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

Britain Creates: Fashion + Art Collusion

Two weeks ago I went to see the Britain Creates: Fashion + Art Collusion exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The premise of the exhibition was to bring artists and fashion designers together to collaborate on brand new pieces of art that celebrate design and innovation during this important year in the history of Britain. Each piece was unique and really showed off the collective strengths of each artist or designer. I really enjoyed working my way through the intimate space.


This free exhibition ends on the 29th July 2012 at the V&A Museum so catch it if you can, there’s more details about the artists and their work here


Life
Jonathan Saunders + Jess Flood Paddock
Each individual screen print was created by tossing one of Jonathan Saunders’ jumpers on to an exposing plate. The shapes created were then printed using vibrant coloured inks. The artists decided to present these prints as if they were clothes on a rail, almost like a mass produced fashion line. This was probably one of my favourite pieces in the exhibition, because of it’s simplicity and the clever way they combined colours.

BLEU06 - Details FW12 #1

Summer here in the UK has pretty much been a write off so far. It looks like I we won’t be needing my summer wardrobe after all or am I just being pessimistic? Anyway, with that in mind I thought it would be a great time to re-visit some of my favourite Fall/Winter 12 collections. I’m not going to churn out another review as I’m pretty sure we’ve all seen enough of those. Instead I want to zero in on the tiny details that we don’t always see during the runway shows. This week I’m starting off with arguably one of the most prominent fashion houses of the moment. GIVENCHY.

Forget the minotaur graphic print tops and the stars and stripes that seem to be EVERYWHERE at the moment, one of my personal highlights from the Givenchy Autumn/Winter 2012 collection was a pair of bejewelled brogues. I really loved the contrast of the traditional suit and the camp, over-the-top luxury of the shoes. Each stone was hand set and arranged in alternating sizes, the level of craftsmanship is something that I’ve come to expect from Riccardo Tisci. If I had to walk down a yellow brick road (or any other type of road for that matter!) I’d much rather wear a pair of these bad boys. 


Here’s a quick reminder of the rest of Tisci’s FW 12 collection, what piece(s) were your favourite?  

Images via: HommeModel