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[DISCO] Photography: I Was Born At The Wrong Time,These People Know How To Party...

2009-11-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

[Tom Ford]: A Single Man

2009-11-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Firstly I would like to start with an editorial before talking about the film. Here’s an editorial photographed by Mr Tom Ford for Out magazine, with Skins actor Nicholas Hoult.

Is it me or is Tom Ford creating a clone?

Editorial in the lead up to:

Here are the two trailers of the film. One is the original trailer with homoerotic scenes and the other is the heterosexualised version by the Weinstein Company. The latter is the version showcased for Academy Award nomination. It seems the members of the Academy don’t do well with homosexuality. Remember the“Brokeback Mountain" posters? In my opinion I prefer the original; I mean the film is about a gay guy so why not make that apparent with the trailer, instead of producing the second trailer and arriving at the cinema; and being shocked by two guys fornicating. Seriously now, what century to the Academy members live in? In general it looks like it’s going be quite a film, with actors such as Colin Firth, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult and Julianne Moore, this film looks like it’s going to be quite a buzz(well, from what I see from the trailer).Oh and look out for Spanish male model, Jon Kortajarena( the model below)

The Heterosexualised trailer:

Here is Tom Ford's Autumn/Winter 2009-2010

It may be recession, but in Tom Ford land, you might as well endure the recession with luxury comforts this winter. In this collection he doesn’t shy away from luxury, it seems to be the remedy needed for this season. The collection looks as if it was added to the film. It’s dapper, elegant and chic.

He uses opulent fabrics such as velvet for his smoking jacket-esque blazers, suede, crocodile, cashmere and herringbone. Colours are pastel with a focus on browns, beige, and cream with a dash of autumn coming in with rustic orange. For effect he adds embossed diamond jacquard patterns, checks, quilted detailing and shearling collars

His evening wear pieces could turn any man into Hugh Hefner, with tartan trousers, cummberbunds, a velvet cocktail jacket and my favourite black patent leather evening pumps with a grosgrain bow.

The collection plays both sides of the coin by softening masculinity, yet also hardening it with the silhouette and its construction. I wouldn’t be hard-pressed to see some of the pieces feature in the film, the collection and the film could work in unison with eachother.I can’t wait to see the film, from the trailer it looks like an engaging story, I might read the book to get a gist of it.

Dirk Bikkembergs: Autumn/Winter 2009-2010

2009-11-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Remember P.E? You know the compulsory subject we endured in high school. Physical Education, probably the most embarrassing and unfashionable experience. It’s not that you have to break a sweat. It’s that you had to wear unflattering clothing. My school P.E uniform was white and maroon, safe you would say. But, the shorts were too short, I caught glimpse of another guy’s manhood, that’s how short they were. And they were the worst in winter. Wearing shorts in winter was horrid. If only at that time, Dirk Bikkembergs had released his Sport Couture collection AW 2009/2010 when I started high school. I would have campaigned for his pieces as our P.E uniform.

It comes in maroon and white, genius. Its genius however, doesn’t stop there, with such fabrics as cashmere, wool and jersey. It’s an automatic comfort hugging experience. His collection has versatility that could make a footballer kicking with glee and would give someone like myself, who doesn’t playfootball, an impression that I do. Dirk (don’t worry we are not on first name terms) gives us joggers that are slim, flattering and that accentuate your body to the point of them being anatomically part of your body. The joggers here aren’t chavvy at all, they are sport couture. Luxurious and comfortable.

The collection offers satin suit combinations that adapt easily from the pitch to a gala. Winter classics are also added to the collection in the form of leather jackets, maroon double breasted coats, peacoats and turtle neck shirts. Mid-calf lace-up leather boots were styled with leg warmers and for accessories the leather bags were big enough to fit new born twins; and use them as weights. The colour palette was strong and rich, using reds, maroon, burgundy, grey and navy blue.

I view this collection as a sophisticated blend of tailored formality and frivolous comfort. It’s elegant, sharp and refined. With the freedom coming from the relaxed fabrics. His craftsmanship is to be praised and worthy of giving Nike a run for its money.

