032: ISAMAYA FFRENCH

lives in Ottolinger moon boots.

Nov 16, 2023

On Tuesday evening, I stopped by the opening of the Bode women’s store in downtown Manhattan. I am excitedly anticipating the day that I buy my first Emily Bode-designed piece (maybe I’ll start with the shoes?), but for now I enjoyed seeing the brand’s bespoke vision and the community it draws come to life in this new space. It’s great to see niche, personal New York City brands thriving right now. Beverly’s, the chic homewares pop-up started by stylist Beverly Nguyen, has found a permanent home on Orchard Street - I plan to check it out immediately. And Commission, another favorite of mine, just launched a collaboration with Paul Smith that further explores their themes of intergenerational style. It’s making me wonder if I need an oversized polo sweater like this one (or this one, or this one, while we’re at it). The sweater vest has been on my list for a while.

For this week’s letter, I spoke to the iconic British makeup artist and true original, Isamaya Ffrench, about her daily wardrobe - a worthwhile trip across the pond. Read on!

Isamaya Ffrench is one of the most visionary and exciting makeup artists working in the beauty industry today. You may have seen her work on Rihanna, or Madonna, or on the runways of Vivienne Westwood. Over the last decade, Isamaya has maintained pivotal consultancy roles at iconic beauty companies, like Tom Ford and YSL. She was the brains behind Byredo’s much-lauded makeup collection in 2020 and has collaborated with every major editorial magazine, including W and Vogue. Isamaya launched her eponymous makeup collection in 2022 and has since amassed a cult-like following. Her makeup is known for its high-performance formulations and for its tongue-in-cheek designs (penis-shaped lip balms and pierced glosses have been quite the hit). Her just-launched lip set is sure to be high on the beauty-fanatic’s gift list this season.

Isamaya puts an unconventional twist on everything she touches - her wardrobe is no exception. I asked her to tell me all about it.

Unless I’m going out to an event, when it comes to winter my choice of clothing totally relies on wether or not they could pass as pajamas. It’s so cold in the evenings now anything that can double up as daywear and sleepwear is perfect.

My Ottolinger padded moon boots are perfect for keeping cozy and looking a bit unhinged in equal measure. I also just bought a pair of Rains waterproof trousers in a dark grey that could pass as casual wear but will also protect me from the rain on my walk to Pilates. Reformer Pilates has become such a daily part of my life that I like to wear things that could work on the machine, but also work for a meeting, so I love Wardrobe.NYC leggings that sculpt the butt and waist. They’ve just put out a velvet collection that still feels cozy even though it shows a lot of skin.

Shoes are my favorite part of my wardrobe! I have grown quite an epic collection of Cruda shoes- my new obsession. They’re based in Mexico and have the most incredible designs and finishes, like faux croc and snake! They are essential to my every day, I feel they are me embodied in a shoe.

I really love YAZ XL - she’s a London based designer who makes a lot of bespoke pieces for her clients. Totally wild and inspired by texture and colors in nature, I just bought a black cap that has a faux crocodile tail that goes down to my bum!

I also love shopping at Universal Providers on Goldborne Road they have an amazing archive of KTZ clothes.