Tagged: The Norm Can Conform

Louis Vuitton Appoints Virgil Abloh As Its New Menswear Designer

Breaking News: Virgil Abloh has just been named as the new artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. The founder of Off-White and longtime creative director for Kanye West will be taking over from Kim Jones who announced his departure last week.

Well, 2018 certainly seems to be the year for Abloh’s unbelievable takeover of the world. First we got a little taster of his upcoming collaboration with IKEA with a homeware range designed for millennial first-time-buyers to the new takeover of Louis Vuitton menswear.

The new job role at Louis Vuitton will make Abloh one of the few black designers at the top of a French heritage house of fashion. He will follow Oliver Rousteing at Balmain and Oswald Boating who was the Givenchy designer from 2003 – 2007.

According to The New York Times, Abloh will relocate to Paris with his family to fulfil his new role at the iconic fashion house.

“I feel elated. This opportunity to think through what the next chapter of design and luxury will mean at a brand that represents the pinnacle of luxury was always a goal in my wildest dreams. And to show a younger generation that there is no one way anyone in this kind of position has to look is a fantastically modern spirit in which to start.”

Before the official announcement, it had been rumoured that Abloh would step in after Kim Jones’ departure. Virgil will showcase his first collection for Louis Vuitton during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June.

So, what can we expect from Virgil’s takeover at Louis Vuitton? At this moment in time, all we can do is wait. However, the sassiest and shadiest Instagram account in town, Diet Prada have given us a little joke take on what we could be getting from the founder of Off-White.

Diet Prada's #FakeNews "1st print" from Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton

Diet Prada’s #FakeNews “1st print” from Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton

Whether you’re a fan of the Off-White aesthetic that Virgil has created or not, I’m sure his reign at Louis Vuitton will be an interesting one to say the least.

Harry Styles Is The New Face Of Gucci – What We Know So Far

Is his name a sheer fluke? I sincerely doubt it. Harry Styles, is a legitimate style icon. The former floppy-haired golden boy of One Direction has been making waves since the band decided to go on hiatus.

He’s got the wardrobe I want on the budget I can’t afford.

It seems the One Direction boys have truly gone off in different directions, with each member targeting different genres of the music industry (granted, some not as strong as others *cough* Louis *cough*).

His debut solo album was a huge success and it also paved the way for his new über cool visual. The new era of the Harry Styles takeover is a cross between Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix and it’s as retro and rockstar as you could ever hope for.

There’s a real air and sophistication to his new-found fashion (not that he was poorly dressed before, but his look has most certainly elevated). Flared trousers, floral patterns, silks and chiffons galore, it’s a modern take on an eccentric dandy.

This being said, it may come as no surprise to find out that Harry Styles has become the new face of Gucci‘s latest tailoring campaign. Of course he has, Styles is the human embodiment of where the brand aims to be in the not so distant future.

To be perfectly honest, I’m surprised it’s taken Gucci this long to get Mr Styles onboard. But fear not, it’s happening now and that’s what we want. Let’s be honest, he’s a good looking man that most of us would love to be (or at least be able to be like).

But what will be the inspiration for the campaign, will it be the glamour and glitz of fame, the rock and roll grit, elegance and sophistication? Well, if you thought it’d be any of those, you’d be miles off.

The location we know of so far is actually far from the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. Gucci’s latest tailoring campaign has been shot in the humdrum suburbia of St Albans. 

A little teaser on the official Gucci Instagram account shows a sign from a local fish and chip shop with Harry Styles’ head poking into frame underneath.

It’s been reported that the owner of the fish and chip shop has been paid upwards of £20,000 to have the young rockstar filmed in his restaurant. Other locals have been said to have been paid £50-£100 just for moving their cars for the shoot.

Kids from local schools have also been said to be featuring in the campaign as extras.

Not much else is known about the campaign for now, we only have these images of Harry’s attire to go off, which is quite shabby chic. Though I must say, I’m rather enjoying the bold pink socks and the pale loafers.

“Hand and hound: peeking on set with @harrystyles for the new #GucciTailoring campaign.” Photo: @gucci / Instagram

We’re expecting more teasers to be released over the coming weeks. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for this collection to surface. Will we get bright colours? Exquisite tailoring, a nod to suburban life and the suit cuts of yesteryear?

