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Next Thing She’s Wearing My Rubik's Cube (& Lego)
In contrast to fashion156’s new Black Issue, I have recently been seeking inspiration from the 80s icon which is the Rubik’s Cube. I love the way blocks of bold colour work together, which is brilliant for prints. The Felipe Oliveira Baptista SS09 collection featured some coloured prints which I felt had a hint of the Rubik’s Cube. It works well because there are only little patches of colour on top of a more neutral base.

Inspiration from the Rubik’s Cube could be used to make statement accessories, from earrings and necklaces, to wearing it as a headpiece a la the Lego blocks at Marc by Marc Jacobs. What I loved about the Lego was the sense of fun and quirk that it brought to the outfits, and I think it’s the same with my ideas surrounding the Rubik’s Cube. It adds a playful element, and let’s face it, who doesn’t like to play?

I really need to find my old toy box and dig out my coloured blocks. But I doubt that I’ll ever finish solving my Rubik’s cube – it’s been years…

Top Row: Felipe Oliveira Baptista SS09. Bottom Row: Marc by Marc Jacobs SS08.

Posted by Emily Chan.

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+46
Having spent some time living in long-johns (worn under trousers believe it or not) through the Finnish winter of '07, my exposure to the cultural foibles of Northern Europe has rendered me nothing short of a scandophile.

With this in mind, I was pleased to discover some new names in menswear exhibiting at the +46 trade fair and award, which runs as part of Stockholm Fashion Week. +46 features both established and newer names. Here are a couple of discoveries from the long list of exhibitors on the +46 website

Soulland
Unrecognisable as a once skate-based streetwear label, Soulland's s/s 09 collection holds down the notion of wearing the oversized while retaining a masculine demeanour. Tailoring is key here, with a lot of the shirts keeping a fitted shape, nipping in nicely at the bottom. With sharp above-the-knee shorts and elasticated ankles on their slacks, these neutral pieces stay loose without being sloppy.

Hederus
Julia Hederus's s/s 09 collection at +46 still remains unseen by those of us who weren't there, although her website features one press image, picturing an all-white clad model in some rather classic getup. What caught my attention was the sports-inspired a/w 09 collection, which featured a series of stern, almost combative looks, that stay baggy and layered in monotone shades, with pleating detail here and there. Keeping with the Scandinavian theme, there's a strong nod to skiwear, with big rolled up necks and voluminous windbreakers. Like Soulland, these looks stay very comfortable whilst keeping those tapered cuts on the bottom half.

Siv Stoldal
By no means a new name, but nonetheless the winner of the +46 award, Siv Stoldal rightfully claimed her prize as she presented her A/W 08/09 collection at the trade fair.

"Three Wardrobes" is based upon the attire of three Norweigan men from different walks of life. Merging fair isle knit patterns with elaborate digital prints and producing teeshirts covered in overprints of industrial brandnames with silver accessories of a similar rugged nature, Stoldal produced something that through its functionality, (looking especially inviting for the ensuing periods of minus temperatures and frozen toes) captures the nature of Scandinavian life.

Posted by Philip Gamble

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Wooden
Mary Katrantzou's final MA collection confused the fabricated and the real, featuring massive armour-like constructions gracing the front of her uniform-like dresses. The twist here, is that these constructions are a blend of print and actual objects embedded on her pieces, creating a kind of trompe l'oeil of huge wooden jewellery pieces which, to me, posess a kind of tribal/ritualistic quality.

After looking at Katrantzou's collection, I wanted to look further into finding more designers that are going all out with their use of wood (or wood effect) as a material for accessories. What's interesting about many of the A/W looks featuring wooden pieces is the almost protective role that these accessories play on the body, as though they're shielding the area on which they're placed.

Aside from the environmental benefits of using such a natural resource, there's also a real antique quality of some of these pieces, for example Ports 1961's masterfully carved wood accessories introduce a more conventional use of sculpture in a very unconventional context, that, for me, really challenges the role of objects worn on the body.

Its through looking at designers like Katrantzou and Ports 1961 that has got me thinking about womenswear looks adorned with all manner of finely crafted objects worn as accessories, regardless of their original purpose, and with the need to recycle being more important than ever, could be a fresh take on accessorising to bring to the streets.

