Winter is often a season of necessity versus beauty. Unless one has enough in his wallet to buy a piece like this Alexander McQueen (a cool £1,095,) fashionistos are left to settle for cheap and not always stylish alternatives. The gilet (or body-warmer) is a fickle fashion item and this season it has been made-up in enticing chambray by label Wings + Horns.
Gilets often look awful; after all, the Michelin Man-look has never suited anyone. However, when worn over-sized and unzipped with skinny jeans and leather brogues, your padded-tube of fabric becomes the key component of a high-fashion look.
I would say ‘Yay’ to the idea of a gilet- simply follow Brandish’s style advice and you’ll be looking awesome anyway!
Nickque Patterson is setting the London fashion world alight- slowly but surely. As a stylist, DJ, designer and all-round fashionisto persona, Nickque is one of those people for whom every street is a real-life catwalk. Whether in front of the camera as a model or working behind the scenes orchestrating an edgy editorial, Patterson knows the trends and makes fashion happen.
Ever so fortunately, he was excited to be interviewed for Brandish and after the jump we have his full interview. Prepare for shoes described as ‘elite,’ Nickque’s self-decided role as the “Jesus of Fashion” and grooming-secrets (just check out the hair!)
We love him!
Mickey Boardman is the infamous columnist at Paper magazine as well as a social butterfly and fashion extraordinaire. He is also the proud owner of a rather distinctive and intriguing look. Boardman blends paired down basics in block colours (Lacoste polo shirts, chinos, simple cardigans in luxury cashmere,) with extravagant costume jewellery and accessories. Chunky necklaces and lavish loops of gorgeous beads add a high-fashion touch to any simple look. But I worry it might raise a few eyebrows (and maybe a few fists) down at the local supermarket.
The sad news yesterday was that Arena magazine has been closed down by publisher Bauer Media. The magazine has been running for 22 years and it has always been BOT (Bang On Trend) despite rapidly falling circulation figures in recent years.
The April issue of the magazine is due out next week and rumours are flying that this issue will be the last. Thankfully for our fashion flames, the magazine’s diffusion mag, (if you could call it that,) Arena Homme Plus, will continue on.
Check back to Brandish for a full review of the possible final issue next week!
Flicking over my most frequented pages recently, I came across Jason Dike’s column at Selectism. Jason was on the Brandish team when I first started out over a year ago but sadly he left last September, leaving us all awfully down-in-the-dumps.
However, Jason is now writing a brilliant column for the equally brilliant Selectism and we can’t wait to see more of his stuff!
J.W Anderson is a fringe designer who is fast-becoming one of the edgiest and coolest designers on the menswear scene. His Spring/Summer 2009 look-book is styled around themes of religion and from the title, ‘An Eye for an Eye,’ to the rosary beads and ornate headdresses, his theme is strong and bold. The look-book is full of subtle allusions to places of prayer; the smoky incense of Catholic churches to the opulent prayer mats of mosques.
The look above is second last in the look-book and please enlighten me (pardon the pun!) as to how you couldn’t like this shot. The intensity of the model’s stare and the contrast of plain shorts and extravagant crown works to create an utterly brilliant look.
Fashion extraordinaire and all-round legend Karl Lagerfeld recently told the press that “an H&M dress and a Chanel dress can look the same in a small photo, but not in real life” and explained that he isn’t ready to take the Chanel label online. However, Opening Ceremony (the great albeit not couture label) have just opened their website and online shop.
The online store will offer a mixture of the label’s own collection as well as other brilliant labels. After all, this is a label favoured by many a hipster and frequently sees collaborations with the likes of Chloë Sevigny.
The third episode of this season’s Skins is out this week and the series is already proving that the youthful fashion beacon has been passed onto a new cast. From the over-sized tees and shrunken dungarees of Freddie to the vintage sportswear worn with careful nonchalance by the fabulous Cook (on the right.) Channel 4 has launched a full on media campaign with the launch of a new season and this includes a weekly report from costume designer Edward K Gibbon.
