We’ve been tracking the rising popularity of the modern day dandy for a while now. Guys like Patrick MacDonald, Douglass Little, The Sartorialist and our very own Cator Sparks are on the forefront of the movement. The Young Meagher Project is a guild of denim designers who trace the roots of their secret society to the late 1800s.  Bands like Panic! at the Disco  and My Chemical Romance have also embraced the look that blends the sartorial splendor of the late 19^th century with a peacockish non fear of fashion.  And as reported here, a new film adaptation of “The Importance of Being Earnest” due out soon is sure to spark even further interest in the style of the day.

Panic! At the Disco

 Young Meagher Project

But now the 19^th century is like, sooo 2007. Designers like Cockpit, Barking Irons, Oliver Spencer and Rogues Gallery are all referencing the era. Globe-Trotter, a100+ year old British luxury luggage maker is starting to offer their old world hand-craftsmanship in the US. Each bag is made on original Victorian machinery at the company's factory in Hertfordshire, UK.

Globe Trotter

In addition, retail design is drawing heavily on an interpretation of an aesthetic that can only be described as 19^th century gentleman’s club. Alife Rivington Club, the sneaker boutique that opened in 2002 started the trend with its Jermyn Street style wood paneled walls and ostrich wallpaper. More recently, the décor and merchandise for sale at NYC restaurant/ boutique Freemans Sporting Club seems to be inspired by Currier and Ives prints depicting guys hunting, fishing and getting drunk in the late 19^th century. As well, the Cloak store on Greene Street is designed to resemble and old world men's club, and the new Oliver Spencer store in NYC's West Village is decorated to resemble a 19th century botanists's lounge.

 

Rivington Club

 Freeman's (photo: Refinery29)

Currier & Ives

 

 

 

 Freeman's (photo: Refinery29) Currier & Ives

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We were totally surprised to hear that Cloak, the influential men's design house led by the brooding Russian emigre Alexandre Plokhov it will be closing its doors after shipping sping 2007 due to "partnership issues." On the day the news broke in DNR and WWD, the sales associates at Opening Ceremony, which handles the brand's wholesale operations and retail store seemed pretty surprised. Owner Humberto Leon, who had prior knowledge of the announcement, however, seems to have alternate plans for the brand in the works. Meanwhile, the Cloak store was as quiet as ever...

We originally figured that maybe Plokhov decided to go in house at Uniqlo (it had been announced earlier this year that he would be designing a capsule collection for the Japanese retailer) but that project has also been shelved.

Cloak was one of the brands at the forefront of the new American men's designer category that's been so influential on our market for the past few seasons. Known for its quality tailoring, dark palette and military-style detailing, the brand has become a favorite men's wear brand among rock stars and others.

photos: men.style.com

The designer was awarded the coveted CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Award in 2004 and received the Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Menswear in 2005. He was nominated for menswear Designer of the Year for 2006. However, as we've seen with many promising young designers (Miguel Adrover, etc) awards and critical acclaim are not enough to keep a young designer in business.

Plokhov still hasnt revealed what his future plans will be.

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Azalea is a lifestyle boutique located in San Francisco's Hayes Valley that offers directional and accessible fashion and beauty from around the world.  In addition to the SF brick and mortar location, Azalea operates a great online shop- www.azaleasf.com. 

So what's selling at Azaleasf.com? Read on!

The store carries an international array of brands including A.P.C,  Artful Dodger, J. Lindeberg, Soia & Kyo, Sylvia Tu Jewelry, and local San Francisco brands Upper Playground and Fifty24SF. There's even a beauty bar and a salon where girls can get their nails done!   The store's owners are eco-conscious and view fashion as a leading force for pushing environmental change.  "We believe that one can be fashion forward without damaging the environment and love the brands that support an eco friendly lifestyle – Loomstate, Edun, Bread denim, Ren Skincare, Panda Snack," says Catherine Chow, co-owner.

Top 5 sellers include:

Seattle has no lack of good clothing stores. The city of rain and Starbucks ranks right up there with New York and LA when it comes to the sheer number of stores. That’s what makes it so impressive that Blackbird has risen to the top of the heap in a mere 2 years. Blackbird was recently honored as one of the 100 best Men’s stores in America by GQ.

How have they done it?

What's Nicole’s secret to discovering new brands? Leave the country. She’ll be passing on Project Vegas in 2007 to shop the market in Paris. With all the cool brands, all the emerging labels, and all her knowledge of the industry, what is the one thing still missing in the world of fashion retail? “Money makers! There are not enough cool brands and that mid price range that retail stores can consistently move”, says Nicole. Sounds like an easy enough request, but who can pull it off (besides Cheap Monday)?

To find out more about Blackbird and for tons of really good fashion info check out Nicole’s blog at www.helloblackbird.blogspot.com.

