Latest news with #Giglio
Graziadaily
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
This Skirt Is So Good, It's Sold Out Three Times – Now It's Back In Stock
Sometimes, it's easy to predict that something is going to be a sell-out success. High street collaborations with designers, for instance – Anya Hindmarch x Uniqlo and Gap x Dôen are two which launched today – or an exciting new launch from one of the world's leading designers; case in point: Gucci's new Giglio bag. Then there are those items which come with a little less fanfare but which prove themselves to be the sorts of pieces which form the backbone of any good wardrobe. Cefinn's Sophia skirt is one such piece; it is so versatile and hard working (sartorially-speaking) that it has sold out three times already. Thankfully, it's now back in stock. If you're not familiar with Cefinn, it's the brainchild of Samantha Cameron, who was inspired by her own need for smart stylish clothes to aid a busy life. The result is a collection of great tailoring, pretty dresses and chic separates, all of which work for all kinds of eventualities. Since its launch in 2017, Cefinn has expanded to include more casual pieces, too, and has amassed a loyal following of women with diverse personal styles. First launched in autumn 2023, the Sophia skirt is a simple pleated midi skirt that has had to be restocked several times since. Worn by many women on Instagram, I think the reason it's been so popular is its quality. Available in multiple different colours, as well as denim, it sits on the waist and has box pleats which start just below the hips, making for the most flattering fit. It can be worn with tucked-in tees, crisp shirts or button-up knits; knee-high boots work well with it in autumn, while ballet pumps and sandals are perfect for summer. In short, this skirt is versatile, it can be dressed up or down and it works on all body shapes. No wonder, then, that it's been selling so well. While the denim Sophia skirt is only available in a few sizes now, the black, navy and cream versions are ready to shop. Be warned though, last time the cream skirt was restocked, it sold out in a matter of weeks. Given the prevalence of white skirts this summer, this seems like the perfect time to add one of the best to your wardrobe. If you're more of a colourful dresser, take note that Cefinn is launching the skirt in lavender, rust and dark green next month, all of which are shades suitable throughout the year. Make haste, these skirts won't be in stock for long. 1. Sophia Techni Voile Pleated Maxi Skirt - Cream 3. Sophia Techni Voile Pleated Maxi Skirt - Black 4. Sophia Techni Voile Pleated Maxi Skirt - Burnt Orange Hannah Banks-Walker is Grazia's head of fashion commerce. She has previously written for the likes of Harper's Bazaar, The Financial Times, Glamour, Stylist, The Telegraph, Red, i-D and The Pool on everything from fashion to curly hair (hi!) to the patriarchy. Not necessarily in that order. Find her on Instagram and Twitter . But please don't look for her MySpace profile, which until now was the last time she wrote about herself in the third person.
Graziadaily
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
This Is Going To Be Your New Favourite Designer Bag Of All Time
Despite working in fashion for just over 10 years now, and despite obsessing over the subject of fashion for even longer than that, I have a problem with bags. I don't mean that I can't find one I like, I've found plenty. There's the bag I take to weddings that looks like a perfect pearl, the bag I wear across my person when I'm busy and need not to be carrying anything with my hands, and there's the bag I stuff all number of items into when I'm going away for a few days. I like all of these bags; these bags are all very nice in their own right. What all of these bags have in common, however, is that they are either too small or too large to make them perfect. This means that, for the past I-don't-know-how-long, I have been travelling to work with my handbag, a tote bag containing my laptop and sometimes even a third bag for miscellaneous items I can't seem to fit into either of the other two bags. For this reason, I would like to thank Gucci, for it has just invented the very bag that's going to change my life. Last week, Gucci staged its Cruise 2026 show in Florence. It's an interesting time for the brand which, following the exit of Sabato De Sarno in February this year, is awaiting the arrival of Demna, currently creative director at Balenciaga (Pierpaolo Piccioli will be succeeding him there). This Cruise collection, as a result, was designed en masse by the Gucci team, shown in the 15th century Palazzo Settimanni, which is home to the brand's archive. And really, the collection resembled a journey through said archive, with elements that looked to be plucked from each Gucci era, from De Sarno to Alessandro Michele to Frida Giannini to Tom Ford. The most exciting part? The Giglio bag. Gucci Giglio Large Tote Bag in Beige Canvas The true embodiment of an 'investment bag', this will carry everything you need – and then some – while looking incredibly chic. Among the silk, brocade, jacquard and velvet, the Giglio bag emerged as the stand-out piece