-at-me, Martian-esque silver trousers are a major look for winter 2023-24 and if the front rows of various European fashion weeks were anything to go by, they’re far more stylish than we’ve previously given them credit for. The trend arrived in a three-pronged attack – first, designer brands like Rotate Birger Christensen,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3245029/how-silver-trousers-became-winter-2024s-glam-chic-statement-look-dior-sacai-simone-rocha-rotate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3245029/how-silver-trousers-became-winter-2024s-glam-chic-statement-look-dior-sacai-simone-rocha-rotate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 04:00:10 +0000 When Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles in 1981, she was a self-confessed “mucky pup” who claimed she had only “one long dress, one silk shirt and one smart pair of shoes” in her wardrobe. By the time she died in 1997, she was not simply stylish, but was the most famous clotheshorse in the world and an icon of late 20th century glamour. What does the British royal family think of Netflix’s The Crown? As Netflix gears up to release its sixth and final season of The Crown this month,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3241722/crown-how-princess-diana-went-frumpy-fashion-icon-thanks-dior-and-versace-sparking-both-office-wear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3241722/crown-how-princess-diana-went-frumpy-fashion-icon-thanks-dior-and-versace-sparking-both-office-wear?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:00:18 +0000 People who work in fashion pride themselves on being cool, calm and collected. And yet when news broke in 2021 that Phoebe Philo was set to return to the style sphere with an eponymous label, the reaction was anything but understated. Women love Philo – in fact, if you ask industry insiders which designer they would most like to dress them (not a model on a shoot or a celebrity they’re styling, but themselves) at least half will probably say Philo. And for 17 years, they had plenty of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3238477/former-celine-designer-phoebe-philo-making-comeback-her-eponymous-label-backed-lvmh-will-drop-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3238477/former-celine-designer-phoebe-philo-making-comeback-her-eponymous-label-backed-lvmh-will-drop-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2023 06:00:20 +0000 Hands up if you have spent the last few years with either a “neck mess” – a tangle of rarely removed necklaces – or with rings adorning half your fingers and an earful of piercings. If your (gleaming, glittering) arm is up in the air then you are not alone: metallic jewellery – and lots of it – has become a pervasive look, with gold entirely dominating. Now, however, the runner-up metal is set to switch places with the OG No 1. Silver jewellery has been largely out of fashion since the late... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3238496/gold-begone-how-silver-jewellery-reclaimed-throne-2023-glam-out-and-grit-even-luxury-brands-cartier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3238496/gold-begone-how-silver-jewellery-reclaimed-throne-2023-glam-out-and-grit-even-luxury-brands-cartier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:00:14 +0000 From the moment you step into the “Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto” exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, you get a sense of just how avant-garde Coco Chanel was. And it wasn’t merely her low-slung dresses, her glittering “dinner party” pyjamas and her little black jackets, but her desire to embrace whatever was coming next in the world of culture and design. A century on, and the brand is still inspired by these values – and insists that its legacy of cultural patronage goes... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3236986/inside-luxurys-love-affair-cinema-chanels-outfits-sofia-coppolas-priscilla-and-dressing-kristen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3236986/inside-luxurys-love-affair-cinema-chanels-outfits-sofia-coppolas-priscilla-and-dressing-kristen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2023 09:00:14 +0000 Pip Durell always found the lack of women’s shirting brands one of fashion’s great mysteries. Most of her female friends and relatives wore shirts at least a couple of times a week and cared about the cut, fit and quality. Yet, most stores failed to cater to them. After years of stealing shirts from her boyfriends to wear with jeans and skirts, and over bikinis, she decided to quit her job as a stylist at British Vogue and start making them herself. The result was her brand, With Nothing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3236642/prada-gucci-uniqlo-womens-shirts-once-forgotten-fashion-afterthought-are-now-crisp-high-quality-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3236642/prada-gucci-uniqlo-womens-shirts-once-forgotten-fashion-afterthought-are-now-crisp-high-quality-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:15:17 +0000 There are few things more satisfying than watching an item of clothing you have shamefacedly refused to give up become fashionable again. For me, that happened earlier this year when ballet shoes – long derided by fashionistas as slightly forgettable and a bit dull – triumphantly stepped back into the spotlight. In fact, this summer, ballet flats – also known as podiatrists’ most hated shoes – were the footwear of choice for the stylish everywhere. As someone who doesn’t like open-toe sandals... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3235151/perfect-footwear-busy-woman-ballet-flats-were-shoe-summer-2023-seen-gigi-and-bella-hadid-zoe-kravitz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3235151/perfect-footwear-busy-woman-ballet-flats-were-shoe-summer-2023-seen-gigi-and-bella-hadid-zoe-kravitz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 20:15:13 +0000 Given Sotheby’s was founded in 1744 and Christie’s in 1766, it is remarkable that these two British auction houses continue to dominate the trillion-dollar global art market. According to 2022 figures, Christie’s is No 1 in the world with sales of US$8.4 billion, with Sotheby’s just behind at US$8 billion. Their enduring success arguably relies on the fact that while both brands trade on their famous name and long heritage, they have never been afraid to shake things up to stay relevant. This... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3231554/how-christies-and-sothebys-are-ramping-global-expansion-major-property-moves-after-over-200-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3231554/how-christies-and-sothebys-are-ramping-global-expansion-major-property-moves-after-over-200-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2023 09:15:08 +0000 Hermès’ iconic Birkin bag hardly needs any more publicity. But in the days after Jane Birkin’s death on July 16, hundreds of thousands of images were shared of Britain’s most Parisian daughter – and in a fair number of them she is holding the iconic bag that was named after her. It’s perhaps for this reason that the demand for Birkin bags has shot up even more than usual over the last week, according to The Guardian. Jane Birkin and the Hermès Birkin bag are inextricably linked. In 2020, Birkin... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3228814/demand-hermes-birkins-has-soared-after-jane-birkins-death-iconic-accessory-has-surpassed-kelly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3228814/demand-hermes-birkins-has-soared-after-jane-birkins-death-iconic-accessory-has-surpassed-kelly?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:45:01 +0000 There is little the fashion industry loves more than combining the new and exciting with a rich sense of privilege and heritage. So it should come as no surprise that luxury brands are as enamoured by nepo babies as they once were by conveniently beautiful actors and musicians. And luckily, the latter these days are increasingly likely to also be the former. 6 celebrity kids with extravagant luxury watches, from Rolex to Richard Mille Many of them – take Maude and Iris Apatow, Dakota Johnson,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3227694/why-luxury-fashion-brands-love-nepo-babies-chanels-lily-rose-depp-supermodels-gigi-and-bella-hadid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3227694/why-luxury-fashion-brands-love-nepo-babies-chanels-lily-rose-depp-supermodels-gigi-and-bella-hadid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:10:14 +0000 To mark her 40th birthday, Hattie decided she wanted an Hermès handbag. Not a Birkin or a Kelly – she had been interested in fashion for long enough to know that you had to fight to get your hands on one of those – but a Constance in a pale mint green with a distinctive H on the buckle, for both the brand and her name. Hattie’s husband took her to Paris to celebrate the big day and their plan was to visit the closest Hermès store to the hotel on the first morning to buy it. “I walked into the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3225375/has-hermes-gone-too-far-its-exclusive-sales-tactics-customers-reportedly-spend-over-us10000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3225375/has-hermes-gone-too-far-its-exclusive-sales-tactics-customers-reportedly-spend-over-us10000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jun 2023 06:32:57 +0000 Sex and the City turned 25 this month! But unlike most of us – who likely grimace at the clothes we wore a quarter of a century ago – the show felt infinitely more stylish in its infancy than it does now. I’ve been rewatching it, and I’m reminded all over again why it became a de facto spiritual guru for multiple generations of women. Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda, for their flaws, showed us a new mode of living – one where baby showers and weddings were anything but aspirational, and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3224057/has-and-just-gone-too-far-designer-labels-sex-and-city-offered-major-fashion-inspiration-90s-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3224057/has-and-just-gone-too-far-designer-labels-sex-and-city-offered-major-fashion-inspiration-90s-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:00:14 +0000 A decade ago, actresses famously feared turning 45. Their roles dried up, they were relegated to mother-of-the-star parts, and on the red carpet they played second fiddle to whichever hot young thing was wearing the most revealing dress. But – as events over the last few weeks have proved – the world has changed. In fact, two of the most headline-grabbing moments of the month have belonged to women over the age of 75. First up, Martha Stewart. Sports Illustrated cover stars are usually an age... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3222229/martha-stewart-and-helen-mirren-sexy-stylish-and-over-75-stewarts-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-cover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3222229/martha-stewart-and-helen-mirren-sexy-stylish-and-over-75-stewarts-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-cover?