10 HOT STORIES
(*sartorial display of affection)
IN TODAY’S TOPSY-TURVY dating landscape, distinguishing a ‘situationship’ from a relationship can prove tricky – for those who find themselves in one, let alone for outside observers. Because what does ‘official’ look like in 2024? A joint mortgage or a shared Netflix password? Fine dining and flowers or telly and takeaway ? Deleting the apps or just not going on them (much) any more ? Oh, for the days of getting a Facebook button to do the work for you.
But for celebrities, whose own relationships have always moved with exaggerated flamboyance, there is one way to express your official status: dressing alike. Forget the PDA, the SDA (sartorial display of affection) is where it’s at. More obvious than a soft launch on socials, less gauche than jumping up and down on Oprah’s sofa, it says a lot without having to say anything at all.
The couple currently indulging in SDAs ? Dua Lipa and Masters Of The Air actor Callum Turner. Since first being linked earlier this year, the pair have frequently been spotted in coordinating ’fits that hint at commitment to one another as much as commitment to a look. Lipa, a fashion girl through and through, is not afraid of making bold, theatrical style moves. But with Turner, she has embraced a more stripped back style, veering towards cool classics (see: Bottega Veneta tailoring and bags, Alaïa fishnet flats, Hermès Birkin – all in black). Denim frequently joins the chat (perhaps the easiest his-n-hers choice), while minimal leather jackets and coats in muted neutral shades are a DuCal signature. Cutest of all? Turner’s burgundy biker jacket is an almost identical colour-match for Lipa’s red hair.
OK, so why? First up, and least cynically, there is the inevitable exchange of tastes and preferences that happen when we spend a lot of time with someone. Style is as much a dialogue as anything else. And in that sense, it’s quite natural. The more sceptically minded, however, might suggest that it makes for better photos, more publicity and major fashion deals. The couple who can scoop an affluent ambassadorial gig together are a valuable commodity.
Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a stone-cold cynic, you�
