Rembrandt—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Goldeneye”

“You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.” — Ian Fleming

As an intelligence officer at the British Naval Intelligence Division during World War II, the covert work of Ian Fleming provided the background for his spy novels, which featured the now infamous secret agent James Bond.

But it is Fleming’s retirement in the late 1950’s to Goldeneye, his estate in Saint Mary Parish Jamaica that provided the inspiration for the Summer 2010/11 collection from Rembrandt.

“Every person plans to run off to some tropical isle, but few do,” says Rembrandt designer Jonathan Hall. “Fleming had no limitations to making Jamaica his home; he purchased property, designed a house and set about doing paradise right,” he says. “The estate was like Fleming himself and everything I wanted this collection to be: simple, direct, filled with panache, character and elegance.”

Make a sartorial statement by choosing a lighter shade of suit in wool and silk, pure cotton or wool and mohair, many sourced from the finest Italian fabric mills. Slim silhouettes abound, completing the move from high fashion to mainstream menswear.

Ian Fleming lived a remarkably uncompromising life in a world full of compromises; in this same manner even starting price Rembrandt business shirts feature two-ply yarns and the seasons suiting cloths are largely Super 120’s quality and above.

Choose from a selection of elegant, sophisticated and innovative tailored jackets that run the gambit from modern to classic casual styles and prove that there is no need to sacrifice style and fit because you are dressing down. “The collection offers the perfect excuse for a man to wear a suit for pleasure instead of business,” says Hall.

For the first time, Rembrandt offers the waistcoat as a separate; dress it up with a Metropolis shirt and Kubrick trousers, or keep it relaxed with a Saddle shirt and Hoxton jeans. Compliment it all with Rembrandt’s range of leather goods and their new range of belts.

Casual classic belts are turned into sophisticated urban accessories, and like Fleming’s love of authentic detail feature oil lined or feathered-edge leather, solid Italian brass buckles, are made in New Zealand and come in a range of styles that every man should own.

All of this adds up to summer must haves essential for lounging in paradise, romancing women and chasing the sunset.

New Zealand 2010-11 Spring/Summer Series: (Remember, your winter may be Kiwi summer!)
Doosh—Spring/Summer 2010-11 in New Zealand: “Wild at Heart”
Elusiv—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Spirit”
Trix & Dandy —Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Dazed but Not Confused”
Wayward Heir—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “If I’m Alive, I’m Swinging”
21 Grams—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Sicker than your Average Bear”
Silverdale—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand

Photos 2010-11 s/s collection “Goldeneye” Courtesy Coco PR, Copyright Rembrandt.

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.

Rene Gurskov “Quiet Days in Clichy” for Spring/Summer 2011

Danish designer Rene Gurskov has just released his new 2011 spring/summer collection!

The title of the collection is “Quiet days in Clichy,” which is taken from American writer Henry Millers’ novel from 1956.

In the novel, Millers writes about the Bohemian life of an artist in place de la Clichy, Paris.

For the collection, therefore, Rene envisions an American writer and student going to Paris for the first time…

Rene takes from what he considers the best part of America; that is, “the freshness, the energy, the bright smile, and the lust for adventure,” about which Rene continues to write:

“The Americano mixed with old world decadence–Paris–place de la Clichy with its extreme mix of people and cultures.

X-rated clubs, Europe cheapest shops, loud women that are not always female, food from every hidden corner of the world, and the fabric stores...

An area where a sweet American can easily lose his focus!

In the collection, there is a mix of both worlds plus glimpses of most worlds.

A piece of stars and stripes remixed by Venezuelan art director Char Alfonzo in New York, mesh sweaters with an African stripe designed in Denmark.

Items are skirt like pants; linen jackets tied together, asymmetric tees, bowling shirts, boxer shorts and the biggest track pants. Enough pieces to dress up and be anything but quiet!”

Rene completes the look with paper glasses from Hong Kong designer Ron Wan.

See the collection here.



Photo & slideshow 2011 s/s collection, Copyright Incircus.

Caulfield Preparatory, a Classic Menswear Novel

J. D. Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye in 1951 about teenage confusion, rebellion, sexuality, belonging, and alienation. The hero of the novel, Holden Caulfield, has since emerged as an icon for teenage angst.

In the story, Holden Caulfield narrates his experiences after having been expelled from a preparatory school in New York.

Deeply inspired by the novel, graphic designer Vincent Flumiani established Caulfield Preparatory in Los Angeles, in 2009 as a fashionable protagonist that men could follow.

Collections are replete with luscious knit sweaters, graphic t-shirts, and more!

Caulfield Preparatory—a classic menswear novel.



Photo & slideshow 2010 autumn/winter collection, Copyright Caulfield Preparatory.

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.

The Shockheaded Peter Project by Christian Westphal

Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894) was a German physician and psychiatrist who wrote poetry and satirical comedy under nearly eight pen names.

His most memorable work was an illustrated collection of children’s verses entitled Der Struwwelpeter—that is, Shockheaded Peter, which can also translate as Slovenly Peter.

Danish designer Christian Westphal writes how he “looked at the old book from 1844,” which drew him into the world of “boogiemen, monsters, and angry adults.”

As he compared the images with ones similar to the Victorian world of theatrical illusion, Christian was inspired to create a spring/summer 2010 that would be depicted by “decadent and unusual elegance.”

The Shockheaded Peter Project Collection is designed to play on our fears of every creak in the night. Like the trap doors and secret entrances in the imaginative mind of a little child, the collection contains several levels of multi-dimensional surprises.

Androgynous in direction, crisp in color, poetic in construction, and geometric in cuts—the collection modernizes our concept of menswear with luxurious fabrics that give men a look, which is strong enough to conquer the biggest of any fear.

