The first Philip Sparks Fall 2010 Preview Video was release in January. Philip is inspired by Moby Dick this season. I can’t wait to see all the nautical inspired clothing and accessories. Since then there have been two videos posted so I’m going to post all three for you to enjoy. Part 3 is so much fun. Peacoats for all! Follow the Philip Sparks blog for updates.
I was reading WWD.com and came across these WUYORK handmade bowties. I was surprised to discover that Taiwanese designer York Wu spends his time in New York and Toronto. He is also an interdisciplinary artist/designer and Interior Designer. His bowties are quite beautiful and unusual. These bowties can move between traditional usage and jewellery. The WUYORK website contains more product and campaign images. There is also photos of the packaging, which is just as beautiful. images: wuyork.com
Wallpaper has featured some of the venues from the Fall 2010 menswear shows. Here are a few of my favourites. Adam Kimmel’s presentation was just creepy. Check out Tommy Ton’s photos from the Adam Kimmell show. I love the long white runway with high wall at Lanvin. images: Wallpaper.com
I thought the Moncler Gamme Bleu Fall 2010 Show was super cute. I found a video of the show since the photos were so charming.
Browsing cyanatrendland.com lead me to Christopher Raeburn. I love these spring 2010 jackets. They are so colourful and making use of the sheer trend. Christopher Raeburn is a young British fashion designer, known for creating ethically-aware men’s and womenswear collections that are original in design. Utilising re-appropriated military fabrics, Christopher Raeburn creates garments that are functional, intelligent and meticulously crafted. A graduate from London’s prestigious Royal College of Arts in 2006, Raeburn is fast becoming known for his pioneering work towards the future of ethical design. Christopher Raeburn’s collections are highlighted for their intelligent design, high quality and extreme attention to detail. Staunchly British, all Raeburn garments are proudly ‘Remade in England’ and produced in East London. Christopher Raeburn has jackets for both men and women. I’ve posted some of each here because I liked both styles. The colours are so vibrant. The jackets just scream fun times to me. I really like the way they pop in these trade show photos I found on the Christopher Raeburn blog. These booths would be magnets to …
I’ve been stealing Balenciaga Lookbooks again. This time it’s Spring 2010. I’m still loving Fall 2007.
The kind people at Swide.com also emailed me some pictures of the backstage action at the D&G Fall 2010 fashion show. You can watch the full mens Fall 2010 collection from D&G on the website. I didn’t like this collection that much. The pants were very distracting. I didn’t like the oversized, multiple layers styling either. However, the knits were lovely.
The kind people at Swide.com emailed me some pictures of the backstage action at the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2010 fashion show. I thought I should share some of my favourite shots. Some are just purely eye candy, very good eye candy. You can watch the full mens Fall 2010 collection from Dolce & Gabbana on the website. The whole collection felt very mobster. I liked the clothing and did not enjoy the presentation. It was information overload for me. I was amazed at the number of models that were cast for the show. The final walkout was insane. Here is a video that discusses some key looks from the Fall 2010 mens collection; providing information about material and techniques.
I’m getting excited for Fall 2010 and our local designers. Here is a Philip Sparks Fall 2010 Preview video. I’m really looking forward to Philip’s collection! I’m sure it will be full of menswear that I can’t fit into. I do own a sweater by Philip in extra small. It’s cozy.
Kirk and Stephen from Greta Constantine present Erza Constantine, their menswear line.
Menswear is just around the corner. Dolce & Gabbana has included the men for a Fall 2011 collection preview.
I got the Fall 2007 Balenciaga Men’s lookbook at the Meatpacking district store in NYC. I was there for fashion week and was checking out the stores in the area. I prefer the Fall 2007 collection. It’s very preppy, which was keeping with the Balenciaga Fall 2007 woman minus the lego shoes. The Fall 2009 lookbook I got in the menswear sections of Holt’s bloor street. Not as exciting as the Meatpacking District, le sigh. I like the simple layout of the lookbooks. The format hasn’t changed either, I like that. The Fall 2009 collection is a lot more sleek and angular. I like the use of colours. I didn’t really see the connections with Balenciaga women’s as it was drapey, sparkly and full of prints.
I was in the Hermès store on Bloor a few weekends back and managed to snag some of their lookbooks. I love this one for the fall 2009 collection of ties so I got to scanning.