Most likely we’re going to get some broody stares and many giddy teenage girls across the land suddenly having Gucci on their radar thanks to this British heartthrob.

#StreetStylePolaroids – LFWM AW18

I missed the simple joys of shooting with a Polaroid in life. My family never had a Polaroid camera so I never got the childhood thrill. I did however get myself a FujiFilm Instax camera a few years back and that was a treat. There’s something strangely calming about shooting with instant film.

A few seasons ago, you may remember that I decided to shoot street style photography using only an Instax camera. I wanted to get a real rawness to the images and get photographs that were different to what all the other photographers were doing, a fresh perspective on the season.

I shot a mixture of famous faces and cool looking people heading from show to show and I even documented London Fashion Week for Atlas Magazine one season with my handy FujiFilm camera.

Last year I finally bit the bullet and purchased my very first Polaroid camera. Originally, my intentions were to buy the new OneStep 2 i-Type camera – a modern take on an old classic. However, me being me, I decided to buy the Taz Cam, a 1999 special addition camera in collaboration with Looney Tunes.

And of course, I bought some coloured framed film to go with it, because if you’ve got the world’s gaudiest Polaroid camera, sophistication and minimalism certainly isn’t something you think about.

Photography: Harry J Bartlett // Lennon Gallagher and co. at the Belstaff presentation

Yes, it was some what of an expensive season of street style for me which is why I only documented a brief bunch of people, however, I had fun and I managed to meet some rather interesting folks. I hope you enjoyed them and who knows, maybe I’ll shoot some more polaroids in the not-so-distant future.

Let me know if you enjoyed the polaroids, if so, I will definitely start taking more. (I just wish they were cheaper!)

LFWM AW18 – Day 2 #OOTD

I’ve not been able to find many images from LFWM of my attire, next season I’ll make sure I take some myself so I can reference them better for the blog.

Day 2 was unbelievably cold, my feet were frozen and I could barely type on my phone as my fingers were going numb. Despite that however, I think I managed to style it out with some ‘northern charm’ and act like all was good.

My suitcase was filled to the brim (that bloody cape took up half the space) so I didn’t think to pack a coat (or even a jumper to wear under the suit). But hey, the show must go on.

You know me by now, if I’m going to be wearing a suit, you know that suit is going to be somewhat ‘standout’ whether that be the accessories or the pattern/colours, I can’t do plain… It’s a curse really.

This year I had also rather excitingly bought myself a backpack. I know how nerdy that sounds, but I haven’t had one for quite some time so it felt like a thrill. The last one I bought was a squiggle print Vivienne Westwood backpack from the Africa collection and, although I loved it very much, it was falling to bits.

My main requirement was to find a bag that I could wear with a suit and it still look smart and sleek. That’s when I decided to by myself a rather boxy backpack from Dr. Martens and I must say, I absolutely adore it! Good job Harold.

All in all, I’m quite happy with this look, I know I wouldn’t be able to wear it everywhere but the suit itself can be worn as separates as it’s striking enough on their own. I might wear the trousers to work tomorrow, I’ve inspired myself just writing this.

Suit: Topman
Shirt: Vivienne Westwood
Tie: Vivienne Westwood
Backpack: Dr. Martens
Pocket Square: YHIM
Glasses: Ray Ban

Oiboy – The Shoplifter Style That’s Stealing The Spotlight

Now, here’s a brand you may not have heard of unless you live ‘daaayynn sarrrfff’. But fear not! I’m here to give you the rundown on a cool new emerging brand that’s not going to break the bank. We call it Oiboy.

The brainchild of two founders, George Langham and Dylan Hartigan, the South London duo use their hometown heritage as their main inspirations for the brand. Walking down the streets, you’re hounded by the same few shops and businesses abusing your eyeballs. Betting shops, skin care brands, off licences and markets all trying to sell you cheap shit that you don’t want or need.

As I say time and time again, fashion should be fun. And when it comes to good humour with clothing, Oiboy are serving it to you with full force.

