CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

anthonymcgrath405 / 14/04/2016

Hare today – M&S & Kestin Hare

M&S &… is the latest initiative from the truly British retail giant. The brand is teaming up with key leading individuals, from iconic leaders of fashion to exciting new designers, to build on and strength the power of their pull. Already we’ve seen two collaborations ‘Archive by Alexa’ a womenswear collection which has seen Alexa Chung delving into their extensive archive and ‘Lil’LonDunn’ a kidswear collection designed by Super Duper Model Jourdan Dunn. So for the third in the series, which launches in store today, it’s the turn of menswear and M&S have taken the brave move of working together with a widely unsung British Designer.

Kestin Hare is a Scottish fashion designer, and former Creative Director of Common People, and former Head of Design at Nigel Cabourn. Since launching his own menswear label Kestin Hare in Autumn Winter 2015, he has showcased at London Collections Men, been shortlisted for Scottish Designer of the Year 2015, and also opened four stores across the UK.

The ‘M&S & Kestin Hare’ 13 piece menswear collection has been designed and crafted by Hare himself and the in house M&S design team, to capture his distinct design, as well as being commercial and relevant to the M&S customer. The exclusive collaboration of summer pieces is inspired by vintage travel and botanical scenes, with a focus on print and fabrics woven in Europe, which include a relaxed textured blazer woven in Italy, printed tailored shorts woven in Spain and a polo knitted in Italy.

Tropical leaves are a key reference for the collection, and Kestin Hare has hand drawn all the prints used on the clothing, linings and trims. The leaf print t-shirt, shirt and shorts are the boldest pieces in the collection, in a colour palette of bright greens, with blue leaves and tropical flowers in reds and purples also featuring on a safari style shirt. Jackets and blazers subtly feature the prints on linings to add a flash of character to timeless summer pieces.

M&S is has shown a commitment to nurturing British talent, and the ‘M&S &’ partnership, has helped to support the brand new opening of a Kestin Hare store in Soho, London, this season. Hare is known for quality fabrics, print and craftsmanship in a clean, contemporary aesthetic, and has himself celebrated emerging British talent, by welcoming independent labels with common values and a shared design ethos to showcase their collections in his Shoreditch store.

“I am delighted to be part of the ‘M&S &’ project, and to collaborate with a British brand with such a heritage in quality menswear. I have always loved Marks & Spencer, and coming together with their in house design team to create the exclusive summer collection which offers something new to the M&S customer, has been a fantastic experience. Due to the support of this project, I am now thrilled to be opening my fifth stand-alone store, and my first in central London, in Soho”.

anthonymcgrath405 / 13/04/2016

Elemental in their fragrance – Ted Baker’s travel Tonic Trio

As our thoughts turn to the notion of packing our bags and journeying on a jet plane to some sunnier climb, leaving our troubles and woes behind for a week or two. Any globetrotter, worth his salt, knows, that maintaining impeccable style whilst travelling is of the utmost importance.

And maintaining this demeanour whilst travelling is equally imperative. For this very reason Ted Baker have conjured up three new travel sized tonics. Available in gold, silver or copper. Each Travel Tonic is slim line and portable, making for a rare and refined addition to any travel collection.

Created to compliment the essence of a man’s jet-set lifestyle, these distinguished Travel Tonics are inspired by three treasured metals. Fusing style with substance, each sophisticated fragrance ensures you always spark a reaction, wherever in the world you may find yourself.

Getting their names from their periodical table reference, firstly we have, Au, Gold in colour and The last word in masculinity, this immaculate and enduring fragrance is crafted for the modern day man who believes the devil is in the detail.

Notes of bergamot and clove deepen to a dazzling heart of jasmine and a base of musk and vanilla. Meticulously blended and supremely invigorating, Au is a mark of distinction for any collection.

Then we have Ag, Silver, of course, A signature scent for those who like to make an entrance, Ag ensures a lasting impression.

Melting from notes of bergamot and violet leaf to an earthy heart of leather and warm cedarwood, this dramatic and distinctive scent captures the essence of refinement. And last but by no means in third place is Cu, standing for Copper. This dynamic and striking scent suits the discerning gent with an eye for style and a taste for sophistication.

A unique fragrance that’s at once smooth and spicy, Cu captures the attention with a rich blend of zingy grapefruit and smoky pepper, contrasted with base notes of patchouli. Ideal for traveling over night or longer.

anthonymcgrath405 / 11/04/2016

Aloha! The History of the Hawaiian Shirt

Words by: Keanu Adorable

Most of us know them as Hawaiian shirts, but in Hawaii, they go by a different name: aloha shirts. The Aloha Shirt has a long and storied history. Embraced during the Post-WWII era, when the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce pushed for more comfortable business attire for the islands’ expanding professional workforce. And they have come a long way since the days when a relative, errr or yourself, tried to look like they’re straight off Magnum, P.I.

Though Hawaii was still self-governed during the 1880s, U.S.-run businesses dominated the local economy. Seeking cheap labor, American plantation owners enlisted workers from elsewhere. Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and, in the largest numbers, Japanese immigrants came pouring over. On top of those foreign influences, Hawaiian shirts were also inspired by native fashions. Before the 1800s, most Hawaiians created clothes with tapa (or “kapa”) cloth. Made from tree fibres, the material was coloured with red and yellow vegetable dyes, which tended to fade fast.

