Sunday 27 February 2011

Tween A/W'11 goes functional on video


Tween from tween on Vimeo.

It's very exciting to witness innovative and never-seen-before craftsmanship portrayed on the men's catwalk but we should not forget that the real man is not extremely fussy with his clothes and at the end of the day prefers comfort and utility over excessive style.

Tween's man for Autumn/Winter 2011-12 is a modern man who acknowledges trends but is not dictated by them, a man who is dynamic and wants to discover many things further from his closet but wants his closet to be able to accomodate and be n'sync with his lifestyle.

Functional coats that will allow any man to walk around and travel without the need of a bag, cosy patterned knitwear, denim and relaxed youthful suiting in warm tones of mustard, maroon,blue and grey that will easily transcend into any man's wardrobe.

 
By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Saturday 26 February 2011

Omar Kashoura A/W'11


For the A/W 2011 season British menswear designer Omar Kashoura presents CLICK BRIGADE. The collection name is taken from the  feeling of binding together with a sense of efficiency and relevance, amalgamated with the feeling of a large body of people, the sense of a group of individuals coming together to reach a common goal.




Omar has taken inspiration from a variety of historical art forms that express a social commentary of the time post past and present, such as the Luchino Viscontis film ‘The Dammed’ released in 1969, which tells the story of life in World War I Germany and trials young men faced in the era.



Pulling on these strong culturally relevant references the collection presents clean lines, with focus on a relaxed elegance, in soft shades of oatmeal, grey and green. The fabrics used have a luxurious quality, featured in merino wools and silk in knitwear and over dyed Italian jerseys while tailoring is shown in modern tech cottons, heavy oatmeal wool, and soft grey suiting which is finished with a wash that gives a softer appearance and finer feel.

Friday 25 February 2011

Backstage at Vauxhal Fashion Scout 'Ones to Watch' Men




Walking backstage at Vauxhall Fashion scout it was like we walked in model mayhem!For those of you who are not quite up to speed with London Fashion Week, Vauxhall Fashion scout 'Ones to Watch' is the only show that presents the best up'n'coming menswear designers with a special simultaneous catwalk presentation of who are going to be taking over the reigns of  the menswear industry in the near future.




For Autumn/Winter 2011,Vauxhall Fashion Scout is launching four immensely talented designers/labels making their London Fashion Week debut, A.Hallucination, Asger Juel Larsen, C/BRUERBERG and Mr.Lipop.





We didn't know where to look and frankly we didn't know what to say,which for us is relatively uncommon.The clothes looked unbelievable even when just hanging on the rails and watching the designers putting the outfits together is just a very magical experience.You could feel it in the air that everyone was 'buzzin', the flow of creativity was unbelievable!

And yes we did stay for the whole catwalk show and yes we do  have exclusive images from all the clothes and models sashaying down the runway,so don't go anywhere, this is just a small teaser of what's to come!!!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant
Photography:Alexander Philip Aristotelous

See more backstage pictures after the jump!

Backstage at MAN show A/W'11



Backstage at probably one of the most anticipated shows of the menswear day , MAN show,which features designers New Power Studio, Felipe Rojas Llanos and Martine Rose.




The MAN show each year showcases the talent of 3 young emerging designers. All supported by the Fashion East and TOPMAN,the MAN show it's a time for them to bring to the table what would all the rage be about in the season to come!




Being backstage with models, designers,hairdressers, interns etc everything moves so fast it's actually unbelievable.Everyone is freaking out,putting on last minute touches,perfecting outfits and making sure the styling of their presentation on the catwalk would be perfect.Trust us,it can get really intense!!




And then there's us snapping away,without a care in the world.We even got the designers of Felipe Rojas Llanos to take a moment and take a picture for 7thMan!

We thought that we were going to be literally escorted out of the building for harassing everyone!!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Photographer: Alexander Philip Aristotelous!

Go on a pub crawl with Sibling for A/W'11


For their Autumn/Winter 2011 presentation, knitwear extraordinaire team behind Sibling take us by the hand and lead us to what else? A personalised pub crawl?Yes a pub crawl!'Darn the Boozer' is not a real pub crawl, it's an amazingly styled imaginary one!




Deriving inspiration from all their favourite locals from the Golden Heart, through to the Red Lion and finishing off at the George & Dragon,every stop is a different fashion statement !It sounds like one very expensive pub crawl!




