images courtesy of Magazines House & Gardens UK, Homes and Gardens UK and Zara Home
Since this year Holiday season is all about staying indoors, let’s make our home deliciously festive by decorating each space with glowing furnishing accessories for Christmas time.
The inspiration comes straight from international interior design brands and magazines, with shots of suggestive living spaces and decked out tables. Houses dressed in a multitude of gold and red and green hints, such as the branches-fall of fir and holly, the warm lights, the North-inspired candle holders and all the Santa-approved 90s inspired tableware. So, before the jingle bells ring, check our Christmas interior design selection to add some more Holiday sparkle to your house.
Men, don’t let yourself be caught unprepared this Christmas and rule the holiday season with our multicolored list of gift ideas.
A festive selection for modern gentlemen and street style junkies, where fashion, functional and playful pieces coexist. Gold medal as most desired objects for consoles and video games (Nintendo DS), a sector — the gaming one —, that experienced exponential growth since the pandemic (on December 6, Balenciaga unveiled its FW21 collection as the interactive videogame “Afterworld”), while in second place the first Matthew Williams x Givenchy Teaser capsule collection follows fiercely, with striking padlock details.
Then there is Moncler with its futuristic sneakers destined for sold out, the #Pradafestive jumper that plays with geometrical patterns, the first MSGM monographic book to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Italian brand or an elegant bottle of Gin (Buckingham Palace’s favorite) to toast to better days.
From top left to bottom right: Nail polish Kit Atelier Rouge, No Chill Trio Earrings Éliou, Satin and tulle embroidered triangle bra & briefs Fleur Du Mal, Red Party Pajama Set with Feathers Sleeper, Scented Candle Ikea x Ben Gorham, Jade Logo Leather Wallet Balenciaga, Pompom-embellished wool beanie Gucci, Le Bambino Bag Jacquemus, Ambient Lighting Bronze Hourglass, Travels and Experiences leather notebook Smythson, Breast Friend Ceramic Vase Anissa Kermiche, Silvia Furmanovich’s Jewelry book Assouline.
Although Christmas 2020 is not going to be that holly jolly, we have curated for all women a list of the best gift ideas to keep the festive spirit high.
To stay positive and glam, our ultimate Christmas guide includes must-have winter accessories (Jacquemus), red hot silky loungewear (Sleeper), sophisticated candles to heat the house with (thumbs up for the IKEA x Byredo capsule collection in 13 different color combinations), precious coffee table volumes that turn into modern home decors and vibrant pieces of jewelry to revive the mood (Éliou), just to mention some.
So take notes, the Christmas countdown has officially begun!
Stay local, buy local: if we have learned something good since the Coronavirus pandemic is to enjoy the things and places we have closest. A necessity turned pleasure, that led us to discover up close realities that have always been there, but we didn’t know, like some of the many small to medium Made in Italy emerging businesses. Young fashion companies that focus their work on community building, digital platforms and slow production as a form of success.
From the Alessandro Vigilante sensual prêt-à-porter to Confetty1981 and Huma Sunglasses modern accessories, check out the 6 local tricolore labels on our Christmas-basket-worthy list.
Warm and cozy with a seductive twist, Fantabody wraps every woman’s body with a varied selection of bodysuits and more: from the sexiest models with deep cut outs and mesh transparencies to eco-friendly basics, to pair with your favorite bottoms. A growing small business, founded in 2015 by Carolina Amoretti, that shouts at body positivity and inclusiveness.
“Put your left foot forward” is the brands motto. From that is easy to understand what Carlotta De Luca, the founder, has in mind: confident women pushing all the boundaries while wearing the right shoes. With its FW20 debut, Maria Luca aims to keep designing shoes where graceful femininity and energetic masculinity perfectly meet.
After years as a dancer, Alessandro Vigilante decided to turn page and make his debut in fashion by presenting his first sustainable ready-to-wear collection — Atto I — for FW20. Sustainable, as the natural rubber the new-born designer transforms into the seductive vinyl garments that characterize his creations, alongside with long oversized coats, one-shoulder dresses, sensual cut outs and dizzying slits.
The future of fashion is pink, as the main color on Confetty1981’s Instagram feed, an artisanal destination, founded by Elisa Liz Colonna in 2018, where to find lighthearted and unique jewelry pieces. Horoscope junkies? Vintage lovers? Or just romantics at heart? Confetty1981 has the right amulet for each moon phase of yours.
She had been living in London for a few months when Alice, at only 23, had an epiphany: it was time to build something of her own. Thus Softandwet Undies was born, directly from the hands – and the sewing machine – of the young Venetian. A collection of sustainable underwear with a dreamy aesthetic and delicate femininity. The Softandwet key pieces? The sassy rippled silk slip and matching bra.
Huma Sunglasses is, since 2017, the latest adventure and bet of designer Federica Moretti after years an years of collaboration with the biggest Maisons worldwide. The brand embraces the creativity and extravagance of the fashion industry while designing each piece of the collection that does not end here: eccentric accessories, such as collars and chains are at its core.
From the world of gaming and technology to social projects for African emerging designers, here are the 5 hottest fashion news not to be missed these days.
1. Expected to launch on December 6, Balenciaga will be presenting its forthcoming FW21 collection via a video game — Afterworld: The Age Of Tomorrow — set in an imaginative 2031. It is no exaggeration to say fashion and gaming have never been so connected worlds, so much so that more and more luxury Maisons choose video games as the media to show and share their projects.