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2023 14:39:53 +0000 My husband and I are lying side by side on the floor of our hotel suite. Our eyes are closed and a young woman with blonde braids is guiding us through an imaginary valley towards a shimmering lake. Outside our window are snow drifts and icy glaciers, but in this fantasy world we feel our limbs grow heavy under the hot sunshine. Suddenly, I hear a snort, followed by a loud snore, next to me. My husband has fallen asleep, which in this context makes him the star student. We are at The Alpina... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3219377/best-nap-your-life-inside-luxury-hotels-sleep-therapy-programmes-next-step-wellness-travel-four?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3219377/best-nap-your-life-inside-luxury-hotels-sleep-therapy-programmes-next-step-wellness-travel-four?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 01:00:13 +0000 Clothes tend to reflect the city in which they are made. This is particularly clear in Athens, where the colourful, extroverted designs of fashion icons such as Mary Katrantzou and Celia Kritharioti exude a sunniness and optimism that can feel difficult to find elsewhere in Europe. Further east from the continent’s other fashion hubs – on streets where fruit-heavy orange trees dot the pave­ments and a bright sun heats the air even in the depths of January – are hundreds of boutiques run by... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3212184/forget-paris-milan-european-couture-athens-growing-its-reputation-hub-accessible-handmade-clothes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3212184/forget-paris-milan-european-couture-athens-growing-its-reputation-hub-accessible-handmade-clothes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 08:15:11 +0000 Pop groups may be carefully constructed with a balance of personalities to ensure maximum fan appeal, but typically there’s always one megastar member who goes on to become a long-standing household name – for Destiny’s Child it was Beyoncé, with One Direction it was Harry Styles. Guessing who exactly that will be has always been part of the fun, but when it comes to Blackpink – already one of the most successful (and richest) pop groups of this decade – it’s somewhat more difficult to figure... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3212089/luxury-idols-who-blackpinks-most-powerful-member-brand-values-ranked-lisas-celine-and-bulgari-gigs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3212089/luxury-idols-who-blackpinks-most-powerful-member-brand-values-ranked-lisas-celine-and-bulgari-gigs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:21 +0000 Susan Fang lived in more cities before her 18th birthday than many people visit in their lifetime. She rattles through the list, which spans various parts of China, Britain, Canada and the United States, and then pauses. “It was challenging moving a lot,” she says. “My family was there for me but they were working hard, and I obviously went to the boarding schools on my own. “But it was in this period that I really learned how important nature can be in lifting your mood.” For Fang, happiness... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3209266/i-feel-very-linked-nature-chinese-fashion-designer-susan-fang-inspiration-her-ethereal-clothes-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3209266/i-feel-very-linked-nature-chinese-fashion-designer-susan-fang-inspiration-her-ethereal-clothes-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 23:15:12 +0000 When Carrie Johnson, wife of former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, started wearing rented clothes on the world stage in 2019, the press and the fashion industry covered her choices constantly – and declared we were witnessing the start of a new era of dressing. Just as Uber had revolutionised transport and Airbnb had transformed travel, platforms like Rent the Runway and The Rotation would change the way we shopped for clothes. Four years on, the rental revolution is starting to look as tired... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3208219/renting-clothes-no-thanks-its-too-expensive-and-not-green-buying-second-hand-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3208219/renting-clothes-no-thanks-its-too-expensive-and-not-green-buying-second-hand-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jan 2023 23:15:09 +0000 Watches and jewellery are handed down from mother to daughter, while tights and stockings are chucked away after two or three wears. We have wildly different expectations about the longevity of various fashion purchases – and while handbags are among the more enduring, brands have always worked to the idea that people want to update their accessories on a semi-regular basis. Over the past decade, however, this outlook has had to change. In the noughties, there was relentless pressure to have the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3202551/hermes-chanel-restorations-and-repairs-are-being-embraced-luxury-brands-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3202551/hermes-chanel-restorations-and-repairs-are-being-embraced-luxury-brands-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Dec 2022 23:15:09 +0000 Standing in the middle of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is an unusually beautiful Christmas tree. Well, less of a tree and more of an ethereal cloaked figure 3 metres (10 feet) high that emits a brilliant white light. It is the brainchild of Miss Sohee, or Sohee Park, who follows in the footsteps of designers like Alexander McQueen in creating the festive centrepiece for one of Britain’s most prestigious institutions. This is merely the cherry on top of an extraordinary year for Miss... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3202118/i-feel-lucky-miss-sohee-worn-blackpink-miley-cyrus-and-gigi-hadid-why-london-home-her-unique?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3202118/i-feel-lucky-miss-sohee-worn-blackpink-miley-cyrus-and-gigi-hadid-why-london-home-her-unique?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:15:08 +0000 Fashion is no stranger to recycling past hits. But when it comes to people, youth traditionally trumps age in an industry that deifies the new. This is particularly true in the world of modelling, where women were once deemed past it at 25 – and, until regulation against it came in, brands were regularly working with girls as young as 14. And yet one look at the most recent fashion shows proves that the cohort of 1980s and ’90s supermodels not only still have it, but are undeniably leading the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3200830/why-original-supermodels-kate-moss-naomi-campbell-claudia-schiffer-and-helena-christensen-are-having?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3200830/why-original-supermodels-kate-moss-naomi-campbell-claudia-schiffer-and-helena-christensen-are-having?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2022 09:15:09 +0000 Demi Moore turns 60 on November 11. On the one hand, this seems logical – she has been on our screens since the mid-1980s and has three adult children. On the other, a quick scan of her Instagram makes this seem improbable – absurd, even. Nobody seems to have cheated the ageing process quite as well as Moore. With her long, dark hair, wrinkle-free skin and toned, slim limbs, she does not look merely a decade younger than she is, but as if she is from an entirely different generation. For once,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198856/demi-moore-turning-60-whats-secret-hollywood-stars-seemingly-eternal-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198856/demi-moore-turning-60-whats-secret-hollywood-stars-seemingly-eternal-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:15:12 +0000 Twenty years ago, Topshop was the jewel of the British high street. Fashion editors and buyers from Asia and America would fly home from London after fashion week with suitcases stuffed full of Topshop clothes. Even the most expensively dressed women in the world would mix their Balmain and Saint Laurent with skirts, tops and jackets from the Arcadia-owned brand. I was at school in Topshop’s heyday and vividly remember the thrill of saving up my pocket money to visit its brightly lit,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198823/fast-fashion-giants-shein-and-topshops-stories-make-uncomfortable-viewing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198823/fast-fashion-giants-shein-and-topshops-stories-make-uncomfortable-viewing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Nov 2022 20:15:08 +0000 According to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, a late-night talk show in the US, there is a major backlash under way in Britain over the appointment of the country’s first Asian Prime Minister. This is surely a case of Americans stamping their own culture wars on the rest of the world – because the truth is that the vast majority of Britons are proud that the son of immigrants has risen to the highest office in the land. What is far more controversial is the fact that Rishi Sunak is richer than... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3197629/prada-shoes-designer-suits-rishi-sunaks-stealth-wealth-wardrobe-contrast-his-predecessors-liz-truss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3197629/prada-shoes-designer-suits-rishi-sunaks-stealth-wealth-wardrobe-contrast-his-predecessors-liz-truss?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 03:15:09 +0000 Brad Pitt is better than you. Of course, he is better-looking than you – that goes without saying. But he is also far more talented, and not just at acting. You would expect a beautiful, charming, multimillionaire, Oscar-winning film star to at least be a dreadful sculptor, or to have put his name to a slightly embarrassing beauty brand, but neither is the case. You would understandably assume that a man blessed with that face would have dodgy taste in clothes, a predilection for teenage models... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3194748/there-anything-brad-pitt-cant-do-hollywood-heartthrob?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3194748/there-anything-brad-pitt-cant-do-hollywood-heartthrob?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 23:15:11 +0000 When putting yet another item in an already overstuffed wardrobe feels all but impossible, you know it is time to Marie Kondo your clothes. Some of our cast-offs we sell online; the rest we take to charity shops – and after we have dropped them off, we walk away with the satisfaction of knowing we have done something good. Except that it is a lot more complicated than that. The circularity of charity-sector fashion worked well in the days when people tended to buy well-made, durable clothing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3194659/your-fast-fashion-hauls-will-pollute-africas-beaches-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3194659/your-fast-fashion-hauls-will-pollute-africas-beaches-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 11:15:11 +0000 Cape Town is celebrated for its extraordinary coast, its rolling purple and green wineries, its jagged mountains and Mediterranean climate. Today, however, behind the candyfloss pink, peppermint green and buttermilk yellow houses of Bo-Kaap and the Waterkant, there are boutiques filled with colourful knitwear from MaXhosa by Laduma, carpet-skimming dresses by Rich Mnisi, and bias-cut coats courtesy of Mmuso Maxwell. This transformation is down to a few visionary designers who have worked... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3193376/south-african-fashion-how-cape-town-and-johannesburg-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3193376/south-african-fashion-how-cape-town-and-johannesburg-are?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 09:15:15 +0000 It could have been a storyline from a Richard Curtis film. At this year’s Wimbledon championship, two talented young British players slogged it out at the most famous tennis championship on earth. And while the Wimbledon fairy tale did not work out for Emma Raducanu, who lost her second-round match, or for fellow Briton Katie Boulter, who only stayed in for one round longer, they both scored a fashion win when they wore the same dress. The NikeCourt Dri-FIT Slam design garnered nearly as much... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3192962/were-love-exercise-dresses-worn-emma-raducanu-again-only?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3192962/were-love-exercise-dresses-worn-emma-raducanu-again-only?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:16:55 +0000 I had to watch Scouting for Girls: Fashion’s Darkest Secret through my fingers. This three-part documentary available on YouTube analyses the exploitation and sexual abuse of underage models by the very people charged with keeping them safe. It’s difficult watching, particularly for anyone who has worked in fashion. The documentary focuses on four model agents: John Casablancas, Gérald Marie, Jean-Luc Brunel and Claude Haddad, all of whom worked for or were linked to Elite, the international... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3190572/fashion-models-talk-sexual-abuse-teenage-girls-scouting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3190572/fashion-models-talk-sexual-abuse-teenage-girls-scouting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:15:14 +0000 Few prints have had such a dramatic rehabilitation as the polka dot. This summer, you will have spotted (sorry) the not-so-humble pattern on the Duchess of Cambridge, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, and an array of actresses and celebrities. Rewind 800 years, though, and the wearing of spotted textiles would have seen them shunned. In the plague-ridden Middle Ages, spots were seen as ominous: the opposite of health and vitality, they spoke of smallpox and the Black Death – to the extent that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3188100/polka-dots-can-be-spotted-everywhere-summer-louis-vuitton?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3188100/polka-dots-can-be-spotted-everywhere-summer-louis-vuitton?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:15:12 +0000 I always wanted to be part of the hand-baggage-only crowd – the people who smugly stepped off the plane and into a taxi and were sipping a cocktail while I was still struggling with my oversized suitcase. But having to decant my moisturiser and only bring one book never made it feel worthwhile. Until now, that is. Wherever you are in Europe or the United States, airport chaos reigns. In Amsterdam, people are waiting six hours for their baggage; in Nice in the South of France, bags are being lost... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3186191/how-pack-light-and-avoid-lost-or-delayed-baggage-summer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3186191/how-pack-light-and-avoid-lost-or-delayed-baggage-summer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jul 2022 09:15:15 +0000 For years, I wanted to be the sort of woman who regularly wore yellow. I loved the vintage yellow dress model Kate Moss wore in 2003, and I bought one of the copycat designs she made of it at UK retailer Topshop. I was equally enamoured with actress Michelle Williams’ saffron-coloured Vera Wang gown at the 2006 Academy Awards. Both women looked utterly beautiful – but when recreating their looks, I had a questionable degree of success. That’s because, while bold sweeps of yellow are wonderful... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3185286/how-wear-yellow-blackpinks-lisa-kate-middleton-anne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3185286/how-wear-yellow-blackpinks-lisa-kate-middleton-anne?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jul 2022 23:15:13 +0000 There were a few scene stealers at Britain’s Platinum Jubilee – and they weren’t Harry and Meghan, the couple who jetted in from California with grievances to air, but Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. On day one of the celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, we saw the trio dressed like three peas in a pod (or a golden carriage) in matching blue – Prince George, 8, looked the most formal in a navy blue jacket and pale blue tie, while Princess Charlotte,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3184868/kids-fashion-trends-2022-look-past-and-britains-royal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3184868/kids-fashion-trends-2022-look-past-and-britains-royal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:15:10 +0000 Scroll through an American or European fashion brand’s social media and if anything it will be too busy, bombarding followers with new collections, campaign shots, images of celebrities and quotes from the designers. Try bringing that approach to China though, and retailers won’t last long. “In Europe or the US, about 25 to 40 per cent of a brand’s social media profile comes from promoting themselves on their own channels – in China, that figure is close to zero,” says Michael Jais, the CEO of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3182357/why-use-social-media-market-fashion-china-and-west-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3182357/why-use-social-media-market-fashion-china-and-west-so?