how not to look like everyone else pt. III
the “not destroying the Earth” edition!
The past few weeks of fashion week coverage have left me in two, somewhat conflicting, states: drooling over all the beautiful things (Diotima! Prada! Jil Sander! Louise at Bottega!) and also reexamining my relationship to what I actually want to own.
Growing up as an aesthetically-minded black sheep in the world of big tech (this was Silicon Valley in the 80s), it took me into my 20s to acknowledge, without shame, that caring deeply about what we wear is more than a frivolity. Until Bezos found protein powder and Zuckerberg became a fashion designer, the prevailing MO of tech bros was to wear the same thing every day, as to erase any unnecessary decisions from the mind.
Since I can remember, I cared deeply, perhaps too deeply, about what I wore. Even when my taste was young and slightly tacky; the days of baby Ts and Seven jeans and von Dutch hats (yes, von Dutch).
After a decade of working in fashion, experimenting with different personalities and uniforms, it dawned on me that that there is another, unspoken layer in becoming truly fashionable. Style is not just how you dress, though that’s part of it; it’s the values - innate but also honed with time - that translate to how you move through the world, what you give time to, what you buy, and most importantly, what you don’t.
Style manifests itself differently in everyone; that’s what makes it fascinating, studied, dissected. The older I get, the more I regard style as synonymous with an understanding of humility, of what we owe to each other. A pact that we make to leave this place a little better than we found it, if we can. On a practical level, that means investing in brands with similar ethos, that take great care with what they put out in the world.
I’m a big vintage shopper. Partly, it’s because you can find special, beautiful things. If you’re of the mindset that fashion is inherently consumption, it’s also a way to participate in it without adding to the dust. But lucky for us, there are also modern options: brands that are dedicated in equal parts to sumptuous fabrics, strong tailoring and sustainable practices.
Before we get into some of my favorites, a caveat: there are varying degrees of sustainability here. Some brands are actually regenerative, “adding good instead of not just doing bad” as Vanessa Barboni Hallik, the founder of Another Tomorrow, describes it. Others are making steps in the right direction, using deadstock fabrics when they can and refining their supply chains. And some items below are simply beautiful, made to be cherished and passed down, creating their own kind of circularity.
(An aside… I have a lot of empathy for small brands trying to do good: slim margins, factory limitations and minimum order quantities are a hinderance for many trying to adopt more sustainable practices. It’s necessary, yes, but it’s really hard. Some retailers, like Net-a-Porter have dedicated edits and tags for sustainable brands, and others have invested in resale programs, like MyTheresa x Vestaiare and Farfetch Pre-Owned.)
The thread between the brands below isn’t actually sustainability. It’s gorgeous clothing made by companies that not everyone knows about, that aren’t algorithm hoggers. If the clothes aren’t beautifully crafted pieces that you dream about wearing, then whether they are sustainable or not doesn’t matter. No one wants ugly, boring clothing, even if it is traceable back to the sheep.
THE CLIMATE WARRIORS
Gone are the days of hemp clothing at the hippie farm. Gabriela Hearst started her eponymous label in 2015 with luxurious outwear and gauzy dresses.. During her stint at Chloe, she revolutionized many of the house’s practices, making it the first luxury fashion house to achieve B-corp status. In her interviews, she doesn’t come off as a designer, but rather as a philosopher, spiritual being and sometimes, an astrophysicist. And the clothes!! Drool worthy.
What’s On My Wishlist: Embellished loafers (I can see a chic Milanese nonna in these), an ivory cashmere, silk and wool blend midiskirt that I’d love to wear with a slouchy plum sweater and their classic suede demi clutch
Gorgeous suiting, beautiful basics and an upcoming eveningwear collection I previewed in Paris earlier this summer. Started by a former banker who left her high profile job to pioneer a new method to making clothes. AT is the pinnacle when it comes to sustainability and traceability. Known equally for their “farm-to-closet” mentality as their wardrobing approach, AT has quickly become the IYKYK brand for a subset of ethically conscious women.
What’s On My Wishlist: A padded satin wrap coat that finally solves the chic v. warm conundrum for winter events, a cashmere sweatshirt and this relaxed wide leg pant in deep purple
A climate warrior who also makes the kind of clothes that make me feel more interesting. Unsurprisingly, Maria is also gem of a human. And she nails categories that I typically find hard: a day dress with a story (in the form of velour with knitting made by artisans, sold out but this one is a good LBD), a comfortable pant that isn’t a jean, low key enough for very casual days, and a blouse that goes with everything, but still has something to say.
What’s On My Wishlist: This Belted Swing Coat, the Saffron Cocoon Cape (trust me on this one - it’s a perfect top layer) and this A-line coat with leather collar for grey days in Paris
The OG sustainability queen. Sometimes I forget Stella is rock royalty, which I feel like is the highest form of nepo baby compliment (btw, this is not a dig. The whole anti-nepo baby thing is ridiculous IMO. Yes, some of them are assholes. But I also know plenty of non-famous offspring that are also assholes. You can’t pick your parents). When Stella was approached to take over the reigns of Chloe from Karl Lagerfeld in 1997, she gave them an ultimatum. No leather. No fur. A risk for anyone, let alone a 25 year old who was known largely by her lineage at the time. She adopted sustainability as a brand pillar, not just a talking point, paving the way for Kering and other luxury conglomerates to pay attention.