of the Cruise show. Named after the emblem of Florence – giglio is the Italian word for lily – Gucci says it's 'an homage to the city' with its GG monogram in either beige canvas or blue denim, complete with the signature Gucci stripe. New designer bags are two a penny these days, though, so why am I so excited about the Giglio? The size. Imagine your old tote bag. Then look at the Giglio and you'll find it difficult not to feel badly about your accessories. The Giglio has all the elegance of a top handle bag, only the handle is deep enough for you to wear it on your shoulder. It's slouchy, meaning you can shove a whole load of stuff in there and still be able to carry it and, most importantly, it's enormous. It's enormous without being too big to qualify as a perfectly reasonable, everyday sort of handbag. You see? It's perfect. Gucci Giglio Large Tote Bag in Blue Denim The bag also comes in blue denim, and you can even personalise it with your own monogram. Into the Giglio, I could happily fit my laptop, the contents of my handbag and all of those miscellaneous items I am apparently carting around with me in no less than three separate bags. This isn't just about practicality, though, for I am a shallow beast. This bag is chic. It is the stuff of dreams. Happily, Gucci has made the bag available to buy now, before the rest of the Cruise collection. At £1,600, this is not a cheap solution to my bag woes, but it is a very exciting one. Trust me, you'll soon see this bag all over re-sale sites with hiked up prices as more and more people cotton on to its brilliance. It's not just that it's a Gucci bag, it's a bag that could actually help your day-to-day existence and I, for one, would like to return to the days when accessories were supposed to do just that. Except I'd like to keep the aforementioned pearl bag, as it really is pretty. Anyway, buy this bag before I do and be the envy of, well, certainly me. In the meantime, I'll try to think about something other than the fact that my life would be significantly improved just by owning the Gucci Giglio. Hannah Banks-Walker is Grazia's head of fashion commerce. She has previously written for the likes of Harper's Bazaar, The Financial Times, Glamour, Stylist, The Telegraph, Red, i-D and The Pool on everything from fashion to curly hair (hi!) to the patriarchy. Not necessarily in that order. Find her on Instagram and Twitter . But please don't look for her MySpace profile, which until now was the last time she wrote about herself in the third person.
Elle
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Gucci's Cruise Collection Teases Demna's Vision for the House
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Last night in Florence, within the storied walls of the 15th-century Palazzo Settimanni—home to the Gucci archive—the house's cruise 2026 collection unfolded in a luxurious display of expert color pairings, retro tailoring, and extravagant accessories. The styling was impeccable, delivering look after look destined for the red carpet. Though officially credited to the in-house studio team behind the fall/winter 2025 season, the collection bore unmistakable traces of Demna's aesthetic. From neon pink satin bags to boldly structured shoulders and fuzzy coats worn as minidresses, his influence was both nuanced and undeniable—subtle enough to pass under the radar, yet instantly recognizable to the trained eye. Overall, the collection was wearable and fun, featuring playful yet luxurious pieces like rhinestone stockings adorned with Gucci's classic interlocking Gs—a nod to last season's logo catsuit. A candy-striped bag paired with a matching coat and oversized sunglasses added a dose of drama. Handbags remained a focal point throughout, with models casually clutching chain-strapped styles from the side, adding an air of effortless cool. Making its debut on the runway—and available to shop now—was the Giglio bag: an oversized tote cleverly styled as a fold-over clutch. Jewelry lovers were treated to a landmark debut: the first-ever Monili high jewelry collection co-created by Pomellato and Gucci, unveiled on the runway alongside the Demna-esque looks. These one-of-a-kind pieces combined Gucci's leather craftsmanship with the jeweler's signature Iconica link, culminating in a design entirely encrusted in diamonds and centered around a nearly 20-carat green tourmaline. As the show came to a close, models made their way out to the Piazza, where trattoria diners looked on over their aperitivi, momentarily blurring the line between runway and real life. In reflection, the jewelry felt like the perfect finishing touch to the collection's delicate silk chiffons, intricate lace, and sequin-strewn eveningwear. While hinting at what may lie ahead in Demna's highly anticipated fall debut, this collection served as a thoughtful homage to Gucci's rich design legacy. Spanning decades of house codes—from the provocative glamour of Tom Ford to the eclectic maximalism of Alessandro Michele—it showcased the brand's rare ability to draw from a lineage of visionary creative directors while charting a new course forward. As the echoes of the past mingled with hints of the future, one question lingered in the air: what comes next?
