FROW News #139: Grace Wales Bonner Dresses Up adidas, Fenty Finds Space on Your Phone & Lisa Maffia Tells Her Story 👀✨
Grace Wales Bonner is giving adidas trainers a dressier turn, while Kylie Jenner has looked to Kris for a coat that knows how to make an entrance. Fenty has a new attachment, and Mona Kattan has another treat for the Yum collection.
Beyond the wardrobe, we’ve got new soul music about letting yourself fall in love, a Zambian artist exploring her musical roots, and a familiar voice from So Solid Crew preparing to tell her story. Snow Fairy is turning 21 too, and Lush has birthday plans that extend beyond the bathroom. Let’s get into it. ⬇️
Grace Wales Bonner Gives adidas a Dressier Turn 👟
Grace Wales Bonner has been revisiting her label’s archives, and Wales Bonner’s latest collection with adidas Originals makes a good case for getting dressed from the feet up. Dark-brown croc-stamped leather and brushed gold eyelets give the Karintha (£180) a dressier finish, while the Gazelle (£180) takes its turn in green croc-stamped leather.
Suede softens the running-inspired Adizero Adios (£170), but the BW Pony (£170) is less inclined to blend in, pairing hair-textured uppers with contrasting reptile-print overlays. There’s plenty happening before we’ve even reached the clothes.
Up top, a Football Long-sleeve Top (£160) and pinstripe sportswear keep the sporting connection, with the Pinstripe Track Top at £240 and women’s trousers at £170. The campaign draws on the mix of cultures and styles in 1980s London, continuing the references to identity and community that run through Grace’s work. You can shop the collection at adidas now, although the leather blouson is making a later entrance. With crochet side stripes and a £1,800 price tag, it arrives on 20th November at 9am.
Daily Paper Gets Back to Its Foundations 🌍
Daily Paper has introduced The Foundation, an ongoing collection of graphic tees, hoodies and matching trousers. The Stay Informed T-shirts (£70) bring the message, while the Heather Grey Arch Contrast Stitched Hoodie (£130) and Arch Sweatpants (£150) make a case for committing to the full set.
The Amsterdam label has also gone back to the Bijlmer, where Surinamese, Ghanaian and wider African diasporic communities helped shape the music, fashion and street culture its founders grew up around. That history is part of the collection’s introduction, with a film drawing on West African cinema, 1990s hip-hop and life in the neighbourhood. You can shop The Foundation here.
KHY After Dark Takes a Little Inspiration From Kris Jenner 🖤
Kris Jenner is the reference for the biggest coat in KHY’s new After Dark collection, which should give you some idea of its intentions. The Hollywood Maxi Coat (£485) has a sweeping faux-fur shawl collar and reverses to faux leather. Two coats’ worth of drama, then.
Kylie Jenner’s 17-piece winter collection moves between puffers, knitwear and evening dressing, with the Chateau Mini Dress (£345) pairing wool and cashmere with oversized faux-fur cuffs. If the full-length Hollywood isn’t your coat of choice, the leopard Backseat Bomber (£285) keeps things shorter. There’s also a fitted Sculpted Cardigan (£240) with a matching balaclava (£130), should your knitwear coordination extend beyond the usual twinset. You can shop After Dark at KHY, although a few pieces have already been snapped up.
Strathberry Makes a Little Room With Nest 👜
A bag with compartments. Sometimes that really is the detail that gets our attention. Strathberry’s new Nest has a rounded shape, a folded front panel and its familiar gold Music Bar hardware, with two versions that organise things a little differently. The Nest Shoulder (£595) has three interior compartments beneath a zipped closure, plus a detachable, adjustable strap for shoulder or crossbody wear. It comes in black and tan smooth leather, alongside Espresso Suede.
If you travel a little lighter, the smaller Nest Crossbody (£450) has two compartments and a pocket at the back, with a magnetic closure for easy access. Black, tan and espresso leather make up the colour choices here, so the decision may come down to just how much you consider essential.
FRYE Is Back in the UK, Boots and All 👢
FRYE is back in the UK, bringing its Campus, Kate and Billy boots with it. The American bootmaker has been going since 1863, so this may be a reunion for some readers and an introduction for others.
The Campus (£450) is the chunky-soled pull-on pair, shown in banana yellow as well as tan in the relaunch. Yes, banana yellow. If you prefer a slimmer riding-boot shape, there’s the knee-high Kate (£360), while the Billy Short (£320) brings a pointed toe and Western stitching. You’ll find FRYE’s boots at Flannels, with the UK return also including Selfridges and Seasons.