Images (clockwise from right) - Mary Katrantzou's MA collection, BCBG Max Azria and Ports 1961's A/W 08/09 Collection

Posted by Philip Gamble

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Anuschka Hoevener
Looking for knitwear is one of my phobias, as I seldom find pieces that are unique and can actually keep out the British cold.

Simple jumpers tend to make me look like an office worker on their way to a 9-5 and reigned in by the dreaded smart/casual dress code. Vintage is my preferred option, but finding a top that doesn't look like it's been feasted on by a family of moths is usually a special event. So, I was really happy when I stumbled across Anuschka Hoevener's label.

Her knits are gratifyingly sculptural and beg to be touched. I really like the piece on the top right, which makes the wearer look like they're being hugged by a friendly woollen octopus. The combination of a plaited collar design and simple base works really well, especially when Anucshka uses different tones, as with the dresses. Sadly, her line isn't stocked in the UK but at least I have a few experiments in mind.

Once the weather is really cold, I'll look for small, thin-knit scarves to play around with and stitch onto my plain tops. If I can't find what I want on the shops, the time might finally be right to buy up some wool and have knitting lessons from my grandma. www.anuschkahoevener.de

Posted by Simran Kaur. Blog header artwork by Philip Gamble.

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Hard Labour
Even if your line of work involves sitting behind a desk filing reports, or styling food, or something of equally minimal physical pressure, there's not necessarily any reason reason why you can't relish in fulfilling the lost art of machismo through dress.

With Siv Stoldal's A/W collection partly taking direct reference from the hard-wearing, functional wardrobe of a Norweigan engineer, it seems as though many young men on the street are already feeling encouraged to at least look like they're not afraid of a bit of hard labour, donning rolled up beanie hats, flannel shirts, MA1 flight jackets, and generally taking upon themselves the sartorial ingenuity of real working men.

From trawler vessels to oil rigs, there's no reason to be under the impression that you can't learn a thing or two from those who dress to brave the elements, Keeping things a little bit on the big side, rolling up sleeves and cuffs where possible and maintaining an air of dishevelment (regardless of how calculated it might be) is a good step forward here, with strong leather footwear and grandad knits keeping you snug.

You might have to keep a fairly strict censor on just how far you take this look, for as you can see the gentlemen pictured above have kept this look just on the right side of "not-homeless". Great. Images from  styleclicker.com  & hel-looks.com

Posted by Philip Gamble

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Subversive shirts
The classic shirt doesn't have to be the safe option...
Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair sent some fantastically brilliant garments down the Stockholm catwalks for S/S 09. Using the idea of a classic shirt, they transformed the shirt template into dresses with oversized cuff-like details twisting around the models form and men’s shirts with differing prints and buttons.

I enjoy nothing more than stepping out in a well-tailored shirt - but I like the idea of subverting this wardrobe staple. So I grabbed two shirts off the rails of a well-known retailer and went into the changing rooms to play around a bit…

During my changing room foray I buttoned them wrongly (in various ways) as well as buttoning the two different shirts together for some clashing action. Finally I have to admit, even though it’s not particularly “subverting” the shirt, I’ve become a fan of just tying an oversized shirt around the waist (with no intention of actually wearing it) over a fitted shift dress.

Currently I’ve set myself a simple mission. I’m going to seek out two different shirts (preferably in my beloved combination of contrasting floral and check prints) and cut each one in half down the centre back, then …stitch together the opposite halves of each shirt. I don’t even think they’d have to be of the same size. Oh the endless possibilities of shirt transformation…

Runway photography by Kristian Löveborg. (kristian.loveborg@euromail.se)

Posted by Jessica Fell

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Candy box
Rifling through a rack of shirts yesterday, I found myself drawn to one top made out of a pink and white striped fabric, which is a combination I seem to go back to every summer.

I think part of the appeal is to do with the fact that vague images of pinafored American candy stripers keep flitting into my head. As far as I know, a striper is a teenager volunteering in a hospital, donning the iconic pink and whites and probably a toothy smile. I'd like to think they still wear the same uniform, since it feels decidedly 40s.

