Best Accessories - Paris - Spring 2011

Paris is full of houses world famous for their accessories, but I would say that this season was decisively average, with the exception of these standouts of course. Let's begin, again, with the shoes. Of course sandals are the main buy for spring 2011, and Paris was no different from Milan in respect to its numerous offerings. My favorite were the stringy, yet textured black pair from Louis Vuitton. Though many other houses showed sandals, I prefered these because of their lighter design.

Also in the footwear department was a great pair of black leather boots from Rick Owens. Beautifully minimal and the perfect height.

For the bags, Louis Vuitton is a must. While I wasn't a fan of their Scott Cambell collaboration pieces, I did like their simple black leather carryall which I can see as a worthy investment for the affluent traveler. I also found their green and blue checked bags cute. Maybe a bit too trendy at their sure to be high price point, but you can't deny they're fun.


Dries Van Noten also had a great tan leather backpack. Though maybe a little too feminine with its thin straps and buckles, it is a great size and has just enough storage.

Though they weren't entirely noticeable on the runway, Tommy Ton did get a great shot of the Kenzo watches, all of which I think are a must have. Their beautifully leather bands and faded silver faces are an instant classic and, in black, will go perfectly with any outfit, dressy or casual.

Finally, the sunglasses. Thom Browne gave almost every model a pair, and while most were oversized and completely feminine, there was one model that I thought was just edgy enough to stand out, but still let you retain your masculinity.

Dries Van Noten also sent a retro wayfarer in tan down the runway. The frames are big and round, so they definitely won't work on every face, but if you can find them, I think they are worth a try.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Acne's selection of shades. Their version of the wayfarer, in gold and in the forefront of the shot, is one of the best looking pair of sunglasses I've seen in a while. Hopefully they come in a more modest color, in which case I will definitely be swinging by their Greene St. location to pick up a pair for myself. The other shapes are fun, but a little to "3-D glasses" for me.

Lanvin - Spring 2011 - Review

Each season Lucas Ossendrijver creates incredibly luxurious and relaxed pieces for the house of Lanvin, and for spring 2010 Mr. Ossendrijver remains on the same sophisticated course. Though he does tweak his vision to incorporate a few trends, much to my disappointment, he also gave the usual casual garments new life through a Japanese/circus inspiration.

Let us start with the trends. The good and the bad. The good: double-breasted blazers. Almost nobody can do an unconstructed double-breasted blazer like Lanvin. Refined, yet casual enough to go from workday to cocktails and not feel overdressed. With sandals, it's the perfect summertime wardrobe. Unfortunately, that is where the good trends end for me this season. In come the knit corsets over sheer sweaters. Reminiscent of what we say at YSL and just as awkward. Also awkward, the tight biker shorts and pants that worked at Moncler, mainly because the models were on a bike track, but also because they weren't suffocating the crotch, causing incredibly uncomfortable bulges, as they are here.

I also feel it is my duty to address the fanny packs that "graced" the runway towards the end of the show. Let's just get one thing straight: they will never look good. Ever. It doesn't matter if they're in the master accessory designer hands of Louis Vuitton of Lanvin, they still look like a bad tourist bag that belongs somewhere deep in Disney World.

Other then that, I enjoyed this collection. I found that the Japanese influence was equal parts subtle and exciting (some of the models looked like the main character from the popular manga series Naruto with their spiked up hair and head bands, but don't feel bad if you don't get that reference). In addition, though not necessarily something I would wear, I did think that the ringleader-stripes on suit jackets and trousers added flair and elongated the silhouette, another trend we saw for spring 2011 in many of the collections in Paris and Milan.

While Lanvin did fall [fashion] victim to a slew bad trends, mostly, this collection emerged as a luxe group of styles that did not sacrifice wearability for thrill and vice-versa.

Paul Smith - Spring 2011 - Review

Paul Smith takes the middle road, somewhere between that of Versace and John Varvatos, for spring 2011's rockstar trend. Though Mr. Smith is known for his rocker worthy clothing, this season he shifts away from the slim, brightly colored suits and dresswear he is famous for, and into a moody color palette of relaxed garments fit for attending, or performing, a concert under the stars.

The only shot of color this collection receives is through two psychedelic prints, one of purple, pastel green, and red, the other of purple and orange, both utilized in tees, dress shirts, and pants to add to the signature Paul Smith flamboyance. Though this flamboyance does manifest in the form of button-down pirate shirts with bow ties, an almost metallic silver trench, undone cuffs turned up over velvet blazers, and short shorts paired with boots over socks (an almost construction worker-like look), this collection was one of his more wearable for the common bowery bum.