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We’ve all been minding our own business while walking down the street at some point in our lives when we’ve witnessed in a slogan tee that has actually made you laugh. I once saw a very militant lesbian walking down the road with a top that said “it’s a bitch being butch” and it genuinely made me laugh out loud to the point where I thought I might get assaulted.

Regardless, whatever the slogan was, it made you laugh and that’s exactly what Oiboy are doing. They’re making you laugh by spoofing some incredibly well known brands, from beers to betting shops, nothing is sacred once the pair get their hands on it!

All it takes is a couple of rearranged letters, a slight tweak on a well known logo and you’ve got yourself a rather punderful brand. Not all British folk have a stiff upper lip, others are too busy with their tongue-in-cheek humour.

Adding to their take on ‘fast fashion’, Oiboy’s brilliantly named collection Stolen Goods is exactly what you’d expect. Their promotional short film features one of the youths of today coming out of a shop with quick haste – implying that he’s been shoplifting as he runs down the high street stripping off his clobber and throwing aside his garms.

If you haven’t had a gander at the collection properly, you may have missed one of their best features. The hats and some of the tops come with fake security tags, etched with the Oiboy logo. Not only is their collection a blatant piss take out of designers ripping ideas from other designers/companies, they’re now even mocking the fact that their designs are ‘stolen’.

The Oiboy mantra is that “talent borrows, genius steals” and nothing could be more true when you see their collection. Their stand at LFWM’s stand in the BFC’s Designer Showrooms was permanently busy with people fluttering by to cop a glare at what they were producing. These guys are definitely going to be one to watch.

I strongly recommend that you have a gander at their collection. It won’t break the bank… Just promise not to steal it!

“Expelliarmus” London Fashion Week Men’s AW18 – #OOTD

This season was a strange one because it felt like I hadn’t stepped foot in London for years (despite heading to London fairly regularly). I don’t quite know what it was, it just felt… different. But alas, I was excited to be back and I was ready to see some shows.

Day 1 of LFWM and, as always, it’s fun to make an entrance. And so that’s exactly what I did. With some vintage flares, gold penises on my jacket and a huge fucking cape, I was on my merry way.

Now, I don’t know what particularly inspired me with the outfit, but I’ve been feeling a lot of love for of flares recently. Yes, you heard that right. Flares, the 60’s/70s trousers that look like something you’d see The Bee Gees in. I don’t know where my sudden fixation came from, but I just suddenly started buying them. I now own at least 5 pairs in different spans, fabrics and colours. They all look lovely with my cuban heels. Yes, I also love cuban heels. Maybe I was born in the wrong decade?

Photography: Kirstin Sinclair

Photography: Kirstin Sinclair

The cape, as you would probably expect, divided opinion. Though the attendees of LFWM appeared to be enjoying this oversized accessory, some folks on social media didn’t. A photograph of me heading to a show at 180 Strand appeared on the New York Times fashion segment’s Instagram account (@nytimesfashion) where they appeared to be enjoying my look. However, some of the commenters felt I bared some resemblance to Harry Potter or a Jedi. I’ve left some of the comments attached so you can get a feel for the vibe.

I’ve got pretty thick skin, obviously, or I wouldn’t be brave enough to wear half the shit that I do. These comments were relatively tame and did give me a good giggle. And that’s the point, fashion should be fun! It should be debated, discussed, humoured and enjoyed.

Cape: Vivienne Westwood
Blazer: Vivienne Westwood
Penis Chain: Vivienne Westwood
Tartan Flares: Vintage
Tie: Vivienne Westwood
Shirt: Calvin Klein
Glasses: Ollie Quinn
Cuban Heels: Asos

LFWM AW18 – A Rather Brief Rundown

As usual, this post is a little delayed, but hey! Another season of London Fashion Week Men’s is over. And although the grandiose thrill of LFWM – formerly London Collections: Men – is slowly dying out, the sheer joy of seeing phenomenal clothes/accessories from incredible designers is still there.

