In recent years a growing number of brands, institutions and (digital) platforms have seen the potential of engaging its community beyond their core activities - with fashion being the ultimate tool to turn following into ambassadors. Magazines, museums and galleries, to name a few - whether with help or alone - have successfully moved into the world of global (street)fashion, which has become a greedy monster searching for new brands to lend its temporarily hype to. Next to these somewhat foreign players on the market, there is no limit on new ‚traditional’ fashion brands coming to life either, making it rather hard to (continue to) stand out - with an overal lack of creativity/lending of ideas being the other evident reason.. A new name which in our eyes has succeeded in creating a brand with a durable potential - based on Parisian cool translated into on-point graphic design-based collections for males and females - is Club Pétanque, which was founded last year, inspired by the elegant all-French sport of Pétanque. [ Continue reading ]
After releasing a preview in May, our friend Olaf Hussein returns today with the official release of his Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. Through his latest designs, one of the most promising names in Dutch menswear clearly shows his global ambition by moving beyond the foundational inspirations of denim and the Amsterdam heritage, embracing influences from the North and on the other hand the realm of elegant sportswear. Titled 'Ø L Å F' - the moniker which has given the label a growing visibility in the fashion world through the popular caps, socks and recently released graphic tees - the collection embodies an oxymoronic idea of nuanced boldness. Athletic details, combined with a strong black and white color palette and forward-facing materials, exemplify the outdoor world colliding with the inward-bound hectics of a city. With 'Ø L Å F', the brand continues its pursuit of an expressive yet sophisticated aesthetic and doing so in a highly promising way. [ Continue reading ]
In the early Seventies a young Margaret Howell found a shirt at a jumble sale. It was this fine, well-tailored shirt which sparked the initial inspiration to make men’s shirts of her own (after having designed bracelets and chokers for Browns the years before). At that time, the shirts - of Jermyn Street quality but with a more relaxed line - were made by Howell herself, and after demand grew by a group of machinists in a workshop she set up in 1973. At that point Howell's designs attracted a new influential generation of American buyers, including Tommy Perse, of concept store Maxfield’s; Ralph Lauren, who at that time also sold other brands; and also British names like Paul Smith; Browns and most importantly Joseph Ettedgui (of Joseph) who subsequently launched Howell as a clothing brand. More than 30 years on and Margaret Howell heads one of the most inspiring companies worldwide. But, despite the size of her current operation, the designer's approach has remained just the same over all these years, making her for us an often overlooked, but undeniable, visionary icon of modern fashion. [ Continue reading ]
We recently became familiar with the new optical brand BLYSZAK eyewear, which was conceived in London a year ago after one year of researching the global market and developing a specific frame shape. The core ethos to the new brand is creating from a clean aesthetic and with a sincere quality. Powder-coating, grade-A steel and laser-cut hand-polished horn by-product come together to form a signature collection comprising of one remarkable style in seven variations. Creative director of the brand; Andrew Blyszak worked with the highly inspirational London manufacturer, and creator of one of our favorite horn models out there; Edward Gucewicz, to create the very first 'Collection I', which we feel shows great promise for BLYSZAK eyewear to become a consistent inspirational name in the world of optics. Keep an eye out on this new brand from London! [ Continue reading ]
It's been a number of years since we have last written about Copenhagen-based creative studio and clothing brand Norse Projects, but with the just released imagery for the Autumn/Winter 2015 collection they really caught our attention. The new lookbook was produced by a remarkble team: consisting of the talented photographers Justin Chung - who we know through his incredible 'Faculty Department' project - and Luke Norman alongside Inventory Magazine's fashion director - and one of the most inspirational people working in fashion - stylist Stephen Mann. The series puts a clear focus on those elements which Norse has become famous for since its foundation in 2004. The images show the collection's purist approach along with progressive ideals through the use of aerial lines, soft textures, and subtle details, including technical inspired directional outerwear in soft hues and muted tones. And not just the collection itself stands out, as the series was shot upon the backdrop of another favorite of ours: the workshop of noted Scandinavian furniture design house Fritz Hansen. [ Continue reading ]
