Sharpened Lead

Stepping lightly: presenting Armando Cabral

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

If there’s one thing that’s likely to put a spring in my step and that says ‘new season’ to me it’s a new pair of shoes. So today sees the start of a series of posts on the best shoes for Spring Summer 2012. To start us off, here is a quick Q&A I did with (relatively new) shoe designer Mr Armando Cabral, some shots of the current season Cabral shoes I’ve been wearing of late, as well as some views of the SS12 collection to whet your appetite for new season colour. Having just returned from Thailand, colour is something I’ve been craving, after swapping warm smiles, tropical flowers and blue skies for interminably grey London, I’m determined that Spring 2012 will require you to wear sunglasses, at least whilst I’m in sight.

Q&A with Mr Cabral

It turned out that Mr Cabral and I have more than a little in common: birthdays only a few days apart, a love of Portugal (New York resident Armando grew up there) a fondness for exploring Brooklyn, a couple of mutual friends, and what goes almost without saying, a love of beautiful, finely made mens shoes. I already knew that Armando has had a very successful career in modelling, but I was keen to find out about how he’d come to shoe design and what the process means to him.

SL Where are your shoes made?
AC Ancona, Italy, famous for shoemaking – in the same factory where TOD’s and Prada shoes are produced.
SL What made you want to design a shoe collection?
AC An opportunity to make shoes I really like. I looked at what was missing. You can find something super classic but what else is possible?
SL Are there people who’s advice you sort out when you were starting?
AC Simon Foxton is one of the first people I consulted [at this point my questions veered off as we both enthused about Foxton's work and the huge influence he has had as a menswear stylist].
SL What inspires your shoe designs?
AC Traveling, modelling, streetstyle. Also I wanted to make something that is comfortable and versatile. When you travel a lot you don’t want to have a bag full of shoes. The mix of classic and sportswear: two concepts in one collection; a hybrid. So you can go from the boardroom to a party in the same shoes.
SL What inspired your Spring Summer collection for 2012?
AC With the espadrilles: a sense of fun, easy dressing, vibrant. With the sandals: minimal, a mix of different elements. I don’t design for fashion trends, I bring a personal touch to it. I interpret what I see on the street, from seeing people who have a sense of who they are.
SL How does New York influence you?
AC Brooklyn is a good pint of reference: real people, real style, creative.
SL What is the process you go through in designing a collection?
AC There’s a prototype, then we come up with various revisions.
SL Where can people buy Armando Cabral shoes?
AC In London at Dover Street Market and Joseph. In New York at Stephen Allen, ODIN, Assembly and Jeffrey.
SL Was it deliberate for your shoes to be offered at an accessible price point?
AC It’s a balance between craftsmanship and giving people what they love, but at a price point which means that people can actually get the shoes.

My conversation with Armando flowed very smoothly, and I was very much struck by the impact of travel on his design aesthetic both in the influence of seeing what real people wear and the necessity of versatility and comfort for someone who travels extensively.

So, onto the images: firstly, a couple of shots of the current AW11 trainer brogues I’ve been wearing this winter, seen here with black Japanese denim jeans by Sable Clutch.

What I particularly love about these shoes is the contrast between the natural tan welt, the black brogue upper and the incredibly light, Vibram sole. They are the perfect combination of brogue and training shoe, without compromising either or looking gimmicky.

Vibram and brogue combos aren’t news, what is news is the lightness and the slender shape, you have to handle these shoes or better still wear them to realise how special they are.

Now for some full on shoe-porn with some views of the incredible Cabral espadrilles for SS12 taken at the always-inspiring Showroom Next Door. Not only does this collection come in the most beautiful vivid colours but the fabric of the shoes is a very tactile, ridged brushed cotton, fully lined and soled with leather. I’ve ordered a pair of the deep yellow which I’m hoping will be a perfect combination with light summer trousers in navy blue, (incidentally the unexpected colour of choice this upcoming season for lightweight summer pants).

