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Covent Garden femme homme 35/36 Floral Street, WC2E 9JD 020 7379 1992 (Covent Garden tube station)
Marylebone femme homme layette 40/41 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QH 020 7935 5556 (Baker Street/Bond Street tube station)
Spitalfields femme homme 16 Lamb Street, Spitalfields, E1 6EA 020 7426 0014 (Liverpool Street station)
Fenwick femme 1st floor, 63 New Bond Street, W1A 3BS 020 7491 2359 (Bond Street tube station)
King’s Road femme 30/32 Duke of York’s Square, SW3 4LY 020 7730 2255 (Sloane Square tube station)
2 Editor’s letter 3 Interview with Etienne Bourgois 4 Six ways with a little black dress 6 femme fashion shoot 8 homme fashion shoot 10 Spend a day in Spitalfields 12 My Bag 13 Manager’s choices 14 agnès b’s address book 16 agnès b’s scrapbook 18 b forever 19 Classic stripes – reading between the lines . .
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E t ienne
B our g ois
Tal k s
Tara
As agnès b.’s environmental research ship, Tara, pays London a visit, we asked its director, Etienne Bourgois, to tell us more about the boat’s work so far, and his views on the future of planet Earth
Etienne Bourgois
le t t er
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Bienvenue! . . . to a new project for agnès b. The Journal – a newspaper bringing together all the best bits of the new season. Autumn 2012 is a special time here – not only the start of a new season in fashion and a new collection, but this year also because the boat Tara, a scientific research vessel supported by agnès b., is in London for a series of events. The schooner has just completed a two-and-a-half year, 70,000-mile voyage across all the oceans investigating marine ecosystems and biodiversity under the impact of climate change – we are proud and excited to be holding events across London for 10 days to raise awareness of the impact of climate change. To explain more about Tara, the boat’s director, Etienne Bourgois, talks to us in an in-depth interview. Elsewhere in the Journal, we take a closer look at A/W 2012-13 and what inspired the collections and we also provide some inspiration for how to wear it. We shot this season’s editorial in Spitalfields, in the heart of London’s fashionable East End. As well as being home to the agnès b. boutique, it’s a wonderful quarter in which to eat, drink and explore, especially when you’ve read our guide to the area. Finally, the eternal agnès b. pieces which we produce every season – our ‘b forever’ collection – also come under the spotlight as well as the rich history of a particular classic item – the stripy T. We hope you’ll enjoy discovering a bit more about our world.
Tara Expeditions is an ongoing project of environmental research taking place in the oceans around the world, and Tara herself is the boat that the scientists sail from place to place. Does this explain the situation correctly? Tara Expeditions has been organizing missions aboard the research schooner Tara for the past nine years. Our goal is to learn more about the impact of climate change on ecosystems. Tara Expeditions is a non-profit association based in France that provides samples and data to the scientific community worldwide. One of our main objectives is to increase environmental awareness among the general public, and particularly young people through our Tara Junior outreach programme. As director of Tara Expeditions how would you describe your role? Ecologist and campaigner? Just as a human being who’s concerned about the future and looking for a better world! Can you explain a little bit more about some of Tara’s missions? Which areas have you been to recently? Tara has accomplished eight successful expeditions – to Greenland, Antarctica, Patagonia, southern Georgia, the Arctic and all over the world. Our latest expedition, Tara Oceans, is the very first attempt to make a global study of marine plankton, a form of sea life that includes organisms as small as viruses and bacteria, and as big as jellyfish. Marine plankton is the only ecosystem that is almost continuous over the surface of the Earth. Studying plankton is like taking the pulse of our planet. What do you do with the results/findings of the research projects? Our discoveries form part of the research into the global ecology, within the framework of the Oceanomics programme. This French project promotes a rational and sustainable use of one of the world’s most important ecosystems. Because marine plankton is such a complex subject and largely unknown some results will take up to 10 years to analyse. As an environmentalist do you have an optimistic or pessimistic view of the future? Much environmental news in the press can be quite apocalyptic and depressing at times . . . There are so many sad and negative things. We need to trust that the general public have the power to change the way our world is managed. According to scientists, there is total ignorance about the oceans. “We know more about the moon than the oceans. Despite their enormous capacity to absorb CO2, we know that the chemical parameters of the ocean are in the process of changing: the impact of local and global pollution, over-fishing, and the rise in surface water temperatures are all real. Must we