Although the current summer in The Netherlands granted us a fair share of sunshine already, like every year in the lowlands we can't get away from a hefty rain shower now and then. The field of elegant choices when it comes to rainwear for these kind of days has expanded significantly over the last few years and Copenhagen-based RAINS has been one of the brands in that field which we have been following since it was founded in 2012. The new Autumn/Winter 2015 collection shows everything what the brand has been setting apart since it arrived: understated sophistication and technical fabrication, sharp cut modern raincoats in different lengths and colors and an extraordinary 100% waterproof bag collection - which we particularly appreciate. [ Continue reading ]
To celebrate his now iconic minimalist sneaker's 10th anniversary, in January 2014 one of our favorite designers and tastemakers around; Erik Schedin teamed up with Comme des Garçons Shirt to re-release the white leather model with unique added graphics. Another version with the colorway option inverted was released soon afterwards using black as the primary color of choice for the low-rise model with white graphics. And now the Swede and Comme des Garçons Shirt return and continue their great collaboration for a third rendition, this time in color: having created the sneaker in a sharp shade of blue and a beautiful deep green with the identical black graphics as its predecessors. We love these beautiful new styles of one of the cleanest sneaker around! [ Continue reading ]
After we wrote about the inspirational presentation of the summer version of his A Suit To Travel In, Paul Smith once more shows his remarkable vision in the campaign of his Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. Capturing the confident use of color in the designs, the campaign for the inspirational designer's collection is the first Paul Smith collection to be shot by the photographic artist Viviane Sassen, who we have been admiring ourselves for years. And what a wonderful hybrid of worlds the campaign has become - both creatives having an eye for exquisite stand out colors and the beauty of aesthetic contrast. As part of the campaign one can spot that the signature ‘Paul Smith’ logo is re-imagined with a playful sense of scale and positioning. A sense of modernity and wit is present throughout the campaign, echoing the essential qualities of Paul Smith, making the campaign a clear season favorite of ours. [ Continue reading ]
Last week, as part of London Collections: Men, Paul Smith presented a summer take on his incredible 'A Suit To Travel In', which he impactfully introduced during the Autumn/Winter 2015 LC:M week in an utmost stylish manner, using English Olympic medallist Max Whitlock. For the lighter summer take on the suit Paul Smith chose another highly unorthodox presentation, using Ben Savage, a World Champion trials cyclist, who presented the garments to the world while hopping around an installation that was purpose-built in Hauser + Wirth. The cloth of the new suit is 100% New Zealand wool, for which Paul Smith worked with Loro Piana - one of the best cloth mills in the world - to develop. The yarn is woven very tight, as it was in the Autumn/Winter 2015 'Suit To Travel In' giving the crease resistance making it very sturdy, but it's woven loosely to make it more breathable for the hotter months of the year. We love both the suits as this incredible presentation! [ Continue reading ]
We really like the latest project of Norwegian Rain's co-founder, and one of our favorite people working in fashion; the immaculate T-Michael, who joint forces with Dutch optics specialist Ralph Vaessen in a collaboration which was officially launched yesterday at Pitti Uomo. Both T-Michael and Vaessen have a distinct sense of elegant stand-out style and a sincere love for luxurious craftsmanship and after a chance meeting their new creative enterprise was born. The result is a capsule collection of one model; simplistic yet tantalizing for the pure at heart and the lover of devilish detailing. Named 'Raphael', the extraordinary glasses are produced by hand in Germany of natural horn - the material of choice for most of Ralph Vaessen's models and a clear favorite of ourselves as wel - and comes in four color ways: ivory, slate, grey, ebony and chocolate. [ Continue reading ]
After releasing the imagery for the Ø L Å F cap and in full anticipation of our friend Olaf Hussein's upcoming Autumn/Winter 2015 collection he teamed up with photographer Ester Grass Vergara to shoot an incredible editorial highlighting several of the key pieces of the collection, located in The Netherlands at RAAAF's extraordinary Bunker 599. With the upcoming collection the brand is entering the new season with an open mind and sense of adventure. This season the brand stretches beyond its Amsterdam heritage and embraces influences from the north, as well as the outdoors. Combining forward-facing materials with athletic details, Olaf Hussein aims to create a unique aesthetic that feels premium and punctual. The brand has always pursued to walk the oxymoronic line between nuance and boldness, and with this collection that line is getting even thinner. With the whole new sportswear approach added to the Hussein aesthetic we feel the brand has found new angles to continue to be on point and persists in being the most promising name in menswear coming from the Netherlands. We look where Olaf will take his brand in the near future! [ Continue reading ]
