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I like the cool, almost organic silver details on this affordable belt from Quince.

The belt is available sizes XS-XL in three colorways: black with silver (pictured), black with gold, and an espresso with gold; it’s $58 at Quince.

(Incidentally! The readers have been discussing whether you should always wear a belt when your pants have belt loops both here and here. For my $.02, I never wear a belt with jeans, but then I almost never tuck… I think the cleaner the tuck, the more the belt loops are on display, and the more it looks like you need a belt. On the flip side, if you’re wearing a sweater, T-shirt, or other untucked top then the belt loops don’t matter much.

I totally agree with the commenters who noted that a belt can interrupt an outfit, as well as be uncomfortable, but I think tailoring is the answer here — if you’re getting your pants tailored well enough that you don’t need a belt, it’s an easy fix to have the belt loops removed.)

Sales of note for 9/11:

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The WSJ recently had a helpful article, How to Press Your Case When Your Airplane Seat Gets Downgraded [gift link]. I thought it might be interesting to discuss here and share other business travel hacks!

Have you ever had your airplane seat downgraded, either when traveling for work or for fun? How did you handle it? More broadly, what are your best travel hacks for when things go wrong — delayed or canceled flights, lost luggage, missed connections, hotel problems, and other travel emergencies?

First, the WSJ’s advice –

What’s a traveler to do? Stay on top of your reservation and know your rights, whether you get advance notice of seat changes or find out at the airport, like Prati. Don’t just take it as another travel unpleasantry and move on. You might not get all you’re hoping for, or anything in some cases, but you should make your case.

The first step is to try to get ahead of any plane swaps and resulting seat downgrades when you find out in advance rather than at the last minute.

They quote one woman who says she checks her booked flights weekly and contacts the airline as soon as she notices a seat switch.

The WSJ also notes that you are entitled to a refund if your seat is downgraded through no fault of your own… but the rules are different and more complicated when you get downgraded from one cabin to another, and different rules apply depending on whether you’re leaving from the US (in which case murky DOT rules apply) or leaving from Europe or the UK (with clearer, more robust rules).

Readers, have you ever had that happen to you? How did you handle it?

Psst: We’ve discussed readers’ favorite items for business travel, tips for packing for a one-day business trip, and shared great gift ideas for people who travel often — as well as discussed top tips for frequent work travel over on CorporetteMoms.

Stock photo via Pexels / Gustavo Fring.

IAMISIGO, HAWII, HERTUNBA, DIMEJI ILORI, PEPPER ROW, Y’WANDE, EKI KERE, ORANGE CULTURE, TORLOWEI, TIFFANY AMBER and KILENTAR

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

Image Credit Brands on Instagram

Remember when African fashion was mostly seen as a source of inspiration for big luxury houses in Europe? Yeah, those days are done. It’s not that African design stopped being inspiring – far from it. It’s just that the spotlight has shifted. Actually, it’s flipped entirely.

African fashion has grown into a confident, powerful industry of trendsetters – one that’s now reshaping the global market rather than the other way around. A new generation of designers, from South Africa to Nigeria, Ivory Coast to Namibia, Morocco to Ghana, are building bold, awe-inspiring brands on their own terms. They’re not looking to Europe for validation anymore.

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

This shift is embodied by figures like Imane Ayissi, the first sub-Saharan African designer to be officially listed on the Paris Haute Couture calendar, and Thebe Magugu, the South African LVMH Prize winner whose work is stocked by major international retailers. IAMISIGO, led by Bubu Ogisi, has already gained international recognition as a semi-finalist for the 2026 LVMH Prize and winner of the 2025 Zalando Visionary Award for her innovative use of indigenous textiles like bark cloth and banana fibers. Ivorian designers such as Loza Maleombho and Ibrahim Fernandez have dressed global superstars like Beyoncé and Aya Nakamura, demonstrating that African brands can achieve international visibility while remaining rooted in their home cities. Designers like Yoshita 1967 (LVMH semi-finalist), Imprint South Africa (Afro-futurist aesthetic), Maxhosa Africa (South African designer with extraordinary patterned knits sold all over the globe) and La Maison Kanty’s (Ivorian savoir-faire) are also making waves.

