Cart Curator #37 - Pandoro Pandemonium
The Italian influencer facing fines for a Christmas treat scam, a bakery for ice cream lovers, and the bag set to dethrone the Birkin
Hi CC friends,
Welcome to 2024!
We hope everyone had a good New Year’s Eve - we get the vibe that it was very much a lowkey one for a lot of people and perhaps this may be a theme going into 2024?
We’re so excited to continue bringing you Cart Curator this year and are so proud of ourselves also for keeping this going, which you probably would be too if you heard how many half-baked business ideas we’ve had between us.
Thank you for subscribing/reading and we can’t wait to share what and who we have to come in 2024.
Enjoy,
You Asked For It
Gone are the days when clutch bags were the daggy, mostly impractical choice of bag for a night out. Previously when I (Nic) thought of a clutch bag I was reminded of the many Mimco clutches and pouches I owned in the early 2010’s, but thankfully the style has gotten a fashion upgrade since then. This is mostly thanks, IMO, to the Loewe Flamenco bag but the style has since been adopted by many major luxury fashion houses and high street brands.
Over the past few months we’ve definitely re-fallen in love with this silhouette, which Vogue has agreed will be making a big return in 2024 and we have pulled together our top selects at a range of price points.
Our first suggestion is this raffia clutch from Cos, which comes in both a traditional beige and a fun striped option. Another similar option is this natural woven clutch from DISSH, which is larger but is at a similar price point and overall look.
Next up we have a simple, more classic option with this black pouch from Seed. Believe it or not, this is made of genuine leather and is currently discounted to half price at only $79.95 which is such a steal. We love the ruched detailing and it is also available in another two shades - white and tan. Definitely a wardrobe staple!
Moving into a higher price point with the Henne Puffa White Clutch, which is a collaborative product the brand has done with A-Esque. At $600 this is definitely a more expenny purchase, but the quality is top tier and the leather looks incredibly butter-y. The strap detail is also a nice touch, meaning you can hold it both under your arm and by the handle.
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
In case you missed over Christmas Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni has caused quite a stir making headlines for all the wrong reasons after claims surfaced that she knowingly misled her followers into purchasing cake. Sit with that for a second while we explain.
Chiara, also known as The Blonde Salad (which was the name of the blog she started in 2009), was one of the OG fashion bloggers that amassed a huge following quickly on social media, establishing herself as a consistent figure in the fashion and media world and the most prominent Italian influencer. She has had many successful brand collaborations over the past 14 years and has worked with several luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Dior.
Obviously, brand collaborations aren’t out of the ordinary for her 26.9M followers to be seeing on her platform so when the holiday season rolled around, Chiara announced she was partnering with Italian food company Balaocoo to create a Ferragni-branded pandoro (which is a similar cake to the traditional Christmas sweet bread panettone).
It is the second year that Chiara has released the #PinkChristmas Pandoro, however this year she revealed that the Pandoro would help fund a children’s hospital in Turin, a Northern Italian city. However, it was quickly exposed online that the company had given the money to the hospital months prior to launching it, meaning that sales of the cake had no bearing on the final donation’s value.
Now, the confusion came as the Pink Pandoro was selling for €9, which is double the price of the company’s regular Pandoro and many called out that when combined with the charitable messaging it led consumers to believe that the extra cost was being donated.
Claims then came out that Balocco (the Pandoro company) had made a donation of €50,000 to the hospital but had actually paid Chiara’s companies around €1m for the promotion. Eek.
Newsfash has a good explainer on why this was such a scandal.
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Chiara was then fined $1.2 million by AGCM, a competition watchdog who said that Ferragni had tricked her followers into thinking that their purchase of the Pandoro would contribute to the purchase of medical equipment at the hospital. AGCM said that the false advertising exploited audiences “sensitivity to charitable initiatives, especially those aiding children with serious illnesses".
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, then came out to add to the negative sentiment which was quickly building around Chiara, saying that “the real models to follow are not the influencers who make a lot of money by wearing clothes and showing bags … or even promoting expensive cakes that make people believe they are charitable,” which she shared without actually mentioning the blogger by name.
Following the news spreading, Chiara released an apology video on her Instagram, however she speaks in her native Italian tongue and the caption is in Italian.
A rough Google Translate reads as below:
“That's what I want to do now. Apologize and give concrete action to my gesture: I will return 1 million euros to Queen Margaret to support children's care. But it’s not enough: I do it publicly because I realized I made a communication error. A mistake I will treasure in the future, completely separating any charity, which I have always done and will continue to do, from commercial activities”
As it stands when we write this Chiara has come out to say that she believes the fine is “disproportionate and unfair” and will be fighting it.
What do you think? Does the fine match the crime? Drop a comment below.
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
GANNI Leopard Denim Stary Jeans
Repeat after me: leopard is a neutral. I have decided that 2024 is the year that I refine and better establish my personal style and in the process of this I have been looking for different ways to add interest and fun to my wardrobe and establish what I actually like vs what I deem to be trendy.
During the Boxing Day sales I snagged a pair of leopard print flats from Zara that I had been eyeing for weeks and love how fun they are but work with a range of outfits whilst not standing out enough to make their wear limited.
After this foray into leopard print I have my eye on this print pair of jeans from GANNI and the combination of the oversized/balloon shaped leg and the print I think would be extremely versatile for a range of styling options.
If prints are out of your comfort zone leopard is a great place to start with the neutral tones and it isn’t something that is going to date quickly. Leopard is going to be one to watch over the next few months and is set to be big in accessories and clothing for 2024.
