CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Chiltern street is fast becoming another Mecca of Menswear, along with its cooler, drunker sibling Redchurch street and its older, more repressed sibling: Jermyn Street, Chiltern street is taking its place among the most desired spots for menswear and you can see why.

Now Home to Sunspel’s largest shop in London, the home of vintage Americana in the form of John Simon as well as the home of the excellent, forward thinking boutique Trunk. The Street of course also hosts a constant stream of celebrities that patronise Chiltern firehouse as well as the editorial team of Monocle pitching up on a daily basis outside their own cafe.

So really it should not be a surprise that it is now home to Club Monaco‘s newest shop.

In case you are unfamiliar with Club Monaco it is somewhere between a version of Ralph Lauren (and it is owned by the Big Pony) for men who would never shop at such a well known name and a smaller, more exclusive J.Crew, at least that’s how they’re setting themselves up in the U.K. An international lifestyle brand that designs and creates modern yet timeless clothing and accessories. Since its first store opened in Toronto in 1985, the brand has been recognised by fashion influencers for its carefully considered designs and now have outlets as far as New York, Hong Kong and Macau.

The Chiltern Street shop offers a well curated collection of their wares, ranging from excellent summer light knitwear, casual shirting and formalwear all arranged over two small floors.

It is also one of the most perfectly executed shops I’ve ever seen, from the dark wood bench outside with neatly folded copies of Le Monde and El Pais to the polished stone floors to the hand picked antiques imported from Belgium that dress the shop. The whole place is set up in a series of rooms, all subtly different in design and laid out with the merchandise perfectly arranged to maximise exposure in what is a fairly small space.

Downstairs is possibly the piece de resistance in a kitchen and courtyard boasting a marble worktop imported again from Belgium and cut from one solid piece of stone, all designed so that customers can just come and have a sit, enjoy a coffee or a beer and pick some clothes.

It remains to be seen whether a shop can give over so much space to leisure and still be viable from a business perspective but we hope it will because there probably has never been a space that feels such an inviting place to shop.

Summers on its way, and with it 58% of us are planning to travel somewhere hot and exotic or an action packed adventure there are a few things we think you shouldn’t leave without.
And whether it’s a long romantic weekend, a relaxing week with the family or a boy’s only getaway there’s always those luxuries and some essentials that you simply have to pack.

1) Swimwear.
We’ve found this year’s must have, Kiniki have designed the ultimate men’s swimwear with a great fabric that means NO tan lines, yes no white bits !!!

Transol fabric, better known as ‘Tan Through’ is an exclusive, patented material, developed by Kiniki to allow the suns tanning rays to pass through it, helping you achieve that all over golden glow.

They’ve got styles and colours to suit almost everyone, from trunks, shorts and hipsters and if you’re feeling extra brave there’s even the brief, micro or tanga. And with high street prices you can afford to splash out on a few pairs, or a pair for every beach you lounge on.

2) Sunglasses.

Now everybody loves a classic Ray Ban, but if you want something that’s going to turn heads this summers…we’ve found it.

Brought to you by Saturday Surf NYC , these Mitsu are the sunglasses made for surfers (and surfers that don’t necessarily surf). These sunglasses handmade in Japan have an amazing rounded frame, which blends together outstanding quality with excellent aesthetic.

They have a range of colours including black, fog, amber and classic tortoiseshell. Along with polarised lenses and an anti-reflective coating, these really are great for any time or place.

3) Passport.

It may sound obvious but if you are flying out this summer there is one thing that you will definitely need, and that’s a passport, but many people often fail to check that they either haven’t lost it or that it is still in date.

If like most of us you’ve misplaced it…forgot to renew it or your holiday is next month and you realised the forms are still sitting in the kitchen…Don’t panic, we’ve got it covered. Here’s our top list of hints and tips to ensure that you won’t be left stressing out about your Passport before your summer holidays.

If your passport is out of date (but you still have it) you can either use the 3-5 week postal service to renew your passport, or if you need it urgently the Passport Office offer a same-day urgent service.

If you’ve lost your passport or had it stolen ensure that you leave yourself plenty of time before you renew as the renewal process is slightly limited as you are only able to use either the standard 3-5 week service or a fast-track one week service, the same-day service is not available for lost or stolen passports.

If your passport is damaged for example, it’s been put through the washing machine or the dog got hold of it, then you will need to renew it. Don’t try and chance it as the border patrols are often very strict on this issue and even the slightest rip, tear or even peeling pages can get you turned away from your holiday destination. The same-day service is also not available for damaged passports so plan ahead.

Urgent services are available to anyone who wants to renew a passport quickly, but we highly recommend them for those who are travelling in less than 4 weeks.

