Slow → articles in Fashion

With Regard To

UU/R/T

As we’re working on a new design and an updated idea behind Another Something we’ll start sharing on a more regular base again. To kick off with a ’people-inspired jewellery’ brand that contacted us via are.na and got our attention with their unconventional way of building a brand.
UU/R/T, referring to the abbreviation w/r/t or “with regard to”, is focusing on creating products that are in relation to an individual. Each collection is based on a certain theme that was proposed by- and designed in collaboration with creatives from around. [ Continue reading ]

OUTLIER x Hirad Sab

Industrial Ruinism

OUTLIER always inspired and amazed us with not only their garments, but especially with their authentic and real choice of artists and photographers to collaborate with. Their latest addition to that is no difference. They teamed up with 3D digital artist, Hirad Sab, for a bold reimagining of the e-commerce experience.
Together, with Hirad, they’ve built an immersive and innovative new product page for the company’s Slim Dungarees. [ Continue reading ]

TOSSIJN

Make it simple.

There are few places left in Amsterdam’s most central areas that have enough character to weather the ever-growing storm of tourists and people that particularly cater to them. At times, especially in the summer, the city feels like an urban amusement park. With no end of this development in sight, the once authentic center is slowly turning into an empty shell of its former self. Fortunately, there are still some spots that offer some kind of cultural experience (let’s hope it stays that way!), with the Zeedijk being one of our favorites. Located in the small but dense Chinese quarter of the Dutch capital, the street is famous for its restaurants and supermarkets, but also for being the original gateway of heroine into the country in the late sixties — during the last few years it has also been embraced by a growing number of brands, in search of a real environment for their stores.

Among them are streetwear household names like Amsterdam’s own giant Patta, the Comme des Garçons BLACK store, and most recently Stüssy also opened its doors in the street. Next to, for instance, newcomers like Bonne Suits, who shares a space with SMIB and The New Originals. Although we appreciate these streetwear brands, for us the appeal of the street was taken to the next level by another recent addition, as in April our friend Koen Tossijn also found his way to the infamous Zeedijk and opened his first brick and mortar store ever for his brand TOSSIJN — introducing a well needed touch of understated luxury and a toned down color palette, next to all the logos and graphics at his neighbors. [ Continue reading ]

Rushemy Botter

There is a significant need for new personal stories in today's hype-driven, free-for-all fashion world. And despite a rather boring tradition in that realm, some of the names we find interesting and have the potential to do just that c0me from The Netherlands. Following the likes of Paul Helbers and Sebastiaan Pieter, who both are talented Dutch designers with young labels (based outside of The Netherlands), last month's Royal Academy of Antwerp graduate Rushemy Botter seems to be next in line to step up. His graduation collection (Autumn/Winter 2018) named 'Fish or Fight' formed Botter's debut during last week's Amsterdam Fashion Week, but we already seized the opportunity to briefly meet the rising star one day after his graduation show in Antwerp at the beginning of June. [ Continue reading ]

NikeLab x Pigalle Summer 2017

In the midst of last week's presentations of the Spring/Summer 2018 collections all over Paris, one of the things we liked most that came from the French capital was the release of the Summer 2017 chapter of the ongoing collaboration between Pigalle and Nike, that next to his own brand's interesting Spring/Summer 2018 collection forms another significant addition to founder and designer Stéphane Ashpool’s ever-growing legacy. In the shared vision of the Parisian brand and the American athletic giant, which first saw light in 2014, basketball continues to be the constant factor. While themes have varied since the beginning — from weathered courts to the tick of the shot clock — Ashpool’s undying love of (nineties NBA) basketball remains the leitmotif, which he took to new interesting heights with his latest creations.

