MOO Piyasombatkul

On my walk home today I bumped into two little girls selling lemonade outside their house. It's that stereotype from American movies and that ad on TV for which I can never remember what it actually advertises, all I remember is something about Hong Kong dollars. Well actually these girls were selling apple juice, which they told me was not home made, just from the fridge, and that it contained some ginger, although they weren't sure why. They also told me they didn't mind if I didn't like it.

Perhaps not the most convincing salespeople but the honesty of it all hit the spot. The ginger-y apple juice wasn't half bad either. Ten pence per cup- good value too. But what I really loved about it was the motivation- just wanting to do something. When I was younger, my friends and I created an insect zoo in their back garden, charging entry at 50p as far as I remember, and featuring a wonderful array of not so exotic slugs and the like. Our first visitor grazed her knee on the path in the 'zoo' and we decided this venture was too risky, and at this young stage of the business we could not afford insurance.

But God loves a trier, as does everyone I'm sure. Anyway, to make a long story not so long, I love coming across young designers making something of their talent. And I love them succeeding even more. Today I came across the works of eyewear designer MOO Piyasombatkul, who hails from the city of Bangkok. Having studied at the prestigous Central Saint Martins, Moo launched her brand in February 2011 at London Fashion Week. Stocked at Browns and Opening Ceremony, her designs have been worn by Lady Gaga and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. Moo uses vintage frames and adorns them with hand-carved porcelain pieces in Baroque and 'bubble' shapes. These ornate frames are sure to, as she puts it, 'make geek the new chic'. Check out some of her designs below, and for more information on her designs, visit her Facebook page.

Street Style: Mens Fashion Week

I loved every minute of last week's Menswear Fashion Week in London, what with the elaborate installations and impressive shows. But there's nothing I love more than people watching, and fashion week produces the cream of the crop. Womenswear shows invite outlandish outfits and glamorous guises galore, whereas menswear attendees seem to delight in subtleties and a focus on style over trends. Which is the essence of why I adore menswear so much really. I actually spotted The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman, while waiting outside the Pringle show- and I'm not ashamed to say I was pretty star struck. I also got oddly excited when I discovered he shot someone I shot myself outside the Fashion East installations- that's her in the neon Nike's in the first shot. Other photographers snapping the style elite included Tommy Ton, Noah Emrich, among others, and I picked out some of my favourite shots from London and Pitti to show you below.

The Sartorialist

Liam Goslett of Gaws for Four Pins

Liam Goslett of Gaws for Four Pins

Nam @ Streetfsn

Nam @ Streetfsn

Tommy Ton for Style.com

Tommy Ton for Style.com

Topman Autumn/Winter 2012

As the Spring menswear collections drop, so do the Fall campaigns. One that stood out was Topman- shot by photographer Laurence Ellis, who has previously shot for Maison Martin Margiela, Dansk, i-D, Wonderland, the list goes on. Styled by Steven Westgarth (Dazed, Another), the collection features predominately moody greys, blues and black, with touches of snake and tribal prints. Texture is used to excellent effect with mohair knits, fur trims, various tweeds and worn denim. The overall look is cool and edgy without being unwearable- yet another example of Topman's rise in critical as well as commercial success. Take a look below for some of my favourite looks, and check out the full campaign here.

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London Collections: Men

It was only a matter of time until London would host its very own Men's Fashion Week. With the esteemed history of Savile Row, the production of big guns such as Paul Smith and Ozwald Boateng, and the cultivation of new talents such as Katie Eary and Christopher Shannon, London is a major player in the surging force that is menswear at the moment. Fashion Week kicked off on Friday and went on through to today with a combination of shows and installations in various venues. I was lucky enough to visit the Fashion East installations in Carlton Gardens over the weekend- exhibiting work from Astrid Anderson, Craig Green, Kit Neale, Shaun Samson, Meadham Kirchhoff, the list goes on! 

I also got to see the James Long show on Saturday evening. The collection was entitled 'Kung-Fu Cowboy', inspired by the Alan Vega song of the same name. Graphic lines followed the sharp shapes of neat shirting to form patterns verging on mathematical, while the criss-crossing lines of the knitwear was more organic and offered a grungier edge to the collection. The stand out pieces for me were the embellished tees and sweatshirts- metallic beading glimmered like Art Deco architectural lines beneath the catwalk lighting. On the bottom half, knee-length pleated shorts appeared in various fabrics but their abundance rendered their significance minimal by the end of the 20-look show. The collection also showed off Long's recent collaboration with Cutler & Gross where the eyewear statement seemed to be the smaller, the better. Slicked-back hair and socks with sandals completed a show of contrasting tastes.

What I really enjoyed about the past couple days was the people watching and seeing those usually reserved for the pages of magazines in real life. Fashion can be a surreal world sometimes, and its such fun to be in the heart of it. Take a look below for some quick snapshots from my adventures. 

James Long finale

Peter round the corner from the James Long venue

T. Lipop embroidered slippers

Kit Neale. I was surprised how much I could love lobster and fish prints mixed with neon Aztec patterns, especially when worn with some retro Reeboks.

