US poet laureate of style Ralph Lauren opens New York fashion week

Unabashedly grand collection featuring velvet and beading is teamed with knits and loafers to reflect fashion in the real world right now

Ralph Lauren is the US’s poet laureate of style. His brand came of age in a gilded era of American charm, when Bill Clinton was president, the economy was booming and the twin towers glittered on the Manhattan skyline. His clothes speak to an America of sportsmanship and vigour, where everyone has a firm handshake and perfect teeth.

The US could use some poetry right now, and Lauren is still the man. In fact, at 86, he is the hottest designer at New York fashion week.

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Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: the easiest shortcut to chic? Jeans with heels

The combination of denim with heels is more than a trend – it elevates both you and your look

On the Notes app on my phone, among the to-do lists and the half-drafted email replies, I have a random list called Things That Are Just Always Chic. Wearing a watch that only tells the time. Having a signature scent. Black Ray-Ban sunglasses. All-white flowers in a vase. Also: wearing jeans with high heels.

Jeans with heels gets me every time. The woman who walks into the room in jeans and heels looks as if she owns the place, in a good way. It is a style language that speaks to everyone, confident and direct, a woman who is on top of her brief but also fun. The impact is stronger than a casual outfit, more compelling than a formal one.

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Sali Hughes on beauty: moisturisers for combination skin are rare – these are some of the best

Surprisingly few products cater for people with a mixture of dry, balanced and oily skin. The ones that do shoulld be key to your regime

Given that combination is probably the most common skin type, it’s frustratingly under-served, especially when it comes to moisturisers.

In practice, day creams, lotions and gels marketed for those with a combination of dry, balanced and oily areas often only play to the latter condition. They add no oil and shine to the chin, nose and forehead, but offer only fleeting comfort to tight, parched areas around the cheeks.

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‘Every shirt has a story’: the designers saving football kits from landfill

The beautiful game has a fast fashion problem, with clubs bringing out multiple kits every season. But a move towards upcycling old shirts and wearing vintage garments is on the rise

It may have been a quiet January transfer window, but even so, thousands of new shirts will be printed for Lucas Paquetá, returning to his former Brazilian club Flamengo, while his West Ham shirt instantly feels old. Not to mention the thousands of other players moving from one club to another. Uefa estimates that up to 60% of kits worn by players are destroyed at the end of the season, and at any one time there are thought to be more than 1bn football shirts in circulation, many of which are discarded by fans once players leave.

The good news is that lots of designers are bringing their upcycling skills to old kits, taking shirts and shirring them, sewing them or, as in the case of designer and creative director Hattie Crowther, completely transforming them into one-of-a-kind headpieces. “I’m not here to add more products into the mix, I’m here to reframe what’s already in circulation and give it meaning, context, and longevity while staying culturally relevant,” says Crowther, whose creations involving the colours and emblems of Arsenal, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, are, she says, “a response to how disposable football product has become”.

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‘A statement about power shifting’: why Bad Bunny wore Zara for his Super Bowl show

Puerto Rican musician is one of the industry’s most visually savvy performers

• Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show review – a thrilling ode to Boricua joy

Of the many cultural flashpoints in Bad Bunny’s half-time performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, one that few observers saw coming was his decision to wear not one but two outfits by the Spanish high street brand Zara.

As the most-watched event on US television, the half-time performance is a marketing moment for the stars. From Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal to Kendrick Lamar’s show-stealing jeans, the 13-minute showcase has often been replete with luxury fashion.

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