Fashion Network
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Cruise 2026 marks new era for Gucci as Demna Gvasalia prepares to take lead
Gucci staged a symbolically rich Cruise 2026 show in Florence, drawing from its archives to mark a new beginning. While heritage references are common among luxury houses, this moment carried added weight for Gucci—coming in the wake of Sabato De Sarno's departure and just months before the highly anticipated debut of new creative director Demna, set for July. The new chapter unfolded with the Cruise 2026 collection, unveiled in the heart of Florence. Models walked through the elegant first floor of Palazzo Settimanni—a 15th-century building owned by the Kering group and home to Gucci's archives—before continuing along Via delle Caldaie and concluding the show in Piazza Santo Spirito. The closure of the piazza to the public for the event sparked criticism from some local residents. For the occasion, Gucci transformed the square into an exclusive open-air venue. The brand polished the central fountain, removed graffiti, and arranged guest seating around the landmark, covering the costs. Nearby bars were temporarily closed, and the area was framed with tables and chairs. Among the celebrity attendees were actress Julia Garner, Viola Davis with Julius Tennon, Mark Ronson, Paul Mescal, and Jeff and Emily Goldblum. By opening its archive to the public in the city of its origin, Gucci honored its fashion legacy from 1921 to the present. The collection also paid tribute to Florence's centuries-old textile craftsmanship. Looks featured rich brocades, jacquards, silks, velvets, and lace embellished with rhinestones and fine embroidery. Some speculated whether Demna had a hand in the 42-look lineup, but Gucci clarified that its in-house creative team designed the collection. Demna is expected to take over creative leadership gradually. Key archival elements reappeared prominently. The double-G monogram appeared on sheer tights as rhinestone patterns, while the single G accentuated buckles, inlays, and heels. The silhouettes referenced the 1970s, with sharply tailored blazers and defined shoulders. Accessories included archival-style handbags and a new model, Giglio—named after Florence's symbolic lily—which was available for immediate purchase. The presentation also included high jewelry pieces made in collaboration with Pomellato: a necklace and a minaudière crafted in leather, gold, and pavé diamonds. The overall tone celebrated heritage, but without veering into nostalgia. 'The way something is done matters more than how much is done,' said CEO Stefano Cantino. 'This show authentically expresses Gucci's identity, in the place that most deeply preserves our story.'
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It was very difficult to hold on to': are Michelin stars a blessing - or a curse?
