At the Leeds and Reading Festival, George Craig in Burberry Prorsum

"one night only", leeds music festival 2010 / ph: shirlaine forres, wireimage

not that i have a fascination with george craig, but he does wear a lot of burberry pieces for his performances. the lead singer of "one night only" attended last weekend's leeds music festival in a green military jacket with burgundy perforated shirt, both from burberry prorsum.

burberry prorsum fall winter 2010 / spring 2009

the military style jacket is from the current fall winter 2010 collection, also available online here. the perforated shirt was from burberry prorsum spring 2009.

backstage at burberry prorsum fall winter 2010 / ph: gq.com

mr craig also uploaded a twitpic, showing what he would be wearing for his performance at the reading festival. the military style jacket appeared to be similar to his outfit at leeds, but modified with leather straps around the cuffs and shoulder epaulets. i've not seen this piece from the runway, but the leather straps detailing was very prominent on burberry prorsum's spring 2011 show, suggesting this could be a custom made piece, or simply from the next season:

burberry prorsum spring 2011

his love for burberry is definitely not one night only.



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Mapping

retro suitcase - brighton coast by lisa tilley / stylecurious

i have a fascination with maps, and i love it when it is incorporated into clothing and accessories: themes of exploration and adventure excites me. while going through the financial times' "how to spend it", i came across this 00o00h so gorgeous retro suitcase, painstakingly refurbished by artist lisa tilley and handmade using the art of decoupage. adorning the front of the suitcase is a piece of 1950s ordnance survey map. what was once destined for the charity shop is now given a new lease of life.

this unique piece is available for £425. i think it's absolutely gorgeous.

retro suitcase - london by lisa tilley / stylecurious

lisa also did another piece with the map of london. it's interesting, but i think the blue/water in the previous piece sets it apart. an intricate piece no less, "london" retails for £415.

alviero martini large 'geoclassic' travel bag / alviero martini

seeing those suitcases with the map decoupage reminded me of the above luggage bags from italian fashion house alviero martini. i remembered together with mcm and hunting world, they were very popular in the 80s and 90s. like mcm, alviero martini is enjoying a bit of resurgence of late. i really like that keepall. i believe the body is made from canvas and calf leather, with the shoulder strap it really is a practical and stylish piece. at £402, it is comparatively cheaper than most of the other keepalls out there.

if i could change 2 things, i would give it better handles and update that dubious looking luggage tag.

balenciaga 'tbilisi' silk scarf, menswear fall winter 2007

and of course there's the silk-screened map prints scarves from balenciaga menswear fall winter 2007 which i just cannot get enough of. but it's so frustrating: the color, the detailing, the printing, everything is perfect except for the size. it's pretty much useless on most guys unless what we want is an elaborate pocket square. i kept hoping that they would revisit and redo it in rectangular formats. of course it didn't happen.

speaking of map printed pocket squares, dunhill did one this season, which is rather charming. retailing for £95, the pocket square is available online here.






"all that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost." ~ j. r. r. tolkien



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H&M to announce designer collaboration on September 9th

disneyrollergirl alerted me to the first video above. a lot of people guessed it was tomas maier (creative director of bottega veneta) in that video, prompting us to believe that he will be the guest collaborator for the upcoming (possibly november 2010) h&m designer series.

if it seems too good to be true, then it usually is. h&m then released the second video, which kinda confuses things. i still believe it will be taiwanese designer shiatzy chen. h&m's wikipedia page even gone as far as saying photographer nick knight shot models rosie huntingdon-whiteley and david gandy for the ad campaigns. so menswear is included then. hope all these hype and decoy and smoke and mirrors won't disappoint everyone when they finally announce the name of the guest designer on september 9th.


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At HMV Oxford Street London, George Craig in Burberry Prorsum

george craig at hmv london / ph: eamonn mccormack, wireimage

on thursday, george craig and his band "one night only" performed in london at hmv oxford street. george wore a lightweight cotton/silk blazer from burberry prorsum spring summer 2010, accessorised with a pair of rayban sunnies and wild tousled hair. i probably say this too often, but it is true that blazer is one of my favourite pieces from that collection.

i thought of getting it during the summer sales, but as usual none in my size. the blazer is currently on sale at matchesfashion.com for £398 (reduced from £895). if you act quick (before 31st aug 2010), you'll get an extra 25% off with code "LASTCHANCE".

mr craig quite literally walked off the runway to the performance at hmv. the (ex)burberry model wore the blazer for the spring summer 2010 show in milan back in june 2009, which was also the first ever runway show i attended.


burberry prorsum spring summer 2010, london / 00o00.blogspot.com

in september 2009, burberry prorsum brought it's womenswear show back to london, which i also happened to be at the right place at the right time. there were a selection of menswear looks presented, and again george wore the lightweight blazer for the show. it's almost like they designed it with him in mind.

l00o00ve it!




