124/ 7 Creatives Share Their Fall Wishlist
Really, just an excuse to highlight some of the great artists I follow.
As the sub-title says!
Before I get to our artists, just a heads up that I ran out of the CAKE invites that were embedded into last week’s newsletter. Since then, CAKE has given me a few more, which you can access by clicking on the link directly on the website (not in your email). If you’ve already made a purchase on the platform, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
1) Jeanine Brito, painter
In 2011, I interviewed Jeanine for an internship position at the start-up fashion magazine I left law for (RIP The Genteel). Barely out of her teens, the German-born, Toronto native already had an impressive digital design portfolio under her belt, along with — what I sensed was — a precocious assuredness in her creative vision. Since then, I’ve watched her path from afar, including running the online fashion magazine, Sophomore, and a stint as art director for the Globe and Mail (Canada’s paper of record).
Through all this, Jeanine was dabbling in painting, as she had been since her school days in Calgary. In early 2022, she quit her job to paint full-time and posted some of her paintings on Instagram. They were an immediate hit, with galleries such as La Causa in Madrid, Huxley-Parlor in London and Nicodim in Los Angeles reaching out for exhibitions.
Just one year later, in a true pinch-me moment, French fashion house Nina Ricci contacted her via DM asking the artist to reinterpret the brand’s archival symbols to mark the beginning of a new chapter with Harris Reed at the helm. The results were three paintings by Jeanine used for promotional materials and, eventually, on two dresses that walked down the runway during the brand’s FW23 show:
On Jeanine’s fall wishlist: Jeffrey Campbell’s Lita booties.
Ever since my Saturn return, I find myself more and more drawn to the clothes I loved to play dress-up when I was a girl. Big, princess-y dresses and other voluminous shapes have been at the centre of my wardrobe for the last four years, and the chunky footwear of my preteen years now manifest as platform clogs and engineer boots.
Lately I’ve been daydreaming about Jeffrey Campbell Litas, the absurdly hoof-like boots every fashion blogger wore around 2010, 2011. The proportions are so delightfully wrong! My after-school mall wages weren’t enough to get a pair at the time, but now all the fashion resale sites are full of Litas waiting for sentimentalists like me to snap them up. In fact, I just ordered some on Vinted.
2) Annie Dabir, graphic designer & art director
I discovered
’s Substack, , whilst scrolling my Notes feed (as one does). The Nashville-based art director detailed her thought process behind crafting the visual identity of Rhode’s launch of an olive martini lip tint — a dreamed-up gig for a fictitious product. I was fascinated by the exercise (talk about visualizing your goals!) and it led me to her other fantasy rebranding piece, this time for Glossier and its now-adulting Millennial demographic. Annie is full creativity and enthusiasm; Rhode and Glossier: I hope you’re paying attention!
On Annie’s fall wishlist: Cowichan Cardigan Jacket from
.For me, fall is completely defined by jackets. They are the centerpiece of every outfit. I am really into these Cowichan Cardigan Jackets from Old Stone Trade because they are hand knit, beautiful, and will be perfect to pair to transition my summery slip dresses to fall!
3) Lindsay Adams, artist & writer
Lindsay is a Chicago-based artist, writer and advocate who first entered my orbit on Instagram because of her outfits. Since then, I’ve come to appreciate the whole of her beautiful complexity. Through the lens of her experiences as a Black American woman living with cerebral palsy, her art is reflection and extension of self, while also examining the complex fabric of social dynamics by probing into themes such as ableism, misogynoir, colourism, and other forms of oppression.
On Lindsay’s fall wishlist:
Fall is by far my favorite season. There is something special about the brisk breeze in the air in the morning and the warm sun in the afternoon. To visually witness the change and falling of leaves, offers space for reflection and reset.
A few items I’m adding to my wardrobe this fall, which I actually just snagged from a vintage sale here in Chicago are leather goods! We snagged a vintage brown leather cropped vest, a black pair of Harley Davidson leather pants, and a beautiful vintage brown leather bomber jacket, with the added touch of some Harley pins.
The nice thing about leather is that I can wear it from fall to spring, and can dress it up or down. I got some leather shorts from COS a few years ago, and they remain a wardrobe staple.
4) Helene Blanche, textile designer
As design trends shifted from the excess of the ‘70s and ‘80s towards a clean and minimal aesthetic, many of us spent the better part of the millennium peeling off wallpaper in favour of inoffensive greige paint.
I’ve always loved wallpaper and I’m pleased to see that it’s making a comeback. I’m especially drawn to heritage prints and texture, and as the years pass, we’re slowly adding more wallpaper to our home: an accent wall in our previous home, and a moody espresso seagrass in our current sitting room. Slowly, because it’s expensive! Gah.
It’s easy to see why I’m drawn to Helene’s original fabric and wallpaper collections. She sources her silk from Italy, linen and cotton from Belgium, and all wallpapers are produced by a long line of English craftspeople.
On Helene’s fall wishlist: Palmgren’s signature Tall Rattan Bag.
I have fallen in love with Palmgren’s signature Tall Rattan Bag, a modern- classic created with the utmost respect for artistry and sustainability; it is a genuinely graceful piece created with attention to detail. I love the mix of rattan and vegetable tanned calf leather, its elegant and timeless, and easy to mix into the wardrobe, a very understated and chic design.
