The Look: Bow Tie Mania

This fall, jump on the bandwagon and invest in a bow tie or two (0r 10). This cousin to the tie has seen a major comeback as more men and even women are starting to realize how sartorially pleasing they look. They are classy and can easily dress up a casual outfit for a night on the town or a day in the office. There are so many different varieties and patterns that you can never get bored with them and they certainly bring an old-world charm that is refreshing in todays uber-modern fashion world. Here are some suggestions to jump start your bow tie quest:

Yuzhny Bow Tie- Tone-on-tone silk jacquard paisley in a gorgeous shade of burgundy.

Terra Encantada Bow Tie- Purple, light blue, and tan swirling on deep green cotton.

British Rep Strip Bow Tie- Woven silk masterpieces that are ideally suited for striped tie connoisseurs who will settle for nothing less than the best.

Oliver Bow Tie- Light gold, brass, ivory, and bittersweet red circles scattered on navy silk saglia.

Blenheim Bow Tie- Named after Sir Winston Churchill's brithplace and inspired by his navy favorite, on silk twill.

All featured bow ties and descriptions can be found on Beau Ties Ltd.

Raf Simons redefines the Dr. Martens shoe for Fall 2009

Dr. Martens has smartened up it's look by collaborating with Raf Simons to create some oh so amazing shoes. The shoes still have the classic Dr. Martens shape but now come in copper, gold, and silver metallic colors. I must admit that I am usually not a fan of Dr. Martens but this collection of shoes definitely has me eating my words. You can get these shoes at Oki-ni.

Cartoon Du Jour

I stumbled upon this cartoon today. I think it aptly describes the situation between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It is simply sad what is going on in this region. I don't want to go into my feelings on the Arab-Israeli conflict just yet. I want to hear from my readers. What are YOUR views and feelings? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

Gucci Pour Homme fragrance: My New Love Affair

It was love at first spritz, and I knew I had to take this one home. Of course I'm talking about my new fragrance purchase, Gucci Pour Homme. My lust for it became so unbearable that I couldn't help but sniff my hand all the way home (and I'm still doing so now). Pour Homme was realized by perfumer Michel Almairac in 2003 and he definitely outdid himself with this fragrance. It is robust and earthy. So robust that I could smell out the individual spices and scents used to make this mesmerizing concoction: the ginger, the  papyrus wood, the amber, white pepper, pink bay, and even leather. When you first spray it, you are immediately hit with the strong ginger scent but that dies out quickly leaving way for the earthy wood, amber and leather aroma to linger on. The aroma is akin to that of cedar and it is VERY sweet smelling for a wood scent. It actually reminds me of the Nag Champa sandalwood incense so readily availabe in India and which I use exclusively as my incense of choice. Maybe that is part of the reason for my love affair. 

As it is such a strong scent, one spritz can last the whole day without dying out, which makes this fragrance a great one as far as economics goes. The man best suited for this fragrance is equally as bold. The kind of a man that turns heads and draws attention when he walks into a room. The kind of man every man wants to be.

Throwback: Yiapanis for Arena Homme

The fashionisto recently posted a throwback photo from the fall winter 2007 editorial for Arena Homme. It features model Simon Nessman, visionary stylist Panos Yiapanis and photography by Paolo Roversi. Yiapanis is such an amazing stylist and this eclectic outfit is proof of that. He's done some marvelous work for Givenchy, Vogue, and V Man as well.

Here are some of the other pics from the editorial. I love the preppy jock/military look of the outfits:

Photos via models.com

The September Issue

The buzz this week among fashionistas in New York surrounds the release of the documentary feature film 'The September Issue' which is set to hit movie theaters in New York on August 28th and the rest of the U.S. on September 11th, just in time for the actual September issue of Vogue. The documentary takes viewers behind the closed doors of the fashion world where Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Anna Wintour is the reigning queen and her magazine is the bible. It also features something rarely seen: Anna Wintour without her emotion-masking sunglasses. This is a must see for all those aspiring fashionistas out there!

Christian Westphal Spring/Summer 2010 Preview

Danish designer Christian Westphal will be showing a collection in Tokyo for the first time this October for Japan's Fashion Week. This feat is preceded by the designer's already impressive resume, as he has worked under the likes of  John Galliano of Christian Dior, and Delphine Murat in the past. With his collection, Westphal seeks to tap into the imagination of a child with quirky pieces unbounded by shapes and practicality. If his preview is any indicator, viewers should expect an "imagination running wild" vibe with oversized and undersized jackets, asymmetrical  vests,  pants with built in cummerbunds, and mismatching galore. I'll definitely be looking forward to October. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the harem style pants with the "flying pockets" in the first picture! 