[What You Think] Wonderland Magazine: British Talent Special

2009-11-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Etro Autumn/Winter 2009/2010: For The Love Of Coats

2009-11-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

"Ours is a man in red, dressed in Merlot, Barolo and Brunello, part king, part jester. He wears the color of life, of ardor, of beauty and of Eros. But red is also the color that embodies the power of the nobility and the virtues of the warrior - the color of Emperors, Spartans and Druids. The man in red creates an individual mosaic of memories and emotions, in stark contrast to the monochrome of the standard uniform." Kean Etro

If you think red,its an automatic impulse to think love,passion and fire. Red conjures images of the devil and the colour is quite regal. With the case of the Etro:A/W 2009/2010 they went with the regal aspect of the colour. Here the colour conjures up images of Roman emperors and Spartans. Its quite ironic,in that Romans were Italian and Etro is an italian fashion house. It's staying close to its roots even if they are centuries old. The collection focuses on the richness of colour and texture. My favourite peices from the collection as you can see are the coats. They come in different shapes from cape,poncho to cloaks. Variety seems to be key in terms of the coats. They can used for a multitude of styles and silhouettes. I can see City boys in Canary Wharf rocking a patterned cape over their suits or maybe opting for for a a jacquard patterned long length coat. Feeling royal and powerful is the feeling you get wearing these coats. The coats were constructed with a range of fabrics. Here,you had fur,wool,tweed and herringbone all in one collection. The patterning on the coats gave a sense of geometry, as the shapes seemed to work harminously with each other. The use of prints and patterns is something Etro are known, giving it a sense of diversity. Hopefully if the funds allow,one day I would buy one of their cloaks,especially the two above. Their A/W2009/10 collection for women is something to look for playing with volume,texture and print. I commend their consistency in terms of both their women's and menswear collection. And the tailoring on the suits for this is immaculate and defined.

Hisham Oumlil: Autumn/Winter 2009

2009-11-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, it’s been a long time since I blogged, I'm sorry. I'm back now. With a few changes, I spoke to a few people and they recommend I should write a bit less, my blogs become a bit wordy with huge chunks of text. So I'm reluctantly giving that a shot with my new post. I was looking for something to blog about and I came across Hisham Oumlil. A Moroccan born designer who in opinion tailors his pieces of clothing as if they were bespoke pieces. What I admire about the collection is that it focuses on classics. You can’t go wrong with any of peices, they are all essential and they can all be adapted to a variety of styles. If like me you hate shopping, because it’s a bit of a mission and it’s expensive. If you buy classics, you can mix and match them with what you already have in wardrobe. And this is what I like about Hisham Oumlil’s collection. For this collection he took inspiration from the 2007 film No Country for Old Men.In the collection you have coats, jackets, blazers and waistcoats. His colour palette is bold and sombre ranging from browns, greys to striking blues and yellows. Fabrics were on trend working with velvet, velour and leather. Also keeping the winter classic fabric of wool. Footwear came in the likes of boots and gentlemanly classic lace-ups. I'm in love with the collection and in love with his Spring 2010/2011, which I will blog about very soon.

What you think?

[One To Watch Out For] Juun J. A/W 2009/2010

2009-10-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Now, don't you sniff around
For something fluffy and light
I need a man who brings
A man-size... Appetite ... from Hairspray

Our continued obsession with volume and size, can be seen from the ever controversial size zero debate and to the rise of oversized clothing for men. This obsession for oversized clothing could be due to the need of warmth and cover for winter. Or maybe men are concerned with hiding imperfections, much like their female counterparts. Whatever the reason, fashion has seen this need and designers are constructing for that demand. Juun J, a Korean designer has built parts of his collection for A/W 2009 on this concept. Giving it a technical, retro, Japanese edge combined with a European sensibility. His interpretations on winter classics such as trench coats and blazers are designed with a feminine sleek silhouette for men. Trench coats are widened and heightened giving them volume and designed in variation of colours from navy blue to grey. They convey a sober and calm tone, the trench coats were also designed as ponchos, but he refined the Ugly Betty silhouette as they were double breasted. Jackets looked as if they were dipped in the ocean and left dripping for you to wear. The wet look was enhanced with a glossy and patent feel. Jackets came in a myriad of silhouettes from oversided poncho-esque glossy blue puffer jackets to shiny windbreakers. Necklines and collars were elongated and the turtle neck was added to jackets, coats and jumpers. Shirts also were sewed together with scarves that could be used as hoodies or resembling the construction of the Middle Eastern Abaya. His creation of trousers involved making them high- waisted with a cumber band structure; they were baggy and tailored with relaxed pleats. Juun J also cinches the waist with his trademark use of belts. I admire his colour palette; the colours are sombre opting for brown, grey, black, military green and bronze with a matte finish. This mix evokes an Andrex softness that is playful and cool. Juun began his career in fashion after carrying out his military service, which is obligatory for South Korean men. This very apparent in his collection, incorporated with his love of street futurism and a bit of origami. I am in awe of his collection and admire his versatility and combinations of classics such as plaid shirts with a 21 century cut. His work can be simply put as defined and elaborate.

