Fashion Design Schools: Frida Kahlo’s Fashion, A Quilting Collab, And My New Specs

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Frida Kahlo’s Fashion, A Quilting Collab, And My New Specs

CHIOMA NNADI

HEAD OF EDITORIAL CONTENT, BRITISH VOGUE

I’d be remiss to not mention the big news of the week up top: John Galliano will be the subject of the Costume Institute exhibition next spring! I, for one, am thrilled for what’s in store. Thanks to my friends at One of a Kind Vintage on Portobello Road, I’ve been lucky enough to wear several pieces from Galliano’s time at Dior and they have to be some of the most exquisite dresses ever. In the meantime, we await the designer’s much-anticipated Zara with bated breath!

Elsewhere, I’m crossing off some urgent matters on my fashion to-do list: namely, finding a good pair of glasses. Art and fashion collide this week, too: first with Frida Kahlo, and then with the gorgeous works of the Gee’s Bend quiltmakers.

Surrendering to specs

As a kid I always loved the idea of glasses. Somehow the promise of a nerdy accessory was endlessly alluring to me – maybe because I didn’t actually need to wear them? Now that I actually require specs in order to see things clearly, I’m considerably less excited. After losing my reading glasses 18 months ago, I’ve been powering through, looking at the world through a slightly smudged lens – that squinty-eyed auntie who inspects the menu under the light of her iPhone. Something had to give! Fortunately there are several stylish spectacle-wearing staffers on British Vogue’s fashion team, including Charlotte Rutter, who recommended I try Jimmy Fairly. I find aviator styles suit my face the best – especially those with a slightly retro bent – and I knew this pair was a winner the moment I put them on. Am I ready to wear them full-time? Not beyond the office. Who knows, though? Baby steps…

New collab alert

Image may contain: Clothing, Coat, Blazer, Jacket, Formal Wear, Suit, Adult, Person, Flower, Plant, Rose, and Pants

I’ve always been a sucker for a good handmade quilt. In my opinion, they’re heirlooms – and totally underrated. So, when I discovered the quilts of Gee’s Bend artists while living in the States some years back, I was immediately hooked. The craft is over a hundred years old, and has been passed down through generations to a community that still thrives today. I’ve always wanted to have one of the museum-worthy pieces myself. And now I can. Well, sort of! As part of its artist-in-residence program, Ralph Lauren has partnered with Gee’s Bend artists Claudia Pettway Charley and Loretta Pettway Bennett on a limited-edition capsule of clothing and homeware that launches this month. In other news, the new Denim Tears collab with André Leon Talley’s estate – as modelled by the fantastic designers Andre Walker and Edward Buchanan – is pretty great, too.

Frida’s style

The blockbuster Frida Kahlo show at the Tate has been billed as summer’s must-see exhibit, and I finally made the pilgrimage last week. The museum’s third floor galleries were literally humming with people when I got there after nabbing one of the last available tickets that day. (Note to hardcore Kahlo fans: the show, though riveting, is light on works by the artist herself and more of an homage to her global influence.) As a fashion obsessive, Kahlo’s fastidious approach to personal style has always fascinated me. The pieces of clothing on display, many which speak to her commitment to traditional Mexican dress, are spellbindingly beautiful and well worth a closer look. Ditto the orthopedic corsets that she customised and decorated with floral embellishments. Kahlo never allowed her disabilities to hold her back from joyous self-expression – something I find thoroughly life-affirming.