At Y’Wande, Image Credit Y’Wande on Instagram

Africa is a huge continent with so many different cultures, but there’s a common thread that ties African fashion together. Above all, it’s the sheer, unrestrained joy of creating something beautiful – the explosion of colour, the fearless patterns, the tactility and textures of the clothes, the celebration of every body type, and the incredible craftsmanship rooted in ancient African heritage and culture.

Being under a brilliant African sun is an added bonus: it simply makes everything look bolder, more colourful and far more exhilarating!

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

Today, African fashion brands are rightfully demanding authorship and economic participation. Designers are pushing back against the old pattern where African aesthetics – mud cloth, indigo dyeing, kente weaving, the caftan silhouettes – got absorbed into European luxury collections with no credit or compensation for the people who originated them. As the industry rallies around stronger intellectual property protections and intra-African supply chains, African fashion is moving from simply being referenced to becoming a central, self-determining force in the global fashion economy.

At Tiffany Amber, Image Credit Tiffany Amber on Instagram

When these brands show at Fashion Weeks in European capitals – and plenty of them do – African design is without a shadow of a doubt more than able to its own. You can feel the joy in it. African fashion has indeed earned its place as a respected player on the international stage.

One of the most exciting hotspots for fashion today is Nigeria. We’ve homed in on a few of the innumerable inspiring fashion brands such as IAMISIGO, Hertunba, Dimeji Ilori, Torlowei, Kilentar, Pepper Row and Orange Culture as well as an outstanding Ethiopian brand, Hawii. Join us on a little journey of sun, colour, pattern and JOY!

At Hawii, Image Credit Hawii on Instagram

HERTUNBA

@hertunba

Founded in 2020 by Florentina Agu, Hertunba is a luxury Nigerian fashion label rooted in empowering the modern African woman (hence the “Her” in the title) with their tongue-in-cheek motifs, brilliant use of colour blocking and a celebration of all shapes and sizes.

The brand beautifully marries ancestral textiles like Akwete and Aso Oke with contemporary silhouettes. Production is via small-batches, upcycling, and collaboration with local artisans. This brand is a favourite of world celebrities, the likes of South African TV personality Bonang Matheba,

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

At Hertunba, Image Credit Hertunba on Instagram

HAWII

@_hawii_

Hawi is an Ethiopian brand that operates between Addis Ababa and Paris, exploring identity, emotion, and self-expression through their clothing, which is characterised by fluid, avant-garde silhouettes and graphic, tactile accents.

The brand gained international visibility through presentations in New York and Paris, and in 2025, Hawi was named African Fashion Up Winner for both Best Female Entrepreneur and Best Designer.

At Hawii, Image Credit Hawii on Instagram

At Hawii, Image Credit Hawii on Instagram

At Hawii, Image Credit Hawii on Instagram

DIMEJI ILORI

@dimejiilori

Founded in Lagos in 2021, Dimeji Ilori is part of an exciting new generation of Nigerian designers reshaping African luxury combining the art of ancient craftsmanship and storytelling. Exaggerated shapes, texture and colour all serve to explore identity, spirituality and collective memory.

Dimeji Ilori’s fashion truly is “wearable art; its “Afrowaste” philosophy transforms discarded and deadstock materials into elevated, one-of-a-kind luxury pieces.

At Dimeji IloriImage, Credit Dimeji Ilori on Instagram

At Dimeji IloriImage, Credit Dimeji Ilori on Instagram

At Dimeji IloriImage, Credit Dimeji Ilori on Instagram

At Dimeji Ilori, Image Credit Dimeji Ilori on Instagram

At Dimeji Ilori, Image Credit Dimeji Ilori on Instagram

PEPPER ROW

@pepperrow

Pepper Row is a luxe sustainable brand founded by Omafume Niemogha in 2018, based in Lagos – and one of the highlights of the fabulous bi-annual Lagos Fashion Week.