What strikes me about Armando’s shoes is the lightness of touch both in design and the actual lightness in weight: the sheer practicality of having a beautiful, multifunctional pair of shoes like my trainer brogues that can be slipped into hand luggage and worn for events both formal and casual is impressive. With the espadrilles, as you can see from the images above, its the alchemy of amazing colour, texture and great manufacture that makes this espadrille into something more substantial and versatile for urban living.

I can’t wait to receive my summer espadrilles and for the adventures I’m already planning in them.

If you want to find out more about Armando Cabral shoes see the list of stockists in the Q&A. You can also follow the brand on Facebook but expect my further adventures with the shoes to be reported here.

Designer profile: Casely-Hayford SS12

Sunday, January 1, 2012

All this thinking about what to wear when the sun returns has got me thinking about some of the most exciting collections I saw in the autumn. So, bucking all fashion industry rules I’m talking about the Spring season just as it’s about to kick in. And of course just before we see what we’ll be wearing next winter on Menswear day in February. Confused? Oh well, with global warming who knows what season we’re in anyway?

I had the pleasure of seeing the Casely-Hayford 2012 collection twice in the fall: once a delightful walkthrough with Mr Charlie Casely-Hayford in person, and once in the refined atmosphere of The Showroom Next Door.

At the former, Charlie started out by telling me that ‘touch’ and was a key inspiration for the SS12 collection, and with this tactile theme in mind I proceeded to stroke, prod and swish the pieces in hand. The familiar Casely-Hayford lightness of touch is very evident and the unique combination of louche English gentility with the ease of sportswear made the pieces a joy to handle and easy to imagine as part of (certainly my) wardrobe.

The separate shirt collection, with polo detailing on the collar and rich, sporty colours was very pleasing to the eye (see shots above), but the absolute standout pieces for me were the JARMAN basket weave jacket, with satin tux-like trim, and the matching BASALT basket weave trousers. As you can see from the images below, the texture of the fabric is incredible, very lightweight and breathable and in the deepest indigo.

At the Showroom Next Door resee I tried the basket weave trousers on, which fitted me perfectly in sample size (alas no camera was to hand on fitting day) and I am absolutely determined to own a pair and will be waiting nose-to-window for their appearance in Dover St, Shop at Bluebird, Joseph and Hostem next season. Look out for a Spring outfit post when I finally own a pair! The jacket meanwhile features the most beautiful attention to detail, (as you can see above), featuring satin covered buttons and a shirt-cuff detail and is light enough to be worn as a casual overshirt. It looked great with a simple Breton striped top underneath. Tempting!

The jacquard jacket, and pants meanwhile were two of the pieces that best evidenced the tactile theme of the collection, the jacquard fabric, like the deep indigo basket weave, being both cool to the touch and possessing a very pleasing texture. And the strong yet subtle pattern definitely in keeping with some of the other notable collections for SS12, such as Burberry Prorsum and with beautiful matt brass buttons.

Traditional men’s slippers, known as Belgians in the U.S. I believe, are set to be a big trend for SS12. And the Casely-Hayford ones are in the softest quilted leathers. These have already been added to my wishlist for SS12 shoes (currently 5 pairs and counting!).

Expect a separate post on my top picks for new-season shoes shortly, as well as a more detailed feature on some of my favourite new shoe brands. For now: time to get packing!

Filed in Casely-Hayford, Spring Summer 2012, The Showroom Next Door | | Comments (0)

Ending 2011 on a high note: 5 picks for a winter sun holiday

Saturday, December 31, 2011

It’s been a while. Somewhere between the excitement of London and New York fashion weeks and the slow grind up to the Christmas season, I lost the urge to post. But with the old year about to be kicked aside and a sunny holiday to plan for, I’m feeling very much revitalised and excited about a whole new season and the prospect of seeing some colour again. Yes, I’m off to Thailand for some much needed beach time – yoga, light, cleansing food and no doubt some rooting around for unusual finds during our final weekend in Bangkok.

January is the month when, typically, the worlds of fashion, clubs and music are depopulated as DJs, photographers and designers head to the likes of India, Mexico, Costa Rica and certain enclaves in Thailand, which are then, in turn, full of London and New York escapees.