Storytelling is common and is often shown on various shirt print. These depictions represent Hawaiian traditions of beating kapa, among others.

A hit with beach-goers, the shirt also presented off-duty naval servicemen with a striking alternative to their dull uniforms. Upon returning home, recruits would bring along their new souvenirs. Coupled with the dawn of commercial airline flights to Hawaii, this drove the sales of the product through the roof.

Hollywood star power added yet another boost to the popularity of the shirt. Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra famously donned Alohas in 1953’s From Here to Eternity. And Elvis Presley stunned fans in a bright red one on the cover of the Blue Hawaii soundtrack in 1961. More recently, a Hawaiian shirt carried an element of violence seen in 1983’s Scarface and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet in 1996. It might be a little generous to claim that Leo made it okay to wear a Hawaiian shirt again, but it is fair to say that he was ahead of the curve. Before menswear blogs understood that floral print shirts were actually fly, Leo/Romeo was stunting in the streets of Verona Beach.

Elvis Presley, Blue Hawaii (1961)

Frank Sinatra and Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity (1953)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Today, they’re not just worn by businessmen in Hawaii: Hawaiian-inspired patterns are showing up in department stores such as Selfridges and Harvey Nichols and desirable brands such as Prada, Saint Laurent, and Valentino have featured pieces recently. Hedi Slimane designed a $840 shirt for Saint Laurent and Prada is also selling long sleeve Hawaiian print shirts. Forbes has named the resurgence the “Hawaiian print redux,” and GQ recently featured Pharrell Williams sporting a Prada aloha shirt in a story that wondered whether “Oahu is the new fashion capital of the world.”

Check out our gallery of our favourite Hawaiian shirts that are available right now.

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anthonymcgrath405 / 08/04/2016

Grenfell, the Sleeping Beauty of Heritage Brands

Grenfell, the heritage luxury brand, was founded in 1923 by the Haythornthwaite family in Lancashire and began as a ‘wonder-fabric’, a cotton gaberdine cloth, developed specifically to meet the outerwear needs of explorer and missionary doctor, Sir Wilfred Grenfell who’s pioneering pushed for a fabric to suit extreme form and function, he agreed to lend the fine cloth his name. Over the following decades Grenfell was worn by British Royalty, racing car drivers, adventurers and aviatrixes, outdoorsmen, sportsmen and style icons such as Cary Grant.

This season, we saw the launch of the inaugural Grenfell Bluebird collection, inspirated by the pioneer of both land and sea speed Records, Sir Malcolm Campbell. It comprises of 12 pieces inspired by original items created using Grenfell cloth worn by the ‘King of Speed’, as Campbell was known; a gentleman and racer who was not only celebrated for his records on land and water but also admired for his sartorial style and natural ease in front of the camera.

This collection takes its cue from the ‘20s and ‘30s and will unfold over future seasons to recognise the contribution made by Malcolm and Donald Campbell to both speed and style across their careers.

The collection comprises; the Bluebird record suit, a car coat, long bomber, Field jacket, double breasted blazer, the Farringdon – a lean contemporary mac, Harrington and gilet. All pieces are available in three colours; Pendine Sand, Bluebird Blue and Navy.

Additional to this, the leading and innovative re and e-tailer Oi-Polloi, have been such fans of the heraldic work of Grenfell, and in particular their ‘Golfer’ jacket they have just started to stock this lil beauty. In their inimitable way, the lads from Oi-Polloi put it, “We’ve been big fans of their classic Golfer Jacket for years, and it’s safe to say we’re pretty pleased to have finally nabbed them.”

anthonymcgrath405 / 07/04/2016

Nordic workwear – Norse Projects S/S16 Collection

Editor – Keanu Adorable

Danish creative studio, Norse Projects, work at the intersection of art, design and function. Intrinsically rooted in Scandinavia with aesthetics of Danish design, inspired by nature and natural surroundings, Norse Projects advocates simplicity and a minimal approach to design that is timeless in nature and aesthetic.

This season the Copenhagen based brand have created a lookbook entitled ‘Moments’ which showcases the apparel in motion, highlighting the cuts, patterns and textures of their new pieces.

The collection keeps in line with its Nordic tradition with its design whilst taking inspiration from military environments along with a focus on different sub-species of flora, accompanied with a purist approach along with progressive ideals through the use of aerial lines, soft textures, and subtle details. These are emphasised through the use of lightweight twills, over-dyed weaves and durable nylon ripstop, all aiming to advance the idea of light active wear.

Notable pieces in the release include a Mackintosh jacket in lightweight Japanese nylon, mid-layer jackets with Primaloft wadding and vertical quilting, rainwear jackets with heat-welded seams, and lightweight sweatshirts with an all-over rib structure. Also a workwear –inspired heine twill jacket, constructed from a mid weight cotton twill. The collection is available for purchase on the brands website.

Check out the Lookbook on the slideshow below.

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Words by: Keanu Adorable

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