We have said it here before and will say it again — with fashion, particularly menswear, currently being dominated by a search for hype instead of innovative ideas, many new brands are still started every week, but less and less are really adding something to the field. When the Paris-based OAMC —which houses its atelier in Milano and produces in Italy, Portugal and Japan— launched in 2013, they approached it by intrinsically staying away from the dominant trends; refusing prominent branding and basically starting an ongoing quest to produce iconic menswear items created from the juxtapositioning of existing ideas combined with innovative touches. Primarily focussing on the marriage of utility wear with traditional luxury elements resulting in an aesthetic truly fit for the future.

Interestingly so, branding was an integral part of OAMC's creative director Luke Meier's earlier life, having worked as the head designer for Supreme before starting the brand that was originally known as Over All Master Cloth and later just as the acronym. Meier's years at Supreme, being the brand that played the undeniable pinnacle role in the revival of brand marketing in the last 15 years, didn't prove to be much of a restraint for the succes of his new, very different and much complexer, creative outlet. In just three short years, OAMC has become one the brands to watch by leading the way. Steadily solidifying its place alongside menswear fashion houses with similar ambitions such Dries Van Noten, Thom Browne and Lanvin. Earlier this year, it was also nominated for the prestigious 2016 ANDAM Grand Prix award, underlining the appreciation of the display of intrinsic creativity that drives the brand forward.

This Summer the brand presented its Spring/Summer 2017 collection in Paris, but we want to take another look at the super impressive Autumn/Winter 2016 that's in the racks of its the numerous woldwide stockist at this very moment. [ Continue reading ]

A little over a month ago NikeLab presented the debut collection of their collaboration with a new high profile name from the fashion world (are we going to see a focus on this, as competitor Adidas has been doing for the last decade?): British sportswear connoisseur Kim Jones. The colorful collection means the highly anticipated return to athletic sportswear for Jones, after he successfully collaborated with Umbro (owned by Nike) for several seasons some years ago, before he became menswear director at Louis Vuitton in 2011, where he has been marrying athletic influences with luxury. In order to celebrate the union between technology and tradition, our inspirational friends of The Travel Almanac decided to set up an exclusive fashion editorial collaboration with NikeLab and Jones in Rome’s E.U.R. [Esposizione Universale Roma] district which they gave the name 'Saluti da E.U.R.'

Esposizione Universale Roma is a neighborhood in the Italian capital that was planned to host the world’s fair and to exhibit Italy’s latest answers to modern urbanism, architecture, design, and sports. Finally completed for the Summer Olympics 1960 held in the city, the area is famous for its orthogonal city plan inspired by Roman Imperial urban planning and for its monumental white architecture characteristic of Italian Rationalism. The buildings’ traditional materials and revolutionary minimal lines were a simplification and modernization of neo-classical architecture and have influenced the most talented architects, from David Chipperfield to Peter Zumthor passing through Oscar Niemeyer. Today E.U.R. has become Rome’s center for sports, finance, and with its newly opened Museum of Fashion in the iconic Palazzo della Civilta’ Italiana, also known as the Squared Colosseum, also for fashion.

A context proving to be a remarkable fit for the collection's colorful pieces, both caught by The Travel Almanac's founder Paul Kominek and Danish photographer Sara Katrine Thiesen, presenting a perfect hybrid of the classicist Italian exterior and some of the most cutting edge athletic pieces available today created by Jones and NikeLab, forming one of our favorite editorials we have seen in the last few months. [ Continue reading ]

Last month, American author Dale Hope presented the reissue of his well sought-after publication, first released in 2000: 'The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands'. The inspirational book is a highly comprehensive printed gem on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt. Seriously enhancing the first edition: over 150 pages were added to the original; the layout was updated completely; some new stories about other important artists, who originally hand-painted the shirts, were written; as well as the whole Pataloha story (Patagonia's collection of Hawaiian-inspired shirts and dresses) with Rell Sunn is told — making the new book more a true second edition than just a mere revision of the original. As beautifully, yet different, illustrated as the original, the new edition features hundreds of images, recounting the colorful stories behind the colorful shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the watermen culture and lifestyle. Valued by professional collectors and by millions of vacationers and servicemen, in recent years the Hawaii shirts are enjoying a fashion revival, having been reinterpreted on different catwalks by multiple fashion houses in the last decade.

Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, the author evokes the world of the designers, seamstresses, manufacturers, and retailers of the Golden Age of the Aloha shirt (from the 30s through the 50s), who created the industry and nurtured it from its single-sewing-machine-shop beginnings to an enterprise of international scope and importance. Here, too, are the fun-loving 60s, interviews with collectors who preserve these shirts as fine works of art; and insights into the roles of coconut buttons, matched pockets, woven labels, and exotic fabrics in the evolution of the Aloha shirt. [ Continue reading ]

At the moment we are immersing ourselves in the world of elegant sportswear for an extremely exciting new project we are working on (which we will elaborate on whenever we can in the near future). One of the highly inspirational brands we have encountered along this research is the South Korean brand IISE [translates to second generation], founded by Terrence and Kevin Kim, two second-generation Korean-American brothers who were so inspired by their cultural roots that they decided to create a brand founded on them. Debuting in 2015 with a full collection, given the moniker 001, the brand had been producing naturally-died bags and accessories since 2013. It introduced its 002 collection two months ago, with a lot more to come in the coming months.

The new direction for IISE was received with open arms by the streetwear media ecosystem, gathering both both on- and offline widespread media attention, ensuring a quick worldwide introduction of the brand's new ambitious move into clothing. The designs by Terrence and Kevin marry the Far East with the West and are constructed from a hybrid of both traditional Korean and modern materials, such as the “mu-myung” and “guangmok” fabrics that are naturally-dyed cottons of Korea’s traditional garb. Reinterpreting these iconic textiles into a sportswear inspired vision, the unique cottons are integrated into the garments along with premium materials such as leather, raw silk fleck and nylon twill. Beyond just the interesting fabrics used, the brothers succeed in implementing graphic elements inspired by Korean woodwork throughout the collection and completing their creations with its elegant roomy and cropped cuts. For us IISE makes some of the most inspirational sportswear-inspired clothing available today. [ Continue reading ]

At the beginning of this year, the seasoned —yet low profile— Dutch fashion designer Paul Helbers reintroduced (after having designed under his own label Inch for a couple of years in the Nineties) himself to the world with the presentation of his ambitious eponymous new label in Paris. Having cut his teeth in different positions throughout the fashion industry after his graduation from the Royal College of Art, a former studio director of Maison Martin Margiela and 2006 until 2011 menswear designer at Louis Vuitton under Marc Jacobs, Helbers seems more than ready for his second coming. Last month, the designer presented his second collection for Spring/Summer 2017, but we still want to take another look at his inaugural set of creations, which granted the designer serious critical acclaim and forms a very inspirational start for any menswear label. The breakout collection will find its way to different retailers, among which are Mr. Porter and Barney's New York, in the coming month.

Inspired by the poetic images of Robert Rauschenberg, iconic horrorfilm actor Bela Lugosi and early Irving Penn portraits of Bernstein and TS Elliot, each celebrating an immaculate sense of dressing and off-duty style, with his label Helbers aims to fuel the strength of artisan skills with more abstract and contemporary ideas like the popular athleisure movement of recent years. In that sense the work of Helbers reminds us of another Dutch designer combining traditional tailoring with sportswear elements: Sebastiaan Pieter. To ensure the high quality standards set by Helbers, everything under the label is developed and produced at established ateliers around Venice in Italy. For Autumn/Winter 2016 this resulted in an sublime collection, consisting of wool cashmere joggers with matte nylon knee patches, lightweight semi-canvassed blazers in wool, silk and linen tweed, cashmere flannel cardigan jackets and some stand out waterproof unconstructed coats, which seamlessly seem to marry the aesthetic of former employers Margiela and Vuitton into the new entity of Helbers.
Each piece of the collection contains a hybrid quality and a feeling of unpolished elegance underlined by the subtle clash of contrasting fabrics, celebrating the rough and the refined. Ideas are carried out with a carefully chosen fusion of low-end and high-end materials always applying a rigorous manufacturing standard. The absence of ostentatious elements is a deliberate choice in order to formulate an un-precious sense of appearance. [ Continue reading ]

We first mentioned Dublin-based ROADS at the beginning of the year, when they just had released their incredible Africa inspired new fragrances. At that moment we also shared that next to being an inspirational perfume house, the brand also houses a documentary film production section and a printed publishing section, with all areas producing inspirational high quality creations. Out of the publisher another gem will be released on the 31st of June, which we were just introduced to and really appreciate. The new book named 'The Fashion Set' highlights the importance of the creative process behind the modern fashion show, which has kept aiming continuously for a more impactful, grander scale over the course of the last 10 years in which the internet has created a complete new environment around the existing ecosystem of high fashion.

One of the results of these new preconditions is the need to combine the creative and practical in a fashion show, creating an artistic performance in which the different leading fashion houses try to effectively exhibit their new collections to the world, having to compete with (or when successful temporarily become part of) the visual tornado that is around us at all time. Fashion houses need to stay on top of their game in their complete presentations at all times, finding the right visual language expressing what it stands for twice a year (not even counting the recent 'Cruise' and 'Resort' trend of showing new collections). The insightful new book by ROADS features some of the most impressive set designs from this transitional period in which the spectacle became more and more important, among which are the shows of names like Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Prada, Maison Margiela and Anya Hindmarch, portraying the producers, set designers, and hundreds of craftspeople who together create 12 minutes of runway magic. [ Continue reading ]

We have appreciated and admired Italian menswear house Boglioli —formerly run by brothers Mario and Pierluigi Boglioli— for its elegant tailoring in the last few years, but since they appointed Davide Marello as their first creative director last year, things are really moving to the next level. Alongside Marello, our most handsome Another Something family member Roel Nabuurs took the role as assistent, so we feel a little proud ourselves for the just presented Spring/Summer 2017 collection, the second under the helm of Marello, which clearly shows the new modern direction for the Milano-based house.

Soft tailoring is the key in the new creative manoeuvre, both as the aesthetic and as an attitude. Timelessness is the ambitious horizon for Marello and his team. Rich in a patina that is pictorial, lived-in and ultimately human, color and texture give a subtly sensual spin to a classic wardrobe of malleable staples: unstructured blazers, fluid summer coats, pragmatic blousons, compact knits, lace-up brogues and loafers. The silhouette is easy yet precise, allowing for freedom of movement without forsaking appropriateness. Hints of workwear - functional patch pockets, sturdy surfaces, a garment-dyed rucksack - suggest an idea of hands-on elegance. We are very impressed to see the already established immaculate tailoring being pushed into the realms of a highly modern color palette, luscious innovative fabrics and soft confident lines, resulting in a potential frontrunning role in the interesting field of 'Italian' menswear for the house in the years to come. [ Continue reading ]

We have been following Bergen-based elegant rainwear brand Norwegian Rain from the very inception of the label in 2009. Over the years it has found a close following worldwide, both through their ever-evolving cutting-edge collection of supreme quality outerwear and because of their now famous  founders, designer Michael Tetteh Nartey also known as T-Michael and Alexander Helle, being the perfect ambassadors of what the brand stands for, having become street style blogs favorites since they arrived in the menswear world. Two weeks ago, an incredible new chapter started for Alexander and Michael, when they opened their first stand alone store outside of Norway —where they house in hometown Bergen and Oslo— crossing the water of the Northsea landing at an iconic London location, taking a big step forward in their endeavors. Opened on the 11th of June, the 1450 ft2 space houses the entire collection of Norwegian Rain’s iconic rainwear for both men and women including their signature pieces like the Raincho, the incredible Moscow coat and the Warrior. The store will also stock suits, shoes and leather goods from T-Michael's namesake label, as well as a carefully curated selection of Scandinavian mid-century furniture by Modern Tribute. When in London make sure to step into the elegant universe of Norwegian Rain, and what better place to do so in another city (next to Bergen — the rainiest city of the world) renown for its rain. [ Continue reading ]

Next month, on the 12th of July, American publisher Rizzoli will add another fashion orientated publication to its excellent catalogue with the release of the very first comprehensive book on the work of Japanese avant-garde punk designer Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER — which we discovered through our good friend Samuel de Goede (make sure to subscribe to his weekly newsletter for more tips like this!). Takahashi —together with two Japanese designers who were also granted Rizzoli publications on their work: NIGO of A Bathing Ape and Hiroshi Fujiwara of Fragment Design and the recent (temporary) cutting-edge retail concepts The Pool Aoyama (now closed) and THE PARK - ING (opened since April)— is an icon of Harajuku streetwear and the presumptive heir to the heavy mantle of Japanese deconstruction (officially crowned by Rei Kawakubo herself). Although all three have (and still do) played an integral rol in this second wave of worldwide influential Japanese fashion design succeeding the designers of the Eighties, it is arguable that Takahashi has left the biggest or most resonating mark on 'the culture', especially from the moment some years ago when he started his still ongoing collaboration with Nike for the GYAKUSOU line, which stayed very close to his creative vision, but introduced his designs to a much larger audience than his own labels.