His new collection with Nike explores new grounds within the fundament of basketball, not only introducing new garments and shoes, but broadening the scope of his creations to include silhouettes that work seamlessly for men and women. Ashpool estimates for every 10 customers at his Paris store, three are women, and while his aesthetic draws heavily from women’s haute couture, this is the first time he’s consciously pushed a NikeLab offering in a softer direction. Next to a change in the pieces itself, a new color palette of pink, blue and white marks the new phase of less gendered boundaries in a perfect elegant way. And it doesn't stop at just the clothing, as the famous basketball court in the Parisian neighborhood that gave the brand its name — which Ashpool, his friends and Nike first renovated in 2009 and subsequently became a significant tactile element of their earliest collaborations with NikeLab — was given a complete color make-over in a collaboration with Ill Studio to beautifully mark the latest developments directly in the place where it all started. [ Continue reading ]

Meditations on the Materials

Outlier Summer 2017 by Luis Alberto Rodriguez

New York City-based technical fashion brand Outlier has been one of the spearheading companies that have set a complete new standard in direct-to-client business from the moment of their foundation in 2008, partly due to their open and direct dialogue with its customers through Reddit, for which we hold them in the highest esteem. Over the years we have kept an eye on their expanding brand and slowly but surely growing collection, in which they have explored both technical innovations and new aesthetic directions beyond 'classical' techwear, but last month they took it to the next level with the release of their extraordinary collaboration with 2017 Hyéres winning photographer (and former dancer) Luis Alberto Rodriguez for their Summer 2017 campaign.

The incredible series named 'Meditations on the Materials' features the contemporary dancer Oskar Landström and artist Moley Talhaoui and is among the strongest lookbooks we have seen in a while. Shot in Kivik, Sweden, the very talented Rodriguez and the just as gifted stylist Paul Maximilian Schlosser, bring a professional dancers eye to imagery, fashion and fabric. New shapes and forms emerge from the movements of the models and raw materials hide within themselves, under the open sky. The result is an utmost intriguing series opening a complete new chapter of narrativity in the world of Outlier's perfectly crafted pieces; reminding us of both the American settlers' aesthetic and Yohji Yamamoto's oversized draping. We can only hope that this is the beginning of a new phase in which Outlier adds new exciting facets to its brand grounded on indisputable leading technical expertise. Continuing to explore new cultural roots in their communication through similar collaborations with extraordinary talents like Rodriguez to create a new richness in the narrative and affect around its beautiful future-proof clothing for them to reach an even larger audience in the years to come. [ Continue reading ]

Olaf Hussein Autumn/Winter 2016

Six months have passed and our good friend Olaf Hussein has returned with a new seasonal offering, which will be available online and in his shop on the Prinsengracht 491 in Amsterdam from today. For his Autumn/Winter 2016 collection, the Amsterdam-based designer takes a trip to the deep South of the United States of America, or more specifically, to the world as portrayed in the iconic moody feature film 'Paris, Texas'. This cinematic masterpiece from 1984, directed by Wim Wenders and shot by Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller, forms the main inspiration for the new seasonal creations. Where Hussein's former collection felt like the conclusion of the starting period of the brand, which asked for the (successful) establishment of his name (literally) — the new collection shows a new kind of ambition in the products being released under the OLAF HUSSEIN label, going beyond the earlier (necessary, no doubt) road of prominent branding into the realm of, what we feel are, interesting contemporary pieces marrying technical features and sharp minimal silhouettes. [ Continue reading ]

OAMC Autumn/Winter 2016

We have said it here before and will say it again — with fashion, particularly menswear, currently being dominated by a search for hype instead of innovative ideas, many new brands are still started every week, but less and less are really adding something to the field. When the Paris-based OAMC —which houses its atelier in Milano and produces in Italy, Portugal and Japan— launched in 2013, they approached it by intrinsically staying away from the dominant trends; refusing prominent branding and basically starting an ongoing quest to produce iconic menswear items created from the juxtapositioning of existing ideas combined with innovative touches. Primarily focussing on the marriage of utility wear with traditional luxury elements resulting in an aesthetic truly fit for the future.

