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 ]
Last month, Albam, the classic British menswear brand which was founded in 2006 by Alastair Rae and James Shaw, released the imagery for the upcoming season, and instead of the usual lookbook approach they decided to create this clean cut series of portraits, which represents where the brand stands right now. Shot by longtime Albam collaborator and photographer, John Spinks, the portraits which were taken both in the Midlands, where John grew up, and in London, where Albam has stores in Soho, Shoreditch and Islington, aim to reveal the essence of what Albam is. Styling was done by Lynette Garland and art direction by Mark Tappin, the portraits, landscapes and still lives give a snap shot in to the relationship between Albam’s clothes and the wearer. It features normal people, friends or friends of friends of Albam, making them people, landscapes and objects that actually inspire Alastair and James instead of just people and places. [ Continue reading ]
We've been following the very talented Kharkiv, Ukraine-born and Denmark-based Sergei Sviatchenko since he stepped into the limelight about five years ago. This starting point was the foundation of Close Up and Private in 2009, Sergei's online art project in which he shared his collage-like photographic vision on style, which quickly rose to fame through both the created aesthetic as Sergei’s own impeccable style. Based on this fundament of Close Up and Private, Sergei recently decided to take his endeavors one step further, in a concept which features continuing collaborations with an international rage of heritage brands and skilled craftsmen. With the new project, named Private Classicist, Sergei 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 through his work. Being highly inspired by Sergei for all these years, today we can share some questions we've asked him to find out what inspires a master like him. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the new Australia-based headwear brand named Past Present, which was launched this summer in July, and is inspired by the name itself, merging the old school dapper of the past with the present day modern man. Pair that with the relaxed culture of its city of origin, Perth and you are left with an effortless range of premium headwear. Past Present’s first collection was a selection of five and six panel caps, focusing on quality materials and details. The materials used are a mixture of tweeds and wool sourced from Ireland and produced in New Zealand. Finding a common interest in quality and old school style, Past Present also collaborated with the famous Ebbets Field to create a six panel ballcap to help debut their first collection which shows great promise for the years to come. [ Continue reading ]
We are blown away by this extraordinary ready-to-wear collection by the Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, which she presented in Paris on September 30th of this year. For the collection van Herpen found inspiration in a visit to CERN's Large Hadron Collider, whose deadly magnetic field exceeds that of earth’s by 20.000 times, forming the essential spark and motif for the collection which she named Magnetic Motion. The designer, who often joins forces with like-minded artists from other fields then fashion collaborated with Canadian architect Philip Beesley and Dutch artist Jolan van de Wiel, which resulted in a dream team for the exploration of the boundaries between nature and technology and a simply stunning collection. [ Continue reading ]
Since the moment lifestyle brand GERTRUD & GEORGE came to our attention, we knew we wanted to find a way in seriously cooperating with such a like-minded brand. After a couple of months we found the right context and to our great pride GERTRUD & GEORGE became the main collaborator of Our Current Obsessions Nº 1 – NOIR. The inspirational brand is the brainchild of the very gifted Nick F. Cerutti. Founded in 2001 to serve bespoke and semi-bespoke purposes prominently in Japan to begin with, GERTRUD & GEORGE nurtures an intrinsic sense of equilibrium between aesthetics, function and execution in order to conceive pristine high-end goods. Since 2011 Nick and his partner Mathieu Annen have shifted their focus towards accessories and bags, which resulted in a perfect jet-black line named The Esquire Suite, consisting of 7 models which come in three different sizes and varying river buffalo grains and depths. Being highly inspired by Nick's tremendous history, his current work with GERTRUD & GEORGE and his overall vision, we've asked him some questions on his inspirations in life. [ Continue reading ]
Although there are very little unlikely combinations of brands left in this postmodern collaboration-, and brand-crazy period we live in; this capsule collection featuring the most famous of all Walt Disney's creatures, in forms one hardly sees it, created by Danish label Wood Wood, thoroughly fascinates us. Seeing the original black and white Mickey Mouse in these surrealistic forms, as if he's depicted while visiting a house of mirrors, gives a whole new image to Disney's price mouse, almost like it reveals the craziness that lays behind his everyday, ever-friendly persona we usually see him in. The capsule collection will be launched next Monday, the 20th of October, in Parisian Colette, after which a select group of retailers worldwide will bring you this sharp contemporary streetwear collection boasting the twisted Mickeys two week later. [ Continue reading ]
Rapha has just released its imagery for the upcoming winter and we really like it. The new seasonal winter collection caters to all weather conditions with a broad selection of garments, perfectly tailored for everything from early autumn which will bring the rain to the Netherlands to the upcoming winter, which is set to be cold, wet and frosty. The pieces we really like include returning items like the rainproof hard- and softshell jackets, jerseys which show new and advanced moisture-wicking and warmth-retention capabilities and a perfect line of base layers. Accessories include cycling caps with an all new Pro Team Winter hat, neck warmers, gloves and more. You will be ready for everything with this cycling collection. [ Continue reading ]