I don’t expect sympathy, but I’ve talked before about the frustrations of shopping for a sunny holiday in the middle of winter; lack of choice; dusty old bottles of sun lotion in out-of-the-way shelves and the choice between wearing last season’s summer wear or diving straight into SS12 without the benefit of seeing what’s being worn on the street to help define your personal choices. Seeing as British summer 2011 never really happened, in the main I’m going to play it safe with some investment pieces I didn’t get much opportunity to wear. But if I do splash out on some new items these are my starting points:

1. Geometric print shorts by Orlebar Brown. 2012 will be all about the print if I have anything to do with it, the louder the better, and these shorts are the cream of the current Orlebar crop.

2.Ikat print trousers by Burberry Prorsum I absolutely loved this upcoming collection and you’ll be able to hear me coming with my choice of trousers come Spring. Here the Eastern sense of luxury is perfect for steamy late night drinks. On pre-order at LuisViaRoma.com.

3. Vine Green T-shirt from Sunspel. I can’t stop wearing Sunspel underwear, and this shade of green is as lush as a Bangkok tropical garden.

4. Ruc Tote from J.Panther bags. On it’s way! The right mix of military toughness for long haul travel and the sheer luxury of something beautifully made. I can’t wait to load this beauty up for our trip.

5.Indonesian batik sarong. I have a batch of these from my time in Bali, so much lighter than a towel for impromptu picnics, beach lounging and big enough to dry yourself off in the shade. Always in my luggage, I suggest you do the same (and banish all memories of David Beckham).

Filed in Burberry Prorsum, Luggage, Shorts, T Shirts, Thailand, travel, trousers | Tagged Bangkok, Burberry Prorsum, J.Panther Luggage, menswear, Orlebar Brown, sun holidays, Sunspel, Thailand, travel | Comments (0)

Under post #2: taking on the ‘final frontier’ of menswear

Sunday, November 20, 2011

I promised a follow-up post about the Under brand once I’d gotten my hands on some pieces and here it is. The photographs were taken during a recent weekend break for my birthday in Norfolk. The stylish though rugged setting of a converted barn near Blakeney was the perfect setting to take a closer look at these luxurious underwear pieces. If there’s one thing that Under’s approach to underwear has impressed me with, it’s the use of details such as cloth-covered buttons, flat cotton waistbands, and chambray plackets more usually associated with tailoring, making the items seem more substantial and like something to really invest in. It’s also recommended attire if The Selby or Backyard Bill ever come round for an ‘at home’ feature, so you can live out that Klondike-goldminer-meets-Brooklynite zeitgeist in pants worthy of the attention.

If you can’t resist and want to upgrade your underwear right please get in touch here (with Under in the subject title) or via Twitter and I’ll supply you with an exclusive discount code of 25% for the Under brand. The Under site features great photography of the line and you can buy directly online.

Finally, to give you more on an insight into the brand, here is a Q&A I recently completed with label owner Kieron Hurley.

SL: I understand you have a background in music and with the Acid Jazz label in particular. How did you end up doing what you’re doing now?
KH: Things began to change within the music industry and it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to make the records I wanted to make for much longer. So I decided to look for a fresh challenge, liked the idea of fashion and conceived what became the men’s casual brand RedDot – and from there I launched UNDER.

SL: Men’s underwear is often a sideline of major brands e.g. DKNY, Ralph Lauren, and most notably Calvin Klein. What made you want to develop a luxury underwear brand for men?
KH: I couldn’t find the underwear I wanted to buy and that pissed me off a bit/got me thinking – then the more I thought about it the more I began to realize that there was a decent sized gap in the market and an opportunity to explore and exploit.

SL: There seems to be a renaissance in men rediscovering quality underwear recently with brands like Schiesser and Sunspel doing well here in the UK. Any thoughts on what’s prompting that?
KH: It’s the final frontier, for some time now it’s been OK for men to take a keen interest in style and fashion, use skin and hair products etc., but for some unfathomable reason still be OK with wearing crappy underwear. I think it was inevitable that when presented with the right product guys would eventually wake up to this anomaly.