accept all these facts as a life sentence? We need to find out more about the planet’s capacities – especially its immense oceans – to recover its equilibrium. The human race has at its disposal an exceptional intelligence. To what purpose should it serve us if not to save us? We must commit ourselves to using it, that’s my conviction. It inspired the missions for Tara Arctic and Tara Oceans. We need to control pollution, share resources, preserve the natural balance: without global ruling, what man preserves in one place will be cancelled by what is destroyed elsewhere, because everything is connected. I call for an intelligent, humanistic governance of the high seas by all countries. This I believe is the gigantic challenge, but it is feasible, and we must work towards it. We are already thinking about it. You must have seen some amazing natural sights as part of your job – what are the best memories, or the most beautiful part of the world you have seen? My best memory of Tara Oceans was aboard Tara last February, in the channels of Patagonia, and also walking on the ice in the very high latitude with Tara stuck on the ice. The stories of how agnès set up her first shop and the business are really charming. Did you have an unconventional childhood? What are you memories of growing up in the milieu of fashion and agnès’s shop? Yes I am very lucky to have such a mother and I started working with her when I was 18. It was never really the milieu of fashion, but a very unusual way of living; freedom, rock, arts, age was never an issue and ‘being’ was always more important than ‘having’. What are your next objectives and plans for the future? In May 2013 we will head for the Great North. We plan to go through the Arctic Ocean by the northwest and northeast passages, if the ice pack permits this. 2014 seems far off, but Tara will continue her voyage to the Pacific coral reefs with a team of scientists, sailors and filmmakers. We are already defining the contours of this expedition with director Luc Jacquet and diver/photographer Laurent Ballesta. If people would like to get involved with Tara – finding out about projects near them or volunteering for a project or donating some money, what can they do? You can make a donation today. To understand and conserve the largely unknown realm of the sea, we call for a global governance of the oceans. Tara needs your contribution to make this ambition a reality. Our foundation can accept donations and legacies to help support its programmes. arctic.taraexpeditions.org
Editor: Gary Kingsnorth Art director: Tom Usher Deputy editor: Naomi Attwood Contributors: Gary Harvey, Maya Glaser, Carole Debrix, Jack Moss
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W a y s wi t h a L i t t le B la c k D ress It’s one of agnès b.’s signature pieces and every season there are enough perfectly tailored black frocks in the collection to suit every individual. With this in mind we asked six fashionistas, each with a different approach to dressing, to put their own spin on the LBD . . .
Phoebe Frangoul
Hannah Grunden
Demelza Woodbridge
Naomi Attwood
Angela Buttolph
Beatrix Zwart
Fashion editor
Fashion illustration student
Vintage fashion dealer and blogger
Writer and deputy editor of agnès b. Journal
Freelance writer and broadcaster and Grazia’s editor at large
Fashion writer at Style News
I have a serious style crush on Mad Men’s Megan Draper at the moment so I imagined how she would give this ladylike LBD a playful, 1960s spin with fun plastic accessories (my polka-dot cuff is Sonia Rykiel and my xoJane name necklace and bow ring are Tatty Devine) and scarlet suede court shoes. I completed the look with a dainty black hat with a mesh veil and my trusty black Luella Parker bag, which is roomy enough to fit all my London Fashion Week kit, from camera to ballet pumps (for when I’m sick of the heels!). And to finish, a classic cat’s eye and my favourite MAC lipstick - Russian Red. Dress smooth crepe £315 www.xojane.co.uk
I absolutely love a simple black dress – I think it is the perfect piece to team with a few wild accessories. I’ve gone for a super hero look with my boots I found on eBay, pendant by Funky Bling and earrings by Betsey Johnson. Because the dress is knitted it’s also very comfy and cosy which is perfect for autumn. Miley dress £165 www.tumblr.com/tagged/hannah-grunden
I made a beeline for this dress for two reasons – it has a real vintage feel to it, elements of the 1950s and 1970s. The second is how versatile it is – buttoned up like this it’s rather demure, but you know you’ve got the option of unbuttoning the front to show a bit of leg. That’s like the after-midnight option, ha ha! I’ve styled it with vintage accessories like the ones I sell, bangles from the 1970s and 1980s, vintage necklaces, battered shoes from Office originally and a 1950s men’s hat. Elise dress £325 www.harperandeye.com
This dress by agnès b. is just so elegantly slinky I just couldn’t go with my usual scruffy boy’s clothes and had to use all the things I save for best – my dangly Fiona Paxton earrings, neon Miu Miu heels and a beaded clutch bag. I felt like a real grown-up. Oriane dress £145