From the very beginning of his rise, the fashion of Takahashi is not born out of an excessively intellectualized agenda. While not quite populist, his generative influences are instead romantic —sometimes even gothic. A fixture of the Paris collections for more than ten years—plus seventeen uninterrupted seasons in Tokyo prior to that—Takahashi’s life’s work confirms a maturation from self-conscious artifice and rebel pastiche to a steely, withering elegance all his own. Hailing from Gunma Prefecture like his friend NIGO, Takahashi’s long association with the undisputed king of Ura-Harajuku in the early 1990s is now the stuff of local fashion lore. But Takahashi would blaze an entirely different path to legend and notoriety. The violent rending and hasty reassembly that characterized his early work, its calculated imperfections and sutured seams, have given way to collections that he himself now calls "sexy and feminine."

Seeing the deeply emotional vision of the designer, stretching over 27 years, collected in the elegantly designed book, makes one realize how profound and influential the vision of Takahashi was and still is, which makes this book by Rizzoli a must have. Make sure to get it (pre-0rdered) soon, as it will sell out in no time once its released.. [ Continue reading ]

London Collections: Men is behind us and two names in particular keep resonating from what currently is seen as the most progressive display of new menswear. One debutant and one sportswear visionary who has been around for 10 years and worked as a creative consultant for different brands (G-Star most recently), but hardly has put anything on the market under his own label. The newcomer is Kiko Kostadinov (more on him later) and the visionary is Aitor Throup. The latter created a show twice as long as all te other shows in London, presenting five times as little silhouettes. Apparently even some people walked out of the show, things which hardly happen as a traditional fashion show will end in high pace before anyone can get that bored. For LC:M the Argentina-born designer debuted his in 2013 started New Object Research project on the catwalk at the Holy Trinity Church, also known as One Marylebone. Throup offered six looks — trans-seasonal prototypes he called them — in a presentation named 'The Rite of Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter' that was much less fashion show than performance art piece.  At the entrance to the church, four casts of Throup's body wearing these garments were laid on top of each other in a pile. The installation was named 'The Resting of the Past', and was created as a memorial to the previous designs. For the actual performance that ran for almost 22 minutes, Throup worked with puppet designer and engineer James Perowne. When asked by Tim Blanks about his inspirations for this particular creative display, Throup mentioned Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan and how affected he’d been by their shows, but: “never figured out how to get that level of emotion.” With this show, for the first time, he has — without a doubt.

The level of emotion, the boldness to take the time needed to tell this story, against the odds of current trends in fashion. Implementing a remarkable element used in contemporary theatre with the life-sized puppets. Multidisciplinary and innovative. It doesn't happen that often these days, especially not in fashion, and therefore we can only hope to see more of this in the future. With Throup's current state of mind, it seems something we can actually look out for in the near future.. [ Continue reading ]

Inspired by the Japanese 'Mottainai' (もったいない) tradition which is centered around the idea that every object has a soul and should never be wasted, we are beyond the moon, together with optical expert Bijan Azami, to finally present the Mottainai Nº 1: a timeless pair of sunglasses created to last a lifetime.

It has been a long time coming, as we first mentioned the project here over a year ago, but it turned out a bit of a long-term effort to finally share the passion project which is the result of a relentless quest for (our) perfection. Nevertheless, the big moment is eventually here and we feel beyond proud to introduce to you what we have been working on together with Bijan for the last three years. Hopefully this will be the first of more materializations strongly rooted in the fundament that was slowly built since the inception of Another Something & Co, with everything that has been shared and created in the last 9 years being its field of reference. It is safe to say that this project approximates synthesis of the different fields we aim to be positioned in as close as possible.