Interestingly so, branding was an integral part of OAMC's creative director Luke Meier's earlier life, having worked as the head designer for Supreme before starting the brand that was originally known as Over All Master Cloth and later just as the acronym. Meier's years at Supreme, being the brand that played the undeniable pinnacle role in the revival of brand marketing in the last 15 years, didn't prove to be much of a restraint for the succes of his new, very different and much complexer, creative outlet. In just three short years, OAMC has become one the brands to watch by leading the way. Steadily solidifying its place alongside menswear fashion houses with similar ambitions such Dries Van Noten, Thom Browne and Lanvin. Earlier this year, it was also nominated for the prestigious 2016 ANDAM Grand Prix award, underlining the appreciation of the display of intrinsic creativity that drives the brand forward.

This Summer the brand presented its Spring/Summer 2017 collection in Paris, but we want to take another look at the super impressive Autumn/Winter 2016 that's in the racks of its the numerous woldwide stockist at this very moment. [ Continue reading ]

NikeLab x Kim Jones in Saluti da E.U.R.

The NikeLab x Kim Jones debut collection captured in Rome by The Travel Almanac

A little over a month ago NikeLab presented the debut collection of their collaboration with a new high profile name from the fashion world (are we going to see a focus on this, as competitor Adidas has been doing for the last decade?): British sportswear connoisseur Kim Jones. The colorful collection means the highly anticipated return to athletic sportswear for Jones, after he successfully collaborated with Umbro (owned by Nike) for several seasons some years ago, before he became menswear director at Louis Vuitton in 2011, where he has been marrying athletic influences with luxury. In order to celebrate the union between technology and tradition, our inspirational friends of The Travel Almanac decided to set up an exclusive fashion editorial collaboration with NikeLab and Jones in Rome’s E.U.R. [Esposizione Universale Roma] district which they gave the name 'Saluti da E.U.R.'

Esposizione Universale Roma is a neighborhood in the Italian capital that was planned to host the world’s fair and to exhibit Italy’s latest answers to modern urbanism, architecture, design, and sports. Finally completed for the Summer Olympics 1960 held in the city, the area is famous for its orthogonal city plan inspired by Roman Imperial urban planning and for its monumental white architecture characteristic of Italian Rationalism. The buildings’ traditional materials and revolutionary minimal lines were a simplification and modernization of neo-classical architecture and have influenced the most talented architects, from David Chipperfield to Peter Zumthor passing through Oscar Niemeyer. Today E.U.R. has become Rome’s center for sports, finance, and with its newly opened Museum of Fashion in the iconic Palazzo della Civilta’ Italiana, also known as the Squared Colosseum, also for fashion.

A context proving to be a remarkable fit for the collection's colorful pieces, both caught by The Travel Almanac's founder Paul Kominek and Danish photographer Sara Katrine Thiesen, presenting a perfect hybrid of the classicist Italian exterior and some of the most cutting edge athletic pieces available today created by Jones and NikeLab, forming one of our favorite editorials we have seen in the last few months. [ Continue reading ]

IISE collection 002

At the moment we are immersing ourselves in the world of elegant sportswear for an extremely exciting new project we are working on (which we will elaborate on whenever we can in the near future). One of the highly inspirational brands we have encountered along this research is the South Korean brand IISE [translates to second generation], founded by Terrence and Kevin Kim, two second-generation Korean-American brothers who were so inspired by their cultural roots that they decided to create a brand founded on them. Debuting in 2015 with a full collection, given the moniker 001, the brand had been producing naturally-died bags and accessories since 2013. It introduced its 002 collection two months ago, with a lot more to come in the coming months.