The brand merges Africa’s cultural heritage, arts, and craftsmanship – hand-painting, hand-dying, hand-weaving, wood-carving and using readily available materials – with modern influences, working with artisans in small communities.

At Pepper Row, Image Credit Pepper Row on Instagram

At Pepper Row, Image Credit Pepper Row on Instagram

At Pepper Row, Image Credit Pepper Row on Instagram

At Pepper Row, Image Credit Pepper Row on Instagram

IAMISIGO

@IAMISIGO

IAMISIGO, led by Bubu Ogisi, is without a shadow of a doubt on of the most exciting world brands today. IAMISIGO has already gained international recognition as a semi-finalist for the 2026 LVMH Prize and winner of the 2025 Zalando Visionary Award for her innovative use of indigenous textiles like bark cloth and banana fibers.

The brand’s aesthetic is visionary and transcends gender norms. The ingenious tactility, the clever use of volume, line and shape, the sheer magic of the creations is awe-inspiring – little the world all wants a piece of IAMISIGO today.

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

At IAMISIGO, Image Credit IAMISIGO on Instagram

EKI KERE

@eki_kere

Founded by Abasiekeme Ukanireh in 2020, Eki Kere is a Nigerian brand centred on sustainability and ethical practices. The brand’s core material is raffia, abundant in the founder’s hometown, and it partners with local artisans and craft cooperatives to preserve traditional techniques.

Fluid shapes, quirky cut-outs, a celebration of texture and colour and hand-dying methods all characterise this brand that simply makes one jump for joy.

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

At Eki Kere, Image Credit Eki Kere on Instagram

ORANGE CULTURE

@orangecultureng

Founded by Adebayo Oke-Lawal in 2011, Orange Culture is a Lagos-born luxe brand. Orange Culture effortlessly blends sculptural tailoring with bold patterning, hand-painting techniques and age-old African heritage wear.

The label also focuses on storytelling – the result is a brand that is not only striking but also very thought-provoking. And definitely infinitely covetable.

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

At Orange Culture, Image Credit Orange Culture on Instagram

TIFFANY AMBER

@tiffanyamberng

Nigerian designer Tiffany Amber, founded by Folake Coker in 1998, is a luxury fashion house that blends rich West African aesthetics with contemporary silhouettes.

The brand holds the distinction of being the first ready-to-wear label in Nigeria, and Folake Coker made history as the first Africa-based designer to showcase twice at New York Fashion Week. Known for its elegant, tactile and wearable occasion wear, Tiffany Amber is coveted by publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair.

At Tiffany Amber, Image Credit Tiffany Amber on Instagram

At Tiffany Amber, Image Credit Tiffany Amber on Instagram

At Tiffany Amber, Image Credit Tiffany Amber on Instagram

TORLOWEI

@torloweiworld

Founded in 2017 by Patience Torlowei, Torlowei is a Lagos-based label with the most strikingly feminine separates and delicate nightwear and lingerie. Romantic fabrics like silk, lace, crepe and chiffon are used to create most memorable pieces.

In 2014, a Torlowei dress named “Esther”, a stunning hand-painted gold silk dress named after her late mother, became the first piece of modern designer fashion to enter the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. More recently a Torlowei kaftan worn by the late André Leon Talley was acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and featured in its 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, further cementing the brand’s place in global fashion history.

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

The “Esther” gown. At Torlowei, Image Credit Torlowei on Instagram

KILENTAR

@kilentar

Kílẹ́ntàr is a Nigerian brand founded in 2020 by British-Nigerian designer Michelle Adepoju,

The brand magically blends traditional West African craftsmanship with contemporary design, working closely with female weavers in Burkina Faso and tie-dyers in Nigeria to create hand-woven and hand-dyed pieces using age-old techniques like Aso Oke weaving and Adiré tie-dye.

At Kilentar, Image Credit Kilentar on Instagram

At Kilentar, Image Credit Kilentar on Instagram

At Kilentar, Image Credit Kilentar on Instagram

For any questions/feedback regarding the above mentioned products/brands, please do contact us anytime by clicking here

A rare Claude Monet Iris auction is set to become one of the most closely watched art sales in Paris this October. Monet’s monumental Iris, painted in 1924-25, will headline a major Sotheby’s Paris auction with an estimate of €22 million to €30 million.

The painting comes from the historic Schlumberger collection and is one of four Monet works included in the sale. Its appearance at auction is particularly significant because the work has remained out of public view for decades and has reportedly never been publicly exhibited.

Claude Monet Iris Auction

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Claude Monet Iris Auction Could Reach €30 Million

The centrepiece of the sale is Claude Monet’s Iris, an expansive late-period painting inspired by the artist’s famous garden at Giverny.

Measuring almost six feet across, the work reflects Monet’s growing interest in colour, atmosphere, reflection and scale during the final years of his career.

Sotheby’s has given the painting an estimate of €22 million to €30 million, placing it among the most valuable works offered in the Paris auction.

The Claude Monet Iris auction will take place on 22 October 2026 as part of a wider 28-lot sale from the Schlumberger collection.

Why Claude Monet’s Iris Painting Is So Important

Claude Monet is best known for his water lilies, but irises were also an important subject in his later work.

At Giverny, Monet repeatedly painted flowers, water, trees and reflections while exploring how light and colour changed across different conditions.

In Iris, the boundaries between the flowers, water and reflected surroundings become less distinct. Rather than presenting a conventional garden scene, Monet creates an immersive composition dominated by colour and movement.

This approach helped give his later paintings a more experimental character and contributed to the growing appreciation of Monet’s final period.

Monet’s Late Giverny Works Took on a New Direction

By the 1910s and 1920s, Monet’s paintings had become increasingly free and expressive.

Instead of focusing on clearly defined objects, he used broader brushwork, layered colour and large-scale compositions to create a more atmospheric experience.

The Claude Monet Iris painting is a strong example of this transition.

Its large format and fluid handling of colour give the work a sense of abstraction, while still remaining rooted in the natural world of Monet’s garden.

Claude Monet Iris Auction paris

Four Claude Monet Paintings Feature in the Sotheby’s Sale

The Sotheby’s Paris auction will include four major Monet works from different periods of the artist’s career.

Iris, 1924-25

The headline work, Iris, carries an estimate of €22 million to €30 million.

It is the most valuable Monet in the sale and one of the most important paintings from the Schlumberger collection.

Saule Pleureur, 1918–19

Saule Pleureur depicts a weeping willow from Monet’s garden at Giverny.

The painting is characterised by energetic brushwork and intense colour, creating a more expressive interpretation of the landscape.

It has an estimated value of €9 million to €12 million.

La Maison à Travers les Roses, 1925–26

This late Monet work was painted during the final stage of his career and carries an upper estimate of approximately €3 million.

La Seine à Vernon, Arbres, 1894

Dating from 1894, La Seine à Vernon, Arbres represents an earlier phase in Monet’s career.

The painting has an upper estimate of around €1.8 million.

Together, the four works offer a broad view of Monet’s artistic development, from his earlier landscape painting to the increasingly experimental works of his final years.

The Story Behind the Schlumberger Collection

The paintings come from the collection of Jeanne Schlumberger, who built an important group of French artworks over several decades.

Parisian gallerist Katia Granoff played a major role in helping Schlumberger develop the collection.

In the 1950s, Granoff acquired paintings that had remained in Monet’s studio after his death. At the time, many of Monet’s late works were not valued as highly as the Impressionist landscapes that had already made him famous.

Over time, however, collectors and art historians began to reassess these later paintings.

Their bold use of colour, scale and atmosphere is now considered an important part of Monet’s legacy.

Sotheby’s Paris Auction Expected to Exceed €40 Million

The wider Schlumberger collection includes 28 lots and is expected to achieve more than €40 million.

Although Monet is the main attraction, the sale also features works by other important French artists.

Among them is Camille Claudel’s La Valse from 1895, which carries an estimate of around €400,000 to €600,000.

The sculpture is one of Claudel’s best-known compositions and depicts two figures moving together in an expressive dance.

Paul Cézanne Works Also Included

Several early works by Paul Cézanne will also be offered in the sale.