My favorite pieces included a black leather jacket early in the collection, a grey one-button blazer with black detailing on the pockets, a pair of skinny black pants, and all of the scoop neck vintage tees.

I enjoyed the collection because of its playfulness and cohesive message, but I can't help but get a little turned off by the heaviness of these garments that are meant for spring, especially while I am writing this review from a smoldering New York City. On the other hand, the darker palette means that these pieces will carry into the fall/winter season quite well, especially the tees and blazers, which will be perfect for layering. I guess at the Paul Smith price point versatility is always a plus.

Dunhill - Spring 2011 - Review

Kim Jones has injected energy into the storied Dunhill house for spring 2011. Mr. Jones does an excellent job of exploiting the house's incredible design heritage in the formalwear, while still managing to bring a youthful edge to the sportswear. Everything that walked the runway was beautiful, brilliant, and above all, wearable. Conceived in a palette of almost entirely cream, khaki, blue and grey, this collection seems fit for a cloudy day in London.

The dresswear is mostly slender suits and jackets, a handful of which were double-breasted with only two buttons. This look appears almost high-waisted, but did not shorten the silhouette, much to my enjoyment. Definitely a piece I would consider investing in for spring. The sportswear is equally fitted and made up of mostly chic cardigans, above-the-knee shorts, and great outerwear, most of which would transition smoothly into fall.

My favorite pieces included a navy button-up rain jacket with brown inserts, a baby blue hidden-button cashmere cardigan, a grey two button blazer, and a cream trench with navy lining. Each of these pieces are modern takes on basics every man should have in his wardrobe.

Everything from the clothes, to the bags, to the incredible shoes with contrasting soles and neon laces were spectacular. Without a doubt one of my favorite collections of this season.

Thom Browne - Spring 2011 - Review

Thom Browne isn't looking to satisfy a wide variety of men for spring 2011. He's sticking to what he does best: gimmicky, sharply tailored, shrunken suits for the sartorial gentleman. This collection is 100% dresswear and 99.8% shorts (with the exception of the last look which features his famous cropped trouser). The 60's and 70's are a huge symbol in this collection. Obvious references, such as the astronaut suits that begin the collection, a nod to the fascination with space at the time, are balanced by more subtle messages, such as the knee high socks, which no longer required garters to hold them up by that time.

With regards to the clothes themselves, the collection is somewhat elementary, at least in comparison to Mr. Browne's past showings. For me, this certainly isn't a bad thing. I appreciate Mr. Browne's design aesthetic, but usually find his clothes too avant-garde to be appealing at such a high price point (his suits can retail for up to $8,000). This collection is all about the blazer and short combination for summer, paired with high socks and lace ups, some resembling golfing shoes, to add that playful Thom Browne touch.

In leu of his usual cropped pant, this season Mr. Browne has opted for a cropped sleeve in his blazers, creating yet another play on the classic suit by letting his man show a little shirt cuff. The patters on the blazers were mostly simple stripes or plaids, but there were some more experimental options in a shark print, bright sequins, and some knitted pieces. The shorts were fairly simple throughout the collection, allowing for the blazers to hold the attention. It is quite clear that Mr. Browne wants his customer to invest in a a wacky blazer for spring 2011 and work his wardrobe around it. My favorite piece was a navy and grey plaid pattered blazer. As a separate, I could see it as a versatile piece for the warmer months.

Thom Browne has outfitted his models in full NASA gear, smeared their lips with gold, and masked their faces with aviator sunglasses, but the beautifully tailored clothing and inventive design have always made it impossible for the Thom Browne man to blend in, and thats exactly what makes his brand covetable and unique.

MID-WEEK WATCHING - Rodarte Video Collaborations

Rodarte's clothes lend themselves extremely well to this apocalyptic view of the future, "Soliloquy 88," the Mulleavy sisters latest video collaboration, direced by Jason Last. Their earlier video, entitled "Aanteni" and directed by Todd Cole, was equally dark and visually stunning. Enjoy both.

Listen Up

5 songs you should be listening to:

"Emotion" - Breathe Electric
"Deuces (feat. Tyga & Kevin McCall)" - Chris Brown
"Quicksand" - La Roux
"Don't You Evah" - Spoon
"Mad Pursuit (feat. Electrocute)" - Junkie XL

Kenzo - Spring 2011 - Review

It seems Antonio Marras has taken the Kenzo man in the same direction as Junya Watanabe took his man earlier in the week, that is, in the direction of the Mediterranean. Though one can definitely see the similarities between the two collections - lots of outerwear, navy and white striped tees, double-breasted blazers - Mr. Marras's designs are less plays on the classics than they are inspired by them, but reworked with a Japanese aesthetic for the modern Kenzo customer.