NA-KD Marked Waist Denim Jacket
I love denim when it comes to bottoms but what I love even more is a Canadian tuxedo moment and this denim jacket from NA-KD is a really elevated piece for exactly that.
The shape of this jacket is really different with it being a collarless style with a cinched waste and slightly ballooned arms so it definitely is a bit more interesting than your standard style. This denim shade is very versatile and as it lacks any diversity in its colour the style looks a lot more put together making it a great piece for work, going out etc. and can be pared with a range of bottoms including a slip skirt, white jeans etc.
Nicole
Meshki Verali Rose Crochet Bikinis
Nothing about this screams practical, but I am choosing to ignore that for the sake of a really cool looking bikini. We went on so much about this tomato colour in past issues and the same sentiment follows here, it is such a bold shade for summer and I love that it has been paired with crochet. The rose adds a sexier element to the bikinis and is a unique way to bring the rosette into your summer wardrobe. Like I mentioned, these aren’t going to be the pair of swimmers you put on for a day swimming in the ocean, these are best for laying in the sun (safely) with a book in hand. If you’re bold enough you could get away with wearing the top with a pair of white linen trousers for a pre/post beach look, even if you’re not by the ocean.
I’m seeing a lot of people wearing this red shift dress from Lucy Folk, which I absolutely adore, but the price tag is pushing it after Christmas/NY/holidays.
Although still on the more expensive end of the spectrum at just over $200 this Onte dress is just as chic. The white trimming and gold button down detailing give it a touch of something different. With a summer dress I tend to gravitate towards a piece that you can wear with sandals or sneakers, and also dress up, which this piece would let you do easily. Lastly, I also love that they are a local Australian brand.
You can clearly tell by my two recs that I’m still into this tomato red colour way for summer.
Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Bali Body Ultra Dark Self Tanning Mousse
Formerly a lover of St.Tropez and Loving Tan I tried out the Bali Body Gradual Tan which opened to my eyes to the quality and efficacy of their products leading me to try their Ultra Dark Self Tanning Mousse when I was in a pinch and couldn’t get my hands on the Loving Tan Ultra Dark Deluxe Bronzing Mousse. To my surprise this product is AMAZING, I would go as far as to say the best tanning mousse I have ever tried.
My skin doesn’t absorb tanning products well and back in the height of my clubbing days I would go as far as applying 3+ coats of Bondi Sands Ultra Dark over multiple nights (this gives me nightmares just thinking back to these days) to get a colour resembling what my friends could achieve from a single application.
As I have gotten old I have been less and less fussed with going to the trouble of applying a true tanning mousse and spending a night sticky and ruining my sheets for a sub par colour but this mousse gives me a beautiful even tan in one application and drys down quite quickly (sorry to say your sheets will come out unscathed but with a mousse it’s inevitable).
Something to note and one of the things I love most about this tan is that it fades quite evenly meaning no more tiger bread skin.
Nicole
Stila Stay All Day Dual Ended Liquid Eyeliner in Dark Brown
Aside from the last few years, I was a big black liquid eyeliner fan, but now I mostly can’t be bothered and I don’t wear much makeup on the day to day now.
However, I’ve rediscovered this old favourite, specifically in the dark brown shade, which is much softer than a harsh black cat eye. The formula is incredibly long-wearing which you need in Australian summer, and I particularly like the dual-ended version for the regular sized tip and the ultra-fine tip which is perfect when you want a finer flick, which I usually do. If you’re unsure about liquid eyeliner I would definitely recommend trying a brown liner first, which is more forgiving and looks more natural.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
Shadow Baking by Gelato Messina
We’re big fans of Gelato Messina so when we saw that three of their chefs have opened their own bakery how could we not be interested.
Located in Darlinghurst Sydney you can expect a gourmet range of pastries, including Vegemite and Avo scrolls with cheddar cheese, smashed avo, fermented chilli egg jam and pecorino and baked cheesecake blueberry tarts with blueberry jam, vanilla crème and fresh blueberries.
Someone in the comments asked the question we are all thinking - Is it owned by Messina, or simply affiliated due to the fact that it is founded by the Chefs. They answered:
“bit of both. we are part owners but the (current, not ex) head and sous chef at messina run it along side remi who is ex head chef at the messina creative degustation. messina more so helps on the marketing, design, press, accounting etc. side of things and the guys run the actual food bit.”
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
The Row Soft Margaux 17 Bag in Suede
Whispers on the internet have sources claiming that this could be the next Hermès Birkin with the bag already having sold out everywhere. The Row is known for it’s undone and relaxed style and this bag is the epitome of exactly that. Spotted on everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Kendall Jenner this bag is not going anywhere anytime soon and it’s safe to say this is at the top of our lottery win wish list.
IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
Okay if you haven’t watched Saltburn what are you doing. This movie/soundtrack/casting/wardrobe are sitting front of mind at all times currently and it deserves every bit of hype it has received.
If you missed it in movies Prime has answered our prayers as this is now available to stream and stream it we have (countless times to be precise). I (Jess) have also now converted my TikTok FYP to be entirely Saltburn content so am well versed in the movies Easter eggs, filming choices, wardrobe etc. which I am not mad about whatsoever.
This movie has brought a number of songs back into the charts including Perfect by Princess Superstar and of course Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Additionally I (Jess) found this orchestral version on Tiktok and haven’t been able to stop listening (it’s giving main character energy).
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If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #36 - A CC Year in Review: 2023
Cart Curator #35 - Madeline is no longer pretty lonesome
Cart Curator #34 - Turn off your phone Selena!
Cart Curator #33 - Who the f*** is Madelaine Brockway