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A blog dedicated to the interesting, scandalous, useful and cutting edge in the world of men’s style, fashion and grooming.
The world outside prêt-a-porter can be a strange and frightening place. Case in point, this jacket from Aitor Throup. There are fashion statements of all kinds, but when you find yourself stitching rubber skulls to a suit jacket, it may be time to reconsider your aesthetic.
On the plus side, the skulls zip open, so you’ll have somewhere to put your blackberry.
Mashups of high and low fashion will always have a certain high-concept appeal, but it shouldn’t stop us from distinguishing between a good idea and a bad idea. And high-top wingtips are certainly the latter. Luckily, like pachinko and monster attacks, these unfortunate creations are currently confined to Japan, where they will hopefully remain. (We’re looking at you, Kanye.)
Takashi Murakami has been gaining profile for a while now—he designed the slightly hideous album cover for Kanye’s latest, and is collaborating with Marc Jacobs on a pattern for Louis Vuitton—but his nouveau-Warhol shtick has always left most of America shaking their heads.
Witness, for instance, the kerfuffle surrounding his upcoming exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The fashion press went wild over Vuitton-based rumors—would the museum be hawking LV bags? Would they get a peek at the new Marc Jacobs pattern?—without giving thought to the exhibition itself. Naturally, the art world is skeptical.
The gala opening of Takashi Murakami’s exhibition was predictably packed last night, with Marc Jacobs among the attendees. Kanye took a break from managing his new travel site to put on a show and keep the crowd on their feet. And, aside from the eminent-domain protests outside, things couldn’t have gone better.
Louis Vuitton was well-represented with an outdoor table of pointedly non-counterfeit goods, but they had more than a few representatives in the crowd as well»
Flipping through our weekly quota of glossy mags, we noticed Michael Bastian’s rules of style in Details. We’ve been fans of Bastian’s since he left his post at Bergdorf Goodman to pursue designing, but we couldn’t resist the chance to give his rules a little polishing.
Despite what Kanye might tell you, the market for high-end streetwear based on sci-fi movie in-jokes is somewhat limited. And for A Bathing Ape, the Pharrell-endorsed Japanese import, time may be running out.
Seems when it comes to sunglasses, Kanye West is the man to follow. Since the release of his new album, the hip-hop product ho has been hosting pics on his blog featuring fans from all over the world wearing his 80s-tastic “Stronger” specs.
Sensing a market opportunity—the man is a player after all—West has teamed up with Aussie hipster outfitters (and Assembly-goers Ksubi for a line of sunglasses under the rapper’s Pastelle fashion line.
We’ve seen a lot of weird endorsements, but we’ve never seen anything quite like this.
Ostensibly, it’s an ad for Absolut Vodka, but the Absolut name isn’t mentioned until the final shot and vodka isn’t mentioned at all. It looks like an infomercial but the product is not just imaginary but also impossible. And why are there flying tigers? How could this have happened? How could a video this strange not only come into existence, but be produced and aired on a commercial scale?
The answer, of course, is Kanye.
The trajectory of Kanye West’s Blog has been strikingly similar to Kanye’s own trajectory. At first, it was written off as gimmicky and well-connected. But, through frighteningly earnest enthusiasm, it’s gradually worked its way into our heart.
Which is why this morning’s scandal comes as such a shock.
No one knows better than us, it’s hard out there for a blogger, and more than a few have speculated that it must be hard for Kanye to tour, blog, make music, and star in vodka commercials without something giving way. A ghost blogger, perhaps»
The Blessed One: Marissa Miller is so hot, her body’s natural response is to cool itself by sweating profusely. [Egotastic]
Fatty Foods: These chain restaurants’ menu items will have you busting your gut before you know it. Avoid them at all costs. [The Bachelor Guy]
Slam Dunk: The new line of Nike SB’s debuted, and if you’re a fan of sneakers, you’re gonna need to cool your boots after looking at these photos. [High Snob Society]
No Longer A Mystery: A breakdown of famous designers’ names and the proper way to pronounce them. Now you’ll know, just in case you ever need to impress a model. [Haute Concept]
Kanye’s Inspiration: Meet the sunglasses that started a movement… A very colorful movement. [Men.Style]
Part-Time Model: The occasionally exhibitionist heiress (no, the other one) strips down for Myla. [NYDN]
Hipsters will destroy us all: But not in a cool Mothra kind of way. [PSFK]
Rum in Exile: Forbidden rum is always the sweetest. [The Bachelor Guy]
Receding Clothing Line: Jude Law models for dunhill. Baldness jokes ensue.[Brandish]
It’s the Shades: Kanye makes the cut for Vanity Fair’s best dressed list. Once again, his MacBook Air is in danger. [Kanye’s Blog]
The Be Kanye website has finally launched and we feel we can now say, without fear of contradiction, that Mr. West has proved himself a master of web design, as well as rap production, product placement, lyrics, television, men’s style, and (why not?) polevaulting. We’re especially impressed by the “Not Tested on Animals” button in the lower left that rolls over to a tiger.
