Nicole Hogerzeil, the owner of the beautiful Berlin-based stores Schwarzhogerzeil I and II recently succeeded in her quest to find a larger space to combine both her stores, which she found in a beautiful premises on the Torstrasse 173 in the North of the city. The layout of the incredible 150 m² space, which opened officially last week, was once again conceived by the interior designer Sylvester Koziolek. Koziolek has continued the interior concept of the first two stores and combined 1940s Parisian charm - inspired by the work of Jean Prouvé, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand - with modern elements such as neon lighting and unique objects. The aim was to create an inspiring environment for customers in which Nicole Hogerzeil can present her labels, accessories and the other things she loves in all their splendour. Whenever in Berlin, make sure to visit the inspirational retail space of Hogerzeil. [ Continue reading ]
We recently became familiar with the inspirational print project of editors-in-chief Antonio Maccaro and Pedro Canicoba, named Many of Them. The beautiful magazine has been released thrice now - in different forms - but always in a limited edition publication of 1000 copies. The aim of Many of Them is to offer a space for discussion in which creators can share their perspective about their own field, their languages and the problems they face in their everyday practices. It originally started as a diary in 2008 and it keeps evolving into different formats. All the images and texts are produces in-house, always intending to learn from the external collaborations for the new issues. In the Summer of last year the inspirational Volume III, named after Talking Heads' classic 'This Must Be The Place' was launched featuring photography driven stories on creative leaders like the Cosmic Wonder restaurant, Junya Watanabe, Dries Van Noten, Paul Harnden, Khaven de la Cruz, Christophe Lemaire and Issey Miyake, amongst others. [ Continue reading ]
After releasing the imagery for the Ø L Å F cap and in full anticipation of our friend Olaf Hussein's upcoming Autumn/Winter 2015 collection he teamed up with photographer Ester Grass Vergara to shoot an incredible editorial highlighting several of the key pieces of the collection, located in The Netherlands at RAAAF's extraordinary Bunker 599. With the upcoming collection the brand is entering the new season with an open mind and sense of adventure. This season the brand stretches beyond its Amsterdam heritage and embraces influences from the north, as well as the outdoors. Combining forward-facing materials with athletic details, Olaf Hussein aims to create a unique aesthetic that feels premium and punctual. The brand has always pursued to walk the oxymoronic line between nuance and boldness, and with this collection that line is getting even thinner. With the whole new sportswear approach added to the Hussein aesthetic we feel the brand has found new angles to continue to be on point and persists in being the most promising name in menswear coming from the Netherlands. We look where Olaf will take his brand in the near future! [ Continue reading ]
It are exciting times for cycling enthousiasts like ourselves. Although it is no secret what some of our favorite brands out there are, we are keen to see many new - elegant - initiatives making the field more and more interesting. Where maybe 10 years ago the focus was still solely on performance, many of the new names are finding ways to combine essentials for racing with an appealing aesthetic. One of those new names which we discovered recently is WarsawCycling. The young French brand was brought forth from the union of ex-bike messenger, Sven and designer, Charlotte, who both believe in prioritizing aesthetics and quality in the production of their apparel, by designing eye-catching gear that is crafted to resist the elements. Born from a desire to create garments in which one will feel comfortable and unique when riding -whether it’s in a competition or when commuting - WarsawCycling's designs embrace an alternative approach to cycling culture and sports, inspired by bike messenger life, track bike criteriums, runway fashion and underground culture. [ Continue reading ]
Today Acne Studios has launched another incredible project. After 'Snowdown Blue' in 2012 they now present 'Peter Schlesinger Sculpture', a monograph about the work of renowned artist Peter Schlesinger, accompanied by a capsule collection of silk pyjamas that has evolved directly from the work. Through his numerous collaborations with Acne Paper, a friendship has grown between Schlesinger and Acne Studios Creative Director Jonny Johansson and together they developed the idea of doing a book, with photographs by Eric Boman, Schlesinger’s partner of 40 years. The limited edition book contains a pictorial history of more than 150 of Schlesinger’s work, dating from the late 1980s to present day. It is lavishly produced in Sweden on Japanese paper and bound in rustic cloth. Alongside the book, an exclusive collection of pyjamas, a favorite garment of Schlesinger’s, has been designed by Jonny Johansson based on prints drawn by the artist. The collection is produced in the finest silk printed in colours inspired by his ceramic glazes. [ Continue reading ]
When looking back on the last ten years in fashion, there has been one brand in particular that has been consistently performing at the highest level - successfully claiming the position of pushing the envelope, both through their collections as in their communication. A role which seemed rather unlikely when Jonny Johansson and his friends Tomas Skoging, Jesper Kouthoofd and Mats Johansson founded ACNE in 1996 to create a line of jeans for friends and family. The Stockholm-based company produced its first full collection in 1998, and became a separate entity - as Acne Studios - in 2006. Always making bold choices both in their creations as in the new leading endeavors which were started, with the 'Acne Paper' project having a major influence on ourselves. Last week, 19 years after its foundation Acne Studios continues to expand its collections by introducing its first complete eyewear collection, with a focus on color and shape for both frames and lenses - in signature Acne style. Seven styles have just debuted in the 29 Acne Studios stores worldwide, making it another constructive move for the brand to stay on top in the next decade. [ Continue reading ]
We continue our stay in the beautiful city of Antwerp - after the latest A Magazine - where about a month ago the second 'Dries van Noten Inspirations' exhibition opened for the public in the MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp. Last summer we wrote about the first Dries van Noten Inspirations exhibition in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and in February a new extraordinary peek in the mind of the Antwerp Six designer was completed in his hometown. In similar fashion as in Paris, Dries Van Noten takes the spectator on a new intimate journey into his artistic universe, revealing the singularity of his creative process which he illustrates with his various and numerous sources of inspiration captured in themes. One receives an eye opening experience into the creative space within van Noten’s mind - through photographs, videos, film clips, musical references, as well as artworks by renowned artists that have triggered the designer’s imagination throughout his life and career. The new exhibition shows some of the old themes from Paris, but feels like an all new exhibition, with a little more focus as the exhibition space is a little smaller - making it possibly an even more impressive fashion exhibition than our favorite of last year. [ Continue reading ]
Recently we became familiar with the Barcelona-based Gabriela Coll Garments. The interesting new project by the Spanish Gabriella Coll focuses on the way of dressing and the value of garments, while working through Series. Each Series is the result of concrete imagery, they do not follow any season or have a fixed number of pieces, and are always permanent. Serie No. 1 is composed of 15 pieces: consisting of garments for men and women, bags, accessories and footwear, marked by the transcendence of time, the way they sit on the body and the nobility of the materials – with everything, from the accessories to the clothes being hand-made. In many ways the project reminds us strongly - aesthetically, in the communication as in the motivations - of the now defunct Maison Martin Margiela or Ines Kaag's Bless, but a wise man once said that originality died with the eruption of the internet, making Gabriela Coll Garments in our eyes a perfect example of a great new interpretation of existing ideas, very much in line with the current zeitgeist. [ Continue reading ]
We have written about the brand by Of and With Studios named Ætt before, when they were responsible for a collection of beautiful leather bags crafted from the last batch of leathers ever tanned on the Norwegian Osterøy Island. Last month they launched another highly fascinating project - as always routinely looking at history for inspiration. And few historical stories are more heroic and impressive than that of a group of young Norwegian men during the critical stages of World War II. In February 1943 a small group of Norwegian commandos were responsible for halting production of Hitler's attempt to create an atomic bomb. Without any casualties, the team managed to destroy the entire inventory of heavy water produced during the German occupation. The operation, titled Operation Gunnerside was later evaluated by Special Operations Executive as the most successful act of sabotage in all of World War II. Inspired by this heroic operation and to honor the 70-year anniversary of the liberation of Norway, Ætt created the Operation Heim collection - a very limited series of the British WWII era windproof smocks, the jacket which was issued to the dedicated brave men of the resistance; commandos and SOE agents who fought alongside local resistance. [ Continue reading ]
We are only in the second month of the new year and there is already an important new Tenue de Nîmes collaboration to be celebrated in 2015. It all started last October, when the legendary Tricker's shoe store in London at 67 Jeremy Street was visited for the very first time, to start the process of the creation of a series of Tricker's x Tenue de Nîmes shoes. Barely four months later, a first collection is ready, consisting of three genuine Tricker's classic pieces inspired by the rich history of the English shoe brand that was established in 1829. The classic models were given an elegant translation fitting in the Tenue universe, resulting in a collection to be proud of, created for everyone who's enjoying the good things in life. [ Continue reading ]
