EVENING STANDARD

9 March 2023

FASHIONISTA.COM

12 December 2022

CHOPOVA LOWENA'S FUNKY, PUNKY PLEATED SKIRTS

"Natalie Kingham from Matchesfashion came and she was like, 'I love them. I can see everyone wearing them,'" Lowena-Irons says. "At the time, we didn't even think about it. I remember pushing them forward and everyone being like, 'But they're crazy. How would you wear that?'"

"When I first came across Chopova Lowena, I was struck by how fresh it looked," says Kingham, who was the luxury retailer's fashion director at the time. (She left the company in 2021, and is now a fashion consultant.) "I found it fascinating to look at the mood boards and to understand the blend of upcycled folk fabrics and sportswear elements. I truly believed in the unique approach and the integrity of the women."

She knew even then that they would find an audience. "I was delighted I had found them and am not sure how they were overlooked by others, but it was a blessing as a great relationship blossomed."

MatchesFashion picked up the brand in 2018, with 30 skirts adapted from that graduate collection. According to Liane Wiggins, the head of womenswear at the retailer, "they sold out almost instantly."

Read the full article FASHIONISTA.COM

FASHIONISTA.COM

13 June 2022

VACATIONCORE

For regular, non-celebrity people, Natalie Kingham, a fashion consultant who previously worked as buying director for MatchesFashion, recommends thinking long-term about your vacation wardrobe. 

"The kinds of shopping habits that I see are people resisting buying things all summer because they have so much from the year before and the year before that, especially if you buy wisely and invest in good fabrics," she says. "However, customers do tend to update it slightly every year, even if it's just one great bikini or new sandals. It just freshens everything up." Kingham also recommends supporting local artisans as you travel, instead of doing a Shein haul right before your flight.

Kingham doesn't think "vacationcore" or "europecore" are going anywhere — neither is our desire to escape our day-to-day realities through playing dress-up. This, however, doesn't mean you need to be in the South of France this summer to experience some much-needed dopamine dressing. Rubber shoes, stacking your necklaces, floaty prairie skirts and matching co-ords are no longer reserved for holidays. Just like cottagecore, it's all about a state of mind. ”

Read the full article FASHIONISTA.COM

FT.COM

13 June 2022

THE CHARM AND SWAGGER OF WAISTCOATS

Waistcoats make for a surprisingly foolproof workwear look, says the retail consultant Natalie Kingham, an aficionado since she acquired a fitted Ossie Clark red snakeskin-print style as a teenager. In her previous role as buying director of Matchesfashion.com she often placed orders for waistcoats from Alexander McQueen, Bella Freud and Dolce & Gabbana. She herself considers them a surprisingly versatile day-to-night option. “I would often buy a waistcoat with the matching blazer because it felt like a no-brainer and it made my life easier,” she recalls. “It kind of works like a 9-to-5 dress, and it doesn’t feel too stuffy or strict. You can have your meeting wearing the blazer on top, and then you can have a cocktail wearing the waistcoat with nothing underneath.”

Read the full article FT.COM

VOGUE BUSINESS

23 February 2022

LONDON FASHION WEEK: THE OUTTAKES

With some innovative digital excitements such as Roksanda’s NFT, physical shows were back. Some designers pushed the envelope. “In London, creativity is always at the forefront. Designers like Harris Reed and Matty Bovan are really pushing their brand forward [commercially], even if their starting block point may be seen as avant garde,” says Natalie Kingham. This is her first season as an independent fashion consultant after 11 years at Matches, most recently as buying director.

Read the full article Vogue Business

HORRORVACUIMUNICH