FANCY FOOTWORK.

Again maybe I’ve missed the boat with this one but oki-ni are launching HUSSEIN CHALAYAN footwear in the near future. Wait, come back! People might know Chalayan for that LED dress, the “Tangent Flows” graduate collection (which Chalayan buried/dug up in his back graden) or the skirt that turns into an occasional table. But his menswear too often goes unnoticed. Chalayan, as I remember, was doing the minimal/muted/pin-sharp thing way before its current moment, allowing the focus to be put on the construction/reconfiguration in his clothes.

Either way these are pretty lovely sneakers, made in collaboration with Puma (which Chalayan is now creative director of) and Sergio Rossi, who produced my favourite shoe of SS 10 with a knockout collection.

I’ll definitely be “registering my interest” in these, but perhaps it’s time to take a look back at Chalayan’s menswear greatest hits. What’s startling is the focus- no arbitrary pieces, no embarassing wrong steps.

SS 08 collection for Yoox.com:

The AMAZING SS 07 collection, which Tim Blanks describes as being produced from research into garments throughout the 20th century. I love the biker jacket/blouson/shirt hybrids, and apparently there was latex in some of the t-shirt sleeves and on the hem of trenchcoats. This kind of fabric manipulation/hidden detail was a lot rarer a few years ago, but something we’re taking for granted in the all white SS 10 collections. Nice use of jackets with shorts, without looking odd:

And some highlights from SS 06- some nice shirt play, especially with the grey cutaway placket…

THE TALENTED MS WILLIAMS.

Patricia Williams is someone who I always see about, a generally AMAZING looking person but I had no idea up until now that she was also a pretty amazing young designer too. I think I heard something vaguely about her working with Kesh around Kesh’s MAN show, and if that’s true then it should give you a hint of an idea of what to expect from her A/W 09 collection.

Love the big pockets on the plaid shirts, the contrast arms on the quilted jackets and especially the plaid green jacket with neon orange cuffs and what looks like leather pockets. What I love most is how considered and everyday wearable the collection is; the right balance of streetwear and ‘directional’ etc etc. She also makes the t-shirts too, which have witty things like ‘stylist’ written on. Perhaps I might buy one and wear it as a uniform, or something.

HOPEFULLY THE FIRST OF MANY MEN’S FASHEMATICS!!! RIPOFFS.

MENSWEAR was introduced to the brilliant FASHEMATICS!!! in a bizarre act of synchronicity via JH Little and The POP magazine’s blog. Inspired, we decided to put together our own take on the best looks from the SS 10 men’s shows in an HOMAGE to the evil genius behind that very entertaining website.

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Burberry Prorsum SS 10

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Lanvin SS 10

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Dsquared2 SS 10

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Romain Kremer SS 10

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Lanvin SS 10

…I thank you.

CENTRAL SAINT MENTAL.

Okay, so I am slow… the graduate shows happened before I jetted off for Milan and I’m still desperately catching up. It’s weird, because in an alternate universe this is when I’d be graduating from Central Saint Martins as an art student if I’d not left. Coupled with my bad feelings about the college’s art department, which I’m unapologetic about, and the huuge amount of work I didn’t make it down but I totally regret it. But on returning, I was totally bowled over by what I saw from the BA 2009 graduates…

Kye was my favourite. I think it’s harder than it looks to create these kind of joyous, cartoonish ideas and make them look professional, but the make quality looked excellent and coupling a whimsical PaRappa-ish world with sharp futurism really works. Especially of note are the hats. I really, really want the hand one. And the guts sweater. And the plasticky shirt…

Look at that. PURE EVIL. So inspiring; she’s called Holly Fox-Lee and I dread to think what her nightmares are like. For me there’s something ridiculously scary and post-apocalyptic about those giant crinoline tube arms. A little bit The Iron Man, a little bit Bill Gibb maybe- but brilliantly most of the rest of the collection was quite tribal, tropical, printy and upbeat.

Mathew Grant (or is it Matthew?) produced this amazing jacket with fake flattened lapels. Is it leather? Love the Raf SS 06 style cage t-shirt underneath.

Finally, Neil Young who according to Ponystep had lots of help with these fabrics… the DB suit on the left is a special sort of nylon and you can just see. It looks so cool and tactile. The suit on the right is neoprene, but it’s so well done and well conceived that it actually looks mainstream-wearable, especially as a winter look. These 4 were just a pick, Caroline Jarvis and Levi Palmer also produced strong collections. You really hope that these kind of talents are snapped up right away, or even better go on to found their labels. You could even say some of them are MAN-ready, fully-formed straight out of the gate…

BUCKSTYLE- ‘OF THE MOUNTAINS’.

Okay, slow old me on the uptake here… Here is my new shoot for Buckstyle, and thanks to all the people who picked up on it, I’m really quite overwhelmed… Celia, Steve and I picked a major trend for the season each, and mine was ‘mountaineering’. I shot it with the rather talented Mr. Juan Trujillo and it’s called “Of The Mountains”… and you can see it here.

Buckstyle July 2009. Photograph by Juan Trujillo. Styling by Elliott James Sainsbury. Model: Laurie at Models 1. Hair & grooming: Jojo Copeman.

Celia‘s theme- tough/powerful- produced an excellent video, “Brave New World” which features all kinds of amazingness. I have to admit I was totally jealous of all the clothes as they arrived. Prada’s leather sweaters and studded coat, Tim Hamilton’s superluxe leather holdall…

Steve‘s first editorial for the magazine, Reflect/Refine which features a pair of ‘gentleman chavs’ and a dandyish theme, shot by the very talented Holly Falconer. Nice to see YSL’s leggings and trousers looking so wearable, and in a totally different context to the catwalk styling:

Turn your radars on for more over the next week…

SOFT GRUNGE.

Images via the fashionisto (again)

Imagine you haven’t seen these pictures before. Have a good long think about whose fashion show this might be. Not ringing any bells, or all too obvious? I’m really intrigued as to what people think about this- I love it, and I’m pleased to say that it’s Cheap Monday. For me it was love at first sight- somehow my wants list has evolved into a grunge led aesthetic, I’m looking for studs, ripped things, leggings under shorts, layering- and I wondered how Cheap Monday had evolved into this sort of fully-fledged, future retro catwalk offering. Then I remembered; it’s Ann-Sofie Back’s first season as the creative director.

When you realise that, all the Ann-Sofie touches start filtering through… her influence seems to be there in the violent-yet-delicately slashed tees, the sweater with the tape marks (or is it staple marks?), the stonewashed denim and boots. What at first looked like an unlikely hook-up actually makes a perfect sort of sense- and luckily it seems like the talented Back has been allowed to already exert her influence a lot. It’s got quite a ‘blog’ feel about it, randomly… if you know what I mean. Those ripped, textured, layering and modern-tough pieces that somehow seem to be big across the blogosphere.

Either way, I think it’s safe to say that I’d wear much, most, all of it. I’m dying to know if those are leggings under shorts, trompe l’eoil… jeans… It’ll be obsessing me for days, no doubt.