Three decorative panels originally formed part of a larger landscape composition created for Cézanne’s family home in Aix-en-Provence.

One of the most significant is La Ferme, which carries an estimate of approximately €600,000 to €800,000.

The presence of works by Monet, Cézanne and Claudel gives the auction broader significance beyond the headline Claude Monet Iris auction.

Why Monet’s Late Paintings Continue to Attract Collectors

Claude Monet remains one of the most recognisable and commercially significant artists in the international art market.

Collectors continue to show strong interest in works associated with his garden at Giverny, particularly paintings featuring water lilies, irises, trees and reflections.

His late paintings are especially important because they show how Monet continued to experiment with colour and composition even during the final years of his life.

The upcoming sale of Iris offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a large-scale work from this period.

A Rare Opportunity for the Art Market

The appearance of Iris at Sotheby’s is notable not only because of its estimated value but also because of its rarity.

Works of this scale and quality do not appear frequently at auction, particularly when they have remained in the same collection for decades.

With an estimate reaching €30 million, the painting is expected to draw significant attention from international collectors when the Sotheby’s Paris auction takes place in October.

Final Thoughts

The Claude Monet Iris auction will be one of the standout art-market events of October 2026.

Monet’s Iris combines the themes that defined his later career: flowers, water, reflection, movement and colour. Its monumental scale and long private history make its appearance at auction especially significant.

Alongside three other Monet paintings and important works by Cézanne and Claudel, the Schlumberger collection offers a rare look at some of the most influential names in French art.

The result of the sale on 22 October will show how the market responds to one of Monet’s most striking late-period works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the focus of the Claude Monet Iris auction?

The auction centres on Monet’s Iris from 1924–25, which is being offered by Sotheby’s Paris with an estimate of €22 million to €30 million.

When is the Claude Monet Iris auction?

The Sotheby’s Paris sale is scheduled for 22 October 2026.

How much could Monet’s Iris sell for?

The painting is estimated at €22 million to €30 million.

Where did Claude Monet paint his famous garden works?

Many of Monet’s late floral and water paintings were inspired by his garden at Giverny in France.

What other Monet paintings are in the sale?

The auction also includes Saule Pleureur, La Maison à Travers les Roses and La Seine à Vernon, Arbres.

For any questions/feedback regarding the above mentioned products/brands,
please do contact us anytime by clicking here

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This wool blazer from Favorite Daughter is just a gorgeous specimen. I love the button placement and the notched lapels, but the selling point for me is really the cotton-cashmere cuff accents that give the look of layering without the warmth or bulk.

I would wear this with some comfy athleisure pants for a travel day when I wanted to look pulled-together or with dark trousers for a great business casual look. 

The blazer is $348 and comes in sizes XXS-XXL.

Sales of note for 9/11:

Outfit Details: Rosie Assoulin Jacket (sold, out similar here), Eterne Tank, Donni Skirt (last seen here), Liffner Clutch (last seen here), Emme Parsons Sandals, Sherman Field Necklace, Saint Laurent Sunglasses

There are days when one piece is so colorful that the rest of the outfit gets built around it. This rainbow duster from Rosie Assoulin is exactly that. It sets the palette on its own, and everything after it comes naturally out of what’s already there. The trick is balancing that much color with pieces that ask for nothing, like a simple tank or a clean pleat-front plant, which is what lets the look feel bold but still composed.

Outfit Details: Rosie Assoulin Jacket (sold, out similar here), Eterne Tank, Donni Skirt (last seen here), Liffner Clutch (last seen here), Emme Parsons Sandals, Sherman Field Necklace, Saint Laurent Sunglasses | Chan Luu Top & Scarf (old, similar here and here), Reformation Pants, Jimmy Choo Bag, Saint Laurent Sunglasses, Vibi Venezia Flats

Grounding it comes down to the accessories. A tortoise frame and a dark sandal give the brighter shades something more tactile to sit against, adding weight where the outfit needs it most. I love when color moves this way, not as one big splash, but as something that travels through the look, getting richer and more deliberate with every piece.