Know how to fold 'em

I enjoy reading the  GQ magazine (American edition). In fact, I don't think I've missed an issue for 7 years. I also generally like the fashion/lifestyle tips they give to men: e.g., don't spend more than 1 minute on styling your hair; always  tip the guy handing out towels in the john; never update your Facebook status, etc.

I do however take issue with the advice in the latest October 2010 edition of GQ (Ryan Reynolds on the cover) regarding pocket squares.

The magazine (p.88) explains that the folded square is "the classic, dashing go-to fold of Hollywooders-- and businessmen -- everywhere."

The article goes on to state "Warning! Men who wear a poofy silk pocket square probably also sleep on silk sheets. On a water bed." Ouch!

This annoyed me because I know this is part of a larger GQ jihad against the silk pocket square. I find this advice to be absurd. Go into any men's shop and 90% of the pocket squares will be silk. As with neckties, pocket squares made of other fabrics such as cotton, linen and wool definitely add a nice variation to man's wardrobe but, as with neckties, they are by no means the default.

I know GQ has been championing the Don Draper slim-suit look for the past few years, but that doesn't make it "classic". Sure the picture above shows Sinatra with the classic fold, but a simple Google image search will show that he did not always wear it that way. Same with other Hollywood royalty, past and present;

Bottom line: if you wear an unfolded silk pocket square, you can sleep tight--and not on silk sheets.

-The Scandal

Top 5 most influential men's fashion designers of the 2000's

Considering that the turn of the decade occurred over six months ago, I guess this post is a bit late (though I suppose I can just as easily entitle it "Top 5 most influential men's designer of the past ten years").  Anyways, the purpose of this post is not to identify the best, most popular or even my own personal favorite men's designers over the past decade. Rather, I intend to outline the men's designers whose innovation has caused the greatest buzz in the fashion world, for better or worse.


5. Raf Simons

As a Belgian, Simons is in impressive company with his fellow compatriots (Dirk Bikkembergs, Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, and Ann Demeulemeester). Simons is best known for his ultra-modern, angular and highly tailored garments. The cuts  and proportions are interesting and by no means conventional. His influence has grown in recent years (see for example Prada and Calvin Klein collections) and he has been appointed as creative director for the Jil Sander label.

4. Brunello Cucinelli

Though unquestionably the most questionable designer on this list, I think BC deserves to be here. The brand has brought casual, luxury Italian menswear to the fore of all upscale men's boutiques. Items currently in style such as unstructured blazers, elbow patches, suede shoes and zip-up cardigans, all have their provenance, at least in part, in Brunello Cucinelli.

3.  Alber Elbaz of Lanvin

Alber Elbaz is huge and no, I'm not just talking about his rotund physique (zing!).

During the past few years, there has hardly been been a more coveted label than Lanvin. The trademarks of the label are soft, loose-fitting garments with very delicate (and often "wrinkly") fabrics. The colour palette almost always involves creamy pastels. Recent collections of other designers have followed this lead. With Lanvin, there are no bright colours, no bright lines or any hard seams. It's all one luxurious, flowing, creamy vibe. Do you dig?

2. Thom Browne

Love him or loathe him? I think for most people, it's a mixture of both. Coming from the New York scene, Tommy  very quickly catapulted himself as an international  fashion superstar, assisted no doubt by his zany, trippy fashion shows.

His trade-mark schoolboy look-- blazer, ankle high pants (or shorts) and clunky shoes-- has now become iconic, as has his fixation with grey, white, red, white and blue.

1. Hedi Slimane

As previously described here, Slimane was probably the single most influential designer peddling the super slim, rocker look while serving as head creative designer for Dior men's during the better part of 2000's. In so doing, Dior's fashion shows featured a series of male models that looked more like gawky teenage girls with eating disorders.

For whatever reason, this look really took hold in the fashion world especially in the first part of the decade. By nearly single-handedly impacting men's couture by advocating a clear and recognizable fashion silhouette, Hedi Slimane is my choice as the decade's most influential designer.

-

-The Scandal

Gant by Michael Bastian, Spring Summer 2011

It is not uncommon for relatively affordable labels to launch a more upscale line in collaboration with a big name fashion designer. For example, Thom Browne collaborates with  preppy Brooks Brothers to produce the Black Fleece collection.

