'Tis The Season To... Party - Top 5 Blazers

Whether you're looking to make a big entrance at your end-of-year shindig at work or a fancy family dinner, a statement blazer can really uplift any dreary outfit. Rich velvet and jacquard are some of the go-to fabrics for this time of the year. In terms of colour, the festive season is the best time to experiment with deep, full-body colours like navy and oxblood, subtle metallics will add an extra bit of sparkle but nothing says class more than black.

The great thing about a statement blazer is that you don't need to bother too much with fussy accessories, paired with a sleek shirt, tailored trousers and a great pair of brogues you're guaranteed to achieve the debonair look a la Daniel Craig. Here are my top 5 show-stopping blazers:

Reiss 'Goodwood B' Velvet Blazer - Reiss
TOPMAN Black on Black Metallic Jacquard Blazer - TOPMAN
Paul Smith Navy Floral Print Blazer - Paul Smith
Balmain Satin Trimmed Velvet Blazer - Mr Porter
TOPMAN Red Skinny Tux Suit Jacket - TOPMAN

SurgeryPR SS13 Press Day

Yesterday I went over to Surgery PR's brand new showroom for their SS13 Press Day. I really love the range of designers and brands they represent, from sportswear brands like Freddy and Superga to my personal favourite, Oliver Spencer. From what I saw we're in for a treat next season. Of course I took photos of some of my favourite pieces, check them out below.

Jack French London
I fell in love with this Jack French man bag in black luxury leather. It's the perfect size for everyday use and the fine cross-hatched texture makes it durable and waterproof too. Jack French is known for his gorgeous women's bags and accessories but it was a pleasant surprise to see him branching out and doing something for the lads.

Oliver Spencer
Oliver Spencer's SS13 collection was one of my favourite shows during London Collections so seeing the clothes close-up was a real treat. One thing I love about Oli is that he really understands what men want when it comes to clothing. The textures and attention to detail  in this collection is so refreshing. Stand-out pieces for me were the geometric reverse print shirt (with matching trousers!), the white textured Granddad shirt and those charming suede Monk Strap shoes. See my review of the SS13 show here and head to OliverSpencer.co.uk to shop the AW12 collection.

Superga x Oliver Spencer

Oliver Spencer takes on the classic Superga Men's 2750 in a selection of bold block colours and striped seersucker. I think they will be a great addition for Spring Summer 2013, I've got my eyes on the blue and white seersucker pair personally.

Superga x Giles

Although these are from the womens' line I couldn't imagine not showing you these babies. Superga have joined forces with renowned British designer, Giles Deacon for SS13. On the left we've got printed pony skin creepers and on the right, embellished printed snakeskin sneakers and hi-tops. They will be available early next year at Dover Street Market, with prices starting from £120. If you're gonna start next year on a good footing it better be in one of these sneakers!

Thoughts on Maison Martin Margiela x H&M

I'm sure most of you have seen the images from H&M's latest designer collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela out next month. As far as H&M's designer collaborations go this one looks like the most daring. Going with MMM was definitely a brave move, I guess the continued success of their annual collabs means they can afford to partner with artists that might not necessarily cater to the 'everyman.' I'm not saying that us men are crying out for dumbed-down fashion but I just can't see pieces like that asymmetrical mackintosh catching on anytime soon. Also because it's more of a collection of the Maison's 'greatest hits' rather than an entirely new collection it just doesn't feel cohesive enough but then again maybe I'm not the kind of man Margiel caters to? On a positive note it looks like the men's range will be just as robust as what's on offer for women (remember how shockingly limited the Jimmy Choo collection was?). 

There are a couple of pieces that I'm warming too but the true test will be seeing them in the flesh on November 15th. Will you be shopping the H&M x Maison Martin Margiela collection?

Casa Brasil

 Last month I was invited to the Casa Brasil exhibition at Somerset House, London. The purpose of the exhibition was to introduce London and the world to the host city of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. The artwork was exhibited over 3 large spaces featuring a host of traditional and contemporary Brazilian artists. Armed with this tiny digital tour guide I immersed myself in all the sights and sounds of Brazil's culture and heritage - all the things that won them the bid in 2009. The exhibition moved on to more contemporary pieces and I snapped a few of my favourites below. I really loved the sheer randomness of 'View to paulista' I had a gut feeling that I'd be the one to bring all those figurines tumbling down like dominos but thankfully they stayed in place! Looking back at the images I took I noticed that a lot of my favourite pieces were based on scale and repetition, like David Cury's tape measures and Rico Lins' screen-printed posters. The piece de resistance at the end of the exhibition was an in depth look at the stadia and facilities for Rio 2016 and two really large touchable sculptures of the logos for Rio 2016. All in all it was a fun day out, I left Somerset House seeing Brazil in a different light, perhaps volunteering at another Summer Games could be on the cards?

