Westwood and Lee strike again

Following on from last season, one of the most successful collaborative projects has debuted it's second collection together.

That's right Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee denim have combined forces to create yet another sumptuous denim collection. The new selection was debuted at Milan fashion week on the 20th June to the delight of the Westwood/Lee admirers.

This time round some new styles have come in to add a splash of variety to Westwood's trade mark bondage and drop crotch denim.

The Mayfair jeans - a pair inspired by the classic sartorial of Savile Row tailors - complete with iron creases down the front - have been brought into to add a more formal edge to the overtly casual and increasingly edgy collection.

Along with the Mayfair, the Mechanic and the overall jeans, which are variations of slim cut and banana leg jeans [in reverse order!] have been brought in too, both certain to attract many a new fan.

To tempt you even more some t-shirts and a denim jacket [with a trademark lopsided collar] are also available within the collection, so you can commit to the collaboration without wearing jeans!

Here's to another season of wearing Westwood and Lee simultaneously.

www.viviennewestwood.com

Maison Martin Margiela Spring/Summer 2011

Leitmotiv Spring/Summer 2011

When it comes to combining art and fashion, design duo Fabio Sasso and Juan Caro really know their stuff. Having met in Bologna where they both studied art (while Sasso also dabbled in private tailoring classes); the realisation that they shared many interests brought them together to create Leitmotiv.

Their visually stimulating designs have lead them to receive numerous accolades including being admitted to the Fashion Incubator Project launched by the National Chamber for Italian Fashion, and more recently, the designers were chosen as finalists of the “Who’s On Next?” award dedicated to menswear.

For their Spring/Summer 2011 menswear collection, Leitmotiv have focused on the humble white shirt and reworked it using their trademark Dada-inspired style. Here, we see bold panels of surreal imagery featuring on many of the shirts; while playful prints are scattered across others. With a visible clash between the masculine and the feminine, the technical and the handmade and the real and imaginary; the line is a cool collection of conflict, which works surprisingly well:

www.leit-motiv.com

Boys of Paris Fashion Week S/S 11

Boys of Paris Fashion Week SS2011 from Justin Wu on Vimeo.

Qasimi Spring/Summer 2011

For Spring/Summer 2011,  Khalid Al Qasimi draws inspiration from his roots with a collection that makes a subtle reference to the Middle East. With a sleek, neutral palette and a style that harks back to an ancient "nomadic heritage";  the collection also exudes a contemporary streamlined feel with its numerous sportswear pieces.

Minimal lapels and sleeveless suiting are combined with over-sized shirting and unlined linen jackets; while hooded jersey jumpsuits and leather accents add to the collection. Meanwhile, structured silhouettes and fine technical fabrics are a constant presence throughout the collection:







www.qasimi.com

Paul Smith Spring/Summer 2011

For his Spring/Summer 2011 collection, Paul Smith channeled the look of 1970’s rock-stars fused with early 1990's grunge. Such looks that sauntered down the catwalk included retro sunglasses teamed with sleek suits of light-weight tailoring; while pork pie hats, loud graphic tees and mismatched prints featured throughout. The long-haired models, who would not have looked out of place at rock gig; were also attired in psychedelic prints, signature leather boots and cable knit cardigans reminiscent of the style of Kurt Cobain.

With this collection, Paul Smith makes a definite nod to his rock’n’ roll roots -His first brush with fashion was hawking t-shirts at London concerts- yet it still retains Paul Smith’s classic high-fashion edge.

n all, the entire collection is cool, casual and instantly wearable.

www.paulsmith.co.uk

Pleased to Meet another British talent.

'Boxheads' the creation which caught the eye of Katie Grand by James Barnett

'Tower' costume 3 by James Barnett

'Tower' Costume 2 by James Barnett

'Tower' costume 1 by James Barnett

Strapped by James Barnett

Seventh Man are pleased to introduce you to James Barnett, a Central St Martin's graduate who caught the critical eye of- former CSM student - Katie Grand well before graduating and has since recieved praise from some of the most influential press in the industry.

