CMMN SWDN Autumn Winter 15 Twelfth Man Collection at LCM

Classic CMMN SWDN bomber jacket

Design duo Saif Bakir and Emma Hedlund delivered a stellar collection at London Collections Men in similar fashion through a presentation. Two things; Armani and Soccer especially the mood form Manchester where Saif grew up influenced the collection. The brand whilst still building up its vibe and aesthetic made a couple of updates to it's staple pieces like its bomber jacket. The color orange was continued from the ss15 collection and feature prominently in this one as well. 

Luxe sportswear was the main vibe. The pinstripe wool represented the Armani vibe whilst the bonded denim at the bottom of some of the pieces represent the mancunian spirit. In a way, the collection created a meeting point between Italian sophistication and British attitude. For this season the brand collaborated with Avery Dennison on a print that depicted a football net over pinstripes. This was the duo and Dennisons interpretation of the classic check. 

White Markings on the sides inspired by football pitch lines

Seasonal print in collaboration with Avery Dennison

Mesh Top Inspired by Football Post Net

Detail: Frayed Striped Wool fused with denim

Coat with Frayed Hem fused with denim

Xander Zhou Spring Summer 2015 Collection Lookbook

Chinese designer Xander Zhou has been a staple at London Collections Men since 2012 when he was sponsored by GQ China to show. We got introduced to the Industrial Design trained creatives aesthetic that saw him work with loads of innovative fabric in new ways. For spring 2015 the vibe from the show was youthful, pop and bling. Star Wars and particularly Darth Varder played a recurring theme with certain prints. 

There was a play on shirt collars and everything from oversized to funnel was put out there. There's also an interesting use of mesh for oversize coats, hoodies and crewneck tops. The shorts in the collection look a lot loose in the look-book as opposed to the runway where they were super tight. Everything looked amazing on the runway and even looks better in the look-book.Looking forward to the AW15 show at LCM next month.

Peir Wu Explores Casual Futurism for its Spring Summer 2015

Double breasted slim-fit rib sleeve blazer

Singaporean born London based designer Peir Wu for Spring summer 15 explores casual Futurism. A term that denotes the aesthetics and vibe that transcend gender norms, making the collection openly accessible to both male or female. Loads of technical details in the collection reveal the artisinal skills applied to garments. Most of the jackets are half lined and the hems are finished raw. Though the label is based in London, it's fabrication is global with rayon sourced from Japan and grosgrain wool from Italy. 

If there's one thing Wu is known for, its her knack for proportion and layering that rendered most of the garments sexless without any implication towards masculinity of femininity. An amazing collection in general, balanced and a fresh take on its sports inspiration. 

Relax-fit deconstructed half-lined blazer

Double breasted slim-fit blazer in Japanese technical wool

Urban Outfitters Spring Summer 15 Menswear Lookbook

Libertine Libertine Dot Shirt £95

The press day at Urban Outfitters yesterday in London gave me a chance to get a closer look at the retailers spring summer offering for men. House favourites Soulland and Libertine Libertine dominate most of the sleek shirting with loads of variations of Garment Projects tennis sneakers which retail for a decent £115. The Scandinavian chic vibe was omnipresent and for what it is, it does work. 

There was also a dose of cool Americana with brands like Calvin Klein and sportswear outfitter Champion. Bits drop in-store and online from February 2015. 

Soulland Jacket £200 

Libertine Libertine Shirt £115

Irish Newcomer Rory Parnell-Mooney Joins Liam Hodges & Nicomede Talavera as the Chosen 3 for MAN/Fashion East AW15

Rory Parnell Mooney Gradaute Collection || Image via Panico

The Fashion East/MAN showcase in London has continued to be a launchpad for young menswear designers. Supported by high street retail giants Topman, each season 3 designers are sponsored for a runway show, mentoring and given a financial package to assist production. It's been a major identifier of future talent and one of the schemes past prodigies JW Anderson has not only gone on to launch womens clothing but also become creative director of Spanish brand Loewe and attract finance from the LVMH group. 

This season Irish newcomer Rory Parnell-Mooney joins the fray. Parnell-Mooney following his BA in Fashion Design attended Central Saint Martins where he completed an MA in menswear. His graduate collection which showed at London Fashion Week was inspired by ecclesiastical garments which he executed using simplicity and minimalism. That was good enough to earn him interest from MAN judges who include Tim Blanks. His work has also been featured in Hunger, Varon & Dazed and Confused Magazine.

Nicomede Talavera ss14 || Image via Fashion 156

Liam Hodges SS15 || Image via Style Bubble

Reiss Menswear Spring Summer 15 Collection

Shade Shirt

INFLUENCES

BOOKS:

Joel Sternfeld: American Prospects

The Glamour of Italian Fashion: Since 1945 (Sonnet Stanfill)

Icons of Men’s Style (Josh Sims)

The Aloha Shirt (Hope & Tozian)

EXHIBITIONS & VINTAGE:

V&A Museum “The Glamour of Italian Fashion”

Carlo Mazi Vintage

FILMS:

An American in Paris (1951)

Roman Holiday (1953)

High Society (1956)

Reiss Menswear SS15 THE PERFORMER celebrates 50s cool Americana with Sinatra at the helm as muse. With a hint of nostalgia for menswear past, there’s a return to manly silhouettes and macho fabric weights, with a salute to the effortless panache of the Rat Pack.

There's a brilliant mix of prints in manly hues, mixed with incredible shaped trousers and jackets. This sort of exudes MODERN MAN, OLD SOUL.An old experienced soul inhabit a young body.Wearing ‘grown-up’ clothes beyond his years, he has an air of Benedict Cumberbatch about him.

Martian Shirt

Buluga Shirt

Pacha Knit Polo

Treble Knitwear

Menthe Jacket

Dufrais Jacket

Hartnett Blouson

27 Year Old Canadian Nolan Funk Brings Sexy Back to Versace

 Canadian actor Nolan Funk most popular for his role in Musical comedy Glee is the face of Versace's Spring Summer 2014 campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, the campaign features the actor as the embodiment of the Versace Man: provocative, rebellious, sharp and sexy.

Honestly i was in shock when i first received this images of shirtless Mr Funk. If anything it motivated me to hit the gym harder today. Got to give Versace thumbs up for finding a star that's got that Versace vibe. 

Photo by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

Art Director: Giovanni Bianco

Stylist: David Bradshaw

Hair: Garren

Make Up: Lucia Pieroni

Location: London