We Killed Quiet Luxury To Bring Back Expensive Optimism

Good afternoon, Gatekeepers.

Sophistication may be on the way out! Finally! It’s looking like the return of personality is upon us. In this week’s syllabus, we’re discussing Christopher Kane bringing back ready-to-wear at Mulberry, the latest in designer Target collabs, if Kate Spade can make a comeback reminiscent of Coach, my love of fancy hotel gift shops, and the Irish woman who ran Harper’s Bazaar.

Plus, four recommendations for dressing like a Greek heroine and an eighteenth-century runaway.

Here is everything worth knowing…and deep diving into this week.

• The London Fashion Week schedule will include Mulberry and McQueen this year. The British Fashion Council announced their provisional schedule for September. I’m specifically excited for Christopher Kane’s Mulberry debut on the 20th. Christopher is best known for hyper-sexy, unconventional elements for his namesake brand (which closed in 2023) and his work on the Versus Versace line. Mulberry hasn’t had a ready-to-wear line since 2020 and I’m curious about how Kane will interpret such a quintessential English brand. In the meantime, I’ll still be daydreaming about taking a black Bayswater into an office. Last fall, I saw a woman in D.C. rushing off to something carrying this bag and she looked fabulous.

• Rosie Assoulin is bringing her extremely expensive optimism to Target. Earlier this year we got Parke and LoveShackFancy collaborations and it looks like next up is Rosie Assoulin x Target. The collection will consist of matching sets, accessories, and the designer’s first substantial home collection which reportedly includes a stylish tiffin box.

• Kate Spade hired Jonathan Saunders to oversee clothing and visual identity. Kate Spade has incredibly recognizable brand codes but its biggest challenge has been capturing the Gen Z markets. I imagine parent company Tapestry is hoping Saunders can Coach-ify Kate Spade. Perhaps now that “quiet luxury” is on its deathbed, a space for polished, joyful aesthetic can emerge. Most recently, Saunders was the Chief Creative Officer for & Other Stories.

• Dior is staging a pre-fall show in December. Jonathan Anderson is bringing us his first fashion show in Ireland this winter. A native to Northern Ireland, he plans to show the pre-fall 2027 collection at Trinity College in Dublin on December 4th. Dublin is also the birthplace of a previous editor-in-chief of American Harper’s Bazaar, Carmel Snow. She famously dubbed Christian Dior’s 1947 collection, “The New Look.” More on Snow below.

• The lost pleasure of the vacation gift shop. If you run a cool or luxurious hotel, it’s so important that you have great gift shop merch. I would argue it’s second only to bedding. Curating genuine gift shops that create moments for guests is not only peak hospitality, it’s incredibly chic and good karma. Gift shops in general are an important part of any trip, and a great gift shop should be part convenience (for obvious reasons) and part portrait of a person’s best self on vacation. For stand alone gift shops, you’ll find the best things are located in apothecary adjacent businesses like Officine Universelle Buly or the more local to me, Morgan’s Pharmacy in Georgetown.

  Not entirely necessary but still a nice touch is a hotel teddy bear. The Bowery, The Colony Hotel, St. Regis, The Ritz, and The Beverly Hills Hotel all have options that would entice even the most discerning guest.

  

  Deep Dive Search Terms: The Bowery, The Colony Hotel, The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Carlyle, W Hotels, The Maker, hotel gift-shop design, resort retail interiors, and vintage souvenirs.

  

  

  Below the paywall: the Kate Spade bag that started it all, what the Dior show invitation is nodding to, vintage waist cinching sculptural belts, and sandals to live your ancient Greek goddess dreams.