Having recently been awarded a first class honours degree for Perfomance Design and Practise (BA Hons) we decided it was time to better understand this forward thinking creative. Obviously you come from a performing background, how has this manipulated your personal style if at all? JB: The work I like to make treads that fine line which exists between performance and fashion. I've just graduated in 'Performance: Design and Practise' at CSM, which required me to perform quite a bit of my realised work. This means that I have learnt to exploit the physicality of my own body in the costumes I create. I work with my height, my awkward posture and my ridiculously long limbs - and literally ANYTHING which can exaggerate these different elements : poles, sink plungers, boxes, rubbish bins ...

That fantastical hat - your exhibition piece - what was the idealism behind that? Were there any specifics you were trying to convey?

This design was initially for a dance piece entitled 'Tower'. I'm quite obsessed by skyscrapers and BIG buildings. They have this ominous presence and yet are reassuringly passive; a constant point of focus existing in amongst the humdrum of everyday life.
With my costume for 'Tower', I hoped to convey the overwhelming presence these super structures have when they are bearing down on me. The costume consumes me, forcing me to stand rigidly, I become this unfaltering 10 foot edifice.

I like to think whilst wearing the costume I am transmitting to all the other skyscrapers around me.

Your work has been a hit in the highest of fashion circles. Was this an intentional target or pleasantly shocking turn of events?

Both! I find it impossible to define what sort of designer I am, and just hope the work I produce has a resonance somewhere. My degree has taught me to appraoch costuming in a very experimental way, so it ends up being fairly unusual which lends itself well for styling fashion shoots, amongst other things. I just hope people are drawn to my bold, simple, style.

What are your main inspirations when it comes to design? Are there any certain genres that captivate you or characters/plays... your exhibition piece looked very sci-fi and extremely high fashion, have you been inspired by designers as you have developed in your own style?

I'm a closet geek, and love a lot of 60s science fiction films and the cultish ethos of the Bauhaus. I've taken inspiration from performance artists like Rebecca Horn and Leigh Bowery. I'm really excited by what Gaga is doing at the moment - she is blurring lines between performance and fashion more than anyone has done in the last decade, but crucially, she is doing it infront of a mass audience.


If you could use your art to change the world, what would you change?


I think it's time we started dressing how people imagined we would dress in the future. It's already 2010, and I don't see anyone casually wearing silver spandex on the street. Isn't it time we started dressing like characters from 'Logan's Run'?


Visit James at http://makemeaoffer.blogspot.com/

Interviewed By Lucy Swan.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Summer 2011

With Paris Fashion Week in full swing, once again the French capital succeeds in its reputation for being the location du jour for showcasing the most cutting-edge fashion designers on the international stage.

With Turkish Baths providing the ultimate backdrop; Seventh Man Favourite Jean Paul Gaultier revealed his collection for Spring/ Summer 2011 in his usual spectacular fashion. Offering mostly a neutral palette of blacks, whites and beige; Gaultier’s collection is a electic fusion of styles drawing inspiration from a variety of themes:

From bondage style leather jackets to safari-esque suits, his collection was rounded off with a bold splattering of astro-prints teamed with quirky 3D glasses:

For more, click here.

Levi's Relaunch The 201!

To commemorate the birth of its original blue jean, Levi’s are re-releasing the iconic 201. The jeans, which were first introduced back in 1890 and were staple work-wear for a number of decades before being discontinued; have been revitalized as part of Levi’s archive inspired Product With Roots Collection.

Recreated in three distinctive denim washes, the 201 jeans will feature original design details including a cinch back, exposed rivets and the famous crotch rivet. The three unique washes consist of Indigo Hope, a premium raw denim, Blue Collar Dark, a slightly stone-washed finish and Blue Collar Light, a worn-in and heavily stone-washed finish.


In celebration of this relaunch, Levi’s have transformed the Origin space within their newly redesigned Flagship Store on Regent’s Street into a fitting tribute to the 201 with their unique visual display of denim craft. What’s more, an original 201 from 1893 has been flown over from Levi’s archive in San Francisco and is being proudly displayed within a glass vault in the basement of the store.

Be sure to check it out.

For more, click here.

STITCH Spring/Summer 2011

Seventh Man Magazine is proud to announce its involvement in STITCH, the only dedicated menswear and accessories show in the UK. Now in its second consecutive season, STITCH is bigger and better than before. This season, the exclusive Spring/Summer 2011 showcase will take place on June 30th and July 1st at Billingsgate Market and shall exhibit the very best of emerging menswear designers. 

