HAN OF DENMARK SUNGLASSES
These beauties are handmade in Denmark yet capture the chic, old world glamor of 1950′s Hollywood. Think LA Confidential, one the most stylish movies ever made. $168, available at Stag. Han Kjobenhavn is an interesting story, check out their website. Their mission statement: “Lovingly conceived May 1st 2008 on the mean streets of Copenhagen, Denmark. Han is made of all the ingredients that form the fundamentals of Danish design. We’ve put simplicity and traditional craftsmanship in a blender with originality to create the shady characters you see today.”
HAMILTON & ZERMATT
Really well done, precise spot for Hamilton watches. Features pilot Nicolas Ivanoff ripping through the Alps. Why do most watch adverts in magazines read like infomercials?
BEST OF: FJALLRAVEN
Fjallraven is one of those cooler outdoor lifestyle brands that you may never have heard of. Based in Sweden, the company began manufacturing day packs over 50 years ago. “Fjallraven” translates to arctic fox in Swedish, in case you we’re wondering. Here are a few top picks from their website: The Fjell jacket in Uncle Blue, $230. This is a highly water resistant, wind proof and durable jacket that isn’t bulky, making it a perfect year-round option. Vintage Retro L backpack in bold red, $130. This is where the company shines, and (more…)
ONIA BOARD SHORTS
A good pair of board shorts should pay homage to vintage California surfing style and fall right around mid thigh/just above the knee. They’re intended for surfing and living an active lifestyle, not for partying at the Bellagio in Vegas in something that resembles Capri pants. You know those dudes, and avoid them at all costs. The ironic thing is that the longer the short, the shorter they make you look. A ‘stubbing’ effect we’ll call it. So consider the “Amaury” board short by Onia (more…)
BRIXTON KHAKI DENIM BY JOES
The “Brixton” by Joe’s Jeans is a simple, no frills, straight leg silhouette with basic back pockets, simple stitching and no giant logos. You can order them online with confidence. There are 28 colors to choose from – for spring/summer consider khaki (bronze) shown above, gray, white – or best, all three. Wearing lighter color denim in the warmer months makes your look a little more casual and resort-like. Throw in a white v-neck tee, light tortoise Wayfarers and flip flops and enjoy laid-back summer weekends. $172, available at Joe’s Jeans.
LOUISE VUITTON SHOE MAKING
A charming look at the making of Louis Vuiton loafers in the Fiesso d’Artico’s workshops. Fiesso d’Artico is a town in the Province of Venice, known for it’s incredibly talented artisans who handcraft the world’s best shoes. High prices make a bit more sense after viewing the manufacturing process.
BILLABONG SUMMER
This is a great lifestyle video, gets you in the mood for summer. It’s refreshing to see girls featured who actually look really fun to hang out with vs. a bunch of supermodels backstage at a VS show describing each other – “Behati is the rocker of the group!” “Alessandra takes no BS!” – ridiculous empty caricatures. “Billabong” is an Australian/English word meaning small lake. Founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant the company has never been stronger. The song is “Camouglage” by Small Black.
ALPHA KHAKIS BY DOCKERS
For some reason trousers are often an after-thought for men when throwing on a look. I’m not quite sure why that is but you’ll often see a guy looking sharp except for a pair of nasty quadruple pleat “slacks” the color of straw. You know that guy, and hopefully it’s not you. Your pants should fit precisely – not tight, but fit you well and form a bit to your body. The biggest error usually occurs when men only pay attention to the fit of the waist and the inseam – when the width of the trouser leg is just as important. Do a test: if grabbing the fabric just (more…)
RALPH LAUREN OLYMPIC COLLECTION
Coming this summer to a backyard cocktail party near you: the Ralph Lauren London Summer Olympics collection. Get used to seeing these polo shirts, and notice the styling: collars up on the two gentlemen in the front, in an homage to the gin and tonic, Hamptons set. What’s amazing is how the 4 inch polo player logo looks so utterly seamless and is anything but a jarring corporate logo. It speaks to deft handling of the iconic brand over the last 50 years and how it’s come to represent American fashion in and of itself. (more…)
KNOW THIS BRAND: WANT LES ESSENTIELS DE LA VIE
Ok first things first, the name, and remember it because these guys are good: WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie literally means the essentials of life. The super talented designers, and twin brothers, Dexter and Byron Peart clearly put a lot of thought into each and every detail of their bags: full-grain, smooth leathers from French and Italian tanneries, natural fibers and organic cotton, and their signature gold-and-silver zip closure. WANT is carried a number of top retail stores including Nordstrom (where I spotted the above bag in Seattle), Barney’s, 10 Corso Como, Opening Ceremony, and growing fast. This beautiful summer-appropriate navy cotton-canvas and red leather tote can be purchased for $395, available at Mr. Porter. The designers: (more…)
SPRING LAYERING
This is an interesting color combination inadvertently put on while traveling on the west coast last week. It was a result of not packing properly, with LA a cold and rainy city. It worked out ok, and even looked refreshingly spring appropriate. Layering darker colors under a lighter color sweater often doesn’t look so hot, the whole thing tends to look unbalanced. But when you start with a beautiful sky blue shirt like this version from Steven Alan, (more…)
CFDA TO HONOR JOHNNY DEPP
Johnny Depp will receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Icon Award during their June gala, the first time the award is going to a man. Rarely wearing big name designers, Depp’s style has often been described as ‘eclectic’ – which can either be a good thing, or for most us, very bad. This brings to mind one very key element to personal style: the art of pulling it all off – no matter how jumbled or mixed up an outfit (more…)
CFDA 2012 MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has announced the nominees for the 2012 CFDA Fashion Awards, taking place on Monday, June 4th at Lincoln Center. The Menswear Designer of the Year nominees are an incredibly talented and well-deserving group: Simon Spurr, Billy Reid and Patrik Ervell. Any guesses on who will take the prestigious award? The nominees for the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award are Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, and Marc Jacobs.
