Raoul Spring/Summer 2011

Michelangelo Antonioni’s “The Passenger” (1975)

“Antonioni’s most beautiful cinematic canvas and certainly one of the most stunning visual voyages ever filmed.”

– Paul D. Zimmerman, Newsweek Magazine

For spring/summer 2011, RAOUL continues its cinematic odyssey by drawing inspiration from another great movie classic, Michelangelo Antonioni’s “The Passenger,” featuring the sexy, confident, rugged Jack Nicholson and the enigmatic, willowy Maria Schneider.

The movie sets the scene for the collection, reflecting the sophisticated, confident and languid style of an independent and chic traveler set against the backdrop of exotic locations reminiscent of Northern Africa and the South of France.

There is a hint of a ‘70s vintage, a languorous mood that evokes a feeling of a suspension of time, of long summer days and the romance of travel, translated into chic but practical, almost utilitarian and carefree weekend styles that one can travel, work and play in.

The RAOUL man is rugged, suave and confident in a range of modern, fitted styles suitable for the stylish wanderer who indulges in carefree expeditions, yachting or overland trips to exotic sunny locales. The collection is masculine with a light and refreshing colour palette, a touch of unexpected details like dual-color slim plackets, and an emphasis on subtlety and quality.

Fresh additions this season include safari style drawstring jackets, extra slim-fit twill-stretch pants, lightweight reversible seersucker jackets, liberty print shirts, contemporary fit linen pants, knit cotton casual polo tee worn with low rise slim-leg shorts, motorcycle denim jackets with utility pockets, denim jeans in both classic and skinny fit, pants made with slightly worn out yet crisp canvas fabric, black long-sleeved shirt with white tipping on collar and cuffs paired with navy slim-cut shorts.

A new emphasis was made to offer quality, well-cut suits in styles and colours for a man with a more discerning tastes—a light slim fitting pink suit worn with a light coloured shirt; a caramel suit worn with a cream shirt with brown placket and slim brown belt; pastel coloured linen jackets with leather wrapped buttons and patch pockets; summer-weight suits in 100% wool.

See the entire collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Raoul.

Jaeger London Spring/Summer 2011

Jaeger London’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection marries fine tailoring in a modern silhouette with new-season prints and bold shades. Inspirations include early Alain Delon films, Pop Art and Surrealism.

Elegant slim-line tailoring is cut from a new contemporary suit block. Shirts feature graphic patterns with a hint of Roy Lichtenstein.

The collection is infused with an interesting mix of textures and fabrics, from Aertex knits through to paperweight chino-style suiting.

Trompe-l’oeil effects feature throughout and engineered shirting and suiting see historic patterns grading into one another.

Colour Palette
Midnight, Rose, Porcelain, Cornflower, Smoke, Silver, Tan, Sunburst, Jade, Burgundy, Khaki.

See more shots here.

Photos & text Copyright Jaeger London.

“The Art of DE” by Adrien Sauvage

Wednesday 22nd September - Adrien Sauvage premiered his first short film 'The Art of DE' at LFW SS11's Menswear Day.

“Here is the designer. Here is Adrien Sauvage. He is twenty-seven years of age. Currently
he is retired, the art of DE allowing him the leisure of never having to wake before twelve.”



The Art of DE
A Film By A. Sauvage
Narrated By Larry Lamb
Directed by: Adrien Sauvage, Jon Clements, Chris Gaunt
Written By Adrien Sauvage & Madeleine Morlet
Courtesy Starworks London.

Shake Appeal: All the Young Dudes

Bangkok-based label, Shake Appeal, has just released the autumn/winter 2010 collection.

Entitled “All the Young Dudes,” the collection translates the humor, happiness, and sadness of Wes Anderson’s film.

Shake Appeal was founded by Thai designer Chanachai Ohpanayikool after having graduated from Istituto Marangoni.

View the entire collection here.

Photos Copyright Shake Appeal.

CAMO Country Collections Spring/Summer 2011

“Country” as Land, Nation, Countryside
and also Traditions and Origins.
This collection tells about the tight link between who we are
and where we come from: the Motherland
as language, civilization and customs.
A deep look to our roots to follow our
nature and become what we are.

CAMO Country Collections Spring/Summer 2011 by Stefano Ughetti draws inspiration from 2 sources: first, the Italian film “L’albero degli zoccoli” by Ermanno Olmi and, second, from studying books like “Lassù gli ultimi” and “Fame d’erba” by Gianfranco Bini.

Photo & slideshow 2011 s/s “Country”collection Copyright Camo.

DSQUARED² Spring/Summer 2010 Goes Live!

Last week I posted several articles on DSQUARED², an avantguarde label from Canada that has spread quickly around the world.

Meanwhile, a video of the DSQUARED² Spring/Summer 2010 collection has just gone live!

Inspired by the thriller film “American Gigolò,” the collection presents a sexy range of exquisite taste in men’s clothing.

Rather than allowing today’s gentleman to fall into a frumpy, degenerate state like the protagonist in the 1980 film, DSQUARED² redeems his honor and without an alibi!

Video Copyright DSQUARED².

Photo Copyright DSQUARED², Courtesy Fashion Times.

Domenico Vacca, Al Pacino & “Son of No One”

Domenico Vacca has dressed an entourage of Hollywood actors and stars since launching his label eight years ago.

Collaborating with renowned costume designers, he has created the wardrobe of leading roles in films like “the Inside Man,” “Stranger than Fiction,” “American Gangster,” and more.

No wonder, Domenico Vacca has became the Oscar designer of choice on several occasions.

