ONESIXTYNOTEPAD: MENSWEAR

Showing posts with label MENSWEAR. Show all posts

PRADA’S FIRST SHOW IN BEIJING, CHINA.

Prada seems to always have its fingers on the pulse of the next ‘big’ thing. It is casting no doubts on China’s imminent cultural influence it seems, by choosing to show for the first time outside of Italy. A-list Chinese celebrities – the likes of Gong Li, Maggie Cheung, Cecilia Cheung and Oscar-winning director, Tim Yip – were all decked head to toe in the latest threads from the house.

Prada presented its Spring/Summer 2011 collection for both its men’s and women’s line which was staged at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, Beijing. The show comprised 50 looks in total, 23 of which are new and exclusive to the collection. (View new designs from the collection here) These never-before-shown looks are only made available in the China and Hong Kong stores in the day following the event. It is evident that this was not merely a restaging of the show in Milan but an earnest gesture to leave an impression in China.

The venerable Italian Fashion house has always proven to be two steps ahead of everyone else so it comes as no surprise that the label has already established itself as the preferred luxury brand for consumers in what is becoming the world’s largest market for luxury goods.

We are deeply honored to be the first to break this Prada exclusive to our local readers.

Nabil.

MILAN MENS F/W 11.12 HIGHLIGHTS.

When ‘evaluating’ show highlights, I’ll pick the overall best from each city. The looks need not be jaw-dropping but show quality and staging of the show is crucial. A noteworthy show will sell even more than those of great designs—ask the local brand-whore, they should know. (Brand-whore: someone who ‘buy brands’ under the belief that it brings prestige to their otherwise lack of taste, regardless of quality or value. Thank you, urban dictionary.)

First up; Burberry Prorsum by Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey. Upon seeing the new Burberry collection, I would like to think that Bailey was thinking of me when editing the looks. It is everything that I would wear; oversized sculptural outerwear, bonded wool and slim leg trousers— what more can I ask for?

True, some pieces were tacky and looked like the interior of a Texas trucker’s truck but I’m not complaining. I have to say, if not for the teal, tangerine and the rain at the end, the show might just be boring. When you mix model and wet, it is always a good thing.

Muiccia build a two-storied ‘house’ for guest at the fall-winter show with flooring coated with a prep of linseed oil and powdered cork. It should be an amazing experience if you’re at the show but for us who have to rely on the Internet, it’s a little underwhelming.

Following last season’s wonderful compilation, no wonder most of us were disappointed. I see Prada as the tastemakers for the lesser-known brands and as the ‘dictator’ of next season’s trends. Glitter tops are no longer groundbreaking in the menswear scene but the play of proportion is current. Sad to say, the current menswear collection fell short. And it looks like the women’s collection is forecast to be as dull as dishwater.

Lastly, Monclear Gamme Bleu (still have no idea what that means) by Thom Browne. Every season is like a guessing game—what will Thom Browne do next? The latest show doesn’t sit well with me. I like how it was presented but poor beagles was suffering and models were pissed. It really doesn’t matter how the clothes were because no one was looking at it anyways. There are better ways to stage a spectacular show; to me five horses and 20 beagles is not one of them.

Dinie.

GUCCI, SPRING 2011 MENS.

Usually the staple garment from Gucci would be the cropped leather jacket that we all know and adore but for SS’11 the double-breasted mercerized suit is the clear winner. We have to credit Frida Giannini for doing away with the stuffy-ness of this variety of suits and for styling it in a manner that is easy and casual. Maybe now we can consider ways to incorporate it into our wardrobes without it feeling out of place or overly dapper for our daily whereabouts. This certainly makes the double-breasted suit a bubbling trend for this summer.

That said, the collection as a whole is very characteristic of Gucci’s jet-setting vibe but I’m afraid that might just be its shortfall, the fact that there is nothing new to jolt us off our seats. The summer shorts, silk shirts and safari scarves – we have seen these before. Unlike the SS11 collection for women’s wear, which is clearly provoking, this one is subdued. But perhaps it then makes sense that the men’s collection complements the women’s line as contrasts.

