After winning a host of trophies with his beloved Barca Josep Pep Guardiola is currently in the middle of a sabbatical from the game, quaffing the Espressos, wandering the streets of Manhattan and pondering his next move.
With Roberto Di Matteo the latest manager to to be given the Siberian shoulder Pep is odds on favourite to take over the reins, if not now then at the end of the season. It isn’t just Chelsea who like the cut of the ex Barca man. Arsenal are also rumoured to have been courting Pep for a while with a view to working at The Emirates – though unless there is some deal that we know little off, with Arsene Wenger booted upstairs, it is unlikely that this is going to happen this year.
There is even the possibility that Spurs may soon be looking for a replacement for AVB while Alex Ferguson can’t go on forever.
Guardiola is known for two things. Firstly the brilliant Tiki Taka football which has confounded team after team both in Spain and in Europe.
Secondly for being the most stylish man in the game. Sure you can make a case for the Italians Di Matteo and Mancini and Newcastle’s Chris Hughton is clearly top of the English league in the fashion stakes – which isn’t actually saying a great deal.
But Pep certainly knows how to dress. Hi is immaculate in his grey suits always with a crisp white shirt and a narrow tie. He also favours the longer jacket look which kind of put his at odds with what was on the catwalk a few years ago and dominates the high street now – and quite frankly looked a bit of a mess on Daniel Craig in Skywalk. But this gives him a degree of individuality and it really suits him.
He also does casual too with Stone Island black jumpers and checked shirts teamed up with prefect skinny-ish jeans and Nike trainers.
He also gives great hope to balding men everywhere in that he keeps his hair very short and teams it with just the right amount of stubble.
Anyway hopefully Pep will be spotted shopping in and around Bond Street very soon.
I like a good belt, me. From a thin braided offering to a chunky biker buckle, they’re my proffered gravity-defying trouser accessory. But as the years pile up, and the pounds pile on, my paunch is finding itself more and more at odds with my waistline adornments.
So what are my other options? I’d rather walk about in my underpants than wear elasticated trousers. They make me think of the super-sized people who have to hire a golf-cart to get around Disney World without keeling over. And losing weight just isn’t going to happen when Subway have just launched a £3 lunch time meal deal.
As an upstanding citizen (and one happy not to get an ASBO for flashing my tighty whities) the job falls to braces (or suspenders if you’re a US reader), the shoulder-strapping saviours of trouser hems since being popularised in 1822 by Albert Thurston.
But they’ve had a bit of a chequered history, have the humble old braces. While they’re currently on the rise thanks to the popularity of the suited-booted Mad Men look, in the UK at least they’re still closely associated with the skinhead style championed by the National Front right-wing movement of the 1980s.
Also, this image of former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, caught recently taking out the rubbish wearing little else OTHER THAN BRACES makes a little bit of sick rise to the back of my throat. Sorry Ken, I’d pick you over Boris any day of the week, but this look’s more Albert Steptoe than Albert Camus.
So, have braces weathered the unsavoury associated storm of the Eighties to shine through in 2012 as an on-trend “boardroom-chic” accessory? Or are they still just a way of keeping the thumbs of shaven-headed yobs occupied instead of forming fists?
Take our poll below and let me know what you think! My dignity depends on it!
Back when she started out, Karen Elson had her eyebrows infamously off-ed at the suggestion of Steven Meisel. She catapulted to international fame fronting high-fashion campaigns and covers from W magazine to Italian Vogue. All this would suggest that the loss of one’s eyebrows is actually rather beneficial- a debate being started over on the Daily Mail website. In the latest Givenchy advert, model Adriana Lima shows off a pair of bleached brows and the Daily Mail is as always on the attack.
Unfortunately for my now traumatised retinas, the newspaper made up a few of Britain’s biggest stars without eyebrows (image above.) I’m not a fan; waking up without eyebrows would be one of my worst nightmares. I can understand that on someone staggeringly beautiful and Elson-esque, a lack of eyebrows would only increase allure. However, this is most definitely one trend I pray does not make the leap from womenswear to menswear. Let’s leave it to the models!
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!
Alexander McQueen‘s menswear collections get more and more interesting by the season. This latest show was a clear departure in mood from his last show, ‘The Queensberry Rules’.