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, by Thom Browne

 It's not surprising that the equally preppy Gant has recently partnered with Michael Bastian to put out a separate collection.  At first blush, the two may seem like perfect pair due to their shared preppy vision, with Michael Bastian incorporating a more sophisticated flare. However, when I looked at the Michael Bastian Gant collection, it struck me that the label might actually be better complemented  by having a designer that offered more of a contrast to Gant's look. The collaboration would then potentially be more interesting. I'm not advocating that Gant should partner with a Rick Owens type,

Rick Owens Fall/Winter 

but Michael Bastian's collection --nice as it was-- really didn't look all that different than the run-of-the-mill Gant. Heck, it didn't look much different than Polo.

Gant images from GQ.com

-The Scandal

Michael Bastian, Spring/Summer 2011

I must confess to be being a bit disappointed with MB's latest collection. I thought it too sporty --do American men wear speedos anyways? And it didn't have enough of those fitted preppy suit and tie combos that worked so well in previous seasons. It was a bit too much Abercrombie for my liking, but still worthwhile.

All images GQ.com

-The Scandal

Simon Spurr 2011 Spring Summer

Simon Spurr has to be my favorite American-based designer. In his latest collection he seamlessly managed to combine old world Saville Row dandiness with the sleekness and simplicity of some modern designers such as Italo Zuchelli, of Calvin Klein. I am also impressed that he doesn't feel the need to embellish his shows with absurd gimmicky pieces to establish his cred as an "artiste". Are you listening Thom Browne? Didn't think so.

(All images GQ.com)

-The Scandal

Erdem RTW 2010 Fall Collection

Although I cannot say this is my favorite collection by Erdem, it nonetheless deserves an honourable mention.

Erdem Moralioglu was born near Montreal, Canada to a Turkish father and an English mother. He studied at Ryerson University in Toronto and eventually scored an internship with Vivienne Westwood in London where he proceeded to earn a masters degree in women's wear at the Royal College of Art. After winning a few prestigious awards, Erdem was able to establish himself as the most promising new designer among the London clique. 

The palette for his RTW 2010 Fall collection is very colorful. Known for his floral English-like prints, he decided to use many shades of green, dark red, blue, brown, and grey-  to give an illusion of a warm- flowery autumn palette. 

-Mariya

Fashion music: Harajuku girls and Taco

I don't think there's any trend here, but this is my second consecutive post on music and fashion.
I was listening to my ipod and coincidentally, two fashion-themed  songs came up on my playlist consecutively.
The first song was Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku girls".


The song is essentially a tribute to the girls of the Harajuku district in Tokyo.  The area is renown for its unique and eccentric street fashion.


Harajuku also has a large shopping district that includes luxury western designers, Japanese Harajuku native designers, and affordable shops catering to teens.

Gwen Stefani also made Harajuku girls a running theme for her first solo album L.A.M.B.

Japanese girls appear  in just about all the videos released  from the album ("What you waiting for", "Rich girl", "Hollbackgirl") and live shows. Also, in promoting the album, Gwen would show up to interviews with the girls in the background and none of them would utter a word. Gwen would claim not to be able to see the girls.
Because of her use of the Japanese girls,  she attracted some criticism, mainly charges of cultural exploitation. This seems a bit silly to me. I bet most Japanese took the whole Harajuku shtick as a flattering tribute. After all, how many Western artists of her stature prominently feature Japanese themes?
Anyways, if you're fashionista, you'll appreciate that the song name-drops Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese label Comme des Garcons, and Vivienne Westwood, among others. It also contains a shameless self promotion for her then fledgling brand L.A.M.B:
"Did you see your inspiration in my latest collection?
Just wait 'til you get your little hands on L.A.M.B."

I suppose the song is catchy, but it does contain some pretty awful lyrics:

• "Where the catwalk got its claws, all you fashion know-it-alls"
• "You're looking so distinctive like D.N.A., like nothing I've ever seen in the U.S.A"
• "A Ping-Pong match between eastern and western"

Puttin' on the Ritz

The other song was an old one-hit wonder from the early 80's, called "Puttin' on the Ritz", by Taco.



The original song was written  in 1929 by Irving Berlin in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz (1930). The original version was actually about black people dressing to the nines in Harlem. It probably stems from the songwriter's familiarity and encounters with black culture (likely from jazz bars). I suppose it wouldn't be considered politically correct by today's standards, but if anything, I think it too is a tribute to the culture.
The lyrics were slightly revised (likely to have a more whitebread appeal) and performed in several movies. It's all about the pretense of dressing Ritzy. I love this dance number by Fred Astaire performing the song. You should watch this clip-- the guy is badass.



The video makes me enjoy the song even more.
I don't care much for the Taco video but I've always found their version to be catchy. The lyrics are also really fun and clever.  I can't think of any better song with which to provide inspiration if you're dressing up for a big event.


-The Scandal