Perhaps the collection may not be Frida Giannini’s freshest or most modern to date but this offering is still legitimately Gucci indeed. Her fabric choices are luxe as always and the jet setter vibe is still very much at the core of her aesthetics. It is Gucci as we know it.

Images by Gucci.

Nabil.

EYE FOR A GUY.

Eyewear is vital accessory to protect your eyes from the fervent UV rays. Trust me, bean sprout won’t grow on your iris, so obviously there is no need to expose your eyes to the sun for photosynthesis.

Before buying one, source for pictures of you looking straight at the camera. Using a tracing paper or finer piece of paper, outline the shape of your face. There are four common shapes; coin, oval, heart-shaped and the square. Determine your face shape by choosing a silhouette that is most dominant.

Round faces, or the coin, should avoid round lenses. An angular-shaped lens helps slim a round face. For the Spongebobs, the most flattering would be an oval or round lens. The tricks to finding eye wear for heart-shaped faces are tricky. The key is to even out a wide forehead and narrow chin with colorful shades to draw the attention to the eye. As for the ovals, they have more options to style. Square frame for oval will look best but all are flattering.

Images Via GQ.

Dinie.

BUILDING A WARDROBE, WHITE SHIRT.

A friend of mine who is coming out of his ascetic shell and is about to embrace some consumerism has decided that he needs to first build his wardrobe. He asks me what should he invest in. And I thought, wow, the grandeur of that question. Don’t wardrobes just appear into existence? I was flipping out over this fashion conundrum but I thought GIRD YOUR LOINS, not so dramatic now.

The issue of building a wardrobe is very real. The most basic approach to this is to highlight the sartorial needs and tailor the wardrobe to meet those needs. Sounds easy enough. But everyone has different needs, perhaps with the exception of the intrinsic requirement of having to be clothed at all (even some may find this contentious though!)

So I conducted a mini-experiment. I went to my wardrobe and tried to narrow down to one single most crucial piece of garment that I cannot do without. The kitschy trinkets, lapel pins and the wristbands were the first to go. Trendy pieces including acid wash denim and rabbit cashmere cardigans didn’t last the race either. After eliminating one item after another, I was left with two things: A white shirt and underwear.

Nevermind the underwear. But the white shirt, I feel, is essential. So many looks rest on the classic white shirt. And designers are always finding ways to reinvent it – be in for men or women. Notably, Vogue-endorsed Thai designer Thakoon did a collaboration with GAP on his signature white shirt. Upon this wonderful discovery, I shared with my friend a few options to choose from when deciding on that staple white shirt.

Top choices for white shirts include those from Emporio Armani, Kris Van Assche and Filippa K. The fabrics are also usually a mix of synthetic fabric weaved into the cotton to give it that special touch. Subtle details are also introduced such as evening out the edges of the collar (as seen in Givenchy) to add a novelty without undermining the integrity of ‘the white shirt’.

Ultimately for me, two things come to mind time and time again when choosing staples: fabric and fit. The right fabric will determine how the shirt rests on your form and the right amount of sheen will give the shirt the luxe factor that makes it distinguished from the common pile.

And quite honestly, with that right white shirt, your wardrobe will feel complete without having to stock up with too many pieces.

Images via carolinesmode.

Nabil.

ACCESSORIES, MENS S/S 2010 HIGHLIGHTS.

Louis Vuitton Mens S/S11 Paris.

For most, the go-to brand when purchasing a designer bag or accessories would be Louis Vuitton. With Marc Jacobs reinventing the classics, the conventional monogram never gets old. This spring, in line with the ‘active-wear’ trend, the house of Vuitton sent droves of ‘sporty’ bags down the runway. For the brand-whores, it might be a little disappointing— monograms were lightly imprinted; the Damier pieces were current and the leather goods are elegant. Simply put, there’s something for everyone, the sartorial man or the eccentric.

