Mr Essentialist is not one for trends, but for Fall it is difficult to ignore a fantastic color-blocking movement, spearheaded by 3.1 Phillip Lim. Great offerings naturally include a Marni shirt, Prada brogues and Dsquared kicks.
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Showing posts with label fashion week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion week. Show all posts
Mr Essentialist's Building Blocks: Colour-Blocking
Mr Essentialist is not one for trends, but for Fall it is difficult to ignore a fantastic color-blocking movement, spearheaded by 3.1 Phillip Lim. Great offerings naturally include a Marni shirt, Prada brogues and Dsquared kicks.
The Details: Louis Vuitton's Leather Coat
Last season I was all about this mountaineering-inspired backpack - perhaps because I liked its sense of purpose (there's a lot to be said for practical fashion). So it's no coincidence that everything remained so right about Vuitton's Spring 2014 presentation.
For starters everyone was going somewhere. Each look meant business. Each outfit resonated - for all the right reasons. Inspired by the iconic retro-American road trip, it became natural to follow a progression along Route 66. I could go on and on (and on...) about the impeccable tailoring, metallic lace-ups, tan bags etc etc - but I won't. It's simple. I just love the back panel of this leather coat - and not just because it reminds me of a Mid-West line dance. What really got me was its history. The iconic 'V' first featured on Gaston Louis Vuitton's personal attaché from 1901. That's right, this leather coat is the ultimate heritage-inspired flashback, and that's worth mentioning.
To discover more Louis Vuitton click here. Watch the entire show below.
Mr Essentialist & Paris SS/13
Mr Essentialist likes many of the looks shown so far at Paris SS/13. Top picks include the above offerings from Balmain, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Dries van Noten. How can you not love a nod to the 90ies?
Mr Essentialist & Milan SS/13
London Collections: Tom Ford Spring 2014
So London Fashion Week came and went. But truthfully it wasn't until Tom Ford's show that things really got interesting.
It seems menswear's impending horizon will dawn on a lush botanical garden - and I'm into it. Obviously Mr. Ford focused on Mediterranean warmth (think Flamingos in Capri) combined with a healthy injection of floral-mania. Sounds like a holiday? It is. Needless to say the whole mood pairs perfectly with Ford's Portofino Neroli - just FYI. But this collection reflected more than just great colour choices and immediate escapism. As expected, structure and form were essential. Fit, as always, was unparalleled. Here's the 411. Everything is going to be about that sharp two-button sports jacket (which Ford first designed for Daniel Craig's Bond premiere). Paired with single-pleated linen trousers, each look was firmly rooted by exceptional sets of hand-embroidered tasseled velvet slippers. Basically, I need no convincing and neither should you (we all know how much I adore a good slipper). Essentially Tom Ford's menswear collection exemplifies a future that is bold and bright. As for me, I can't wait to see it bloom.
Discover the world of Tom Ford by clicking here. Browse & shop my favorite Tom Ford scents below:
Mr Essentialist & London I
Mr Essentialist ♥'s Louis Vuitton FW/13
From perfectly understated gray leopard-print overcoats to full-throttle leopard lapels - let's just say the beast has been let loose...on the Matterhorn.
I love this collection, not only because it is Louis Vuitton (although admittedly that usually is reason enough), but also because the Matterhorn is so inspiring. And me and that mountain - well, we go way back.
Stalking the LV Instagram page immediately following the show had me captivated by this mountaineering backpack. I've long had an affinity for a stellar backpack (I mean, who doesn't?) but this has to be the pinnacle of any I've ever seen.
*View more images from the LV Instagram page here. Watch the full show above.
Praising Prada
(here, here, oh and here) - so it should come as little surprise that I am mildly obsessed with David Sims' black and white (and oh-so-nice) look book for SS13.
The campaign expands on Prada's use of actors by featuring Hollywood veterans Benicio Del Toro and Harvey Keitel, and newcomers Dane DeHaan and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Each and every look appears crisp and covetable - sharp and clean structure at its absolute best.
What's more to want?
Napoleonic Milan
Clearly there is something to be said about eternal style.