There's even a stop at the Gallery on Leonard Street portrayed as the season's collaboration with Pure Evil on the way to Bricklayer's Arms!




Using their expertise in knitting and embroidery, Sibling presented several pieces including a heavyweight knitted coat with belt,buckle pockets and detachable zip scarf,through to the hand knitted Hauberk zip jacket with matching Gorget.

Our favourite one: The sculptural Dragon stitch hoodie-Italian made all-in-one based on army underwear with army detailing and cinch back-short leg!

The brand also introduced a short film on the same day that was shot at the George& Dragon by Willem Jaspert & Stephen Langmanis featuring their 6th Collection!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Photographer: Alexander Philip Aristotelous

Thursday 24 February 2011

Bally x Central Saint Martins collaboration by Craig Green



After their stunning women's collection collaboration presented in 2010, Bally revealed the exclusive men's collection designed in collaboration with the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course, at a special presentation on February 23, 2011 at Claridge’s Hotel during the Men’s Day of London Fashion Week.

Bally's Creative Directors Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz who have been leading the project hands-on and working closely with the MA students from the prestigous college, selected the designs of Londoner Craig Green to form the capsule collection. Green's youthful and daring input in association with the craftsmanship of Bally presented four  -to our -surprise- fashion forward urban styles for everyday wear that tampered spendidly with structure and fabrics in contrasting colours, even using cork soles.



The collection was innovative and modern  in design and illustrated how wonderfully heritage and expertise in design can nurture a new talent. Bally has led the creation of a concise capsule collection that will be available in selected Bally stores and exclusive partners as well as on the newly redesigned Bally website (www.bally.com) in June 2011.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Creative Director of Issey Miyake just announced his departure!


With an e-mail going out to friends of the brand, just days before their Paris A/W'11 collection, Dai Fujiwara has officially announced that he is to step down from the position of Creative Director at Issey Miyake after the brand's presentation next month!

Dai Fujiwara was appointed creative director in 2006 and since then has provided the brand and it's followers with outstanding shows and innovative collections,always looking into the future.He is leaving the design operations of the brand into the hands of the new Issey Miyake generation,people he has been training for years.

Fujiwara will continue to guide his team until Spring/Summer 2012 while Issey Miyake as always, will oversee the direction of the brand.

More to be announced in April!!

Who do you think is going to take over from Fujiwara?

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Mr.Start goes sharp for A/W'11



Designer Philip Start's lovechild "Mr.Start" was our second backstage coverage of the Menswear day.Inspired by the designer's understanding of the way men dress, Mr.Start provided a more sartorial approach to suitting that was so refreshing and well crafted that would even urge the more less suit-enthusiasts to dapper up!




Signature suits were manipulated to feel contemporary and cutting-edge.



The young and vibrant models thoroughly captured the forward looking and modern essence of Mr.Start, to create an Autumn/Winter collection that is accessible to everyone and defines the meaning of everyday elegance.



A suit is not a suit without an amazingly tailored shirt to go with it! Mr.Start are well known for the exceptional quality of their shirts and trust us the new collection shirts do not dissapoint.It's not only the fit(they even have super slim body fit) but also the structure and the quality that grants their customer the assurance that the collection was thoughtfully designed.




You rarely see a genuine fine British shoe-making heritage company work with other designers as not many designers can carry over their prestigious craftsmanship.For Mr.Start's new collection ,the brand continues to expand its cult following with a collaboration with British shoe makers Crockett & Jones that includes both outerwear and footwear.

Epitomising Shoreditch luxury (of what Shoreditch really is about), the A/W'11 collection is subtle yet certain and wonderfully blends together heritage with modernity.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Backstage at TOPMAN Design A/W '11


Yesterday 23rd of February saw the start of Menswear day at London Fashion week(sigh of relief) but while everyone was out in the cold and the rain, 7thMan had exclusive backstage access to the hottest shows in town; And yes, there were boys,lots and lots of boys and lots of lots of clothes and for us lots and lots of fun!


Starting off as early as 7:30 , we first invaded the TOPMAN Design backstage area at the Royal Opera House, wearing our full -blown AAA pass (that's access all areas), where we got to hang out with those boys called models and get a preview of the A/W'11 collection before it even went live on the catwalk.



Yes, getting our hair and make-up done seems like a pretty hard life for us too!