Time was, the ultimate honour for any ambitious chef was to gain a Michelin star or two. Better still, three. But these days, the world of fine dining is in a state of flux. Far from going to any lengths to schmooze critics or diners, restaurateurs are taking them on, from publicly berating customers who don't spend enough to ejecting anyone who even threatens to leave an unfavourable review. Nowhere is this gear change more noticeable than in attitudes towards the esteemed 'red book', the Michelin Guide. Last October, Giglio, a restaurant in the Italian town of Lucca, asked for its star to be removed from the guide. It had become a burden, according to co-owner, Benedetto Rullo. Many diners were deterred by the prospect of 'fussy' food and a formal atmosphere. 'One should be able to go to a fine restaurant in a T-shirt, flip-flops and shorts,' Rullo said. This year in France, the chef Marc Veyrat took the unprecedented step of banning Michelin inspectors from his eponymous new restaurant in the super-chic ski resort of Megève. It must be said that Veyrat has form with Michelin. In 2019, at his previous restaurant, he was outraged to have one of his three stars removed. The reason? Inspectors accused him of using cheddar in a soufflé. Imagine! Rather than taking it on the chin, Veyrat took Michelin to court. He lost the case and Michelin called him 'a narcissistic diva'. Given that Michelin stars are known to significantly boost a restaurateur's takings (by 20% for a single star, 40% for two and 100% for three, said the late Joël Robuchon, who won 31 of them), why would anyone want to keep the inspectors at bay? Particularly as Michelin's undercover reviewers pay the bill rather than expecting to eat for nothing, and Veyrat's current eight-course tasting menu (sample dish: meadowsweet emulsion on a lobster tartlet) costs a crunchy €450 (£385) per head. Veyrat said that, although the matter was very close to his heart, he was too busy to explain his reasoning. Instead, he sent us a photo of his chalkboard message to Michelin. It opens with the line: 'Shame on the gravediggers of French gastronomy.' One reason for chefs' antipathy towards the guide is the extreme pressure to live up to the accolade. These criticisms of Michelin have been rumbling for a long time: in 2012, the chef Skye Gyngell complained that the star she won at Petersham Nurseries in London had become a curse, and 'prayed' she would never be awarded another. Finally walking away from the restaurant, she said it had become too busy and there had been too many complaints from customers expecting a type of fine dining experience at odds with her more casual style. Running a restaurant at this level is stressful. Last year, the Belfast-based restaurateur Michael Deane was faced with a dilemma. A veteran of the city's dining scene, he gained his first Michelin star 30 years ago and not only held on to it but also opened several other establishments. Then his head chef at the one-star Eipic left to set up his own business. 'I was left on the back foot,' Deane says. 'Did I want to hire an egotistical high-end chef to come in on £50,000 to do three tables at lunch, two at dinner, and have to employ six waiters? Did I want to get back into the kitchen at that level? I didn't think so. I'm better at business than cooking. Or was it time to think about change? It was a very, very difficult decision.' In the end, he decided to renovate the space, merging it with an adjacent restaurant. 'I decided to do a menu that chefs didn't rate, and to stop using cheffy nonsense words like 'emulsion' and 'textures'. I brought the prices down to what people could afford.' The result was the 90-seater MrDeanes, serving sweet and sour chicken wings, burgers and fish and chips alongside oysters and brie fritters with truffle honey. He admits he misses the glamour of having a star. 'It was very, very difficult to hold on to it. Some people say it's just a stick to beat yourself with. But I enjoyed having it and for nearly 30 years I stood over that stove and Michelin was the holy grail. It's an international currency. If you go abroad and you tell someone you've got a Michelin star, they know about you and they know you've got a standard.' But in recent years, Michelin has struggled to stay relevant to a new generation of diners and influencers. It has introduced 'green stars' to honour sustainability, and expanded its geographical and culinary reach – which might explain why El Califa de León, a three-metre-square taco restaurant in Mexico City, ended up being awarded a star. These changes have not all been successful, according to Andy Hayler, a food blogger who has reviewed 1,000 restaurants in London and 2,000 worldwide. Until the pandemic, Hayler had eaten at every three-star Michelin restaurant in the world, a project he funded with his day job as an IT professional. 'Between 2016 and 2018, Michelin were forced to change their business model,' he says. 'No one was buying print guidebooks any more, so they started taking money from tourist boards in places like America, China and Korea.' In South Korea, tourist officials were reported to have offered Michelin £1.4m to produce a guide to Seoul. 'The problem is, there is a conflict of interest with that,' says Hayler. 