In 1965, a Japanese magazine publisher sent photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida to Ivy League schools in the United States where he took a series of candid campus photographs that were later assembled into Take Ivy, a now-iconic ethnography that will be released in English for the first time by PowerHouse Books this week.  One of the most sought-after research and inspiration books, especially in the prep and Americana movements in contemporary menswear, Take Ivy has influenced designers including Ralph Lauren, Michael Bastian, and J. Crew’s Frank Muytjens. Racked caught up with Ed Heald, a 1968 Dartmouth grad whose photograph appears twice in the book—on pages 54 and 70—to get the scoop from the other side of Hayashida’s camera. Heald, a freshman at the time the photo was taken, came to Dartmouth from Hudson, Ohio. His father, grandfather, and uncle all graduated from Dartmouth. Read the interview after the jump.  (Racked)

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Meet Canadian born Cassandra Hobbins, founder and head designer for PROSE IV. Her collection is soft and delicate and it “caters to those of us who are intimidated by super cool people but still want to come across as modern and stylish in our own way.” After gaining experience in the corporate world of fashion, the opportunity arose for Cassandra to share her vision and wardrobe with the world (literally). This effortless chic look is a definite winner and we are excited to see more of PROSE IV. We caught up with Cassandra to find out more about her, her line, and what she has coming up for S/S11. Look for the first introduction of her line to the market at (capsule) Women’s, September 21-22 and check out more of this exclusive interview and pics from the S/S11 collection after the jump.(Santho Goonewardene)

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Over the course of the last few seasons, London-based designer Makin Jan Ma has used his eponymous label as a means to establish fully-realized personas for characters in an ongoing art project encompassing film, music and painting.  Central St. Martin’s grad Jan Ma describes himself as a filmmaker first, evident in the elaborate backstories he creates for his two main characters Guts and J. Sky, whose wardrobes and homes are brought to life in the segmented lookbooks for each collection.  J. Sky for example, as depicted here by model Felix B, made a fortune off of a Polish porn site and tends to forget birthdays.  The garments that make up the SS11 collection are similarly idiosyncratic, an androgynous mix of sheer fabrics, silk shirts, moon and camo prints and simple shorts.  Makin Jan Ma will be on hand this season at (capsule) Women’s New York, and will also debut a picture novel based on J. Sky and a collaboration with guitarist/model Raoul Colvile to set Guts’ journey to music.  See more from the SS11 collection below.  (Steve Dool)

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Shoreditch’s recently opened men’s boutique Hostem is a stand-out stop for shoppers combing the streets of East London’s ever-burgeoning neighborhood. Proprietor James Brown sought to marry his favorite, though often disparate, sartorial aesthetics under one roof, yielding a selection of offerings that are both austere and artisanal.

From the tightly edited cadre of brands (Ann Demeulemeester, Casely-Hayford, Adam Kimmel) to Hostem’s JAMESPLUMB-conceived interiors, the store’s concept of elegant, intelligent design unifies the space and its contents. “So many cultures have influenced me from living in Umbria to Los Angeles,” Brown explains. “It was important my various experiences were reflected in Hostem.” It’s fitting, then, that the décor—Swedish linen curtains, hand-painted hessian wall panels and front desk-cum-former church pew—contributes a balancing sense of calm and quiet. That the shop takes its name from the Latin “audio hostem,” or “I hear the enemy,” further suggests Brown’s potential antagonists are anything too gaudy or trendy. (JCReport)  More after the jump.

41-43 REDCHURCH STREET – LONDON – E2 7DJ

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Union labor will be used at New York Fashion Week for the next three years under a deal between the company that produces the biannual event and the union that oversees much of the stagehand and other theatrical labor at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts….The union had been engaged in a dispute with the producer over whether IMG should be required to hire union labor for all Fashion Week events held at Lincoln Center. While the contract between the union and the performing-arts complex gives the union jurisdiction over many events on the Lincoln Center campus, it does not require the use of union labor for events that take place on the plaza or surrounding areas, such as Damrosch Park, where Fashion Week tents started going up last weekend. (WSJ)

Berlin-based brand Reality Studio combines multicultural influences “with a good measure of androgyny and sexiness” to create a style all their own.  Pieces are thought out and created with the intent to be very special but also wearable at the same time.  Read on to find out what designer Svenja Specht has in store for SS2011 and be sure to check out the collection at (capsule) Women’s Sept 21-22 in NYC.  More pics after the jump.

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Designer Sonia Boessert describes the German collection boessert/schorn as “rough, inaccurate and nonchalant”—just like life itself. The brand, which was launched in 2006 by the two designers Sonia Boessert and Brigitte Schorn has been shown in Paris, Berlin and Tokyo since 2006, and is known for its use of materials with unusual surfaces and structures especially knitwear in all its variations.  The collection features special handcrafted methods, knit techniques and dyeing, basically inspired by craft and traditional costumes as well as the art forms of Bauhaus and DaDa.  Boessert, who just bought a new kitten, tells us a bit about SS2011 after the jump.

View the full collection at (capsule)  Women’s, Sept 21-22 in NYC

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Interesting read on HuffPo: Looking around, it appears that there is a youth frenzy in every creative industry. From music to art to fashion, people are going crazy for everything indie. Retailers like Urban Outfitters are taking their cues from young designers, and the young populations of urban cities are looking to be outfitted by fresh and exciting brands. Yet, beyond the simple intuition of its presence, it is hard to determine the actual market size that exists to support emerging designers. After speaking to analysts, venture capitalists, and consultants about this demand, it quickly became evident that actual data and sales figures were nearly impossible to find.The luxury industry is notoriously hazy in presenting earnings. Even large public companies like LVMH show earnings in such a way that only exposes the revenue generated by the company as a whole rather than by its individual brands.

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J.Crew opened their 4th men’s store in NY earlier this week. VMan reports: The two-storied, 3,400-square-foot space houses designer Frank Muytjens’s tightly edited collection of outerwear, shirting, denim, and of course men’s grooming finishes. Using reclaimed wood from old barns, the interior feels (and sort of smells) as if you’re inside an Algonquin Park cabin – but there’s a catch: Mid way through the lower level, you eventually come face-to-face with “The Vault”. As intimidating as the word seems, “The Vault” (an ancient heavy metal bank vault) contains Men’s Shop carryalls, vintage collectables and a selection of shoes (to go perfectly with your tailored suiting needs). With walls full of neatly folded flannels and antique apothecary knickknacks, something tells us we’re going to be spending a lot more time uptown… More pics after the jump.

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Pop art icon Takashi Murakami guest creative directed the September issue of Pop magazine (available September 1) which features pop music queen Britney Spears on the cover. The issue is nothing short of a popstravaganza. Be sure to pick up a copy.