here are a few pics from mr hare's upcoming fall winter 2010 collection. regular readers would need no introduction to mr hare. for the newer readers, he is one of the new generation of shoe designers, one who designs for men (for now), one whose shoes you will fall in love with.
this will be his third collection, and it just gets better and better. if you can see the shoes up close, you will see the amazing detailing and craftsmanship. and we should not expect anything less as the shoes were made in italy, in a factory which also produces some top end italian shoes.
the tri-color pair in the first pic is just good enough to eat, and the brogue is just achingly beautiful.
"fitzgerald" from his debut collection makes a welcomed return. in the previous edition, the white portion was made in suede. this time round, it's in smooth calf leather while the black laces portion will be in suede.
every man should have a pair of sturdy classic oxfords. these grained leather ones come with a contrasting smooth leather toe cap. classics with a slight twist.
& my absolute favourite...
i love it so much it deserves it's own 360 degrees pic. i love love love the simple lines, and the contrasting suede and smooth leather. it will be perfect for work, formal yet playful. shoe lovers will no doubt take a second look at your feet. this is officially going into my fall winter 2010 shopping basket. again terrible that one has to wait another 6 months for the shoes to arrive in stores. neeeeeed, now!
love shoes, love mr hare.
+
wednesday was the dedicated menswear day during london fashion week. i went along to the topman design fall winter 2010 show, and find myself making a long list of things i really want come next season. if the looks seem deja vu to you, then you're probably not wrong. the first few looks, which were my favourites from the show, appeared to be heavily inspired by another british label which showed in milan a month ago. i am not sure if it is a case of coincidence, but to be inspired by a collection which debuted a month ago and have samples made and delivered in time for today's show seem too far fetched.
so my conclusion is: great minds think alike, and that aviator coats will be the must have for fall winter 2010. i love love love military influences, and i really hope these pieces make it to the production floor. shearling is also a rather expensive raw material, so it will be interesting to see how topman will price these pieces.
i am not one to embrace the "trousers in boots" look, but the cut of those trousers combined with the very delectable boots, is slowly changing my mind. love.
and i totally adore those slim fitted cargo style sweat pants. i really need those trousers and boots, like now! i was commenting to steve and elliot from buckstyle, that it's annoying that we see something on the runway but can't get them until six months later when it hits the shop floor (that is if that look made it to production too). it's becoming a trend with womenswear that one can order/buy the looks straight off the runway. i hope this will soon catch up with menswear. in this day and age it's all about instant gratification.
really loving the collection, especially the first few aviator/military looks. i know where i will be shopping next season. (mental note: must buy arcadia group shares)
click here to view the topman design show.
pics credit: getty images
+
i met mr hare last saturday to preview his fall winter 2010 collection, and noted that he wore a pair of "kerouac" from his debut collection. i love that pair of lace up boots, i think it's great for both work and play. amazingly, there's one pair in brown still available on oki-ni.com, was £439 now £176. if i could squeeze myself into it that would be mine!
run, not walk! let me organise pics from his new collection, will upload soon.
+
pardon the title, it doesn't allow me to do italics. it should read "in search of the fragrance". regular readers would know that i love and cherish my now three quarters empty bottle of "cuiron" by helmut lang. whilst on the search for the next best thing, i ask myself what i really want.
when i have 8 dusty and half emptied bottles of fragrances sitting on the shelves, 64,568 pairs of shoes of which half is unworn, a wardrobe of clothes stuffed to the edges and a huge pile of them strewn in a corner, untouched and wouldn't be caught wearing again. that's when i tell myself: i want something... different.
and while i continue to use my marc jacobs "basil sorbet splash" daily (the 300ml gargantuan bottle is probably the best price busting fragrance out there), i am also looking out for the next bottle. here are my 5 shortlisted so far...
1. "hindu grass" by nasomatto
i am fed up with high street so called designer fragrances. i don't want to be a clone. fragrances should be unique and all about the wearer. as i was about to leave selfridges on sunday, i passed by nasomatto and was intrigued by the bottle design. yes, style over substance any day! i really like "narcotic venus", but my friend commented it was a very feminine scent. indeed, when i googled it, it said it "employed the use of hypnotic accents to evoke sensuality and feminine scent in its pure state." geeesh, but i liked it though, so does it mean i like the smell on the wearer, so do i like it on myself? confusing, but my next favourite is "hindu grass". their web notes state that it "captured the essence of peace and universal love." what a load of tosh, but smell wise i like it.
their "one size fits all" approach meant that all nasomatto fragrances come in 30ml bottles only. all at... £100. click here for nasomatto fragrances.
2. "cologne pour le soir" by maison francis kurkdjian
i tried this a few months ago, and this is the closest i find that resembles "cuiron" by helmut lang. i remembered it to be very deep, reminding me of leather, of warmth. however being a cologne, the alcohol strength is weaker and thus the fragrance doesn't linger for long on the wearer. it's terrible if someone smells me before seeing me, but i just prefer my scent to stay a little longer. francis kurkdjian is also the nose/creator of aqua di parma's "iris nobile", again one of my favourite, and yet again a scent meant for the fairer sex. and francis was a ballet dancer turned perfumer. i am loving him already.
the 200ml "cologne pour le soir" (for the night??) retails for £125, available online here .
3. (untitled) by maison martin margiela
not yet available, but i am loving the clinical feel of the bottle. tipped to be a unisex fragrance, i am definitely going to try it out. like his clothes, i don't expect the fragrance to be run of the mill. yea, loving it now purely because of the bottle!
press notes also read "galbanum (floral, woody, very green), lentisque (bitter green, fern) and incense resin (ambery and oriental) combine together to make a unisex fragrance that isn't defined by stereotype and can be worn by anyone, anywhere." i can't translate that into english, but i will try it when it's released.
4. serge lutens "fille en aiguilles"
i admit, i am more interested in that bottle. anyone who bottles their fragrance in an elegant and simplistic bottle that reminds me of premium whisky must contain something exceedingly good. the unisex fragrance contained hints of "pine forest with notes of pine trees, vetiver and frankincense". i am interested to try it already. £76 for 50ml.
5. balenciaga eau de parfum
yes it's a scent for the ladies, but being a fan of all things balenciaga, i wondered why it took me so long to go have a sniff at their counter. so i am intrigued, but again by the bottle. anything in such a beautiful bottle must smell good. £42 for 30ml.
and so i guess the search for the bottle continues...
+
last week in new york, naomi campbell organised the "fashion for relief" show. as reported, the show was moved to london yesterday evening, and a whole slew of british celebrities came out in full force to support the worthy cause. there weren't many male celebrities strutting their stuff, but ronnie corbett no doubt won "best dressed for the night" for me! the top hat, the wooden cane, the 3 piece suit, the velvet slippers and turquoise socks (i die!).
even off duty, thecomedienne(comedian!) looked ever so stylish with a blue double breasted blazer with gold crested buttons. pocket square too, i love you ronnie!!!
and then there's model du jour david gandy hanging out backstage, looking effortlessly cool. not sure if it's the flash or that he lost the perma tann, he's looking mighty fine.
tv host piers morgan also did the catwalk, and backstage he was proudly parading a louis vuitton spring 2010 bag. a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this bag goes towards charity. find out from your local louis vuitton shop for details.
of course that bag doesn't belong to piers, it's naomi's. the supermodel and proud organiser of the event wore the specially designed charity t-shirt by vivienne westwood.
the vivienne westwood "fashion for relief - haiti" unisex charity t-shirt retails for £40 and is available online here. it's only available for a limited time.
all the clothes from the show will be auctioned off net-a-porter.com from march 15th. i'll definitely keep a lookout.
pictures credit: getty images
+
last night in new york, a fashion show was curated and tickets sold to help raise funds for victims of the haiti earthquake. a whole host of celebrities, designers, models (retired and active) came out in full force. i'm not sure if the celebrities came out in their own clothes, but all the clothes seen on their show would be auctioned off on net-a-porter.com come 15th march.
lorenzo (aka marc jacob's beau) looked great for this event, especially loving that silk/satin oversized bow tie. i love his shoes, looked familiar but just can't quite recall where i've seen it before. mrs beckham looked effortlessly stylish.
german model johannes huebl modeled a pink tuxedo,which again looked so familiar to me but i can't remember where i've seen it.best dressed of the night definitely.
thanks to reader niyi: johannes's tuxedo jacket is from dsquared2 spring summer 2010, also available online here.
sorry ladies and gents, johannes is taken. he is currently seeing new york socialite / tv star olivia palermo. you can however, get the t-shirt.
the t-shirt retails for US$16 (about £10) and will be available nationwide in the US from 16th february. proceeds will go towards the "clinton bush haiti fund".
and here's actor alan cummings in the t-shirt, and model of the moment patrick kafka showing the back of the t-shirt.
the amazing event was organised by naomi campbell, i thought she looked absolutely amazing for that event. at the finale, she gathered a few of her friends who were all dressed in alexander mcqueen for a tribute. gorgeousness.
this event will next move to london, and will be on show at 18th february at somerset house. tickets start from £75, click here for more info.
+
let's get back to looking at what's arriving in our stores for the second half of the year. here are a few of my favourite looks from swedish label j.lindeberg fall winter 2010. immaculately dressed in the midst of their adventures, the early explorers of the highest mountains, remote landscapes and solitary wilderness inspired j.lindeberg’s collection. the garments are elegant yet cut for functionality.
i am really loving the color palettes, slimmer cuts and cropped jackets. there are no bells and whistles with this collection, but some very nicely cut and styled looks. those striped work trousers are just perfection, i could so see myself going to work in them. i am really loving the whole mood and style direction. and those brown brogues seem to go with everything.
an overall very pleasing and consumer friendly collection, am looking forward to seeing them up close and personal soon.
guy in london pondering about all the inane, frivolous and unnecessary wants in life. like, "00o00h i want one of those".