We were impressed when the ads first dropped, but Kanye appears to have a few more tricks up his sleeve.
Taking Notes: A few lucky bloggers stumble across Kanye’s notebook. Warning: the veracity of the document has been questioned. [FormatMag]
Sons and Daughters: Our old pal rounds up the fashion week showing from Obedient Sons. Apparently they’re less obedient this year. [Refinery29]
Out in the Streets: A user’s guide to Banksy. Step one: move to London. [WebUrbanist]
It’s Hard Out There for a Sex Addict: A sobering look at sex addiction in America. Remarkably, Tom Ford goes completely unmentioned. [NYT]
Ladies and Gentleman, Kanye is in peril.
Early reports indicate Mr. West has been detained at LAX for brawling with a TMZ photographer. We’ve known for some time that he was under constant threat from haters, but it seems we underestimated their power.
Be warned.
As Long as it’s Vital to the Plot: Eva Mendes wants to “push the envelope” even further than her scandalous Calvin Klein ads. We’re happy to hear it, but unless we’re mistaken, there isn’t much more to take off. [WWD]
An Innocent Man: Kanye is freed…but the real camera smasher is still walking the streets! [Kanye West’s Blog]
Albinism is the New Black: The only black man on the runway for Patrick Ervell is…an albino. Somehow, this is a victory for diversity in fashion. [NYT]
Crouching Panda: Wondering what Slovenian post-structuralist Slavoj Zizek thinks of Kung Fu Panda? Now you know. [Vulture]
In our all consuming quest to keep you looking your nattiest, it’s high time we address your face. Or at least the glasses sitting on it. With the help of our good friends Jordan and Erik from Silver Lining Opticians—our vote for the best specs shop in all the land—we’re going to bring you the vintage shades you should be wearing, one category at a time. And if something catches your eye, just shoot us an email and we’ll point you in the right direction.
One of the secrets of vintage gear is nailing down a specific place and time. In the case of the plastic aviator, it’s the late seventies, when muscle cars, eight tracks and unreconstructed rock could all still pass as unironic. And, now that it’s being sported by celebs from Kanye to Tom Ford, the plastic aviator is enjoying a much deserved revival. Ranging from high-tech to faux-cheap, we’ve put together a list that can see you through beach weekends, skiing, and your usual daytime adventures. And, of course, they all look good with a mustache.
In Vogue: The lovely Ms. Mendes in Italian Vogue. We’re sorry we said you weren’t the farming kind. [FashionIndie]
History Written in Sharpee: A Live Journal gives sharpee illustrations of the facebook status of all 44 presidents. We’re pretty sure this is how the Iliad was written. [Maria Sputnik]
Head Games: Whether you’re in America, India, or the rugged lands of Shaolin, you best protect your neck. [Jezebel]
Biters: Bastion of Blogosphere integrity Kanye West faces accusations of plagiarism. Say it ain’t so, ‘Ye. [Vulture]
Can’t Tell Me Nothin’: Kanye goes through his favorite Obama pics. In other words, if things turn south, we can expect one hell of a blog post. [Kanye West’s Blog]
Very Big Love: Tom Ford adds Ginnifer Goodwin to his stable. Of actors. For the movie. [The Cut]
Take a Bow: If you have managed to get through life so far without knowing how to tie a bowtie, this is the video for you. Live in fear no longer. [His Fashion Eye]
Industrial Camoflage: Graffiti meets civic beautification when fire hydrants are painted the color of their surroundings. We expect a lot of bruised shins. [PSFK]
War Pants: Bruce Pask ponders the colonial charm of Gurkha pants. For the sake of our knees, we really hope this doesn’t catch on. [The Moment]
Blog on Blog Crime: Kanye gets arrested for another paparazzi altercation. When will they learn to live in peace? [Vulture]
Together at Last: Paisley and Tweed: Two great tastes that taste great together. [A Suitable Wardrobe]
Who Watches the Trendwatchers?: Fashion mags feel the pinch in ad sales. We still blame crocs. [WWD]
Tweed has never been the hottest look, but it may be having its own trendlet. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to academic-chic.
