Casely-Hayford Fall Winter 2011

i dropped by the showroom last week to have a look at casely-hayford's upcoming fall winter 2011 collection. i love the pieces that they did with high street retailer john lewis, so am keen to find out more about their own upcoming collection. the first thing that caught my eye was the outerwear. really love the luxurious long coats in moleskin cotton paired with the sheep's fleece collar.

of the two coats, i prefer the light colored version. the white sheep's fleece collar and chocolatey brown leather lining just pops.

thought of trying it for myself but with uber cool showroom assistant takeru around, he kindly volunteered to be my model. slightly oversized, but doesn't he look great in that coat? it's my favourite piece from the collection, kind of regretted not trying it for myself now. i was told that this beautiful coat, along with the rest of the collection, were made in japan.

beautiful.

another of my favourite is the above waxed cotton bomber jacket. love the chocolate brown leather detailings on the sleeves and pocket linings. very laidback yet nonchalantly stylish. and here is the jacket on takeru:

really lovely detailings, i love.

there were also long coats which looked really well tailored, accessorised with very dapper looking silk squares. and casely-hayford always do fantastic footwear. these would definitely cheer you up wouldn't it!

love the collection, am glad i made it to the showroom to have an up close and personal look. i thought the collection was really good, and perhaps a little more commercial than what i've seen in the past. but then again it could be down to their usual quirky styling for the previous lookbook shots. and speaking about lookbook shots: whilst doing my research on casely-hayford.com, i came across a familiar looking jacket. i was searching high and low for the leather and wool jacket which tinie tempah wore to the 2011 brit awards two weeks ago, turns out it's from casely-hayford!


tinie tempah at brit awards 2011, 15 feb 2011 / ph: dave hogan, getty images


tinie tempah at brit awards 2011, 15 feb 2011 / ph: dave hogan, getty images


casely-hayford fall winter 2010 / ph: casely-hayford.com

love the leather jacket. i wanted to feature it 2 weeks back but couldn't identify it. now knowing it's from casely-hayford, tinie just got major (or should it be mayjah) points. ok a tinie distraction, but a really nice fall winter 2011 collection. l00o00ve!




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Mr. Hare Fall Winter 2011

and more shoes on this friday, this time from the lovely mr. hare. i've been very vocal about my love and support for mr. hare shoes. and i can honestly say, i really do like each and every collection. he hits the spot just right, like the above loafers in the perfect color. it's my favourite piece from the collection, and definitely one of the top three mr. hare shoes for me.

and the twist is, it comes with rubber soles!

straight to #wishlist! happy #shoesday!




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Bally x Central Saint Martins men's collection Fall Winter 2011

on wednesday, bally of switzerland presented their first ever men's shoes collaboration with london's central saint martins (CSM). staged within one of the beautiful rooms at claridges hotel, we were shown the fruits of labour between bally and CSM student craig green. four styles with two color variations each were produced, featuring materials like felt, suede, canvas and calf leathers combined in rather unique ways.

my favourite pair from this collection is the above grey felt and black calf leather lace ups x buckled shoes. i must admit the styling seems to be way different to the usual bally styles i've seen in stores, but i guess part of the excitement in this collaboration is to see new talents reinterpreting classic bally styles. i thought it was a really nice effort of bally to collaborate with a design school, to contribute to the development and nurture the students in such a tangible way. the shoes aren't just produced as part of a design project. it will also be available for sale in bally's stores around july 2011.

here are a few other styles:

granted it's not everyone's cup of tea, it's a great concept. i really like the idea and wonderful meaning behind it. hope the partnership will continue into spring 2012 too.



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John Lobb "190 Steps"

i love this short clip by john lobb. titled "190 steps", it highlights the manufacturing steps each shoe goes through within their factory in northampton, england. i love john lobb shoes, wrote about it at length at the beginning of the year, and even tried on a pair myself. the cream canvas and leather lace ups also made an appearance in the above video too.

love the shoes. and all clothes from e. tautz.




