Capsule #66 ft. Mared Parry

Hello hello,

When I did my first fashion week content for Capsule a year ago, I was nervous and intimidated. Everyone kept asking if I was excited, and I said yes, because I know that’s not far off apprehension, but I also didn’t really want to talk about it. It felt like a big, established world, and one that wasn’t exactly screaming for newcomers to come and take a seat.

I definitely don’t feel like an expert now, but a year of writing about fashion and the culture attached to it has given me confidence, which is to say that the best thing you can do to overcome fear around something is to do more of it. I am sure I will have more to say after London Fashion Week!

Hope you enjoy the issue, and your weekend ahead. Thank you as ever for reading.

Holly x

The Spring 2025 shows, New York Fashion Week, September 2024

I said I’d write about a big show and a smaller show but I couldn’t choose so we have a big show, a mid-level show, and a newer designer. Then as promised some emerging themes across the entire week. Enjoy!! And feel free to share with your friends who might enjoy more accessible reviews of the next fashion weeks <3 

🚕 👜 COACH 👜 🚕

A big show that really put a pep in my step was Coach. Now we know that this brand has been doing the work over the past few years to “stay relevant” and appeal to new, younger consumers. They launched Coachtopia, a “collaborative lab” for innovation, designed to increase circularity. Gen Zers now love the brand, with Coach accessories making the top of Christmas wish lists and back to school hauls. Coach also made it to the Lyst Index Hottest Brands ranking, just under brands like JW Anderson and Alaïa. And the numbers don’t lie - Coach is having a record year financially. It makes sense then, that their NYFW show this week landed with the confidence that comes with knowing that everything is paying off.

I say confidence because this was a collection bold enough to lean into how people actually dress, as in regular people like you and me, which can be difficult to do and still make an impact. This collection is for the trendy city girl - easy t-shirts, cargos or shorts, and big blazers or oversized coats thrown on top. Navy and brown to go with everything. An overall lean towards the slouchy, boyfriend fit. And nothing you couldn’t spend 10 hours out of the house in and not feel okay in (shopping, dinner, birthday drinks).

And Stuart Vevers’ Coach is not just for any city, but very much an ode to New York. Never clearer than in the “I ❤️ NY” tops, but also in the casting of people like Ella Emhoff, this show was a moment to say I’m proud to be a New Yorker, I’m proud to be American, and I want to dress like I live here. This is the last fashion week before the election in November and designers wanted us to remember it. Not just Coach, but also Ralph Lauren, Elena Velez, Willy Chavarria, and Off-White. 

🌾 🌸 COLLINA STRADA 🌸 🌾

How well the business is doing is not always top of mind when we watch a fashion show, unless we’re wondering how a big brand might turn around their reputation with a new creative director. It was refreshing, then, to hear Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour talk on creating a collection right now: 

Where the Coach approach to doing well is marching with confidence and building on a strong American legacy, the Collina Strada way is a little more chaotic. The resulting collection is one that asks us to bottle the moment we’re in, appreciate that the business is doing okay, because that may not always be the case, and find a bit of calmness. Taymour speaks for everyone working in the creative/media/fashion industries – sometimes just having a job is enough to be grateful. The SS25 show was called ‘Touch Grass,’ a reminder of the shorthand way of saying stop for a second, disconnect, and breathe outside. 

The clothes were ethereal, flowing, and romantic. They felt like a fleeting moment in time - like the buoyancy of a brand currently en vogue - with pastels and ruffles, clothing designed to carry the wind. It all felt very ‘Everything is romantic’ by Charli xcx…

As is the Collina Strada way, models were more than just a blank canvas - she had some of them running and jumping to actually touch grass, she cast the Green Lady of Brooklyn who I am now pleased to be acquainted with, and closed the show out with a model wheeling a manual lawnmower. There is a lot of energy being used here to remind us to slow down and be grateful for what we have, but that level of effort is exactly what’s needed to push back against the constant calls to do more, give more, be more. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: so much of luxury today is about reminding us of the basics and how we spend our time — something we can all tap into. If you spend your weekend with your friends in the park wearing a floaty dress, you’re doing it the Collina Strada way.