SL: The current collection seems to take a lot of inspiration from classic American male iconography from the Gold Rush era and also a sporty Baseball feel to some of the pieces. How did those influences occur to you personally?
KH: When I think of classic underwear I picture those images of miners in the Klondike wearing a pair of jeans over their union suit so quite a bit of the inspiration for the launch collection came from that look and era. The baseball shirt is just a continuation of this forties/fifties Americana as opposed to The Gold Rush.
SL: The colour palette is really distinctive – particularly the red marl and blue is quite different from anything I can think of in men’s underwear right now, which tends focus on basic white or black. Was it a conscious decision to use stronger colours for the Under range?
KH: I just love marls, particularly blue and red, and they work so well with the chambray – to be honest I didn’t give it much thought at all, seemed like a no-brainer.

SL: It seems like there’s lots of attention to detail with great materials and detailing going on with the brand, could you tell us a little about how you go about sourcing fabrics and the finishing touches to the garments?
KH: We produce everything in Portugal and have a really great supplier there who makes stuff for Levi’s Vintage, PRPS etc. So when I go to them with references to vintage fabrics or detail ideas they’re very good at replicating what’s in my mind/sketches. Having a factory like this is really important because the essence of UNDER is treating underwear design like you would apparel and giving it the same care and attention it deserves.

SL: What do you plan to do next with Under?
KH: I like to think that we nailed what the brand’s all about with the launch collection so most of this will be around for a while and become our core basics – that’s not to say that we won’t be introducing lots of interesting new stuff on a regular basis and improving/tweaking what we’ve done already!

Filed in Designer profiles, Underwear | Tagged Backyard Bill, Kieron Hurley, mens luxury underwear, The Selby, Under | Comments (0)

Brand profile #2: Under, luxury underwear for men

Friday, October 28, 2011

Men’s underwear tends to be overlooked in the fashion press with only Fantastic Man um, standing out, when it comes to opinion on what men wear under their trousers. One suspects a certain coyness, certainly on the part of straight males (both journalists and readers), about lingering over details and especially photography of men wearing only a primary layer of clothing. But this menswear writer has no such qualms, and I’m pleased to report a growing interest in fine undergarments for men, and for taking as much care over your pants as those items more often visible to the wider population.

It’s a few years now since I spotted Schiesser underwear on sale in the old Cloak boutique in SoHo New York, later followed by boxes of the retro-looking fine German underwear brand turning up at Murdock branches in London. The recent popularity of Sunspel, primarily as the source of high-quality under layers (their T-shirts with mesh sleeves for ultimate breathability are now a staple for me) is further evidence of an increased concern for being as well dressed in your bedroom as you expect to be in the office. And now there’s a new kid on the block: Under; a luxury mens underwear range with a twin base in London and Amsterdam.

I first spotted Under during a whirlwind visit to a showroom in New York for September’s Fashion Week, and was struck by the fine fabrics used and a really distinct colour range featuring a faded ‘red’ marl, closer to a pink, and a soft powdery blue. That faded red marl is slightly reminiscent of Dad and Grandad Walton’s faded underwear (in a good way), and there is more than a touch of Goldrush era miner chic going on in the detail: long cotton plackets, covered buttons, and soft, washed fabrics with unturned hems. There’s also a sporty note, with baseball 3/4 length sleeves and again those button plackets. Fabrics include premium quality cotton waffle and marl jerseys mixed with chambray and light twill.

With Under you now have an alternative to the inevitable Uniqlo random pants or the Calvins you buy on trips to New York, and the potential to make yourself (as well as anyone else who might be watching) smile as you strip down to basics. I will be reporting back on Under once my first pieces arrive, and there’s an option of a reader discount so do check back here or follow my Twitter feed for news on that. For now, Under‘s recently launched site allows you to buy online, alternatively I hear the brand will be available soon at Folk in the UK.

