Cornwall

It&#8217;s tough times right now for high street fashion retailers but two new mid-market, London-based, online-only brands have launched in the last couple of weeks and they both look promising.
First up is <a href="https://palonesofficial.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Palones</a>, from Carmel Clothing, a design collective you won&#8217;t have heard of but whose work you&#8217;ll know as they create clothes for numerous big-hitters on the high street. Now they&#8217;ve launched their own label, Palones, with pieces ranging from £35 to £250, mostly made from archive fabrics and leftover fabric donated to London College of Fashion. Sizing is a big focus &#8211; the design team use whizzy 3D software to ensure perfect fit, there&#8217;s a comprehensive size guide online and you receive a complimentary tape measure with your first order.
Certain pieces are limited edition, with runs of only 100 &#8211; which means no more turning up to a party and seeing three other people wearing the same dress. We also like the attention to detail that allows lots of styling options &#8211; the sleeves on the trench coat, below, for example, can be worn at various lengths, while the grey hoodie has a detachable inner hood.
<a href="https://palonesofficial.com/collections/all/products/aurora-angel-sleeve-maxi-dress-black" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black print maxi dress</a>, £99
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96597" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/palones-dress.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1355" />
<a href="https://palonesofficial.com/collections/all/products/kimmi-deconstructed-trench-tan-and-check" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deconstructed trench</a>, £185
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96601" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/palones-trench.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1369" />
<a href="https://palonesofficial.com/collections/all/products/detachable-hood-sweat-grey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Detachable hood sweatshirt</a>, £69
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96598" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/palones-jumper.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1451" />
<a href="https://palonesofficial.com/collections/blouses-shirts/products/janny-oversized-shirt-leopard-print" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oversized leopard-print shirt</a>, £99
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96600" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/palones-top.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1349" />
<a href="https://palonesofficial.com/collections/dresses-jumpsuits/products/pleated-shirt-dress-khaki" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Khaki shirt dress</a>, £120
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96599" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/palones-dress-2.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1364" />
<a href="http://www.harpenne.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Harpenne</a>, meanwhile, is a more sophisticated line from the home of teen favourite River Island  (although interestingly they&#8217;re playing that connection down). Price points are similar to Palones, ranging from £25 to £250, and again there&#8217;s an emphasis on fitting and flattering all body shapes. They don&#8217;t reveal their target age range (fashion brands never do) but the first collection certainly looks like it ticks a lot of boxes for busy midlife women, with versatile, grown-up pieces that can be styled up or down depending on your schedule for the day ahead.
<a href="https://harpenne.com/collections/most-wanted/products/animal-print-lace-midi-dress" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Animal print/ lace midi-dress</a>, £89
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96605" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/harpenne-dress.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" />
<a href="https://harpenne.com/collections/most-wanted/products/black-cream-reversible-faux-shearling-coat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reversible shearling coat</a>, £249
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96604" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/harpenne-coat.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" />
<a href="https://harpenne.com/collections/dresses-jumpsuits/products/green-military-satin-jumpsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Green jumpsuit</a>, £119
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96607" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/harpenne-jumpsuit.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" />
<a href="https://harpenne.com/collections/shirts-blouses/products/burgundy-lace-trim-top" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burgundy lace trim blouse</a>, £50
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96603" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/harpenne-blouse.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" />
<a href="https://harpenne.com/collections/womens-jackets/products/navy-leather-jacket" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Navy leather biker jacket</a>, £269
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96606" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/harpenne-jacket.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" />
It&#8217;s interesting that both new brands have chichi European-sounding names (just as we&#8217;re about to leave the EU of course). I&#8217;d hazard a guess they&#8217;re hoping to follow in the footsteps of hotshot online Parisian line, Sézane. They&#8217;re both ones to watch, I reckon. Let me know what you think &#8211; and if anything sneaks into your basket.
Words <a href="https://twitter.com/Kerry_Potter">@Kerry_Potter</a>

New London labels

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