Flannels, mightn’t necessarily mean a great deal to you just yet and a number of our loyal readers may never have experienced the delights of a Flannels boutique, but if you live in Liverpool, Nottingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Birmingham or particularly Manchester there is no doubt if you like your clothes, you’ll know about Flannels.
Flannels are the UK’s largest independent luxury retail group, specialising in contemporary men’s and women’s designer clothing, footwear and accessories. Neil Prosser, founder and independent owner of The Flannels Group, has developed the business by allowing each carefully selected brand to have their own identity and reflects the company’s philosophy of the importance of individualism and attention to detail. By providing impeccable customer service in a unique setting, Flannels strives to create a benchmark for luxury retailing.
In 2007, the Flannels website launched which has been designed to be an extension of our already successful store concepts and offers the same collection of iconic designer brands as their stores, so no excuses not to check them out. So lets see what they recommend for Autumn –
Jacob Cohen offers the ultimate in premium denim. Expect signature cuts in the finest Japanese Kurabo denim, all made in Italy and finished with the iconic pony skin patch. Be sure to look out for the limited edition collection in stores soon.
High-tops are the key footwear choice for AW13. Combining this season’s leopard print trend, these Giuseppe Zanotti’s tick all the right boxes!
McQ Alexander McQueen Ghost Tartan Trim Tuxedo Jacket Update your evening look with an injection of McQ Alexander McQueen’s subversive style. Perfectly tailored, the classic single-breasted, narrow lapel jacket features McQueen’s iconic tartan print.
This cow skin bomber from Paul Smith is not for the faint hearted! A statement piece, it covers this seasons bomber jacket and animal print trends.
Giuseppe Zanotti Leopard Print Wash Bag The wash bag is an essential for any man – if you don’t choose to wear leopard print this season, infuse it into your accessories to stay on-trend.
This toxic garden print shirt is a highlight of the McQ Alexander McQueen AW13 collection. Fusing fashion and art, wear with tailored suit trousers for a unique evening look.
The biker jacket is a key style for AW13. Moncler’s version offers a unique spin, with the contrast sleeves and popper and zip details. Incorporating the brand’s iconic quilted details, it is a piece which will see you through the seasons.
Louis Leeman creates shoes that make a statement. Key pieces of the Autumn Winter collection include the nickel toe suede high-tops and these suede pyramid detail loafers, launching online and in stores soon!
Valentino is new to Flannels for AW13. This Prince of Wales check suit is a highlight of the collection – a statement piece, yet a classic to bring out season after season. Also look out for the panelled reefer jacket and camouflage trainers coming soon.
Camouflage is a huge print for AW13. This camo print sweat jacket from Stone Island infuses the seasons big print trend with the brand’s iconic outerwear.
Its been a LONG, cold winter, where we’ve been wrapped up like the remains of a turkey on Boxing Day. But as we keep on saying, Summer is finally here, almost as though if we keep on saying it, the good weather will stay a while longer. The men of not only the UK but across many countries, their poor legs haven’t seen day light now for almost a year, never mind go swimming !
Well, as you would have it, Clothes-Make-the-Man like to make life a little easier for our readers and so we’ve surfed the information superhighway from start to finish looking for some of the best swim shorts around, shhhh some might be on sale, so even better value, wink, wink ! Listen enough from me enjoy and get shopping, lets get out of recession, I’m sick of it !
These shorts from Kenzo @ Farfetch.com ensure it won’t be a tight fit with this jungle print
Say Aloha to these hibiscus print swim shorts by Hackett @ House of Fraser. But maybe think twice about wearing them with one of the Hawaiian shorts we posting last week OVERKILL
These Swim shorts will flatter pretty much any guy so before you fly off to you holiday destination, maybe invest in these from Paul Smith @ mrporter.com
A nice take the the camo trend in these elephant print camouflage swim shorts from Vilebrequin
Keeping it Classically British, not not union Jack shorts but these Spitfire, Made in Britain, shorts by Harry Elliot
These Flamingo print swim shorts by Howick @ House of Fraser are cool as long British Summer
And so onto Paris and into the final leg of the Mens Fashion week circuit for this season, well next season, never mind. Ahhh Paris in the Summer, the Champs Elysee, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, THE PACKED UNDERGROUND SYSTEM ! The first day of the Paris shows and its off to Carven, who were inspired by the great artists, not one in particular just a mix, or collage of them. We saw bright sherbet colours and artist smock style shirts and all rather wearable.