 

Blackbird; 5410 22nd Ave NW; Seattle, WA

Images from men.style.com and helloblackbird.blogspot.com 

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We’ve all seen Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but what did we make of     it?  Was it just a goofy movie about two stoner high school boys with aspirations to be the next Van Halen, or can we really learn something from it?  Take a look at what they’re wearing.

Let’s start with Ted “Theodore” Logan, Keanu Reeves’ character.  He's wearing twill shorts, with sweatpants rolled up underneath, a classic Van Halen tee shirt underneath a suit vest, under a colored denim jacket. HIs look is soo 2006. Fron the rock tee, to the vest to the cut off shorts, every item Ted is wearing is a key item for spring 2006. The suit vest and denim jacket are probably the two coolest pieces of this outfit.  Everyone has been sweating Dior Homme’s skinny rocker style lately?  As for the colored denim jacket, Ksubi, Bread Denim and Cheap Monday are all starting to offer more and more color.  Completing the look is none other than the iconic Chuck Taylor shoe.  

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High Snobiety is one of the streetwear world's most influential blogs. Based in Switzerland, with over 13,000 unique visitors daily, High Snobiety has establishes itself as an authority on all things cool in the streetwear market and has a definite impact on consumer sttitudes in this hard-to-please demographic. We caught up with David and asked his opinion on what's hot now, and whats gonna blow up next year.  Here's what he had to say.

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If you want to know what's hot in Parisian street culture, look no further than LA MJC. This creative agency has been involved with brands like Nike, BMW, Burton, Absolut and Coca Cola, as well as Colette, Paris' original streetwear store, making brands relevant to street culture and Parisian tastemakers. High Snobiety interviewed one of the creative minds behind the company, Michael DuPouy.

Read the full interview here.

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Ohhhhhh Marc. We love you for all those covetable things you make, for your work at LV, for coopting our early W'burg-thrift-store-days looks and making them luxurious yet familiar, your support of awesome charities and personalities (the Lil Kim window on Bleecker!), and for having Santa and his big lap in your window for the shopping season (because who's going to Macy's?).

But we REALLY, REALLY love you for the pigeon costume you busted out at your Venetian-themed holiday party this year. You're the man.  

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The Little Black Dress has always been a staple in ladies' wardrobes, but when we heard that Givenchy's iconic LBD worn by Audrey Hepburn in  the film Breakfast at Tiffany's sold for a whopping $807,000 recently, we bet that this classic piece will undergo a resurgence.

 

Jessica Biel

 

 

 Cameron Diaz

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The Brand P!mps and WeAreTheMarket caught up with Melody Malloy, owner of Bloke, the only store in Nashville, TN that caters specifically to dudes who rock our steez, to talk about what's happening in her part of the market  

Here's what Melody has to say about what's working for Bloke...

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Some of us Brand P!mps and Angelo go waaay back, together we burned the midnight oil on the Sportswear International Who's Who issue for 2001 (that is SO much work for SO little paper, you have no idea).  Since those days, Angelo, a native New Yorker, uber coolguy and sweetheart, has been with Nom De Guerre and now does his thing at Supreme. He also has a line of on-the-rise tees called Absurd. TAAAAASTY!

Here's what Angelo had to say about What's Hot Right Now and What's Next....

"Lately, there's been an emphasis on zip-up sweats with all-over/loud prints.  This trend goes hand in hand with the New Era 59/50.  In a year from now, I see people gravitating towards the exact opposite. There was a time when menswear was not so logo driven as it is now.  The same, really loud trend was going on in the early 90’s and died out by ’96.  I think the same kids that stress BBC, Bape, 10deep are going to eventually tire of these looks and go for the same price point reserved brands that are still considered streetwear but have a really pared down aesthetic, brands like Neighborhood, Goodenough, A.P.C., Nom de Guerre.  Guys are always going to want a pair of jeans, tee and M-65 jacket but they will choose to express that look in other ways."

Nicely said, Angelo.

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Nigo busted out the whole cool guy routine for the festivites -- renting an all-black tent, making little Fendi fabric Baby Milo cell phone charms for the VIPs and flying in Mr. Kanye West to perform for the fashionable troops. (See photo of Kanye with the shaved FF logo in his hair...mmmm, predictable -- big shouts to John Stewart at Atrium for pioneering the bringing THAT back...). 

Interesting quotage from Fendi CEO Michael Burke in last week's WWD:

“It’s about a different way of seeing Western fashion,” Burke said in an interview just before the event, which featured performances by Kanye West and the Teriyaki Boys in a giant tent in Tokyo’s National Stadium, which Nigo chose as a wink to the Coliseum in Rome. “The formula used to be: Duplicate your Milanese runway and they’ll be happy.”But in Burke’s estimation, it’s time to take notice of how Japanese consumers are changing: diversifying their spending and paying more attention to local fashion heroes. “The street is very vibrant here. They are inventing their own culture, their own way of living,” he explained. “If we don’t start doing something, they’re going to start substituting old luxury with new luxury.”