One of the first looks on the runway is a navy double-breasted suit with a blue and white stripped detailing. The suit is slim cut and stylish, but paired with white boots and just a hint of more blue and white stripes in the form of a tee underneath the suit jacket, quite playful. I believe that this look is the perfect summation of the collection as a whole: chic clothes that are hindered by their desire to be both sophisticated, somewhat like the looks that walked the Dolce & Gabbana runway in Milan, and playful, like the preppier styles of Mr. Watanabe.

The collection as a whole felt disjointed. Despite this, though, there are quite a few pieces in the collection that I wanted in my closet. Some standouts included a the thick nordic-like cardigan that came in both blue and grey, a plaid three button blazer (though, in my opinion, that piece, among others, would be better suited for the fall), a knit motorcycle-zip sweater in cream, and a khaki safari jacket. My least favorite looks were probably those that were produced in the neons, colors that I felt looked out of place in a collection of mostly neutrals.

Though it was not a perfect collection, Mr. Marras did manage to create a wearable collection. Although it lacked cohesiveness, the clothes were relaxed, luxurious, and thoughtful, three distinctive qualities of the Kenzo man.

Dior Homme - Spring 2011 - Review

The seemingly stylish older brother to his eponymous collection, Kris Van Assche has delivered another collection of stunning garments for spring 2011 under the Dior Homme name. Dior Homme has always stood for clean and minimalistic, yet somehow avant-garde designs at an incredibly expensive designer price point (jeans, for example, are priced anywhere from $350 to $1,200), and this collection is all of those things and more.

The entire collection was decisively futuristic; the large sleeveless coats were reminiscent of the Jedi robes from Star Wars. Button down shirts were almost completely forsaken, and when they were included, they were sans collar with hidden buttons. Updated peasant shits had deep v-necks and were the primary choice for layering under sharply tailored suit jackets. The pants ranged from baggy to slim, but all were pleated. Despite this, they did not feel overly dress (some were even tucked into shoes).

A suede utility jacket was a standout piece, and a double-breasted suit jacket with slim lapels is a must have. I enjoyed that Mr. Van Assche gave the shirts a deeper neckline, but I'm not sure I would wear it myself. All I can say is that it made for an interesting look overall on the runway.

The onslaught of black continued in this collection. While there were some grey tones in Mr. Van Assche's namesake collection, the Dior Homme show was strictly black and white; though the clothes themselves were anything but.

4TH OF JULY SPLURGE - Band of Outsiders Polos and Orlebar Brown+ Swimsuits - $175 and $215

Happy 4th! I decided I would put together these three patriotic looks together to get in the spirit of things. The Band of Outsiders polos are the perfect beach shirt, and the Orlebar Brown+ shorts are a great quick dry swim suit that look sharp in and out of the water. Splurge.

Now get off the computer, get out to the beach, eat, drink, and watch some damn fireworks.

Kris Van Assche - Spring 2011 - Review

There are so many things I love about Kris Van Assche's spring 2011 menswear collection. Let's start with the colors. He makes black look wearable in the summer! Who knew? Somehow the color that I feel looks oppressive on any spring/summer runway looks light and fitting for a sunny day in the city. Even black leathers look lightweight and breezy. And the greys are just stunning. The colors that Mr. Van Assche employs are great because the garments can easily shift from spring/summer to fall/winter and not look out of place in either.

Next I would like to discuss the garments themselves: perfect tank tops layered under belted blazers (belted at just the right place of course), the perfectly cut pant (rolled up), exquisite one button blazers, paper bag trousers, and a beyond cool paint splattered side-zip coat. The only thing that I am not a fan of is the sheer button down and the awkward long-but-short sleeve shirts. Otherwise I want it all. Now. Could I ever save enough money to buy everything? Maybe I should consider selling a kidney...

Did anyone else notice that the models still had the paint on the back of their hands as if they had just made the mess on all of those amazing shirts, coats, and pants themselves? What a cool touch. Through this, Mr. Van Assche created a different type of entertainment for his audience. One that wasn't an elaborate set or gas masks, but great design mixed with a cheeky little detail that tells a story.

Mr. Van Assche designs for the man that is urban. He lives in a bustling city and probably holds a cool job as a designer, editor, or stylist. His style is clean and modern, two things that never go out fashion. His clothes are edgy, but still retain their masculinity; more thought provoking than plain old provocative. Any man that wears these clothes is guarenteed to feel comfortable and chic.