Balenciaga, in fact, is nothing but the most recent entry in the long list of new-gamers, that nowadays counts players such as GCDS, which created a videogame to present its SS21 collection, Burberry with its streaming-show on Twitch, Puma and the product placements within League of Legends, Valentino, who created skins for Animal Crossing, and Uniqlo with its Pokémon Go themed T-shirts. Why all this increasing attention to the world of gaming? For its social, hyper connected and young spirit: an excellent way to conquer a new target of possible costumers.
2. Although Accra Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has been postponed because of the pandemic, the brand has chosen to support young designers from Ghana with a social photographic project. 5 local talents were selected and their creations captured in lively and inclusive shots. Their names? Chloe Asaam, Larry Jay, Atto Tetteh, Hassan Alfaziz Iddrisu and Steve French.
3. A couple of weeks has passed since the GucciFest ending and yet Gucci’s “Ouverture of something that never happened” mini-series by Alessandro Michele and director Gus Van Sant keeps being on everyone’s mouth. And it doesn’t matter if the rumors are about the much-discussed success of the digital experiment, the creative director’s quirky and crazy outfits, or the dreamlike cinematic rhythm of each episode, because one thing is sure: Harry Styles talking art through the phone in denim shorts, pink logo T-shirt and loafers with contrasting white socks left his mark in the “AT THE POST OFFICE” episode 3.
4. A dazzling capsule collection the one by Ambush, which partnered with Beats to release a limited edition of glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats earphones. An accessory that combines divertissement, technology and functionality: in addition to their captivating brightness, in fact, the Ambush x Beats by Dr Dre earphones are also waterproof, meaning you can run around or work out in the rain with no worries.
5. In hard times the chance to easily escape reality and relax is a necessity. To do so, what is better than watching TV? Lewis Hamilton has collaborated with technology colossus LG, presenting the LG Signature TV, a totally smart device for an immersive experience through crystal-clear images and premium audio.
Quarantine made us do it again. From Zoom meetings to extra days on the couch and everything in between, slippers are the winter alley we all need to invest in this late 2020: comfortable and versatile accessories that become fun and carefree house shoes to brighten the mood with.
What about the go-to trends in terms of slippers? Let your happy feet be wrapped in clouds of fluffiness (UGG) or choose clogs that recall wide tulips landscapes (Fendi), along with leather sandals embellished with statement applications (Fabrizio Viti) — strictly to wear with a matchy pair of cozy and colorful socks to add a nice detail to every leisure look.
Would Peter Lindbergh’s aesthetic have been the same if he hadn’t been born and raised in the Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region? The answer is easily found in the “Heimat. A Sense of Belonging” exhibition, hosted at Armani/Silos and curated by Giorgio Armani: moving through its sections, in fact, it’s possible to admire not just some of the artist’s most renowned fashion photographs, but real and raw glimpses of his Heimat — the place where he has belonged. Evocative, almost gory shots in black and white, that capture sceneries of industrial and foggy landscapes, concrete buildings and sky-high construction sites. Atmospheres that have made Lindbergh’s work an unforgettable trademark that goes beyond fashion photography.
Despite the latest restrictions, that have forced the Armani/Silos to close to a later date, do not miss Peter Lindbergh’s “Heimat. A Sense of Belonging”, open until 10 January 2021 — if not postponed —, as soon as it will be allowed to get back on the move.
Danish temperatures have never been so lit. Created by brothers Julius and Victor Juul, Heliot Emil is a Copenhagen-based brand, which debuted its first catwalk in the frame of the SS17 Milano Fashion Week.
Since those days, the label has become synonym of a provocative, urban and technical way of unisex dressing. Monochrome fits, mostly black or white, that combine the Scandinavian heritage with the more recent street style upgrades: not by chance, Heliot Emil’s collections are a riot of utility blazers vests, shirts and pants with a perfect shape and distinctive steel and leather details — from the multi-belts to the harnesses.
Add some character to your Fall/Winter 2020 wardrobe with an overload of the spiciest trend of the season: the cut-out. The fashion outcome is sexy and sharp blazers, knits, bottoms and dresses with asymmetrical and feminine see-throughs to buy now and wear anytime. The bold cut-out pieces, with centimeters of back, shoulders and hips left bare, in fact, are a statement for on- and off-duty looks — to be combined with all winter staples: oversized coats, basic turtlenecks, jeans, sweatpants and the most varied shoe models, heels to sneakers.
So take note: from Christopher Esber to Alexander McQueen and Dion Lee, the cut-out trend is the must-have to master the street runways.
Award-winning musician turned entrepreneur Pharrell Williams bets on beauty, launching what we might call the market’s first politically correct skincare line. Humanrace, created in partnership with the artist’s personal dermatologist, Elena Jones, in fact, is genderless and makes no distinction between skin types, age or color, is 100% vegan, earth-friendly and equipped with a Braille code logo for the blind.
Made of three products — Rice Powder Cleanser, Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator and Humidifying Cream —, Williams’ Humanrace is “engineered for optimal exfoliation and hydration to support lasting skin health”, as he promises.
In short, the line seems to have all the requirements every other beauty brand aims for nowadays. So while we ask ourselves if it’s ok to ignore that differences do make a difference, there is no doubt that Pharrell Williams knows how to do business, positioning inclusivity and tolerance on everyone’s beauty cabinet.
Available online and in selected stores from November 25.
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