The new direction for IISE was received with open arms by the streetwear media ecosystem, gathering both both on- and offline widespread media attention, ensuring a quick worldwide introduction of the brand's new ambitious move into clothing. The designs by Terrence and Kevin marry the Far East with the West and are constructed from a hybrid of both traditional Korean and modern materials, such as the “mu-myung” and “guangmok” fabrics that are naturally-dyed cottons of Korea’s traditional garb. Reinterpreting these iconic textiles into a sportswear inspired vision, the unique cottons are integrated into the garments along with premium materials such as leather, raw silk fleck and nylon twill. Beyond just the interesting fabrics used, the brothers succeed in implementing graphic elements inspired by Korean woodwork throughout the collection and completing their creations with its elegant roomy and cropped cuts. For us IISE makes some of the most inspirational sportswear-inspired clothing available today. [ Continue reading ]

Helbers Autumn/Winter 2016

At the beginning of this year, the seasoned —yet low profile— Dutch fashion designer Paul Helbers reintroduced (after having designed under his own label Inch for a couple of years in the Nineties) himself to the world with the presentation of his ambitious eponymous new label in Paris. Having cut his teeth in different positions throughout the fashion industry after his graduation from the Royal College of Art, a former studio director of Maison Martin Margiela and 2006 until 2011 menswear designer at Louis Vuitton under Marc Jacobs, Helbers seems more than ready for his second coming. Last month, the designer presented his second collection for Spring/Summer 2017, but we still want to take another look at his inaugural set of creations, which granted the designer serious critical acclaim and forms a very inspirational start for any menswear label. The breakout collection will find its way to different retailers, among which are Mr. Porter and Barney's New York, in the coming month.

Inspired by the poetic images of Robert Rauschenberg, iconic horrorfilm actor Bela Lugosi and early Irving Penn portraits of Bernstein and TS Elliot, each celebrating an immaculate sense of dressing and off-duty style, with his label Helbers aims to fuel the strength of artisan skills with more abstract and contemporary ideas like the popular athleisure movement of recent years. In that sense the work of Helbers reminds us of another Dutch designer combining traditional tailoring with sportswear elements: Sebastiaan Pieter. To ensure the high quality standards set by Helbers, everything under the label is developed and produced at established ateliers around Venice in Italy. For Autumn/Winter 2016 this resulted in an sublime collection, consisting of wool cashmere joggers with matte nylon knee patches, lightweight semi-canvassed blazers in wool, silk and linen tweed, cashmere flannel cardigan jackets and some stand out waterproof unconstructed coats, which seamlessly seem to marry the aesthetic of former employers Margiela and Vuitton into the new entity of Helbers.
Each piece of the collection contains a hybrid quality and a feeling of unpolished elegance underlined by the subtle clash of contrasting fabrics, celebrating the rough and the refined. Ideas are carried out with a carefully chosen fusion of low-end and high-end materials always applying a rigorous manufacturing standard. The absence of ostentatious elements is a deliberate choice in order to formulate an un-precious sense of appearance. [ Continue reading ]

Boglioli Spring/Summer 2017

We have appreciated and admired Italian menswear house Boglioli —formerly run by brothers Mario and Pierluigi Boglioli— for its elegant tailoring in the last few years, but since they appointed Davide Marello as their first creative director last year, things are really moving to the next level. Alongside Marello, our most handsome Another Something family member Roel Nabuurs took the role as assistent, so we feel a little proud ourselves for the just presented Spring/Summer 2017 collection, the second under the helm of Marello, which clearly shows the new modern direction for the Milano-based house.

Soft tailoring is the key in the new creative manoeuvre, both as the aesthetic and as an attitude. Timelessness is the ambitious horizon for Marello and his team. Rich in a patina that is pictorial, lived-in and ultimately human, color and texture give a subtly sensual spin to a classic wardrobe of malleable staples: unstructured blazers, fluid summer coats, pragmatic blousons, compact knits, lace-up brogues and loafers. The silhouette is easy yet precise, allowing for freedom of movement without forsaking appropriateness. Hints of workwear - functional patch pockets, sturdy surfaces, a garment-dyed rucksack - suggest an idea of hands-on elegance. We are very impressed to see the already established immaculate tailoring being pushed into the realms of a highly modern color palette, luscious innovative fabrics and soft confident lines, resulting in a potential frontrunning role in the interesting field of 'Italian' menswear for the house in the years to come. [ Continue reading ]

New Object Research

Aitor Throup presents Spring/Summer 2017 with an incredible performance at London Collections: Men 2016

London Collections: Men is behind us and two names in particular keep resonating from what currently is seen as the most progressive display of new menswear. One debutant and one sportswear visionary who has been around for 10 years and worked as a creative consultant for different brands (G-Star most recently), but hardly has put anything on the market under his own label. The newcomer is Kiko Kostadinov (more on him later) and the visionary is Aitor Throup. The latter created a show twice as long as all te other shows in London, presenting five times as little silhouettes. Apparently even some people walked out of the show, things which hardly happen as a traditional fashion show will end in high pace before anyone can get that bored. For LC:M the Argentina-born designer debuted his in 2013 started New Object Research project on the catwalk at the Holy Trinity Church, also known as One Marylebone. Throup offered six looks — trans-seasonal prototypes he called them — in a presentation named 'The Rite of Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter' that was much less fashion show than performance art piece.  At the entrance to the church, four casts of Throup's body wearing these garments were laid on top of each other in a pile. The installation was named 'The Resting of the Past', and was created as a memorial to the previous designs. For the actual performance that ran for almost 22 minutes, Throup worked with puppet designer and engineer James Perowne. When asked by Tim Blanks about his inspirations for this particular creative display, Throup mentioned Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan and how affected he’d been by their shows, but: “never figured out how to get that level of emotion.” With this show, for the first time, he has — without a doubt.

The level of emotion, the boldness to take the time needed to tell this story, against the odds of current trends in fashion. Implementing a remarkable element used in contemporary theatre with the life-sized puppets. Multidisciplinary and innovative. It doesn't happen that often these days, especially not in fashion, and therefore we can only hope to see more of this in the future. With Throup's current state of mind, it seems something we can actually look out for in the near future.. [ Continue reading ]

Olaf Hussein Spring/Summer 2016

The new seasonal collections are one by one being released these days, and last week our good friend Olaf Hussein also presented his new set of creations. After opening his first flagship store named 'The Fitting Room' in Amsterdam last year, he continues to push the momentum he has created since the inception of the label forward. The new collection, which clearly shows the familiar minimal design elements in its overall aesthetic, allows its wearer to react and adapt to fast-paced modern life through its use of lightweight nylons, wrinkle resistant suiting fabrics, velcro straps and reversible styles. Turning novelty into a tool to express its themes, Hussein also introduces a range of bolder colors in addition to its signature grayscale palette and adapts the new moniker of “OH!” as branding, in line with current streetwear trends and possibly Acne Studios in particular as a great example of elegant implementation of this form of communication. The most striking new item of the collection is The Fundament Sneaker, the brand’s very first foray into footwear - perfectly complementing the apparel - which is available in black and white.
As has been the case for three seasons now, the majority of the just presented collection is available right away. Online, in the physical store at the Prinsengracht 491 and at the select retailers across the globe who carry the brand.

We love how Olaf relentlessly keeps building his brand and collections. To find out where he stands today, we asked him some questions what the new Spring/Summer 2016 collection means to him and how he sees the future for OLAF HUSSEIN. [ Continue reading ]

Bethnals

There was a time in which we had our eye on Kickstarter way more often then now a days, regularly finding interesting and exciting new projects funded (or sometimes failing to do so; we still can't believe 'Under Black Carpets' didn't succeed at that time) through their own community. Recently we have trouble finding the real gems (maybe there are few these days) and our last writing on such campaign or project was the successfully funded, inspirational conclusive book-project by hero Rob Lutter. Recently we finally discovered a new project which came to life through the crowd-funding platform which we really like. Promising London born and bred fashion brand Bethnals was founded by creative product developer and former Topshop denim buyer Melissa Clement in 2013 and raised its proper funding a year later to create a label focussing on basic, fuss-free denim for men and women at a very sharp price-point, that speaks volumes without the need to be loud. Finding inspiration in the cutting edge music, art and fashion scene of England's capital, there's a clear Scandinavian influence to be observed in their output as well, with the recently released Spring/Summer 2016 collection showing a maturity seldom seen at brands as young as Bethnals. Keep an eye on this promising name from London. [ Continue reading ]