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E. Tautz Fall Winter 2011

one of the highlights of yesterday's london menswear shows, was e. tautz's fall winter 2011 collection, presented in the gorgeously ornate 'crush' room at the royal opera house. in a very intimate setting, designer patrick grant begins by telling us the story behind this collection, "i left my beret on the fishnish ferry". you just know it's going to be a good story. mr grant, one of the truly best dressed men in london, narrated his mini adventure in the isle of mull last autumn. how the sun shone unusually and gloriously bright, thus providing the palette for this collection.

and what a burst of colors it was, my favourite piece from the entire collection was the above old gold doleskin double breasted peacoat with the most romantic of collars, paired with really beautiful burgundy cord trousers.

really liking this collection. it's my first time at e. tautz and i love the whole laidback yet elegant feel about it. mr grant's 'prep talk' before the show made it all the more personal, which worked really well with the intimate settings. and he sat with the audience throughout the show, which showed great confidence in his work, and he was able to observe the reaction from the room. there wasn't any loud music blasted or models strutting furiously down the walkway. instead it was a pianist from royal academy of music providing the 'soundtrack', and models walked slowly and elegantly.

all of these added so much to the feel of this collection. i can't wait to try that yellow coat on.

click here to see the entire collection from e. tautz fall winter 2011.




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Topman Design Fall Winter 2011

topman design presented their fall winter 2011 show at london's royal opera house yesterday. the bright and airy venue played host to a series of rather dapper looks from the 50s. love the above printed shirt with the same motif as used on the invite. cuffed trousers also appeared throughout most of the show.

here are a few of my favourite looks:

the red wool coat looked amazing on the runway. love the pairing with the grey suit.

also loving some of the closing looks, featuring some rather delectable evening wear, and the models holding the fur stoles ever so nonchalantly. not sure if it's real fur (at topman), but sure looked the part, very dapper.

quite difficult to take runway pics as it happens, so i snapped the few of my favourites. you can view the entire collection here. like it?




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Alfred Dunhill Fall Winter 2011

alfred dunhill yesterday presented their fall winter 2011 collection at their gorgeous georgian mansion, bourdon house. aptly titled "home", dunhill brought the show back from paris where they had been showing for the past few seasons. and what a way to kick off the london menswear calendar. i was absolutely thrilled to be able to attend the presentation and see the pieces up close and personal.

the collection is divided into four themes: culture, provenance, discovery and elegance. my personal favourite is the above "culture" series, designed as elegant everyday wear, sophisticated enough to take us through from work to play.

absolutely love the camel colored double breasted alpaca wool overcoat, it is nothing short of stunning. in fact, it's my favourite piece from the entire collection. i almost wanted to step forward and give that model a hug, just to feel how soft that fabric must be. love the beautiful collar with elegant deco style scooped lining. and i could so see myself going to work in that ensemble. i am 90% sold, i think i will get it (begins baked beans diet).


also part of the "culture" series is this beautiful shearling collared overcoat. very lush. i couldn't take pictures of "elegance" as it was set within the private members' lounge at bourdon house (which is so elegant i could lounge there all day), but that collection featured sharply tailored but effortless looking evening wear. oh, charlie france was lounging 00o00h so impossibly cool in there.

another series which i love is "discovery". designed to keep us looking impeccable whilst warm and dry. i personally think outerwear is very strong at dunhill this season. there's a sense of adventure, and the dunhill explorer is looking impossibly chic. besides the camel colored alpaca coat above, my next favourite is the below arctic parka with beaver fur lining, simply regal.

my pictures probably did not do the collection much justice. i saw the gorgeous lookbook / studio shots featuring one of my favourite models george barnett. i'll try to post some of the pics if i can find them. i really enjoyed the presentation, it was much better than a runway show, and each piece really deserved their own airtime. and i agree it's a right move to show the collection in london, it's quintessentially english and strong collection this is, there's just too many menswear shows in paris vying for attention.

so welcome "home" dunhill. now, who has that pre-order form...



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Casely-Hayford Fall Winter 2011

casely-hayford fall winter 2011. took a few more pics, more soon....




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My thoughts on Mr Porter, the new kid on the block

mr porter, february 2011 / mrporter.com

you must be living on planet mars if you have not heard about this new stylish chap called mr porter moving into the neighbourhood. even though he moved in quietly last friday evening, it created an instant buzz on twittersphere. many collapsed with excitement and some neighbours certainly raised a wary eyebrow. in the golden words of "girls aloud", what will the neighbours say?

having had the full weekend to hang out with mr porter, i thought i'll jot down my first impression, and if the neighbours really should be concerned about this new kid on the block.

ben gorham for mr porter / mrporter.com

ok back to slightly more serious speak. most of the online stores i know of are primarily brick and mortar stores with an online element attached. mr porter appeared to be an online magazine, with an e-store that comes with it. and it is hardly surprising, as former editor-in-chief of esquire uk, mr jeremy langmead, is now editing the online content of mr porter.

the content is very sleek: nice glossy photographs which you can look at longingly for days. specially commissioned font inspired by francis bacon's handwriting provided a nice personal and elegant touch. my favourite section is "the portfolio", where eight gentlemen were styled and profiled. these are not your regular campaign models pin-ups, but no less inspiring. similar to what dunhill did for their spring summer 2011 campaign, "the portfolio" featured real men who all made achievements in their own fields.

as a (relatively) young finance professional with no kids, not much burden and enjoy the finer things in life, i would like to think i am one of their target consumers. the content definitely appealed to me. reading about these real life heroes made me want to better myself, and (secretly) hope perhaps one day i will be good enough to be on there too. that's the inspirational element. and for the FT reading jet setting crowd, the content is laidback and not too unfamiliar.

mr porter editorial february 2011 / mrporter.com

and when i said "not too unfamiliar": the content and illustration at times reminded me of esquire magazine. oh wait, esquire did a similar feature too, but that was 2007.

anyway, based on the whole look and set up, i would think men who shop at mr porter are those in the upper crust of their professions, men who value both style and substance, men who prefer style over fashion. and as such, the merchandise selection is relatively safe. classic cashmere cardigans, slim leg chinos, evergreen moccasins etc. but that's the target audience they are going for.

if one wants edgy, they would perhaps have gone to oki-ni or ln-cc. the 18 to 24s university going, festival loving young lads would probably visit asos and topman. those who are in their early days of their careers perhaps shop at my-wardrobe. those who are into fashion forward pieces perhaps go to luisa via roma. those who appreciate french chic and a nice selection of emerging designers might visit studiohomme. so i can see why there's such a huge excitement on mr porter's arrival: because there exist this void in the upper realms and digital magazine arena, and mr porter is here to fill it.

and with mr porter here to fill that void in my life, here is my little wishlist selection to make a complete outfit:

1. BALENCIAGA leather trim raincoat 2. JOHN SMEDLEY striped crew neck sweater 3. GUCCI leather woven holdall 4. JOHN LOBB calf leather oxfords 5. DUNHILL reversible leather belt 6. BALMAIN skinny biker jeans 7. PANTHERELLA grey ribbed cotton socks 8. SWAINE ADENEY BRIGG curved handle umbrella

seriously, anyone with spare change of £6,934? by the way, the bag above takes up half the total budget. if you are thinking of getting me numbers 1 to 8 but leaving out number 3, i can totally understand. totally.

now, should other online retailers be afraid and very afraid? on one hand, they should. there's considerable investment from richemont group, one of the largest luxury conglomerates around. mr porter was able to leverage from the expertise and infrastructure from net-a-porter, which gave them a formidable head start. but with all businesses, it's about knowing your client base. most of the established online retailers appear to cater to different crowds anyway. so product differentiation, and how the content appeals to the target audience will be key.

do i find it exciting? oh yes. will i shop there? definitely. now if you will excuse me i have a date tonight and i need to go pick that shirt by 10am so they can deliver by 5pm on the same day. only cost an extra £1.50, charming neighbour isn't he, this mr porter.

mrporter.com now open to previously registered members, opens to public on tuesday 22 feb 2011.

Balmain Homme catalogue Spring/Summer 2011

photographer: karim sadli
model: clement chabernaud
art direction: atelier franck durand

❤





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H&M Fashion Against AIDS

t-shirts, £19.99 (left) and £12.99 (right)

to raise funds and awareness for HIV / AIDS, h&m will be releasing the "fashion against AIDS" collection on april 28th. h&m will be donating 25% of sales to youth HIV / AIDS projects around the world. the interesting twist about this collection, is that all the looks were unisex. now into the 4th year of the "fashion against AIDS" series, this is my favourite collection as most pieces seem to be on trend and affordable. it is very nice to see big corporations committing to such excellent causes annually.

parka, £29.99

scarf, £6.99, all-in-one, £29.99

doesn't the all-in-one look cute! loving the didot fonts. sure i can find an occasion to wear that. but for now, i am so getting that scarf as i love most things typography.

bags, £9.99 each

not entirely sure if it is pvc or rubber, but at £9.99 this looks to be a great alternative to the prada and jil sander totes for the season.

small pouch, £6.99

and then there's this small pouch which looked great in pictures and amazingly priced at £6.99. i have to check it out myself. fun collection, i will definitely check it out when it's released on 28th april.





all pictures from h&m.






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