Carrying on the sartorial tradition, Domenico Vacca will be dressing Al Pacino, a detective, in the new movie “Son of No One” directed by Dito Montiel.

Planned for release in 2011, the film deals with a cop who, working in a precinct where he grew up, must confront an old secret that could destroy his life.

Domenico Vacca comes from a line of talented stylists: his grandmother was recognized as one of the finest in Southern Italy.

In 2002, Domenico and his wife Julie launched what many consider “the Ferrari of Italian Fashion.”

100 tailors and 250 seastress piece Domenico Vacca collections by hand in Naples, Italy.

Now, Domenico resides in the US with his wife and son.

Photo Copyright Domenico Vacca.

Asger Juel Larsen & the Futuristic Man

As many of you may know, the insurance giant Lloyds of London, which is housed in the Lloyds Building of East London, was designed by Richard Rogers.

What’s fascinating about the building is that the stairs, elevators, water pipes, and electrical work are all placed on the outside the structure, leaving the inside totally unencumbered.

Danish-born designer, Asger Juel Larsen, reminisces of Rogers’ innovation with his 2010 autumn/winter collection, which he then associates with the armament designed for Julie Taymor’s film, Titus.

Continuing to add to our wintry protection, Asger draws from the outer defences of riding uniforms, fencing helmets, bicycle equipment of the 70’s and 80’s, and horseshoes.

Bolstering a hyper-imaginative sci-fi image, the collection’s materials consist of synthetic rubber, PVC, neoprene, and quilted leather.

The collection of exaggerations and contrasts finally culminates in the flip glasses of the early 90’s.

For further reading on Asger, proceed to the following article:
Knights in Armor by Asger Juel Larsen

Photo & slideshow Copyright Asger Juel Larsen.

Messaggerie: the First Still Night in Rimini

Valerio Zurlini’s movie“The First Still Night” (1972) comes alive with the 2010 autumn/winter collection of Messagerie, designed by Patrizio Piscaglia, who revisits his roots back in the Seventies of wintry Rimini.

One of the most famous seaside resorts on the Adriatic Coast of Italy, Rimini is unpretentious and typical of mild winters with rainier days, grayer skis, and a more deserted seaside than in summer.

Home to a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre, bridge, and arch, Rimini has been a hub of seaside life for millenia—and there is still plenty of life in the center!

From loneliness to restlessness, Patrizio bonds with his coastal land through the creation of an emblematic garment. The matted knitted coats in this collection, characterized by so-called “circus cuts,” display some wear but they are mended; they are rough yet refined.

The color palette spans all the shades of grey, brown, army green, black, mud, Siena brown, wine, ad blue. The materials abound in an assortment of wools, cottons, and leathers.

The first still night—la prima notte di quiete—all men will be free!



For additional reading on Messaggerie, please refer to my previous article:
San Marino: Still Paving the Way

Photo & slideshow 2010 autumn/winter collection Copyright by Messagerie.

“The Age of Innocence” Meets “Gangs of New York” with Timo Weiland

Academy Award-winning film for Best Costume Design, the Age of Innocence (1993) was based on the 1920 novel written by Pulitzer-prize winning novelist, Edith Wharton.

Set in the 1870’s, both novel and film depict the inner struggles of an affluent New York lawyer, who must decide to follow the dictates of his heart or incur society’s disdain for any departure from convention.

Directed by the same screenwriter, Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York (2002) was inspired by the 1928 nonfiction book written by Herbert Asbury.

Set in the 1800’s, the film tells a sanguineous tale of a young man’s revenge against someone who murdered his father in a clash between Manhattan gangs.

For fall/autumn 2010, co-designers Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein bring the two stories together in a magnificent collection of double-breasted suits, tailored button downs, and cut trench coats.

The Short

The Presentation

Photo & slideshow Copyright Timo Weiland.

"Portraits of Success" by Rembrandt

In 1968, filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-87) asserted, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”—a statement that Warhol continually rephrased over the decades.

The assertion, however, sprung from Warhol’s perception of how the media could make anyone famous for a moment, simply to dispose of the individual at will.

Surrounded by celebrities and superstars, Warhol could appreciate the fleeting nature of the 20th-century’s great icons and their capricious sense of styles.

Now, these images are echoed throughout the 2010 fall/winter collection of New Zealand label, Rembrandt, enabling every man to capture a moment of permanent success and project an enduring image of assurance, achievement, and confidence.



Photos & slideshow Copyright Rembrandt.

Nicole Farhi & the Talented Mr. Ripley

For those of you who love old movies, you are really going to enjoy the 2010 spring/summer collection of Nicole Farhi.

It all starts with the series of psychological novels written in the 1950’s by Patricia Highsmith about Tom Ripley, a young man who is struggling to make ends meet in New York City.

Based on the first novel, the Talented Mr. Ripley, French director René Clément produced a movie in 1960 entitled Plein Soleil (also known as Purple Moon, Blazing Sun, and Full Sun), which is full of adventure and sexual tension.

Hinting to the relaxed summer life of the Italian Riviera, Nicole Farhi draws on the epicurean styles of Alain Delon, who plays Tom Ripley with his rolled-up trousers and tilted panamas.

Nicole breaks up the suits of Delon with a selection of chinos and polo shirts, allowing the modern-day Ripleys to step away from formalwear of New York and enter the relaxation of Italian summers. Nicole designs the collection using a color palette of cobalt blue, white, and emerald green.

British designer Nicole Farhi has been combining her Turkish, French, and English heritage into luxurious tailoring for the past 27 years. Born in Nice, France, Nicole launched her eponymous label in London, in 1982.



Photo & slideshow Copyright Nicole Farhi.