When looking back on the last ten years in fashion, there has been one brand in particular that has been consistently performing at the highest level - successfully claiming the position of pushing the envelope, both through their collections as in their communication. A role which seemed rather unlikely when Jonny Johansson and his friends Tomas Skoging, Jesper Kouthoofd and Mats Johansson founded ACNE in 1996 to create a line of jeans for friends and family. The Stockholm-based company produced its first full collection in 1998, and became a separate entity - as Acne Studios - in 2006. Always making bold choices both in their creations as in the new leading endeavors which were started, with the 'Acne Paper' project having a major influence on ourselves. Last week, 19 years after its foundation Acne Studios continues to expand its collections by introducing its first complete eyewear collection, with a focus on color and shape for both frames and lenses - in signature Acne style. Seven styles have just debuted in the 29 Acne Studios stores worldwide, making it another constructive move for the brand to stay on top in the next decade. [ Continue reading ]
Recently we became familiar with the Barcelona-based Gabriela Coll Garments. The interesting new project by the Spanish Gabriella Coll focuses on the way of dressing and the value of garments, while working through Series. Each Series is the result of concrete imagery, they do not follow any season or have a fixed number of pieces, and are always permanent. Serie No. 1 is composed of 15 pieces: consisting of garments for men and women, bags, accessories and footwear, marked by the transcendence of time, the way they sit on the body and the nobility of the materials – with everything, from the accessories to the clothes being hand-made. In many ways the project reminds us strongly - aesthetically, in the communication as in the motivations - of the now defunct Maison Martin Margiela or Ines Kaag's Bless, but a wise man once said that originality died with the eruption of the internet, making Gabriela Coll Garments in our eyes a perfect example of a great new interpretation of existing ideas, very much in line with the current zeitgeist. [ Continue reading ]
We have written about the brand by Of and With Studios named Ætt before, when they were responsible for a collection of beautiful leather bags crafted from the last batch of leathers ever tanned on the Norwegian Osterøy Island. Last month they launched another highly fascinating project - as always routinely looking at history for inspiration. And few historical stories are more heroic and impressive than that of a group of young Norwegian men during the critical stages of World War II. In February 1943 a small group of Norwegian commandos were responsible for halting production of Hitler's attempt to create an atomic bomb. Without any casualties, the team managed to destroy the entire inventory of heavy water produced during the German occupation. The operation, titled Operation Gunnerside was later evaluated by Special Operations Executive as the most successful act of sabotage in all of World War II. Inspired by this heroic operation and to honor the 70-year anniversary of the liberation of Norway, Ætt created the Operation Heim collection - a very limited series of the British WWII era windproof smocks, the jacket which was issued to the dedicated brave men of the resistance; commandos and SOE agents who fought alongside local resistance. [ Continue reading ]
With the release of the imagery for the Ø L Å F cap one of the most promising names in Dutch fashion at this very moment, Olaf Hussein, presents the first sneak peek at the new upcoming Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection, which was shot on location in Los Angeles by photographer Violette Esmeralda. While at first the waterproof fabric creates a clean and technical aesthetic, the branded velcro strap shows another side to this headwear piece as a clear sign to become part of the street style in Amsterdam and beyond. With its nuanced bolder look, the Ø L Å F cap has set the tone for what’s to come, which seems to be another ambitious move forward for the Amsterdam-based label. As the cap is created from a waterproof rubber fabric, the Ø L Å F cap, at first sight, stands for the familiar clean aesthetic, but at the same time evokes curiosity how technical innovations continue to become part of the collection, which were first to be found within last year's first full range by the label. As for the cap, as stated by our friend Olaf himself: wear it as you please, as long as it’s on your head. We highly anticipate the actual collection by the hard working Olaf and his team. [ Continue reading ]
