LYST: A social ‘HAUTE’ shopping experience and more

The fashion industry was hard enough to keep up with when there were only a few fashion magazines, when you were first introduced to one or two blogs and when fashion designers that actually mattered were identified with only a few alphabetical letters DG, GG and LV.

Fast-forward to 2011 and the blogs are endless, the magazines –online and those still surviving in print- countless and new-fangled fashion designers, stylists, photographers even on-line retailers seem to pop-up one after the other with such swiftness and energy they could bring the Duracell bunny to shame.

The way people search for fashion has changed, the approach they choose to interact with fashion is shifting on a daily basis and the interest for fashion is rising rapidly even as we speak. The real question is how do you keep up and how do you discover everything that is out there?

Enter LYST!

LYST is an on-line social curation site that focuses exclusively on fashion.

You didn’t get it? Well, neither did we at the beginning but it is actually a lot simpler that it sounds.

LYST that was founded in 2010 by Chris Morton, Devin Hunt, and Sebastjan Trepca, features the top retailers, stores, boutiques, designers & stylists hosting them under one digital ‘roof’ scandalising you with their latest offerings, up-to-the-minute trends, the best products & their most up-to-date work keeping you informed with what is happening within the fashion world whilst at the same time giving you the option to shop each and every item that has been ‘lysted’.

You can curate your own ‘lysts’, mode collections  and also follow anyone from established fashion houses Balmain, Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent, to novel and innovative designers like Prabal Gurung, ACNE, Olsen’s The Row and Philip Lim. And if that wasn’t enough, LYST immediately filters online products and offers from your favourite retailers and boutiques all around the world straight to your inbox; all you have to do is create your LYST profile!

When becoming a bonafide ‘Lyster’ you can interact with other Lysters, comment on their collections, re-lyst their picks or you can browse through infinite retailers and designers and put together ‘lysts’ that will last you a lifetime. It’s like an ‘haute’ window shopping experience but instead you get to keep everything that you love until you are ready for a purchase, get notified when everything goes on sale and LYST has introduced widgets and verified accounts so you know that the celebrity, editor or fashion house you are following are actually the real deal.

"These new features are part of Lyst's mission to improve the way people share and discover fashion online," Lyst CEO Chris Morton told 7thMan. "We're excited by the early impact they are already having on sales and growth."

So are social curation sites the way for discovering fashion online? Anyone may use it for different reasons; shopping, lysting, exchanging ideas and thoughts, exploring new trends and styles and even though I was apprehensive all I had to do to be convinced was to create a profile!

I am now an officially hooked Lyster!

Follow me at www.LYST.com/andreasmenelaou

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

BURBERRY CELEBRATES IN CHINA WITH GLOBAL DIGITAL EVENT LIVE FROM BEIJING

The event, which took place earlier this week on a 2000sqm sound stage at the Beijing Television Centre granded the audience and viewers with a spectacle that was truly breathtaking.

With a progressive technological approach, Burberry created an immense brand experience celebrating all things British and Burberry. The show that also celebrated the launch of the new 12,500 square foot flagship store in Beijing, took viewers through a magical choreographed four season weather journey that included life-size holograms of models and models transforming into snow.

“This global event in Beijing was a true expression of Burberry today bringing together all the elements of our multi faceted brand using the most innovative technology and the best of British music, connecting all our communities and celebrating this magnificent country with viewers all over the world.”
Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer

To top it all off the event was attended by over 1000 guests including Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, British actors Sam Claflin and Douglas Booth as well as Maggie Cheung, Fan Bing Bing, Li Bing Bing, Won Bin, Chen Kun, Du Juan, Dou Xiao, Shang Wen Jie; Yan Ni; Jia Nai Liang, Rock Ji, Super VC, Philip Huang and VJ Zhu Zhu.

Click here to see the highlights from the show on video!

 

 By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

The Hottest Campaigns for Spring/Summer 2011

Prada S/S'11 by Willy Vanderperre

Dior Homme S/S'11 by Karl Lagerfeld

Most brands spend a fortune creating the most perfect campaign that would appeal to their audience and also attract new customers.So we thought it would be appropriate to show you the hottest campaigns for this coming season,Spring/Summer 2011 just a few days before the A/W 2011/12 shows take over everyone's radar.

Photographers Mert & Marcus and Willy Vanderperre take the lead this year having shot more than 3 major ad campaigns each including Givenchy,Loewe,Gucci,Lacoste,Dsquared and Jil Sander, Dior Homme film & Prada respectively.

Kris Van Assche, Dior Homme's creative director allowed Karl Lagerfeld to grant his photographic magic on the Dior campaign, Mario Testino enchanted Burberry and Michael Kors and Katie Grand of L.O.V.E magazine and Louis Vuitton collaborated with Dean and Dan aka Dsquared to create the sexiest and most provocative ad for this season.

Have a look at more amazing S/S'11 campaigns including Chanel,Lanvin and Calvin Klein just after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Dressing Realistically For The Cold Weather

D&G A/W 10

Picking the right outfit for work or any other engagement in this peculiar weather can prove to be a difficult and tricky thing for many of us to achieve. You want to look good, feel warm and be in an appropriate outfit that would fit the occasion. But how do you get all of these in one outfit? Well, taking inspiration from the D&G A/W 2010 show, as savvy as it sounds, it’s definitely not a route you want to take unless it leads to a chateau in the Swiss Alps.

7th Man however, has handpicked four looks from the winter shows that should give you an idea of how to fight the cold weather and yet look more dapper than ever.

Burberry Prorsum A/W 10

A shearling jacket can work wonders for you this winter. Gone are the days of unflattering shapeless wool coats. Though do trade up, as investing in a solid leather aviator shearling jacket can get you out of a lot of morning bickering.

Buckler A/W 10

Giving a new lease of life to a wool suit can be quite daunting, but switching up your custom white shirt for a chunky woolen or cashmere polo neck jumper can add flawless retro style to your outfit. Pair it up with knitted gloves and a knit cap in the same or a parallel colour to complete your look.

J.W Anderson A/W 10

Try pairing up a long cashmere cardigan with a denim jacket and finishing off with a different style jacket or military coat on top. Layering can work wonders for us in this extremely cold weather and the stylized hiking boots will definitely worth it when walking around in the snow.

Rag & Bone A/W 10

For more style tips and secrets on how to create the perfect look keep checking in on 7th

Man Digital.

Words By Andreas Menelaou

Burberry Opens Burberry Brit Store in Milan

Burberry Brit has finally landed in Milan, the very first in Europe. Located at the Corso Venezia, the 250 square metre store, which opened last November 27, reflects the new design concept developed by Burberry Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey. A contemporary vision that sees a modern and innovative take on British materials and themes, the store features flat screen LED video walls showcasing Burberry digital contents as well as touch-screen in-store technology. The new store will stock collections from Burberry Brit, Burberry Sport and Burberry Accessories.

Check it out now at Corso Venezia 9, 20121 Milan, Italy

Words By Rolly Ibanez

Become A Designer Of Burberry?

It is often said that, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' but Burberry is giving its customers the chance to challenge the brand into designing their own iconic trench from early next year.

The exciting online bespoke service will give customers the chance to choose from a gargantuan selection of 12 million options. This will include buttons, lapel styles, belting, studding, epaulets, fabric and colour with every style - runway and mainline - being included in the service. Some of the most iconic styles will be chopped and changed but will it destroy the image, and perhaps the reputation, of the trench? Christopher Bailey's consistent touch of success to the brand may reassure die-hard customers but what ever the outcome, it will be a wise investment for everyone involved, mostly for the customer.

Whilst bespoke services are not new, most notably provided by Savile Row and Jermyn Street tailors for shirts and suits, being online marks a new era for what is essentially couture. However Burberry is no stranger to online and social media platforms, having crossed the threshold on their Facebook page with 2 million fans. But it is the iconic trench that captured the imagination of the world, as their dedicated site, 'The Art of the Trench', where users could 'like' and 'comment' on shots taken by The Sartorialist Scott Schuman, was a world-wide hit. Teaming up with Facebook for the Autumn 2009 project paved the way for other designers to fully engage their social media using clients and fans, and advertising their streaming fashion shows showed others that they are a brand that captures the hearts, imagination and wallets of the fashion pack and its hangers on.

