Author: The Chic Geek

Comment Fibre Fraud: Fashion’s Labelling Scandal

Written on October 27, 2023.

Do you know what your clothes are made of? Like, really made of. Most people would simply refer to and trust the care label inside to see the make up of the item they are wearing. But, what if this didn’t match the actual fibres in your clothes? Fibre fraud is widespread within the fashion industry with many studies finding that the labels don’t match the advertised content. In 2019, Circle Economy, a global impact organisation founded in 2011, tested over 10.000 garments using a Fibersort machine finding in 41 per cent of cases the garment composition labels did not match the composition of the garment. If this was in the food industry there would be a national scandal and questions asked in parliament. It is the fashion industry’s equivalent of the 2013 horse meat...

Tried & Tested Ishga Hydra+ Marine Cream Moisturiser

Written on October 19, 2023.

Ishga – Hydra+ Marine Cream Ishga, the made-in-Scotland, certified organic skincare brand has introduced the latest addition to its award-winning skincare collection. Developed from ten years of expertise in seaweed, science and skincare, Hydra+ Marine Cream is an advanced formula which features multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and nourish different skin layers. The formula includes Ishga’s unique Hebridean seaweed extract, rich in antioxidants and sourced from the purest Scottish waters, visibly rejuvenating skin. Prickly pear oil stimulates collagen, brightens, and provides an added boost of hydration. Lus Nan Laogh, an ancient Hebridean healing remedy, has been included for its anti-inflammatory and protective properties. Nourishing...

Tried & Tested Shakeup Age Def-Eye Instant Lifting Eye Cream

Written on October 19, 2023.

Shakeup has launched the new Age Def-Eye Instant Lifting Eye Cream. Combining caffeine, squalane, shea butter, and two revolutionary trademarked ingredients – Inst’Tight and Ipeptide, it instantly tightens, refreshes, and revives tired looking eyes and minimises puffy eye bags and dark circles, fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet. The product is made in Britain, cruelty free, vegan friendly and PETA approved. TheChicGeek says, “Shakeup is reinvigorating the men’s beauty market. Its flagship product, a BB cream, is number one on Chinese mega online shop TMall, beating Lab Series, Kiehl’s, L’Oreal Men Expert and Boy de Chanel. This male beauty David was founded in 2020 by twin brothers Jake and Shane Carnell-Xu. As Chinese British (born in Beijing and grew up in...

Tried & Tested Thameen London Bravi Fragrance

Written on October 13, 2023.

Under the “artistic residency” of Christopher Chong, Thameen London is proud to announce the release of the third fragrance from The Britologne Collection, titled Bravi. It reimagines a Cologne Elixir with more faceted nuances layering over the classical structure of cologne. Bravi’s adventure begins at the opera house, which is the most iconic building in Covent Garden. Perfumer Bruno Jovanovic, says, “The final chapter of the Covent Garden trilogy is all about wannabe divos and a diva. We imagine the idea of creating a Queen of the Night flower fragrance that would be essential to the magic of the performance. “The fragrance has to be extremely sexy, perfect for the evening. Intoxicating tuberose is spiced up with an overdose of ginger and dramatised with a novel walnut milk...

Menswear Item of The Week The Gold Horse Granny Bag

Written on October 12, 2023.

Swaine – Special Edition Margot Gold Equestrian Embroidery – £7500 Thanks to Harry Styles and the like we are all carrying granny bags. When two of your favourite made-in-UK brands, producing the finest handmade products, come together it’s hard not to stand back and simply admire. This bag from Swaine, with embroidery from one of my favourites, Hand & Lock, is a contemporary masterpiece and a nice reminder you can still find modern luxury goods made to the highest quality. (Albeit at a price!) A one-off, it has been crafted under Swaine’s newish store on New Bond Street from the finest leather with an ostrich skin handle. Swaine’s beautiful equestrian logo has been intricately embroidered using Hand & Lock’s 2% gold bullion wire embroidery. This...

Tried & Tested SL:PT Sleep Supplement & Pillow Spray

Written on October 12, 2023.

The SL:PT brand was created to provide carefully crafted tools to support sleep and contribute to better physical and mental health, significantly influencing overall wellbeing. It is during sleep that the body repairs and rejuvenates itself, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and energised. In addition, getting enough sleep has been linked to a wide range of health benefits, including a stronger immune system, better mental health, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. SL:PT believe everyone should sleep well, but also safely with a roof over their heads and are proud to support Shelter the U.K. charity which helps millions of people every year struggling with poor housing or homelessness. The brand donate 50p to Shelter for every...

