April 05, 2008



FIFTH AVENUE SHOE REPAIR FALL 08

Swedish label Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair finds inspiration in conserving tradition as well as breaking those same norms. The label is inspired by an old shoemakers shop in London that has gone from generation to generation passing on knowledge in craftsmanship and traditions of this old profession. Since classic tailoring, pattern making and authentic knowledge always stays a priority and a necessity in the collections the label was named Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair in 2004. The designers, Astrid Olsson and Lee Cotter focus on a creative draping technique where the silhouette progresses through sculpting. In contrast, advanced shapes are combined with classic wear such as the old man’s chino or the classic white shirt. Attention to detail and love of fabrics is something they work hard to achieve. We’ve got some pics of fall 2008 after the jump.

 

 

 

 

 

 



FASHION FILM FEST

Fashion, art and film have never been more in sync than now. We've been finding funny, cool, innivatove short films all over the web that are affiliated with fashion brands we love. Check out a few of them here.

Prada's Trembled Blossoms

 Kendi Ties

Jack Spade

                                                                                 Red Rose Pink Donkey, Bernhard Willhelm

 



HYDEN YOO FALL WINTER 08

We first met Hyden Yoo when he launched his collection several years ago and we are amazed how far the line has evolved. No longer strictly high quality, great fitting woven shirts with a slightly shorter cut than traditional dress shirts, Hyden Yoo is now a full collection of knits, trousers, jackets, and of course, wovens. Yoo describes it as Wall Street meets Brooklyn hipster. 

 More pics after the jump.

 

 

 



THE TRENCH BOOK OUT NOW ON ASSOULINE

Though it began as a military uniform, the trench coat has become a cornerstone of the twenty-first century wardrobe. A new book from Assouline, The Trench Book, explores the stylish evolution of this outerwear icon in design and fashion: from the rumpled chic of Columbo to the debonair Frank Sinatra, The Trench Book has some great photos exposing the mystique of a private investigator’s coat, the sinister allure of the leather trench, the ultra-sexy sheath with nothing underneath. Produced with the help of the traditional trench brand, Aquascutum, this book is richly illustrated and seriously documented with interesting facts, visiting the heyday of this classic through film, fashion, history, and many contemporary heroes.

Available through Assouline for $34.95.

April 04, 2008



MARILYN MINTER X SUPREME

New York powerhouse streetwear brand Supreme has teamed up with fashion photographer Marilyn Minter to create a series of 3 limited edition skateboards, which are available starting 04.10.08... "In the late 70's after pursuing her MFA at Syracuse University, Minter moved to NYC where she taught at a Catholic boys school and became mixed up with the NY club scene. These experiences influenced her return to the Art world and in 1989 she produced her first show, which was inspired by hardcore pornography.… Like the Jeff Koons and Richard Prince decks from last year, I'm sure these will sell out in record time. (ThisHeart'sOnFire)

 



STYLE: THE TEENAGERS

The Teenagers, the French indie band that catapulted to stardom thanks to a MySpace page is known for their rude lyrics, synth-infused party music and nerdy eyewear. These international cool kids are setting trends worldwide with their sceney parties and gigs and their anti-style style.

We've got some pics after the jump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



RULES FOR LIVING BY PAUL MARLOW

While the traditional code of gentlemen is a relic of a past age, there is a movement to revive certain sartorial traditions as well as gentlemanly pursuits. In the April edition of Dejour magazine, the mustachioed Paul Marlow, one of Loden Dager's designers shares his rules to live by:

A man should always have an opinion.

A man should never rule out other possibilities.

A man Is in serious trouble when he hesitates.

If you can’t have a plan, at least have a direction.

Personally, I find repetitious apologies repulsive, because at some point, you have to learn.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. When in need, a clandestine trip to Mustique will make everything better.

There is not much better in this world than the feeling of uncontrollable laughter.

If there ever were a rule that begged on its knees to be broken, it is casual fridays.

 

April 03, 2008



STUSSYDELUXE.COM LAUNCHES TOMORROW

For the Stussy lover who's traded in his surf steez for something a little more sophisticated, there's the new Stussy Deluxe collection which launched last year. Now the collection will finally have a home in cyberspace. We just got word from our friends at Stussy that StussyDeluxe.com goes live tomorrow. The website will feature items from the spring 08 Stussy Deluxe collection, which looks hot. As you probably know, Deluxe offers streetwear classics in time-tested shapes, and borrows some staple silhouettes from Stussy’s core collection while continuing to nod at work wear and military, two evergreen sources of inspiration for the Stussy brand aesthetic. The fabrics and details are much more sophisticated than Stussy's main line, and logos are barely evident anywhere in the collection- although those in the know, will know you're wearing one of the streetwear world's most venerated brands.  You heard it here first—check it out tomorrow! We’ve got pics from spring 08 after the jump.