Burberry Mens S/S11 Milan

Oh Burberry, every young lad’s fashion fantasy. I must say, it’s a little too late for the rockability chic but damn, those pieces are stunning! I had the privilege of previewing some of the pieces beforehand and it wasn’t as impressive as on the runway. I like the fact that most of the bags are not your average in-your-face accessories and very understated. When previewing the lookbook, I was immediately drawn to those sandals— but again, I think Burberry don’t cater for the masses, only the hip and young.

Lanvin Mens S/S11 Paris.

Expect ridiculous prices for Lucas Ossendrijver’s innovative designs. The accessories are tribal-inspired and sporty; again, a key trend in menswear fashion since last fall. The shoes, bags and accessories are second to none—It’s really nothing revolutionary, the brand is known for it’s radical approach but this season was simply amazing. So much so that it put some womenswear collection to shame.

I’ve always wanted a Lanvin’s footwear but it will cost me about six months worth of my lunch money. Let’s hope that when I can afford these, Alber’s apprentice would still be design for Lanvin Homme.

Dinie.

SARTORIAL ACCESSORIES, KNOW YOUR SOCKS.

One thing I’ve learnt, calluses and blisters can be avoided. You see, our feet and shoes are like our moms and dads. Some sorts of partition are needed to avoid friction. Which brings us to the continuation of our sock post.

There aren’t many laws imposed that you should live by when wearing socks. One simple rule; certain colour of socks should be worn with specific outfit. Use your intuition, instinctively knowing the difference between tasteful choice and a fashion no-no.

When in doubt, abide with the ‘official’ rule. The rule is that socks should be dictated by color of your pants, preferably not in the exact same shade unless you are wearing black or brown pants. The aim is to create fluidity in you outfit instead of breaking the continuous flow. Important; white socks are for sports!

Second, pairing shorts with socks is suicide. It’s visible cuts your length and creates a stockier illusion to your body. Invest in a less visible ankle socks (I recommend ladies foot sock) when wearing short. It applies to the high waters pant break ‘without socks’ style.

We went on about colors and cuts of sock etiquettes; one last thing to take into consideration is the material. Ribbed fabrics (the ones with rows/vertical lines when stretched) are the contrast of cheap. Instead, find a dress socks (finer, thinner material) to set the focus on your classy shoe instead of the socks.

Dinie.

PARIS MENS S/S 2011 HIGHLIGHTS.

Call me crazy but I’m showing a little more interest in Thom Browne’s works. In a season where sporty, shorts and suits were highlighted on most shows, Thom Browne made them to perfection. If Monclear had bicycle prints, the suits here are embroidered with cute little fishy and sharks. Still a little gimmicky for me (the models had to unzipped themselves from space suits) it was definitely less theatrical than Monclear.

Sweet-Sugar Papa Pilati, thank you for fulfilling my design fantasy. Like you, I would wear every look from this collection. With every season past, the collection gets even more refined and abstract. Many disapprove of this collection because of the high-waist and the pairing of polka dots shorts and that it was too ‘soft’ for the average Yves Saint Laurent man (Whatever that means). I would have to agree but I don’t find any of the pieces ill fitting or too feminine. I guess it all comes down to the casting of models; it was a little ‘demure’ then usual. Then again, it’s his vision and for me, it was all I ever dreamed of designing! (Talk about missing design school,ugh.)

Like any other Lanvin collection, it’s the close-up that matters. It brings so much more worth to the garment itself, the work that was put into every single pieces were stunning. This was more captivating of the recent menswear collection; it had lots of details, textures and fabrics. I especially like the footwear and the continuation of jewelry designs from the womenswear line. The apprentice learns fast, Lucas echoes Alber’s aesthetic more and more!

Dinie.