It's pretty safe to say that when searching for the pulse of New York's social scene, one doesn't have to look much further than the gentrified streets of the LES. Sure, you can hit midtown to shop. And sure you can shmooze at mixers with "old-money", but you'll find nary a Banksy sighting, and even fewer like-minded people (probably because they're all at Off Bowery or The Delancey). And few people know the scene better than Shayne Oliver of Hood By Air. Whether he's co-hosting a party with Roxy Cottontail, or chillin' with Vashtie at a 1992 affair, Oliver has become a part of the backdrop of the new LES scene. I caught up with him to chat about his much buzzed about line, the kids from around the way and what's next for Hood By Air.
-Virginia Jackson-Reed
A label's name usually captures the designer's aesthetic. What's the story behind "Hood By Air"?
It's a multi-faceted name. It has to do with the sensibility that my friends and I had acquired from being involved in fashion but being from a different background than many of our industry peers. It’s like Men In Black (when the aliens were trying to appear like humans). We learned to appreciate, not condone where we came from (the hood), and incorporated the hood look into our style of dress and vice versa. So instead of it becoming streetwear, it evolved into street fashion. This is what Hood By Air works to epitomize. To us, this is the future.
I also believe that being “hood”, not ghetto (huge difference), is skill: to make something out of what you have. Instead of becoming a victim to your circumstance, find the pros and run with them to find your way out of it!
The pieces have an unusual mix of edgy and chic-- something even more unexpected from a guy who grew up in Minnesota. What would you cite as your inspiration growing up?
I was born in Minnesota, but grew up mostly in St. Croix and Trinidad. My grandparents served as a huge inspiration to my views (in terms of fashion). My grandmother used to be a label-obsessed seamstress and my grandfather was a don dada.
In Minnesota I was inspired by the hood girls, they all dressed like their boyfriends (who were usually vice lords) with better hair.
St. Croix is where I first learned the concept of “getting dressed”. Everybody hung out in malls. The sneakers, the clothes, the music (The Fugees’ The Score had just dropped)… so much fun!
Besides the don dadas, Trinidad is a lifestyle inspiration for me. They are very free and work hard to be happy. To me, Americans work hard to appear to be happy.
Who would you currently cite as your muse?
Hood boys and girls, and my squad.
What would you say inspired the Fall '08 collection?
The goths and punks of Astor Place, Wu Tang Clan and Joan of Arc. I wanted to play with the dark side of hip-hop.
Are there any trends in menswear that you love, or on the other hand, would like to send out into fashion exile ("hammer pants" style)?
Trends I don't really know. I like when people acquire their own classics; hood boys in skinny jeans, that’s 'kinda cool (if you fit them right).
We should do away with exact interpretation dressing. If you’re 'gonna do it, apply something new. If you don’t, at least be good at it… Oh, and the Keffiyeh scarf.
Would you say that you have a "signature silhouette"?
The “hood” look past or present, boy or girl, and the fusion of it all.
This is literally just the beginning; what can we expect in the near future from Hood By Air?
Art, multimedia, events... they are all in the works. I want to make Hood By Air an obtainable product of our lifestyle. I just want it to be good.
The Washington Post published a great story on the design duo behind Duckie Brown, Daniel Silver and Steven Cox, entitled "Breaking the Menswear Mold." "The designers, who launched their label in 2001, have an affection for bold colors, unusual fabrics, sequins, embroidery and droopy crotches. The brand's distribution is limited, as not a lot of men have the wherewithal to dress up in an ivory organza blazer such as the one from the spring collection. But its customer base is dotted with boldface names, and in 2007 Cox, who is British, and Silver, who is Canadian, were nominated for best menswear designers by the CFDA." The story also mentions the coming Florsheim/Duckie Brown Collection as well as notes on the cotton and nylon trench coat shown above. (Selectism)
We just got word about a new collection from the folks who designed Cheap Monday. The collection is called MTWTFSS Weekday. and is designed exclusively for the Swedish store chain Weekday. Here's a quote from the designer, via 
It's Australian Fashion Week, and although there have been plenty of shows, very few menswear designers have shown their ss09 collections yet. While we're waiting for Material Boy's show on Friday, we bring you some pics from 
Anoma from Complex just turned us on to 
Blundstone is a Tasmania-based company that 
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Creators of unique bespoke suits for exceptional men and women, the master tailors of Savile Row have dressed the famous and infamous from all over the world, satisfying demand for the Row’s touch of elegance and eccentricity. Icons of Savile Row’s past include: Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Windsor, Sir Winston Churchill, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, and John Lennon. Costumers today demonstrate the Row’s spectacular diversity: the Princes William and Harry, Mick Jagger, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Pete Doherty, to name a few. A new book, The London Cut, written by James Sherwood, style writer for Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, The Independent, and fashion critic at Royal Ascot for the BBC, is a portrait of modern Savile Row, and contains detailed information on London’s premier tailors, including images of Savile Row past and present. It presents both the style and story of a street that continues to inspire fashion: Ralph Lauren, Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, and Tom Ford have all walked the Row while Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen were trained there. (
A.P.C. knows you need new tight jeans, yet also knows you don't want to look like a tragic hipster. Thus, they bring you the Petit Standard, a new classic with a narrow leg, but not too narrow. Artist Jacques Floret is so taken that he rendered them in four-color ballpoint pen. 
When I think of the ever precarious plight of the young designer, Miguel Adrover always comes to mind. The designer, pictured here, was one of NY's most critically acclaimed and inventive designers. Then he was forced to close his business for financial reasons. He has been away from the spotlight for a while but now, he's back. He's teaming up with Hess Natur, the German mail order company that's known for it's emphasis on sustainable fashion. Adrover will be creating a capsule collection of environmentally friendly clothes for the brand reports today's 
It's Fashion Week in Australia, and we've got our sights set down under. So we were especially happy to hear from one of our favorite Aussie designers, Stan Wan. The former designer of Peckers now has a new collection called Saxony that's a little more mature and a lot more saleable than his previous, more avant garde collection. We love the collection's progression from full suits to more casual hoodies, and polos. Pics after the jump.
A few weeks ago we introduced you to a new shoe brand, called Seavees. The brand offers 4 great styles, all names after auspicious dates in California cultural history. The 05/66 recalls the month when the Beach Boys released their first album, while the 07/64 is named for the month when the Porsche 911 was invented. Inspired by the eames Chaise, the 01/68 has perforated leather uppers, and the 10/68 is all about Steve McQueen’s style and refers to the release date of the film Bullitt. Each style is being released in super limited quantities, and the good news is that now you can buy the shoes on line at 
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Canada
We’ve been away for a few days so here’s a few vital pieces of news that happened while we were out: 
We’ve been away for a few days, so we are a little late in reporting on 
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