Valentino
Onto an Italian Powerhouse, who has taken a shine to showing in Paris is Valentino, and rather then me tell you I’ll leave you in the rather stylish hands of Monsieur James Sleaford, a Englishman in Paris who just happens to be the Fashion Editor of GQ France, “One of my favourite shows was that of Valentino. It was a collection both rich in fabrics, colours, styles but equally very wearable! Whilst, many designers went for the floral print at a strong statment piece Valentino subtly used it in a comoflauged trouser print to add both colour and texture to an outfit but keeping it commercial at the same time! Whilst summer leathers were everywhere for the Spring Summer collections – the Valentino vests were of the highest quality – styled in a clean sportswear fashion with both T-shirts and tailored trousers! This was sports chic at its best with a twist of Military flair!”
Please don’t think lazy of me but I sort the opinion of another fashion leader this time in the shape of Adrian Clark, Style Director of Shortlist.“Dries Van Noten knocked it out of the park for this season. The Belgian designer’s use of print is unsurpassable and the combinations of his menacingly dark florals on liquid silk and satin fabrics worn with romantic military tailoring will set a precedent for Spring 2014.”
Kenzo
For both Kris Van Assche and Kenzo it was about forgetting Sports Casual for Spring 2014 and think Sports Formal. Van Assche managed to blend elements from suiting with casual outdoors attire plus added splashes of BRIGHTS for maximum effect. Whereas Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, for Kenzo, returned to their California roots, replacing the tiger stripes of their phenomenally successful sweatshirts with the waves and surf of Cal-I-for-ni-a and offered a BLUE-tiful collection.
Over at Hermés, silver was the colour du jour as Véronique Nichanian celebrated 25 years of producing exquisite, not often I get to use that word, collections for the French Luxury house. As always she didn’t disappoint offering everything the Hermés man could possibly want from a Summer wardrobe.
Ami
To finish the day it was off to the Ami show, increasingly becoming a fave of Clothes-Make-the-Man, where Alexandre Mattiussi, showed us his sense of humour, sometimes in all too short supply in Fashion Land, he tried to convince us that budget airlines and the stresses of contemporary airline travel have and could not take the glamour and gloss off international jet set travel, obviously he needs to experience the delights of Ryanair and Easyjet a little more.
Louis Vuitton
And to, what has to be, arguably, the most sort after ticket on the Paris schedule, Louis Vuitton. So, of course I wanted to gauge the opinion of the most sort after lady of Menswear Press, the alluring Catherine Hayward, Fashion Director of British Esquire. “When you’re the style director of Louis Vuitton, talented teams and big budgets mean it’s easier to be noticed, receive accolades and collect awards for your efforts. But for his Spring 2014 menswear collection, Brit designer Kim Jones proved his worth with probably his most successful collection yet for the house of Vuitton. Managing the notoriously uneasy balance between commerciality and artistically viable pieces of ‘fashion’, Jones’ road trip across the USA produced a mix of uber luxurious lambskin holdalls and back packs, bright orange crocodile skin bomber jackets and python sweatshirts and sneakers with a more down-at heel vibe across the casualwear; cotton drill varsity jackets and parkas decorated with carpet woven travelling badges plus oversize shirts and t’s which channelled classic bandana prints. With David Beckham sitting front row, Jones sent a red–carpet friendly finale of slick grey, black and monogrammed evening wear along the runway with quirky clothes peg detailing on lapels for added chutzpah.”
Paul Smith
Finally, from a Brit at a French house to a Brit at what has to be THE most British of houses, Sir Paul Smith, although he showcased his new Best of British collection during London Collections:Men, Paul still, for the moment, shows his signature line in Paris. When I caught up with Paul recently, sorry I don’t mean that to sound as wanky as it does, he explained how he thought his recent collections had become very dark and how when he had visited his archive he saw all this colour that he had become synonymous for. Well he wasn’t bluming well joking, there was Red and orange and pink and, I think you get the picture, essentially the catwalk and venue was awash with colour.