You can find out more information on passport renewals by visiting The Gov Website or if you would like to get your passport urgently you can try The Passport Office or The Post Office they offer advice and checking services as well as services for urgent passports if your in a hurry, and can sort all the forms and details out for you.

4) Sun screen.

If as fed up with the oily, bright white, hard to rub in substances as I am, then I’m sure this will interest. Ultrasun Sports SPF20 sun protector is a speciality sports formula designed to provide high all day protection with just one application, yes just once. The non-greasy, clear liquid is easy to apply and is ideal for all outdoor, watersports and sun bathing enthusiasts. It is especially suitable for use on the scalp, or for thinning/receding hair, not that YOU need to worry about that.

It’s also free from oils, emulsifiers and perfume reducing the risk of allergy. Don’t forget to be safe in the sun, drink plenty of water and take regular breaks in the shade, you hear ?!?!

5) Carry on luggage.

So once you’ve got all of your essentials, of course you need something to put them all in [EquipTrip] is the website that offers you exactly what you want…a bag that fits everything you need in it, meets all the airlines very strict requirements and it has a global tracking device installed in it, so you’ll always know where it is. And with an estimated 21 million bags being mishandled every year, you’ll be safe in the knowledge of knowing where this bag is.

This bag has so many great features it holds 44L and only weighs 750grams, comes with a 10year warranty that’s automatically upgraded to a whopping 25year warranty free of charge.

As well as being light weight, durable and available in a Varity of colours, it’s also very sleek and stylish. With three separate handles you can also choose the way you want to carry your bag.

Despite launching in 2007 and being available now in over 26 territories around the global, COS still feels very much like an amazingly stylish secret, which never fails to impress people when you wear an item of their impeccable apparel, you ALWAYS get positive compliments. Collection of Style (COS), is for men and women who want modern, functional and considered design. Each of their stores is placed in a carefully considered location with a design concept that preserves buildings’ original features whilst creating a modern gallery space for the collections.

Always exploring the original concept of favouring style over fashion, COS appreciates timeless design that lives beyond the season. Merging traditional methods with new techniques and innovative fabrics, COS creates fashion pieces that look and feel at once timeless and modern.

For Summer, they have teamed themselves with an equally stylish partner, in MRPORTER to produce a capsule collection of 23 limited edition pieces to offer a complete wardrobe of menswear essentials in seasonal greys, burgundies and hues of deep navy.

Entitled, The Modern Traveller, its for a contemporary, goes without saying, stylish man, where travelling is a regular part of his professional and personal life. The collection was created with this philosophy in mind: lightweight, wearable pieces in quality fabrics. The collection facilitates movement and adaptability with its streamlined simplicity and functionality, while remaining true to the contemporary style COS is known for.

Martin Andersson, Head of Menswear Design, COS who commented on the collaboration;

“In addition to sharing similar brand values, we feel that MR PORTER is a pioneer in their area of expertise. In this contemporary setting of the ‘information age’ they continue to lead in adapting the latest technology, information sharing and pioneering design-led fashion. For ‘The Modern Traveller’ we wanted to create a collection that reinterpreted function for every occasion – a collection where the tailored suit can take you from a business meeting in NYC to an art gallery opening in the evening.”

Key pieces include the slim-cut tailoring in classic single-breasted styles, available in deep navy and burgundy. The sharp silhouette is also prevalent in the outerwear pieces and shirting; with clean lines and grey tones representative of the stark architectural inspiration behind the collection. The considered clothing teamed with classic footwear and luggage options delivers a well-rounded range; a head-to-toe wardrobe solution for the man of not only today, but tomorrow.

We caught up with Sam Lobban, Senior Buyer, MR PORTER to discuss how this project came about;

Why work with COS? What makes this collaboration a good fit for MR PORTER?

It all stems from the fact that many of us at MR PORTER are big fans of COS. We have a lot of respect for the brand’s ideals and integrity, which very much falls in line with ours, and it all comes across in the product’s quality and design that is very much in a class of its own.

How did the project come about?

Through the respect and general fandom, we thought it could be interesting to reach out to the COS team and see if they’d be up for doing something special together. I got in touch with Marie Honda, COS CEO, and it went from there. Marie was very keen from the outset, and I think there was clearly a level of mutual respect and admiration from both sides for one another’s brands.

How did the design process work? Was there a lead on the creative or was it more of a meeting of minds?

From a broader concept level, it was completely collaborative. It began with meetings between Marie and Ann (COS’s Head of Men’s), MR PORTER’s Style Director Dan May and myself, all talking about if we were to do a capsule, how would it look? What was the purpose? What started off as a MR PORTER collection of COS essentials and best of’s in the spirit of both brands, evolved into the concept of dressing our collective global customer. What we created is a full wardrobe for our global traveler, in a palette of chic navy, grey and aubergine. A little note, the colors of the collection are partly inspired by the Scandinavian twilight sky.

