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