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French style and that classic look are always in fashion, but at the moment it’s a look that everyone is really into. The brilliant thing about agnès b. is that it’s pretty much the template for that, and what newer brands are inspired by. I love this dress because it is quite short which goes well with my Balmain ankle boots. The fact that it’s a very simple V-neck means I can wear my most outrageously shaggy coat from Jaeger without it looking too much! Miley Dress £165
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I grew up in Belgium so I’ve always loved agnès b. I was obsessed with their cosmetics when I was younger, which sadly, you can’t get over here. Anyway although I loved all this season’s dresses – particularly the ones with cute collars I went for this short summery one because I wanted to look like a hippy with my leather sandals from Office and vintage leather bag from a Spanish market. Obviously wearing an LBD gives you the option of going more formal or more relaxed; I must have been in a chilled-out mood thanks to the sunshine. New Marino dress £115 www.stylenews.co.uk
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Rebecca wears a red boiled wool coat £445 + black and red « Rachel » knit button dress £195 + black leather boots moto £265
Rebecca wears lambswool jacket + grey cashmere jumper £235 + printed skirt, photo by agnès b. £245 + grey veneer derby £195
Dominique wears turquoise silk and linen cardigan £155 + pink silk and linen sleeveless jumper £105 + printed skirt, photo by agnès b. £245 + black leather sandals £225
Dominique wears a pink mohair cardigan £245 + pink mohair tunique £215 + pink mohair short £125 + white leather ankle-boots
Catherine wears a red sheepskin sleveless gilet + a black and red stripe overall shorts made in France £175 + burgundy veneer derby £195
Rebecca wears a black lambskin « fifre » jacket + grey silk and cotton printed below tie shirt £135 + black lambskin short + black leather heels £195
Catherine wears a black cape with hood + « golden beads » black cotton and cashmere small cardigan £145 + black cotton jersey short £75 + black leather boots moto £265
Dominique wears black mohair turtle neck and balloon sleeves sweater + black jersey viscose mock neck T-shirt £85 + black star lame kneé length skirt £225 + black veneer leather moccasin £225 + gold bag £135
Catherine wears a camel hat £85 + beige camel wool and cashmere coat £995+ white satin long slip dress £195 + white leather sandals £225
Rebecca wears wool hood £60 + black stripe wool and viscose suit jacket £395 and skirt £225 + printed muslin silk skirt £265 + burgundy veneer derby £195
Photography by Maya Glaser Creative direction and casting by Gary Harvey Hair and make-up by Solo James Models Rebecca S, Dominique and Catherine Crisp at Models 1 Styling assistant Eve Boxall
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William wears black cap army lizard £30 + black silk bow £55 + white cotton shirt £95 + necklace £55 + jacket domino £315 + guitar brooch £15 + trousers peter £175 + black leather chelsea boots £265
Michael wears red wool felt pea coat + shirt tom £125 + leather tie £60 + check velvet pants + black rubber boots agnès b. for Aigle £95
William wears wool hood £60 + coat + brown cashmere jumper + green velvet suit jacket £355 and trousers £175 + leather ankle-boots henry £285
Michael wears navy blue pure wool coat + blue striped wool sailor sweater £225 + white jeans £115 + black and white leather derby creepers £295
Ashton wears jacket samuel £355 + trousers lucky £175 + navy cotton shirt pasolini £125 + green V-neck mohair sweater £185 + black silk polka dot scarf £45 + black leather moccasin £235
Michael wears off white wool felt pea coat + orange V-neck mohair sweater £185 + red wool scarf £80 + trousers £175 + brown derby
William wears knitted grey hood + grey striped wool sailor’s sweater £225 + grey bermuda + black rubber boots agnès b. for Aigle £95
Ashton wears grey and black jacquard V-neck sweater £255 + polka dot braces £35 + black and white wool check pants + black leather moccasin £235
Ashton wears black cap £65 + wool sailor navy blue sweater with one off white stripe £225 + trouser £135 + polka dot braces £35 + black and white leather derby creepers £295
William wears black hat £85 + blue wool felt coat + cotton T-shirt £95 + purple V-neck mohair sweater £185 + red cotton gabardine pants £155 + black leather moccasin £235
Photography by Maya Glaser Creative direction and casting by Gary Harvey Hair and make-up by Solo James Models William E, Michael M and Ashton at AMCK Models Styling assistant Eve Boxall
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S p i t al f ields
Where to go, what to do and where to eat, drink and make merry in the chic district of Spitalfields in London’s East End
The Water poet
The English Restaurant
Spitalfields Market
9/11 Folgate Street, E1 6BX thewaterpoet.co.uk This deceptively enormous pub tucked away on Folgate Street somehow manages to have enough charm to fill every nook and cranny. It has cool mismatched sofas, church pews and Chesterfields to sit on, a more than accommodating smoking area, pool parlour, terrific food and a theatre downstairs. The clientele includes both hipsters and ‘suits’ and there’s a friendly and good-natured atmosphere.