One could say how do you follow yesterday’s post
regarding the first half of SS14’s London Collection:Men
(sorry still don’t like the name), well the answer is simple with
the likes of Alexander McQueen, Oliver Spencer, Burberry and
Paul Smith. And so lets not waste any more of either of our time
and get underway with one of the aforementioned style giants,
in the form of the house of McQueen. Like yesterday, as I said,
rather then me churner on giving my twopence on every John,
Dick & Agi, I’ll let the leaders of the Style pack give it
to you. This time round Lee Holden, leading Menswear
Stylist gives us his take on the Alexander McQueen Menswear show…. “It was great all black and white. Lots of surface
texture. Overlaid lace on suits. Brocade in black and white.
Edwardian silhouette. Long line jackets. Loads of parallel silk
shorts with cinchers on the sides of the knees”.
So from the royalty of McQueen we head to the equally regal Oliver Spencer, with the PR’s on the
door whispering of a surprise and with Jesse Metcalfe, Dermot
O’Leary and David Gandy (of course) sat FROW the show can begin.
But who’s that walking to the Decks strategically placed in the
centre of the catwalk ???? None other then blicking, Luther
himself, Idris Elba !!!!! The show gets underway with as always a
character filled show, including Wretch 32 modelling. The
inspiration for this season’s collection was the early graffiti
work of the 1980’s Neo-expressionist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat,
with a colour palette of Faded Red, Amber and Sky Blue, anchored by
Navy.
Then its the schlep over to the banks of the River Thams and
Old Billingsgate Market, for the Hackett show. All things 1960’s proved
to inspire Jeremy Hackett for this Collection, particularly the
work of iconic photographer Terry ‘ONeill, who has shot the Autumn
13 campaign for the brand. Plus the French illustrator René Gruau’s
work, but the standout point for the show has to be the full 38
piece Orchestra of the London Philharmonic supplying the score for
the show ! The Clothes, like Gieves offered us a holiday wardrobe
this more Rivera style, with lightweight summer tweeds, dog tooth
checks, turtlenecks and playful patterns and colours.
Into the straights now for the final furlong of LC:M and onto the great man
himself Sir Paul Smith and all I can
say is what an honour to have him personally take me through the
collection himself. He explained to me his Best of
British range and the unique suits that only Paul Smith
could do, in simply the most amazing fabrics that he worked on very
closely with the Yorkshire mill Joseph Clissold & Son.
While we were talking he was telling me about how they had re-make
some vintage pieces from the Paul Smith Archive for Matt Smith’s
Doctor Who costume, but he wouldn’t be drawn on who he would like
to see filling those shoes, maybe its him !
So feeling slightly dizzy with going back and fourth around London, we head back to
LC:M HQ in Covent Garden to view the wares of Marks
& Spencer’s Made in Britain collection. SS14
will be the second season for this range and its hard to see how
they can build on the preview which they gave us of the Autumn
collection, to hit stores in September. Well they blooming well
did, my favourite pieces were the umbrellas which took all my will
power now to try and snaffle one for this inclement “summer”. The
bags not only looked but felt well beyond their retail price and
the Scottish Cashmere in the Modtro tailoring inspired by their
Leeds Archive was inspired.
The designer of the next show was the
subject of last season’s profile, Mr Christopher
Raeburn, still gains inspiration from nature and the
great outdoors, though this season he explores the notion of
protection, focusing on the men of the Long Range Desert Group. A
reconnaissance and raiding unit from World War II who experienced
the extreme conditions of the desert environment. Raeburn brings an
element of modernity to tailoring for his latest range, as
sportswear is blended with the former.
Another Christopher up next
but this time its Shannon rather then Raeburn and it’s the turn of
the inimitable Mr Richard Gray, Associate Fashion
Director of the Sunday Times Style to give his
unique take on Christopher Shannon’s
collection…
“This is the next level, la!
I’ve got middle-aged man-tits and grey riah and wanted it ALL. Will
have it all. That doesn’t mean it’s for old lads, it just means
it’s opened up to more people.