J.W. Anderson Spring/Summer 2016

Designed by M/M Paris, shot by Jamie Hawkesworth

It is undeniable that we live in a time in which it becomes harder and harder to stand out in this world saturated with similar content, partly also because of the seemingly definite loss of the pre-digitalization attention span people used to have (like ourselves by the way; we miss our pre-internet brain). With a never-ending exposure of communicational elements, being unleashed by media, companies and brands alike, most people in search for an relevant audience will use a louder - or bigger - voice to still be heard. Especially in fashion, what has become the most neurotic field in the creative industry. One of the scarce forerunners and real creative thinkers of recent years; Jonathan Anderson, decided to use the far opposite of that approach for his recently released Spring/Summer 2016 campaign. Together with regular collaborators; renown Parisian graphic design studio M/M Paris and Jamie Hawkesworth - who together with the designer created a cutting edge visual language for both the J.W. Anderson label and the Spanish fashion house Loewe - their finest work till date was presented to the world two months ago: a campaign in the size of a postal stamp featuring model Mayka Merino, which will literally force you to take a second look. Next to being a highly elegant - uncommon - aesthetic expression for a seasonal campaign, it is above all hope-giving to observe that in times of shouting some people still dare to whisper. [ Continue reading ]

Sempach

In 2005, two years after the members of the Swiss Cycle Regiment - riding the longest-serving bicycle in civil and military history; the Ordonnanzfahrrad MO 05 - went on parade for the very last time in a town named Sempach, a young guy from Basel; Christian Wernle found the inspiration for what ten years later became a fascinating brand. He spotted a Swiss army sleeping bag while browsing in a flea market, and realized it would make the perfect basis for a range of original, contemporary outerwear. After the minimal yet technical line was introduced last year, Sempach has found a new source of inspiration in another mainstay from the same tradition: the field tent. For their second collection, Sempach has developed a very elegant collection of men’s and women’s waterproof jackets using the same design specifics as the Swiss Army field tent, which form the perfect hybrid of military technical elements and a minimally designed aesthetic. We love it! [ Continue reading ]

Seeking Patterns

Although it's been years since we mentioned the Swedish brand Filippa K here, mostly because it completely lost our attention for a while, in the last two years the brand has rerouted itself back into our field of interest. Next to the fact that it has set some remarkable leading ambitions towards being progressively more eco-friendly, which is rather unheard-of considering its global position, the brand furthermore seems to also have found a way more interesting creative field to work from. For the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection presentation, Filippa K’s Creative Director Nina Bogstedt chose to work with two great artists who are close to her heart, and close collaborators of the brand. Julia Hetta and Åsa Stenerhag share the softness, calm and clean lines that are at the core of Filippa K’s aesthetics – they also happen to be childhood friends. Together Hetta, Stenerhag and Bogstedt have turned the presentation space into a world of its own – with works that reflect and interpret the collection, but also give it an unexpected twist which they named 'Seeking Patterns'. [ Continue reading ]

Converse x Hancock VA

Two years ago we wrote about the impressive first collaboration between Converse and one of our favorite brands around; Hancock Vulcanised Articles. Since then it was succeeded twice and today marks the fourth joint endeavor by the two brands which is again of the highest standard. Using subtle colors and graphic juxtaposition as the main inspirations, the worldwide release of today signifies the first time Hancock DNA has been incorporated into the premium Converse Jack Purcell Signature silhouette. Available in three complementary colorways – Autumn, Taupe and Black – the latter featuring Hancock’s striking Siphonia Elastica rubber plant print, each sneaker is completed with a contrasting top eyelet detail with interchangeable laces, making this the perfect hybrid of the Purcell's classic design and Hanock's cutting edge garments. [ Continue reading ]

