S/S 2010 Trend: Boat Shoes

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I last posted. I've been working on something very Top Secret, which I might (or might not) announce later on.

My sincerest apologies for not posting anything sooner!

The weather in Kuwait has been bi-polar the last couple of days, now however, we can look forward to clear, sunny summer days.

And with sunny, summer days, come sunny, summer shoes!

A new trend for this season?
Boat shoes!


Boat shoes are perfect. They go with shorts and they go with jeans. Pair them up with a plain white tee and slim fit khaki's or a summery polo shirt with shorts.

You can find them everywhere from Sergio Rossi to Zara, boat shoes are the next big thing and best of all? They're available in almost every color!

Halston is Back!

Roy Halston Frowick, known as Halston was a popular clothing designer of the 1970s. Everyone who was anyone in the 70's was spotted wearing his designs at the discotheques.

He was fired from his own company in 1984 and in 1990 he passed away.

In 2008, however, Halston was revived. Liza Minelli reviled the new collection along with new investor, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Along with the creative aid of Rachel Zoe (an avid fan and collector of Halston herself) the relaunch was a success. And earlier this year Sarah Jessica Parker was confirmed as the new Creative Director.

Halston was aptly renamed Halston Heritage and the brand was a success!

And now?
Halston announced this morning that it is relaunching menswear with luxury and heritage lines. These lines will be managed by Neema Clothing and designed by Studio Mauro Ravizza Kreiger in Italy, unlike the label's womenswear, which is made in-house.

The collection will be inspired loosely by the late designer's aesthetic, with roots in New York fashion, but still relevant for the global luxury consumer.

Can't wait to see what they cook up!



Halston with Bianca Jagger

S/S Trends: Plastic Aviators

Aviators have always been a classic pair of sunglasses. They look good on anyone and everyone. I always thought that buying a pair of aviators was like an investment; they never go out of style!

A new trend this season is aviators with twist. To be more precise, Plastic Aviators.


Ray-Ban


Carrera Champion



Dior Homme

Smoking Shot #2

Paul Newman, uber-coolnessness.

RIP Alexander McQueen.

British designer Alexander McQueen was found dead on Thursday morning, after committing suicide. He was 40 years old.

The devastating news has shocked the fashion world. His mother passed away last week and his best friend and confidant Isabella Row had also committed suicide three years ago.

McQueen's office confirmed the news saying "It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family."

McQueen is perhaps most known for his one most enduring motif which he transported from catwalk to the High Street, that being the skull.

His trademark scarf bearing the design has become a celebrity must-have. Johnny Depp, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie and Cameron Diaz are among the stars who have been snapped wearing it.

Alexander McQueen's contribution to fashion could not in anyway be denied. The runways will never be the same.

Rest in peace Lee Alexander McQueen.

Men's the Word.

Jimmy Choo high-top sneakers

The fashion world have gone gaga for trainers.

It seems that shoe designers everywhere are targeting the male market with their trainers.

Reggie Bush and Swizz Beats with Louboutins.

First, we had Christian Louboutin (better known for making heels that make women swoon) debut his first ever collection targeted at men in his Spring/Summer 2010 collection (a pair of which, which will set you back about 250 KD)

Now we have world-renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo launching his first ever collection of high-top sneakers which cost roughly around 180 KD.


Converse All Star Lo White Plimsoll

Luckily, there's another trend going on and it's the PE plimsoll renaissance. Fred Perry and Vans have their own variants and the No.1 bestseller is Converse's All Star Lo white plimsoll.

And for 15/20 KD it's at a price both you and I can stand.

Neoprenetastic!

For those of us who are always on the go with their laptops, I'm proud to introduce my latest find: Marc by Marc Jacbos Neoprene Laptop Sleeve.

The sleeve comes in Black which fits most 10" inch laptops and Turquoise which is the right size for the 13" MacBook or MacBook Pro.

It's perfect for lugging around your laptop in style and you can also use it as a document case to carry around papers and the like.