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Fashion Friday poll: Who is your favourite Oki-ni model?

right from the beginning, dan mitchell (that's no.1 above) has been the poster boy for menswear superstore, oki-ni.com. since then, they've drafted a few new faces over the years. their model choices have always been quirky but interesting.

Penn Badgley in Christian Louboutin sneakers

penn badgley, aug 2010, new york city
ph: albert michael, startraksphoto / justjared

my favourite cast member of 'gossip girl', yes favourite. penn badgley was pictured in new york city this week, in a pair of brown leather christian louboutin sneakers. amongst all the bells, whistles, studs, ponyhair and animal prints often associated with christian louboutin's mens sneakers, i really like the plain, classic ones. twice i went to their shop wanting this particular pair, but always none in my size.

loving the whole effortless look. and here's hoping that i'll get third time lucky.




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Tom Meighan of Kasabian at the V Festival in Trussardi 1911 Spring Summer 2010

tom meighan at the v festival, august 2010 / ph: samir hussein, getty images

british band kasabian performed at the v festival in hylands park last weekend. lead singer tom meighan quite literally dazzled in a studded denim jacket from italian fashion house trussardi 1911.

tom meighan at the v festival, august 2010 / ph: g. cattermole, getty images

serge pizzorno and tom meighan at the v festival, august 2010 / ph: samir hussein, getty images

tom meighan at the v festival, august 2010 / ph: matt kent, getty images

it must be quite a sight to behold, seeing the lights bouncing off the rhinestones on the exquisite denim jacket. such an amazing jacket, i am so glad tom wore it for the festival.

the rhinestone/studded jacket was from trussardi 1911's spring summer 2010 collection, designed under the helm of milan vukmirovic. i wonder how long it took to manually put each piece together. such a labour of love.

trussardi 1911 spring summer 2010 / 00o00.blogspot.com

and i was at the milan show back in june 2009. the studded jacket was quite the showpiece of the collection. couldn't quite get a sharp enough pic, but enough to capture the dazzle, shimmer and brilliance.

l00o00ve!



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Tilda Swinton for Pringle Of Scotland menswear Fall Winter 2010 campaign

tilda swinton for pringle of scotland menswear fall winter 2010 / ph: ryan mcginley

tilda swinton returned to front both the menswear and womenswear campaign for pringle of scotland fall winter 2010. similar to the previous season, the campaign was shot in scotland by one of my favourite photographers, ryan mcginley. much as i love tilda, i am a bit on the fence about her fronting the menswear campaign. any thoughts?

ryan koning for pringle of scotland fall winter 2010 / milan, january 2010

and a separate bit of trivial about above model ryan koning: he served in the army for 6 years and was deployed to iraq from october 2005 to october 2006. besides being an excellent tennis player in high school, ryan also writes instrumental pieces for movies and performs regularly at 'bitter end' and 'ella lounge' in new york city.

the next time we think models are just pretty wallflowers we should so think again.

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Lee Min-Ho in 3.1 Phillip Lim fall winter 2010

lee min-ho / pic credit: han myung-gu, wireimage.com

south korean actor lee min-ho attended the "pink play" concert in seoul on friday, wearing a tiger/zebra print cardigan from 3.1 phillip lim fall winter 2010. i like it that only 2 buttons were done up, giving it a very nonchalant style. love the whole laidback styling with the grey t-shirt and black fitted denims. nice.

the animal prints were rather prominent in phillip lim's fw10 collection, appearing in capes, knits, scarfs etc. animal prints are always a tough trend to pull out of the runway, but min-ho looked really good and believable in it.

fans of min-ho, rejoice. the 3.1 phillip lim "mid grey tiger intarsia" cardigan is now available from my-wardrobe.com. i'm warming to it, what say you?

and more importantly, is that tiger or zebra print?



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Camel coating

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Louis Vuitton Menswear Campaign Fall Winter 2010

in my humble opinion, the most desirable travel bag from louis vuitton, ever. i, really really want one...

gabriel aubry for louis vuitton menswear fall winter 2010 / ph: josh olins
louisvuitton.com

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Considered buying vintage watches from asos.com?

three weeks ago i featured 3 vintage rolex oyster datejust watches (which is all sold out now). i bought one of them, and am so so happy with it. buying a vintage watch can be a very daunting experience, especially online. i thought it would be beneficial for me to share my thoughts:

- i bought the watch from asos.com, a very reputable online shopping site, listed in the uk stock exchange, famous for £6 bracelets and initially started as a company specialising on clothing "As Seen On Screen". perhaps not a site one would associate with vintage watches.