This “Academia Jacket” from Visim has been making the Japanese retail rounds, and caught the eye of the streetwear tastemakers at High Snobiety and nascent King of all Media Kanye West. It’s a natural step from the accountant fetishism of Thom Browne—who, coincidentally, was just named GQ’s Designer of the Year—but we can’t help but wonder where this leads. Glasses can always get nerdier, but we imagine we’ll see library-themed nightclubs popping up next summer.
Our advice is to start snapping up hardcovers now. After all, you’ll need accessories.
Apparently two of our favorite people ran into each other last night.
Now that Bill Murray’s been hitting the town a bit more, it was inevitable that he’d run into Kanye West eventually. Kanye was celebrating his cousin’s birthday at Anchor Bar when Murray appeared from the background.
Naturally, it’s just a celeb sighting so we don’t know if they conversed, but we imagine they’d have a lot to discuss. They’re both on the heels of major breakups, but Kanye could take a lesson or two from Murray’s detached melancholy. Not everything has to end up on an album.
No Logo: The logo of every superbowl, including at six that have been won by the steelers…in case you’ve forgotten. [NotCot]
Ad-tion: Gawker’s top five superbowl ads of all time, sadly devoid of sassy CGI animals. [Gawker]
Fast Cars: Kanye goes to Paris…or should we say KANYE GOES TO PARIS!!!! [Kanye West]
This is the Story of the Murricane: Bill Murray gets a signature cocktail. [NYTimes]
We’d cooled off lately on our effusive love for Kanye, but it turns out all we needed was a good reminder.
Kanye’s performance Wednesday night was enough to win back our interest. The song wasn’t bad, but the chambray shirt, and effortless use of the trucker tux won us over. It also didn’t hurt that he was rocking RRL jeans, which might be our favorite denim product ever.
Of course, he’s made a few good videos in the time since too, but the crucial thing has always been public performance. And, like nobody else in music, Mr. West understands how to dress the part.
Our favorite well-dressed blogger has been busy with more than just his jeans. Today he put us on to a new photographer/retoucher named August Bradley with the peculiar knack of making glamour shots that look like cartoons.
It’s an interesting idea, given that most photographers are headed in the opposite direction. (We’re looking at you, Mr. Richardson.) We’re not usually fans of excessive retouching, but this seems to go beyond the usual Vogue fodder and into something much more self-conscious and ironic.
Either that, or he just really loves photoshop.
No sooner do we complement Kanye’s taste in denim than we hear his Yeeziness is planning a denim line of his very own.
It’ll be hard to top RRL, and the hipster/street divide is as difficult to bridge in fashion as it is in music. Then again, if anyone can bring the two camps together—possibly by sporting the perfect level of bagginess displayed in the picture at left—it’s Kanye. As legacies go, it wouldn’t be a bad one.
Let’s just hope it keeps him off the vocoder.
Animal Safety: Sienna Miller has fallen into a tiger pit. [SwipeLife]
Ryantown City Limits: Earnest Sewn’s new shop-within-a-shop confuses us to no end. Apparently Americana is involved? [Material Interest]
The Last Stand: Apparently they couldn’t keep the unreleased Wolverine movie locked down, much like Wolverine himself. [Vulture]
Ich Bin Bruno: Kanye gets his hands on the new Bruno trailer, in the rare exclamation-point-free post. [Kanye’s Blog]
The Glossy Life is Practiced Everywhere: Apparently Kate Moss’s latest contract currently dictates she can only be photographed in repose. [Red Carpet]
Paranoid: Kanye unleashes his latest all-caps stream of consciousness. The money quote: “I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM.” Life lessons, people. [Gawker]
The Skulls: Damien Hirst’s first album cover looks about like you’d think. [High Snobiety]
Notes from the Underground: Dubai is much, much, much worse than we thought. [The Independent]
Bond and the Women: The British GQ counts down a list of the Bond girls that might have been. Mr. Craig should be so lucky. [The World’s Best Ever]
Fare Thee Well: Supertouch says goodbye to prolific and beloved photojournalist Shawn Mortensen. [Supertouch]
In the Coconut: Esquire sings the praises of lime cologne. [Esquire]
The Magic of Technology: More Kanye-themed gifs than you ever wanted to see. [Best Week Ever]
Kanye West’s wisdom is vast and diverse enough that it was only a matter of time before it made it into book form.
Thank You and You’re Welcome was handed out to fans on Mr. West’s Glow in the Dark tour, and has been circulating for a while now. But it’s just now making it to bookstores, replete with the same wisdom that got him where he is today. Anyone out there with an insatiable desire to be Kanye just got a new favorite book, and Kanye can add “Dr. Phil-esque Life Coach” to his list of hyphenates.
No word yet on how much of it is all caps.
