The fashion briefing

Outfit of the week This column makes no bones about the fact that it is fond of glasses and former interior designer Iris Apfel is one woman who gives good frame. She also has a pair of these saucer-style babies in red, which she wears with matching lipstick. The rest of Iris’s look is a marvellous treat. Her tunic-style top in block yellow is a triumph and she wears it with simple, wide-leg trousers – as discussed last week, this tunic-trouser look is making a comeback. Then there’s her approach to jewels: pile them high and let it all just happen. Last but by no means least, Iris sports a silver pixie crop. Rocking. Photograph: Andy Kropa/Getty Images North America Smell of the week When the fashion desk sniffed Owari, a unisex fragrance from New York ­fashion store ODIN, there were ­unanimous ­mutterings of “gorgeous”. This does not occur often. Its elegant citrus whiff, which features green mandarin from Japan, has a little bitter kick. For reasons unknown, it reminds The Briefing of a wearable salad dressing, but don’t let that put you off. There are three other fragrances in this ­family, including Petrana, a green ­vetiver. Go forth and inhale. £99 for 100ml, available 26 May, from Liberty, liberty.co.uk Photograph: PR Front-row action Next month is all about discovering the next big thing as graduate fashion fills the calendar. If you fancy an hour or so of pure energy, hopefully with a side of bonkers, buy a ticket to the Royal ­College of Art’s MA show on 1 June. At the college that trained Ossie Clark, ­Burberry’s Christopher Bailey, Erdem and Chloé’s new creative director Clare Waight Keller, the talent-spotting should be top notch. Zara Gorman, a 2010 graduate, wowed with her sculptural, witty head pieces ­(pictured), which now sell at Harrods. www.rca.ac.uk/fashiontickets , ­020-7590 4566 Photograph: PR Holiday spirit Come May don’t you find yourself fantasising about designer beach towels? Well, The Briefing does. This year’s towel of dreams is by Ralph ­Lauren Home and features a rather ­wonderful giraffe. Though if you’re not a giraffe person, the label also has cheetah and a zebra. £80, ralphlaurenhome.com Photograph: Vertis Communications/PR Bag of the moment Boxy handbags are not going ­anywhere. That statement is based on extensive research into a very fashionable genre. This Raoul ­version is miles ahead of its rivals because it walks the fine, navy-blue line ­between Margaret Thatcher and any given fashion editor with aplomb. Plus, it’s called Janice, which sounds fabulously subversive. £230, raoul.com Photograph: PR