The shades together remind me of ice cream on a hot day and a stick of rock. I found some decidedly candy-coloured looks on the SS/09 runways, ranging from head-to-toe striped affairs, to calmer restricted tones and the pairing of pink and white in a more thrown together look. They definitely avoid the cute trap and fall into cool instead.

Images from left, Paul Smith, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emanuel Ungaro, Petar Petrov.

Posted by Simran Kaur

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The best of Braganza
All garments are equal .... but some are more equal then others. This is most certainly the case with the collections of Jean Pierre Braganza.

In his A/W 08 collection I was desperate to examine every piece as though they were particularly rare artifacts- always a good sign. There was not one piece from the collection that didn't demonstrate some sort of overtly intelligent tailoring and construction. "Super-structure" was clearly big news on the A/W 08 catwalks and Braganza obviously finds it easy to get to grips with this trend.

Why use a simple patch pocket, when you can do as Braganza does and create scooping pocket like features that appear to form from some sort of mutated princess seams along a dress. Just one sleeve on a particular jacket appears to be constructed from five separate panels in graduated grey. In another jacket that juts out perilously sharply from the waist, numerous collar-like pieces descend from necklines, overlapping and encasing the bust.

I was personally very taken with a cocoon-like overcoat. It put me completely in mind of those gigantic ancient trees you see every now and again, with roots that twist overground like giant worms. I'll confess too that the smatterings of leather I saw throughout the collection titillated and pleased me to an even higher level of appreciation.

Posted By Jessica Fell

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A bit of Rough
Posh Palette - an incredibly well-dressed guy and whimsical blogger living in Singapore - is a source of inspiration and a new find for me. Him and friends have been wearing cummerbunds seemingly made from old scarves, pictured above-just the thing to raise a tired fashion consciousness on a rainy 'summer's' afternoon.

This idea's been on my mind too, since copping a shoot in Hint recently where a guy wore what looked like a cummerbund/embroidered waist (or was it hem) weater/tracksuit combo under a cream blazer.

Rather than providing formality, I like the idea of cummerbunds adding a bit of rough to a sharp ensemble. As someone who just can't do the shirt/trousers thing convincingly (I'm from Wandsworth, land of chicken shops, pound stores and endless grey concrete- I never seem to have an excuse to dress up when everyone else is in trackie b's), in a weird way these new cummerbunds make it less scary and let me add a personal twist.

In fact, I've dug out the old cummerbund I bought in fashion156's local Oxfam and am trying it with cropped trousers and a troublesome smart shirt. It's got dark, floral embroidery on one side and plain on the other, made from linen. In my head, that's a Brideshead-at-the-Casbah vibe, but using a black pashmina I found on the street worked a bit better, giving the effect of being wrapped up (a bit Raf Simons (www.rafsimons.com)), and also of kimono-style trousers. Fingers crossed it'll make a reformed shirt-o-phobe out of me.

Posted by Elliott James Sainsbury

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Belt Up
Given that the summer was a little anticlimactic (isn't it always) and with September on its way it might just be time to let go and enjoy the periods when its not raining. With that in mind, I was impressed to see this Berliner demonstrating some temperature control and keeping his coat belted open, I wouldn't expect a better example of efficiency from anyone else.

Elsewhere in even cooler climes, are a few examples of men taking a tip from the ladies and keeping things a little more fitted, not so mention snug by strapping it up with a belt. Alternatively, you could try stepping your belt game up and try a rope, which in turn may open up a world of possibilities with regards to the kind of junk you could get away with strapping around your waist, should you wish to.

If, like me you've thought about resurrecting last winter's woollen coat in an effort to be able actually pay your bills more than a couple of times now, (maybe thats just me) this might be a good way to give it a little more longevity, divide things up a bit on those all black days, and have your coat look down its nose upon the legions of one-colour trenches that'll no doubt populate the streets again. Just don't mention anything about dressing gowns.

Images from Streetpeeper.com, and the Unconditional AW 08/09 collection.

Posted by Philip Gamble.

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Crimp Your Style
Crimped hair immediately makes me think of Hermione Granger and those World Book Days we had at school where practically half of the girls in my year would dress-up as her, with hairstyle to boot.
 
