21st Century Shopping

While most people still buy clothes in bricks and mortar stores, the numbers are growing for those who choose to shop online. And for those early adopters, the ways to shop are changing at a swift pace. For starters, the vast sea of online retailers has brought about the need for time-saving aggregators; shopping sites that pool several etailers together to save clicking time when searching for that elusive pair of nude Louboutin pumps. Shopstyle has cornered the market here but there’s an emerging niche of more targeted sites for those who want to drill even deeper.  At The Style Director we focus more tightly on classic hero pieces in neutral colours, while Farfetch aggregates a wide selection of product from physical boutiques around the world. Merchandise from a mix of independent boutiques (including some wonderful vintage stores) is photographed in a uniform way and sold online, leaving Farfetch to handle the technical side while allowing the stores to reach a far wider customer base.

Meanwhile, ‘curation’ and ‘editing’ are popular buzzwords when it comes to engaging and useful ways to shop online. Topshop, H&M and ASOS have all tried this approach, inviting fashionable tastemakers to pick their favourite pieces and showcase them online. This gives product personality and taps into the current obsession with street style and fashion industry personalities whose unique style has the power to shift clothes in surprising quantities.

And then it gets even more fun. Social shopping is another growth area online with retailers encouraging shoppers to create profiles, follow each other’s wish lists and share purchases on social media sites. Pinterest has only been around since 2010 but already savvy fashion etailers are ‘pinning’ shoppable items to their profiles in the hope that followers will re-pin and lead to sales.

Back in the day, buyers and fashion editors held all the power in influencing the taste of the masses. Now bloggers are doing the same in a more approachable, wearable and often affordable way. Consumers who relate to a blogger’s style choices will often head straight to that blog when looking for shopping inspiration. Blogs with a strong aesthetic such as Keep It Chic and Disneyrollergirl (full disclosure – Disneyrollergirl works with The Style Director) frequently feature shopping pages where readers can buy straight off the page. This merging of content and commerce is a hot topic in industry circles as it challenges the traditional function of fashion publishing. Most well known etail sites including Net-a-Porter, ASOS and Stylebop now have regular editorial pages while magazine fashion editors are fast migrating to bring their editorial eye and voice to online stores. For retailers like The LN-CC and Darkroom both of which enjoy online stores and offline presence, there’s a conscious move to align the two with experiential events and content that marry both harmoniously. Elsewhere, there are changes in the style of photography, with the likes of my-wardrobe moving away from ‘catalogue’ shots to more editorial action poses.

Another development is that of friendly ‘how to wear’ styling advice as seen on Gap’s new Styled-by site. Using media partners including Refinery29, non-models ‘self-style’ Gap outfits with their own (uncredited) clothes resulting in a believable but stylised set of outfits that can be shopped straight away. And for those fashion-forward shoppers who want next season’s look right now, the technology is speeding up to make that a reality. Five years ago Roland Mouret caused a stir by allowing outfits to be pre-ordered on Netaporter straight from the runway. More recently, Burberry has followed suit, while social site Lyst.com has introduced the option to ‘favourite’ runway looks and receive email alerts when stock arrives online. ‘Pre-tail’ site Moda Operandi (only a year old) has helped things along with its instant-order concept that lets impatient shoppers order looks just days after their runway debut. As fashion customers get accustomed to watching shows in real time, and technology improves to shrink delivery times, the fashion seasons will only get shorter. Conclusion? Hold on tight, fashion retail is about to move even faster!

The Style Director on Tumblr!

Check out The Style Director on Tumblr for some beautiful images!
http://acnelegs.tumblr.com/post/3422575129

The Grit Goes Denim!

One of our favourite style magazines, Grit, has published its July issue including some great denim shots.  We love double denim!

Colour Blocked at Jil Sander

Whether  a simple emerald green maxi (see Topshop's rip off at a fraction of the price), mixing jewel coloured separates to eye-popping effect or simply using bold stripes (visit Cos for affordable versions) in unexpected shapes, the Jil Sander label has made this an accessible look for all of us whether in the City or on the beaches this summer.

Acid Brights

All the catwalks for SS11 popped with acid brights.  Team that vintage maxi stuffed into the back of your wardrobe over a one shoulder swimsuit from Liza Bruce (similar can be found in the chains and at Topshop) and - hey presto, you've got the look!

The Style Director seen on FT How to spend it

Hi ! What a lovely sunny day ! 

The Style Director as seen on The FT How to spend it this week ! Have a look :

 http://www.howtospendit.com/#!​/articles/5111-e-cquisitions-t​he-style-director !  

And keep an eye out : The Homepage and the Magazine will be refreshed next week ! Www.thestyledirector.com

The Style Director icons

SPOTTED ! 2 Doobydolls' Style Director icons - Ines de la Fressange and Liz Thody - chatting and laughing on a designer chair at Red Hot PR's  Central London Press Day yesterday  !

The Style Director has launched!

Ines de la Fressange designer muse, French national treasure and one of our fashion icons, epitomises understated style as only the French can!

The Style Director (TSD) is now online with a curated collection of perfect pieces for your wardrobe - choices edited and selected by fashion industry experts and icons such as Ines de la Fressange and Sarah Curran. Check out the site now for your essential summer items, regularly updated with seasonal choices. Adding to the editorial tone is The Magazine on TSD: up to the minute advice on trends and styles.   An added bonus - every purchase will make a difference with 10% of profits donated to the Cambodian Children's Fund! 

In Conversation with Ines de la Fressange

" All women think 'three kilos less and I would look better!' 

 

In Conversation with Ines de la Fressange and Sophie Gachet at Browns Hotel, Mayfair, in 2011

 

Ines rises from the sofa to greet me French style - a kiss on each cheek - and is charming enough to compliment me on my hair and clothes.  She is immaculate, taller than most (say 5'10") wearing a simple man's navy V neck from Uniqlo, cropped Prada trousers in a nude tone, and the ubiquitous Roger Vivier black patent shoes.  Following introductory pleasantries I delve in:

TSD (The Style Director)

Who’s your style icon?

IdlF(Ines de la Fressange)

I would like to say Katherine Hepburn

TSD

Much more interesting than Audrey

IdlF

You are the first one to understand that!  Audrey was gorgeous moving in a fantastic way but she had Givenchy – he had talent.  She had talent in the movies.  But Katherine had her own great style.

If not, then anonymous people.  Big thing when Sharon Stone arrived with Gap white shirt!  All these people on red carpet have coaches.  It is not their own style – it’s made up. They are totally boring - all like bimbos, they never know who they are

Sophie

Yes it’s a total look.  Never mixed up.

TSD

Do you think French women are more inherently chic than English women?

IdIF

No.  Not at all.  English women have their own style - but our book is called Parisian Chic!

Sophie

Maybe the English style is a little bit different. Parisian women have a very simple style.  They don’t try too hard

IdIF

Both my children had very tacky moments.  But now they have perfect taste. 

Young people nowadays all dress more or less the same.  They all shop at TopShop.  Do you remember Carnaby Street?  It was great and we had all these crazy things to choose from.  But after 40 you suddenly have this feeling you can’t dress up  as you did when you were young  – but you don’t feel totally like granny yet!  But there is a problem for these women and sometimes the magazines don’t help them that much.  Sometimes they make an effort and its good and sometimes they don’t, which is quite sad.  And the idea was to help these women to explain they don’t need that much – just maybe the right things.

TSD

I love the book.   It’s like a little style bible.  I never knew you shouldn’t wear a necklace and earrings at the same time

IdlF

You never knew but you never did it

TSD

Probably not but now I know I never will!

IdlF

It’s better to say “no”!  People need laws (SD:  I think she meant rules or guidelines!).  Now that everything and anything is possible you see just the worst dressed women.  Maybe it’s not that bad to say “Don’t”.  We should start being intelligent about the way we mix clothes.

So many women think that something is jolly or witty and so often it is not.

TSD

I love your point about a great smile and great teeth making you beautiful.

IdlF

Some women spend £600 on cream and forget their teeth and sometimes its good to say that. 

TSD

You mention the Burberry Trench as an essential wardrobe item.  The Style Director is a one stop shop for classics with a twist, and the Burberry is a key piece.   So why is the Burberry trench your favourite? How do you wear it?

IdelF

This coat would look amazing with blue jeans or maybe cropped black pants and ballet pumps.  I don’t know who wouldn’t look good in this look.  We don’t all need to look like fashion victims.  It’s better to look and feel comfortable. 

SG

It was the first gaberdine raincoat.  During the First World War 1914  it was invented for use in the trench’s – hence the name the Trench.  It is the original

IdelF

There is a reason why certain items last throughout the years

SG

When you have to invest in something the quality is important

IdlF

There are some things like this:  the Kelly bag, Tod’s loafers even the Chanel quilted bag.

TSD

Would you prefer the Tod’s loafer to the original Bass Weejun?

IdlF

Bass are more difficult to find.  Tod’s have shops everywhere so they are accessible.  It’s not good to make things too complicated for shoppers.  It’s great to have basics like these.  It depends how you wear them.  

TSD

That’s a bad example Ines –you’re the face of Roger Vivier!

IdlF

All the time I see people in the street and I think, if they had a good haircut, less makeup, less jewellery.  All women think “three kilos less and I would look better”.  No!  Three kilos less of jewellery and they would look better.

TSD

Do you plan your wardrobe the night before or in the morning?

IdlF

I open my closet and think “goodness, I have nothing to wear”.   I can’t find anything in the wardrobe I want to choose and then, I am in a hurry, and I do what it says in French Chic – choose the classics and dress them up.

TSD

So heels or flats for the day?

IdlF

Flats.  There is this thing about heels.  Life will not change with 10cm more in height.

It’s a funny idea about sexuality because when a man looks at a woman it is not at her shoes!  It is her eyes he sees first.  It’s the way she moves, talks, eats.  

TSD

If there was a fire in the house which clothes would you grab?

IdlF

I would take pictures of my family, my American Express card to very quickly go shopping to replace everything.  But if I had to choose it would be a pair of eccentric snake boots from Vivier.   I don’t wear them that much but I just love them – very elegant and eccentric.  Nobody does that nowadays – eccentric and elegant.  

TSD

Did you work with Sophie together on the book?

IdlF

She’s the brains, I’m the legs

SG

The book really was a collaboration. We met at the school gates.  I am from Elle.  One day we had a cup of coffee and she asked for a lot of addresses.  We worked together on an interview for the magazine and then talked about the book.  We did all the addresses together – in every single store she bought something!  She did all the drawings and collaborated on the style of the book.  We worked very closely together – she is very visual.  I think it was important to have a lot of pictures.  Its true that sometimes when you say “Don’t” it changes – for example, bright colours.  Sometimes it is good to put some trends into your style.  Parisians always knows what the trends are although she won’t admit this.   She absorbs the trends.  

TSD: 

The Style Director is all about edited classics with a twist chosen by style icons.  What do you think of it?

SG

It’s a great idea. There is nowhere else that edits the items down.  Fewer is better. 

TSD

Thank you Ines and Sophie - it's been a pleasure!

Check out The Style Director on Tumblr for some great images of beautifully classic pieces worn with individual style and The Style Director website where you can purchase all these beautiful pieces.

Coming soon...