Barneys Warehouse Sale

Don't forget to check out the Barneys Warehouse Sale at 255 West 17th Street now through September 7th for 50-75% off designer duds. Also, if you open a Barneys credit card account, you can take an extra 10% off your purchases. So, you could potentially walk away with 85% off quality merchandise. I know I'll be there!

Rad By Rad Hourani: Holy Androgyny

Newcomer Rad Hourani is no newcomer when it comes to designing signature pieces that clearly relate his design aesthetic. The four seasoned native of Jordan revels in the realm of androgyny and his new line 'Rad by Rad Hourani' is a stark testament to that. It features 15 unisex looks that offer designs that are similar to his high end collections but at lower prices and with more wearable material such as cotton and jersey in lieu of the black leather and cashmere he usually works his magic with.  All his pieces are between $100 and $400 and include his signature slim fitting slashed pants (made of denim instead of strips of leather), relaxed graphic tees draped with asymmetric fabric, and heels for men. The designer takes great care to make sure his collections are seasonless and does not care for trends. This makes Hourani's collections a totally non-conforming, unbiased product of his creativity. 

Hourani says " I started imagining clothes the same way I started creating images: with a sense of curiosity and innocence driven by my no-background background. No school. No teachers. No telly. No boundaries. No formatting, I like the idea of a world that we could live and shape by ourselves, only by observing. Each our own. My clothes have erupted from this world of mine. They are asexual, aseasonal, they come from no place, no time, no tradition, yet they could be home anywhere, anytime. They exude a sense of discreet chic, the essence of timeless style, drawn on a monochromatic and graphical canvas. Palette of blacks, touches of pure whites and intense reds. Sophisticated modern classics for anti-conformist individuals."

Once again, the drapery in this collection catches my eye. It is done so beautifully. At times drapery can be overdone, but Hourani (like many designers of Middle Eastern decent I have noticed) has an eye for this fine art. His clothing is designed to flow and though the pieces are very angular, the drapery lends a softer edge. The collection will be available in stores late November.

 




Below are pictures from his Fall/Winter 2009 high end collection:





Photos via Jak & Jil

Girls Who Like Boy's....Clothing

Soon there will be a time when girls who like to wear boy's clothing on occasion will never have to dig into their boyfriend's closets again. But for now, there is Chloe Sevigny's Fall/Winter 2009 line for Opening Ceremony where unisex clothing is the name of the game. In these times, where the lines between male and female are as blurred as ever, Sevigny offers a line that compliments this phenomenon perfectly. All the pieces in her collection can be worn by both men and women, including trousers, blazers, jackets, button downs, and even some of the shoes. The clothes look equally as good on both sexes and somehow manages to compliment the curves of a woman and the broadness of a man.

Reporting from Jamaica

Sorry for the lack of posts over the next week as I am enjoying the sun, beach, food, people and culture of Jamaica! I'll be back with some quality posts next week. Stay tuned!!

Bag It Right Man

With the acceptance of the manbag as the norm du jour, there are many options out there for the man about town who needs the right bag to compliment his look. Not every bag is made equally and it really takes a keen eye to find the most suitable bag for the occasion. Here are some of my suggestions on great looking holdall bags to hold all your "stuff". 

Chris & Tibor for Juun J Leather Reversible Holdall: Reverses to an all over black silk design, and the adjustable straps and handle are removable. 

Paul and Joe Two Tone Leather Holdall: One of my favorite bags. Sleek design with zip fronts and adjustable/removable across body straps. 

Jas M.B Waxed Canvas and Leather Medium Shopper Bag

ASOS Brown Leather Holdall

ASOS Canvas Holdall

All items can be purchased at asos.com

Givenchy's Star-Studded Runway

Stars graced the Givenchy Spring/ Summer 2010 runway, but not the human kind. Instead, literal metal stars studded everything from shirts to gladiators in this adventurous collection. Some pieces looked like Givenchy's designer Riccardo Tisci got a little too "stud happy" (case in point: the red plaid numbers), but overall the studding added a certain edginess to the collection. Tisci also did not relent with the trend Givenchy started two years ago: shorts over leggings. Almost all the pieces in the collection had a variation of the shorts over leggings theme. The designer also invested in the nouveau harem pant look so loved by today's designers by including many of them in his collection. He took a bold step by designing whole outfits with not so usual prints as well. Givenchy's man gladiators arrested my attention and I specifically enjoyed goggling at the white studded gladiators and the gold metallic ones too. Those are definitely the next step in the men's gladiator department. Some of  the pieces gave a very chic North African inspired sporty vibe (think fashion boy going to the gym) complete with basketball style shorts over leggings, "Givenchy's hood", what looked like backwards baseball caps, and buff models. And boy did he pick some good looking models!