Filed in Designer profiles, Underwear | Tagged boxers, briefs, Fantastic Man, long johns, mens luxury underwear, onesies, pants, Schiesser, Shorts, Sunspel, thermals, trunks, Under, underpants, waffle cotton | Comments (0)

J.Panther bags: a rugged military luggage range from New York

Friday, October 28, 2011

During the whirlwind that was New York Fashion Week, I took time out to meet Johnny Diamandis, lead designer and owner/founder of J.Panther bags, a range of luggage I’d seen photos of and was keen to get my hands on. I wasn’t disappointed. Regular readers will know that for me, one of the things New York is synonymous with is great luggage. And I’m pleased to say that in the flesh, J.Panther bags do not disappoint. My first reaction was ‘it looks like great military gear’, which Johnny was glad to hear, explaining that weathered, and well worn militaria is one of his key influences for the collection.

The range consists of 4 products: The Aviator a small uber-practical case with many internal compartments, that looks like it should hold something essential and military but would equally find a place for all your stuff; the Life Tote, which could more accurately be described as a tote to die for; the multifunctional Ruc Tote, combining the best of rucksack and tote bag and a Weekender bag with ample space for that jaunt to Palm Springs (or to Clacton if you must).

A selection of J.Panther bags, including a new prototype briefcase seen left.

The Aviator: a place for everything

Affable Brit Johnny, whose mild manner belies a design heritage that involves working under Christopher Bailey at Burberry and as global design director for Evisu in Japan/Hong Kong, is now enviably settled in New York, and I think his brand has the potential to become a New York classic.

Like the best stuff designed for men if not men themselves, the range is designed to get handsomer with age. I was particularly enamored of the olive Life and Ruc Totes, and Johnny was thoughtful enough to have a couple of battered beauties to hand, to show just how good a little rough and tumble is for these rugged bags. I had reservations about non-adjustable straps of the Ruc Tote but keen cyclist Johnny said the ultimate test for these bags was being able to sling them on your back and pedal off into the sunset, and that he’d only ever come across one (diminutive) person for whom the straps weren’t a perfect fit.

A beautifully aged Ruc Tote bag.

Johnny demonstrates the same, beautifully weathered bag.

More bag porn.

The weekend starts here.

The whole range offers fantastic attention to detail. Johnny oversees manufacture himself, using the best of American construction and even the multi-page circular paper labels explaining their function add to the sense of a product with purpose.

These bags are a really great choice if you’re looking for a rugged backpack or tote that will take on character and patina over time. I urge you to investigate further; even if intrepid adventure isn’t your forte your bag can at least look the part.

Filed in Accessories, Lable Profile, Luggage, menswear | Tagged aviator bag, Burberry, Christopher Bailey, Evisu, J.Panther Luggage, Johnny Diamandis, luxury luggage for men, militaria, rucksack, tote bag, weekend bag | Comments (0)

A Child of the Jago: pantomime swagger in the Old East End

Monday, October 3, 2011

Menswear day happened over a week ago, which makes it a perfect time to re-assess. Sometimes, amidst the half-remembered details of a collection seen or after catching up on what you missed in person, new favourites emerge. But I have to say, watching the footage of the A Child of the Jago show at Wilton’s Music Hall back again, only adds to the sentiment that this was one of the finest shows that day.

Firstly: what a venue! This and Patrick Grant‘s salon show at The Savoy, really showed what it’s possible to do offsite in terms of staging and atmosphere. And there was the distraction of the peacock crowd who showed up in support: Vivienne Westwood principally; as well as other members of the Westwood clan; but also club creatures of the Blitz vintage like Princess Julia and Mark Moore; and ‘new’ club kid Daniel Lismore, i-Pad-ing the show from the front row in a chain-mail headdress like a futuristic Arthurian warrior. But I digress, the clothes were great: genteel tailoring disordered through the use of straps, and my favourite styling touch: bandanas as bum flaps and trailing Artful Dodger-esque handkerchiefs. I’m really interested to see some of the blazers and shorts from this collection up close and the T-shirt designs looked as invigorating as Westwood’s own Seditionaries and SEX prints. Speaking of SEX, the models from this show had clearly been coached to give it their all: total peacock bravado from both the girls and the boys (I spotted many models from other shows seen that day taking it all in as members of the seated audience) and a rockabilly soundtrack that could have come direct from the jukebox at the original SEX boutique. Enough words, here are a few atmospheric highlights captured on my iPhone, to give a sense of the theatrics and those strutting boys:

A Child of the Jago is at 10 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3NT and a visit is highly recommended.

Filed in menswear, menswear day | Tagged A Child of the Jago, Barnzley, Daniel Lismore, London Fashion Week, Menswear Day September 2011, Vivienne Westwood | Comments (0)

LFW Menswear Day SS12 reviews #1, E.Tautz

Friday, September 23, 2011

“I don’t need to KNOW what the suits are made of”, commented one female (presumed) journalist on the stairs above The Lincoln Room, deep within The Savoy Hotel, “Well I do, replied her colleague, “I have to write about this stuff!”. Given you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that as men we really do care about what we wear, and whilst certain quarters of the fashion press still think of men’s fashion needs in the third person, with men to be passively shopped ‘for’ and ‘kept on trend’, luckily the greater part of the audience for the E.Tautz presentation on Wednesday looked to be much more like minded, or at least shared an expectation that we were about to see beautiful menswear and to be educated about it by Patrick Grant.

You’ve probably already read soundbites from Patrick’s introduction to the collection online, so I’m going to focus on the clothes here, as much as possible, though as ever, the setting, tone and Patrick’s presentation skills (a front row Holly Johnson was certainly looking rapt!) are difficult not to be distracted by. One of the things I love about Patrick’s presentations is how he always starts out by stressing that E.Tautz is about simplicity. A lot is said about simplicity in menswear. But what I understand Patrick to mean in terms of E.Tautz is the comparative lack of fuss and embellishment: menswear cut simply, but made from the highest quality materials.

As per my highlights pick yesterday, it was the athletics-wear meets tailoring theme that struck me most in this collection and if I had to choose a single piece, it would be the flannel athletics-pants which for me summed up the idea of the impromptu 20s elegance of Felix Caravajal, the Cuban postman-cum-athlete and his Olympic contemporaries who inspired SS12. Sportswear comes and goes as an influence in menswear but is riding high for SS12. The written press notes accompanying the collection talk about Patrick’s having being inspired by photographs of athletes in the 20s when sportsmen, through necessity, wore a combination of items designed for playing sport in with whatever tailored items and knitwear they had to hand. I like this suggestion of a time before shrink-wrapped 100% nylon sportswear became just another vehicle for advertising. And of course, what we saw at E.Tautz was a gloriously haute version of athletics-wear.

Some highlights from the collection

A couple of views of those athletics-pants, worn initially with a cashmere hand-intarsia sweatshirt and nylon parka and then with a matching tailored jacket.

I loved this T-shirt and athletics-pant combination, unexpectedly casual from E.Tautz. As ever, the quality and detail make them exceptional, with the cobalt of the pocket and the use of linen in a powder blue for the pant really drawing the eye.Knitwear is always a highlight of E.Tautz collections, and SS12 didn’t disappoint, this inky navy oversized linen crew neck jumper is a genius mix of bulk with a cooling natural material.

As I recently reported from New York, shorts and and an unstructured blazer is a pairing I think will be really evident in SS12, a smart but wearable version of the shorts suit. Shorts are becoming increasingly acceptable as daytime formal wear, here with double pleats and a perfect, unstructured linen and silk DB jacket.

In a break from tradition, the presentation also included a taster of the Pre-Fall 2012 collection. This felt a particular treat, it’s always a challenge to feel excited about shorts and summerwear in mid-September, just as the chill in the air is starting to bite.

This time the sweater is lambswool and Naval in style. I love the combination with the button-down in a less inky navy blue.

Again, what I particularly liked about this coat was the colour, more startlingly blue than the average dark navy serge peacoat.

I wasn’t going to gush about the setting, but The Savoy was a spectacular location for this presentation and I confess to feeling a bit like a chimney sweep let loose amidst unimaginable luxury, with the urge to reach out and touch every surface.

In much the same way, as I’ve said previously, its the tactile experience of touching the clothes that makes you understand what makes an E.Tautz collection so special, and I encourage you to seek them out and have a good feel.

