Eternal Style
The differences between style and fashion are not always clear, especially when the arbiters of ‘taste’ have grown in number and the rate at which new trends appear and disappear into the digital ether is exponentially accelerating. I’m all for people having a window into new, inspiring worlds and expressing their individuality – if that’s what they’re actually doing. We now know that algorithms are the ultimate endorphin-boosting curators, serving up more of what we like (cat videos! bubble houses!) but also oddly creating homogeneity.
Those with true style (in my humble opinion) usually plot a creative course and stick with it, tapping into what pleases them rather than others. The installation at the Ralph Lauren Palazzo during Milan Design Week was a case in point, with guests being immersed in the designer’s signature Americana style in room after elegantly decorated room. Best of all, you could stay for breakfast, lunch, or an aperitif in the courtyard; after all, generous hospitality never goes out of fashion.
Several of the stylish folk featured in this issue have bridged the divide between clothing and interiors with effortless elan: Marni’s creative director Francesco Risso has covered his Milan apartment (p.90) with hand-painted murals (even the carpets and curtains); Matthew Williamson’s homes in London and Mallorca (p.82) reflect the same rosy outlook that he applied to rainbow-hued clothes in the late Nineties and early Noughties; and stylist Doha Challa’s Dubai apartment (p.102) is a meticulously edited mix of vintage and contemporary finds. Enjoy the issue!