Nowadays, crimped hair has somewhat different connotations, with it being the hairstyle of choice at Luella and Julien Macdonald. It works perfectly with the dark romance, witchy and gothic influences that we have been seeing on the catwalk. At Luella, I really liked the way the hair was accessorised with long ribbons, or I might try out scraping back crimped hair into a ponytail, like at Julien Macdonald.
 
I’d better see if anyone still has their old hair crimpers – but this time we’ll be taking a lead from Luella, rather than Hermione Granger.

Posted by Emily Chan

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Cut The Brand
In conjunction with the current Fashion v Sport exhibition, the V&A are holding a series of off site events in the coming weeks, the first of these was Noki's CUT THE BRAND workshop held on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th August.

For those unaware of the Noki phenomenon, Noki is a fashion designer, against mass-produced fashion branding; Noki takes used, second hand clothes and transforms them into ethical one-off designer pieces, turning mass produced waste into couture.

For the CUT THE BRAND workshop, the public were invited to pick a provided sports branded t-shirt and cut it in to shreds, these shreds were then transformed by the NHS (Noki's House of Sustainability) team, into a huge ball of yarn to create Noki's new collection of one-off pieces for his upcoming show at London Fashion Week. Noki himself was there (dressed as a futuristic Artful Dodger character) to oversee the operation.

I think it is a great idea to get the public involved in the design and creation of the fashion design process, it could inspire people to start re-working their own tired sweatshirts, and perhaps start a customisation revolution!

Noki's clothes are available to buy from Kokon to Zai  and will be showing at Fashion East during London Fashion Week. For more information on Noki please visit novamatic.com .

For further details of forthcoming events at the Fashion v Sport exhibition click here .

All photos - used above - courtesy and copyright of Olivia Hemingway.

Posted by Emily Rand.

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In Bloom
Floral prints tend to demise around this time of year, much like their real life counterparts and usually I'm not one to feel sad over the change. However, designers this season have another take on the humble flower, taking its structure as inspiration.

I was hugely impressed by Giambattista Valli's bouquet laden dresses and Fendi's seemingly petal layered, sculpted dresses but could only admire something so ornate. I also saw an old picture of one of Erin Fetherston's white skirts and my brain started ticking.

I have a plain, slightly puffy skirt at home. A trip to a fabric store with said skirt to buy some matching material, half an hour cutting out over-sized semi-circles and some time with a needle and thread and I will hopefully end up with my own petal (and Erin) inspired masterpiece.

I'll let you know how it goes, hopefully any kinks will add to the charm.

Images from left, Giambattista Valli AW 08/09, Fendi AW 08/09, Erin Fetherston SS 07.

Posted by Simran Kaur

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A timely find
While Emily and I were stalking the beautiful people of East London for our street style piece we started talking to a gentleman called Eebz about what we were doing.

Like a magician producing a rabbit from a top hat, he surprised us with a pocket watch when we aked him what his favourite item of clothing was. Eebz explained that this watch was bought from Ebay, but he did used to have an early 1900's model that was taken by a very discerning thief.

Although I haven't worn a watch since my schooldays, I would love to have one of these. They have such a strong, classic charm and real gentlemanly feel yet are quirky and inspire thoughts of surrealism.

Photography by Emily Rand, text by Simran Kaur.

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Corpus!
Designers Keith Richardson and Jerrod Cornish are introducing Corpus Clothing’s fourth collection. Their new AW08 Collection, they say, draws influences from By-Gone-America, complete with garments such as Cropped Trousers and Cuffed Denim – for the Miners in the gold rush – through to button-down collars and letterman style sweaters – for the Doo-Wop Preppies.

Corpus Clothing Autumn-Winter collection has simplicity and masculinity and shows hints of Americana in their design ethic. This collection reminds me of French Label A.P.C, simple, chic and effortlessly wearable by everybody. It’s quite unbelievable to find out that this brand was born amongst the Diamante Clad, Stone-washed denim brands of Los Angeles.

Keith and Jerrod, set out to create clothes that they want to wear, and designing what they think is cool. I think they have actually managed to achieve something far greater, that many men will be into. With grey cotton short collared shirts teamed with black velvet slouchy jackets and Val Doonican cardies and zip up bombers with Doc Martins, yes, this daywear is Facehunter ready!

