AAA - a collection based on Rock ‘n’ Roll is launched by the ‘Son of Rock’ – Louis Simonon.

When: ‘Fashion Friday’ - 28^th May @ 6pm.

Where: Topman @ Topshop Oxford Circus.

What: The launch of ‘AAA’ – A Collection Based on Rock 'n' Roll, modelled by Louis Simonon, son of Clash guitarist Paul Simonon.

Why: Topman celebrated the launch of the new ‘AAA’ line, and 7^th Man was invited to a sneak champagne preview in the Stylist Lounge which is located on the 2^nd floor.

Gordon Richardson, Topman Design Director tells us: ‘AAA was born out of a seed of an idea whilst styling bands and musicians for our Flagship New York store opening it became apparent that whilst we may happen to have a fleeting Rock and Roll trend in store what we needed was a more permanent one with a music DNA that our customer could buy into regardless of seasonal influences. A range that made you feel and look like a rock star.’

The Clothes: Draped, scoop-necked vests worn under fine-knit slim fitting grey jumpers; blazers embellished with black glitter lapels. Zippers down the legs of super-skinny jeans or silver stud detailing on beige fitted trousers. It’s about louche rock and roll elements balanced with sharp tailoring and a modern twist. The mood is rock star ‘on a day off’

Talk to:

Vivien.Bittermann@Topman.com

Fashion Friday runs on the last Friday of every month, but dates may change to coincide with new launches, such as in June, where it falls on the 18^th to coincide with the AD Project launch.

Visit www.topman.com/stylist for next month’s event details.

Bite the Bullet.

Is this possibly the coolest concealer we’ve ever seen? Designed like a bullet (very man-friendly packaging), the range of concealers, foundations and colour pens by fashion makeup artist supremo Ellis Faas has certainly found a home in this grooming editors toiletry bag. Says Ellis: ‘The military designs are nothing aggressive of course: but I have always been fascinated by the way they came up with practical solutions to carry around a lot of stuff, so it’s just an innocent, but practical inspiration’. As the makeup artist behind many a Testino Shoot, (and several shows for Karl Lagerfeld), Ellis has used her in-depth knowledge of the natural colours found in our own skin tones to replicate complexion products that blend seamlessly, and offer just the right amount of coverage and texture balance. There are eight concealer shades available, but try S205 if you have a mid-warm skin tone, and S203 if you are fair.

Ellis Faas is available at Liberty.

www.ellisfaas.com

7th Man Meets Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger.

From left to right: founder Andrea Horwood Bux, Georgia May Jagger, Jerry Hall, and the charming David Walker-Smith, Selfridges menswear and beauty director.

7^th Man was invited to brunch with Jerry Hall and daughter Georgia May to discuss Invisible Zinc, a new generation of chemical free sunscreen which has taken Australia by storm and is now available in London.

When asked how their involvement in sun care came about, Georgia May cheekily looked over at her famous mum and replied: ‘Well they didn’t teach them much about sunscreen in the 70’s (Jerry laughs out loud); my mum taught me how important it is to cover up, and I have typical English skin – I burn and go lobster pink!’.

Invisible Zinc uses a patented, finely milled form of Zinc Oxide which acts as a physical barrier between harmful rays (both UVA + UVB) and your skin. Most sunscreens require a chemical reaction to work, and focus on absorbing and scattering UVB rays which can then turn into free radicals, also still leaving you exposed to UVA, or as founder Andrea Horwood Bux calls it ‘the silent wrinkler’.

I have to say, I had a boogie with Jerry maybe six years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday bash, and whatever she is doing - it’s working. Her skin is just as creamy and even as it was then - something that comes from a healthy lifestyle and importantly - keeping out of the sun. As a mother and daughter team they seem to be the perfect example of two things: one being that you’re never too young to start protecting yourself; and two, that good sun care will never go out of fashion.

Invisible Zinc is available exclusively at Selfridges and online through www.selfridges.com.