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jun 2022 23:15:20 +0000 When Prince William rocked up to the British premiere of the Top Gun sequel in May in a pair of black velvet slippers embroidered with fighter jets, the British fashion press was delighted. Was the future king finally ready to step into the style spotlight and live up to the potential of his father? When it comes to the Windsors, the apple hasn’t fallen particularly close to the tree. Widely regarded as one of the best-dressed men in the country, Prince Charles is happiest in beautifully... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3181918/prince-williams-style-40-how-his-fashion-choices-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3181918/prince-williams-style-40-how-his-fashion-choices-have?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jun 2022 08:15:16 +0000 The British Queen Consort’s fashion success comes, paradoxically, from the fact she doesn’t seem to take any of it too seriously. She laughs, she smiles and she treads that very British line between being self-deprecating and self-confident. And we are about to see more of it. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8 and her husband’s coronation as King Charles III, Camilla will be stepping more into the spotlight. At 74, Camilla is clearly comfortable with her role, and stays true... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3179690/platinum-jubilee-fashion-secret-camilla-wife-prince?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3179690/platinum-jubilee-fashion-secret-camilla-wife-prince?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jun 2022 08:15:24 +0000 Is success about who you know or what you know? When it comes to 22-year-old Prada collaborator Cassius Hirst, the answer is probably both. Cassius – who goes by Cass – decided to start painting sneakers after he read about a Nike and Virgil Abloh workshop where participants did just that. Soon afterwards, he started buying box-fresh sneakers and covering them in swirling, abstract prints using a spray paint gun. At this point, he wasn’t thinking commercially, he was just having fun, and he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3179666/who-gen-z-artist-behind-pradas-new-sneaker-collection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3179666/who-gen-z-artist-behind-pradas-new-sneaker-collection?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 May 2022 08:15:13 +0000 Female presidential candidates nearly always make headlines for their fashion choices but male ones rarely do, a fact that can irritate women running for office. During the current election season in France, however, it has been Emmanuel Macron who has dominated the sartorial coverage. Backstage at an election rally last weekend – after he had won the first round of voting – the current French president reclined on a biscuit-coloured sofa, the top four buttons of his white shirt undone to reveal... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3175023/how-macron-vs-le-pen-fashion-war-mirrors-their-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3175023/how-macron-vs-le-pen-fashion-war-mirrors-their-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Apr 2022 03:15:21 +0000 “Look, here’s the thing about being rich, it’s like being a superhero, only better. You get to do what you want. The authorities can’t really touch you. You get to wear a costume, but it’s designed by Armani and it doesn’t make you look like a prick.” Could Tom Wambsgans (Matthew McFadyen’s obsequious, money-and-power-craving character in the hit show Succession) have summed up life for the 0.1 per cent any better? The Roy family are media moguls trying to adapt to the new tech age, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3173562/elizabeth-holmes-dropout-and-wecrasheds-adam-neumann-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3173562/elizabeth-holmes-dropout-and-wecrasheds-adam-neumann-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Apr 2022 11:15:21 +0000 In the past two decades, many of us have gone from saving up to buy clothes that we kept and treasured to consuming pieces designed to be ordered via mobile, worn a couple of times, paraded on social media once and then discarded by the end of the month. Studies show that young women are some of the biggest culprits of fast-fashion culture – buying 50 to 60 items a year and not even wearing one in seven of them. The fast-fashion market continues to weather the global storm kicked up by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3173201/why-does-gen-z-buy-so-much-fast-fashion-if-theyre-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3173201/why-does-gen-z-buy-so-much-fast-fashion-if-theyre-so?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 04:45:21 +0000