The Amsterdam-based fashion project Black Rabbit fascinates us profoundly. The story behind the project is both romantically intriguing and proof of a relentless love for collecting and exquisite eye for quality. The story starts with one of the founders, Leo Velimir Brancovich, visiting Mongolia about 20 years ago. There he met a teenage boy, who eventually agreed to trade his unusual earth colored trench-coat for the spotless NATO parka Brankovich was wearing. That mysterious coat remained with Leo for the next eighteen years. He was very intrigued by it, but a rectangular label on the inside pocket was the only thing to identify where it had come from. The label bore the initials “БЯ” in cyrillic script and between these two glyphs was placed the roman numeral “III” on a deep red-brown vertical band. In the following years Brancovich started searching for more garments and found six more of these exceptional and mysterious garments. In his quest he also met fellow-collectors, of whom Taro from Tokyo played an important role by introducing him to a lady living in Casablanca and her much larger Series III collection, stored in an 1970‘s brick villa near Avignon. These two collections, of Taro and the lady from Avignon, proved to be the foundations of the Black Rabbit project to reissue these captivating garments. The group’s name - Black Rabbit - is a homage to the mysterious “БЯ” initials - the only feature common to all of the original Series III source garments Brancovich and his partners have so far discovered. [ Continue reading ]
There are a lot of new developments going on within the world of Kitsuné, with the all-new Condorcet store and Café Kitsuné opening its doors for the first time tomorrow, and more interesting projects to follow later in the year. Yesterday, in the midst of all these exciting new developments, Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, the minds behind the brand, also presented a new seasonal collection and it is another win. With the just released Autmn/Winter 2015 collection Maison Kitsuné pays tribute to the mysterious soul and beauty of South Korea. For their latest collection, the brand utilizes a series of sophisticated cuts and details for men. Luxurious, refined and textured fabrics are boldly combined in the season's patterns - houndstooth, stripes, checkered prints - play with the contrasting effects. We particularly love the illustration by South Korean talent Daehyun Kim on one of the t-shirts. In a palette of neutral colors, as always - black, grey and an array of blues - which are offset by pale shades of beige and illuminated with dashes of red and silver, make it one of the strongest collections by Maison Kitsuné ever, still showing growth which will very likely cary the brand even further then where it is at this point. [ Continue reading ]
Berlin-based Lunettes Kollektion translates iconic frames from fashion history to create modern classics. Designer and founder, Uta Geyer’s, philosophy stems from the concept of honoring the past while living in the now. As child of an artistic family Geyer regularly tagged along with her sculptor father on trips through thousands of museums and historical buildings, training her eye for shape and form. In 2006, Geyer opened the Lunettes Selection store in Berlin, which quickly gained a large following. Lunettes also developed as a go-to source for theater, television, and film productions, as well as fashion shoots, and its global following grew among those in-the-know thanks to Geyer’s online shop. In 2009 Geyer opened a second Lunettes Selection shop and launched the premier collection for Lunettes Kollektion, blending a fashion-forward thinking with the annals of style. Recent collaborations with rising names in fashion like Louise Gray, James Long, ODEEH, Christopher Shannon and Michael van der Ham show the brand's deep connection with the best European design, promising a lot for the future. Make sure to keep an eye on the brand. [ Continue reading ]
Continuing where two of the most inspirational forces in fashion, T-Michael and Alexander Helle of one of our favorite outerwear brands; Bergen-based Norwegian Rain, left off last winter with the beautiful The Arctic Coat Collection, they now present the Autumn/Winter styles for 2015. As always purveying the ethos of the brand: creating some of the most functional outerwear on the market without compromising on style, with the extraordinary hi-tech elements hidden within the elegant designs with avant-garde touches. For the new beautiful seasonal imagery the brand teamed up with regular collaborator, photographer Bent René Synnevaag who joined forces with Japanese stylist Kanako B Koga, in a clean series portraying a collective of Japanese common men and a woman wearing the immaculate coats on typical locations for the Land of the Rising Sun, which has formed an important inspiration for the brand both aesthetically as in the exquisite level of craftsmanship. [ Continue reading ]