Exhibition: The Chic Geek Visits Museum of London Docklands’ Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style

Written on October 10, 2023.

While the City of London location is closed, the Museum of London Docklands has opened a new fashion exhibition looking at the valuable Jewish contribution in making London the world’s most fashionable city. From East End tailors to the couture salons of the West End, Fashion City tells the stories of Jewish makers who became leaders in their industries, created some of the most recognisable looks of the 20th century, founded retail chains still on the high street today, and dressed the rich and famous- from David Bowie and Princess Diana to Mick Jagger and Muhammad Ali. The exhibition is a story of two halves, cleverly connected by the 1900 Central Line. The beginning is more austere and based in the deprived East End. It’s a look at the immigrant beginnings and the transferable...

The Chic Geek Comment What the 1978 Christie’s Chanel auction tells us about the changing attitudes in collecting vintage fashion

Written on October 9, 2023.

The final look in the V&A museum’s new Chanel exhibition features a very austere and catholic looking black buttoned dress with white dog collar. It was the star item – featuring on the cover of the catalogue – at the 1978 sale at Christie’s of Coco Chanel’s possessions. It was bought by the V&A museum at the ‘Sale of the Personal Collection of Chanel’ to add to its extensive fashion collection. While I don’t know how much the museum paid for it, I am certain it wouldn’t be able to buy it today. Fashion wasn’t looked at the same then. It was something that came and went and wearing second clothes had more of a stigma than sartorial statement. It had a value, but it was a niche market to fill a gap in a museum collection. Many brands didn’t have archives...

Exhibition: The Chic Geek Visits the V&A Museum’s Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto

Written on October 9, 2023.

Don’t go for the clothes – they are pretty, but a reminder that Chanel doesn’t have any definitive iconic items like say a YSL Mondrian dress or a Le Smoking – go for the birth and foundation of a megabrand. The exhibition encapsulates the power and commercial importance of perfume and something everybody from a queen – there’s a letter from Queen Elizabeth II thanking for a gifted bottle of No.5 – downwards can buy. One of the most interesting takeaways is the revelation that the Chanel No.5 bottle was based on the Place Vendôme in Paris. The Wertheimer family, who still own Chanel, were Coco’s original perfume partners and helped her relaunch couture in the 1950s and the subsequent brand we know today. They understood the importance of clothes and fashion...

Manolo Blahnik Immersive ‘The Craft Room’ Exhibition Opens

Written on October 4, 2023.

Luxury shoe brand, Manolo Blahnik is delighted to announce upcoming immersive exhibition Manolo Blahnik: The Craft Room – the first multi-sensory virtual reality experience opening at xydrobe, Mayfair. A spellbinding journey, Manolo Blahnik: The Craft Room dives into the dreams and designs of the heritage shoemaker and celebrates the brand’s extraordinary craftsmanship behind the men’s and women’s collections. Designed by CEO Kristina Blahnik, creative features in the virtual space include the house’s signature polka dot motif as a ‘wallpaper’, originally inspired by Blahnik’s Spanish roots. The centre point of the experience is a replica of the designer’s desk which acts as the wayfinder to other...

Frans Hals Menswear Inspiration

Written on September 29, 2023.

This fine looking gent is Jasper Schade. He features in the new Frans Hals exhibition at The National Gallery. The exhibition is not just a reminder of what a skilled portrait artist Frans Hals was, but also how obsessed we are with our own images and the ways we are portrayed way before the advent of social media. The National Gallery’s blurb states that Schade was extremely concerned with looking fashionable. They know from contemporary sources that he had a reputation for spending excessive amounts on his clothes. Here his taffeta jacket is giving pure Simone Rocha or JW Anderson. Looking remarkably fresh for 1645, Schade shows how men can play with shine in clothes and also the freshness of adding white or translucent pearls for stylish balance.

Community Clothing Launches UK Trainers With Walsh

Written on September 28, 2023.

Community Clothing launches trainers made in collaboration with cult British sports shoe makers Walsh. Norman Walsh has been handcrafting shoes for a huge range of sports at its Bolton factory since 1961 and have developed a cult following amongst athletes and trainer enthusiasts alike. Patrick Grant, Community Clothing founder, worked with the Walsh team re-designing a 1980’s running shoe from the extensive archive. The new unisex style, named ‘Beacon’ after Beacon Fell, a popular hill near Community Clothing’s HQ in Blackburn, comes in five colourways across a broad range of sizes. The new trainers will be introduced in limited numbers, but Grant is hopeful that this will become a longstanding collaboration. Patrick Grant comments: “It’s hard to say exactly why I love Walsh so much....