50/52 Brushfield Street, E1 6AG www.theenglishrestaurant.com The cuisine in this independent, family-run establishment is like Spitalfields itself – it’s been around for so many years that it’s gone out of and come back into fashion. Kippers for breakfast, a choice of several different servings of oysters, tea with scones and cake in the afternoon then dinner a la carte. They take just as much pride in the service as they do the food, with live jazz played every Monday and Friday evening.
Eleven Spitalfields
E1 This gleaming temple of cool stuff has expanded over the years to up to 110 stalls trading seven days a week. You will find everything, from contemporary and vintage fashion, music, bespoke children’s toys, jewellery and accessories, leather goods, antiques and original artworks. Food is provided by upmarket chain restaurants like Giraffe, Canteen and Galvin La Chapelle.
Jack The Ripper Tour
The Old Truman Brewery, E1 6QL www.sundayupmarket.co.uk The trendy little sister to the gleaming covered markets – Upmarket only runs on Sunday, when artists and fashion designers sell directly to their customers. Snack fans can choose between paella, empanadas, sushi hand-rolled in front of you, Thai food and Caribbean sea bass and fried plantain and more . . .
11 Princelet St, E1 6QH www.elevenspitalfields.com This gorgeously restored Georgian house functions as a home, studio and gallery space to promote fine art, architecture and design; the passion of owners Chris and Sarah Dyson. They present exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation from a mix of international, emerging and established artists.
Starts at Aldgate East station every night at 7pm www.thejacktherippertour.com Perhaps it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, although it can’t be denied that East London is particularly rich in history. Take a tour of the notorious Victorian murderer’s haunts while receiving a detailed commentary of his crimes, and you might start to see the ground beneath your feet in this area of London a bit differently.
Whitechapel Gallery
Commercial Tavern
110 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ This traditional East End boozer is actually a pivotal part of the contemporary art scene, as Gilbert and George and Jake and Dinos Chapman drink here and Tracey Emin is best friends with the landlady, the legendary Sandra Esquilant, once named in a list of the 100 most influential people in the art world. Sandra and her husband have run this Truman pub for over 30 years.
77/82 Whitechapel High St, E1 7QX www.whitechapelgallery.org The most beautiful building on the High Street at the bottom of Brick Lane hosts exhibitions by the kind of artists the East End is justly famous for, as well as others from further afield. The work of Turner Prize-winning YBA Rachel Whiteread is not only celebrated inside until February next year but also outside – in a permanent frieze of 3D gold leaves.
142/144 Commercial Street, E1 6NU The East End is chock full of pubs – it’s famous for them. This impressive curved building though is distinguished from many of its peers by virtue of its amazing interiors, featuring a magazine collage, a wall of Polaroid pictures and even walls of buttons and other found objects and ephemera. There is pool, a jukebox and a choice of real ales and cocktails to sample.
Sunday Upmarket
The Golden Heart
Nude Espresso
26 Hanbury Street, E1 6QR www.nudeespresso.com Apparently the reason that the coffee in this slick and tasteful café is so good is because they have their own roastery around the corner on Brick Lane. The homemade cakes and snacks are ridiculously tempting too and the ladies’ loos are among the most sparkling in London.
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Boho Mexica 151/153 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ www.bohomexica.co.uk Mexican food is increasingly fashionable, although the truly authentic examples of it are rare. Boho Mexica, a cute, colourful, corner aims to educate diners in such dishes as mole as well as offering a varied choice of tacos. Slosh it all down with a margarita or three.
