CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

anthonymcgrath405 / 21/05/2013

The Buyer’s Guide to Summer 2013 – José Neves – Farfetch.com

José Neves

The Subject of Today’s Buyer’s Guide is José Neves, the founder and CEO of farfetch.com, ohhh but please don’t think this is José’s only accomplishment, far from it. A seasoned fashion entrepreneur, Neves has long had the vision of bringing together his interests in technology and fashion to support the creativity and diversity of the international fashion industry. José has been involved in the fashion since the mid 1990s when he launched footwear brand SWEAR. In 2001, he went
on to open the world renowned b store in London, which in itself went on to receive numerous accolades and awards including the British Fashion Award for Retailer of the Year in 2006. Then, in 2008 he launched farfetch.com, a project which brought
together all his past experiences. Having learnt first-hand of the huge challenges facing a bricks and mortar retailer wanting to expand into the online space, Neves brought to them a single portal offering independent fashion boutiques and designers an opportunity to compete in the online arena with the leaders of fashion e-tail. Today, farfetch.com comprises of 250 boutiques, spanning a total of 17 countries and delivers globally. We asked him to select his top 10 buys for the forthcoming season;

I’m always learning of new, emerging designers. Qasimi is a cool British brand that I’ve been wearing a lot of at the moment and has recently become stocked within our network of boutiques on farfetch. It fits perfectly without being overly tailored and the combination of colours gives it an informal, relaxed feel.

These timeless black trousers are given a completely modern twist with the drop crotch and turned up hem. Plus they’re linen so are bound to be an excellent purchase for hot summer days, to taking you seamlessly from a morning business meetings to evening drinks on a London terrace.

I expect my clothes to carry me from season to season and I like to invest in key pieces. This Balmain leather jacket is a wardrobe staple and perfect for ever changing climates as I travel from country to country. The colour of this piece is everlasting and will work with any outfit.

I travel extensively, often to another of our other global offices so it’s essential that my wardrobe serves me well. A lot of my shoes are from Swear, I like the brand because their products are both stylish and comfortable. This black leather boot is very versatile and works well straight off a flight and into the office. I love how the perforated heel and contrasting beige sole gives a modern feel to the timeless shape

I cycle around London all the time, so I need my backpack to be practical. This black leather Valas looks amazing with the multiple pockets; it’s great to throw over my shoulder and makes the ideal weekend bag

Nothing beats the iconic Wayfarer.

Denim shirts are a staple of mine, they’re easy to wear and they maintain their shape. I really like this shirt because the mandarin collar makes it different from most.

Constantly travelling, I always carry my iPad to enable me to work on the move. This sleek, leather case is great for holding my iPad and the zipped front pocket keeps all my travel documents together.

I really like this Walter van Beirendonck jacket with the matching shorts. I think they’d be great to wear together with a crisp white shirt or they’d also be nice separately. I’ve just got back from Marrakesh and this is what was missing from my wardrobe!

The shorts

anthonymcgrath405 / 20/05/2013

What makes a Uomo – Uomo, the new fragrance from Ermenegildo Zegna

The House who produces the subject fragrance of today’s post are not only a mouthful to say but are the very embodiment of a fusion between tradition and luxury, Ermenegildo Zegna are one of the most renowned luxury menswear brands to hail from Italy. Founded in 1910 in Trivero, near the Italian Alps, a young Zegna dreamt of creating a renowned textile company using only the finest of materials. Today the company is still run by the fourth generation of Zegnas, the brand is available in over 100 counties globally and was the first luxury brand to venture into the Chinese market back in 1991.

Onto Uomo, the fragrance, this was developed by renowned master perfumer Alberto Morillas, who has created iconic scents for amongst others Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani & Yves Saint Laurent. For this masculine fragrance, he went for an unusual combination of two ingredients, one from nature and one from Man. From nature there is the citrus of Bergamot, cultivated at the Zegna’s proprietary fields in Calabria, Italy. From Science floral Violettyne, this innovative molecule captures the purest essence of natural violet leaves but gives it an electrified quality, together they create an explosive combination.

This combination is then finished with a touch of elegance in Vetiver and grounded with the masculine tones of Cedarwood. The fragrance comes in a trio of grooming accessories completed with an after shave balm and a hair and body wash.

anthonymcgrath405 / 17/05/2013

Now there’s an original pair of shades – Adidas Originals eyewear

We all like to stand out from the crowd, OK, not in a stupid way, but you know what I mean ! And with the new customize project from Adidas Originals Eyewear, thats exactly what you can do. There are millions of combinations to choose from – and that’s just the beginning.

Those clever lil sportswear designers at Adidas HQ wanted us to be able to express our own individual style, through the mode of Sunglasses. Sick of when the sun, finally, shows its almost forgotten face in these parts, being confronted with a sea of Aviator style and Wayfarer-esque sunnies. They took inspiration from everyday life. Thinking, how cool would it be to coordinate your sunglasses to every outfit in your wardrobe ? They drew inspiration from the latest trends, presenting fresh takes on the styles of the 50s, 70s and 80s-(I don’t know why they disliked the 60’s and 90’s)‐ and a new concept rapidly emerged, paving the way for millions of combinations of customize eyewear.