And boy did those models looked out of this world!We felt ashamed to parade in there with our all-black ensemble and our minimal height of 5ft 9'!!





The clothes were heavenly to say the least!Wearable, youthful and bang on-trend(for next winter) we were sure the show was going to be a huge hit(as it were).

The collection looked so irresistibly cool -and by all means 'cool' is still a brilliant word- that at one point we did catch ourselves considering what would be the most effortless incriminating way to 'borrow' a massive 'fur' coat that was hanging on the rail?Wear it and swag-out of there or pretend we walked in wearing it all-along?Hmmm tricky!!

We will review the show with our own ready-made-video a little bit later but for now enjoy more pictures just after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Photographer : Alexander Philip Aristotelous

Monday 21 February 2011

adidas SLVR goes on film for S/S'11




For Spring/Summer 2011, Adidas SLVR draws inspiration from prep classics for a collection of understated pieces in both neutral tones and bold strokes of primary color.

Being the ever innovative and active brand,adidas is showcasing their look of the season through moving imagery and a short film directed and edited by Theodore Stanley of New Mountain.

Styled by Jay Massacret, the stylist captured the graphic mood of the Spring/Summer collection in colour and black&white  looks of the season.

The world is moving faster,now you can move with it in adidas SLVR.

7thMan interviews designer Raphael Hauber



Being a designer nowadays requires not only talent but also perseverance,ambition and (let's get serious) a definite amount of luck.7thMan first introduced his Spring/Summer '11 collection on 7thMan Digital almost a month ago and now we finally got the opportunity to sit down for a very personal and in-depth chat with German designer Raphael Hauber.Having shown his collections in Tokyo,Berlin and Paris & went through an artistic break-up, the designer's 2nd collection under his own name Raphael Hauber has been on the receiving end of massive interest from around the globe so we wanted to hear it all from him.

Portrait by Jan Lehner


Q:  We were first introduced to your label under the name Postweiler Hauber,what was the idea behind it?

R.H: Postweiler Hauber was founded by Eva Postweiler and me in 2003. Eva left the label in 2005 but I kept the name until last year.

Q: Why did you decide to change it to your actual name, Raphael Hauber?

R.H: To make clear that the person behind the label is just me now  because it was always a bit mysterious about who was really beihnd Postweiler Hauber; people often thought we were still two designers.

Q: Who is the Raphael Hauber man? who do you have in mind when designing?

R.H: The Raphael Hauber man is a curious person who recognizes what zeitgeist is. People who have similar feelings for the environment we choose to live in. My design is very personal. I design pieces that I would like to wear and/or pieces that are new and exciting for me to develop them because I think that people who wear my clothes like to experiment with their style and appearance as much as I do with new and interesting materials and combinations.

Q: If you had to choose one person to front your campaign and be the face of Raphael Hauber who would it be?

R.H: It would be a young man with a clear, sober and innocent charisma.

Q: Talk us through your new Spring/Summer ’11 collection.What was the inspiration behind it?

R.H : The collection is inspired by empty and anonymous stairways; symmetrical stairways that are arranged around a center, like old opera houses or other public buildings. A special focus in the collection is on strict symmetry and kaleidoscopic effects. Pictures of a late 70’s rail found in an apartment building have been modified and used as all over print for sheer silk cotton shirts and jeans. Another print of a stairway kaleidoscope picture with a male and female model face reflects the symmetry or asymmetry of a human face.



Q: You drew inspiration from staircases and vintage photographs in your latest collection. Do you find youself enamored with space and time? Why is it so mesmerizing to many designers?

R.H: The past always leaves traces.What makes it fascinating is it's existence, that it actually happened. It was real and true in a specific period of time with many of your own and also adopted memories and feelings. I like the idea of confronting the human body as some kind of unity between organic and architectural fragments.

A.M : That is actually very profound in your designs but also very deep in emotion.

Q:  How difficult is it for a fairly new designer like yourself to break into the industry?

R.H: It’s no secret that our industry is not easy. People prefer to trust the big brands and the big companies. But nevertheless more and more young designer brands are arising - only a few of them though can actually support their brands through demand & exist. Nowadays young designers have to find there own niche so that they can stand on their own within the fashion industry and for sure there are also many people that appreciate that! 

Q: Would you say that attitudes towards new designers changed? Are customers willing to invest on a new designer?