St John Bread and Wine
4/96 Commercial Street www.stjohnbreadandwine.com Although the chef Fergus Henderson has a number of his St John outposts across the city, eating here retains its sense of occasion. The concept is peculiarly futuristic and retro at the same time – with stripped-back dishes of the finest ingredients, an emphasis on meat including many types of offal, in utilitarian-chic surroundings.
Public Life
82A Commercial Street, E1 6LY www.publiclife.org.uk/contact.swf Spare a moment to gaze upon this most quintessentially London of establishments – a refurbished underground Victorian public convenience turned nightclub, or ‘techno tunnel’ where you can still hear the tunes vibrating the paving slabs into Sunday morning.
Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ villageunderground.co.uk You can’t go to East London without at least thinking about a night on the tiles and this is one of the best places to shake off the cobwebs. It’s a cavernous brick disco with a fantastic atmosphere whatever the promoter. Don’t forget to look up at the mammoth disco ball above you too.
Illustration by Ian Carrington
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David Shillinglaw
Milkxhake from China and based in Hong Kong
Douglas Burns Manager of agnès b,, Floral Street, Covent Garden What I love about agnès b. clothes is that although her collections are very French there is always an underlying touch of Britishness within the collection – this jacket I’m wearing is one of those pieces. I think it’s quite ironic that I have this jacket that has been designed and made by a French designer but it looks quite British. I love the way it hangs – it’s very lightweight, and I can guarantee that every time I wear it at least one person will comment on it. There are three reasons why I love working at agnès b. The first is the people I work with. I work with the most amazing team of people – it’s one of the best teams I have ever worked with. Every single person is so individual and has their own style. I love the fact that I’m working with such a creative bunch of people with amazing skills from art to music. Everyone I work with is either in a band or is a talented fashion illustrator or designer. It’s great to be around such creative individuals. We are one big family and I look forward every day to coming to work and seeing them. The second is the customers: we have some very loyal customers here at agnès b. who have been shopping here for many, many years. They know agnès b. inside out and every time you get to see them they have a new story to tell you about a certain item they purchased 15 years ago – you get to hear some great stories, for example how they have been round the world with it and some of the great adventures they got up to whilst wearing it. Over time some of these customers become friends. You get know about their families, their pets and their lives. It’s great – there is never a dull moment at agnès b. The third reason is the humanitarian and ethical work that agnès b. does: I feel so privileged and honoured to work for a company that invests so much not only in people but in the world we live in – from the work she does with the Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV and AIDS, right through to the research in global warming with Tara.
Karena Lam from Canada
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B A G
Bast from New York
agnès b.’s classic travel bag or ‘My Bag’ has been brought to life in 10 ways by 10 artists from around the world. . . David Shillinglaw The premise for the 'My Bag' was simple. It was a bag for agnès herself – one that was practical, lightweight and with space for all of life's essentials and designed to withstand the rigours of day-to-day life in the world’s busiest cities. Unsurprisingly, it went on to become an international bestseller. Recently, agnès has given ten artists from around the world carte blanche to customise the medium size of the bag in a limited run whereby the profits will go to charities in each of the artists’ home countries. One of these artists is London-based David Shillinglaw. A graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins art school, Shillinglaw has since had a run of successful shows in Japan, China, New York, Berlin and of course, London. A book of his work, ‘Colourful Condition’, launched at the agnès b. headquarters in London – agnès is a longtime fan of his work. His design for the ‘My Bag’ was inspired by the Picasso quote, ‘Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.’ Over the course of last year Shillinglaw made it his mission to draw every day, his ‘journal drawings’ telling a story of travel and journeying. It was not without struggle – the piece he chose for the bag, ‘3 Neon Hearts’, tells the story of his trials to stay healthy and happy on the road.
Hibino from Tokyo, Japan
David Shillinglaw from London Qing-Yang Xiao from Taiwan
Graphic Airlines from Hong Kong
Kuanth from Singapore
Song Yang from China
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Douglas Burns
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Paris
Le Chateaubriand
Le Fumoir lefumoir.com/splash
agnès b. lets us into her eclectic world with her pick of the best that London and Paris have to offer. From traditional restaurants to 19th century cemeteries, these are the places that agnès b. draws her inspiration from
L O N D O N
Located close to the Seine, Le Fumoir is a lesson in traditional French dining. Simple and fresh, Le Fumoir is a must for anybody visiting the City of Lights. Ofr. www.ofrsystem.com One of the chicest bookstores in the world, Ofr. stocks a selection of the top fashion magazines and coffee table books, alongside back issues, notebooks, T-shirts, fragrances and candles. It is a one-stop shop for any creatively minded person looking to soak up the best in Parisian culture and design.