Less but better: the Mottainai Nº 1 is one single frame, carved from the horn of the Indian water buffalo by gifted craftsman in the world’s best natural horn atelier in the West of Germany. Every frame individually given a unique hand-finished distressed vintage appearance, which will continue to show an evolving beauty over the years of use. [ Continue reading ]

Last Saturday, an inspirational new exhibition opened in Antwerp's current temporary new platform for its creative community named Born in Antwerp. After some of the city's younger creatives were given (literally, in several former warehouses at the former harbor area named Kattendijkdok) space to present their vision, now renown fashion designer Bruno Pieters took the stage to put together an exhibition which explicitly portrays the new direction he has taken in his discipline. Formerly known for his namesake label and three years as menswear designer of HUGO by Hugo Boss, in 2010 he stepped away from it all and took a sabbatical, in which he spent a lot of time traveling through India in search for peace of mind. In January 2012, he returned to make what Oliver Horton in The New York Times described as a “revolutionary” new statement in the fashion world with his new company, Honest By - the world's first 100% transparent company and pioneer in price transparency. Honest By publishes its entire supply chain for every product it creates and translates this into total price transparency.

'(Behind) the Clothes' distills this inspirational new vision of the designer back into the large exhibition space at the Kattendijkdok. With the insightful exhibition, Pieters shows how he not only offers totally ethical, environmentally-friendly designs, but also leads the way in offering 100% transparency to the consumer. There are two parts to the exhibition: ’The Clothes’ and ‘Behind the Clothes’, which combined form a remarkable insightful representation of what the future of fashion should be, and hopefully at least partly will be. [ Continue reading ]

The new seasonal collections are one by one being released these days, and last week our good friend Olaf Hussein also presented his new set of creations. After opening his first flagship store named 'The Fitting Room' in Amsterdam last year, he continues to push the momentum he has created since the inception of the label forward. The new collection, which clearly shows the familiar minimal design elements in its overall aesthetic, allows its wearer to react and adapt to fast-paced modern life through its use of lightweight nylons, wrinkle resistant suiting fabrics, velcro straps and reversible styles. Turning novelty into a tool to express its themes, Hussein also introduces a range of bolder colors in addition to its signature grayscale palette and adapts the new moniker of “OH!” as branding, in line with current streetwear trends and possibly Acne Studios in particular as a great example of elegant implementation of this form of communication. The most striking new item of the collection is The Fundament Sneaker, the brand’s very first foray into footwear - perfectly complementing the apparel - which is available in black and white.
As has been the case for three seasons now, the majority of the just presented collection is available right away. Online, in the physical store at the Prinsengracht 491 and at the select retailers across the globe who carry the brand.

We love how Olaf relentlessly keeps building his brand and collections. To find out where he stands today, we asked him some questions what the new Spring/Summer 2016 collection means to him and how he sees the future for OLAF HUSSEIN. [ Continue reading ]

Last month, iconic Californian streetwear brand Stüssy presented its 7th seasonal Biannual — the magazine that celebrates the new upcoming collection. Where initially it stopped at being only that, over the years it has grown into a standalone publication in which the whole context around the brand is shared rather than just focusing on its own products and stories. It changed radically with Vol - 6, when the very talented Ryan Willms (of the recently stopped Inventory Magazine) took over as the editor of the magazine. Next to a new framework for the scope of the content, Willms' vision also included a new aesthetic for the publication to communicate the new ambitions for the Biannual. All of these elements put together makes the just released Vol - 7 a wonderful standout, the best they have put out so far, promising a lot for the future.

On the pages of the magazine its reader is taken to the island of Jamaica, which has been an inspiration for the brand from the very start through its rich culture, music and grounded lifestyle. On the island, photographer Tyrone Lebon shot his fourth series for Stüssy —very likely his best— exploring Jamaica’s great variety, spending time between Port Antonio and Kingston. Immersed into the Rasta, Reggae and Dancehall cultures of the island, the images convey an honest and exciting perspective of the country. Also dancehall superstar Popcaan is represented on the pages of the magazine. Next to these stories one will find enfant terrible and Bianca Chandôn mastermind Alex Olson, publisher Tom Adler (California Surfing and Climbing in the Fifties!), collage artist Tomoo Gokita, fashion designer Daiki Suzuki, and Hoffman Fabrics, alongside features photographed by James W. Mataitis Bailey, Antosh Cimoszko and Joyce Sze NG in the magazine.