- the very brief description and minimal pictures doesn't quite help to sell a watch that retailed well into the 4 figures. the 3 month warranty and 28days free return does provide a peace of mind.

- the bracelet was obviously shortened, but it wasn't mentioned on the description. but luckily, it fitted me alright. quite possibly the problem with online shopping: the generic approach to product listing doesn't work. i think the higher the price of an item, the more description it should get.

- however, delivery was exceptional. i've shopped at asos.com numerous times, but this time i was provided with a text message to my phone, specifying the exact hour my parcel would be delivered. right on time they were, i was very impressed. i wonder if this is a new service for all items, or just a selection.

- the watch doesn't come in it's original box, but in a terrible leatherette box.

- nonetheless, the watch box contained very important clues to the origin of the watch: DM London. again, nothing was mentioned in the product listing for the watch.

- researched around, DM London grew out of renowned bond street jeweller david morris. the company also took up a third of the space at selfridges' "wonder room", including the rolex and chopard's shop-in-shop. since 2008, DM London took over as watch buyers for asos.com. the information would have provided so much faith to the customer, but nothing was mentioned.

- the watch came with a certificate of authenticity from DM London, a licensed reseller of rolex watches, although the purchase was via asos.com. my friend who is a watch enthusiast dropped by my house last week, he gave it his two thumbs up. (his missus came with her new hermes shoulder kelly, which i also gave two thumbs up, but that's another story...)

- 3 weeks on, the watch is ticking fine. because the trio of watches, all from the same era (70s) and price range came on site at the same time, i suspect it was from a collector who let go of his collection. perhaps the reason why my watch was in a very good condition. whoever you are, thank you for taking good care of the watch.

my point is, i am very happy with my purchase. it's been the big ticket item i've been saving for, and i'm glad i made the first foray into vintage watches. (fine line between pre-owned and vintage, but since the watch is more than 30years of age, let's call it vintage). i'm happy, and have no qualms about buying vintage watches from asos.com again. hope the above points do help you to decide.

click here for the small selection of vintage watches available on asos.com.

an early birthday present for myself (mid september if you're asking and planning to send money and/or gifts!)





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Bags Packing

i will be going away for a late summer vacation come mid september. it will be holidays with the family, and i'm really looking forward to it as it's been quite a while since we last vacationed together. we're going on a group/package holiday, so i don't have to do much planning and organising, which is always good (no stress!). mum called to say "we are visiting the hot springs, so bring your swimwear" (cue orlebar brown shorts!), "and we will be staying at the ski resort too, so bring your winter clothing".

thanks mum, you've officially thrown me a challenge on how to pack for a 8 day trip with such vast temperature differences. and i have to pack smart clothing and shoes for the 3 birthday celebrations too. (stress!)

baby steps, let's start with what bag(s) to bring for the trip:

ally capellino "donkey dean" bagpack / allycapellino.co.uk

yes i'll be bringing one of my many large weekenders for the 8 day trip. but i also need a day bag for activities and sightseeing. one that will ideally keep my hands free for photos-taking and tid-bits munching, and one that doesn't scream "tourist!" or "schoolboy!". the bagpack/rucksack is a big trend for 2010 (which is good as there are more choices), and one that i am very keen on for the holidays.

very high on my list is the above ally capellino "donkey dean" bagpack. whatever inspired that name, the waxed cotton bag is stylish and practical. measuring 43cm x 43cm, it's the perfect day bag for my trip. i have about 2 weeks to decide, if i don't see a better option, "donkey dean" is going travelling with me. the bag retails for £146, click here for more info.

polojeans by ralph lauren "ogden" bagpack / chemical-records.co.uk

whilst browsing at harrods last weekend, i also came across the bag above, but in black canvas from polojeans. the bag does look better than pictured, and it's not evident from above, but the base is made from leather, thus less army-surplus and perhaps more street cred. i love it that it's a no nonsense bag you can knock about, and with those charming well washed flag patches, the bag will only get better with age.

i remembered the bag in black retailed for £149 at harrods (which i was very tempted to buy on impulse), but the above version in olive retails for £108 at chemical-records.co.uk. i wondered if it was of a different size, but there was no sizing info on their website, which is a big no-no in this day and age of online shopping. ok, i shall email them to ask.

now, do i have an all terrain jacket in my wardrobe...