Le Chateaubriand www.lechateaubriand.fr
The Serpentine www.serpentinegallery.org
Born from the mind of chef Inaki Aizpitarte, Le Chateaubriand has led the French neobistrot movement. In layman terms this means innovative, modern food at reasonable prices – a must for anyone with an interest in fine dining.
A tranquil space in the centre of London, the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park has long attracted those seeking a place to think. Whilst here, check out The Serpentine Gallery for the best in international contemporary arts.
La Marine
Dennis Severs’ House www.dennissevershouse.co.uk
Unlike some Parisian eateries that are tight, imposing and dark, La Marine is a breath of fresh air. Light and airy, Michelin star-winning chef Alexandre Couillon’s food is bright, clean and, most importantly, delicious.
A time capsule of London past, Dennis Severs’ House was lovingly restored to its former glory by its namesake during the 1970s. Each room explores an era from 1724 to 1914, recreating Britain’s rich past in an unassuming Georgian terrace.
Pont des Arts
Fish and Chips
Consistently featured in filmic representations of Paris, from Amelie to Sex and the City, the Pont des Arts has all the romance embodied in the city of Paris. Linking the Institut de France and the Louvre, the Pont Des Arts has perhaps the finest view of Paris there is on offer.
There is really nothing better than a piping hot, paper-encased portion of fish and chips. A true British classic, try the Golden Union Fish Bar on Poland Street or Poppies just off Brick Lane for the best fish and chips in London.
Gilbert and George www.withgilbertandgeorge.com
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise www.pere-lachaise.com
Living on Fournier Street, Gilbert and George are two of London’s most eccentric gentlemen. With no friends, no kitchen and dressing only in tweed, Gilbert and George remain a fairly mysterious artistic force. But with their artwork receiving international plaudits, Gilbert and George are some of Britain’s finest exports.
Established in 1804, the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise is one of the grandest cemeteries in the world. Housing only those that have died in Paris or have lived there for the majority of their life, the cemetery now houses around 300,000 of our predecessors, including Balzac, Chopin and Oscar Wilde.
agnès b
Spitalfields www.spitalfields.co.uk Starting its life as a Roman ceremony, Spitalfields (see page 10) can be used to track the history of modern Britain – from the Huguenots to the Victorians. It is now home to a bustling market, alongside a number of London’s finest eateries and boutiques.
Le Georges Restaurant www.centrepompidou.fr Located on the sixth floor of the Pompidou Centre, Le Georges has unrivalled views of the city of Paris. With a streamlined contemporary design and interesting furniture, Le Georges is a new and exciting approach to Parisian gastronomy.
St John Restaurant www.stjohnrestaurant.com
Marché aux Puces de Vanves pucesdevanves.typepad.com Only just being discovered by tourists, the Marché aux Puces de Vanves is still the place to pick up a bargain. Akin to a flea market, the market houses antique vendors, artists, and vintage clothing alongside more offbeat nick-nacks. Even if you don’t buy anything, the Marché aux Puces de Vanves will provide you with a wealth of inspiration.
Now a mainstay in the ever changing Smithfields area, St John Restaurant, housed in a former smokehouse, serves the finest in simple British fare. From braised veal to redcurrant Eton mess, this is food at its very best. Borough Market www.boroughmarket.org.uk A mecca for any foodie, Borough Market draws in the crowds every weekend. From traditional butchers and bakers to Caribbean, Indian and gluten-free fare, Borough Market has something for anybody with a love of food.
Marché Biologique Raspail Borough Market’s French sister, the Marché Biologique Raspail is a boutique food market in the heart of Paris. Its highlight is the stunning fruit and veg – make sure to buy a punnet of the market’s famous heirloom tomatoes.
The Ten Bells tenbells.com Pubs are a longtime fixture of Britain’s streets, and the Ten Bells on Commercial Street is one of the finest. Existing since the mid 18th century, the Ten Bells has gone through a number of guises – including allegedly serving two of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Currently, it attracts an East London clientele and is particularly popular at the weekend.
Dennis Severs’ House
Musée Rodin www.musee-rodin.fr Split over two sites, the Musée Rodin houses the largest collection of the sculptor’s work in the world. The Hotel Biron, an 18th century hotel particulier, houses the permanent collection and the garden is just as unmissable as the interior.