Words by Dan Hasby Oliver

Key Looks Online

As devoted followers of Burberry and with a considerable penchant for one of their signature pieces, the label’s venture- Art Of The Trench- has consequently been quite an obsession of ours.

The site, which documents the history of the trench through iconic Burberry imagery, also reveals an intriguing project in collaboration with the world’s leading image makers as well as featuring works from the global creative community.

Launching with specially commissioned trench portraits courtesy of Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, the site consists of an eclectic mix of trench lovers from across the globe and even gives you the opportunity to submit your own portraits which you can do here.


Another luxury brand to catch onto the viral marketing bandwagon through Art/Fashion collaborations is Hermès with their newly launched  J’aime mon Carre. This highly visual site features street style inspired photograph’s of ‘IT’ girls from London, Paris, NY and Tokyo sporting their favourite scarves.

A particularly nice touch is their “Knotting Card” which teaches you to tie different knots, as well as some retro videos and snappy interviews.



All this site needs is a nod towards some gentlemen brandishing some scarves and the site would be complete!

For more on Art Of The Trench, Click Here.

For more on J’aime mon Carre, Click Here.

Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 11

Burberry Prorsum is undoubtedly a firm favourite of Seventh Man and naturally we were rather excited to see what the label had in store for Spring/Summer 2011. On Saturday, Burberry Prorsum presented their new collection in Milan and once again this British institution has unquestionably delivered.


For Spring 2011, the label have carried on their slick military theme from the epic Autumn/ Winter 2010 collection, with bold khaki colourings and sharp, tailored designs. Amongst many signature pieces such as the classic trench; the collection also unveils rather more evolved designs such as this utterly stylish cotton jacket which is a fusion of military and biker influences.


Indeed, the new collection reveals a new darker approach from Burberry Prorsum, with a definite nod towards biker chic considering a series of leather pieces, many embellished with studs and spikes.


Ultimately, Burberry Prorsum has triumphed with a collection that is not only fresh and contemporary but stills respects the brand's timeless tradition.

Thirty pieces of outerwear and a selection of accessories are available for pre-order online, but you must be quick, as pre-ordering closes on Sunday the 27th of June.

If you'd like to place an order:

Click Here

Bow down to Burberry and Bailey.

Burberry are set to become the first brand to host an actual global fashion show.

On 23rd February history will be in the making, the Burberry Prorsum WRTW show is scheduled to start at 4pm in the extensive courtyard of The Chelsea College of Art, but it is no longer exclusive to the specially invited VIP's of the fashion world.

The show will be streamed simultaneously in 3D at events in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Dubai, ensuring that the fickle world of fashion is in fact, right at the very cutting edge of technology along with all the best [so the Oscar nominations suggest] film directors.

Christopher Bailey, the source of this ingenius plot for world domination said: "This unprecedented event will enable people to experience the energy and atmosphere of this show from around the world. 3D technology will bring our global audience into the London show space allowing them to see the colours and fabrics, to hear the music and to be a part of that moment when it all finally comes together.''

If the show is anywhere as near as spellbinding as the last two collections, then there shall be some open mouths worldwide at the debuting of Burberry's AW10 collection for the ladies.

Burberry Men Live

Live streaming runway presentations seem to be the future for brands. A great way for the devoted fan to feel the front-row energy. Burberry will be showcasing its Burberry Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2010 Menswear show live from Milan on Saturday the 16th, at 6 p.m.(Milan Time)(GMT +1) only at LiveBurberry.

The women's live show back in September was a complete success, the whole industry buzzed about it. Let's hope they give the same showmanship the Burberry Men deserve.

Images provided by Burberry

Contributing Editor - NJD

Burberry's Art of the Trench Platform asks you to participate

Burberry has released a platform, where everyone is encouraged to submit pictures of themselves wearing a Burberry trench coat of some sort. As all beginnings are difficult, the team around Christopher Bailey had commissioned Scott Schuman from The Satorialist to snap trench coat wearing individuals on his seemingly restless travels around the globe. One is able to press a "like" button, leave a comment or share pictures on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook or via E-mail to friends.

A very interesting concept, go check it out at artofthetrench.com and if you feel creative, put on your favourite trench coat, take a picture and submit it on the website.