 

 



BEHANCE NETWORK FOR CREATIVES

Tim from Coolhunting turned us on to the Behance network for creative professionals and the company has been on our radar ever since. There’s a great interview with the company’s founder, Scott Belsky on the JC Report. Read all about this unique company and how it’s seeking to help the creative community become more productive: You might have been unwittingly introduced to Behance when a colleague whipped out one of their nifty action notebooks, but these cleverly designed pads tailored to maximize creative output are just part of the brand's larger mission, which is all about connecting creatives and making ideas happen.
Recently named as one of the most exclusive online networks by BusinessWeek, Behance promotes a philosophy of doing through its network of top-tier creatives, an ongoing series of action-oriented articles, a suite of well-designed work products and a forthcoming global directory.

Read the full story here.

 

 



WOOLRICH WOOLEN MILLS FALL WINTER 2008

Designer Daiki Suzuki definitely knows what’s up when it comes to cutting edge style. His Engineered Garments collection was awarded a Best New Menswear Designer award by the CFDA & GQ. And right now, in his Woolrich Woolen Mills collection, Suzuki’s harkening back to a time when clothes were simpler. “In these times of ‘Extreme Tech’ we do not want to forget the charm and character of ‘Low Tech’ sportswear,” Suzuki says. The fall/winter collection combines European old world charm with American blue collar life. The designer was inspired by the sporting world in America in the 20’s and 30’s, which was a casual adaptation of British sartorial style, when men wore ties and bow ties under their fishing and hunting jackets. The “Low Tech” qualities of sporting garments were more natural and primitive. The collection is definitely a favorite of fashion purists and sartorial revivalists in search of all American heritage. WWM uses wool fabrics milled in Woolrich Pennsylvania, one of the last mills left in the US and one of the few in the world to develop woolens made in US. Vintage patterns like Black & Red Herringbone, Broken Herringbone and Shadow Plaids that date back to the turn of the century all the way to the 1950’s, are incorporated into this very forward-thinking, retro-inspired collection.



CDG FOR H&M

H&M has announced its next designer collaborator: Comme des Garcons. The famously avant-garde Japanese label, spearheaded by design powerhouse Rei Kawakubo, will provide a range of both men's and womenswear, as well as childrenswear, accessories and a new unisex fragrance for the retailer. In honour of its Japanese roots, the collaborative line will launch exclusively at H&M in Tokyo in November before being rolled out worldwide a few days later.   "I have always been interested in the balance between creation and business," says Kawakubo of the collaboration. "It is a dilemma, although for me creation has always been the first priority. It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M since it is a chance to take the dilemma to its extreme, and try to solve it."  "Rei Kawakubo has been on the top of our wish list for a long time and we are thrilled that she has chosen to collaborate with us," adds H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch. "We have tremendous respect for Kawakubo's fashion philosophy questioning fashion's ingrained patterns and we admire her artistic approach to design. We are particularly excited to launch the collection in Kawakubo’s native country at our launch in Japan." (Vogue.com)

April 02, 2008



GQ'S WELL DRESSED REBELS

Another member of the BPMW family is getting some great recognition for his personal style. Public School designer Dao Yi Chow was shot for GQ’s April issue in a feature called "The Well Dressed Rebel ". the feature highlights some of the menswear industry’s most fashionable, influencers and offers GQ readers subversive, one of a kind style tips.  Dao’s take on things was to mix high end with a bit of attitude. And he looks hotter than ever in a tux and jeans by Alexander McQueen.   “If you look at my outfit, it’s formal from the waist up and nontraditional from the waist down,” he says. “It’s the perfect balance between luxe and edge. There’s still a fashion component to it, but the way you put it together, you’re not fashion. To pull it off, you have to pay attention: You have to keep the lines from the jacket to the jeans—and the jeans to the shoes—in proportion.”


 

Other featured guys include Saks’ Michael Macko, photographers Nathaniel Goldberg and Wayne Maser, designers Phiip Crangi, Andy Spade, Paul Smith, Byron Peart, Luigi Martini, Barker Black’s Creative Director Derrick Miller, and Coach VP Walker MacWilliam. On the whole there's a great array of fashion styles and interesting insights into non-traditional approaches to what can be very traditional business.

View the story here.


BKRW ON THE FUTURE OF STREETWEAR

Interesting article on BKRW about the future of streetwear : Today, everybody can do a good collection and make a buzz for one season. But the problem is to last, to confirm, and maintain an image, an aura with efficient products, coherent graphics over several collections and most of all quality. Everything happened very fast. In less than three years, more than 30 brands were born and grew together, watched on the same websites, in same books, same videos and same movies. These brands chilled at the same parties, met the same people, the same media sources, shared the same cultural references. Street culture is muting itself in a textile Crotzfeld Jacob disease... The basis of the Street Culture is a rejection of the mass market and conformism. Street Wear is born from a gap. An entire part of the urban culture  did not have clothes which matched with their own cultural references. So today, why are we doing the same things, the same co-brandings, the same graphics, using the same colors.And why does everybody want to go so fast ?

Read the full article here.

 



A BOHO MOMENT AT NEW HIGH (M)ART

New High (M)art, is a gallery-esque retailer in LA’s Chinatown known for hosting series of designer-in-residence store exhibitions. A 9-week installment titled "World Fringe - An Ethno, Boho, Afro, Pow-Wow."  features a  curated group of designers and products that pivot around an ethnic-bohemian theme. Pointing to a handful of independent designers, the goal is to highlight ethnic permutations currently thriving in first world fashion and explore them from a variety of distinct interpretations. Confirmed designers include: Society for Rational Dress (LA), Cavern (LA), Telfar (NY), Whitehorse Couture (LA), The Battalion (LA), Goddollars (LA), Marvin y Quetzal (MX), Brian Lichtenberg (LA), Death/Traitors (NY), Peggy Noland (KC), Nehima (LA). Fashion-gallerists Miho Ikeda and T-RIK will present traditional pieces gathered from around the globe that translate in-the-now as styling must-haves for all those inspired to get-their-ethnic-on this summer. With nods to early 90s ethnic looks and a gathering of African, Native American, Guatemalan and Bohemian creations, expect a celebration of print, pattern and color. 

741 New High Street, Los Angeles, April 5- June 7



YOKO DEVEREAUX SALE & PARTY

Yoko Devereaux is celebrating the birthday of the brand’s Creative Director, Andy Salzer, with a sale and party on April 11!  25% off all Spring 2008 merchandise from noon till 10 pm. Stop by the Williamsburg store for some bargains and hop across the street after hours  for the Grand Opening of Trophy Bar. The Penny Dreadfuls.  Seth Kirby & Ana Matronic  will be spinning an unusual mix of recorded sound from the dawn of the Machine Age to the twilight of Prohibition the way it's supposed to be heard: on dueling wind-up Victrolas. 
 
Yoko Devereaux - 338 Broadway, Williamsburg / Brooklyn

April 01, 2008



COOL BRA

I have personally been slightly obsessed with Rick Klotz forever. the founder of the seminal streetwear label Freshjive, Klotz always goes beyond fashion, and his inspirations from the worlds of art, action sports and SoCal living are always on point and instructional. One of his latest collaborations is with Trace Marshall. Klotz's uber-premium collection Gonz! is launching its spring collection at a launch party this Friday alongside a print and digital slide presentation of photos by Marshall, called Cool Bra. Both Marshall and Klotz will be djing. At the Mollusk Shop, 1600 Pacific Avenue, Venice.




FOOTWEAR: SEAVEES

If Steve McQueen, Richard Neutra and Beach Boy Brian Wilson designed a sneaker line together it may have looked like SeaVees. The new collection, inspired by the casual So Cal lifestyle of the 1960s is super limited edition footwear--only 356 pairs total, in 4 styles and various colors have been made for spring. There's the 05/66 twin gore slip on that was inspired bythe Beaeh Boys' first album.  Only 145 pairs were made. The 07/64 is a nubuck laceup is based loosely on the introduction of the Porsche 911. Only 45 pair of the 01/68 are available. That shoe takes its inspiration from the creation of the iconic Eames Chaise. The 1/68 Circular Vamp Oxford was created in response to Steve Mcqueen's rugged cool style. There are 156 pairs of these out there. Distribution is limited, too.  SeaVees is only available at Jeffrey New York and Fred Segal Feet.