R.H : I think that it comes down to individualism.I personally believe that real, hand made pieces will be more and more in demand in the future. This can really develop into a great chance for independent and young designers to showcase their own unique work.

Q:  Let’s talk high-street. A lot of great designer have collaborated with high-street shops like Topman and H&M to create affordable lines. What is your opinion on that? Would you do it?

R.H : I think it’s all comes down to the real question which is money and working with companies like H&M who already have a big impact on the high-street. I am sure that most of designers are happy about that and it also means that they will get publicity for them and their work. If at the end of the day the terms like production, conditions and quality are alright,then maybe I would do it.

Q: What should we expect from Raphael Hauber ?What is next for you?

R.H : A lot has changed in this past year.I moved from Heidelberg to Berlin so I am starting to enjoy going out again. I also do a lot of sports. Next I am going to do research for the spring/summer 2012 collection and I can not wait to start!!



By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Sunday 20 February 2011

BUG night presents: Royksopp

 
 
To mark the release of their new instrumental -only album 'Forsaken Cowboy,  Röyksopp joined forces with acclaimed comedian and music-aficionado Adam Buxton  for a special one-off BUG night at The British Film Institute (BFI) on Friday 11th February.
 
Showing a big-screen retrospective of the band's output in moving image, including standout works such as ‘Remind Me’, ‘Eple’ and ‘Happy Up Here’, this unique BUG show took a thorough look back over the band’s career and their creative collaborations with directors such as Martin de Thurah, H5 and Andreas Nilsson.

"We feel honoured to have a Bug night all to ourselves. We have worked with many talented directors over the years, including the great Andreas Nilsson, and it was very exciting to see these films on the big screen for the first time. We are really, really humbled by all of this." Torbjørn Brundtland commented on the eve of their presentation.
 
The night was brilliant and inspiring to say the least!
 
The album is out now and the new single 'Forsaken Cowboy' will be out on the 27th of February.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Friday 18 February 2011

Y-3 & Yohji Yamamoto take us on a journey for A/W'11




To finish off our presentation of New York fashion week as London Fashion week has just started we probably did save the best for last.Shown in New York's Soho district on Sunday, February 13, 2011, as part of New York fashion week, the collection debuted on a set constructed to resemble a dusty trail, further underscoring the season’s back-to-nature message.



"Traveling means coming back home," Yamamoto explained backstage of the show's inspiration. "We are always unconsciously wanting to come back. It is one of man's strongest desires."

With this in mind Y-3 begun with Yohji Yamamoto's journey and hit the road for Autumn/Winter 2011-12 with a collection inspired by the nature of escape whether that is on horseback, on foot, and into the hills, that is your choice.The show presented clothing designed for a journey, combining classic materials and silhouettes with futuristic and protective details like waterproof zippers, neoprene insets, holographic toggles, and ergonomic quilting.
 



The collection explored variations on a theme of escape, and was inspired by books such as Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. This meant protection first and foremost, realized in exaggerated funnel-neck collars; simple modularity; voluminous, cocoon-like silhouettes; and intensive quilting on everything from hoods to coats to leggings. In classic Yohji Yamamoto fashion, prints and patches on select garments spelled out the collection’s theme, stating phrases like “Nowhere in Particular,” “Homeward Bound,” and “I’m on the Road.”



Ultimately, the show was about the journey not the destination, and the clothing was designed with this in mind. Showing army parkas, striped union suits, quilted work jackets in suede and wool, and cotton leggings inset with panels of Fair Isle knits, Y-3 menswear show was one of the few that every single fashion editor left happy and with an abundant of pieces that they'd want to use and write about.Y-3 show had what all the others show were missing which was variety.



Still being as innovative as he was 15 years ago, Yamamoto introduced two new breakthrough fabrics: Cool Max Wool, a breathable wool with an evaporative cooling system, and Diaplex, a wool herringbone bonded to Goretex that molds itself to the body, becoming like a second skin.A Y-3 show review would feel incomplete without a mention to all the amazing accessories.Oversize hooded scarves, quilted nylon hats and gloves belted with 3 pieces of leather - a subtle play on the three-stripes tradition and adidas executed shoes in classical shapes and materials concluded probably one of the best shows of New York Fashion Week, craftmanship, in vision and in imagination!


Now who can top that?!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant