Stand out from the crowd with Mulberry’s new Dazzle collection

imageAlthough the traditional holiday season may be coming to an end, urgh, now might be the ideal time to invest in some new luggage or travel accessories and as per usual Clothes-Make-the-Man has just the right thing for the right occasion. This time it being Mulberry Men’s Collection new season Holdalls in Dazzle Camouflage.

Originally designed by artist Norman Wilkinson to confuse enemy ships during the First World War as battleship camouflage, the ‘Dazzle’ design consists of complex geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and intersecting each other. The purpose of this type of camouflage was not to hide ships, but to confuse the enemy, as the distinctive pattern made it difficult to estimate a ship’s size and speed.

imageWilkinson, a Royal Navy volunteer in World War One, had come all too aware of the threat from German U-boats. He was also an artist and illustrator, and had an idea to use his artistic skills to help protect Allied ships. He realised that it was near impossible to paint a ship in camouflage that would hide it from the sights of a submarine commander. Instead, he decided that the opposite approach might be the answer. Mulberry has taken this iconic British military pattern and used it on printed leather and a hardwearing woven jacquard to give a modern twist to classic everyday styles.

The signature Mulberry Clipper and two new ‘Multi-tasker’ styles come in Mulberry Dazzle Camo Print in Grey and Blue colour options. A range of accessories including wallets and phone covers To complete the collection.

The Multi-tasker collection is based on the principles of versatility and functionality. The Backpack was designed with the contemporary urban man in mind, who needs a bag that can switch easily from cycling to meeting and equally back again.

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Aesop’s Fables – Aesop Grooming Brand

imageEvery week we bring you the best in all things grooming, and style of course, and there must be times when you ask yourself, what another grooming brand ? What more great products that promise me I’m gonna look so much better ? But it’s true and the subject of today’s post only goes to reaffirm this matter.

Aesop is an all round amazing brand, their products are not only exemplary but their brand and packaging offer us a masterclass in how to present a luxury, aspirational and low key product in a completely desirable way.

imageEstablished in Melbourne in 1987 with a quest to create a range of superlative products for the skin, hair and body. They offer a commitment to use both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients of the highest quality and proven efficacy – particularly those with the greatest anti- oxidant properties. Their products are available at signature stores across the globe, counters in selected coveted department stores, and at Aesop Online.

They apply intellectual rigour, sincerity and collective years of learning to What they do. Every product is made with the same attention to detail that they apply to all aspects of their company. Always advocating the appropriate use of their products as part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a well-considered diet, daily exercise, and certain therapeutic indulgences – including excellent red wine and inspiring music, of course.

imageAesop has maintained a fiercely independent approach to product research and development from the outset and this has been put into practice in all aspects of the ranges they produce. They believe good skin is the byproduct of a healthy lifestyle, careful cleansing and appropriate hydration. Hormonal and genetic factors also play a role in the skin’s health and appearance, as do climate and pollution. As to with their hair care regime, to keep hair looking good, you must take care of the living elements – the roots and scalp – and maintain the mid- and end-lengths as you would with a piece of fine clothing. To complete the trinity Aesop’s range of body cleansers and hydrators was born of a desire to create products for the body that are gentle yet effective. We offer formulations suited to every type of skin.

All these elements are found in their latest emporium on Lambs Conduit Street in London’s West End, created in collaboration with local design studio James Plumb. Copper shelving runs along the retail area’s left wall, patinated to a rich dark tone and fitted with copper inserts that raise product display above a constant stream of water. Feeding back into their principle of using both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients.

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Living a fast paced life – Dashing Tweeds X Fred Perry

imageLong gone is the image of Tweed as being restricted to the apparel of old men, Farmers, American Tourists searching out their ancestry in the Emerald Isle and Geography teachers. In recent years we’ve seen Harris Tweed team up with everyone from TOPMAN to Nike and The North Face. Donegal Tweed turned certain financial ruin complete round to working with Fashion heavyweights the like of Jimmy Choo and Burberry. However, you may have not heard ofand we’d forgive for not knowing of the lesser known Dashing Tweeds.

Founded by Guy Hills, who’s love of tailoring pushed him to create men’s suiting/cloth with a twist. The brand has recently launched a flag ship store on London’s, Sackville Street which opened in the last year; they have also been nominated for UKFT awards –for ‘ Textile Brand of the Year 2015’. Dashing Tweeds have collaborated in the past with converse, Hudson, Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys club and have created cloth especially for Louise Gray, Hardy Amies, Holly Fulton and Henry Holland.

imageCollaboration, not surprisingly, is a key ethos to the Dashing Tweeds brand and it seemed like a natural progression to work with British brand Fred Perry, synonymous with the iconic sportsman and his cotton pique tennis innovative tennis shirts. Fred Perry has its heart in British sportswear and streetwear and Dashing Tweeds is a company with the aim to make traditional British country sportswear urban and modern using fabric development and technological yarns. Both companies share a sense of sporting tradition, yet are sold in the arena of forward looking fashion. Fred Perry are interested to continue their story of fabric development with the creative designs of Dashing Tweeds who are keen to bring their textile designs to a wider audience. Dashing Tweeds have developed a unique reflective tweed cloth for Fred Perry designed in their East London studio and woven on the Scottish borders.

The collaboration consists of a 4 piece capsule collection of men’s travel bags and caps. Dashing Tweeds have also designed a Harrington Jacket adding to this unique range using the finest British reflective tweed specifically designed and woven for this one off exclusive collaboration.

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Flying the flag for Excellent Accessories – WaxandHide.co.uk

imageLondon based online retailer Wax & Hide has hand-picked a finely-selected range of items from the world’s leading independent men’s accessory brands to launch their new online store. JBird Collective, This is Ground, Kancha and Bison Made are just a few of the stylish brands that have been carefully chosen to be offered as part of the first Wax & Hide collection. Sourced from the four corners of the world, many of these brands are exclusively available to Wax & Hide.

imageBorn from a passion for quality and stylishly crafted men’s bags and wallets, Wax & Hide is the brainchild of London based founders James Hurst and Haydn Thomas. Sourcing a collection of rigorously hand-picked products from across the globe, they provide a notable alternative to those offered by the mainstream high-end retailers.

These independent brands have been thoughtfully selected on the basis of their quality, heritage and craftsmanship to compete with the top of the range leading luxury men’s accessories the market has to offer. The products include wallets, messenger bags, backpacks and weekend holdall bags with prices starting from as little as £30. Every product on Wax & Hide has been picked to carry everything a dapper man needs with style, durability and craftsmanship at the forefront.

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He’s a dedicated follower of Fashion – Nick Wooster, The White Briefs & Woolmark

Screen Shot 2015-01-24 at 18.08.06Nick Wooster (Above Left), or Nickelson, to give him his full Christian Name, has to be considered as one of the world’s best dressed man. Literally, every international best dressed list worth its salt, his name appears on it, but who the blinkering heck is this guy ?

Well, it’s kinda of easier to say who he hasn’t worked with than has, huge American retailers like JC Penney, Barneys, Berdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus all appear on his CV, sorry resume, plus brands including Thom Browne, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, so he isn’t doing too badly, hey.

Screen Shot 2015-01-24 at 18.08.58Well the latest brand he’s worked with are Swedish apparel brand The White Briefs to produce a 100 per cent Merino wool capsule collection in partnership with The Woolmark Company. Curated by Wooster – The White Briefs Merino wool collection comprises knitted coats, gym shorts, sleek briefs and breezy robes. A rich palette of dark grey, black, deep navy and a modest touch of olive reinforces the quiet strength of the garments and the use of 100 per cent Australian Merino wool brings a natural and renewable element to the premium collection, which blurs the line between indoors and outdoors.

The White Briefs studio aims to present consumers with a thoughtful innovative vision of our day-to-­day and the items closest to our skin that we utilise in every way, shape and form. The studio embraces its love for humanity, environmental and corporate responsibility, lush high quality fabrics and meaningful organic farming.

Screen Shot 2015-01-24 at 18.12.14Furthermore, The White Briefs only incorporates sleek (GOTS) certified fabrics, carefully sourced and selected from local eco-­communities, thus building a profound and intelligently supportive production line. This innovative encounter between exquisite timeless tailoring, sleek materials, austere colours and ecologically integrated social production, allows for an enigmatic aspiration to incorporate sartorial excellence into our intense daily endeavours.

“I discovered The White Briefs when I was working on a special project curating the best brands from around the world,” says Wooster. “I fell in love with Peter Simonsson’s attention to detail, styling and quality. He has the best eye for packaging and great taste in colour and fabric. We collaborated a couple of years ago on a camouflage collection, and I when I started working with The Woolmark Company it was the perfect opportunity to co-­‐design a 100 per cent Merino wool capsule.”

The Woolmark is the world’s best known textile fibre brand, established in 1964. The company mission is to enhance the profitability, international competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wool industry; and increase demand and market access for Australian wool.

Merino wool provides stability, resilience, softness and luxury to the tailoring industry. The fibre has long been a favourite of designers, but younger consumers, born in an era of ‘disposable’ fashion know too little about the natural benefits.

Modest and understated, this collection is based on the notion of turning the inside out. The sensual nature of the collection is intensified by the use of the world’s softest woollen fibre, superfine Merino wool, combined with woollen fleece, and mesh wools paired with lavish single jersey and French terry.

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