Comme des Garçons - Spring 2011 - Review

Cool kids with disposable cash take note: skulls are in for spring. Rei Kawakubo, the fashion-world renowned tastemaker, has deemed that all things goth are a must for the warm weather days of 2011. Isn't it fitting that a cult-like collection of garments has been produced for a label with a cult following?

With the exception of some reworked white shirt and black pant combinations, the skull and checkerboard motif's were prominent in almost every look, and when they weren't, there were skulls painted directly onto the backs of the models' heads. A gaggle of models even walked the runway in full skull print dresses with blazers. I doubt those looks will make it in store (at least not in the men's section).

I would say the most interesting pieces in the whole collection were a series of 5 leather blazers in white, black and red. Though they stood out from the rest of the collection, the classic Comme des Garçons avant-garde aesthetic was present throughout the show in baggy shorts, man-skirts, and cropped skinny trousers.

As a whole, I thought this collection was intriguing. Maybe the skulls and checks add to the the wears for some customers, and take away for others. Personally, I could see any of the skull blazers as a statement piece with a pair of jeans and a white button down. On the other hand, they will probably be priced well over $2,000, and at that cost, will one really get enough wear out of them? Either way, Comme des Garçons pieces have always been, and will always be, like works of art, an investment.

Givenchy - Spring 2011 - Review

Leather, leopard, lace, gas masks, Tarzan, and a creepy clown. Sounds like a raunchy Halloween party, but October will be long gone by the time Riccardo Tisci's spring 2011 menswear collection for Givenchy hits the racks of your nearest department store. Conservative, tailored pieces in black, white and khaki are mixed with more experimental garments to create looks that I'm sure will be equally popular with Givenchy customers and stylists.

The collection begins with a subtler form of the leopard print in black on black and white on white, done in the avant-garde style that has become Mr. Tisci's trademark. Man skirts and sheer shirts are only the first statement pieces to walk the runway, but soon everything turns bat shit crazy in the best way. A male model suddenly appears with a bug-face-like gas mask, and is followed by what, at first, I thought was a male model in drag, but later realized was a female model with an abundance of makeup. Mr. Tisci has been known to blur the line between the male and female form, as is evident in his most recent ad campaign for the Givenchy house where he used a transgender model, and this collection serves to continue his gender-bending saga.

There is an obvious tribal inspiration in the leopard print that comes in everything from bomber jackets to full suits and shoes. One model was even sent down the catwalk in only a leopard skirt and tribal jewelry, a predator-like look on his face. While you would think from the description that this collection would appear completely unwearable for the everyday man, Mr. Tisci's sharp tailoring and proportions allow for wearable pieces to look alive on the runway, but ultimately end up with hanger appeal for a conservative customer.

Though there is not much in this collection I would save up for, I will admit that I enjoyed Mr. Tisci's spring 2011 showing. He has found his stride and developed a unique look for the Givenchy house. His garments stay true to themselves and do not follow fickle trends, yet a purchase from Givenchy is 100% a statement.

Balenciaga - Spring 2011 - Review

The Balenciaga spring 2011 menswear presentation was a strangle collection of futuristic garments in black, white and grey with shots of intrigue in the form of neon orange and yellow, as well as an odd looking zebra print. Most of the clothes looked as if they belonged in the womenswear collection. Nicolas Ghesquière used color blocking on jackets to slim the models, cummerbunds to cinch the waist, and cropped trousers paired with high white boots to shorten the silhouette, all serving to create feminine proportions.

At the end of the collection one realizes that the Balenciaga man does not have the Balenciaga woman on his arm, but another Balenciaga man. The clothes are just too feminine, and although the design is innovative and beautiful, there are few pieces in this collection I would ever consider wearing (those are the simple trenches and windbreakers, garments I could easily find more masculine versions of at Burberry or Dunhill). Mr. Ghesquière has certainly made a statement with this collection and I have no doubt that his garments will stand out from the rest. Weather it will actually appeal to men and generate sales, of this I cannot be sure.

Adam Kimmel - Spring 2011 - Review

For spring 2011, Adam Kimmel produces a collection of garments fit for any hustler, a sartorial hustler that is. Of course pinstripes and three piece suits are present, as are baggy pants and varsity jackets, and even braided pigtails in what is certainly a nod to one of the most notable hustlers of our time: Snoop Dog. Trousers are cut wide and all of the sportswear is athletic. While I've never been a fan of short sleeved button downs or sports jerseys as clothing, everything in this collection evokes the rapper esthetic while still remaining clean and wearable.