The online configurator on the adidas Originals eyewear website allows you to give free rein to your creativity and design your own sunglasses. Mix and match temples, frames and filters according to your preferred shapes and colours. When your design is complete, you can view the final effect in the virtual mirror. All you need is a webcam. Alternatively, you can download a smartphone app. The virtual mirror helps you to quickly decide whether you have found the perfect style or need to experiment a little more.

anthonymcgrath405 / 16/05/2013

Mr Porter and Friends – A series of exclusive collaborations

Following on from last year’s launch of a series of designer collaborations, created specifically for the internet e-tailing Colossus, Mr Porter, which included the likes of Paul Smith, YMC, Oliver Spencer and Orlebar Brown. This year sees the first in a new international crop of partnerships with Parisan designer Alexandre Mattuissi for the brand Ami. The Native New Yorker Alexander Wang, Tokyo’s Beams Plus and Antwerp’s finest Raf Simons.

Alexandre Mattuissi for Ami, has created a brand, which its fair to say, has become a destination for the Style Press and Retail Buyers alike. This range is essentially based on ‘les bords du Canal Saint Martin,’ or the area where the stylish Parisian crowd hangs out on summer nights. The 13 piece capsule collection consists of tailored blazers, jackets and trousers.

Ami EXCLUSIVELY for MrPorter.com

Alexander Wang‘s nine piece collection of t-shirts, sweats, varsity jackets, and leather bombers. He says of this collaboration, “The exclusive collection for MR PORTER.COM includes some of my favourite styles from our ready-to-wear and T by Alexander Wang collections; these pieces are essentials in my everyday wardrobe. For this collaboration with MR PORTER, it felt right to make the selection really personal and effortless, by mixing ready-to-wear with T.”

Alexander Wang EXCLUSIVELY for MrPorter.com

Next up we have Beams Plus, hailing from the Uber Trendy Tokyo district of Harajuku, who from launching a menswear line in 1999 have grown to be a tour de force in their native Japan. This collaboration for Spring 2013 is based on the ‘Ivy Surf’ concept – collegiate meets the coast. The 6 piece capsule collection consists of polo’s, t-shirts, and shorts adorned with Japanese designer Palm Graphics’ signature palm surfer.

Beams Plus EXCLUSIVELY for MrPorter.com

Lastly, MrPorter.com and Raf Simons have come together to create an exclusive 13 piece floral inspired capsule collection for spring 2013. Hand-painted prints have transformed staples such as t-shirts and sweats, and formalwear including a blazer and white shirt, as well as hi top sneakers. Terry Betts, Senior Buyer of Mr Porter says of the collection,

“Raf’s use of colour and Kurt Cobain-inspired grunge florals combined to make his SS13 show one of our favourites.This exclusive project started from new, uniquely-painted watercolours which were transformed onto fabric and then used to create a 13-piece collection for MR PORTER. We are very excited to be collaborating with one of the most creative designers currently working in the industry.”

Raf Simons EXCLUSIVELY for Mr Porter

anthonymcgrath405 / 15/05/2013

Love Shack Babbyyyyy – Tommy Hilfiger’s Surf Shack Project

The “Surf Shack” range by Tommy Hilfiger

American surf culture was born in the 1960s, the band the Beach Boys’ were hitting the Billboard charts singing of “Surfin’ USA” , ahhh life was simple, fun, carefree. Rooted in California, the surf movement was more than a trend; it offered a new approach to sport, language, music and fashion – much of which remains true today.

For Summer 13 Tommy Hilfiger has taken inspiration for his limited edition “Surf Shack” range from the warm waters of Malibu, Australia’s Gold Coast ohhh and the more chilly Atlantic swells in Biarritz. It’s sunset drinks on the beach lit by late-night beach bonfires and après- surf clambakes while the waves lap up at your feet. Surf Shack is about vivid living. It takes the surfers’ carefree charms and attitudes – deep tans, bright colors, boho attitudes – and adds a dash of preppy flair.

In support of Tommy Hilfiger’s ongoing partnership with the Art Production Fund (a non-profit organization dedicated to producing ambitious public art projects), the limited- edition collection is complemented by a series of unique surfboards, custom- designed by five American artists – Lola Schnabel, Richard Phillips, Scott Campbell, Gary Simmons and Raymond Pettibon – to create unique, custom- designed surfboards to complement the Surf Shack capsule collection. From pop-culture portraits to mystical abstracts and chalk-on-slate paintings, the artists have each applied their innovative, individual creative visions to the boards, which a limited number of the surfboards will be available for purchase at select Tommy Hilfiger stores worldwide, via tommy.com/artofsurf

The Richard Phillips designed board

The Scott Campbell designed Board

The Raymond Pettibon designed board

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