To learn a little more on the interesting new creative direction for the Biannual we connected with Ryan, who in turn gave the word to the brand's in-house designer Chris Glickman, who was kind enough to answer some questions from us right before he took a trip to Japan. [ Continue reading ]

The MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp is among our favorite museums period  (for more than one reason) yet their latest extraordinary exhibition named ‘Game Changers – Reinventing the 20th century silhouette’ might very well be their greatest creation until date. The exhibition looks at the groundbreaking work of fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga and forms a special passion project of the museum's curator Karen van Godtsenhoven, in a collaboration with Balenciaga expert Miren Arzalluz. The innovations of the Spanish designer in the middle of the 20th century created a radically new silhouette, in which the body got freedom of movement and architectural volumes created a space around the body. Along with the pioneers of haute couture in the 1920s and 1930s and later on also the (Japanese) designers of the 1980s and 1990s, Balenciaga provided an alternative for the prevailing constrictive hourglass silhouette, being an elementary frontrunner in pushing the aesthetic enveloppe and inspiring the world to rethink certain prevailing paradigms. Balenciaga and those who stepped into his footsteps, all Game Changers within their personal context looked at fashion of the 20th century from a new perspective shaking up the status quo. Very different than for instance the way more eclectic 'Dries van Noten Inspirations' exhibition, the scenography created for the new remarkable curation of fashion history is minimal, letting the different themes speak for itself — making the exhibition an extraordinary captivating overview of some of the most iconic avant-garde moments in modern female fashion. When in Antwerp before the 18th of August this exhibition is a must visit! [ Continue reading ]

There was a time in which we had our eye on Kickstarter way more often then now a days, regularly finding interesting and exciting new projects funded (or sometimes failing to do so; we still can't believe 'Under Black Carpets' didn't succeed at that time) through their own community. Recently we have trouble finding the real gems (maybe there are few these days) and our last writing on such campaign or project was the successfully funded, inspirational conclusive book-project by hero Rob Lutter. Recently we finally discovered a new project which came to life through the crowd-funding platform which we really like. Promising London born and bred fashion brand Bethnals was founded by creative product developer and former Topshop denim buyer Melissa Clement in 2013 and raised its proper funding a year later to create a label focussing on basic, fuss-free denim for men and women at a very sharp price-point, that speaks volumes without the need to be loud. Finding inspiration in the cutting edge music, art and fashion scene of England's capital, there's a clear Scandinavian influence to be observed in their output as well, with the recently released Spring/Summer 2016 collection showing a maturity seldom seen at brands as young as Bethnals. Keep an eye on this promising name from London. [ Continue reading ]

It is undeniable that we live in a time in which it becomes harder and harder to stand out in this world saturated with similar content, partly also because of the seemingly definite loss of the pre-digitalization attention span people used to have (like ourselves by the way; we miss our pre-internet brain). With a never-ending exposure of communicational elements, being unleashed by media, companies and brands alike, most people in search for an relevant audience will use a louder - or bigger - voice to still be heard. Especially in fashion, what has become the most neurotic field in the creative industry. One of the scarce forerunners and real creative thinkers of recent years; Jonathan Anderson, decided to use the far opposite of that approach for his recently released Spring/Summer 2016 campaign. Together with regular collaborators; renown Parisian graphic design studio M/M Paris and Jamie Hawkesworth - who together with the designer created a cutting edge visual language for both the J.W. Anderson label and the Spanish fashion house Loewe - their finest work till date was presented to the world two months ago: a campaign in the size of a postal stamp featuring model Mayka Merino, which will literally force you to take a second look. Next to being a highly elegant - uncommon - aesthetic expression for a seasonal campaign, it is above all hope-giving to observe that in times of shouting some people still dare to whisper. [ Continue reading ]

In 2005, two years after the members of the Swiss Cycle Regiment - riding the longest-serving bicycle in civil and military history; the Ordonnanzfahrrad MO 05 - went on parade for the very last time in a town named Sempach, a young guy from Basel; Christian Wernle found the inspiration for what ten years later became a fascinating brand. He spotted a Swiss army sleeping bag while browsing in a flea market, and realized it would make the perfect basis for a range of original, contemporary outerwear. After the minimal yet technical line was introduced last year, Sempach has found a new source of inspiration in another mainstay from the same tradition: the field tent. For their second collection, Sempach has developed a very elegant collection of men’s and women’s waterproof jackets using the same design specifics as the Swiss Army field tent, which form the perfect hybrid of military technical elements and a minimally designed aesthetic. We love it! [ Continue reading ]

