Racil
Racil Chalhoub is the partywear designer of the moment. After starting the Racil brand in 2015, the Lebanese designer has quickly infiltrated the most fashion-forward wardrobes of the world. However, what we love most about Racil’s designs is her reworking of classics – such as the tux jacket – that seamlessly combine with your existing pieces, while adding her own bit of fairy dust. She also happens to be one of the most beautiful, talented women you could hope to meet, with a neon art collection to die for.
These trousers are from [Michael] Halpern’s first collection. They are so disco – I love them! I enjoy wearing them with one of my tuxedo jackets. It is also so nice to wear something by someone you know; we all have to support each other when we can. I’m going to wear them a few times with heels and then have them shortened and wear them out with my vintage Converse.
I have a habit of collecting things I really love or wear often. They become staples and then I use them for years, which makes me so happy. I get bored of It bags, so I only buy classic, timeless bags, fun evening clutches or straw baskets. Mark Cross is one of my favourite go-to brands, the craftsmanship is so beautiful and the bags are divine. I have dedicated two large shelves in my cupboard for all my bags; they are arranged by brand and size. I stuff them with their cloth bags so I can find them easily when I have to pack them in my suitcase.
A tux is so versatile; it can take you from day to night so easily. It is chic and effortless and yet you can dress it up or down. I think every woman should have a good tux in her wardrobe. I wear mine in full looks or the jacket with jeans and the trousers with a turtle neck.
I love clear storage boxes – they protect your items and it is so easy to see what you are looking for. I buy them from Muji and have all shapes and sizes. I store jewellery by category and then by colour or style. For instance here I have a drawer for my favourite earrings of the moment, one for everything turquoise or ethnic, one for high-summer earrings, and one for all my Rebecca de Ravenel ‘Les bonbons’ earrings, which are organised by colour (another thing I collect!).
This dress is part of my SS18 collection, which has just landed in stores. I love it; it is the perfect slip dress and so versatile. I wear it in so many different ways, either with biker boots and a large cashmere cardigan on top, or I layer it with a T-shirt – I also love wearing it with a tuxedo jacket and some heels. The velvet coat is one of our signature pieces, it feels like a massive hug.
I will admit that I can be a little bit lazy when it comes to the beauty department. I do try to do face masks, though, and now I can’t go to bed without applying eye cream (too many late nights). My favourite products are David Mallett hair serum, Malin + Goetz masks, and La Prairie eye cream. My make-up routine is pretty straight-forward: concealer, bronzer, some light pink blush by Mac. At night I will add brown mascara, and some eye shadow. My lips are either nude – I found the perfect shade at Laura Mercier – or dramatic red.
These shoes are by Manolo Blahnik and a stunning birthday present from one of my best friends. She and I just like to buy each other something that we would love the other person to have, it doesn’t matter what it is, or when it arrives (sometimes it can be a few months late). It doesn’t even have to be a surprise, it just has to be meaningful to us. For this pair, we were both in NYC and had our own Sex And The City moment – they are very Carrie!
I love nothing more than a cosy cashmere jumper. I keep them folded and colour-coordinated. Then they get sectioned by sweaters vs cardigans. My jeans are arranged by shape: flares, boyfriend, skinny, high-waisted and then by colour too.
I never look for jewellery, the pieces usually find me. When I fall in love with something I have to get it and know I will eventually find a way and time to wear it. I like large earrings or bold statement pieces. However my everyday fine jewellery is more delicate, as I never take it off.
Everything in my wardrobe is categorised and colour-coded – I need to be able to find things easily and also see as much as possible, as I am always in a rush for some reason. My tights for instance are organised by denier weight, my socks by colour and also shape… I love Falke, Wolford and Fogal.
Shoes! I have an obsession with fun, eccentric heels, they can brighten up any outfit. I always want to buy the fun shoe as opposed to the useful one. I think I’m a bit of an extremist like that, they are either classic stilettos or crazy heels – not much in between. I run around in trainers most days and often wear flats as I am quite tall, but I do love putting my heels on. I recently discovered how impactful they can be.
Those Salvatore Ferragamo shoes were love at first sight. I saw them in the advert and was obsessed with the shape and that suspension heel, but they only came in pink velvet. I imagined that they would be so cool in black, so I begged the store to have them made for me. And they did – I just had to wait about 10 weeks…
The trousers are part of my exclusive capsule collection for Matchesfashion.com. We took some of our signature styles and favourite colour palettes and played around. The pieces are fresh, playful and timeless. It is all part of reinventing the tuxedo in an unconventional and unexpected way.
Edgardo [Osorio] and I met on the fashion circuit a few years back and a friendship sparked right away. He is one of my favourite people on this planet and extremely talented. I have an extensive collection of Aquazzuras – his Forever Marilyn stiletto [pictured] is the most comfortable and flattering shape ever.
I love fun clutches for the evening. They add a bit of humour to an outfit and are also great conversation starters. My work bag is a large straw basket, and the only other large bags I own are for travel. I used to carry my life around in a huge handbag, but that has changed somewhat.