Cart Curator #68 - The Fashion Games
A CC review of the Olympic Games so far (including our take on the LVMH partnership), a chic brunch spot worth visiting for the interiors alone and the song Jess can't stop listening to.
Hi CC friends,
Nic is well into watching the Olympics, as we assume most people are. The Paris > Aus timezone is making it particularly tricky for me however and I refuse to shift my personal schedule.
Jess has been bopping around Berlin making the most of the Summer temperatures while they last and is off to Amsterdam this week. Any and all recommendations are welcome!
Enjoy,
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
What else to talk about this week if not the Olympics? We have so many thoughts, so we are going to condense it into three sections: the Opening Games, the LVMH partnership and the Uniforms. We will leave the chat around the athletes, the sports and the medals to the real Sports Journalists.
The Opening Ceremony
Whilst I (Nic) did not watch it, I feel like I’ve managed to catch enough through social media osmosis.
To save time and hopefully stop you from scrolling through, here are my key takeaways:
The spectacle took place outside of a stadium for the first time, hosted in the middle of the city on the River Seine
Unfortunately, this decision coincided with heavy rain in Paris, leaving for a slightly soggy situation for both the athletes and spectators
The athletes floated down the river in boats representing their countries - some big and some small dependent on representation
It ran for a total of 4 hours, which at first I thought was crazy, but apparently, that is normal
The reception was mostly positive, especially when it comes to viewership. There was some worry about how the Olympic games would fair as we move to consume so digitally, but the Paris opening saw 29M views, up from Tokyo’s 17.9M
There were star-studded performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, the latter who many people were behind given her recent emotional documentary
We felt for the Moulin Rouge dancers, who had to defend their form after people called out their Can Can kicks. Let it be known we’ve seen the Moulin Rouge and these girls have SKILL, they were dealing with a very wet stage and slippery conditions
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The LVMH Partnership
ICYMI, in true French fashion LVMH is an official partner of this year’s Olympics.
At CC we love and approve of this partnership, big fans of the intersection between fashion and sport, but will say that they are really going hard with it and that it feels almost like a Fashion Week in itself. So if you are not familiar with LVMH (?), they are a conglomerate that owns the biggest luxury fashion houses and brands.
Yesterday Amy Odell of the Back Row Substack did an excellent explainer of why the Olympics is feeling like one giant LVMH ad. We will link below and highly recommend the read.
If you CBF opening the link, then we will recap just some of the many ways LVMH is showing up:
The Olympic Torch and Medals are being housed in Louis Vuitton Trunks, and Creative Director Pharrell served as a torchbearer.
Celine Dion wore Dior in her aforementioned Opening Ceremony performance.
And so did Lady Gaga. J’Adore Dior no?
LVMH hosted a pre-party, the night before the Opening Ceremony, where we saw Vogue and LVMH ambassadors - celebrities, influencers and so on - in attendance. It also feels like there have been a lot more celebrities popping up at the Olympics this year - not just at the Opening like Ariana and Cynthia below (who are still not giving up on the Wicked dressing), but at the competition itself, you could expect to see Ralph Lauren ambassador Jessica Chastain, Sarah Jessica Parker or Nicole Kidman - an Omega ambassador. And…. you guessed it! Both Ralph Lauren and Omega are LVMH brands.
The Uniforms
Fashion media brand High Snobiety declared that this year’s Olympics could be the most fashion-led of all time. With the aforementioned LVMH partnership and notable luxury and sportswear brands lining up to create the uniforms, it’s easy to see why they’ve made this claim.
Let’s have a look at some of the uniforms across the globe, before we spend a little time chatting about those from Australia.
Starting with Team USA, who had their kit created by Ralph Lauren. 10/10 for the preppy aesthetic USA - very on trend. Also (Nic) am obsessed, obsessed, obsessed with Skims getting involved as the official “loungewear” partner. They literally will not miss a marketing beat.
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Mongolia’s uniform could easily be worn at the Met Gala, with their intricate uniform that balanced traditional cultural elements and fashion forward details.
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Jess is a fan of the Canadian kit, who worked with Lululemon to bring together their v-sporty inspired offering. That tie-dye two-piece? Gimme.
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Sue Sylvester will always be a muse.
Some other noteworthy partnerships include:
Switzerland with the athletic brand of the moment ON
Adidas for Great Britain
Giorgio Armani/Emporio Armani for Italy
Le Coq Sportif for France (headed by Stephane Ashpool - streetwear designer for Pigalle)
And, that leaves us with Australia.
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The jacket lining is a nice touch. It is giving private school uniforms a little. SORRY.
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This video from Matilda’s player Mackenzie Arnold sums it up. We’re not going to pick apart the design, the main issue we have here is that Australia had Sportscraft designing their uniforms. No hate against Sportscraft - we know this is an ongoing partnership, but surely there is someone else may be slightly more qualified for the job?
We loved this reimagining a TikTok creator tasked themselves with.
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All we can ask is that when the Olympics is hosted on Australian soil can we sort this out.
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
The Cled is a brand I had never heard of before and their range of jewellery uses discarded glass to give pieces (including this Small Loop Ring) their beautiful colours. I’m currently lusting after this gold and light olive combo in particular for stacking with other more minimalistic pieces (like a plain gold band) or wearing as something more statement for a pinkie.
