Black the colour of Mystery – Aramis Black

imageThe colour Black has all sorts of connotations attached with it, offered associated with Power, Elegance, Formality and of course the sexiness of Mystery. It’s also the latest edition to join the Aramis family of fragrances. Aramis Black, is the newest scent for the modern Aramis man. Polished but mysterious. Racy but refined. Inspired by the contemporary gentleman, the Aramis Black man lives for the thrill.

Aramis Black is a unique combination of bold freshness and intense masculinity, a little like myself.
This all new fragrance is in itself an individual blend of vibrant accents including grapefruit fused with elemi’s crisp and peppery facet, which is further refined by the green and leafy notes of lentiscus. The fragrance hits its paramount with the outstanding aromatic quality of juniper wood blended with rich notes of cognac and soft leather to embody a suave confidence.

As the scent unwraps, shades of white incense and tonka beans heightened by the deep and powerful scent of vetiver it leaves a signature of charm in its wake, unique only to the charms of Aramis Black.

Forget dress down Friday ! – A’legions

But you said Smart -Casual ?!?!

But you said Smart -Casual ?!?!

Dress down Friday is simply not a good idea, someone always takes it too far and too literal. The workplace is no place for a cut off Motörhead t-shirt teamed with a pair of 3/4 length combat shorts and some knackered Reebok classics, worn with not a hint of irony, it just ruins it for us all.

New luxury clothing brand, A’legions, is on a mission to inject a new sense of style and individuality to the menswear market. Recognising that the formal menswear market can be at times formulaic and offer out-dated concepts of smart dressing, the launch of this interesting new brand is set to subvert the standard ‘shirt and tie’ dress code and introduce a whole new perspective on what it takes for a man to look his best.

imageCatering to the male consumer who want to look both smart and sophisticated but hasn’t got the time or inclination to accessorise with the traditional tie and cuff-links. By breaking away from straight-laced standards and allowing men to have fun whilst remaining formal. A’legions menswear offers luxury, ready-to-wear shirts that enable customers to look good with minimum effort. The shirts are designed to be worn without a tie, allowing the wearer to express themselves as an individual without feeling constricted by the buttoned-up barrier of the traditional shirt and tie.

Ease and comfort are at the forefront of the brand’s ethos, the shirts are hand-made from the highest quality Italian fabrics. The sizing of A’legions shirts also offering a unique perspective on the market as there is a three quarter inch collar difference between the S-XXL sizes as well as a choice between a custom and slim cut for all designs. This creates the perfect fit for all men no mater what your body shape or size is.

The Brains behind this concept are husband and wife team Mike and Cristina Woodall. Mike says of the idea, “I was frustrated by the lack of ready to wear shirts that are currently on the market. In our eyes, the gap was clear for busy, highflyers who want to order a shirt on Wednesday and know that they are going to look and feel their best at that special weekend event.”

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This sweatshirt’s for life not just for Christmas – the 30 year Sweatshirt

imageWe’ve all said it at some point or other, “Argh Clothes just aren’t made to last any more !!!” And it’s true in every sense of the word, I mean the term Fashion, things come in and out of Fashion seasonally. What we love to wear today will look tired and old at some point and once again in fifteen it twenty years time will be the height of style again, it’s the nature of this beast. But there are some things we just want to last and when it becomes too old to wear we feel a sense of bereavement akin to the loss of an old friend or family pet.

Don’t despair dear reader, in answer to your prayers, Tom Cridland, has just launched The 30 Year Sweatshirt. In a cry for sustainability in the fashion industry in the form of a premium crewneck sweatshirt backed up with a 30 Year Guarantee!!! Working in the Fashion Industry Cridland became tired of the unnecessary waste, created by poorly made clothes and wanted to move towards protecting our natural resources by making truly durable clothing.

imageHis brand already has a star studded following in Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Stiller, Brandon Flowers, Robbie Williams, Nile Rodgers and Daniel Craig all fans of their apparel.

Cridland works on the age old principle of it’s better to buy less but make sure what you do buy is special and The 30 Year Sweatshirt is an attempt to promote the concept of sustainable fashion. The Sweatshirt is ethically made using organic loopback cotton, reflecting our commitment to quality, respect for the environment and responsible production ethos.

In fact the brand is so confident the promise should you, without meaning to, cause the sweatshirt to tear slightly they’ll fix it immediately and pay for the return postage. In the unlikely event the elbow of the sweatshirt gets worn, they’ll sew on a beautiful elbow patch that will only add to the look of the garment.

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Textual Conversation – Stuart Trevor

stuart trevorIt isn’t often that you can say this about your interviewee, that they changed the modern landscape of Fashion, but in Stuart Trevor‘s case, this is very much the fact. After spending seven years as Head of Menswear at, high Strett retailer, Reiss, Trevor founded All Saints in October 1994. Followed by his wife, Kait Bolongaro joining him in 1996. They developed their vision of a totally new genre of fashion and design, creating a cool, indie label with a grungy, distressed Rock DNA. It became super popular changed the way guys dressed and became much copied, sorry source of inspiration, for many brands from high street to high end.