The sleeve is available at both Nordstorm and Bloomingdale's online store for $58 which is roughly 17 KD.

They're(at least not yet) not available at the Marc by Marc Jacbos store in the Avenues Mall, Phase 2.

New Feature: Smoking Shot.

Hey Guys,

I know it's been a while since I last updated, but things have been pretty hectic lately... And at last, I'm on vacation! (So is my brain, I might add.)

I've been cut off from everything "fashion" recently, but I'm back now!

A few hours ago I posted about Jon Kortajarena a very notorious model (that post is dedicated especially for Q ;-))

Over the last few days, I've been thinking of ways to "spice things up" and I finally decided to add a new feature. "Smoking Shot", whenever I post a photo that tells a story of someone smoking. Whether it be a celebrity or regular people, anyone and everyone can have their photos posted.

So, if you're interested hit me up with an interesting "smoking shot" (of you or any celebrity you would like to see) and I'll make sure I upload it up on the blog.

Until next time...

Peace,
BM.


James Dean, 1955.

Model Spotlight: Jon Kortajarena.

The business of being tall, dark, and handsome isn't as easy as it may look.

Jon Kortajarena Redruello is a Spanish megamodel turned actor and muse to Tom Ford.
Jon K. (as he would like to be known) was scouted right after high school and his debut gig was a Cavalli campaign, followed by a string of high-end campaigns some of which being for Armani, Versace and Tom Ford.

A steadfast friendship with Mr.Ford has provided Kortajarena the opportunity to leap from being just a pretty face to serving as a full-blown fashion muse. Now (as I mentioned before) with Ford making a directional debut, Jon has made the crossover from fashion to film.



In A Single Man, Kortajarena plays Carlos, a struggling young actor who winds up turning tricks in a liquor store parking-lot. Kortajarena describes working with Ford on the film as the high point of his career so far, and he hopes to do more acting in the future.

His distinguishing features are his chiseled cheekbones, piercing stare, and full pout.



Jon is also the ultimate romantic,
"I am a hopeless romantic. I believe in that grand love which can change your life in five days. Maybe it is just because I´m too young, but I really hope to believe the same at the end of my days."

New Winter Trend?

Is it me or does it seem like fingerless gloves are a new winter trend? I know this doesn't apply here in Kuwait but still, I like to keep my options open, you never know what might happen to the weather. Fingerless gloves have popped up on the Fall 2010 runway shows both at John Varvatos and Neil Barrett.

I like this trend. It has a "rocker gent" feel to it. In other words, Sinatra meets Slash.

GANT by Michael Bastian

Next month promises to be very eventful. In addition to many things, one thing I'm looking forward to is Michael Bastian's traditional sportswear collection for Gant at New York Fashion Week.

Gant and Michael Bastian? That's the perfect collaboration.

He has a knack for striking the perfect balance between uptown classic and downtown cool. So far only one image has been released, however, there is a video available at GANT's website.



It doesn’t tell us much, but it does get across the point that the collection is inspired by the uniforms of lacrosse players. At least what they traditionally wear off the field.

That probably means ripped jeans, v-neck sweaters and overcoats inspired by 1980s prep, a frequent theme in Bastian’s collections.

The collection will debut on the 13th of February, 2010 in New York. Check back later for an update and photos.

Designer Spotlight: Michael Bastian

Designer: Michael Bastian
Founded: 2006, New York
History: Michael Bastian was the men's fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman before launching his own label in 2006. "We were always talking about things we couldn't find," Bastian once told GQ Magazine. "Chinos, the perfect skinny button-down, the perfect V-neck. All those classic American things that you feel are out there but really aren't." Thanks to Bastian, many of them now are.
The Look: Clean, cut, and weathered man.