NikeSKIMS Turns Up the Colour for Its First Outerwear 🧥
NikeSKIMS has introduced its first outerwear, adding Sherpa jackets, a gilet and water-repellent nylon pieces to its collection. There’s a new colour too: University Red (a bold, bright red shade) gives the familiar neutral palette a bit of competition, appearing across selected clothing, accessories and footwear, including the split-toe Rift Satin trainers.
For warmth, the Sherpa pieces combine Nike’s Therma-FIT material with a brushed interior and contrasting nylon panels. The Crunchy Nylon cropped jacket (£189.99) and hooded parka (£244.99) take a more structured shape, with a textured fabric that adds volume. You can shop the outerwear at Nike.
Fenty and CASETiFY Make Room for Touch-Ups 📱
Fenty Beauty and CASETiFY are giving your phone a little more to carry. Their limited-edition collection includes an On-The-Go Essentials MagSafe 2-in-1 Holder, which snaps onto a compatible phone or case and holds mini Gloss Bomb and mini Invisimatte blotting powder. A shiny lip and a less shiny forehead, both accounted for.
The silicone holder comes in Cocoa Nude, with makeup sold separately unless you choose a bundle. The shade also appears on a Ripple Case and Rope Crossbody Strap, while mirror cases let you check your makeup without opening the front-facing camera. Rihanna’s hand-drawn lip doodle makes an appearance on printed designs too.
Across the collection, CASETiFY’s prices run from £14 for the Fenty Beauty Charm Hook to £95 for the PowerThru 2-in-1 Charging Stand, with phone-case prices depending on your model. You can shop the Fenty accessories online.
KAYALI Has Birthday Cake on the Fragrance Menu 🧁
Pistachio gelato and marshmallow have company. KAYALI’s latest addition to its Yum collection is Yum Vanilla Cupcake | 108, inspired by Mona Kattan’s memories of childhood birthdays and the smell of vanilla cake. Lemon sugar, rainbow sprinkles and pink pepper open the fragrance, followed by white caramel, toasted coconut flakes, sweet milk and buttercream. Vanilla frosting, white amber and KAYALI’s signature accord round it out. The limited-edition 50ml bottle (£80) comes decorated with sprinkles, taking the birthday brief quite seriously.
It’s available initially through KAYALI and Sephora, with a 10ml miniature (£28) and 100ml bottle (£110) alongside the sprinkle edition. ASOS, Boots, Cult Beauty, Harrods, Selfridges and Space NK join the celebrations on 14th November.
CHANEL Takes Les Eaux to St. Moritz ❄️
CHANEL’s latest fragrance heads to St. Moritz, although perfumer Olivier Polge has warmth in mind rather than mountain air. Paris-St. Moritz joins the Les Eaux collection, taking its name from the Swiss resort where Gabrielle Chanel spent time.
Pear, rose and a musky-amber accord shape the eau de toilette, moving from fruit and flowers towards a warmer finish. For anyone who prefers that direction to the vanilla-and-cake combinations arriving this week, there’s another scent to get acquainted with. The fragrance costs £102 for 50ml or £145 for 125ml.
H&M Beauty Has Vanilla and Cocoa for £17.99 ✨
H&M Beauty is adding to this week’s sweet-smelling selection with Vanilla Silk Elixir, a limited-edition eau de parfum (£17.99 for 50ml). Bergamot, pear and ginger open the fragrance, with jasmine and cocoa at its heart before vanilla, musk and amber bring the warmth.
There’s a little sparkle in the accompanying makeup, too. Prisma Spark Glitter Mascara (£8.99) goes over your usual mascara, while Prisma Liquid Eyeshadow (£6.99) gives lids a shimmering finish. The Face Stick Trio (£12.99) brings together a compact highlighter, blush and bronzer set. The glitter is entirely your call.
Elle Sera Gives Vitamin D a Vanilla Twist ☀️
Vanilla has made it beyond this week’s fragrances. Elle Sera’s new The D.Light (£24) is a vanilla-flavoured vitamin D3 and K2 spray, offering another option for anyone who doesn’t get on with tablets. One bottle provides a month’s supply, with a monthly subscription available at £20.
The brand’s daily serving of five sprays supplies 62.5 micrograms of D3 and 120 micrograms of K2. Its liposomal formula packages the vitamins in tiny fatty structures. For context, the NHS advises considering a daily vitamin D supplement containing 10 micrograms during autumn and winter, so check the dose against anything you already take.
Snow Fairy Is Turning 21, and Lush Is Having a Party 🎂
Snow Fairy is turning 21, and the birthday plans are predictably pink. Lush is celebrating its bubble-gum and candyfloss scent on 7th and 8th November with activities across its UK and Ireland shops, including bottle decorating, live product-making and a generous spritz of Snow Fairy body spray.