There are no tougher tests for road racing garments than in the professional peloton, where any minor flaw or problem is amplified by all-out efforts and extreme conditions. Tested and developed by the riders of Team Sky, the Rapha Pro Team collection was born, and has been proven in, the highest level of competition. The most striking visual feature of the just released Spring/Summer 2015 Pro Team collection is the so called Data Print, a collaboration that creates graphic art from the science of modern road racing. London-based design studio Accept & Proceed used the ride data from the three weeks of a Team Sky rider’s grand tour to produce a unique graphic. Charting the story of each stage, the resulting print is made up of precisely scaled chevrons mapping the rider’s distance, elevation gain and effort, making it one of the boldest collections by Rapha till date, without losing the elegance which continues to set the brand apart from the peloton. [ Continue reading ]
With the release of the imagery for the Ø L Å F cap one of the most promising names in Dutch fashion at this very moment, Olaf Hussein, presents the first sneak peek at the new upcoming Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection, which was shot on location in Los Angeles by photographer Violette Esmeralda. While at first the waterproof fabric creates a clean and technical aesthetic, the branded velcro strap shows another side to this headwear piece as a clear sign to become part of the street style in Amsterdam and beyond. With its nuanced bolder look, the Ø L Å F cap has set the tone for what’s to come, which seems to be another ambitious move forward for the Amsterdam-based label. As the cap is created from a waterproof rubber fabric, the Ø L Å F cap, at first sight, stands for the familiar clean aesthetic, but at the same time evokes curiosity how technical innovations continue to become part of the collection, which were first to be found within last year's first full range by the label. As for the cap, as stated by our friend Olaf himself: wear it as you please, as long as it’s on your head. We highly anticipate the actual collection by the hard working Olaf and his team. [ Continue reading ]
The Amsterdam-based fashion project Black Rabbit fascinates us profoundly. The story behind the project is both romantically intriguing and proof of a relentless love for collecting and exquisite eye for quality. The story starts with one of the founders, Leo Velimir Brancovich, visiting Mongolia about 20 years ago. There he met a teenage boy, who eventually agreed to trade his unusual earth colored trench-coat for the spotless NATO parka Brankovich was wearing. That mysterious coat remained with Leo for the next eighteen years. He was very intrigued by it, but a rectangular label on the inside pocket was the only thing to identify where it had come from. The label bore the initials “БЯ” in cyrillic script and between these two glyphs was placed the roman numeral “III” on a deep red-brown vertical band. In the following years Brancovich started searching for more garments and found six more of these exceptional and mysterious garments. In his quest he also met fellow-collectors, of whom Taro from Tokyo played an important role by introducing him to a lady living in Casablanca and her much larger Series III collection, stored in an 1970‘s brick villa near Avignon. These two collections, of Taro and the lady from Avignon, proved to be the foundations of the Black Rabbit project to reissue these captivating garments. The group’s name - Black Rabbit - is a homage to the mysterious “БЯ” initials - the only feature common to all of the original Series III source garments Brancovich and his partners have so far discovered. [ Continue reading ]
There are a lot of new developments going on within the world of Kitsuné, with the all-new Condorcet store and Café Kitsuné opening its doors for the first time tomorrow, and more interesting projects to follow later in the year. Yesterday, in the midst of all these exciting new developments, Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, the minds behind the brand, also presented a new seasonal collection and it is another win. With the just released Autmn/Winter 2015 collection Maison Kitsuné pays tribute to the mysterious soul and beauty of South Korea. For their latest collection, the brand utilizes a series of sophisticated cuts and details for men. Luxurious, refined and textured fabrics are boldly combined in the season's patterns - houndstooth, stripes, checkered prints - play with the contrasting effects. We particularly love the illustration by South Korean talent Daehyun Kim on one of the t-shirts. In a palette of neutral colors, as always - black, grey and an array of blues - which are offset by pale shades of beige and illuminated with dashes of red and silver, make it one of the strongest collections by Maison Kitsuné ever, still showing growth which will very likely cary the brand even further then where it is at this point. [ Continue reading ]