The duo sold off the company in 2005 and after a period of holidaying and twiddling their thumbs they launched Bolongaro Trevor in 2006. This was a natural progression for them as designers – slightly mature in its outlook, more sophisticated and a real emphasis on quality. Bolongaro Trevor collections have a cleaner edge, blending British Victorian with vintage military and contemporary British street style and iconic subcultures– taking inspiration every season from musical genres such as Teddy boys, Mods, Skins, Punk, & New Wave. The collections are unique yet remain totally wearable and through this, the brand has successfully built up a major following with British actors, models, designers and bands, including Paul Weller, the Who, The Kings of Leon, Gwen Stefani, Liam Gallagher and Daisy Lowe.

The brand currently has four standalone stores in the UK with an imminent opening in Westfield Stratford with plans to open further stores across Britain and internationally in the next five years. Bolongaro Trevor has also been stocked in Selfridges, as well as internationally in cities such as Tokyo, Paris, Stockholm and New York.

If you could have invented anything what would it be ?

As a child, I was obsessed with the idea of inventing a source of energy that was perpetual, a Dynamo that could generate energy that magnified through transformers could produce more energy than was needed for the Dynamo to produce more energy. I am convinced that solar energy can transform the worlds energy problems today and I am pretty sure that there will be advances in science that will revolutionise the worlds problems within our lifetime – something that Elon Musk is working on today 

Best piece of advise you’ve ever been given and by whom?

I once was offered the role of Head Designer at Club Monaco the day I was offered the chance to launch All Saints. The CEO Joe Mimran told me to go for it as he once started CM and if it didn’t work out I could always get back to him. I bumped into him again years later and thanked him of course

What track would always get you on the dance floor ?

She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult. I could design a whole collection based on the lyrics “The sparkle in her eyes, keeps me alive! And the fire in her eyes, keeps me alive, keeps me alive!”

Who’s the most famous person’s number in your phone ?

Roger Daltrey

What are you most excited about at the moment ?

The new store we’re opening in Westfield Stratford City, a new chapter in Bolongaro Trevor as it will introduce the brand to a whole new group of people. The world has changed and many of our friends, our contemporaries, our generation, are now heading to this kind of mall, with their kiddies, and they’re looking for something other than High Street brands – I’m convinced of this by the positive feedback I’m hearing from so many of our friends, from all walks of life, people that I would never have thought would actually ever enjoy shopping there

What would be the name of your autobiography ? 

“Why All Saints? Because the rest of them are All C#nts!” 

Although my mum would hate that, maybe it would have to be toned down, I don’t like the overuse of that word either, however it would have to relate to All Saints as I would like to sell more than 100 copies! And I had a lot of fun creating the brand from scratch

If you could collaborate with one brand who would it be and why ?

Probably Paul Smith as I have always admired him and all that he has achieved. I nearly joined him when I graduated. I also think that I could bring something to his brand that they have never really covered or Ralph Lauren, for the same reasons


Chateau MarmontFavourite
 hotel in the world ?

Chateau Marmont in LA (above) – I once stayed in bungalow no 3 for a week, the one that James Belushi died in, we had a few amazing parties in there over New Year back in 1996, they kicked us out on New Years Day, after the 2nd big night!

If you could give your teenage self advice, what would it be ?

If you ever make a few million, invest most of it in U.S. Gold – the dollar was 2 to the pound and it increased in value 16 times in 2006-2007

How did you get into the industry, what was your big break ?

I won the Smirnoff Fashion Award for Menswear at The Royal Albert Hall in 1988 which was televised and David Reiss called the University and insisted I came to meet him and he offered me the job as his first ever designer/buyer

Who would do you ideal diner guests ?

David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Roger Daltrey, Rod Stewart, Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, Marianne Faithful, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley & Kate Bush – to discuss their life, their music and inspirations. Yves Saint Laurent, Cristobal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaperelli, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood & Kait Bolongaro – to discuss their life, their inspirations and fashion. Charlie Chaplin, Charles Bukowski and Albert Einstein to discuss their life’s work and their philosophy. Now that’s a party

What do you have to do after this conversation ?

A few emails and go to bed with my beautiful wife

What would you like to be doing after this conversation ?

Night diving in The Maldives

What piece of clothing would you relegate to Room 101 ?

Boot cut jeans for men

Our picks of the Bolongaro Trevor Autumn 15 collection 

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Slip, sliding away – 6 of the best Sandals for Summer 15

Summer is in full swing. It’s hot. Really hot, for the moment. And if the recent scorchers are anything to go by, I t’s time to invest in a pair of trusty sandals! Forget your boats shoes and your espadrilles the sandal is the footwear of choice for Summer 15 and 16 from what we saw on the Catwalks of London, Milan and Paris and yes we’ve got the cream of the crop below for you to take a look at. Your thanks are not neccesary.

FUNK sandals by Vagabond

FUNK sandals by Vagabond

HURB sandals by Kurt Geiger

HURB sandals by Kurt Geiger

Casspor sandal by Ted Baker

Casspor sandal by Ted Baker

Netrix Buck sandals by Clarks

Netrix Buck sandals by Clarks

Oruga Sandals by CAMPER

Oruga Sandals by CAMPER

Arizona Birko-Flor Sandals, by Birkenstock at MrPorter.com

Arizona Birko-Flor Sandals, by Birkenstock at MrPorter.com