Louis Vuitton Maison

Today sees the opening to the public of Louis Vuitton’s refurbished, expanded and upgraded flagship London store, which has been transformed into one of only a few Louis Vuitton ‘Maisons’ around the world. At roughly twice the size of the brand’s previous store on the corner of New Bond Street, the new space houses all the French luxury brand’s luggage, accessories and ready-to-wear, plus an impressive collection of contemporary artworks and a bookshop featuring limited editions, art and photography books.



The launch kicked off on Wednesday with a party attended by a raft of celebs from across the generations, with Alexa Chung, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kirsten Dunst all kitted out in looks straight from the Louis Vuitton catwalks, plus Angelica Huston and even Donna Summer performing her disco classics at the afterparty.

Of the three floors that comprise the space, the basement is dedicated to menswear. As you descend the staircase you pass artist Michael Landy’s ‘Credit Card Destroying Machine’ sculpture. Built from an assortment of cogs, wheels, weights, pulleys and broken toys, the sculpture features an attachment that will literally shred your credit card, should you be in any doubt that you’ll shred it metaphorically when you discover the delights beyond.


As you enter the men’s space, begin by perching on a leather stool at the accessories bar where you can order-up all manner of small leather goods, wallets, pens, sunglasses and other accessories. The racks beyond carry Marc Jacobs and Paul Helbers’ men’s catwalk collections for Louis Vuitton, plus classic tailoring, shirts and ties. Gilbert and George’s ‘Paws’ artwork dominates the end wall of the main room, which branches off in to the men’s shoe lounge featuring dress shoes, trainers and beach-ready flip-flops.

The whole space exudes luxury and comfort with warm-toned glossy wood-paneled walls, dark wood and cream carpeted floors and leather sofas. Even the fitting rooms cocoon you with their beige suede padded walls and side-view mirrors.

If you survive the men’s floor with your credit card intact, the ground floor offers plenty more temptations. The luggage room features every possible suitcase, briefcase, keepall and tote bag. There’s even a croquet set in a monogrammed trunk if you’re looking for something a little different.


Take some time to wander around the rest of the store to discover artworks such as the cartoon-inspired sculpture ‘Kiki’ by Takashi Murakami (whose smiley cartoon flower faces are available on beach towels in store), Damien Hirst’s ‘Trunk’ – a medical cabinet complete with surgical tools and stethoscope housed within a Louis Vuitton trunk. Plus on the top floor Katie Grand - stylist and editor-in-chief of Love magazine - has curated an exhibition of outfits from the best of Marc Jacobs’ Louis Vuitton womenswear collections. Moving handbag displays, watches lit-up like museum pieces and a Louis Vuitton ‘planet’ orbiting the jewellery counter all add to the spectacle.

Finally, for those of you who have been lucky enough to get your hands on an iPad today, you might be interested to know that Louis Vuitton are releasing a monogrammed leather cover especially for Apple’s latest gadget. The bad news? It won’t be in-store until next year.

Louis Vuitton, 160 New Bond Street, London, www.louisvuitton.com

Words By Steve Morriss

Elegantly Dry.

The beginnings of what can only be described as a classically volatile British summer are creeping into the atmosphere, scorching sun one moment and hard lashings of rain the next.

What better way to eclipse the moody grey clouds than to counteract them with a classic yet contemporary rain proof mac.

No need to champion the bin liner look at festivals when you could be the PROUD owner of one of the Fred Perry originals: The esteemed British leisure wear brand have collaborated with The British Millerain Co Ltd to create a men's dry wax fishing jacket, that is evidently remeniscent of paddington's natty little waterproof whilst eminating effortlessly dry style.

The must have addition to any mud-ready British Summer outfit.

These waxed wonders come in both navy and shocking yellow, so you can either blend or shine.

They retail at £195 and are available online and in store: get yours from www.endclothing.co.uk



www.fredperry.com

Campaign's Staring Designers

News broke out last week that Designer Marc Jacobs will be appearing in his own advertising for the first time, lying naked on a silver Mylar Bed - for his new fragrance Bang. Of course, causing immediately a love & hate reaction in the blogosphere. Many commented that Jacobs was being hypercritical after stating in the past, "There's a first-degree no-brainer definition of what's sexy, but the truth is, what I find more interesting is someone who is more introverted and interesting."-Comparing himself to Tom Ford. And, as we all know, there is no other designer of our time that possess sexuality than Mr. Ford. The other half said it is all in good fun. But, their was one designer who started the trend per se, one who dared to use a nude photograph of himself in 1971!

None other than Yves Saint Laurent, the iconic image, pictured left, was used for the first YSL eau de toilette for men, Pour homme, advertising campaign. The first time in fashion history that a perfume maker struck a pose for his own advertising campaign, the image also caused quite a stir at the time, as you can imagine.

The photograph which was taken by Jeanloup Sieff, will go on auction in Paris on June 30. Which is part of an upcoming sale of more than 60 photographs taken by Sieff. For more information on the sale visit Christies, which is where it will take place.

MARC JACOBS' BANG, will be released on July 30 at Bloomingdale's and Marc Jacobs stores.

Expect to see the campaign for September, in selected Fall publication issues.

This Is Not A Suit

Having already made his name as a celebrated stylist, lifestyle guru and menswear designer; Adrien Sauvage has now made his first tentative steps into world of portraiture with his latest project entitled “This Is Not A Suit”:

The concept follows a simple logic within a strong framework. To explore the word suit and what it suggests. In each case, the artist invites subjects to wear garments from his collection and encourages them to express who they are whilst wearing a suit with no directorial interference. Having established the loose parameters of the experience it is left up to each subject to decide what to wear, diverse as they are, from the collection 000-1 - 000-11. 

Adrien has now set up a temporary portrait studio in Berlin. The first body of work is entitled NATIVES, LA shot on Venice Beach 05.10 and without further ado, here it is...







The overall project is not only a stunning photographic series but a fascinating study of a person’s relationship with sartorial individualism. For more on TNS, click here.

Wrap It Up

Fresh from his collaboration with Ellery, Australian accessories designer Toby Jones is back this season with an extended line entitled Wrapped in Plastic. This wonderfully whimsical collection consists mainly of jewellery inspired by everyday plastic objects, which Jones has playfully re-imagined and re-worked to create a clever mix of “satirical cynicism and pop sensibility”. The overall collection features an eclectic selection of chains, rings and cuffs and is complimented by cosy Merino wool scarves and soft crushed calf-leather grocery bags.






The collection is now available in Colette so should you find yourself in Paris, make sure to pop by and take a peek. Oh and while you’re there, why not pick up a copy of 7TH MAN!

Christopher Shannon Innit

Since his sterling debut on the catwalks of London Fashion Week S/S 09, Christopher Shannon has propelled to the forefront as one of Britain’s leading street-wear designers. With a style described as “Refined Scallyism”, Shannon has well and truly carved out a distinctive niche with his masculine, cutting-edge designs, which not only encapsulate contemporary high- fashion, but are also an evident nod to his Northern Roots.



His most recent line however, consisting of luxe sportswear pieces in a fresh, monochromatic colour palette of white and mint green; is Shannon’s first collection available to purchase. And so in conjunction with Oki Ni, Christopher Shannon has teamed up with the website's John Skelton for an exclusive interview to discuss his new collection, the position of burgeoning menswear designers in the fashion industry, and the future of the Christopher Shannon line.

To read this exciting interview click here.

RCA Menswear Graduating Students

The Royal College of Art Fashion Menswear MA has educated some of the most exciting menswear designers to launch onto the fashion scene in recent years including Aitor Throup, James Long, Carolyn Massey and Katie Eary. On the 9th of June, 12 young designers will be hoping to follow in their footsteps as they launch their collections at the RCA's graduate fashion show. Here’s a sneak preview of three of the graduating students, all of whom have just been selected for the prestigious ITS 9 competition.