Gilbert and George
The Long Bar – Sanderson Hotel www.sandersonlondon.com From a historic drinking hole to something far more modern: The Long Bar is a dramatic 80-foot bar housed in the Sanderson Hotel. Make sure you order a cocktail – the watermelon martini is particularly refreshing.
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
Le Fumoir
The Victoria and Albert Museum www.vam.ac.uk Britain’s finest museum of art and design, the Victoria and Albert Museum is a figurehead of the Victorians’ obsession with archiving their past. With collections from all over the world – from paintings to jewellery, by way of textiles and ironwork, amongst other things – the V & A will amuse you for hours.
The Ten Bells
Ofr.
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Jean Seberg
b forever pieces are the agnès b. signature pieces that last from season to season, generating, as agnès describes it, ‘renewal in consistency’. agnès’s best ideas from over the years have proved so popular they are now synonymous in people’s minds with the designer. Much attention is paid to the fabrics, like leather, seersucker and butter muslin, which she was one of the first to use, as well as cotton poplin – it’s the fit and touch of the clothes as much as the look that keep her customers coming back for repeats over the years.
1. Blouson jacket In some eras this nifty coat may have been known as a bum freezer jacket – whatever you call it, there’s no dispute how masculine and flattering this shape is to wear. £245
2. Irlande Pullover You may be able to pick up a black crew-neck jumper in many a outlet, but this one is not only beautifully shaped to flatter but is superior to the touch, being knitted from a very fine close knit of silk, cotton and cashmere with all the attention to the very fine details you’d expect from agnès b. £135
3. T-shirt culos (white short sleeved) The white T-shirt to complement your tops, bottoms that works hard for you every day. £40
4. T-shirt Agnès B.
David Bowie
Relaxed and youthful, the adorable agnès b. logo is sported by the man who knows about fashion but wears his knowledge lightly. £45
5. Red Grey T-Shirt culos A man in a stripy jumper is a man you can strike up a conversation with. And in dark red and grey? Colours that suit everyone without scaring anyone. £95
6. Iggy jeans Slim fit jeans that will set off your layers of T-shirts, crew necks and sweaters in beautifully casual style. £135
7. Chris Trousers
For that tricky occasion requiring smartness but not a suit, agnès b.’s tailored denim trousers are your friend. £135
8. Domino Jacket Delightfully natty blazer with softly cuved edges and darts at the waist. The essential single-breasted two-button number. £120
9. Tom Shirt This midnight blue version of one of agnès b.’s best-selling men’s shirts will sit beautifully over jeans, dark and light trousers and suits. £120
10. Andrew shirt A reassuringly cut white shirt – poplin cotton is a surprisingly tactile fabric in this elegant men’s essential item. £120
Harmony Korine and Chloë Sevigny
agnès b. has a symbiotic relationship with so many aspects of culture. Not only is she a supporter of the arts – a fan of Siouxsie Sioux and the Ramones, for example – but many in music are great fans of hers, such as David Bowie, Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson and Tom Waits. She owns a film company with American director Harmony Korine (pictured left with his muse Chloë Sevigny) and best known for the film Kids, and is friends with photographer Ryan McGinley, famous for his studies of young people, usually naked, in flight, falling or jumping. She is an enthusiastic photographer herself, creating images that will become prints for her clothes, and hosts exhibitions in her Galerie du Jour art gallery. agnès b.’s clothes are inspired by everything agnes loves, including French history and film, and she has dressed many of celluloid’s most iconic stars, including Gerard Depardieu, and she created Uma Thurman’s unforgettable monochrome uniform in Pulp Fiction. As well as her obsession with culture, and her view that her designs are part of this world rather than just the fashion world, which is ruled by trends rather than style, agnès injects her own personality into the brand. She is a night owl rather than a morning person and stars have long been one of her favourite motifs – she often doesn’t arrive in the office until 3pm but will work into the early hours of the morning.