Filed in E.Tautz, Knitwear, London Fashion Week, menswear, menswear day, Menswear icons, pants, Patrick Grant, sweatshirts, T Shirts, trousers, wool | Tagged E. Tautz, Menswear Day, Patrick Grant, SS12, The Savoy, Tween Menswear day | Comments (0)

Menswear Day SS12, Sept 21 2011: The Highlights

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Menswear Day at London Fashion Week is always a visual feast, as much for the unparalleled opportunity to see dressed up men of all kinds parading Somerset House and it’s environs, as for anything presented more formally by the designers. Some features will follow on collections I’m particularly excited by for SS12, but here are just a few highlights from yesterday.

A Child of The Jago drew a crowd of punk royalty to the beautifully decayed Wilton’s Music Hall yesterday afternoon. Way off-Somerset in the deepest East End, strutting young anarchists brought the age of brigandage back to London fashion. Brilliantly accessorised with big hats and trailing handkerchiefs, the tailoring-based collection showed up the frayed edges of English gentility as striped suiting and boating blazers were subverted by straps and screenprinting. Hands-down winner for atmosphere.

In almost complete contrast, but subversive in its own way, beautiful informality was the order of the day for another of Patrick Grant‘s impossibly elegant E.Tautz salon shows, this time held at The Savoy. What struck me most from the SS12 collection was the mix of athletic-wear and tailoring, particularly in the flannel athletic pant, masterfully gathered at the ankle. In the hands of anyone less than Grant, this mix of tailoring and sportswear is a dangerous one, with neither side coming off well. Here it was executed perfectly.

It’s fair to say I didn’t like everything about J.W.Anderson‘s day-opener but I was instantly taken by the cocktail trousers, first seen in thick satin (tangerine and khaki were strongest) with a second example in non-satin tangerine appearing later on. I also loved the silhouette of the cardigans worn as skirts, something I can see being copied in London Fields next Spring as lower-body layering, albeit over shorts. If you’re baulking at the idea of tangerine trousers, I’m convinced that the current popularity of the yellow-orange segments of the colour wheel will continue for some time yet. And those orange pants looked super smart combined with white and navy.

More colour! Shaun Samson‘s Mexican blanket pieces out-surfed the dark psychedelia of Adam Kimmel‘s recent (Paris-shown) SS12 collection yesterday, in terms of sheer audacity and inventiveness. I love his reverence for the ‘raw’ material here, most wearable in this loose, short-sleeved shirt option, but desirable throughout. I spotted a girl wearing one of the long t-shirts as a dress out in Somerset House courtyard yesterday, and the colours look amazing close up. Samson‘s is definitely a name to watch, the buzz about this collection was literally audible yesterday.

Much more on Menswear Day to come, including those promised features from both on-and-off Somerset presentations as well as a few stragglers from #NYFW.

Filed in E.Tautz, J.W. Anderson, London Fashion Week, menswear, menswear day, trousers | Tagged Shaun Samson, SS12 | Comments (0)

Limited edition Sharpened Lead T-shirts available: Be it like mad

Sunday, September 18, 2011

I’ve had some Sharpened Lead T-shirts made up as a little celebration of Fashion weeks in NYC and London. T-shirts have already found their way to good homes in New York (some favourite designers, blogging friends and fashion editors) and now it’s London’s turn in prep for Wednesday’s Menswear day.

The T-shirt is screenprinted on a high-quality unbleached cotton by the lovely White Duck Screenprint people in Bath, with layout, and logo by the incredible onepointoh design studio. The image is one I’ve licensed especially for this limited run of T-shirts, featuring a line drawing of Quentin Crisp, a personal idol of mine. The motto reads: “You first have to find out who you are, then be it like mad”, a Crisp-ism that I’ve taken very much to heart in recent years and that very much sums up my attitude to fashion.

Some images of the magical screenprinting process:

Ta-da! The finished product:

There are still some T-shirts available, so if you’re interested do drop me a line colin@sharpenedlead.com. They cost £35.00 +P&P. Only size SMALL available.

Filed in Fashion blogging, menswear day, Menswear icons, New York, T Shirts | Tagged Quentin Crisp, Sharpened Lead, T Shirts | Comments (0)