The press and tradeshow shall also include “A Sense of Vision” section where a short, but highly creative static exhibition will take place. Says director Brian Duffy of the event: 

“This Season we wanted to create a platform that was much more exciting for our visionary designers- the static exhibition allows them to be much more creative with their execution whilst remaining professional within a business to business event”. 

Visionaries in this exciting showcase will include Carolyn Massey, Deryck Walker, Satyenkumar, BLAAK and Omar Kashoura to name but a few.

Carolyn Massey

A "Future of Menswear" exhibition will also take place at STITCH, which was inspired by the original "Vision" concept. Fresh from Paris, the exhibition will showcase six final year Central Saint Martin’s Students (BA Fashion Menswear) who were shortlisted in a denim project sponsored jointly by Premier Vision denim and Wrangler. The exhibition will be open from 9:00-18:00 each day.

Overall, STITCH is an exciting and pro-active platform for the exceptional new designers emerging within the UK fashion industry. Offering brands the opportunity to unleash their collections in an efficient and innovative environment; designers are given the chance to increase their profile by networking effectively amongst buyers, press and retailers.

For more information click here.

La MJC X Lacoste Broadwick

For its latest collaboration, Lacoste has teamed up with the über cool La MJC for a limited edition version of Lacoste’s signature “Broadwick” design.

Named after Broadwick Street in London’s Soho, the shoes includes such details as a monogram ship embroidery and leather accents including the tongue feature saying “Fluctuat nee mergitur” which roughly translates to "It floats but it doesn’t sink". Other touches include a full leather insole bearing the Parisan coat which has been reinterpreted with the Lacoste logo and La MJC.

The La MJC X Lacoste Broadwick will be available on July 3rd at Colette and at Solemart Paris 2010 on July 4th, limited to the tune of 75 pairs.

For more click here.

LONDON show ROOMS MEN

Today sees the launch of another initiative from The British Fashion Council in their pursuit to spearhead burgeoning new talent. Working in joint collaboration with the Centre For Fashion Enterprise and Fashion East;  the initiative is launching the LONDON show ROOMS MEN at Tranoi’s exquisite new venue Tranoi Parc Royal (The Loft) in Paris from the 24th -27th of June. Here, emerging menswear designers are given the chance to sell their collections with the support of international marketing, media and sales advisers.

LONDON show ROOMS MEN in Paris designers include:

Bernstock Speirs

Blaak

BOYOstudio

Carolyn Massey

Christopher Kane Mens

Christopher Raeburn

MIHARAYASUHIRO + husam el odeh eyewear

James Long

Katie Eary

KTZ

Lou Dalton

OMAR KASHOURA

Tim Soar

-

Jeannette’s Pop Up Shop

Lou Dalton

Once again, building on the successful strides of NEWGEN MEN, it’s opportunities such as this that brings to the forefront the high-level of menswear design talent that we currently have in the UK.

The Paris showroom will be open at Tranoi Parc Royal (The Loft), Rue du Parc Royal , Paris 3rd, Metro St Paul, 10am – 7pm from 24th – 27th June 2010.

For more information, click here.

British Fashion Council Announce NEWGEN MEN Recipients For Spring/Summer 2011!

Since its original incarnation of the single “MAN” show on the LFW schedule; The British Fashion Council’s designer support initiative NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by Topman, has successfully expanded throughout the years to now include catwalk shows, presentations and installations.

The scheme, which is instrumental in raising the profile of new British designers by offering them business support and showcasing opportunities at the dedicated Menswear day at London Fashion Week; has helped support some of the most innovative names in men’s fashion today.

Image: Carolyn Massey and James Long autumn/winter 2010 at London Fashion Week February 2010.

This morning, the council announced their hotly anticipated list of recipients of NEWGEN MEN Spring/Summer 2011,  which are as follows:

Catwalk Sponsorship:
James Long, Christopher Shannon and J.W. Anderson.

Presentation Sponsorship:
Carolyn Massey, Lou Dalton and SIBLING.

Installation Sponsorship:
Christopher Raeburn, James Small, Katie Eary ad Omar Kashoura.