The collection will be presented by Christian at the Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo this October.



Photo top left s/s 2010 collection Copyright Christian Westphal.
Slideshow s/s 2010 collection Copyright Christian Westphal.

InCircus a/w 2009—Danish Form & Function Set in English Fiction

Jane Marple appears in a dozen Agatha Christie’s crime novels as a female version of the "gentleman detective" living in a small English village, St. Mary’s Mead.

Often seen knitting or uprooting weeds at her cottage, Miss Marple is surrounded by eccentric folks who dress in a sort of deluxe outdoor country style.

You can almost smell the muddy paths, hear the hooves of horsetrotting, and feel the fluffy manners in the 2009 a/w collection of Incircus.

Raised in Copenhagen and educated in Paris, René Gurskov owes his artistic compass to his parents, who instilled in him the ways of sewing and fine art, so well-reflected in his menswear line Incircus.

True to Danish design, René lays the cornerstone of form and functionality at the foundation of each design.

Photo 2009 a/w collection Copyright Incircus.
Slide show 2009 a/w collection Copyright Incircus.

Jonathan Mezibov: Sensibly American with a European Flair

Jonathan Mezibov—sophisticated, modern, sexy, clean, and all about detail!

Born in Livingston, New Jersey, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jonathan received his basic training in a liberal arts program at Tufts University of Medford, Massachusetts.

After graduating from New York Law School, he decided to take a swing at the fashion industry, first, as a design assistant at G-III Apparel Company and, then, as assistant menswear designer at Barry Bricken.

Passionate about the industry, Jonathan Mezibov recently stepped up to bat with his own menswear line, uniquely blending the sensibility of US fashion with the fine tailoring of Europe's best. And he definitely hit a grand slam with his 2009 a/w collection!

Set to the backdrop of the late-Victorian period, Jonathan's collection draws inspiration from Edith Wharton's novel, the Age of Innocence, as he envisions the upper-class man of late 19th-century New York on the streets of Manhattan today!

When asked about throwing such a fashioable curve in contemporary menswear, Jonathan was kind enough to reply:

“As for the Late-Victorian influence, it really fell in line with how I was feeling when I designed the collection: the fabrics, colors and richness of the era, and the idea that men could display their inner peacock a bit more and a growing sense of fashion and consumerism and still feel - and be perceived - as masculine and individuals of substance.

However, I chose to imagine how Newland Archer would dress today precisely because he wasn't the dandy of the book (that was another character, Larry Lefferts). I liked the fact that Newland was an individual of style and class, but not overly preoccupied with trends.

And that's exactly how I'd like my line to be perceived. As good-looking, wearable clothing with a high taste level, that's not overly trend driven but rather will remain fashionable for seasons to come.”

Forward-looking yet retrospective of the past, Jonathan Mezibov clearly approaches contemporary menswear with a refreshed vision of tastefully refined elegance.

Photo top right Jonathan Mezibov.
Slide show 2009 a/w collection Copyright Jonathan Mezibov.

Wanama Extends Its Love, from the Moors of Yorkshire to the Catwalk of BAFWEEK

Emily Brontë (1818-1848) was a British writer best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, which she published under the male pen name, Ellis Bell.

Named after a mansion on the Yorkshire moors where the story unfolds, Wuthering Heights has become an English classic about the passionate, unresolved love between two individuals that extends through life and beyond the grave.

It was against this backdrop that the Argentine label, Wanama, unfolded the passion between two new lines at the recent Buenos Aires Fashion Week (BAFWEEK): Wanama Lifestyle and Wanama Double You.

British-inspired Wanama Lifestyle featured sleek sophisticated silhouettes with tight semi-Oxford pants, tailored shirts, and embroidered accessories.

Wanama Double You fused the look of military guards with the traditional garb of the Navajo Indians, Cheyenne moccasins, and Texan leather handbags.

Photo a/w collection Copyright by Wanama.

Slide show a/w collection Copyright by Wanama.

Canadian Designer Sparks Toronto

Since his first debut, Philip Sparks has transformed the runway into a stage for thematic performances. Like a season at the opera, Sparks has been unfolding each drama with mounting crescendo.

Think back to the backdrop of Sparks’ 2008 Spring collection, which featured the sleek man of the flying 40’s strolling by Dutch waterways on pale summer afternoons.

Personifying the vintage mug shots of the celebrated photographer Mark Michaelson, Sparks’ 2008 Fall collection hailed the untold stories of ordinary people throughout generations of yore.

Inspired by Joseph Sterling’s book, the Age of Adolescence, Sparks’ 2009 Spring collection dramatized the hormonally charged youth of the fabulous 50’s.

The cast of his 2009 Fall collection is performing a duet of traditional Canadian styles and literary images from Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf—a story about a Soviet young pioneer who lassoes a wolf that devours his duck and leads the captured wolf to the zoo in a procession of hunters.

At a mere 26 years of age, Sparks orchestrates the entire production!

Desirous of a narrow vintage look, Sparks first tried his hand at making his own clothes on his mother’s old sewing machine when he was 16. Soon, he found himself sewing for teachers and classmates alike, even launching a small line that sold in stores.

After high school, Sparks went on to study fashion design at Seneca College, graduating as valedictorian of his class. Before launching his own label, Sparks worked in the costume departments of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. His costume research played a significant role in mastering traditional techniques, as well as providing captivating themes for his collections.

Vintage photographs are his favorite inspiration, followed by old artifacts and heirlooms.

Turn off my play list below and, as the curtain rises, sit back and enjoy the Sparks of Toronto's Peter and the Wolf.



Photo 2009 f/w collection Copyright by Philip Sparks.