Now, maybe I just sound like a bit of an old crank harping on about ‘the good old days’ but honestly, there’s a change to the menswear season in London and though I do welcome change, it’s not one that I’m particularly enjoying. Now, this season, the days were shortened from 4 to 3. So, I thought because the past few seasons have been dwindling a little with the business of the days after designers have pulled out, this for me meant that by removing a day, a jam-packed schedule would be back on the horizon… Sadly not, it felt as sparse as it did before but hey, it meant that my feet weren’t as sore from running around London.

This season I thought it was about time that I brought a camera with me. I mean, why not, it’s not like I have a degree in photography or anything 😬. A few seasons ago, I decided to take a quirky approach to shooting street style with a FujiFilm Instax camera. Like last time, I thought I’d go with the good old polaroid format rather than a DSLR and so that’s exactly what I did.

You may remember from my previous post that I bought myself a rather peculiar polaroid. I bought the Polaroid Taz Cam, a rare 1999 edition in collaboration with Looney Tunes. And with such a strange looking camera on my arm, I would be a bit of a dullard if I didn’t buy myself some swanky film to go with it. Of course, I bought myself the ‘Coloured Frames Edition‘ film And just look at how beautiful it is!

Anyway, I feel like I’ve rambled on long enough, I promise to try and be a bit more punctual with the other posts. I will have some more coming soon. I’m currently in the process of buying a house so I’ve been a bit preoccupied with blogging (but this year I aim to get into it more, so please bare with me).

But enough about the humdrum backstory of my personal life, on with the shows!

 

Looney Tunes X Polaroid Originals

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. It takes you back to happiness of yesteryear and makes you think of the “good ol’ days” when life was simple and you didn’t have to worry about mortgages, debt and what Donald Trump is going to say next.

In fact, nostalgia is quintessentially ‘on trend’ at the moment. With brands such as Ellesse and Tommy Hilfiger making prominent comebacks in the fields of fashion, the remastered Crash Bandicoot trilogy storming its way onto the PlayStation 4 some 20 years after its original release and vinyl records reviving people’s love for music without feeling like you have to be a keen-eyed collector. 35mm cameras are proving to be popular with young folks again more so than the expensive digitals counterparts.

And 35mm isn’t the only format of camera that’s making a resurgence. Instant film cameras are kicking back to a time-gone-by. I’ve had a FujiFilm Instax camera for a while now and I absolutely love it. You may remember that I’ve done a series of street-style photography on Instax film while at London Fashion Week Men’s. But I’ve always wanted to shoot on actual square-format Polaroid film. But while Instax works out at around £1 a shot, Polaroid has always hit into the £2+ per shot.

But I have finally taken the plunge! After seeing the new OneStep 2 i-Type Polaroid advertised online, it brought back my childhood lust for the iconic camera of my youth. So I went online and purchased a camera… But not actually the new one that I had intended on buying. In fact, I actually bought a vintage camera from their website that hit me with a double serving of total nostalgic proportions… I bought the ‘Taz Cam‘.

Granted, it’s not a discreet and tasteful Polaroid camera, but why the hell would I want that?! By now I think you’re all aware of my love of all things a little bit quirky and this camera is the epitome of quirky!

This reclaimed vintage camera is nothing short of magical for pure Looney Tunes nostalgia. This camera was made as a limited run in 1999 to honour the iconic cartoon character. Though you can still pick them up on various websites such as eBay and Amazon, the Polaroid website has a very limited few that are available for purchase, most probably a higher price tag than buying from other second hand sellers but Polaroid gives all its stock tests and refurbishments to make sure every nook and cranny is working to perfection. 

Inspired by the world’s most infamous Tasmanian Devil, the Polaroid 600 Taz Edition (affectionately known as the “Taz Cam”) is easily the most weird and wonderful camera Polaroid ever released. Produced for a short period in 1999, it turns the Polaroid 600 into Taz’s head, complete with teeth and tongue on the inside. If you’re the type of person that likes to stand out, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The exterior is sheer childhood heaven. When the camera opens you see the tongue and teeth printed around the lens. The shutter stands out with a bright yellow plastic button (that matches the yellow camera strap) and a beautiful big red rubber button at the end featuring concentric circles (much like the “That’s All Folks” circles from the Looney Tunes credit design.