Wow, that's pretty on point. Think Nigo told him that? Maybe he's just smart. He'd better be, since he's running a family operated, three generation, matriarchal business. Gotta love those Fendi babes.

We'll be keeping an eye on Fendi....let's see if they can pull another Baguette bag coup (no disrespect to the Spy bag).

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In part 1 of an ongoing series,We Are The Market profiles the market's most influential designers.

Steven Alan Steven Alan is, first and foremost, a retailer. His trend-setting boutique which opened in the mid 1990s is heralded as the originator of the downtown lifestyle boutique movement. His wholesale showroom always represents the coolest indie designers. Steven started designing his own menswear in 1999, when he couldn’t find the perfect men’s shirt for his stores. He decided to make his own, using fabrics found in Italy and France and focusing on fit. Each shirt is washed to give a fashionably disheveled feel—an aesthetic that is Steven Alan’s trademark. Eventually he added the perfect pant, the perfect sweater and the perfect coat and a women’s collection. His design aesthetic and great eye for cool brands are often emulated, never equalled.

Patrik Ervell  As the former contributing fashion editor for V magazine, New York-based Patrik Ervell has, for the past five years, been a witness to the highs and lows of contemporary menswear. Ervell has put his experience into action by creating a collection that aims to fill a gap in menswear and offer something new and unique. A hint of futurism is key to Ervell’s collection, mainly because he is opposed to any sort of referencing of past trends. Simple, stripped down silhouettes, cut in modern fabrics and subtle color palette make this brand a favorite of the tastemaker set.

Cloak Cloak’s become the favorite brand of brooding hipsters and introspective rockers since it launched in 2000. Designed by Russian émigré Alexandre Plokhov, the brand is marked by a blend of military influences, elegant tailoring, high end fabrications, sweaters and dark colors. The collection won the coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in fall 2004, and since then Cloak’s recognition has been on the rise. The Cloak store, on Greene Street, in SoHo is one of the coolest shops in NYC, looking more like a secret men’s club than a clothing boutique, complete with dark wood furniture, revolving bookcases that conceal fitting rooms, leather club chairs and an antique wood and glass display case that’s the store’s centerpiece. Plokhov’s influence on the market is undeniable. His New Wave influences, ability to make men’s wear that’s both a little dangerous and high end, as well as his attention to detail and styling are setting a new standard.

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Denim purists know that they should never EVER wash their jeans. The process breaks the fiber of the indigo and ruins the jeans' integrity. The guys at Iron Army are taking that concept to a new level with a new project that merges art and fashion, called 777.

We've been big fans of Iron Army jeans since we first saw them 2 seasons back at Project. Their super tight legs and cool overalls are setting the standard in the skinny jeans arena. The founders, Steve Dubbeldam and Steve Opperman  plan to document  on their web site the wear and tear process of 7 pairs of their raw denim jeans. The project ends in June..

The Steves gave out 7 pairs of raw denim jeans to 7 different men with very different lifestyles (an artist, a construction worker, etc) living in different parts of the world.  The seven individuals were asked to wear the jeans every day for 7 months and document the wear and tear on the jeans in an online blog which is to be updated monthly. Q&As with the participants, photos of the jeans, and videos of the jeans' experiences are all online.

And, since we're sure after a while these jeans are gonna get pretty gross, there's also a "Gnar-O-Meter" which rates each participant's gnarliness as the project progresses. Here's a picture of the Hiro style jeans on Day 1.

Visit the Iron Army web site now to see the progress.

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There's a new trade show in town!  Pool's founders start up another one.We're excited to see how the United Trade Show is going to turn out. The show is debuting this February in Vegas, and it is being organized by Pool trade show veteran Ryan Walker.

Not only does the show provide an inexpensive alternative to the major shows (Project, Pool, Magic) but it is being held at our absolute favorite venue for a trade show-- the Alexis Park Hotel. We can't wait to hit the outdoor pools, and chill at the Hard Rock, which is right across the street!

An 8 x 10 booth is a mere $1,500, and that includes free Wifi and electricity. Brands are encouraged to decorate their spaces, as well.

The organizers plan to keep the event small, and currently the web site lists several dozen confirmed brands, all independent creative labels, including Bijoules, DIMMAK, Cardboard Robot, Evil Genius, Milkcrate Athletics, Royal Elastics and a brand called the Purple Unicorn Experience, which we are dying to check out simplly because we love the name!