Flag

Emmanuel Nassar

View to paulista

Nelson Leirner

Stadium V

Eduardo Coimbra

Sex is what men lie with, as dwarfs begging to ascend
David Cury

Be marginal be a hero

Rico Lins

Portable dreams, boxed memories

Jum Nakao

Milk on pavement

Maria Laet

Skinted vs Minted

Autumn is officially here and with a new season a new wardrobe must follow. At the moment I feel like I'm heading into a 'black' phase so naturally I fell head over heels when I saw the shoes I'm featuring in this post.

 I really love the edgy, boxy attitude that the Balenciaga pair has. The exaggerated buckle feature and the slight heel really packs a punch but the more subtle 'creeper' feel of the Jeffrey Campbell is really appealing too. The only let-down would be the fact that unlike the Balenciaga version, it's made of neoprene which probably isn't the best material for the horrible lovely British weather we're experiencing at the moment. One redeeming feature is that it's available in five colours ranging from a rich Burgundy to a cool Lavender. I really wouldn't mind having either pair as an early Christmas gift, any takers?

As a sidenote I'm pretty sure Balenciaga is one of the most copied designers of all time, if you're not sure what I mean check out Lynn & Horst's fascinating segment 'Balenciaga Questions' and tell me what you think.

SKINTED   THE DAMNED by JEFFREY CAMPBELL 'Colt' Boot - £125   BUY HERE

MINTED   BALENCIAGA   Buckle Ankle Boot - £785  BUY HERE

AW 2012 TrendWatch: Tonal Horizon

I love this trend because it's simple yet so graphic. The contrast in colours really breaks down the outfit creating a really edgy, masculine silhouette. Raf Simons' interpretation reminds me of Mark Rothko's huge abstract colour field paintings where each colours seems to blur into the other. That neon pop of colour from Paul Smith will definitely be a head-turner for the season, but my personal favourite has to be the Burberry bomber jacket. The warm, earthy colours remind me of a rich glass of mulled wine and the way it's cropped just above that velvet suit is such a modern twist. 

So while I was trawling through the net for some more accessible examples of this trend I came across  Parisian trio, Sidian, Ersatz & Vanes. Oskar Sidian, Mr Ersatz and Isaac Vanes are the creative brains behind this relatively new label who can already count Frank Ocean as one of their fans. I have to admit I couldn't find that much info about the designers themselves because they've decided to keep their identities a secret. That fact can easily be overlooked when you take a look at their amazing designs. I really love the way they've chosen to focus on one of the most important components of a guy's wardrobe (the dress shirt) to see how far they can push a concept through the use of rich colours and pattern. I would definitely recommend having a good look at their website, especially the moving lookbooks. I think I'd quite enjoy picking their brains to find out what it's like designing as a trio, the mystique surrounding them is really intriguing.

Runway images via: Style.com
Sidian, Ersatz & Vanes images via: Lenny Pier Ramos

Take Flight

I came across pictures of Herschel Supply's Spring/Summer 2013 collection on twitter a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the bird-covered bag seen below. It got me thinking of Agi and Sam's Fall/Winter  2012 collection I saw back in January. I particularly loved the final look, a charming white, bird-print suit. I just loved the playful and quirky humour of the illustrated birds. It almost looks like they were pulled out of a children's story book or nature guide. Herschel Supply Co.'s 'Bird Print' design will be available in their classic models, Heritage, Little America, Novel and Pop Quiz. It's released in January 2013. I've got my eye on the Heritage version, how about you?

BLEU06 - Details FW12 #2

This week I'm taking a closer look at Thom Brown's Fall/Winter 2012 collection. I chose this mint green two piece suit embroidered with charming pink and white dogs. From close up it looks like your average well tailored (but slightly quirky) suit... until you step back. 

I love the crazy proportions of his pieces and the lighthearted touch of using domestic animals as motifs. I chose the green suit because of all the contrasts: the preppy, collegiate colours versus the edgy attitude of the spiked studs. I love the way Thom blurs the lines of what's acceptable in mens fashion, notice the bare midriff and the fuzzy mink merkin peeping out from the low cut check trousers? Punk rock and American football were obvious inspirations for this collection as seen in the heavy use of spiked studs and the over exaggerated shoulder pads. Although his collections aren't always the most wearable, it's great to see a designer that can take a concept and produce a collection that challenges and entertains all at the same time.

Images via HommeModel

Editorial: A Call To Arms - Interview Magazine

Sebastian Mader’s editorial in the July issue of Interview Magazine is probably my favourite showcase of some of the best Autumn/Winter 2012 collections. He chose to focus on the big military trend resulting in some really strong, masculine imagery. The styling is almost faultless, quite forward thinking but totally wearable at the same time. I love the subtle details like the Louis Vuitton feather brooch pinned to that chunky geometric scarf and those exaggerated lapels in the image above. Literally every piece in this editorial is on my lust list but the forest green Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Satchel (with the Prada cameo pin) is right at the top, in case any of you are feeling particularly generous. Check out the full list of credits here. 

Photographer: Sebastian Mader

Model: Taylor Gannon

Stylist: Miguel Enamorado

Images via F Tape