What’s On My Wishlist:: Snake Effect Flat Leather Boots, a satin midi skirt with lace trim, and this denim shirt (expensive, yes, but also the leather patch and those little details!)
AND A FEW BRANDS ON THEIR WAY
Started by the very chic Chloe Harrouche, I’ve recently found myself gravitating towards Loulou de Saison in multiple places: in wholesale, where the brand is sold at Net-a-Porter, among other retailers; at their gorgeous new store in Saint Germain, around the corner from where I live; on instagram, where their campaign photography always delights. The brand has its own sustainability project, with an emphasis on eco-responsible materials.
What’s On My Wishlist: I want everything pony effect from Loulou right now: this bucket bag, this coat and I’ll take this eel effect oversized clutch too please
I have a girl crush on Daniella Kallmeyer (look her up and you will too) and her sharply tailored, often drapey clothes explain why. She instinctively knows what a certain kind of woman wants to project. There’s a layer of armor to them, a desirable distance between you and the world. The brand uses deadstock fabrics in part of the collection, and utilizes recycled yarn for knits made in Italy.
What’s On My Wishlist: I mean, so much. This scarf cape, this tassel that I’d like to throw on a belt loop, and this mauve dress (that I’d pair with an oversized bomber to toughen it up)
A B Corp-certified brand, WNU prioritizes organic, low-impact, renewable materials for their cult status striped shirts and easy trousers. Founded by former Vogue stylist Pip Durrell, fanfare around the UK brand has steeped its way into the U.S.
What’s On My Wishlist: People love their button downs (which are great) but I wear these in black at least twice a week, and am eyeing them in grey herringbone.
My neighbor in Paris, on the gorgeous little pocket of Rue de Furstemberg, is Linnea Lund, a beautiful, small batch store that makes conscious cashmere sweaters and scarfs. They recently launched a collaboration with model (and Chanel muse) Inès de La Fressange of cashmere sweaters in sumptuous fall colors.
What’s On My Wishlist:: This cashmere bandana in every color (what a chic outfit addition to make you seem a little more interesting), and this sweater in a rare aqua
The British cool girl of the bunch, who makes frequent shopping trips to Japan to stock up on raw denim and archival pieces. Pieces are made in small batch, and
What’s On My Wishlist: If you have to puffer, make it this one, this belted jacket and these perfect chocolate brown flats that will only get better with time
BITS & BOBS
Next week is Paris Fashion Week. The last time I was in Paris for FW was in February 2020 and we all walked around bowing to each other in crowded rooms like idiots. Aside from seeing old friends and fun parties, I’m looking forward to the Virgil Abloh exhibit at the Grand Palais, as well as the Sargent show at the Musee D’Orsey (which actually opened on Tuesday, but I’m saving it for next week to go with friends in town).
On Thursday, Irene Kim (김애린), my husband and I trekked to Fete des Puces, which is the Paris Flea Market’s annual cocktail party, which honored Pierre Frey and Cordelia de Castellane. I was expecting some good champagne and competitive antiquing. Instead, it was a rave. Each stall had free-for-all wine and homemade canapes out (which ranged from pretzels in the box to full dinner spreads), and while we ducked out around 10:30, apparently the late owls got a full parade, dance party and a DJ set by Martin Solveig. It was an eclectic group, teenagers swigging beers, art collectors swigging white burgundy and sometimes a switch of the two.
On Saturday, I went to Nour Hammour’s new appointment only showroom in the 8th arrondissement (it used to be in her family home, which I would have loved to see). As expected, the pieces were gorgeous. I fell hard for this merlot suede trench (on sale!) but left empty-handed - for now. But if you’ve ever wanted a Nour Hammour jacket, this is the time - they have a bunch of best sellers (including this one that I have and wear constantly) on sale right now.
One of the only athletic brands I wear, Varley, is launching lug sole boots on Sunday. I love Varley’s founder, Lara Mead (a former Palisades resident as well), and her take on these, which feel made for a fall weekend at Maison Estelle.
*Disclaimer: Another Tomorrow is a client of NRB Creative ‘s marketing arm, a project I took for all of the reasons above.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
how to eat a caviar baked potato like a parisienne
Parisienne is a column about an American moving to Paris. In some ways, it’s about blowing up your life at 40, but it’s also about new references, cultural nuances and the process of recreating a blueprint for life after a plot twist. Oh, and the clothes, of course.
Love the focus on these female run brands who care about our planet and the way we consume!!
I am grateful for this list as I love brands that — as you beautifully put it — are not “algorithm hoggers.” AT has been a North Star for me; she truly walks the walk while paving the way for the industry. And I love (and have written editorial about) the wonderful shirts from WNU. About boring, but traceable fashion — I just spoke about the NYFW collab Zero Waste Daniel had with Hellmans. What a great example of the fine line between creating sustainable fashion we want to wear and simply relying on deadstock.