Image: Christopher Shannon, J.W. Anderson, James Long and Carolyn Massey autumn/winter 2010 at LFW February 2010

As the number of designers receiving NEWGEN MEN support has risen from four to ten; this is, without any doubt, testament to the growing interest and strength of menswear talent in the UK today. Says Tim Blanks, Contributing Editor, Style.com and a member of the British Fashion Council's Menswear Committee;

“Menswear is on the move all over the world. It's almost as though some kind of group mind dictated that here was an opportunity to do something new, and that seems to have sparked the creativity of young designers. London has a long and honourable tradition of breeding this species, so there's an air of inevitability about the coming together of medium and talent under the menswear umbrella. That air is thickened by the knowledge that London is also, in many ways, the home of men's fashion as we know it. Which means that the menswear community here embraces all sorts, from the Savile Row traditionalist to the Hackney rebel, with a platoon of jewellers, hatters, knitters and cobblers as artisanal satellites. We're at that protean turning point where no one knows what happens next, though everyone knows what they'd LIKE to happen. Yes, there are boomlets in men's fashion in other cities, but none with quite the personality, the appetite, the APTITUDE of London. The tribe is ready for the world. And, after Paris, the world will be ready for the tribe - if it knows what's good for it.” 

Judging from the latest collections from these NEWGEN MEN designers; we have a lot to look forward to this Spring. For more- Click here.

Sefton Style

Tucked away in the heart of Islington, Sefton is perhaps one of the coolest boutiques to hit North London. Launched by style savvy entrepreneur Ben Elsdale back in 1999, the store has gone from strength to strength over the years; so much so that the men’s and women’s divisions eventually split in two. The sibling boutiques (which sit proudly opposite one another on Upper Street) offer an eclectic mix of homegrown designers, from Vivenne Westwood to Barbour, as well as championing the designs of the freshest new talent to infiltrate the fashion market.

What’s more, Sefton also stock their own brand of products consisting of wardrobe essentials such as tailored wool suits and smart cotton shirts, as well as a vast selection of utterly stylish accessories.

While a visit to this store is an absolute must, Sefton’s website is definitely worth a look especially as the summer sale is now on which offers customers a whopping 70% off. For more see www.seftonfashion.com

Definately NOT just a label

Not Just A Label, the renowned global business directory for avant-garde designers are launching their first organic cotton collection tomorrow.

The collection is a by-product of a more than successful collaboration featuring NJAL and three designers: London based Japanese designer Aoi Kotsuhiroi, Patrick Mohr - one of Germany's most promising and influential design talents and Danish design duo Spon Diogo.

Three designs - one from each collaborative party feature in the SS10 collection. A 'nowhere' vest is Kotsuhiroi's offering, Mohr created a simplistic and powerful black and white t-shirt, whilst Spon Diogo used their graphic talents to create the 'ying yang' t-shirt, acting as the more flamboyant tee of the three.

All t-shirts are 100% organic, fairtrade cotton and feature no synthetic additions - hard to come by in this day and age!

All three are available from NJAL website from tomorrow and are priced at £55/65 euro

www.NOTJUSTALABEL.com

Prada Spring/Summer 2011

With bold colours and clean lines, Miuccia Prada’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection is, as she describes in her own words; “Simplicity Regained”.

With block silhouettes featuring simply-cut pullover V-neck shirts in Cotton worn over ample Bermuda style shorts; the looks are reminiscent to almost that of hospital garb. Meanwhile tailored jackets,  worn over skinny trousers and striped boat-neck knits teamed with trousers of a considerably looser fit, also add to the collection.

Double denim appears to be a key fixture for S/S 2011, while blue is unquestionably the colour of choice for Prada this season:

www.prada.com

Brioni Man SS11

The colours of a David Hockney painting are the vivid inspiration behind this vivacious SS 11 collection from Brioni.

Relaxed suiting in supple silks and cottons, accentuate the male form emanating elegance which is enhanced through the sophisticated palette of blues, lavender, striking red and sedate vegetable tones.

The basis of this collection is a masterful example of formal wear with some sporadic sprinklings of informal wear in the physical form of outerwear and light knits - altogether some worthy contenders for the ideal summer ensembles.