We are major New York City-based ISAORA fans since we found out about their extraordinary rainwear collection, which was released earlier this year. The brand was founded by the very talented Ricky Hendry (pictured left) and Marc Daniels who both were itching to start a new venture in spite of the rather downward economical circumstances when they began in 2009. Although it certainly wasn't an easy road, in 2013 Ricky and Marc were the winners of the Council on Fashion Designers’ Incubator, “designed to support the next generation of fashion designers in New York City,” signifying both designers’ strong drive and will to succeed in finding strong intrinsic roots to let their brand grow, which was also noticed by the CFDA. In its starting years the brand was sold at high-end boutiques like Barney's New York and Opening Ceremony, but since two seasons they sell directly to its customer online, with this season as a significant marking point, with the different collections clearly arranged under the monikers Movebetter, Trainbetter, Feelbetter, Staywarmbetter and the extraordinary Staydrybetter collection. Being highly inspired by Ricky and Marc's beautiful products and bold approach we've asked Ricky a couple of question in order to find out what inspires him, both in the past, his work, and in every-day life. [ Continue reading ]
Since last June Nike has been opening very inspirational new consumer destinations in 6 major cities all over the globe and online named named NikeLab. The new outlet is a place to showcase how Nike interacts and collaborates with other innovators as part of its larger journey of exploration. It will present a curated collection defined by product never before imagined paired with new variations of existing performance styles. Among the first line of new products presented within the new framework is an all new beautiful Nike Gyakusou line for the holiday season of 2014. Mirroring designer Jun Takahashi’s progressively more serious approach to running, this collection exponentially combines top Nike Running and Research Lab innovations with the designer’s athletic insights, which resulting in a collection combining its signature sharp aesthetic with the latest innovations in performance wear: we love it! [ Continue reading ]
Eleven-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater has just released the name and first imagery of his new, and highly promising looking, ready-to-wear brand named Outerknown. The name Outerknown references the furthest reaches of our knowledge today. It challenges the people behind the brand to build better, more sustainable products. It asks to lift the lid on the supply chain bringing the consumer along on our journey to transparency. Slater has put together a world-class team that includes co-founder John Moore as Creative Director overseeing product and marketing. Moore has collaborated with Slater in the past, and was recently named as one of GQ’s best new menswear designers of the year for 2014. [ Continue reading ]
We are extremely proud to elaborately present lifestyle brand GERTRUD & GEORGE: the main collaborator in the very first Our Current Obsession named NOIR. The brand which is the brainchild of the very gifted Nick F. Cerutti, is a tribute to Gertrude Stein and George Sand, whose lives and respective bodies of work never ceased to redefine the art of writing and one's perception of gender. Founded in 2001 to serve bespoke and semi-bespoke purposes prominently in Japan to begin with, GERTRUD & GEORGE nurtures an intrinsic sense of equilibrium between aesthetics, function and execution in order to conceive pristine high-end goods. Since 2011 Nick and his partner Mathieu Annen have shifted their focus towards accessories and bags, which resulted in a perfect jet-black line named The Esquire Suite, consisting of 7 models which come in three different sizes and varying river buffalo grains and depths. [ Continue reading ]
On the 29th of August a new inspirational Culture CHANEL exhibition opened, the successor of the exhibition in Paris last year, this time in the highly impressive Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Korea. Each of the exhibition's ten sequences, which were curated by Jean-Louis Froment, acts as a particular landmark in Mademoiselle Chanel's life story. More than 500 pieces including photographs, books, objects, manuscripts, archives and artworks along with fashion, jewelry, watch and perfume creations retrace the life story of the legendary designer who left an enduring mark on her time. In a stunning and therefore very fit context the exhibition retraces the fascinating adventures of the designer and her brand whose language undeniably still is synonymous with modernity and creativity. [ Continue reading ]
We've been following the Dubai-based Brownbook Magazine for quite some years now and are super inspired by their totally unique perspective on lifestyle, which is oftenly imitated in the West but rarely shows the authenticity one only finds at the source. Last month, for the third time, they released their annual Fashion Directory which again is of the highest standard. The 2014 issue focusses on The Wedding. From a tribal beauty competition in Niger to an alfresco shaving ceremony in Turkey, beautiful photography and illustrations delve into the culture, customs and accessories of 10 of the most stylish weddings from past and present. One discovers the stories of recent brides and grooms, whether a henna night in Canada or a Muslim wedding in China, everything with an in-depth anthropological slant and beautifully designed. [ Continue reading ]