Courtney McWilliams, 24 from Surrey
Courtney's final collection is themed around reinventing key pieces that men, universally, cannot live without. McWilliams has a flair for the eclectic; mixing street-style with luxury materials, masculinity with femininity and quirky with sophisticated. Her main inspiration is based on a fascination with chavs and the collection will feature a range of styles, from bold printed tracksuits adorned with pit-bull terriers to sharp tailoring, using a range of fabrics that includes printed denim, lace and superfine wools. She has worked with designers including Julien Macdonald, Bora Aksu and Michiko Koshino.

www.courtneymc.com

Astrid Andersen, 25 from Denmark
Astrid's graduate collection explores Spanish matadors and American hip-hop culture and the similarities within the way of representing masculinity and dominance, sex and power. Attitude and attention to detail are key elements, combining luxury with sportswear by mixing fur, silk and gold zips with lightweight nylon, jersey and rib finishing. Andersen has recently designed a selection of menswear garments for high street store River Island which will be out in June.

www.astridandersen.com


Hanna ter Meulen, 24 from the Netherlands
Hanna’s designs have a strong foundation in tailoring but are balanced between formal and casual styles. Her aim is to create strong pieces that are constructed in unusual and new ways that add new dimensions to the traditional items of clothing in a man’s wardrobe. The use of quality fabrics is paramount and includes fine wool, tweeds, cashmere and Egyptian cotton. Fabric manipulations are also very important in the design process to create more depth and texture. Hanna uses smocking and weaving techniques to shape the material in an innovative way, creating a comfortable, flexible cut which shapes to the body.

www.hannatermeulen.com

Photo Credit: Louise Te Poele. Models: Craig @ Models 1 and Kieron @ Cosmic Models

Tickets for the RCA catwalk show on June 9th are available from: www.rca.ac.uk or call 0207 590 4566

"Wood Gone Mad"

To mark the launch of COMME des GARCONS new fragrance WONDERWOOD, a short 3-minute film has been made by the Brothers Quay, highly renowned for their stop motion technique of film making. A feature of "SOMEONE WHO LOVED WOOD MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY."

Soon we will all have "A POSITIVE OVERDOSE OF WOODS."

Will be offered in both 50ml and 100ml,

Available at Dover Street Market & Selfridges, London from June 24th

Black Fleece of the Family.

The new Black Fleece fragrance by Brooks Brothers reflects designer Thom Browne’s approach to the brand’s enduring clothing design classics. Says Tom: ‘The fragrance Black Fleece is a timeless, original scent, evocative of that man who sits in a library or parlour, smoking and drinking whiskey...’

Dependable and earthy in its style, the fragrance might have been buried in heritage nostalgia had it not been masterfully balanced with the same modern/tailored elegance that designer Tom Browne has brought to the clothing house itself.

Warm enveloping base notes of patchouli, incense and cedarwood follow a modern and distinctly uplifting twist of pepper, lavender, and grapefruit (amongst others). The bottles are designed in grey ceramic (creamy white for the female scent), and take on a 1950’s inspiration and feel – solid, organic, and decidedly comforting to hold. Cleverly, the housing carton and set box are designed to mimic the construction of a tailored jacket, and importantly, are produced with environmentally conscious sensibility.

Perfumer: Vincent Schaller.

Black Fleece is exclusively available from Harrods.

Le Carrosse Noir and The Loubi's Angels

It’s that time of year again, when the rich and famous descend upon the French Riviera for the sparkling film fest at Cannes, now in its' 63rd year. The town, which has become just as synonymous with fashion as it has with film, played host to a Christian Louboutin showcase yesterday at the Palm Beach Casino where Louboutin unleashed his designs in a glittering presentation entitled “ Le Carrosse Noir and The Loubi’s Angels’.

While Loubi’s Angels may have been the main attraction, teetering in their skyscraper heels complete with signature Louboutin red soles; examples from Louboutin’s men’s collection stole the show, such as these black and white studded “Freddy" flats and Louboutin’s street inspired studded “Louis” sneakers.

The spectacular presentation also launched the first episode of Louboutin's film "Le Carrosse", with the next episodes to be released in the following weeks.  The 28 minute film is described as "a razzle dazzle road movie" with a stellar soundtrack by Swizz Beatz and features a number of famous faces including Mika and Dita Von Teese.

For more about Louboutin's "Le Carrosse Noir" and to view the first episode, click here.

Images via Getty

Q&A With Fernando Korpi

At 7TH MAN, we're rather partial to a bit of sportswear and have been positively salivating over Christopher Shannon’s A/W 10 look-book. However, Christopher Shannon isn’t the only one flying the flag for high-fashion sports attire this upcoming season as new kid on the block Fernando Korpi proves, if there is one thing this designer knows-it’s how to create one hell of a tracksuit.

Established in Finland in 2009, the label came together with the vision to create a collection of garments that were not only functional and of high quality, but expressed a certain unique individuality. For his A/W 10 collection, Korpi derived his inspiration from the iconic book entitled Gentleman-A Timeless Guide to Fashion which is an inclusive manual of classic and timeless dressing for the modern man in every situation. Consequently Korpi's collection consists not only of whimsical yet structured streetwear in bold splashes of primary colours, but is complimented by signature formal pieces of a rather more dandy disposition. The result is an eclectic ready-to-wear collection perfect for the new season.

How did the Fernanado Korpi label originate?
I'm graduating this spring as a fashion designer and am oriented towards menswear. Originally I became interested in fashion and clothes when I was about twenty when the hype around Cheap Monday was huge. This was a huge inspiration for me. My goal since the beginning of my studies has been creating my own label because it's the best way to get employed in this field - and in this country.

Have you always wanted to be a designer?
No, because before I started studying fashion design I wanted to become a professional soccer player!

Your A/W 10 collection features a number of sportswear pieces  juxtaposed with more formal attire.  Where do you see the position of sportswear in fashion developing in the future?
Sportswear is for everyone, so the commercial value is high. The line between sportswear and more formal wear is blurring: you can combine pieces from different outfits together. For example Jeremy Scott's collection for Adidas has brought sportswear closer to high-end streetwear.    

You cite Gentleman- A Timeless Guide to Fashion by Roetzel Bernhard  as inspiration for your collection.  What  essential  rules  do you think every man should follow when to comes to day-to-day dressing?
Dress to the occasion and feel comfortable in your outfit.

What else inspires you?
At the moment Wild West, Ranches, Cowboys, Rodeos, Hunting, Wildlife, Scandinavian nature, Camping, Sauna, Country life...

Are there any designers that you would like to work with? Does anyone influence/excite you in the fashion world today?
Yes! Jeremy Scott, Henrik Vibskov and Wood Wood label. 

What do we have to look forward to from the label in the future?
My upcoming spring / summer 2011 menswear collection and new online store, which will be opened in August 2010.

For more see www.fernandokorpi.com

Primary Colours

Primary colours never looked so damn cool before Jean Charles De Castelbajac got involved. His surreal cartoon inspired designs have entertained and enthralled fashionista's for seasons, injecting the seasonal trends with a consistent stream of quirky cool collections.

Selfridges [the home of the British highstreet] are hosting Jean Charles De Castelbajac and all his various material achievements for his JC de Castelbajac, in their highly revered concept store, located past the glistening labrinth of glass cabinets within the wonder room.

You may [or may not] have clocked the five windows dedicated to Castelbajac's futuristic designs?

To coincide with this monumental invasion, the highly esteemed designer has created a range of special edition t-shirts emblazoned with an illustration by the designer which will be sold to raise money for the human rights charity, Humanade, in honour of the late Malcolm McLaren whom the designer was very close to.

For those of you lurking in the shadows, as far as knowledge of Humanade is concerned, it is a charity set up by Joseph Corre [son of McLaren], to address human rights at the front line. Most famously they fund the charity 'REPRIEVE' who investigate 'ghost prisoners' being held by th US in secret prisons located all over the world.

It is a cause which aims to challenge the US led policies of torture and disappearance, for more information visit the website www.humanade.org.uk

The launch for this collaboration of fashion and charity was held in Selfridges concept store today. Seventh Man went along to experience the mangagerie first hand and was not disapointed: vodka jelly shots in vibrant primary colours and acrid green, mini cupcakes with mountains of violently died icing and speakers pulsating bone jarring bass lines... It was like stumbling into an exceptionally well designed night club, but you can buy everything.

Make sure you pop along for a peek and do your bit for human rights, limited edition fashion for under £40? The charity is almost just a convenient by-product.

JCDC's invasion lasts until June 30
http://www.jc-de-castelbajac.com/