1. The colour – did a lil sex-wee over
it.
2. Collars in
colour – recalcitrant teen in court, circa 1974. Want to be
him.
3. The Junior
Gaultier-y branding and stars. SOLD!”
OK then, that brings us so nicely to not only the penultimate show of the review but what has to be
the most exciting and awaited, as Christopher Bailey brings Burberry Prorsum home to the UK to
show its SS14 Menswear collection and lets just say it didn’t
disappoint. I have to admit, I am a Johnny come later fan of the
work of Bailey and I’d sit through numerous Burberry shows in Milan
and listen to Journalists and Stylists tell me about how great the
show was and I’d think I don’t get it. Then akin to St Paul on the
Road to Damascus, I had an epiphany moment and haven’t looked back.
This collection was a cracker, of course inspired by David Hockney
and like Hockney the use of colour, whether is be with the watches,
sunglasses or any garment was genius. Keep up the good work Bailey
and heres to seeing you back in London again in January.
And so it is the end of the third London Collections:Men, getting bigger and
better each time, a bit like my blisters and who may we see on the
schedule for next season ???? Vivienne Westwood maybe, Neil
Barrett, possibly maybe ever a count of our international cousins,
who would be very welcome in the cold that will be January 14 ! But
hold you horses, we have one more show and for us at Clothes Make the Man, a blinder of a
designer and the subject of this season’s profile. Mr Patrick Grant for
E.Tautz. Patrick takes us on a journey in and
around the many ethic cultures that call London home and make it
such a cosmopolitan hotbed. From the Bangladeshi community of East
London to A Japanese man who reads his book wearing a traditional
robe as Grant cycles past in King Edwards Park. All groups
retaining parts of their over clothing identity but encompassing
parts of their new home, normally height duty coats to combat the
environment of the UK. Grant managed to bring in all of these
factors and make them work as part of one solid collection.
I think its pretty damn fair to say the two most important races in the cycling calendar are the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, who both this year have something to shout about. Firstly, the Giro, which will be marking their 96th edition, which began in 1909, This year the events organisers, RCS Sport Cycling, have invited Sir Paul Smith, to design the leaders jerseys.
The four jerseys are, the Maglia Rosa is the jersey worn by the leader of the time general classification. The Red Jersey is worn by the leader of the points general classification. The Blue Jersey, is the symbol of the King of the Mountain classification leader and finally the White Jersey is worn by the best young rider in the general classification.
In addition to the British designer’s signature on the jerseys’ collar, the left sleeves will bear the iconic Paul Smith stripes as the hallmark of his work. The race started on 4th May with the Grand Departure in Naples. The riders will then face 21 stages finishing up on May 26th in Brescia. Paul said recently of this collaboration;
“I started cycling at the age of 12 and raced until I was 18. A bad crash put me in hospital for several months, after which I discovered the world of creativity, design and fashion and started my career, which luckily has progressed to what it is today.
During that period I have always followed cycling and have been privileged to meet many key riders, building friendships with Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, David Millar and many more. I also have a huge collection of jerseys from the 70s right up to current times, often signed by the riders.
With all this in mind, it was an absolute honour and delight to be asked to design the four jerseys for the Giro and I hope that the simple approach that I’ve made is acceptable to you all; putting red piping with the pink, cleaning all of the jerseys up to keep them as simple as possible and adding a little drawing of a cyclist by myself onto the jerseys.”
Then, we have the other European cycling powerhouse, The Tour de France, this year celebrating its centenary year and French Sports brand Le Coq Sportif have designed a unique jersey specifically for the 100th year of the tour. The 2013 yellow jersey or Maillot Jaune – is a symbol of this great, now international, bike race – brings innovation to the fore. The ever symbolic yellow of the jersey, even brighter this year, features a translucent « Moor’s Head » imprint on the main body of the jersey. This is a first, in recognition of the island – Corsica – which is to host the Grand Départ of the 100th Tour on 29th June.
Another special feature of this year’s race is the grand finish, which is to take place, for the first time, at night, inspiring le coq sportif to incorporate an array of reflective detail in the golden tunic.