There was still a menacing undercurrent, with vibes of tortured artist coming through, but the overall atmosphere was that of a more feminine creativity. McQueen’s traditional rustic tailoring the look reminded me of some of the Italian workmen that the Sartorialist sometimes snaps.
Onto the gushing, the patchwork shirt and jacket are utterly gorgeous, and regardless of being a woman I want! Similarly the paint effect items moves the digital print trend forwards and the paint-spattered pieces deserve to become a fully-fledged DIY blogger trend.
Best worn: When (pretending) to paint the front room of your Milan apartment.
The second instalment of our summer picks from menswear buyer Lee Douros. There are some beautiful items that will take you stylishly into autumn including a wonderful pair of cornflower blue deck shoes.
Having made their first foray into menswear my-wardrobe have got some exciting brands on board for Autumn, can’t wait for their A/W picks!
You can rely on Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver to deliver a great collection and they did. This collection for Lanvin was typically elegant affair, with the très chic suits and kimono-style jackets. Irreverent touches like trousers and suits made from tie silk reinforce Elbaz’s gentle sense of humour and sandals worn with socks gave a geeky twist to the look.
Lee Douros is the menswear buyer for my-wardrobe and at the last press day we had a great chat with him about men’s clothing and the online side of things. Lee definitely knows his stuff, so we were thrilled when he agreed to present his top summer picks for us. If you’re still stuck for high-summer chic then this is like the holy grail. Stay tuned for pt2!
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!
Nicola Formichetti’s blog is a haven for fashion-friendlies worldwide. From Japanese karaoke to Lady Gaga in the dressing room via iD and plenty of Hedi Slimane, this blog is always full of intimate shots and fashion-star exclusives. Nicola recently featured images from his latest shoot with Slimane for Hedi Slimane.com. The shoot, entitled ‘California Teens,’ includes only two models but shows a huge variety of sets and looks including dog heads with Swarovski eyes and Rodarte worn as a balaclava.
The more I write about summer clothes, and slowly accept that summer isn’t actually coming, I look to next winter and start structuring my cold wardrobe. Coats are a notoriously hard thing to get right and a single inch too short or too long can ruin not only an entire look, but an entire wardrobe (well, almost.)
The Fashionisto has lifted the lid on the latest H&M collection for A/W 2009 and this faux-crushed velvet coat has a bit of an edge on other high-street pieces. With what looks like a simple collar and in solid black, the material of this coat allows it to be easily worn with any items while being a stand-out piece in itself.
I would keep to simple tones but contrast fabrics and textures to build up the layers of an elaborate get-up. Throw in a bit of tacky bling-age to mix up the expensive looking coat but keep it minimal; garish garb is best when less.
Over the last few years, with the trends having covered skinny jeans, unisex mods, sexually-liberated hippies, shoulder pads, guy/girl jumpsuits and the his/her Eighties where basically anything went, I have tried my hand at many trends that tread the fine line between menswear and womenswear.
This photo recently appeared on Facehunter and, while originally in awe of this fashionisto’s rose accessory, I began to wonder if it would be one step too far and throw me into the realm of uncomfortable dressing (a fatal flaw when it comes to styling!) I happily carry a man-bag and have even experimented with Guyliner in recent months but I couldn’t be sure that I would feel okay with an accessory like the one above. Would you be willing too wear something so overtly feminine or do you like to stick within the traditional fashion sex boundaries?
Calvin Harris, the Dumfries-born DJ who is often tipped with providing the backing track to the vintage wave of last summer, is currently topping the charts with his ‘I’m Not Alone’ and while watching his latest video I was suddenly aware of the BOT male’s striking similarity to another No. 1 popstar…
Over coffee the other day, I was talking to a friend who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder.) Listening to the misery of days spent not knowing what to wear each morning (friends will know of how immense the impact of fashion is upon my life!) I decided to go on the lookout for a designer who can deliver trans-seasonal clothes that will carry us males throughout the year.
b Store London is edging towards the avant-garde and I wasn’t at all expecting to find my SAD solution on its site. Its b Clothing range is full of really wearable, all-year pieces and I would be proud to don this shirt-come rain or shine.
After winning a host of trophies with his beloved Barca Josep Pep Guardiola is currently in the middle of a sabbatical from the game, quaffing the Espressos, wandering the streets of Manhattan and pondering his next move.
From:Review of the Premiership part 3: Spurs, Everton and more - what might have been...