Astrid Andersen. The turquoise and lime lace pieces in sportswear shapes were amazing.

Yunus & Eliza headpiece

Shaun Samson x Adidas

Agi & Sam's collaboration with Tabio

Shaun Samson's haunting kitty

Helmut Lang Resort 2013

It seems only apt what with the torrential weather in London at the moment that brands begin to unleash their resort collections upon us, reminding us of the benefits of this sort of weather. Supple leather, smooth felts, warm wools... New editorials to read in the summer sun- its always the way with fashion- teasing us with previews we won't fully experience until months later. But hey it adheres to the suspicion that one always wants what one cannot have. One resort collection that stood out in particular was that of the New York label Helmut Lang, designed by duo Nicole and Michael Colovos. The label offered wonderfully zingy lemons and limes alongside peacock blues for spring, but their appeal lies in the mainstays of the dark and textured elements of winter dressing. This time they've veered slightly off-course from their sharply-cut, body-concious shapes with a boxier silhouette, a collection void of their trademark asymmetrical hemlines. Trousers glide loosely over the thigh, gently narrowing to the ankle. Boxy jackets are more reminiscent of easy-to-wear bikers as opposed to the classic Chanels. Their popular draping skills are still present in stylish silk seperates- some cut from digital prints inspired by the feather works of artist Kate McGwire. The pieces are sleek yet not severe, distinctive yet easy to wear- a balance encouraged by the designer's determination that "Clothes need to feel real, lived in"- as phrased by Alistair McKimm, who styled the 40-look collection. Its a collection with a subtle distinction from previous designs, without going into trend-driven territory. Helmut Lang is a brand appreciated for its lack of trends, as it is one of those brands that designs for a customer of style and substance, without falling into the dark pit of purely conceptual design. Its a thin tight rope to walk, but its one the team have clearly mastered.  For the full low-down on the collection, click here, and to see all the looks go to Style.com.

Designers Nicole and Michael Colovos, with stylist Alistair McKimm

The Inspiration: Sluice, 2009, by Kate McGwire

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist, is the perfect example of the rise of street photography and the growing power of the blogosphere. On Monday evening he won the CFDA media award along with his girlfriend, and fellow photographer and blogger, Garance Doré. This week luxury fashion house Loewe released a video directed by and featuring Scott, in which we see the man himself at work. It shows him cycling through city streets picking his subjects- real people who he feels he portrays with a heightened reality. His discussion of how the immediate aspect of his work allows him to capture his subject's vulnerability brings to mind a quote from author Susan Sontag: “to take a photograph is to participate in another person's mortality, vulnerability, mutability. precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt." I think that it is the element of honesty that makes street photography appealing to the viewer, knowing that this exists, and in the context of street style, that it is achievable yet at the same time more admirable the the constructed beauty of those photographs we see in magazines. Take a look below for a couple of shots from The Sartorialist this week as well as the video from Loewe. To see more of his work, check out his blog here.

Django Unchained

Finally the time has come for a taster of the latest offering from the master of sophisticated violence- Quentin Tarantino. Django Unchained (the d is silent) charts the story of a slave-turned-bounty-hunter Django, played by the Oscar-winning Jamie Foxx, on his hunt for his wife and the plantation owner who snatched her. Cristophe Waltz, who plays the doctor who trains Django to kill, has acted in German productions for most of his career but gained recent recognition for parts in The Green Hornet, Water for Elephants and Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. The star-studded cast also includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson, Kerry Washington, James Remar ( Richard of SATC fame)  as well as Tarantino favourites Samuel L. Jackson and Zoe Bell. Costume designer Sharen Davis, who worked on The Help and Dreamgirls, among others, joins the film crew, along with the usual Tarantino suspects Robert Richards (cinematography), Mary Ramos (music) and Fred Raskin (editing). Inspired by the 1960's Italian spaghetti western Django, the story, which is set in the Deep South, features actor Franco Nero who starred in the original production. The trailer is exhilarating, with snippets of sadistic yet stylish violence, and teases us with what seems like an inspired turn from DiCaprio. The only negative comment is that release is not scheduled until January 2013, so until then just keep replaying the trailer below.

RETROSUPERFUTURE

2007 saw a major trend in retro eyewear and five years on, there's no sign of this trend fading. 2007 also saw the start up of the sunglasses company RETROSUPERFUTURE, and its range of Super shades has been seen on everyone- with fans including Kanye West, Kid Cudi, CSS, The Kills, Rihanna- the list goes on. Flatteringly sized a little bigger than the classic Ray Ban's, the range is designed and handmade in Italy, using Zeiss lenses for high protection against the sun. The brand has collaborated with numerous high fliers including Barneys, 10 Corso Como, Elton John (for his AIDS charity), HighSnobiety  and Liberty. Super's latest collection, shown below, is entitled 'Visiva', using hand-crafted prints taken from 70's and 80's postcards, scientific illustrations and tropical-themed photos. The retro quality is synonymous with the brand which describes itself as a type of 'street couture'. Due to their site being redesigned at the moment, their full list of stockists is unavailable although Liberty of London do stock them in store. Otherwise check out their online store here.