5) Eleanor Cording-Booth, journalist, interior stylist & creative consultant
Writer, interior stylist and creative consultant
was another delightful Substack discovery on Notes. In , Eleanor shares recommendations on hotels, interiors and personal style from her home in the Barbican, London’s iconic Brutalist residential complex, where she has lived for the past decade.Some interiors-savvy readers may recognize the “cult lampshade” (per British Vogue) she designed during the COVID lockdown. In 2020, Eleanor collaborated with Alex John of Munro and Kerr, makers of handmade lampshades, to create the Wavy lampshade (available in two sizes and multiple colour ways!):
On Eleanor’s fall wishlist: On the hunt for her dream coat!
I’ve been wearing the same long wool coat since 2017 and it’s looking tired now, plus I’m extremely tired of seeing it. I’ve been looking for the perfect replacement for four years – I wish I were joking. It doesn’t help that I’m extremely indecisive and detail-obsessed, so I know exactly what I want, I just can’t find it.
This future dream coat should have a raglan sleeve because I always think it’s such a relaxed and flattering cut, plus a button fastening that goes right up to the neck because I'm always freezing! I’d prefer single-breasted as it makes for a nicer shape when worn open and I like the look of two visible front pockets (either patch or flap style). I hate belted winter coats as they’re so unflattering over multiple layers, so it should have a gently oversized, straight cut so I can wear a chunky knit underneath, plus a generous sleeve width without being theatrical. Nothing worse than stuffing hefty knitwear into slim sleeves and cutting off your circulation at the elbow! The wool should be heavy enough to have a beautiful drape and it should be below knee-length but not down to the ankle (I live in London and a lot of rain is splattered up from shoe heels here).
I still dream of a particular checked Chloe coat from about a decade ago, it was an autumnal colour combination (I’m a redhead with an October birthday, so that’s my season) and it had a rounded collar and loose blouson sleeves. I sorely regret not buying the Raey (RIP) raglan sleeve coat a few years ago, specifically the first iteration where the belt was only at the back and not functional. COS and Arket do a version of it every winter but the weight and cut aren’t quite as good. Last winter I fell in love with an oversized wool coat in Margaret Howell that I couldn’t afford but it was the kind of piece that would improve your entire outfit. I held out for the sales but it didn’t even last that long. The search continues!
Note to Eleanor: I can totally relate to your love for the Raey coat!!! See: the Raey Coat saga. I also didn’t buy it at first, then found it on TRR…have faith!
6) Caroline Popham, artist
In 2022, after meeting Caroline through the Tibi Fans facebook group, I found myself standing in her London studio surrounded by three of the coolest girls in London (hi Isabelle and Leslie!).
Caroline had a long career as a graphic designer with storied clients such as Louis Vuitton, Dior & Manolo Blahnik before transitioning into art full-time in 2016.
Primarily working with paint and collage, Caroline creates compositions with multilayered narratives that represent her way of seeing. She has exhibited across the UK and Europe as well as working with British fashion brand Chinti & Parker on a knitwear collaboration, and the ultra-chic Saint-Raphaël hotel, Les Roches Rouges, on a mural project.
Most recently, Caroline’s original works are featured in Il Dolce Far Niente, a book by photographer Lucy Laucht, and their joint exhibition continues until September 28 at 8 Holland Street Flagship, St James's Park. If you’re in London, consider dropping by!
On Caroline’s fall wishlist: Alex Eagle classic cashmere crew neck, Tibi melee crepe long sleeve cropped top
If I’m being sensible then I would replenish/upgrade my most worn item from last fall/winter which is a simple black round neck sweater. I would go for something in maybe navy or charcoal. Something I have on order and I feel would be a little more refined is the melee top from Tibi with the curved hem.
As a sidenote, I watched the Thomas Crown affair recently and loved Rene Russo’s wardrobe (Celine, pre-Phoebe). I like the idea of taking inspiration in this way for the next season.
7) Caitlin Cronenberg, photographer, filmmaker & creative director
I met the multi-talented, Toronto-based artist at the festive launch party for Words of Mouth Inc., a visual art brand for which she is creative director.
As a photographer, her cinematic style editorial and celebrity portrait work has been featured in publications such Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, W Magazine, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, People Magazine, among others. She’s also published two photography books: POSER in 2010, and The Endings in 2018, a series of portraits depicting actresses at the end of relationships which is now in development to become a television series. Most recently, Caitlin released her first feature-length film, HUMANE, a post-apocalyptic thriller to critical acclaim:
On Caitlin’s fall wishlist: Nothing! But, she recently made a big change:
I first dyed my hair pink on a total whim, a week before one of the most important moments in my career (premiering my feature film HUMANE) because it just felt right. It’s bold, rebellious, but still very much me. It’s not about fitting in; it’s about standing out with intention and the colour brings a sense of energy and edge that I love. Something that lets me express myself without saying a word.
Such a wonderful round-up of incredible women. Loved this piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, Irene! Wishlists that focus on people rather than products are always so inspiring.
I love Eleanor's detailed description of the coat she's looking for. I always appreciate that type of attention to specifics.