Bal(main) Man

Can we simply discuss how bad-ass this model looks for Fall 2010 Balmain?  You had best believe I will add this look to my fall wardrobe, complete with lace-up combat boots.

www.Balmain.com

SPURR of the moment!

SIMON SPURR F10 from SIMON SPURR on Vimeo.

A new menswear obsession!  I was breaking for lunch the other day and I happened to stroll through one of my favorite menswear departments to look at the new Rag & Bone and Neil Barrett pieces when, 'What's this?!  Motorcycle pants made from jersey-knit with ankle zips?!'  And now I am hooked to Simon Spurr.  This menswear designer has some darn good credentials, working for YSL, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, and Ralph Lauren Black Label.  His current namesake collection brings to mind a mash-up of London rocker with Saville Row tailoring.  I will definitely have Spurr on my radar!

Check out more of his collections at www.spurr.tv

Guys, forget the Speed Stick, this is how you stay dry.

I was reading this month's comedy issue of GQ and there was this fantastic little photo spread featuring actor, Jay Baruchel.  And of course it featured my favorite piece of menswear (and womenswear for that matter), tailored OUTERWEAR.  I wanted to share the photos with you all.  Guys, ditch the Crombie this fall for something a bit more sophisticated.  (All photos from GQ Magazine.)

Guys, throw on your Louboutin's.

Yes, gentlemen, you, too, can now buy the shoes from the famed red-soled designer that your girlfriend loves.  And if you have been clueless to how much your chica has been spending on her shoes, the men's spring/summer 2010 collection from Christian Louboutin certainly will let you know.  These studded sneakers run for $1200 a pair and have been a favorite of Pharrell and Swiss Beatz.  There are some other offerings from the collection, including a men's gladiator sandal and shiny gold oxfords that I actually enjoy.  I am still on the fence about this small collection from Louboutin, but I have a feeling that they will sell, and future seasons will offer more fantastic kicks that I will eat nothing but ramen for.

Junya's Got Swagger

I first fell in love with Junya Watanabe when I saw his collaboration with Comme de Garcons at Fred Segal, when i first moved to LA in October.  I pined over the beautiful military and hunting jackets- imagine nylon camoflauge tailored impeccably as a blazer  For his Fall 2010 collection for his own line, I did a double-take again.  Not that it was necessarily out of this world, but this student of Comme de Garcons's, Rei Kawakubu, struck on note on his tailoring of some subtle yet seriously fabulous suiting.  Junya also puts in his Japanese hipster influences in his collections, which gives some of the suiting a bit of a New Yorker living in Tokyo feel.  As someone that has to wear suiting almost everyday, this is definitely a collection I see my self stepping out in.

Bailey Serves Up A Hot Fall 2010

One look at Christopher Bailey's Burberry Prorsum collection, and I was screaming "Yes...yes...YES!"  As I have said before, outerwear makes me salivate, and Mr. Bailey is a top chef cooking up some delicious trench coats to fill that appetite.  There is something so inherently sexy in a well dressed man in an incredible trench coat, especially when it's belted and navy blue.  But it's not just trenches, Bailey sent crisp blazers, leather bombers, luxe parkas, and Russian military boots that are highly desirable.  Fall 2010 is certainly shaping up to be a striking season in menswear.

Find more delicious outerwear at www.burberry.com

Prada's Classic Edge

I have always admired Miuccia Prada and what this former pantomime has done with her grandfather's leather goods brand, especially her fabulous shoes for her women's pret-a-porter.  Her menswear line, though, in season's past, has been very utilitarian and minimal, and sometimes androgynous - not what I personally desire in a menswear.  For Fall 2010, however, Miuccia has gone back to the basics with a bit of the Prada edge.  The camouflage trench coat is one of my favorite pieces in this collection.  There is a slight 1970s feel (a decade of fashion I love), with clean, tailored items that can be mixed and matched and stay relevent in your closet for many seasons to come.

See the video of the runway show at www.prada.com

Swanky Salvatore!

It is finally the start of men's fashion week in Milan for Fall 2010 (I know, we are still in winter, and fashion is already showing the next fall's new looks) but that's what we love about runway, always looking into the future, so to speak.

And thank you, Ferragamo designer, Massimiliano Giornetti, for bringing the dandiest, most flamboyant, and most bad-ass men's collection I have seen at the fabled fashion house yet.  The people at Ferragamo have been putting a lot of energy making this iconic brand youthful again, and I can tell you that I am a huge fan of the work they have done.  

Get swanky at http://www.salvatoreferragamo.it/en/

Brown(e) is your new black

Alright boys, time for a bit of menswear.  If you love tailored menswear, (and you DO love tailored menswear because you have burned your sparkly tattoo t-shirts), then you must get to know Thom Browne.  Born in Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Notre Dame, Browne worked as a designer for Club Monaco, then founded his own line in 2001.  Browne also collaborates with Brooks Brothers' Black Fleece Collection, and has recently teamed up with French ski brand, Moncler, for their Gamme Bleu line.

Browne designs for the business man that seriously cares about how well his suits fit.  His suits are body conscious, as if each piece has been meticulous tailored for his wearer.  By the way, if you don't have a tailor in your phone contacts, find one and now!

Not to say that Browne is a bit quirky.  Seen above at his Spring 2010 show, Browne is wearing his signature shrunken suit with the shortened legs, which Ms. Zoe's assistant, Brad was wearing to fashion week in Paris last year.  The khaki blazer trench with the sweat outfit, I pine for, and not that I am a big fan of men in miniskirts, the cut of the model's shirt and beautiful jacket, is most definitely something to love.

So boys, visit your local Barney's or men's designer Nordstrom, so you can get a closer look at what you should be wearing, now that you are all grown up.

Add some Brown(e) to your wardrobe palette  www.thombrowne.com, http://www.brooksbrothers.com/blackfleece.process,    http://www.moncler.it/eng

Camp Caten

Dsquared.  My absolute favorite brand.  Period.  Clearly I have many favorites in the designer world, but nothing gets my heart racing like walking into a major retailer in San Francisco or Los Angeles and stumbling upon the men's collection of Dsquared beautifully displayed on the rack.  Jason witnessed this on our recent apartment hunting trip to LA.  I might have even squealed when I saw the brilliant textiles.

Dsquared ready-to-wear can be difficult to find in the States, as the price point is extremely exclusive, even more so than Dolce & Gabbana or Gucci, thus the brand is mostly seen on celebrities, supermodels, and the super rich. (Britney commissioned the Caten twins for the costumes in her "Circus" tour.)  Their ad campaigns and runway shows are cocky, overtly sexual, and have a bit of campiness thrown in for good fun.  These elements have created a cult following for the brand.

For the Spring 2010 shows, the boys and girls of Dsquaredland are going to camp, and it looks as if they are having a darn good time.  The Caten twins were playing with plastic for their women's line, as some of the dresses and bags were waterproof, perfect for looking elegant in the elements.  One look was a pair of plastic overalls that were converted to a dress.  For the men's line leggings were introduced with shorts.  I have a love/hate relationship with leggings on women, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the look with the men's collection.  What I love most about Dsquared shows is the amount of layers that are thrown together.  Worn all at once, it creates "a lot of look" as Tim Gunn may say, but each layer is very wearable, an aspect retailers are definitely looking for in our current state of affairs. The cheekiness of Dsquared was seen throughout the shows, with band-aid laiden models and swim trunks complete with ants.  It is all the fun of camp, and I'm stoked for this  luxe wilderness adventure.

 

Grab your canoe and head to www.dsquared2.com