After we wrote about the first steps of Amsterdam-based denim label Olaf Hussein at the end of last year, a lot of work has been done by Olaf and his team. They presented their new collection during last Amsterdam Fashion Week and received a lot of rightful positive feedback after participating in the major fashion fairs. With their new collection Hussein en co put the mod back in modern; drawing inspiration from the stylish young men of the late fifties and implementing that within an updated appearance. Nevertheless from their clean aesthetics, to their razor sharp tailoring, traces of the mods can still be found throughout the entire line, mixed with contemporary details like bonded fabrics, drawstring hems and seams sealing tape; Olaf lifts the classic look to the current modern standards. The collection shows character and depth marking a serious step in the right direction for the Olaf Hussein brand, promising great things for the future. [ Continue reading ]
We haven't been writing about our friends from Copenhagen for a little while, but we absolutely love the new imagery for Libertine-Libertine's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, which is again of the highest standard. With this lookbook the Danish label of Rasmus Bak, Pernille Schwarz and Peter Munch Ovesen returns aesthetically to its punk roots, very much in line with the great monochromatic imagery for last in-season 'Black Moon' collection. As always the collection combines a street-ready sensibility and dapper cut and sew designs; consisting of returning items like bomber jackets, parkas, button-up shirts in different prints and colors, with the 'Trasher,' 'Gung-ho' and 'Mosh' patterns as signatures for this season's collection. The images were shot by regular collaborator, photographer Sacha Maric and art directed by the Copenhagen-based studio Ironflag. [ Continue reading ]
Once again our friend Sergei Sviatchenko returns with a very interesting project. After starting Close Up and Private in 2009 as an online art project in which he shared his collage-like photographic vision on style, it quickly rose to fame for both this created aesthetic as Sergei's own impeccable style, which gained him personally a lot of rightful attention. Based on this fundament of Close Up and Private, Sergei now decided to take his endeavors one step further, in a concept which features continuing collaborations with an international rage of heritage brands and skilled craftsmen. With the new project, named Private Classicist, Sergei 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. [ Continue reading ]
We are highly fascinated by the story of Pietà, a fashion label born in a prison of Lima, Peru. At the start of the project only one prison of Lima was involved, but at this point it successfully developed to two other prisons, two male-only and one female-only prison. Each Pietà collection is entirely produced in these prisons without any external help. Even the lookbooks are shot with models who have nowhere to go but inside the prison walls. Next to producing appealing collections, Pietà also allows inmates, often left to their own devices, to independently generate an income and develop their skills allowing for a faster rehabilitation. Every single Pietà piece is created in the fashioning, knitting, and leather workshops of the different prisons where the prisoners produce the garments, which are signed by the craftsman, making one wonder about what story lays behind every single piece. [ Continue reading ]
Last week the official release of the first collaboration between Tenue de Nîmes and our friend Jason Denham was finally here. With combined forces a special Double Dutch limited edition varsity sweatshirt was created. Triggered by vintage Japanese denim and chambray monogram fabrics, the Tenue de Nîmes ‘cross’ log is represented on the sweater alongside Jason's 'scissors’ and Amsterdam’s triple X logo as a tribute to Japanese textile. The sweatshirt’s design features a subtle twist that employs unconventional single-jersey gussets beneath the arms to increase comfort, movement and breathability. Overall spoken a clean, with subtle repeated grid pattern sweater was created for both men and women celebrating excellence in denim from Amsterdam. [ Continue reading ]
The Italy-based jewelry label Loha Vete, which was founded by Max Zubari in 2012, is inspired by crime, by taking this rather large associative concept and creating unique and beautifully crafted items in their italian atelier. We still particularly love their most recent, and possibly final, Autumn/Winter 2013 collection which includes a skeleton hand ashtray, a smashed glass bracelet and a bootlace knuckle duster. The equally striking lookbook depicts illustrated people wearing the jewelry, perfectly conveying an aesthetic connotated to crime, which was created by the Paris-based fashion designer and illustrator Evelina Romano. [ Continue reading ]
The Basques, living in the south of France and the north of Spain, believe that in the olden days, during transhumance, the sheperds’ wives used to give their husbands an undergarment that was endowed with the power to protect them from the harshness of nature’s elements. The new fashion brand Hemen Biarritz, 'hemen' means 'here' in Basque language, managed to revive the genuine savoir-faire and the high-quality textiles that built the reputation of this legendary present. The idea for Hemen was sparked by this century-old tradition, but financing, as happens with so many great initiatives now a days, was found in a very modern fashion through Kickstarter. The brand designs underwear with personnality for the men of today. Inspired by the Basque country, its traditions, its history, its craft and culture, the strength and colors of the elements, all the products are designed in the famous surf city Biarritz, one of the more prominent cities of the Basque country, under the name Hemen Biarritz. [ Continue reading ]
Officially launched last May, the Singapore-based fashion brand MATTER is a socially motivated business focusing on affordable luxury, thoughtful design, and provenance to create travel wear with stories to tell. The first edition, Freedom, focussed only on pants, versatile pieces that are silk sumptuous yet cotton easy. Future editions will see this inaugural set of signature styles updated in different fabrics and print for the changing seasons. The mission of the brand is to inspire consumers to value provenance, to ask of the where and why something is made, and champion alternative production models for textile artisans to expand their economic freedom. [ Continue reading ]