Wake up shabby heads! To mark the return of flowering blooms and the internet’s reckoning with Magnolia Pearl, we’re drawing back the aged lace curtains on your mom’s favorite aesthetic: shabby chic! We investigate shabby chic’s Old World origins, its popularization by Portobello Road elite Rachel Ashwell, and its various contemporary forms — from TJ Maxx faux-distressed decor to New Orleans crust-twees. Plus, we reflect on Galliano’s homeless-inspired collection, stealth wealth and recessioncore, and Grimes sailing down the Mississippi in a DIY houseboat. Wishing you all a shabby chic summer!

Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic (1996)
Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic TV episode on Roses (2000)

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