monochrome days

So, summer has now officially left the building and as if to give us a taste of what the future months hold for us Londoners, the past few days have been starkly yet beautifully monochrome. This weather is London at its most iconic. Grey soft-focus days, sparkling sunsets and cool breezy nights are a welcome breath between the plunge out of the craziness of this past summer and the plunge in to the even crazier craziness of the September fashion season to come.....

The breath of air between the storms... full of relief and anticipation. 
A sunset view from my window.

Ones To Watch: Lana del Rey

Lana Del Rey is the aureate alter-ego of New York singer-songwriter Lizzy Grant who impressed with her two previous albums Kill,Kill and Lana Del Rey: AKA Lizzy Grant. Next month, the self-proclaimed "gangster Nancy Sinatra" with the sultry voice and darkly insouciant air will release her highly anticipated new EP Video Games.


There is no way that this girl is a one-hit-wonder, though. Songs like the slightly creepy drunken romp that is Kinda Outta Luck and the ethereal yet commercial tones of Diet Mtn Dew are catchy but have integrity in some truly powerful songwriting. 

This 'Hollywood Sad-core'-meets-surf-pop starlet will be top of my playlist over the coming months, and judging by the amount of online attention she's been getting recently, at the top of many others as well. 


Have a listen....

Perry Pops With British Icon

British sports label Fred Perry has teamed up with 60s Pop Art icon Sir Peter Blake to create 3 shirts for the brand’s Blank Canvas range this year.

The English-made, limited edition mens’ designs will be based on Blake’s 1961 John Moores junior award-winning self-portrait in which he is shown wearing a red Fred Perry shirt and a blue worker’s jacket covered in badges. It is expected that the range will appeal not only to label loyalists, but to art collectors as well.

Blake’s was the creative mind behind the iconic cover of The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. His collage-style work is clearly referenced in the bold, iconographic 60s mod style of the shirts that celebrate British tradition in a palette of red, white and blue.

Fred Perry is known for its championing of everything British and has a history of collaborating with iconic British artists, most recently working with the late Amy Winehouse on a highly collectable women’s range. 


The new range is in stores now.

The only way is up...

Visiting the new London menswear-only tradeshow ‘Jacket Required’ (Aug 7-8) showed me that not only have men changed their relationships with fashion, but that the men’s fashion industry is changing too, with the some of the most exciting fashion of the season. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this season the menswear collections far outshine womenswear. Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy all had particularly strong men’s collections and if the offerings from Graduate Fashion Week are anything to go by, the likes of Yan Liang and Matteo Molinari are two of many young designers who are determined to keep men’s fashion a very exciting place to be in the future.

Dries Van Noten S/S 2012

Louis Vuitton S/S 2012

Givenchy S/S 2012

Matteo Molinari Grad 2011

Yan Liang Grad 2011

Sharp edges

There is a renaissance in men’s fashion with men swapping the uniform-like clothes they’ve been wearing for the past two decades for an entirely more personal approach to dress. Previously the sole domain of the 00s ‘metrosexual’ or skinny-jean wearing 'rock' guys, fashion seems to be playing an increasingly large part in men's lives. On a recent trip to Liverpool Street to survey the urban male in his natural habitat, I was pleased by the number of men who clearly took an active part in planning and putting together their ensembles and who had definite views on the subject of fashion

Meet a few of the guys....

MATT

23, Teacher 

'For me, fashion is very relevant. It sparks my interest and gives me inspiration to reinterpret the looks to suit me. I love to regularly recreate myself.'

Waistcoat: H&M

Tee: Armani

Shorts: Forever 21

Sandals: Gucci

ERIC

28, Student

'Fashion is so inspiring. I love to bring it in to my everyday life, mixing High Street, Designer and vintage finds together to create my own unique look.'

Hat: Topman

Jacket: Vintage

Jumper: Vivienne Westwood

Jeans: McQueen

Shoes: Grenson

IAN

41, Creative Director

'As I work in design, I use many elements of fashion in my work; but I mainly look towards classic European design with good quality fabrication.'

Vest: Adidas Golf

Shirt: Tommy Hilfiger

Jeans: Hugo Boss

Shoes: Aldo

ANGELO

30, Designer

'As a designer, fashion is such an integral part of my life. I live and breathe fashion.'

Jacket: Dries Van Noten

Shirt and Trousers: Angelo Van Mol

MICHAEL
21, Painter

'I like to shop in flea markets. My style is easygoing and always evolving.'

Jacket: Flea market

Shirt: Vintage

Trousers: Vintage

Shoes: Borrowed from a friend