Follow this link for the E4 website and see after the jump for the low-down on the style of the new Skins fellows.
Paris Menswear Fashion Week began last Thursday and now that is has finished we are able to fully consider all the fashion inspiration from both on and off the runways. From Jefferson Hack and Alber Elbaz to male models and rake-thin boys wearing baggy cardies and vintage Chanel, the shows are an excuse for men to be outrageous and the results are often brilliant.
Look at Kanye West and friends in the image above. The mixture of neon colours and high-fashion logos with laid-black prints and over-the top fabrics gives me more than enough to drool over while I should be working/pretending to work/possibly paying attention to everyday goings on.
Keep reading Brandish everyday for more news from the fashion capitals.
This week’s Love The Look features the wonderfully odd Terrence Koh (artist, fashionisto, sperm-collector, sculptor of crap and other bodily fluids.) Koh has just been made the face of hip label United Bamboo and the ad campaign for this season is an extravaganza of tinsel, blurry shots and classic tailoring with quirky details.
The image above and the rest of the campaign images after the jump will all debut in the Spring/ Summer issue of Fantastic Man.
Topman has revealed their latest ‘trend’ (read: mini theme-based collection) and with a name like ‘Berlin Wall,’ I was expecting rough skinny jeans and a fusion of This Is England skin-head with a kind-of Soviet, military cool. As always, the high-street label has delivered and the bleached skinny jeans are accentuated with textured trench coats and monochrome hoodies. I don’t quite see where the comic-strip boxers and novelty socks come into German reunification but I’m not complaining!
I have my eyes on the ‘Vintage Blue Skinny Jeans’ and the ‘Grey Marl Stitch-Line Hoody.’ Check out this link for the Trend video and full collection.
This season is proving to be perfect for style-conscious men looking for a new sartorial direction. From Marni to Jil Sander, men are being given a chance to look top notch and whereas some seasons simply leave us to stick to a stereotypical male uniform, A/W 2009 looks to be the return of fashion flamboyance.
This velvet trench-coat from Dolce & Gabbana is gloriously over-the-top but allows men to be men with its razor-sharp tailoring and Oscar-Wilde cool (just for the record, I realise not everyone will see Oscar Wilde as a style icon and as a result- this coat is maybe not for you!) Straight off the runway at the moment, the trench will no doubt cost a fortune in the shops but keep your eyes peeled for celeb sightings!
(Image: Marcio Madeira, Style.com)
The Burberry Prorsum A/W 2009 show has been going down a storm on the Internet with buyers and fashion critics air-kissing in delighted agreement as they plan their wardrobes for seasons to come (guilty as charged.) Apart from the amazing padded jackets and sharp tailoring, one of the things that has most caught my attention is the subtle return of the infamous check print. The beige tartan-esque print has, in recent years, become a taboo of the fashion industry but designer Christopher Bailey appears to have decided that the time has come for a major return.
What do you think- are you ready to show-off the check print? Vote in our poll after the jump!
Post-Christmas and the inevitable unwrapping, posing and dressing that occurs as a direct result, I find myself on the hunt for new purchases to slyly absorb into my wardrobe (NYE Resolution: hide fewer credit card bills!)
I have decided to bring back an old Brandish feature- the ‘Wishlist.’ I begin with the ‘Unisex Circle Scarf’ from American Apparel.The scarf can be worn a mesmerising 12 ways for girls (as shown in a diagram on the label’s website,) but I think us boys could get just as much fun out of this great winter accessory.
Winter is often a season of necessity versus beauty. Unless one has enough in his wallet to buy a piece like this Alexander McQueen (a cool £1,095,) fashionistos are left to settle for cheap and not always stylish alternatives. The gilet (or body-warmer) is a fickle fashion item and this season it has been made-up in enticing chambray by label Wings + Horns. 
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