'It's extremely unlikely that Michelin is going to take millions of dollars from a tourist board and then say: 'Oh, sorry – all your restaurants are crap, so no stars for you.' Michelin insist that the process of selecting restaurants and awarding stars has not been compromised, with separate teams responsible for sponsorships and ratings. But Hayler says that the standard of the newer three-star establishments was getting 'dodgier and dodgier' and eventually, with the advent of lockdown travel restrictions, he decided to abandon his mission. 'I wasn't prepared to jump on a plane and fly to Taipei or South Korea every time Michelin landed a new contract with a tourist board.' There are also problems with the quality of Michelin's online prose – much of which suggests artificial intelligence. One example, for a two-star Japanese establishment in Seoul, reads: 'A culmination of such painstaking effort, the fare at Mitou genuinely reflects a sense of earnestness, modesty and dedication harbored by the two chefs as eternal students of culinary art. It thus comes as no surprise that customers eagerly anticipate Mitou's new offerings every season.' Hayler takes issue with this, though. 'Oh no, the writing was that bad long before AI came around,' he says. 'Historically, the guides only included symbols, not text – like the Rosetta Stone but for restaurants. Then, when the first city guide, New York, appeared, they started to hire copywriters. People were hoping to read all these juicy insights from Michelin inspectors – but that isn't what they got.' Of course, there are reasons beyond economic pressure why Michelin is struggling to retain cultural capital. When the guide was launched in 1900 by the tyre company's founders, brothers André and Édouard Michelin, it was designed to help car owners plan their trips. Nowadays, its selling point is catering-industry expertise. Michelin's PR hub claims that its assessments are made based on five objective criteria: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits. But now we have TripAdvisor, Google reviews and endless influencers peddling their opinions, does anyone care very much about opaque points systems and meticulous industry knowledge? Elizabeth Auerbach has been writing her blog Elizabeth on Food for 15 years. 'I do believe that if you are a chef, Michelin still carries a lot of weight. For most, the day they are awarded their first Michelin star is probably still one of the most important days of their life. But for diners, I'm not so sure. I mean, for someone my age – I'm 51 – we still value the whole fine dining experience with all the bells and whistles. But many younger people don't care about it because they can't afford it. It's getting increasingly expensive, too.' She mentions that the two-star Ikoyi, a West African-inspired restaurant in London, now charges £350 for its tasting menu, the kind of prices you only used to see at three-star restaurants. Although Auerbach is known as an expert in her field and now publishes a food guide to Amsterdam, she has never been approached to be an inspector. 'I couldn't do it, anyway. You have to eat two full meals a day, five days a week. That would be too much!' Karan Gokani, co-founder of Hoppers Sri Lankan restaurants in London and author of a bestselling cookbook, agrees that the concept of fine dining is out of step with how we live now. He fell in love with Michelin-star food when he came to the UK from India to study law. 'I used to be very enamoured of these chefs who do multi-course kitchen concepts and about 15 processes in every dish. But now it's got to the point where, as a diner, I just want a quick meal. It's not only the cost – sometimes you just want things to be on your terms. I want wholesome food at a pace that I can dictate. Maybe I want the starters and mains to turn up at the same time. Maybe I want to order a few dishes, and then I want a few more. A restaurant should be a dialogue. A lot of the Michelin-star places have turned a meal into one long monologue.' Gokani says that one of his biggest frustrations with the guide is its inconsistency. 'When you go out and give a star to a street-food vendor, it becomes very tricky. You're not comparing like with like. Even in fine dining, it's not consistent across territory. I used to live in Copenhagen and I know that the one-star restaurants there were often of equivalent standard to a two-star kitchen in London. The criteria are still cryptic. What gets you a star?' We asked Michelin to comment on this and other points, but got no response. Ironically, Gokani's Hoppers has had a Michelin Bib Gourmand star since 2017. 'We never chased a star, or expected one,' he says. 'I'm not just saying this because we're in it, but I do think that the best guide for the way we eat out now is one based on price.' The Bib awards started off by honouring menus under £30 but now have the more nebulous criteria of 'affordable dining'. And, for all his protests about Michelin, Deane has also been awarded a Bib. However, he, too, questions the affordability of fine dining in the current economic climate. 'If I had a Michelin star at the moment, would my old restaurant be packed out? I'm not so sure,' he says. 'We struggled a bit towards the end. I've got a mortgage. I've got to put petrol in the car. I've got the VAT. Having a Michelin star is not always top of mind. And you have to get real. These days, our biggest competitor is probably not Michelin Bibs or even any other restaurant. As their Dine In menus get better and better, it's Marks & Spencer.' Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
