Welcome to our monthly need-to-know list of all the latest and greatest releases that should be on your radar.
Here at ES Best, we’ve got our ear to the ground and are constantly looking for the newest fashion, events, and food and drink, so you don’t have to.
With a full time job, busy social life, and ever-growing Instagram feed, it can be hard to keep up with all the shiny newness out there. From sell-out collections, to limited edition collaborations, with exclusive events and brand new store unveilings in between, we’ve got you covered so you don’t miss out on a thing.
The school holidays are officially underway, and whether you’re jetting off or enjoying summer in the city, you might be looking for fun (and free) things to keep the kids occupied. Don’t forget while you’re organising their summer schedule that September will roll around before you know it - get organised with our school uniform shopping list for primary and secondary students.
Festival season is still going strong with the likes of Wilderness, Boomtown, Boardmasters and Reading and Leeds taking place in various patches of green around the country. Make sure you’re dressed to compete with the best of them by taking a look at our best festival outfits edit for inspo. Whether you decide to go full space cowgirl or rugged and comfy, there’s one thing you don’t want to leave home without: your camping essentials! And if you’re planning on hitting one of the London one-dayers - Field Day, All Points East and Notting Hill Carnival are this month’s headline attractions - make sure you’re ready for pre and post-parties with our best alcohol deals roundup.
And in between all this revelry, a glittering raft of new launches, fresh collabs and exciting shopping drops to make this month one to remember.
If you’re ever at a loss for something to do on the weekend, or need to scratch the retail therapy itch, we’ll be keeping this page up-to-date all month long; best add it to your bookmarks so you’ve got the insider’s guide right at your fingertips.
Ready? Let’s get to it.
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Levi’s x Studio Ghibli
The debate over whether fashion is art or art is fashion has come to a head over at Levi’s who has teamed up with Japan’s Studio Ghibli to release a collection centred on the cult movie, Princess Mononoke.
Taking the film’s themes of nature and weaving it across Levi’s classic denimware, the collection is full of beautiful wearable pieces that blend two cultural heavyweights.
Buy now, Levi's
Decathlon launches rent-a-tent service
We’ve had fashion rentals and designer bag rentals, now it’s time for: tent rentals.
Sports and outdoor specialist Decathlon has launched Tent Rentals, a brand new service that allows you to hire a temporary canvas home for as little as £10 for three days. The rotation currently has 11 options to choose from with varying degrees of comfort and size to best suit your outdoor adventure, be it camping with the kids or heading for the festival ground.
The service puts sustainability at the forefront, allowing you to hire a tent without forking out for new, and freeing up space in your home.
Buy now, Decathlon
Le Creuset unveils colour of the season
... and it’s Nectar! A cheerful sunny yellow inspired by summer sunsets and delicious honey, nectar will feature in Le Creuset’s line-up of hero kitchen essentials, from skillets and casserole dishes to its famous cast iron pots.
The rich hue scores highly on the dopamine decor trend with a spokesperson saying: “As feel-good interiors are on the rise and homes increasingly become a representation of ourselves, we want to continue to be bold with colour and provide showstopping cookware that allows people to express themselves. Nectar’s warm, honey-tone hue will bring a golden glow to homes, becoming the centrepiece of making memories to last a lifetime.”
It’s as perfect for light summer cooking now as it will be for warming autumnal stews in a few months.
Buy now, Selfridges
Edge of Ember x Iram Shelton
Jewellery box looking a little... dated? Cult jewellery brand Edge of Ember is here to feed your magpie-esque addiction with a fresh new collaboration, this time with nail artist Iram Shelton.
The celebrity favourite, who is currently doing a residency at the Bulgari hotel spa in Knightsbridge, has helped create a hand chain and ring collection designed to enhance the look of your next mani.
Rings come in 18k gold plate on recycled sterling silver while the hand chain is made in 9k gold. Perfect for stacking or wearing solo, they’ll revive your personal collection as we head into the autumn months.
Available from August 4.
Buy now, Edge of Ember
Ninja goes for air frying gold
Arguably the king of home air frying, Ninja Kitchen has released its largest capacity machine yet.
The Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer is a beast, capable of making meals for eight people or more and with a removeable divider to turn two baskets into one huge 10.4L drawer called the MegaZone.
Dramatic much? Maybe, but it will make cooking for crowds a much, much easier task.
Buy now, Amazon
Do you take thee... Popeyes?
The US food chain is attempting to put the chic in chicken by offering a wedding catering service for your nuptials or as the guilty pleasure at the wedding reception. The ‘Wings & Rings’ menu will offer piles of Popeyes’ famous chicken with enough to feed 150 guests.
The questions is, will you say ‘I Do?’. Say yes and you’ll be in good company. A host of A-listers love Popeyes: Beyonce and Jay-Z even had buckets of the delicious chicken at their 2008 wedding.
The hotline is open now with bookings until Dec 2024, but to celebrate the launch, Popeyes is giving one couple the chance for free catering, plus a year’s supply of its Chicken Sandwiches.
Buy now, Popeye
Morley’s x Heinz raising fried chicken Standard
In additional fried chicken news, a South London institution is crossing the Thames for a very special pop-up this month.
From August 4 - September 3, chicken shop chain Morley’s is teaming up with condiment king Heinz to launch a new sauce, to be served up alongside a menu of elevated fried chick faves - think caviar topped fried chicken, glazed-to-order wings and ice cream sundaes powdered with Heinz Ketchup sherbet - at The Standard Hotel in King’s Cross. It will also be the only place to wrap your lips around Morley’s x Heinz Fried Chicken Sauce, made to be fried chicken’s BFF.
The pop-up will be complete with music, a prize-giving arcade machines, and of course, generous helpings of the Standard’s legendary views. Booking opens from August 7.
Buy now, Standard