White Season by Bonhomie

At the end of 2013 we introduced the Helsinki-based label Bonhomie just before it was launched. The elegant Finnish brand has as its fundament to create shirts and other basics strictly of European manufacture, which are solely sold online direct to the costumers, allowing the price to be half of the usual retail price of products with a similar quality. The debut collection featured a pristine white point collar dress shirt, a denim button-down oxford shirt and a t-shirt. Now, two years ahead they have returned with a new perspective; presenting the immaculate 'White Season'. Denim was left behind for now, but the new all white collection covers all wishes one can have to dress up or down in the cleanest color of them all. [ Continue reading ]

Hed Mayner Autumn/Winter 2015

Although the Spring/Summer 2016 collections will be presented soon, we will take one last look at the current season and the most exciting young designer we encountered this year: Hed Mayner. The Israeli, still based in Jerusalem, debuted in Paris only two seasons ago, yet his current - and second ever - Autumn/Winter 2015 collection is amongst our clear favorites of everything we have seen. In his coherent set of creations Mayner mixes elegant traditional tailoring with military elements, which he simply explains through having it around him so much in the streetscape of his hometown. Another important source of inspiration is orthodox Jewish tailoring, having a strong tradition in oversized silhouettes covering the body rather than mirroring it in its shape. The results are a remarkable clash of different aesthetic and culturally charged elements, forming a fresh vision on luxurious fashion, which should promise the designer to become a household name of modern menswear in the years to come. [ Continue reading ]

Wardrobe by Koen Tossijn

Our friend Koen Tossijn has come a long way since we both had a share in the 'Blue Jeans' exhibition, which took place over two years ago in the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. At that point Koen still solely focussed on bespoke denim with his label Atelier Tossijn, but his ambition always was to create a full wardrobe of staple piece items, boiled down to perfection. Born out of his longing for a greater quality of life and a fascination for the everyday, in the last two years Tossijn went on a quest to find a way to work outside and within the modern-day fashion industry. Instead of an ever-changing new collection, Tossijn aims to create one steady stream of everyday essential pieces, which he named fittingly the 'Wardrobe' collection. Designed to their most essential form and made in ton sur ton shades with only the best materials available, the pieces in the Wardrobe evolve over time in a constant search for perfection, which is seldom seen in modern fashion anymore. [ Continue reading ]

Sebastiaan Pieter Spring/Summer 2016

We recently discovered the promising work of Dutch London College of Fashion graduate Sebastiaan Pieter. The designer, who set up his eponymous label after completing a BA in Bespoke Tailoring, has been creating collections for the last four seasons, being hailed as one of the exciting new names in menswear based in London. Combining sportswear elements with traditional high quality suiting, Pieter was picked up by the NEWGEN initiative, which granted him a sponsorship for his Spring/Summer 2016 collection and resulted in his biggest collection til date. Inspired by an Ellen von Unwerth editorial for The Face featuring several girls getting inked and pierced -from the time when Pieter first discovered the power of fashion(imagery) as a teenager- he subtly wove ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and contemporary tattoo and piercing culture into his (at times) gender-defying designs for the elegant fashion-forward man. We love this. [ Continue reading ]

Nike x Undercover
Gyakusou Holiday 2015

Last year Nike introduced its ambitious and innovative NikeLab to the public. One of the first collections launched via the new platform and chain of select retail outlets were the Holiday 2014 designs of its super impressive collaboration with Jun Takahashi, founder of avant-garde label Undercover. Last week, the two presented their latest joint endeavor with the Holiday 2015 collection. As always the designs show a blend of leading Nike innovation and Takahashi’s creativity and unique sense of individualism. This particular collection was specifically informed by data from the Nike Explore Team Sport Research Lab and inspired by insights from Takahashi’s GIRA (Gyakusou International Running Association) crew, resulting in gear which was designed to layer. The pieces form not just some of the most elegant designs in run wear, but they are just as cutting edge in its pragmatism as aesthetic: providing elegant protection against the elements in the best possible way. [ Continue reading ]