Last week, on the 3th of February, one of our favorite brands period; Rapha, presented its elegant set of new (and returning) designs of its different collections of cycling wear for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2016 season, shot once again immaculately by regularly collaborating master Ben Ingham, who this time shared the work with another talented eye in the person of Emily Maye. Having expanded significantly since its foundation in 2004, today the whole offering consists of the Pro Team, Souplesse, Women’s, Core, Brevet, Classic and City collections, all defined by riding style and purpose. With this complete set, Rapha underlines its leading position in producing some of finest, aesthetically pleasing clothing available for every road rider - both men and woman - on any kind of journey. We love the beautiful new color palette, being bold without losing its classic appeal, combined with the signature tremendous lines and cuts perfected for the road, continuing the brand's position ahead of the pack. [ Continue reading ]

Although it's been years since we mentioned the Swedish brand Filippa K here, mostly because it completely lost our attention for a while, in the last two years the brand has rerouted itself back into our field of interest. Next to the fact that it has set some remarkable leading ambitions towards being progressively more eco-friendly, which is rather unheard-of considering its global position, the brand furthermore seems to also have found a way more interesting creative field to work from. For the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection presentation, Filippa K’s Creative Director Nina Bogstedt chose to work with two great artists who are close to her heart, and close collaborators of the brand. Julia Hetta and Åsa Stenerhag share the softness, calm and clean lines that are at the core of Filippa K’s aesthetics – they also happen to be childhood friends. Together Hetta, Stenerhag and Bogstedt have turned the presentation space into a world of its own – with works that reflect and interpret the collection, but also give it an unexpected twist which they named 'Seeking Patterns'. [ Continue reading ]

Two years ago we wrote about the impressive first collaboration between Converse and one of our favorite brands around; Hancock Vulcanised Articles. Since then it was succeeded twice and today marks the fourth joint endeavor by the two brands which is again of the highest standard. Using subtle colors and graphic juxtaposition as the main inspirations, the worldwide release of today signifies the first time Hancock DNA has been incorporated into the premium Converse Jack Purcell Signature silhouette. Available in three complementary colorways – Autumn, Taupe and Black – the latter featuring Hancock’s striking Siphonia Elastica rubber plant print, each sneaker is completed with a contrasting top eyelet detail with interchangeable laces, making this the perfect hybrid of the Purcell's classic design and Hanock's cutting edge garments. [ Continue reading ]

At the end of 2013 we introduced the Helsinki-based label Bonhomie just before it was launched. The elegant Finnish brand has as its fundament to create shirts and other basics strictly of European manufacture, which are solely sold online direct to the costumers, allowing the price to be half of the usual retail price of products with a similar quality. The debut collection featured a pristine white point collar dress shirt, a denim button-down oxford shirt and a t-shirt. Now, two years ahead they have returned with a new perspective; presenting the immaculate 'White Season'. Denim was left behind for now, but the new all white collection covers all wishes one can have to dress up or down in the cleanest color of them all. [ Continue reading ]

Although the Spring/Summer 2016 collections will be presented soon, we will take one last look at the current season and the most exciting young designer we encountered this year: Hed Mayner. The Israeli, still based in Jerusalem, debuted in Paris only two seasons ago, yet his current - and second ever - Autumn/Winter 2015 collection is amongst our clear favorites of everything we have seen. In his coherent set of creations Mayner mixes elegant traditional tailoring with military elements, which he simply explains through having it around him so much in the streetscape of his hometown. Another important source of inspiration is orthodox Jewish tailoring, having a strong tradition in oversized silhouettes covering the body rather than mirroring it in its shape. The results are a remarkable clash of different aesthetic and culturally charged elements, forming a fresh vision on luxurious fashion, which should promise the designer to become a household name of modern menswear in the years to come. [ Continue reading ]

The all new sportswear brand AEANCE aims to bridge the gap between working out and going out. Designed in collaboration with German fashion designer Hien Le - known for an elegant clean cut colorful aesthetic - for this first collection, the brand makes its debut with a 19-piece running collection for men and women with a timeless appeal. Despite the dominant rhythm of fashion having to present twice a year, AEANCE decided to produce on a non-seasonal basis. The upcoming collections will feature further fashion names to work with the brand and its clean cuts and rigorous attention to technical and athletic detail. Keep an eye on this elegant newcomer in sports apparel. [ Continue reading ]