[What You Think]

2009-10-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Naomi Campbell for Flaunt taken by Dave LaChapelle

[One To Watch Out For] Undercover A/W 2009/2010

2009-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

"All these constructions and the laws connecting them can be arrived at by the principle of looking for the mathematically simplest concepts and the link between them."- Albert Einstein

You have got love winter, it’s a perfect excuse to hide and hibernate away from the world. It’s a chance to wear thick fabrics, dark colours and not give two monkeys about what you’re wearing. But with emerging designers like Jun Takahashi, its does however prove that the anti-fashion appeal of winter could be quite fashionable. With his new Menswear collection for Undercover A/W 2009, he puts a stylish spin on function. Stylish being quite technical and scientific. He utilises fabrics used at NASA,one of the fabrics used traps body heat when the wearer is indoors and expels it when the wearer moves away to a colder environment. Describing the fabric itself seems quite formulaic resembling the rules of a scientific theory; he definitely listened to his Physics tutor. Takahashi’s silhouette for the collection range from capes to puffer jackets. The capes were made of thick wool in autumnal rustic orange dégradé blends, grey, blue and black. The capes conveyed a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Batman, it’s as if you could fly, ski and raid a bank at the same time with the neck balaclavas. Knits were constructed into long jumpers and sleeves on long sleeve full length double breasted coats. Wool was manipulated into an array of pieces and detailing, proving that Takahashi’s design approach focused on construction and development of his pieces. Takahashi also embraced the winter trend of “Sports Chic”. Adding tight figure hugging joggers that could look amazing on a perfectly plump exercised bubble- like gluteus maximus.Chavs would be caught dead in a pair of these joggers, but after seeing this collection I see why Chavs love wearing a pair of joggers, comfort, softness and warmth.Takahashi adds a pinch of rock’n’roll with a biker jacket in a shocking blue with shoulder zips and pocket zips. Shoes resembled ski boots turned into high tops with thick wool padding and Velcro strapping. Ugg boots with gladiator sandal strapping, basically. The collection combined Tokyo street style, ski chic and rock’n’roll into a techno avant garde soberness. What this collection has is innovation and intelligence; I hope to see more from him as he transforms menswear.

The Male Supermodel

2009-10-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

David Gandy

A.J Abualrub

The male supermodel has crash landed into the fashion industry and its here to stay. For years the supermodel has been associated with women and men have been pushed away from the spotlight. But with the growth of the menswear industry and men’s fashion magazine, it was only a matter of time until they arrived. They are the epitome of masculinity, they ooze sexuality that women are easily leech on and which men are envious of. Designers Domenico and Stefano (Dolce and Gabbana) have noticed the influence these men wield on fashion and they have given them a platform to shine, models such as David Gandy, Tyson Ballou and Noah Mills all were nurtured at the D&G stable. You’ve probably seen them flaunting their super chillesed physique in the new D&G Anthology perfume ad near super-goddesses such as Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. But these guys are a breed of the old world masculinity ideal. There’s another batch of models that provide an alternative 21 century ideal of the male physique, it’s childlike, slim and lean. They have a flexibility ranging from conceptual, indie to grunge looks. These guys are AJ Abualrub, Ash Stymest and Josh Beech. However, these guys are the oranges among apples, male models don’t garner the same earning power as they female counterparts, they live lifestyles similar to those near the breadline, but these guys are gaining similar recognition and money as female models. But it will be time before Topman collaborates with David Gandy for a collection.

Sean O'Pry

Josh Beech

Tyson Ballou

Will Chalker