Apr 17, 2025 People
BIRKENSTOCKS
I don’t know what the collective noun for Birkenstock is but someone needs to tell me because I have so many pairs. These ones, the Arizona in mink suede with shearling, are my favourites. They’re a comfort blanket for the feet — I can always feel my central nervous system drop a notch or two as soon as I put them on — which made them the perfect shoes to see me through Covid’s many ups and downs. They’re also the perfect shoe for unheated concrete floors, which is what we have at work, since the rubber, cork and shearling combined are impenetrable. And they’re the perfect shoes to bridge on- and off-duty — more relaxed than a shoe, more elevated than a slipper. They’ve probably clocked more than 1,000 days of use and have many, many more still in them.
BUCKINGHAM DRESS
For a year or so there, this dress was my go-to for anything slightly fancy. The first outing it had was to a soirée hosted by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at her London pad, which is how the style got its name: the Buckingham Dress. It has just the right balance of frills and spills, colour and pattern to put one in the mood for something special.
HERMÈS SHIRT
For about 20 years I was in New York a couple of times a year — 20 of those trips being for presenting at New York Fashion Week. After the work was done I’d usually allow myself a few days of R&R which covered off the parks, theatre, galleries and a little vintage shopping. There were a few vintage shops in Midtown that I loved. They were always well-stocked with luxe and lady-like products and brands — I guess they got a lot of the wardrobes of the Upper East Side set. I found this Hermès shirt on one visit and couldn’t believe my eyes — there was no one else in the store but I still got a little flustered and panicky that someone would grab it from my hands. They didn’t. I’ve worn it hundreds of times and adore its astonishingly intricate print and colour — all screenprinted, no digital — so classically Hermès. No one else comes near this type of work. I’ve told my daughter many times that when the time comes to clean out my wardrobe to make sure this goes to auction, not the charity shop — but, actually, I’d really like to think it’ll make its way to her wardrobe some time in the very distant future. It’s far too beautiful to let go of.
501s
I’ve worn Levi’s 501s all my life but this pair is special. They’re a bit torn up now but my incredible team at work keep patching them for me and they still have some wear left in them. The Levi’s two-horse patch is usually brown leather but on this pair it’s white — a customisation that the kind people at Levi’s in San Francisco did for me, along with switching the red tab out to yellow and the domes to celebration domes, marking 150 years of the 501. My favourite cut of my favourite brand, and one of a kind. I intend to keep patching them for many years to come.
WATCH
My great-grandmother’s gold fob watch has been in my care for close to a decade and hardly ever leaves my safe, let alone my house. I would be mortified if I, its fourth (or possibly even fifth) custodian in the female line of my family, were the one to lose it. It keeps perfect time. On the rare occasion I wear it, I always wind it and find its gentle ticking very comforting.
RUNAWAY GIRL NECKLACE
Runaway Girl has been with me since the minute my husband [Mikhail Gherman] (our brand’s creative director) drew her in 2001 for our very first show at London Fashion Week. She exists in many forms but it’s in solid gold that I think she really sings. I always have her in some form in my jewellery box. At present, she’s hanging from pearls which I’m loving.
SAINT JAMES SHIRT
My colleagues in the design room at KW never tire of teasing me about my love of navy and white and I’m not ashamed that this forms the basis of my wardrobe’s colour palette. I think this winning duo looks best in the classic Breton shirt and Saint James is the iconic brand — the original Breton, since 1889, still made in the village of Saint-James in Normandy. My current one was a treat to mark my most recent trip to Paris. I cracked it open once I’d boarded the Eurostar in London and it’s been in constant use since.
BLACK TUX
There’s always a black tuxedo in my wardrobe and this is the latest one. An easy solution to black tie events, of course, but equally good with jeans and a simple white shirt for an elevated everyday.
PJs
Every summer I treat myself to a fresh pair of PJs to make the most of the few weeks in summer which are built around early nights, long sleep-ins and slow mornings. This season’s is a glorious, citronelle green with KW archive canopy print from our current collaboration with Papinelle.
SCARF
We’ve collaborated with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki on three occasions and this scarf is one of a trio from 2024’s collaboration to celebrate the gallery’s Modern Women show. I love all three in the story but this one, featuring Turkish Bath by Eileen Mayo, circa 1930, seems to be getting the most use. Its tones are just so right with every look.
HEADBAND
Having short hair, there’s not a whole lot that can be done to it to switch it up. I find that a wee headband is an easy way to give a fresh look. I’ve had this classic Valentino one for at least 10 years and love its almost austere simplicity and its glamour — a tricky puzzle to get out.
GLASSES
For Karen Walker Eyewear’s 10th anniversary, a whole decade ago — we marked 20 years this year! — we re-released one style from each year with a brand-new technique that allowed us to encase gold metal inside clear acetate. The results were great, with an entire family of floating gold metal. Of course, we’ve held on to a full set for the archive. My favourite pair, that I still dust off and wear from time to time, is Number One — a groundbreaking, iconic and beloved style that looks fresh every time, even all these years later.
LAVENHAM JACKET
I love iconic brands and Lavenham, still made in the picturesque English village it gets its name from, is up there with the best. Originally, Lavenham made horse blankets but in the last half century they’ve expanded into wonderful quilted jackets for humans! My husband got a fresh one recently but still holds on to his original, from around 20 years ago, which we share. It’s had a heap of wear, has been mended a few times and looks very worn, but it’s still the perfect jacket for winter dog walks. I expect it’s got another 20 years left in it.