On the 24th of January inspirational force Maison Kitsuné will take up residence at number 68 rue Condorcet (9th arrondissement) in hometown Paris. Listed on the Inventory of Historical Monuments, the building in which the boutique will house was built in 1862 by the French architect Viollet-le-Duc. Conceived by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, of DIMORESTUDIO, the 70 m² venue welcomes both the men's and women's collections as well as a Café Kitsuné. Inspired by the universe of Maison Kitsuné and by a shared passion for detail and the mixing up of genres, DIMORESTUDIO unveils a warm and functional space where complimentary colours and textures, simple lighting and materials, symmetrical lines and volumes are core concepts. Shades of lapis blue and carmine red are given pride of place; the walls, floor and doorways are swathed in a satiny aluminium. Tables are rendered from stratified wood, blue and ivory, while the chairs in the Café Kitsuné are finished with amaranth fur. The all-dominating wood, in a variety of species and dimensions, has been recuperated and re-modelled to measure, creating an elegant environment in perfect Kitsuné style. We can't wait to visit! [ Continue reading ]
Berlin-based Lunettes Kollektion translates iconic frames from fashion history to create modern classics. Designer and founder, Uta Geyer’s, philosophy stems from the concept of honoring the past while living in the now. As child of an artistic family Geyer regularly tagged along with her sculptor father on trips through thousands of museums and historical buildings, training her eye for shape and form. In 2006, Geyer opened the Lunettes Selection store in Berlin, which quickly gained a large following. Lunettes also developed as a go-to source for theater, television, and film productions, as well as fashion shoots, and its global following grew among those in-the-know thanks to Geyer’s online shop. In 2009 Geyer opened a second Lunettes Selection shop and launched the premier collection for Lunettes Kollektion, blending a fashion-forward thinking with the annals of style. Recent collaborations with rising names in fashion like Louise Gray, James Long, ODEEH, Christopher Shannon and Michael van der Ham show the brand's deep connection with the best European design, promising a lot for the future. Make sure to keep an eye on the brand. [ Continue reading ]
Continuing where two of the most inspirational forces in fashion, T-Michael and Alexander Helle of one of our favorite outerwear brands; Bergen-based Norwegian Rain, left off last winter with the beautiful The Arctic Coat Collection, they now present the Autumn/Winter styles for 2015. As always purveying the ethos of the brand: creating some of the most functional outerwear on the market without compromising on style, with the extraordinary hi-tech elements hidden within the elegant designs with avant-garde touches. For the new beautiful seasonal imagery the brand teamed up with regular collaborator, photographer Bent René Synnevaag who joined forces with Japanese stylist Kanako B Koga, in a clean series portraying a collective of Japanese common men and a woman wearing the immaculate coats on typical locations for the Land of the Rising Sun, which has formed an important inspiration for the brand both aesthetically as in the exquisite level of craftsmanship. [ Continue reading ]
The New York City-based fashion label Engineered Garments showcases its incredible sub-label Workaday in this editorial that was brought to our attention at the end of October by Inventory and still is one of our favorite outings of this year. The extraordinary editorial was launched by the mother company of Engineered Garments and label Needles, the highly inspirational Japan and USA-based collective/stores Nepenthes, and shows the intrinsic skill and style of the regularly contributing highly talented Japanese photographer JIMA once again, portraying the workwear-heavy line along familiar themes. Workadays has a strong focus on jackets and work pants, or maybe even better referred to as uniforms, which are offered in military greens and shades of blue. Overall the collection boasts boxy silhouettes similar to ’60s USMC uniforms, contrast shades are used across patch pockets and trouser panels can be observed on the bottoms. The editorial shows the pieces on a group of classical looking men strolling around The Big Apple in an aesthetic reminding strongly of the great street-photographers like Louis Faurer and Garry Winogrand, combined with the cool of filmmakers like Jim Jarmusch and Jean-Luc Godard. Highly inspirational! [ Continue reading ]
In August of this year our friend Sergei Sviatchenko took his Close Up And Private project, which we've appreciated from the very beginning, to a new level by starting Private Classicist. The new label which roots deeply in the vision created through Close Up And Private aims to create a solid range of classic menswear items that verges on pushing the boundaries of current minimalist fashion towards the classic style championed by Sergei himself and his work by collaborating with an international rage of heritage brands and skilled craftsmen. When Private Classicist was introduced at the last Copenhagen Fashion Week, Sergei created a tie and belt. Last week the third staple piece was released in the form of a limited edition t-shirt marked undeniably with the letters CUAP in kobalt blue or white. Inspired by the shirt worn by Paul McCartney on the cover of the US edition of the HELP album and on the other hand Teruyoshi Hayashida's 'Take Ivy' photo trip through Ivy League universities in 1965, the t-shirt forms another elegant step towards a complete Private Classicist wardrobe. [ Continue reading ]