SPRING TRAIL RUNNERS
Running in the spring can be an adventure, with mud, snow and half frozen puddles around every corner. Embrace it and pick up a pair of hearty and rugged trail runners. I’ve always found the look of a great pair of trail runners to be kind of bad ass, with the extra tread and higher stance giving them a healthy snarl – the pick up truck of your shoe collection. Here are three that might just motivate you to get outside and take in the fresh air. (Keep them by the front door ready to go.) Helly Hansen Trail Cutter 4 in navy, white and fiery red, $90. Nike Air Trail Ridge 2, in baroque brown and court green, $78. Adidas Response Trail 18 in solid green and metallic silver, $95. My pick? Probably the Helly Hansen’s – the color scheme is great, with the Nike’s a very close second.
SPRING PREP CANVAS BLAZER
Wearing bold color can be a beautiful thing, if you’re smart about how to wear it. Not just what to match it with, but how to wear color from an attitude perspective. You want people to realize you’re in on it, that you understand wearing a blazer the color of freshly cut grass is a bold statement, and harks back to a time when men wore trousers and sharp looking blazers while playing lawn tennis, croquet and badminton. Have fun with it, but dress it down for the modern day spring cocktail party; think jeans, white button down shirt, classic canvas sneakers, martini glass. Slim fit, canvas blazer, $695, available at Gant.
THE LUCKY ONES BY GANT
One of the more interesting developments in menswear over the past decade has been the new requirement for designers to build a compelling story around a collection upon it’s debut. It used to be the norm for fashion labels to accompany a show with a simple line list, press release, and if you were lucky, a few quotes from the designer post-show. And those press releases? They focused on silhouettes, cuts, fabrics and colors – a lot of what now has been replaced by romantic notions of a lifestyle we should all aspire to. One of the smartest designers when it comes to crafting a marketing campaign around clothing is Michael Bastian. Whether it’s “Sunshine Days” for Spring Summer 2012 based on Hawaii (even though he admits to never being there), his original lacrosse focus (even though he didn’t play the sport), scuba diving (perhaps he’s done it), or just about any other cool pursuit, Bastian (more…)
SUEDE BROGUES BY MARK MCNAIRY
A smart looking pair of lighter color, beautiful shoes can really brighten up your spring look. These stone colored suede wingtips from Mark McNairy New Amsterdam will match up nicely with jeans or khakis, or a navy or light gray suit. Balance the sophisticated look of the shoes by wearing a simple classic white tee shirt. Stone suede longwing brogue, $385, available at Mark McNairy.
PROJECT LAS VEGAS
This is an interesting recap of PROJECT, the menswear retail trade show that took place last month in Las Vegas. It gives you a taste of how editors and buyers connect with emerging and well-established brands and shows how Project President Andrew Pollard and fashion maven Nick Wooster have transformed the retail trade show experience and brought it to an entirely new level.
SPRING STYLE: GQ & BLOOMINGDALE’S
It’s a party! I’ll be at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street from 5-9pm tonight for our GQ Spring suiting event. Please stop by for some style advice, have a few drinks and receive a great discount. Make sure to say hello if you make it.
THE GAME CHANGER: NIKE FLYKNIT
Just a few weeks ago on February 24th Nike announced the launch of their latest shoe called the Flyknit and shares of the company have already seen a steady rise on massive expectations. The design teams goal was to create a shoe that felt like a sock, yet could stand up to the pounding of a runner’s life. The answer: yarns and fabric variations are used to form a featherweight, formfitting upper. It’s not only revolutionary, it’s more cost effective and simpler to manufacture – with one knit piece used for the upper vs. stitching multiple panels together. Keep a close eye on the Flyknit – the next step for Nike is to create retail stations where customers can get fit for a custom woven shoe. (more…)