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V's City of Dreams - Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough from Proenza Schouler

lazaro hernandez and jack mccollough / ph: terry tsolis for v magazine

v magazine's upcoming issue features 7 designers, reflecting on them growing up, thinking big, living large, and realising their fashion dreams against the glitterying skyline of new york. amongst the legends like ralph lauren and diane von furstenberg, the spot light also fell on some of the younger talents, like lazaro hernandez and jack mccollough above. i really do think they are one of the best design duos in fashion today. hope they will consider doing menswear, if it is based on their own style, i'll be the first in line.

now will lazaro please tell me where he got the well washed black t-shirt from? i forgot how chic jeans and t-shirt could look. and oh, did you know that proenza schouler was coined after their mothers' maiden names? a-maz-ing.

v67 is available from 2nd september at newsstands and online at vmagazine.com. i'm grabbing a copy.

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Rumoured: H&M x Shiatzy Chen collaboration

a selection from shiatzy chen menswear FW2009 and SS 2010 / shiatzychen.com


a few thoughts going through my head:

- after karl lagerfeld, stella mccartney, viktor & rolf, roberto cavalli, comme des garcons and jimmy choo, taiwanese designer shiatzy chen is rumoured to be next in the hot and enviable spot for h&m's annual november designer collaboration. rumour even appeared in h&m's wikipedia page.

- it's already august, why hasn't h&m officially announced the designer for their collaboration? announcements in previous years were way back in spring.

- plausible explanation or haphazard guess: a big name designer (first choice) dropped out at the last minute. chen is well known in taiwan, but hardly on the same platform as the other designers who collaborated with h&m

- if h&m wanted a piece of the far east pie, vivienne tam, anna sui, phillip lim, alexander wang, jason wu and even shanghai tang sound like more probable choices. if h&m wanted both womenswear and menswear, phillip lim is the obvious choice. he probably turned them down then.

- not sure if menswear would be included within the rumoured h&m x shiatzy chen collaboration. but the selection above from her 2009/2010 collection look promising.

- will china, the biggest consumer of luxury fashion now, be receptive of a taiwanese designer collaboration?

- even if rumour isn't true, it brought my attention to shiatzy chen, whose collection is pretty good.

- when will h&m announce?



pic credit: shiatzy chen


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Zara Man v Balmain Homme Fall Winter 2010

left: zara man fall winter 2010 / right: balmain homme fall winter 2010 (last pic from balmain spring summer 2010)

a few thoughts running through my head:

- zara's lookbook for august seems to be heavily inspired by balmain homme fall winter 2010, clothes and styling.

- strange, and somewhat brave of zara to be inspired by a fashion house with a very niche menswear collection/distribution. or brave of balmain to try and take streetwear upmarket.

- much as i do not agree with the deconstructed style and exorbitant price tags at balmain, the pieces at balmain demonstrated fine detailings: collars carefully slashed, cuffs nicely ribbed, buttons gloriously gold and crested. zara's versions are decidedly bland though.

- in an era where fashion is fast and clothes are aplenty, i suggest it's all (balmain) or nothing.

- you might emulate the style but it's hard to get the feel. i guess people who spend £2,000 upwards on balmain coats should in some aspect love fashion and style, and take care of themselves. so perhaps more of a clotheshorse and less of a victim.

- zara's online store will be operational on september 2nd across several european countries, UK included. how will it fare?




pics credit: zara / balmain



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Cire Trudon 'S' scent candle exclusively for Selfridges

french candle makers cire trudon released a limited edition candle for selfridges, the london superstore. 's' scent is rather fresh smelling, reminding me of camomile, vanilla, amber, liquorice, a hint of mild spices and a rather famous christian dior concoction. the special edition candle comes in a black hand blown glass with silver emblem.

being my favourite candle makers, i dropped by selfridges last weekend to have a little whiff:

i love their candles, the room smells really nice whenever i had them lid. i think they make great gifts too, i bought a few last christmas for my friends. loving the silver emblem here, a contrast to their usual brown and gold, which i think is just decadent:

my favourite is still 'ernesto'. scents of leather, tonka beans, cigars. if cuba smells like that, i must pay a visit soon. if this scent gets captured into a bottle of fragrance, for sure it will be my favourite. they are releasing this scent as a home spray soon, so maybe my wish for a perfume might just come true.

'revolution' is another favourite of mine. it was said that back in the days of the revolution, the nuns baked bread while awaiting the return of the heroes. they tried to capture the essence of that gorgeous smell of the fresh dough and put it in a candle. imagine how nice the room would smell when the candle is lit.

but i'll pass on the perfume if ever there's one, smelling like i've just finished a shift at the bakery might not be a very good idea heh.

i love going round to the shops to have a little whiff every now and then, awaken my senses. i think it's incredible how they managed to capture those scents and imagination, into a nice little package.

and a little tip: lift the bell jars and smell them instead. the aroma from the candle would have been swirling in there nicely. smelling the candles directly might be too strong for some. and you probably know this too, smell some coffee beans in between scents to "cleanse the palette"!




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