I love the minimalistic nature of these Terence Koh for Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists Chuck Taylor All Stars. Unfortunately, these are for the guys. Not in my size. Boo. I’m a 5.5 Converse! Enlisted as a contributor to the 1HUND(RED) project, Koh’s approach to the design of his shoe focused on subtraction. “I wanted to keep the DNA of the Chuck Taylor intact, while reducing the seams, and smoothing out the shoe’s surfaces as much as possible”. Terence replaced the usual curve of the ankle with a vertical construction to give the shoe a clean square look. A smoothed-out version of the signature Converse tread on the sole combines with a white on white All Star rubber license plate on the heel to round out the ultra-clean look and feel of the shoe. As a contributor to 1HUND(RED), a percentage of the net wholesale price of the shoe will go to help fight AIDS in Africa, giving consumers an opportunity to become agents of change and offering a way to turn design into power. The Terence …
I’m still looking at men’s shoes and finding things I want. This time it’s from uber luxury shoemaker J.M. Weston. via Hypebeast image: hypebeast.com
After the Philip Sparks Spring 2010 show, I headed over to Holt Renfrew for their Style Rules event. The guest speaker was David Donohue, a professional car racer. We were also introduced to the new four door Porsche sedan, the Panamera. I’m a huge Porsche fan. My dream car is a Porsche 911 Targa. It’s been my dream car for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, I’m not an owner yet. When I heard the Panamera was a four door, I was a little skeptical. However, after listening to David and Porsche Canada’s president talk about the car I began to change. The unveiling sold me, it’s not too bad. It’s larger than the two door models but smaller than the Cayenne. It has all the bells and whistles anyone with money could wish for. They opened the car up and let the guests take a look inside. It was drool worthy. In the end, my favourite car is still the 911 Targa. The Panamera is nice, but not the kind of car I would buy …
Philip Sparks was the unofficial start to what I’m calling Toronto Extended Fashion Week. TEFW for short. The venue was in the usual haunts of the Burroughs Building. This season they used the bigger section of the 6th floor. They also had a great setup for the lounge area, complete with cheese plates and a DJ. I had a preview of the collection when I got to sit in on the Lookbook photoshoot. The collection included some pieces that I hadn’t seen which was a great surprise. The inspiration this season was cottage life and 1950s Canadian Pacific Railways gatewya ads. The collection featured fabrics like seersucker, cotton voile and ramie. Philip worked with textile designer Kerry Croghan to create his Gone Fishing print. It’s inspired from Thor Hansen fabrics and Canadian souvenir imagaery. These prints were used in shirts and ties. I love the fact that Philip doesn’t shy away from his Canadian roots. He embraces them fully and I really appreciate that love for our history and culture. I’m a born and raised …
When I saw these boots at Philip’s Fall 2009 show I died. I immediately asked if they were going into production and then I asked what the sizing would be. Unfortunately, they start at Men’s 40 which is a 6.5 and too big for me. However guys that doesn’t stop you from getting a pair. The Riding Boots with Brown Cuff can be found at the Philip Sparks online shop. image: philipsparks.com
I attended the FASHION Magazine’s Men’s Fall Style Special Event last week. I brought The Grumpy Owl with me since he sometimes concerns himself with fashionable things. The party was to celebrate the launch of the FASHION Magazine’s Men’s Fall Style Special supplement. It’s a magazine created by the Fashion Magazine team dedicated to men’s fashion. There were cigars and a small cigar lounge setup outside. The Grumpy Owl bought a nice cigar and enjoyed it on the patio. There were canapes and drinks at the party but we were also treated to a Hugo Boss Fall 2009 fashion show. The Men’s Fashion Fall 2009 supplement is pretty good. I love the product offering and the way they are displayed. There is also a long article demystifying men’s grooming by Andrew Sardone. I LOVE the men’s editorial though. Here are two images to get your hungry to find it.
Mr. Hare makes a men’s nice shoe. I’d take a pair of these in a 6 please. Mr. Hare also has a blog if you wish to follow his sartorial adventures. images: mrhare.co.uk
Look out for menswear from the Greta boys for Spring 2010!
So, I was shopping with a male friend who decided to buy an Equmen Core Precision Undershirt. It’s goes by the male girdle when people are being snarky. The buzz about these types of products has increased in the last year and I was dying to get access to a user of the product. Regular readers know I’m a fan of shapewear. It’s not about losing a lot of inches, but smoothing to leave clean lines. I had a feeling that the men’s version is similar in principle. I learned a bit more about the marketing from the website. There were three things the Men of the World need that Equmen delivers according to the website. The weight angle: I WANT TO LOOK AND FEEL SLIMMER Look and feel more fit with style. Equmen’s CORE PRECISION UNDERSHIRT will help to trim and tone your physique for a more tailored look. Streamlines Torso. Targeted compression wraps around core to trim stomach and smooth love handles. Straightens Posture. Pulls the shoulders back to deliver a taller, more …
The most interesting couture presentation was done by Adeline André. It consisted of one look for men and one look for women. To demonstrate her patented three-armhole design (and reveal just how much fabric went into each piece), the four items, including a shirt, jacket and coat for men, were first pegged on a clothesline before being donned by the models. The women’s look, a layered silk crepe dress merging from flesh color tones to pinks and reds, took minutes to put on as meters of fabric and a staggering 21 armholes were wound around. “I wanted to show my work, and the history of the armholes, in a very precise way,†André said. (source: WWD.com). I love the performance art aspect of this collection and the garment itself. The layers of colours gradually moving from light to dark is a nice touch. images: wwd.com
I like the style of the images from the Gianfranco Ferr̬ Fall 2009 Р2010 Ad Campaign. images: Fashion Copious
Jeeves & Wooster Pendant Lights by Jake Phipps THIS. THIS. THIS. What else is there to say about these amazing pendant lights. They would make a great addition to any sartorially inspired home. Love. The Jeeves & Wooster pendant lights were designed as a playful take on lighting with a real sense of cultural identity. The hat is an object that often associates its wearer with a particular society, heritage or race. The bowler and top hat are classic British cultural icons reflecting a bygone era of imperialism, class divide, and eccentricity. via Iconique Magazine