If you’re wanting to reinvigorate your love for vintage photography and instant film cameras, a Polaroid will always give you that orgasmic sense of sheer joy. Pair that feeling with the Taz Cam and you’re ready to take on the world, one merry little step at a time!

Now, if you’re wanting another fun little treat to go with your new cartoon camera, I would definitely recommend getting the Colour 600 Film ‘Colour Frames Edition‘ to give an extra burst of vibrancy to your images.

You can also buy black & white film with the coloured frames from the Polaroid Originals website.

Now go forth and spread the joy and have fun snapping some old school images on the quirkiest/craziest/silliest camera in town!

Erdem x H&M’s Gloriously Floral Menswear

Every year H&M teams up with a global fashion house to design a high street marketed collaboration. This year is no exception. We’ve seen some incredible designers and fashion houses collaborate over the years. Including; Versace, Maison Margiela, Balmain, Kenzo and Anna Dello Russo to name but a few. And now we’re only 1 week away!

This year, H&M paired with contemporary fashion house ERDEM and people are already going crazy for it! Erdem Moralioglu is the 17th fashion designer to collaborate with H&M. And the high street brand’s creative advisor, calls him “a poetic addition” to an already stellar lineup of fashion giants.

The collection is nostalgic yet modern, structured yet rebellious, feminine and powerful. It’s gloriously floral and I’m totally invested. What makes this collaboration so exciting is that it’s such a step in the other direction from the previous few designers; Kenzo, Balmain and Alexander Wang.

This collaboration saw designer, Erdem Moralioglu design his first ever menswear line. Staying true to his brand, Moralioglu’s garments are a beautiful fusion between both genders.

“Once I’d finished fitting a Harris Tweed suit, I’d take it off the boy and put it on the girl and it just looked amazing. So then came the Harris Tweed suit for women — it’s one of my favourites.”

Erdem’s aim was to create a collection that can be mixed and matched with each piece, giving the wearer their own sense of individuality and ownership of their wardrobe.

“It’s a collection of pieces that have a permanence about them, which is almost the antithesis of this idea of what fast fashion is.”

Designer, Erdem Moralioglu, Director, Baz Luhrmann and Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor.

Designer, Erdem Moralioglu, Director, Baz Luhrmann and Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor.

One of the most beautifully fascinating parts of the collaboration has to be the campaign film “The Secret Life of Flowers” which was directed by Baz Luhrmann who famously created the visual beauty of Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet which starred Leonardo Di Caprio.
I honestly have to say, I think this is one of the most stunning contemporary fashion films I have seen for such a long time. The colours are sensational, the story is whimsical and the regalia stands alone in the busy visuals.

I couldn’t help but find myself falling into a romantic dreamscape while watching the campaign film. And that’s the best way to describe the collection, romantic! Frilled shirts, gushy gowns and floral patterns rife in every design.

If you’re wanting to check out what’s on offer, have a gander at the price list below and all that is available in the menswear range of the highly anticipated Erdem x H&M collaboration.

£139.99

£229.99

£229.99

£69.99

£79.99

£79.99

£79.99

£79.99

£49.99

£49.99

£139.99

£139.99

£199.99

£69.99

£69.99

£69.99

£69.99

£69.99

£69.99

£79.99

£79.99

£24.99

£29.99

£139.99

£99.99

£69.99

£39.99

£29.99

£59.99

£24.99

£24.99

£24.99

£24.99

£19.99

£19.99

I’m definitely getting myself the silk shirt and trouser co-ords as well as a few other bits and bobs… If only my budget could stretch a little further. What are your favourite items? Get thinking and put some pennies aside, you only have 1 more week to wait for the collaboration to go live!

Erdem x H&M

Street Styled: Men’s Hair & Style @ London Fashion Week Men’s SS18

Granted, it’s not the most eloquent interview I have ever given but in my defence, it was far more humid than my outfit suggests and I had just arrived to LFWM 2 minutes before I was hunted down for this interview.

Watch the interviews to see Robin James hunt down some of his fun finds at London Fashion Week Men’s. Robin is a men’s style, grooming and lifestyle blogger and YouTuber. He’s definitely worth a watch so have a gander at his channel and get inspired by his videos. https://www.youtube.com/ManForHimself