March 31, 2008



CLAE ROMARE HI ON COMPLEX

The Clae footwear brand is a member of the BPMW family, and we’re always excited to share with you when someone gives our friends and family recognition. Complex posted this great mention about Clae today: These Romare Hi’s are the latest Clae models that’ll solve the “no sneaker” rules at high-class establishments. The hi-cut silhouette fits like a sneaker but in this rustic color-up, the aesthetic looks more like something Bass would put out. Rock ‘em to the country club and to church, and then mix ‘em up with jeans for some high-class stunting at your local watering hole. Solid.
$125,clae.com

 



RETAIL: ATSUI

We're always looking for places to buy great Japanese fashion, And a new store in Seattle, called Atsui has a great assortment of young Japanese brands for men and women. Besides for a huge range from Man of Moods, one can pick up a wide selction of hats and accessories from Mr Olive, and bags, tees and tops from Hysteric Glamour . If you dont have plans to be in the Emerald City any time soon, you can also shop online at shop.atsuitokyo.com

 



RETAIL: KOMAKINO-- VANCOUVER'S GUERILLA STORE OPENS

Last week we reported on Roden Gray, one of Vancouver's hottest shops. We recently visited Komakino-- a  "guerilla store" located in Vancouver that sells the world's most progressive designer labels including Number (N)ine, Carol Christian Poell, Raf Simons, Undercover, Rick Owens, and several others. The shop changes location every 6-12 months "occupying" an odd, unused location and transforming it into a raw, primitive, designer boutique. Check out the MySpace page to plug into the store’s playlist or to sign up for notification of the store’s next location. If you’re not planning a trip to Canada anytime soon, you can also shop online.
109 West Cordova Street (in the basement of 'Back Gallery Project') Gastown Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6B 1E1
604.618.1344

 



YSL IN MOROCCO

It's not often that couture gives back, but this spring, the legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent stages a show at the Fondation Pierre Berge - Yves Saint Laurent that celebrates the astounding craft of Moroccan dress. In the '70s and '80s, Marrakech was the first stop for jetsetters and fashion personalities like Talitha Getty and Loulou de la Falaise. Saint Laurent was also there, living the life and channeling much of the local dress into collections for his eponymous line back in Paris. But "Une Passion Marocaine" features nary a thread of the designer's own work, instead focusing on the elaborate jewelry and caftans from the turn of the 20th century. Here you'll find extravagant Fez dresses from the 1800's, rendered in silk, velvet, and metal threads, as well as a collection of rare wedding jewelry and engraved silver. Saint Laurent fans will spot the connections between the ethnic originals and the high couture. Because as the designer himself told Paris Match back in 1983: "I am indebted to that country, to the violence of its harmonies, the intensity of its inventions. The culture has become by own."  (Vmag)
"Une Passion Marocaine" runs through August 31, 2008 at the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.  For information: www.fondation-pb-ysl.net


JAPANESE SCHOOL UNIFORMS ON PINGMAG

Fashion purists take note! PingMag has a great write-up on the history of the Japanese School Uniform. Its history goes way back - "The school uniform, seifuku, in Japan started over a hundred years ago, in the Meiji period. According to the Tombow Uniform Museum, first a more formal kimono, shirt and hakama combination was selected by the Ministry of Education, to “escalate” the profile of students." Though not dedicated to menswear, this story is a very nice read into one aspect of Japanese culture that many in the Western world seem to obsess over. And for those looking to buy your own modern Japanese school uniform, visit Conomi! (Selectism)

 



GOURMET SHOES NOW AT COMMONWEALTH

Gourmet is now at Commonwealth. There are eight new styles at the online shop as well as the brick and mortar locations. The first release is comprised of two new models, the Santo & Diablo. Both feature canvas uppers and takes styling cues from some of the sneakers world's most easily recognized silhouettes. This season Gourmet explores a brighter palette of colors like Amethyst (Purple), Interblue, Basil, and Scarlet, as well as keeping the more traditional colors like Black and Eggshell on the menu. Be sure to check out the entire collection now, and remember Commonwealth is the only authorized online retailer for Gourmet footwear.

 

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COME CORRECT

Some of graffiti's most venerated names including CLAW Money, Fafi, Kaws and West are coming together for an artist , showcase, called Come Correct at The Showroom Gallery later this week. Be sure to stop by the opening reception. And bring a sharpie! You may be able to score some autographs...