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

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

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

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

Diesel Black Gold A/W'11 - "The Heroes of our Past"

Fresh from their unique presentation in Milan,Diesel's Sophia Kokosalaki and her team introduce their Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection as a gift to those who understand that style has nothing to do with conformity.

The latest offering from the lovechild of couturier Kokosalaki and the denim empire is a collection infused with subtle references from 18th and 19th century that inspired well-crafted tailored yet timeworn pieces.Watching the full show on the runway,for a minute it felt like time stood still.The heritage effect of the purposely created dishevelled feel of the clothes blended perfectly with the synoptic idea of the whole collection that was a synergy of past and present.

The juxtaposition of elements from the past & present was illustrated in such a beautiful,nostalgic yet masculine way that the Diesel Black Gold man could be anyone from a warrior to a poet.Oversized military double breasted coats were softened with shearling, delicate fabrics toughened with leather and of course the necessary dose of neat denim to give the Diesel Black Gold show a contemporary feel that only Diesel can.



The Diesel Black Gold was a breath of fresh air mixed with a scent of vintage that wasn't overbearing or extreme.Even though the colour palette was muted with greys, black and khakis, Kokosalaki used her couture edge and manipulated details in design, proportions and colour with such a way that the clothes were re-modeled to look au courant and haute street modern.

Fellow Greek Sophia Kokosalaki is definitely the new queen of haute denim!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

New York Fashion Week A/W 2011 "Grey's Anatomy"

Loden Dager A/W'11

If one word could sum-up Menswear at New York Fashion week would be GREY!One after the other, the models paraded down the catwalk wearing grey pieces from head to toe.Whether it was ash, cloud, ice,gray or grey, even darkgray or charcoal,the bottom line was that everything were GREY!

Calvin Klein A/W'11

Eventually what was so peculiar with this picture was the fact that if you had most (and I do say 'most' as there was a ray of sunshine in the bunch) designers show on the same day, under the same roof, you wouldn't be able to differentiate between brands, designers or aesthetic.Show after show it felt like designers collaborated to give us a bigger ,extended version of what they have shown previously but on the same day!

Libertine A/W'11

Robert Geller A/W'11

Tim Hamilton A/W'11

The centric inspiration of New York fashion week did carry on the same sartorial feeling of Paris and Milan fashion week but in a more youthfull ,wearable and street challenging way.Suitting was there but sartorial suitting offering was quite limited;whereas the more adolescent,even inane approach to suits flourished under the watchful supervision of designers in the likes of Calvin Klein, Tim Hamilton, Loden Dager and Libertine.

Calvin Klein A/W'11

Richard Chai A/W'11

Being severely influenced by street fashion or even better the streets, designers used exxageration through proportions to emphasize the toughness in their designs.Calvin Klein's 90's inspired puffa jumpers and Richard Chai's bulked-up and figure sculpting approach showed the real side of New York,the more masculine, hard and even dangerous one.

More on New York Fashion week to follow!

See more images from the shows after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Raf Simons x Fred Perry S/S'11

It's somewhat hard to find collaborations within the fashion industry that can stand the test of time.Not only because of the shift in demand but also due to artistic differences.Designers are a very tricky bunch,they tend to explore,move on, forget and resurrect all at the same time which makes it even harder for a company that just wants to sell stuff!

That is not the case though with Fred Perry and Raf Simons. Already in their 7th collaboration, the designer goes back to basics for Spring/Summer 2011, re-working classic Fred Perry pieces boosting them up with the necessary hint of minimalistic Belgium essence.

Eager to add more of a couture feel to the Fred Perry designs, Simons is re-vamping the statement pieces by replacing the buttons with shiny metal zips and re-structures proportions with cleaner and sharper lines granting the collaboration a more youthful silhouette.

Featuring 38 pieces including classic tees, zip-through sweaters,skinny trousers and shorts exclusively manhandled by Simons, the S/S'11 Fred Perry x Raf Simons collaboration is launched on-line at www.fredperry.com and in Laurel stores today 17th of February.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

"SNAPPED" All Walks Beyond the Catwalk

                        All Walks Co Founders - L-R  Caryn Franklin, Erin O'Connor and Debra Bourne

On the eve of probably the most identity centric event ever to take place in London,London Fashion Week,7thMan Magazine was invited on 11th of February to the opening of the Late Shift of  "All walks Beyond the Catwalk".More than 4,000 people travelled from all over Britain to join All Walks Beyond the Catwalk's celebrate a message of inclusivity and individuality at National Portrait Gallery.

All Walks Beyond the Catwalk gave us a peak at "SNAPPED",a photographic speciment lensed by the one and only fashion photography maestro Rankin, to promote individuality through a series that embodies the All Walks aesthetics:"All Shapes,Ages and Skin Tones!".

Led by fashion insiders and co-founders of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk - Erin O'Connor,Debra Bourne and Caryn Franklin, all engaged in a debate with other industry professionals and bloggers around the issue of contemporary portraiture in fashion photography and how fashion is becoming the lens through which we view our identity, recognising the power of the fashion industry and the messages that it conveys to both women and men.

The 9 portraits shot by Rankin feature S/S'11 pieces from designers Vivienne Westwood, Betty Jackson, Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi, Alice by Temperley, Hussein Chalayan, Osman Yousefzada and Stella McCartney.

In All Walks spirit - All were welcome!

See more pictures after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Diesel x Adidas Originals heading for the top

7thMan Magazine was delighted to be one of the first magazines to preview the new sneaker collection of Adidas Originals and Diesel a few weeks ago, a street infused collaboration that was long overdue.

But we weren't the only ones who noticed the design quality & passion that both labels put in those shoes.The amazing sneakers have not even hit stores yet and it looks like they've been attracting a massive star following.

Celebrities in the likes of actor Luke Evans and 'Misfits' star Nathan Stewart Jarret as well as singer & producer Labyrinth have all been spotted sporting the amazing trainers.

The collection goes on sale on the 17th of February in all Diesel stores and Diesel.com but you have to be fast,only 10 thousand pairs are available!

Can you smell success? 'Cause we certainly can!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant