Cart Curator #57 - Fashion Week Woes
Why it feels like Australian Fashion Week might still be missing the mark, we curate our edit of the new and improved Pandora, and a shoe made of our 90's Manolo dreams.
Hi CC friends,
Last week was a little bit of a busy one for both of us, so this week I (Nic) am leaning into doing nothing, especially in the lead up to my first marathon next week (sick of hearing about running yet?).
Meanwhile, Jess has some very exciting news that she’s finally able to share with you all; Surprise! she’s making the move to London!! I (Nic) have been mourning this for weeks.
She will be doing a bit of travel over the next couple of months so you can expect some fun travel specials as well as our regular issues every Wednesday!
Enjoy,
The Edit
As I’m sure you would have seen, Pandora sponsored last week’s Australian Fashion Week. A far cry from the big naming rights sponsors like Mercedes Benz or Afterpay. Anyway, that is a whole other conversation in itself.
During the week I (Nic) had lunch with a friend who was wearing a bunch of chic jewellery pieces. As the lunch unfolded she mentioned she had picked them up in a styling suite for Pandora as part of Fashion Week, and honestly, I was dumbfounded.
Pandora is clearly going through a committed rebrand, and their latest drop is a far cry from the charms and birthstone rings (bless, we all had one) that we know the brand for.
Here’s our CC edit of the best (and mostly v affordable) pieces from the brand.
Up first are these slightly chunky organically shaped stacking rings. These come as a set of two, in either gold or silver (tip - buy both and mix the metals), and make for the easiest way to create an impact on your hands. These are very well priced, considering they are 14k gold plated. We recommend layering them with a solo band on your other fingers like they’ve been modelled online.
The next find is another ring, this heart ring, and honestly the pictures online don’t do it enough justice.
Our next favourite is another of their organically shaped options - the open bangle. Big fan of the open bangle style in general and what I loved about this one was that they had different size options. As someone with very small wrists, this is greatly appreciated. This is a slightly more expensive option for the brand, at just under $300. There is also a thicker option which could almost be mistaken for a Tiffany’s number - which we love - but it is at a much higher price point.
My next selection from their recent drop is these freshwater pearl hoop earrings. Pearls can so easily look dated or bridal, but the way these are integrated into the hoop itself gives them such a fresh feel. They also come in a more traditional hoop option.
Another pair of earrings that caught my attention were the wire stud earrings, which are pretty unique. These would be perfect for when you need an earring to complete an outfit but don’t want them to detract from the outfit itself.
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
As we are sure you could not escape online, last week was Australian Fashion Week and while there is always a flurry of negative commentary, it felt like this year there more than ever. In particular, it was the harsh criticism on social media relating to the media and influencers who attend and cover these shows that had us texting back and forth with our own opinions.
If you aren’t across the conversation the two major themes that were proliferating online included the lack of diversity and, most interestingly, the wearing of fast fashion by creators/influencers attending shows and events throughout the week.
The lack of diversity has been a major point of criticism for AFW for far too long, and it’s while it is still really disappointing that we continue to see a lack of diversity on the runway, what really became a talking point this time around was a slightly different take. Many attendees throughout the week were commenting that while many brands are making positive steps to include diversity on the runaway and on the guests lists, media outlets who cover the shows themselves, including street-style, actively choose not to spotlight diversity in their recaps.
Creators Maggie Zhou, Carmen Azzopardi, and Joely Malcolm all raised the issue of diversity on TikTok, each with their own takes on where AUS Fashion Week just isn’t measuring up.
We’re going to let them do the talking here, as they have summed it up pretty well.
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Additionally, the conversation around the wearing of fast fashion brands and the lack of creativity has been really heating up. With Blonde Jeff and Chloe below touching on this and the way it takes away from being there to support Australian designers. Which is such a fair point, and one that we don’t think is discussed enough.
Australian Fashion Week gives platform to incredible creatives in Australia, and in our opinion its frustrating to see creators not opting to showcase this in their outfits - many of which end up on global outlets. It does the Australian fashion industry such a disservice, and minimises and tarnishes the incredible Australian talent we do have coming out of our country when all you see are influencers wearing fast fashion or dupes of other designers (including Australian designers who were showing at fashion week nonetheless…).
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Lastly, we leave you with a recount of a super interesting fashion week moment involving influencers showing up to a show for the photo moment and then leaving before the runway even started.
At this stage, we aren’t surprised in the slightest but people are clearly not happy about it and it’s easy to see why.
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If anyone’s interested in who TikTok thinks these influencers were be sure to take a read of the comments on the below post.
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We’re interested to know - what you thoughts about Australian Fashion Week this year?
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
Rylan 21.55 Brown Smooth Mila Mini Tote
Since laying my eyes on a pair of brown suede Tony Bianco flats I mentioned in a previous issue I have had a fixation on this colour and texture combo and when I laid my eyes on this mini tote from Rylan I knew I had to share.
Besides being in my favourite colour/texture the bunchy silhouette and top handles are such a different style from the clutches/structured top handle bags we have seen around for the past few years. This bag also comes with a cross body strap which is always super handy to have.
Public Desire Mica Heeled Sandals
I’ll start by saying this is completely the wrong season for a shoe like this but I have loved the vintage oversized flower styles from Manolo Blahnik (see below) for such a long time and this style from Public Desire just popped up via ASOS and I think I may need. This is obviously an event shoe that would be worn for select occasions but the oversized flower is just so fun and is giving major 90’s fashion inspo worthy of Carrie Bradshaw.
Nicole
This feels like an approachable but also elevated way to wear the rugby jumper trend, without feeling like you’ve borrowed from the boys. I personally never browse Revolve (it’s all a bit too much on there sometimes) but suddenly found myself scrolling through their pages last week and stumbled across this gem from Aussie brand Lioness.
The white collar makes it feel fresh, and it's nice to see this trend in a colourway other than blue/green or red. I could easily see myself throwing this on all throughout the cooler months, both styled up with jeans and boots, or worn over activewear on the weekends for coffee/errand runs.
Faithfull the Brand El Bajio and Dua Bikinis
This Add to Cart is one for all the lucky girls heading to soak up the European sun in the coming months.
Yes, these are on the more expensive side, but these days you’ll be paying over $150+ for individuals, so just under $350 for the set isn’t too crazy IMO given Faithfull is known for their high-quality swimwear. I love the turquoise blue colour, and the bead detailing on the strings is quite subtle, which means you won’t be clacking all over the place as you paddle about.
Can’t you just imagine wearing this in Greece or Mallorca?
Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original
My god this is a boring rec from me this week but when I get sick around this time of year my skin really cops it between trying to adjust to hotter showers and colder weather and the constant tissue usage. For years I have been using Vaseline as a final layer when I go to bed, applying it to my lips and dry spots as a final layer to seal in my regular products overnight. This product as unglamorous as it is will definitely always be in my arsenal.
Nicole
I got a sample vial of this in a Fashion Week gift bag and was confused as I had never heard of this scent from Who is Elijah (and you know we are big fans of the brand here at CC). So I spritzed and immediately texted Jess - “this smells sooooo good”.
After wearing it over the course of a few days last week, that sentiment stayed with me, and when I went to include it in this week's Beauty Counter I realised that it hasn’t even launched yet. Which explained why I had never heard of it.
According to their website it launches on the 24th of this month, but can you buy the sample size, like I had, as a tester pre-launch - which they let you do across all scents, and is genius.
They describe it as “a striking blend of floral and spice. Pink pepper and sweet fruits electrify the senses, delicate floral notes of jasmine and rose ignite the soul and the lingering scent of powdery musk, amber and vanilla sustain the burn”. For me, it smells like a masculine, feminine scent. Like something the cool girl who once wore Britney Spears Fantasy (so probably our reader), would want to wear now.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
I feel like this is pretty common knowledge, but Adelaide has some of the best food and wine spots in all of Australia. I (Nic) went there last year and was shocked at just how cool some of their restaurants and bars were (again, shouldn’t have been surprised, but was nonetheless).
Icarus, opened in Adelaide's buzzy Peel Street late last year and looks just like the chic place you would go to meet your girlfriends for a wine, that turns into two bottles, and talk shit for several hours. Our kinda place.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
This is a Lottery Win for me (Nic) this week for two reasons. One, it’s over $1000+ which should speak for itself, and two, it’s freezing here in Sydney and I would have nowhere to wear this for the next 4 months realistically.
That, however, is not stopping me from lusting over this, and a small voice in the back of my head convinces me that anything white is a smart investment because I could wear it during my wedding weekend (again, still not a weather-appropriate option).
Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
Ok, we all know how good Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter is, no need to revisit this.
But Miss Carpenter is a marketing genius and has absolutely capitalised off the hype of her single by releasing the EP, with five (FIVE!) different versions of the song, including the Double Shot version (sped up) and the Mochapella version (Acappella). All are equally amazing, and putting my PR hat on for a second we love it when a celebrity just gets it and leans into the bit.
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IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
This week I (Jess) have been on my death bed following a post-fashion week bout of bronchitis (fun) and while wallowing in bed I had the craving to watch Shrek 2 after maybe 10 years. I had completely forgotten how funny and nostalgic it is but highly recommend a watch if it has been a while for you.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #56 - Roxy's Big Bootcamp Boo-Boo
Cart Curator #55 - The only Met Gala Recap You Need
Cart Curator #54 - Call Her Married
Cart Curator #53 - Hot, not Cold, for Katy Perry
Cart Curator #52 - One Year of CC!!