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Regarding Dua Lipa’s off-duty sartorial choices, one question must be asked: Does the pop sensation know how to do “casual”?
Arguably the most rudimentary and effortless of all the dress codes, the 27-year-old’s street-style ensembles are proving that irrespective of the occasion, the star is going to treat every outing as if she’s sitting front row at her own fashion show.
It’s this main character energy we’ve come to expect and love from the Leo songstress, with her evening looks, resort wear and even the running errands outfits (which, for a Grammy Award winner, include running around London in the rain on a shopping spree to Bottega Veneta and Gucci) an amalgam of established and emerging designer labels.
Even while on vacation in Greece, Lipa looked to back-to-back new-season Christopher Esber looks for her balmy Euro Summer holiday wardrobe.
But it’s Lipa’s latest outing that’s prompted this deep dive into her archives and made us wonder if she can ever sartorially switch off.
As a proponent of the sheer dressing movement and an adherent of sensual Y2K styles, Lipa offered her own eclectic spin on stealth wealth staples for a night out in London.
In pictures, which you can see here, the Service 95 founder opted for a starchy-white crisp button down shirt, a piece she tucked into a black leather belt and paired with classic denim jeans.
Though arguably more demure than her more frequent soirée looks, our attention was still piqued by the choice of footwear Lipa chose to wear on her outing to Marylebone’s star-studded Chiltern Firehouse. For the occasion, Lipa looked to the highly-coveted Maison Margiela Tabis in a Mary Jane-meets-ballet flat variation.
Though this twee shoe silhouette is certainly the obvious choice to complete her outfit, the cloven-hoof design brought a sort of prep-sleaze to Lipa’s nostalgic-laden personal aesthetic. If Lipa had opted for a pair of neon Rayban Wayfarers to block the camera flashes from the paparazzi, we wouldn’t have second guessed it if you told us the singer was cosplaying as one of The Cobrasnake’s photo subjects.
Of course, for those who are aware of the cult following of the Margiela Tabi, you’ll be aware there’s more to this split-toe style than meets the eye. Margiela’s Tabi is an avant-garde footwear style that subverts the 15th Century Japanese worker shoe style which, according to holistic reflexology, promotes balance in the wearer.
Considering Lipa’s penchant for yoga and wellness, it’s safe to say that Lipa is inadvertently using her clothing as a way to signal she is indeed the fashion doll (and not just the plastic Barbie doll she played in Greta Gerwig’s film).
Giving us a masterclass in fashion without even trying is definitely the antonym of the word casual, but fitting for her with an old-money academia look. Bravo, Dua, bravo.
Maison Margiela Tabi ankle-strap ballerina shoes, $1,345. SHOP NOW.