In August of this year our friend Sergei Sviatchenko took his Close Up And Private project, which we've appreciated from the very beginning, to a new level by starting Private Classicist. The new label which roots deeply in the vision created through Close Up And Private aims to create a solid range of classic menswear items that verges on pushing the boundaries of current minimalist fashion towards the classic style championed by Sergei himself and his work by collaborating with an international rage of heritage brands and skilled craftsmen. When Private Classicist was introduced at the last Copenhagen Fashion Week, Sergei created a tie and belt. Last week the third staple piece was released in the form of a limited edition t-shirt marked undeniably with the letters CUAP in kobalt blue or white. Inspired by the shirt worn by Paul McCartney on the cover of the US edition of the HELP album and on the other hand Teruyoshi Hayashida's 'Take Ivy' photo trip through Ivy League universities in 1965, the t-shirt forms another elegant step towards a complete Private Classicist wardrobe. [ Continue reading ]
STYLED is an editorial series produced by the creative team of British high-end webstore OKI-NI in collaboration with a range of guest talent; from celebrated fashion editors, publications and stylists. It aims to serve a wearable presentation of looks pulled from the webstore's pristine selection ranging from luxury to more avant-garde brands. For the final STYLED of Autumn/Winter 2014, the creative team reflected on the eye catching key pieces of this season. Key player in this creative collaboration is the talented London-based creative director Josh Hight, who was responsible for the photography and art work. Styling was done by OKI-NI's own fashion editor Samuel Smith. The remarkable series concluding the still running season was named 'REMEMBER' and features characteristic showpieces including Valentino's meticulously-crafted Eagle overcoat and the one of a kind Raf Simons / Sterling Ruby hand-bleached denim jacket, all framed against a industrial concrete and iron backdrop, tied together through collage and infused with written text and abstract images, making it one of our favorite editorial outings of this season; a perfect fit for the best pieces of Autumn/Winter 2014. [ Continue reading ]
In this first chapter of a little series together with the fine tailors of Utrecht- and Amsterdam-based New Tailor, we're exploring some of the perfect garments offered by the tailoring house. Recently a whole new horizon was opened to us, when we were lucky enough to obtain one of their immaculate bespoke pieces; a perfect black jacket, which overshadows any other jacket we have worn before. Our perfect black jacket was cut from an extraordinary cloth produced by the famous Fox Brothers, who own one of the few working cloth mills still producing cloth entirely in England. Many Fox fabrics are exclusively developed for fashion designers, while other styles are inspired by the extensive Fox archives. The cloth used for the perfect black jacket is a pretty heavy one, weighing about 370 grams. After weaving the cloths is cleaned, shaved and then brushed in such a way that you get the perfect flannel. The jacket looks tremendous and is extraordinary to wear. Moreover everybody wants to touch the jacket due to its extreme softness, giving a natural warmth and making us not want to wear anything else, anymore. [ Continue reading ]
Last month, Albam, the classic British menswear brand which was founded in 2006 by Alastair Rae and James Shaw, released the imagery for the upcoming season, and instead of the usual lookbook approach they decided to create this clean cut series of portraits, which represents where the brand stands right now. Shot by longtime Albam collaborator and photographer, John Spinks, the portraits which were taken both in the Midlands, where John grew up, and in London, where Albam has stores in Soho, Shoreditch and Islington, aim to reveal the essence of what Albam is. Styling was done by Lynette Garland and art direction by Mark Tappin, the portraits, landscapes and still lives give a snap shot in to the relationship between Albam’s clothes and the wearer. It features normal people, friends or friends of friends of Albam, making them people, landscapes and objects that actually inspire Alastair and James instead of just people and places. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the new Australia-based headwear brand named Past Present, which was launched this summer in July, and is inspired by the name itself, merging the old school dapper of the past with the present day modern man. Pair that with the relaxed culture of its city of origin, Perth and you are left with an effortless range of premium headwear. Past Present’s first collection was a selection of five and six panel caps, focusing on quality materials and details. The materials used are a mixture of tweeds and wool sourced from Ireland and produced in New Zealand. Finding a common interest in quality and old school style, Past Present also collaborated with the famous Ebbets Field to create a six panel ballcap to help debut their first collection which shows great promise for the years to come. [ Continue reading ]