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The classic stripy T, white with navy horizontal lines, has two features in common with agnès b, the designer who is one of its best-known exponents. Firstly, both are quintessentially French and secondly they are never out of fashion. On the one hand, it’s as much a part of the French national identity as the tricolour, on the other, it retains its eternally cool allure on its own terms, as evidenced by everyone from James Dean and Marilyn Monroe to Kirsten Dunst and Kate Moss. The knitted matelot pullover made history in 1858 when a French law was passed making it the official uniform for its sailors. The regulation 21 stripes symbolised the number of Napoleon’s victories, with the block of white at the neck designed to make a seaman more visible should he fall overboard. Long or three-quarter length sleeves and a boat neck completed the uniform. From this masculine, naval position, its next incarnation occurred in the years before the First World War, when Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel co-opted it as a chic piece of women’s leisure wear. At the time, Chanel was establishing her formula for adjusting utilitarian menswear garments into striking and wildly popular women’s fashions. She wore hers with widelegged navy trousers and a sash at the waist and thus ‘Riviera fashion’ was born. As well as a fashion statement, Chanel’s striped top was symbolic. If a woman could wear the same clothes as men with such aplomb, it hinted that they could compete with them on other levels, as the self-made businesswoman, Chanel, went on so successfully to do. After the Second World War and France’s liberation, striped tops were co-opted by the avant-garde movement; the youth rebellion of the time. Breton tops were worn to look androgynous and subversive in the era of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, film-maker Jean Cocteau and actress and jazz icon Juliette Greco. In physical theatre, Marcel Marceau attained global fame as the definitive mime artist, wearing a battered striped pullover with simple trousers and white painted face. When Breton tops arrived in Hollywood in the 1950s, they habitually characterised something rebellious in the wearer, from Lee Marvin in The Wild One with Marlon Brando in 1953 to James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. Throughout the Sixties the underground beatnik look took hold in the mainstream, as epitomised by the gamine actress Jean Seberg in A Bout De Souffle. Actresses Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were also pictured off-duty in the striped T-shirts. New York in the 1960s saw Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol’s muse and companion, build her quirky personal style around a striped top. She wore hers without a skirt but with black tights, boyishly cropped hair and long chandelier-like earrings. Edie’s story outlived her after she died in 1971 aged only 28 – in Warhol’s films and other artworks and eventually in a film, Factory Girl, starring Sienna Miller as the it-girl and socialite. In 1977 agnès b. conceived her version of the iconic garment after meeting with a rugby-shirt manufacturer. The tops were made in thick striped cotton cloth, and agnès put her own spin on them by dyeing the tops in various colours. This T-shirt was one of her first successes, and features regularly in all her collections in one version or another, with long or short sleeves and broad or narrow stripes. So when you next pull on a striped T-shirt with your jeans or black trousers – just think of the myriad incarnations and meanings it has taken on – from naval uniform, to high fashion – for boys and girls, from rebels to movie stars, beatniks and revolutionaries. Not only agelessly chic and unfailingly confortable but imbued with meaning – whatever you want that to be.
1. Snap Cardigan This soft cardigan with faux mother-of-pearl snap closure, is a square cut, and essential addition to any girl’s wardrobe. Throw it over T-shirts, dresses and shirts or button it up and wear it by itself. £95
2. Rikki shirt
Fashion fans and traditionalists alike love a white shirt. This model is particularly handy; white, fitted to the body with mother-of-pearl-type buttons. £90
3. Rock and roll new T-shirt
agnès b. is famous for slogan T-shirts. This one is such a rousing call to arms, they make it every season. £45
4. Star T-shirt – long sleeved
Be the best-dressed tomboy in this nonchalantly mannish T-shirt. £40
5. White jeans Stretchy five-pocket white jeans are a classic. Editor in chief of French Vogue Emmanuelle Alt is rarely photographed without hers – either dressed up with heels or down with a men’s shirt. £135
6. Elegant Trousers
Wide-legged trousers are back in vogue. Wear yours with platform shoes and a buttonedup shirt to celebrate the 1970s. £105
7. Aliso dress
This little black dress will do for the office, the weekend or even out to dinner and make whatever you pair it with only look better! £165
8. Oriane dress
This form-fitting dress is ultra-flattering with darts to give you the perfect embonpoint and the pencil skirt will even make you walk like a Hollywood starlet down a curved stairway. £145
9. Jeans
Audrey Hepburn
Edie Sedgwick
Classi c S t ri p es – R eadin g be t ween t h e lines
These straight-leg jeans are the boyish style to try right now. Rolled up with high heels and a silk top or worn as they are with chunky brogues, you’ll look seriously smart. £105
10. Broad striped tee One option in the agnès b. array of stripy Ts is this broad black and white top. With a wide neck trimmed in black this is a garment you will return to year after year, just as the shops do. £45
Pablo Picasso
James Dean
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