In 2009 Paul Smith opened this incredible store in Seoul, South-Korea, which still is one of the most interesting designs we've seen in a long time. Considering the fact that the store is located in Seoul's densely built Gangnam-gu district, Paul Smith has succeeded gracefully in making a lasting imprint within the urban environment. The extraordinary shape of the building is open to all interpretations, depending on the unique perspective of each customer or even by-passer. The suggested figure, intended to create different stories depending on people`s perspectives and interpretations, was actually the result of a design that was constrained by legal regulations and the ever-demanding Paul Smith, who at times must have driven the architects, Chanjoong Kim of the Kyung Hee University and Taek Hong of The__System Lab, insane by being just as demanding as the state's strict rules. The result is nonetheless or because of these extremely difficult preconditions an incredible building, reminding of the work of the master Antoni Gaudí or even the Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout. Unfortunately the store is now closed, but its beauty and story remain. [ Continue reading ]
Although we celebrate his overal tasteful vision and have been following Erik Schedin since the beginning of Another Something & Company, the Swedish designer is most known for his iconic minimalist sneaker, of which the first sketch was made in his final year at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Last year he, together with Comme des Garçons Shirt, celebrated the 10 year existence of his sneaker with a special edition, which recently was also released in a black colorway. But there was much more we loved in these last years, in which Erik ran one of the most exciting and elegant minimal webstores to be found on the internet. He for instance collaborated with Tegnässkidan AB to re-create their classical ski model Rajd and Schedin was the first one to reintroduce the first ever designed Gore-Tex boot, the Danner Light to the European market. We now ask Erik what has been inspirational for him in all these years in which he consistently was an inspiration for us. [ Continue reading ]
Since the beginning of this year we have been working on some new, very exciting projects, among which is a little trip into the world of optics. A discipline far too complex to enter without proper experience, therefore we’ve combined forces with our good friend Bijan Azami, who has 33 years of experience under his belt. The last 12 years of this period he has been running Azami Optiek in the Dutch city of The Hague. In this period Bijan and his team at Azami have been passionate about finding those glasses that perfectly reflect the personality of the person wearing it. Every frame sold at Azami Optiek is custom made or selected to accentuate the contours of one’s face to perfection with designs that powerfully express inner and outer beauty, through the immaculate combination of craftsmanship and fashion. [ Continue reading ]
STYLED is an editorial series produced by the creative team of British high-end webstore OKI-NI in collaboration with a range of guest talent; from celebrated fashion editors, publications and stylists. It aims to serve a wearable presentation of looks pulled from the webstore's pristine selection ranging from luxury to more avant-garde brands. For the final STYLED of Autumn/Winter 2014, the creative team reflected on the eye catching key pieces of this season. Key player in this creative collaboration is the talented London-based creative director Josh Hight, who was responsible for the photography and art work. Styling was done by OKI-NI's own fashion editor Samuel Smith. The remarkable series concluding the still running season was named 'REMEMBER' and features characteristic showpieces including Valentino's meticulously-crafted Eagle overcoat and the one of a kind Raf Simons / Sterling Ruby hand-bleached denim jacket, all framed against a industrial concrete and iron backdrop, tied together through collage and infused with written text and abstract images, making it one of our favorite editorial outings of this season; a perfect fit for the best pieces of Autumn/Winter 2014. [ Continue reading ]
In this first chapter of a little series together with the fine tailors of Utrecht- and Amsterdam-based New Tailor, we're exploring some of the perfect garments offered by the tailoring house. Recently a whole new horizon was opened to us, when we were lucky enough to obtain one of their immaculate bespoke pieces; a perfect black jacket, which overshadows any other jacket we have worn before. Our perfect black jacket was cut from an extraordinary cloth produced by the famous Fox Brothers, who own one of the few working cloth mills still producing cloth entirely in England. Many Fox fabrics are exclusively developed for fashion designers, while other styles are inspired by the extensive Fox archives. The cloth used for the perfect black jacket is a pretty heavy one, weighing about 370 grams. After weaving the cloths is cleaned, shaved and then brushed in such a way that you get the perfect flannel. The jacket looks tremendous and is extraordinary to wear. Moreover everybody wants to touch the jacket due to its extreme softness, giving a natural warmth and making us not want to wear anything else, anymore. [ Continue reading ]