It seems that soon you just might be absolutely justified in wearing your great-great-great-grandfathers Napoleonic getup and perhaps even donning that antique sabre (and I don't mean exclusively on Halloween).This week Milan has taught us many things, but what I am most excited about is that the remnants of Waterloo are still evident and relevant today (sorry people, I like history). Canali and Gucci are both huge proponents of double-breasted slim-cuts in royal, midnight and pale blues. High-collars and brass hardware complete the look, which is both timeless and exceptionally elegant.
So buckle-up - evidently the military trend will not be heading to Saint Helena just yet...
*Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1800) & Napoleon in His Study (1812) - both by Jacques-Louis David, are available to view at the Belvedere in Vienna and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, respectfully.
Prime Cut - Fur and Menswear
While spring is T-minus 16 days away, you can never really be too prepared for next winter. It's a matter of basic instinct.
Squirreling away your nuts, so to speak. Not unlike the nuts-thing, wearing fur is a primeval instinct too, and judging by Sharon Stone's infamous leg-cross I'd say I'm on to something (too naughty?). At this stage I think it best to mention this post is not intended for vegetarians, vegans, the upstairs crowd at the Wholefoods on Bowery, or anyone with PETA-esque tendencies (we can still be friends though - maybe). Still reading? Great! I love you.For FW/13 men everywhere have something to look forward to, besides leather pants. Fur, fur, and more fur! Back-panelling at Marni, slivers of silver-fox at Fendi, perfect pops of snow leopard at Louis Vuitton, luxurious layered wraps at Maison Martin Margiela - I could easily go on. Simply put fur is unstoppable. Perhaps because there is nothing quite like it. Its look, its touch. Even my most ethical friends would agree the synthetic stuff is awful (not to mention a fire hazard and horrendously static). Essentially fur is the cat's meow, well - was the cat's meow. I mean how could you not all fall in love with Vuitton's leopard?
My first true encounter with fur was a black Ushanka my father brought back for me from St. Petersburg when I was eight. I still have it - it's ideal for skiing (just FYI). But besides my own fur-donning sartorial history, what I'm trying to say is I'm excited. Not necessarily for next winter or another NEMO (dear god), but for fur and it's up-and-coming place in menswear.
*Above (from left), back-panelling at Marni, silver fox at Fendi, snow leopard at Louis Vuitton. Top (from left) wrap at Maison Martin Margiela, Louis Vuitton's snow leopard coat.
At the Shows - Hood by Air
Yesterday was great for many reasons: 1) it was Sunday 2) Nemo was melting 3) A$AP Rocky closed the HBA show.
Yeah - for real. In his debut showing at New York Fashion Week, Hood By Air designer Shayne Oliver thrilled the crowd (including Theophilus London and Terence Koh) at Milk Studios. A mix of cut-out shorts, rigid fitted tops and multi-zipped jackets culminated to create a pure and intense streetwear vibe - complemented by four bouts of conceptual performance art. As for A$AP? Well, let's just say his cameo rapidly sent the crowd into a state of mass Instagram hysteria. I captured highlights from the show (and Rocky's brief appearance) using Vine, the new six-second looped video app by Twitter.
Sunday funday it was!
*Hood By Air is currently available to purchase via Vfiles. Click here for more details.
At the Shows - ØDD
There definitely was nothing ordinary about ØDD's F/W'13 presentation at the Industria Superstudios last night.
For starters the installation featured thirty models positioned on brick place-holders wedged in sand, holding LED lights. Perhaps the whole thing was a touch urban-nomad-meets-Laurence-of-Arabia. But really it was all about texture (we're talking goat fur (!) and gauze), skilled bias-cuts, pleats, drop-crotches and draped everything. Designers Judson Harmon and Jordan Klein even developed a specific stain treatment inspired by the gentle discoloration of vintage book pages. A bustling videographer station centered directly in front of the installation gave the room an experimental element, transforming guests into voyeurs - so that was something. And let's not forget the cellist and his amplifier (I was all about it) - creating a stark, perfectly moody underground vibe.
For more on coverage from NWFW click here. To view my vine covering the ØDD presentation click here.
*ØDD has a storefront at 164 Ludlow St. For more information click here.
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