@dazed

It’s lawn mowing time! @Collina Strada just showcased their SS25 show during New York Fashion Week 💫 #DazedFashionTV #TikTokFashion #NewYo... See more

🔪 🌪️ GRACE LING 🌪️ 🔪

Grace Ling is 27. The same age as me, Lorde, and Zendaya. A zillennial. And I think there’s something special that comes with straddling two generations - the ability to look up (Ling is already dressing Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez) and look down, or at what’s coming next. For Ling that’s in technology; she uses 3D printing and CGI to expand on traditional design practices, resulting in clothes that understand their heritage but feel brand new.

Given Ling’s new methods of design, it feels ironic that her spring 2025 show would be called Neanderthal. Ling used her new tools to hark back to a time when humans only had fire and stone to bring us a collection that is grounded in the past but feels forward-looking. The elements were felt everywhere: gauzy dresses with burnt edges, torn tailoring, sabre-tooth embellishments. This collection is about survival - a powerful way of saying I am here and I plan to stay.

🪡 THEMES FROM THE WEEK 🪡

The joy of spring. It’s always a bit strange watching the spring shows just as you’ve dug your jeans and coats back out, but there are certain looks that remind you of that bright spring joy once more. There were so many at NYFW, and still lots of that butter yellow that was everywhere this year.

Grunginess. It wasn’t all pastel and floral, there were actually a bunch of grungy dresses, in charcoal grey and muddy khaki tones, and plenty of black. I love these!

Headscarves, in a variety of ways. Sometimes pirate sometimes milkmaid, always making a somewhat conventional silhouette feel fresh.

Pink and mini. Pink came back in a big way with Barbie, now it’s a mainstay. There were still so many bows too, I was surprised at all the girlhood references despite the (internet) fatigue with it all. As we’ve said before: there will always be bows, no designer will walk away that cute and satisfying shape made from tying fabric together. We just don’t need them on our wine glasses anymore.

Ruffled and asymmetric skirts. The skirts at New York felt very of the moment - plaid patchwork, asymmetric ruffles, low-slung. I think the big names are looking at the Vinted girlies…

And also…

Other fashion and pop culture news from this week:

• Sarah Burton is taking the helm at Givenchy, following Lee McQueen’s trajectory

• Who said “I’ve never been loved this way” about her boyfriend?

• Uggs are still in according to this style icon

• At the VMAs, big celebs referenced historic looks from other big celebs (Sabrina Carpenter/Madonna, Addison Rae/Björk, Halsey/Elizabeth Hurley, Tate McRae/Britney)… are we a little bored of this?

• Phoebe Philo’s third drop is here 

• Cowboy Carter didn’t receive any nominations at the Country Music Awards

• And some of us are still holding out hope for a Rihanna return…

This week, Mared Parry popped into Capsule to share what’s 🔥hot🔥 and what’s not 🙅‍♀️ …

Mared is a journalist, presenter, social manager, and content creator. She’s currently the acting Deputy Social Media Manager at Cosmopolitan, Red and Prima, and host of the award-winning dating series ‘Tisho Fforc?’. She also campaigns for online safety and has a viral social series where her boyfriend does her nails. 💅

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📺 Watching: Alexa Chung on Subway Takes. The Charli xcx one is also good and helps you understand why all her effort pays off! And the two big VMAs performances: Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. Feels like the 2000s…

📖 Reading: More Chappell Roan — this time her Rolling Stone profile, which talks more about wanting to reframe the relationship between artists and fans.

🎧 Listening to: Manning Fireworks, a perfect new autumn album from MJ Lenderman. Plus Ethel Cain’s American Football cover, and the Troye Sivan remix of ‘Talk talk’ by Charli xcx.

Some Google search data for you: “oreo flavoured coke zero” was the top trending flavoured product searched in the last week, and “oreo coke where to buy” is a breakout search. Consider this a public service announcement from myself and Freddie to go and get yourself a can. It is genuinely so good. It changed a mid day to a great day when I had it.

If you’d like to adopt Freddie or one of his friends, click here to learn more.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear how you’re finding Capsule - let me know here. And if you have a friend who might like it, do refer them! 🥺

See you next week 💋