My Corpus Wish List (as above): White Shirt with Red Stitch Detail, Shallow Neck Navy Knit, Bottle Green Cord Trousers.
corpusclothing.com

Look out for “By Corpus” the diffusion line is available in Urban Outfitters soon.

Posted by Michael Pegrum Jnr.

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Bride of Frankenstein
I would not advise reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the dead of night, as I was left terrified by the murderous nature of the monster and with images in my head of Elizabeth being killed on her wedding night.

This experience of mine comes to mind because of the rise of the gothic trend on the catwalk at the likes of Gareth Pugh. I have been recently looking at images of Elsa Lanchester in Bride of Frankenstein, from which inspiration for this trend can be taken. I love the way the tent-like white dress works together with the bandages on her arms, which could be translated into everyday wear by the addition of some long gloves. Her hair actually reminds me of something actress Eva Green might work with an evening dress.

These images do provide a few ideas for the dark gothic themes this season, but I’m not thinking of copying this look exactly…although that might be an idea for Halloween.

Posted by Emily Chan.

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Bollywood Dreams
When I was a girl, I had slightly different influences to quite a few other kids in nursery. It's not surprising really, considering English was maybe my second and a half language and I venerated the Queen as only the elderly and people from the colonies seem to.

I loved Bollywood films, where my adulation for the women above first started. Until recently, western fashion in Indian films seemed to be 5-10 years behind the rest of the world, so I was watching 60s and 70s styled heroines as I grew up.

I saw the heavy make-up, cat eyes and inflated hair all over the Dior AW08 catwalk, while Micheal Kors' and Derek Lam's models sauntered down the catwalk with messed-up, towering beehives. This type of look is wired into my thinking but I didn't realise how much until I compared my current haircut. I've got the long hair, short fringe and slight halo of frizz down perfectly, although no feathers so far.

Posted by Simran Kaur.

Images, clockwise from top, Hema Malini, Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore, Derek Lam AW/08, Dior AW/08.

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Doll-Like Lamilla
The first thing that sprung to mind, when I saw these images from the Lamilla SS09 lookbook, was sewn dolls. The main thing that inspired these thoughts was the stitching on the leggings and also some of the poses in the shots. I love the projected images used in the shoot, especially those of the funfair. The pieces are quite girly, yet have a strong edge about them.

The dresses in the collection are just beautiful. The fabrics used give a sense of texture and the pleating creates gorgeous shapes. I love the structures of the dresses which give a modern feel, whilst I think the colour palette gives the collection a touch of elegance. The pieces have lovely detailing, with cut-out shapes at the backs of dresses, scallop edges and ruffles. The pink headpieces oddly seem to remind me of shower caps and do add a sense of fun.

Perhaps I’ll be taking tips from my dolls in the future…I’m very tempted to get a pair of those leggings.

Posted by Emily Chan.

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Russian Winter
Most mens style resources seem to be hinting at various aspects of Russian heritage in their trend stories for the winter. From tales of the nouveau riche through to a more traditional, antiquated take on Slavic culture, it seems to be a key theme. With John Rocha's A/W collection featuring the kind of gold detailing seen on a the golden domes and period interiors of Russian Orthodox Churches, and Alexander McQueen embroidering long sheepskin-lined leather coats with folk-inspired patterns, it might be time to take a look at flea markets and army surplus stores to start looking for unique pieces that might complement your look with that flavour of eastern Europe. Fur and leather feature quite heavily in these trends (of course), with an overall focus on opulence, inspired by Moscow's young and ridiculously wealthy.

Does it seem like this trend couldn't have come at a worse time? Either way, the coming months seem to be about the meeting of the antiquated with the modern in Russia, the anachronism of Louis Vuitton and Dior stores on Red Square and future President Dmitry Medvedev wearing blue jeans to address his people. Sure, for most people this look is an aspirational statement, but for a country that is becoming increasingly more influenced by western consumerism, now would be a good, if not slightly ironic time to celebrate the prestige of historic Russia.

Posted by Philip Gamble.

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