Striped polo shirts that fit just right; blazers that are cut narrow; and slim button-down shirts that have concealed shoulder vents so you can actually move your arms. The collection has a 1960's Business Man feel to it but with a modern twist. Perfect for the many hot summer days we have. Michael Bastian has caught my attention with his Spring/Summer 2010 collection. It's very versatile and has throwbacks to the 60's/70's and 90's. Look a little closer, you'll see what I mean.

Cristiano Ronaldo Armani SS10 Ad Campgain

Model: Cristiano Ronaldo

Brand: Emporio Armani Underwear

Season: Spring/Summer 2010

Photographer: Mert & Marcus

Be Italian: 10 Years for Dolce and Gabbana.

As we enter a new decade, so does Dolce & Gabbana menswear. Dazzling design duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are celebrating 10 years of their cutting-edge menswear designs, and to mark the occasion, they've created their own YouTube channel. There you can find a video preview called the 'Pre-Show Diaries', for the Fall/Winter 2010 collection on YouTube.

Through the minute-and-22-seconds-long film, the brand masterminds capture the essence of what menswear is to them, using close-ups of seams, stitch details, buttons and general fittings to capture the audience. I can only imagine the preparation and precision that has gone into the catwalk show, due to take place on 16th January in Milan.

Matthew Williamson for Men

It seems that when Matthew Williamson tried his hand at menswear last year with his collection for H&M, he liked the outcome!

The British designer is now launching his own capsule collection of menswear for spring 2010, which will show in February as part of London Fashion Week.

The creative designer is going deep into color and vintage throwback patterns like bold geometries and paisley on scarves, sweaters, and t-shirts. The collection will be available in February 2010. London, New York, and Dubai are getting his initial capsule collection in next month. They will also be available on his online store.

The collection is very unique and definitely a throwback to the Seventies! I like (obviously).

10 for '10

Its a new year and with new years come resolutions, trends and a list of ten essentials for every man. These should be invested in, because they're the kind of pieces that will stay with you a life-time.




1.) Wool/cashmere blazer in black, navy and grey. They go with everything and are very versatile. You can wear them with a shirt, v-neck, jeans, suit, sweats. A must-have for any modern day fashionisto.




2.) A slim-fitting white Oxford shirt in heavier-weight white cotton. These are perfect for wearing them with shorts and flip flops or khakis and loafers.



3.) Straight-leg jeans in Dark Indigo. Forget everything you learned about jeans. Ripped, washed, boot-cut. Straight-leg, dark wash jeans are classic and go with almost everything (except a deshdasha).



4.) A Khaki trench coat that falls just above the knee. For those rainy days (if we're lucky to even get them) or when you're away on vacation. A Khaki trench gives an individual a certain element of private investigator-esque cool.



5.) Black, Tan and Brown loafers. These are available everywhere and go with everything. Classic pieces that are durable. They can be worn with deshdashas, suits, shorts and jeans.



6.) Navy, Grey and Black cashmere v-neck sweaters. Just like the blazer, they go with everything and draw attention to your chest, therefore, making you look thinner.



7.) Wire-framed aviator sunglasses. They've been used ever since the 1960's and have never gone out of style. A Classic, cool piece. A must-have for any modern man.



8.) A Cashmere Camel-colored scarf. This can be worn with sweaters, blazers and trench coats. You can even wear them with t-shirts and sweats. A Cashmere scarf in a neutral tone is the perfect balance to your wardrobe.



9.) A Navy suit. Perfect for job interviews and formal occasions. You can never go wrong with Navy, as it can make the transition from day to night, successfully.



10.) A signature scent. The power of scent is undeniable. Even animals live according to scent, using scents to mark territory and choose a mate. So it’s no wonder that a person’s scent can be incredibly powerful; it can even trigger physical and psychological changes in humans. Anything by Chanel, Givenchy and YSL is perfect. Masculine, cool and versatile is the kind of scent you should look for. Something that can be worn both in Winter and in Summer.

And that's all folks! These are my 10 essentials for 2010. They're durable, never go out of style and elegant. Wish you all a Happy New Year!