In addition, the organizers are adding lifestyle elements to the event  in the way of education, music and art. They are also working on various panels, round table discussions and seminars. DJ Steve Aoki of Dim Mak has partnered with UNITED and will handle the entertainment and  music. Plans are in the works for  a film festival and recording studio.  Sounds a little like Pool back in the day...

For more information, click here...

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Trovata Breaks Up.

Jeff Halmos and Sam Shipley, two of the founders of the cult contemporary label Trovata have announced that they are leaving the label. They cite "creative differences" as the reason for their departure. The two leave just months after another founding partner, Josia Lamberto-Egan left the company as well. John Whitledge, Creative Director, is the last man standing.

The split was reported in today's WWD.

Trovata was founded 5 years ago, and the collection raised the bar for design concepts and quality for premium and contemporary  brands. Trovata's very distinct design aesthetic that blended tailored quality and techniques with a preppy vibe and weathered, flea markety feel, has earned it plenty of praise from editors, stylists and retailers. The designers' habit of creating a back story and fictional muses for each collection has become the industry standard in a market that now demands authenticity and unique character from every collection.  Their inclusion of cute notes and stories on the insides of their garments is often imitated.

The company is a favorite of Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and Trovata won a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Award last year that recognizes up and coming talent, and awards them wth $200,000 and a year of business mentorship. The boys took home an Ecco Domani award for young designer talent the year before.

Going forward, Whitledge plans to open freestanding stores. Halmos and Shipley are looking into starting a new brand.

Boys, you're as cute as a boy band, and your clothes were inspirational. Good luck in your future endeavors!

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Our girl Claw gets blogged!

CLAW Money is so hot right now that when Cator tried to walk down the street in Miami during Art Basel he was mobbed by CLAW fans! Now Fader.com takes note of her vintage couture jackets and super hot shades. Click here to see the story.

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We dropped by East Village emporium Dave's Quality Meat to see what's hot now. Dave's Quality Meat has been serving up the choicest streetwear and limited edition sneakers since it opened in the East Village a few years back. The store develops a lot of exclusive product with major brands, and upcoming limited edition collabos include a sneaker for the Converse Red label, coming out Feb 1, and a Vans style, which will drop March 1. Both will be available exclusively at the store.

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Canada Goose-- the company that's been making parkas, jackets, and pants for those who live and work in the high arctic for over 50 years takes on the US with a limited edition collabo with Alife.

We've been hearing from our neighbors to the North in Canada that Canada Goose jackets are the hottest thing on the street right now, so we were happy to see that the brand did a limited edition collaboration with the kids over at ALife in NYC.

Alife NYC's Grey Goose Expedition Coat  blends Alife's evolved street fashion aesthetic with all the high-tech cold-weather functions Canadians depend on in their outerwear. The Grey Goose Expedition Jacket features giant pockets to stash ones gloves or blackberry, an Alife braded patch, and has a Silver Fox fur trim at the hood, plus a moisture-resistant Teflon-treated Actic-tech outer shell, an elasticized nylon snow skirt, premium down fill, and 100% down-proof nylon lining.

Grab it quick! Only 150 of these babies were made.

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One walk through Barney’s Coop and it's obvious just how saturated the premium denim market has become.  Any brand that enters this market with the goal of being successful must offer something unique to consumers.  One company that has managed to set themselves apart from the rest is Los Angeles Denim Atelier

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Peter Doherty, rocker, lead singer of Babyshambles, and boyfriend of Kate Moss has gotten into the fashion game.

He made an appearance yesterday at Selfridges in London to endorse the clothing line Gio-Goi, a Manchester based men’s wear collection that’s a fave of bands like The Streets, Arctic Monkeys and Paddingtons.

Doherty helped design a line of tees for the brand with slogans like “Drug Free” and Too Much Rock and Roll”  for the label. Doherty is no stranger to fashion. His sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle, as well as his skin tight trousers, trilby hat and tight T-shirt look has inspired everyone from Jade Howe to Hedi Slimane. A fan of traditional English brands like Fred Perry and Burberry coats, he often wears rosary beads with his skin tight tees. Doherty's style is so influential, he is slotted to appear in an upcoming issue of British Vogue focusing on British style.

   

 

Doherty showed up an hour late to the appearance (he claimed he had been shopping in the store) and then belted out a 4 song set with his band.

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Setting the direction for the new type of men’s tastemaker concept shop that’s just beginning to make an impact on the retail scene in NY, BBlessing is holding down the LES with its unique presentation of men’s wear and lifestyle. 

The store is operated by art collective Surface 2 Air and is designed by Surface 2 Air’s Daniel Jackson.  BBlessing is more than a clothing boutique, it seems to have been created as a one stop shop for the modern dandy—the man that wants distinctive labels in his closet, as well as cool gadgets, books and dvds on his shelf.