There’s a surprise on the drinks menu, too. A collaboration with Karma Drinks has turned Snow Fairy into a limited-edition drink. Buy any Snow Fairy product during the weekend and you’ll receive a can while stocks last, with the drink available to buy separately afterwards. The scent has travelled some distance from its shower-gel beginnings. Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford Street and Covent Garden will host bookable bouquet and wreath-making workshops, while Oxford Street, Liverpool and Glasgow have DJ sets planned. Selected shops will also offer photo booths and a guess-the-weight competition, with a slice of Snow Fairy soap “cake” to take home.
There’s a new Snow Fairy massage bar joining the family, too. Check with your local shop for its weekend activities and workshop bookings; younger visitors can get involved with colouring and word-search sheets.
Shrimps Brings Roses and Grapes to Your Water Bottle 🌹
Shrimps has teamed up with Chilly’s on three limited-edition Series 3 bottles, bringing its prints to something that spends rather more time on a desk than a coat hanger. Grapes, Polka Dot and Red Roses each come in a 500ml bottle, priced at £40.
The roses have a personal history: the design draws on the print used for Shrimps founder Hannah Weiland’s bridesmaid dresses, while Rose is also her middle name. It’s a specific little connection behind a bottle that could otherwise be mistaken for a simple floral makeover. The three designs are available online at Chilly’s.
Aaron Frazer Makes Room for Romance on Corners 🎶
Being interested in someone shouldn’t require an elaborate performance of indifference. Aaron Frazer’s new six-song EP, Corners, gets into childhood crushes, heartbreak and the slightly nerve-racking business of letting someone get close again.
If the name is new to you, Frazer is the co-lead singer and drummer of Durand Jones & the Indications, with two solo albums behind him. For this release, he worked with collaborators including Mayer Hawthorne, Tommy Brenneck and Cold Diamond & Mink. “Same Old Game” returns to the feeling of a long-held crush, while “Let Your Love Grow” considers trying again after heartbreak. The EP is out now with romance very much on the agenda.
Lisa Maffia’s First Lady Goes Beyond So Solid Crew 📖
Lisa Maffia made her voice heard in So Solid Crew, and she has plenty more to say. Her first memoir, First Lady, arrives on Thursday 5th November, taking us beyond the UK garage success and into her life before and after the breakthrough.
For those who remember “21 Seconds” reaching number one in 2001, there’s a familiar name for the reading pile. For newer readers, it’s an introduction to one of the women who helped take UK garage into the mainstream. Maffia writes about a difficult childhood, becoming a mother at 17, identity and abusive relationships, alongside her experience as a woman in music. The hardback is available to pre-order (£22).
Jasmine Jobson Goes From Top Boy to the Boxing Ring 🥊🎬
Jasmine Jobson is stepping into the ring as Ramla Ali in In the Shadows, the new film following the Somali-British boxer’s journey from childhood refugee to boxing champion. Familiar to many as Jaq in Top Boy, Jasmine takes on the real-life story of a woman pursuing a sporting career her family knew nothing about.
Finn Cole plays Ramla’s husband Richard Moore, with Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as her coach Clinton. Boxing drives the story, but love, family expectations and deciding what you want for yourself are in the mix too. In the Shadows is in cinemas now.
Sampa the Great Gives Zamrock a New Chapter 🎤
Sampa the Great’s third album, Nu Zamrock, is out now, bringing Zambia’s musical history into her mix of hip-hop, poetry and soul. Zamrock emerged in the 1970s through a meeting of rock, funk and African rhythms, and her connection is personal: her uncle George Kunda was a founding member of Zambian psychedelic rock band WITCH (We Intend to Cause Havoc).
“Can’t Hold Us”, featuring her sister Mwanjé, gave listeners their first introduction to this direction. On “Simon Says”, she takes aim at the pressure on artists to look and behave as the music business expects, while “Location” questions why the global appetite for African music isn’t matched by opportunities for its creators. There’s musical heritage here, but Sampa has plenty to challenge in the present.
Ana Huang’s New Romance Puts a Goalkeeper Off His Game ⚽📚
Ana Huang’s latest sports romance, The Keeper, brings goalkeeper and single dad Noah Wilson a problem he can’t solve on the pitch. He needs a nanny for his daughter. Carina Vu needs a job. His attraction to her is going to make the arrangement considerably less straightforward.
Carina has spent years saving for a trip to Antarctica, only for an emergency to wipe out her funds. Working for Noah offers a way to rebuild her savings, provided they can keep things professional. The third book in Huang’s Gods of the Game series is out now in paperback (£10.99). Antarctica may have to wait; the tension clearly won’t.
That’s this week’s reading, listening and browsing accounted for. We’ll be back next week with more to explore.
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