What sets this collaboration apart from other capsules MR PORTER has launched?

We’ve done a number of very special exclusive capsules to date on MR PORTER.. This will always be a distinct point of differentiation in our product offering, and we’re grateful to have excellent, collaborative relationships with our brands and designers. That said, this collection with COS is the first time we’ve ever reached-out to a brand that we didn’t already carry in order to create something unique from the beginning– it’s a true collaboration of two companies with a similar ethos.

Will the collection continue into another season?

What we’ve created here is a complete collection in concept and scope, borne out of the genuine alignment and ideals of two like-minded brands. We like to think we hit our goal with this launch collection, and who knows how else we might want to align in the future.. We’re quite thrilled with what we’ve accomplished here!

Any key pieces in the collection that you’d like to shout about?

Although I’m of course partial to the whole collection, some stand-outs include: the travel suit jacket and pant in lightweight wool; the aubergine Mac; and there’s a nice print story on the shirting and t-shirts in the collection.

When an industry insider with over 20 years experience and is a person who’s opinion you trust and value, informs you that he needs to introduce to the best fragrence he’s ever smelt. You kinda stop what you were doing and sit up and listen.

This is the case with Frédéric Malle‘s latest creation To the Editions de Parfums family, COLOGNE INDELEBILE. Malle grew up immersed in the world of perfumery; his grandfather, Serge Heftler, was most notably the founder of the legendary French house Parfums Christian Dior. Malle started his own career in 1986, at the prestigious perfume creation labs Roure Bertrand Dupont. Over the years, he acquired a profound knowledge of the raw materials of which perfumes are composed, as well as a strong sense of olfactory balance. Simply, he is an “evaluator,” the professional term defining a specialist whose deep understanding of fragrance structure and accords enables him to critique a perfume’s composition.

His contribution to the creation of the different fragrances sold under the Editions de Parfums varies depending on the nose’s personal desire. Perfumers call on him to assess their works in progress and to exchange ideas. His involvement depends on the project and ranges from total non-intervention to sleeves-rolled-up creative partnerships with the noses.

In this collaborative instance a simple seed of an idea while Frédéric was in conversation with Dominique Ropion, who like Malle honed his craft at Roure Bertrand Dupont. This was enough to entice Mr. Ropion (who despite his large body of work had never worked on a cologne) to concentrate his creative might on a future interpretation of this classic perfume.

The first trials of this fragrance were so dangerously sexy that they would have probably satisfied most; but the perfectionist and craftsman in Ropion thought that he could go further and turn the scent into a “classic”. The final perfume is made mostly from an assemblage of modern musk oils interlaced with Orange Flower, Neroli, Lemon and Bergamot. It embraces musk’s nature as both a aphrodisiac and a scent of purity to create a very personal interpretation of Eau de Cologne, the result being a scent that endures, and endures, and endures… Cologne Indélébile (Permanent Cologne).

As its logo suggests Maison Kitsuné is the house of the fox and since its launch in 2002 it has been kicking out some seriously foxy apparel for both Hommes et Femmes. Cleverly bridging music, fashion and design, this unique and individualistic brand was founded at a record label in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, before rather successfully diversifying into, amongst other avenues, clothing.

Ever since then, season after season, Maison Kitsuné has been unveiling a contemporary vision of fashion influenced by a complete mix of two major metropolises in Paris and by Tokyo. Maison Kitsuné recognise the balance between tradition and modernity, comfort and simplicity, chic and laid-back, perfectly.

In the twenty three years following its creation, the brand has consistently grown and now has stores in Paris, Tokyo and New York as well as being stocked by leading retailers. One such retailer MRPORTER.com describes the brand as, “Combining traditional standards of production with a contemporary attitude, Kitsuné collections have a timeless elegance about them.”

For this season Monsieurs Loaëc and Kuroki, offer us a refreshing collection draws its inspiration from the insouciance and” joie de vivre ” of the American’s 60’s. Unashamedly French, the chambray, the colorful gimmick of the watermelon and the stripes-cream, red, blue and white take pride of place. Viva la Français !

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Club Monaco – Fun and Sunshine, there’s enough for everyone by Nicolas Payne-Baader

I’m leaving on a jet plane – ensure you don’t forget your top 5 essentials

B-COS of the wonderful things he does – COS X MRPORTER

Dominique Ropion COLOGNE INDELEBILE by Frédéric Malle

The House of the Fox – Maison Kitsuné

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