This loop style also comes in a larger size that I’m seriously considering and I think a piece like this is a nice way to incorporate some colour into jewellery without opting for a coloured stone.
ASOS EDITION bubble hem strappy top
This top has been on my wishlist for a while now and I think this simple style from ASOS EDITION would be a great Summer wardrobe piece to throw on for a night out and look instantly chic without having to put in any thought.
The bubble hem has been around for a while now but this take feels elevated and classic vs a lot of other styles out there and the higher neckline on this piece I feel really makes it.
Nicole
I’m yet to visit the new Sydney Henne store, but that hasn’t stopped me from shopping their brand online.
I’ve got my eye on their Gisella Jean, specifically in the red colourway. We’ve spoken so many times about how red is the colour of the season, but it usually shows up in knits - like the red cardigan - or in accessories like stockings or jewellery, but this is the first pair of jeans I’ve personally seen.
They are more of a brick red, which definitely makes them easier to style than your classic bold red. I will say that the Henne denim is on the pricier side, these are $229, but from everything I’ve heard they are very high quality so you can expect them to last many a season.
As a short girl this relaxed fit is one that I struggle to work with, so I’m definitely going to have to pop into their store and try these on IRL. Will report back.
Glassons Foldover Knee High Heeled Boots
I love a heeled boot. They are so versatile, and despite being branded as a winter shoe I think they are the most versatile for mid-seasonal dressing. You can wear them with skirts - all lengths, dresses, shorts, honestly they are one of the easiest items to style and the hardest working shoes in my wardrobe.
This pair from Glassons tick all the boxes for a chic, cheap and cheerful pair to add to your wardrobe as we start closing out winter.
At less than $90 (!!!) these are literally a steal, and such an easy way to elevate a simple outfit already sitting in your wardrobe.
Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Victoria Beckham Contour Stylus
After seeing this different take on a contour product popping up all over TikTok I decided to pick it up on a recent trip to Selfridges and have fallen in love with it.
I am a bit annoyed at myself because, for a true contour colour, I should have opted for a darker shade but the product still does the trick. Being a smaller product (more like the size of an eyeshadow stick) I was interested to see how the application would go vs normal contour products which are usually larger for ease of use but I actually love how quick and easy the smaller style makes things.
This contour stylus is perfect for contouring the nose (which is how it has become so popular on TikTok) but also for getting smaller lines on eyelids and temples and after now trying this product, I’m not sure I can go back to any other.
Nicole
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pink Venus
Now, you’ve definitely heard of the Pillow Talk lip liner but I feel like Pink Venus doesn’t get enough air time.
Where Pillow Talk leans more into nude, Pink Venus - you guessed it - leans more pink, or coral really.
I find sometimes that Pillow Talk can be a little harsh for the day, especially in the office, and this is where I’ll pick up Pink Venus. Top with a lip gloss - I’m currently using the Nuxe Reve de Miel - for a more plump look as the CT lip liners run very matte.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
A new opening for Sydney’s inner west, Superfreak is a vibey café/eatery that has popped up next to Scout Pilates (another fave of CC).
Firstly, YSG Studio have done the interiors (a big IYKYK), evident by the furniture and colour scheme, and could be reason enough to visit in our minds.
Whether it's for a coffee and pastry or a sit in meal, add this to your lists next time your searching for a chic brunch spot.
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Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
Magda Butrym Strapless Draped Hip Mini Dress
The rose print, the draping, the bustier. This Magda Butrym is a word of art and is begging for us to wear it.
The image below doesn’t even do this dress the justice it deserves, click through to see it worn on model, because this could be the most flattering dress we’ve ever seen.
We will say, this is currently on sale down to €995 (so, about $1,600 AUD), so if you can’t wait to win the lottery perhaps you can justify it that way?
Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
I (Jess) have had an obsession with Remi Wolf’s music ever since I saw her as the warm-up act for Paramore last year. She’s recently released her latest single Motorcycle which also includes three other songs that I am beyond loving and they are the perfect mix of being slower whilst still super vibey (great descriptions I know).
In particular, I have been listening to Alone in Miami on repeat and have this song constantly stuck in my head so if you are new to Remi’s music I would start there.
IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
Sometimes an IYKYK is so integrated into my (Nic’s) daily life that I forget to share them with the CC audience. This is one of those. Rain Parrot is an absolute essential app for me.
In a nutshell, Rain Parrot gives you extremely accurate rain data, with estimated mm throughout the day, a radar and most importantly IMO a literal minute by minute play of what the next 60 minutes look like. Now, you might be thinking, why on earth do you need this much information about the rain, are you a farmer? No, but as someone who did not have a car in Sydney until last year, and still very much relies on walking and public transport, this means I am never caught out without an umbrella, or making the fatal mistake to start walking somewhere thinking I’ll beat out the rain only to end up a drowned rat.
Also, if you run a fair bit like me, this helps understand if the risk (getting slightly wet) is worth the reward (the post run high).
This app isn’t free, which may feel like a shock at first, but at $5.99 it’s no more than a large coffee and definitely worth the investment.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #67 - Do we need to stop re-making movies?
Cart Curator #66 - Who Did He Date Not Marry?
Cart Curator #65 - Witchery and Love Potions
Cart Curator #64 - High fashion, goes low-fi
Cart Curator #63 - It’s Vogue’s World, We’re Just Living In It