The Jimmy Choo SS14 Collection

I could have easily spent my whole afternoon at the Jimmy Choo SS14 presentation during the latest LC:M. The brand had taken over a space on King Street in Covent Garden, which they had turned into a chic cabana full of colour, green foliage and, of course, shoes.
All the different lines stood out from the crowd thanks to the super cool stalls, which had been decorated according to their style. What tied them all together was the inspiration drawn from the 'Sapeurs' – a group of dandies from Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo. These gentlemen, who are treated as celebrities in their home town, are known for their bold sartorial choices. They admire the classic Parisian tailoring, which they wear in the most garish ways using striking colours and patterns.
Sandra Choi, Jimmy Choo's creative director, has translated these daring spirit into a collection that mixes dashes of bright colours on the soles, laces and stitching of otherwise classic sneakers and dessert boots. Degradé snakeskin or leather contrasting with python and camouflage do it for the smarter pieces.
Their signature 'Belgravia' models adopt this style for SS14 but the brand continues their start-studded offering in powder shades of pink, beige and black for next summer.
I loved some of the new introductions like the slip-on shoe, which comes in a modern velvet leopard print. And the new take on their chic urban espadrilles in soft suedes and classic hues.
From among the smart options I loved the monk strap shoes both in classic monotones and in contrasting two-tone options like the super cool camouflage-detailed or the python skin ones.
Whatever you end up going for during SS14 it is clear that, like the 'Sapeurs', classic shapes are a must but so is individuality and that's why every single Jimmy Choo piece has a character that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Fashion, Frankly and Courtesy of Jimmy Choo

The Front Row at the SS14 Burberry Prorsum Show in London

The grand tent Burberry built on Perk's Field for their homecoming menswear show felt like a very cool slightly old-school garden party, which worked fantastically with the collection Christopher Bailey showed yesterday afternoon. And, as it could be expected, the had an excellent turnout.
The LC:M current ambassador David Gandy and his successor Dermot O'Leary were both in attendance. As were Burberry front row usuals Tinie Tempah – in a SS13 giraffe print t-shirt – and Douglas Booth, who was the lucky one to be wearing SS14. Talk about fashion-forward!
Jamie Campbell Bower and Max Chilton looked effortlessly cool, as did Bolin Chen – in my favourite heart-print shirt – and Greg James, who was attending his second Burberry menswear show this season.
My favourite front-row-ers were, without a doubt, Finn and Jack Harries. I have been following the vloggers for over a year now and I'm so happy to see them attending LC:M events and shows. They have recently hit 2 million subscribers on YouTube and I expect their followers to keep growing. This is yet another genius move from Burberry, which shows their excellent understanding and awareness of new media and its influence.

Stay tuned for the recap of he SS14 show and a closer look at the collection from my visit to the Burberry showroom later today.

David Gandy, Jamie Campbell Bower, Dermot O'Leary and Tinie Tempah

Suki Waterhouse, Hugh Dancy, Tinie Tempah, Douglas Booth and Serena Williams

Bolin Chen, Dermot O'Leary, Greg James and Max Chilton

Finn and Jack Harris

Jamie Campbell Bower, Dan Gillespie Sells, Khalil Fong, Finn and Jack Harries.

Courtesy of Burberry

Duchamp London celebrates the London Collections: Men at The Experimental Cocktail Club

On Saturday night Duchamp London invited the menswear fashion crowd to a (not so) hidden gem in the heart of Chinatown – The Experimental Cocktail Club – to celebrate the showcase of their latest SS14 collection during the London Collections: Men.
Drinks and fashion pretty much go hand in hand throughout the whole of fashion week and we all seem to Instagram more happily with a cocktail on the other hand.
I am all about the beautiful decor, which always looks best next to a stylish crowd, and Duchamp had both. Everyone celebrated the kick-off of the season greeting friends and colleagues we haven't seen for a while and I couldn't think of a better way to get into the fashion week mood.
The talented Mr Jonathan D Pryce is responsible for all the great shots of the dapper gents and ladies below.

Ed's note: I am wearing Polo Ralph Lauren gingham shirt, Uniqlo knit blazer, Hugo Boss blazer and Hermès pocket square.

Giulia and I posing for Mr Pryce

Samuel Bradley and Kieron Watts from Style Stands Alone

Above: Scarlett McPhearson and Stephen Kelly, from Style Stands Alone

Below: Phil Green from Topman (right)

Courtesy of Jonathan Daniel Pryce for Duchamp London

The Most Stylish Kicks they wore to the Jimmy Choo & Esquire party

On Sunday night Jimmy Choo and Esquire threw a bash at 5 Hertford Street to celebrate the opening of a new season of London Collections: Men. Everyone I spoke to on the day, including me, was extremely excited about attending as the turn out was meant to be excellent and Mark Ronson was set to spin tracks all night down at Loulou's. Sadly enough, I didn't make it – and I blame it on a dodgy fashion week spring roll.
Luckily, I was the only one absent. All the coolest faces from the London scene and even some from abroad attended the party wearing their best looks with, of course, Jimmy Choo shoes.
Some of my favourites of the night were Mark Ronson, always unique but super stylish, who wore his Prince of Wales check suit with 'Radnor' Choos. Game of Thrones actor Joe Dempsie went for a more classic blue tailored outfit worn with 'Prescott' Oxford shoes.
Tinie Tempah pleasantly surprised me going in a bit of a fashion-forward tangent in an all black look accessorised with the tasseled 'Foxley' loafers. On a more casual take, Wretch 32 wore his 'Belgravia' croc sneakers with a velvet blazer, keeping it cool but interesting.

Courtesy of Jimmy Choo

Dolce & Gabbana presents their SS14 Tailoring collection during their new Store Opening in London

Before I even mention the clothes, I must say how incredibly stunning, elegant and serene the new Dolce & Gabbana space on New Bond Street is. The furniture and decoration bring together traditional English elements, mostly linked to tailoring, and an Italian flavour that has the designer's last names written all over.
The store opening on Saturday evening marked the kick off of the latest edition of London Collections: Men so it was interesting that an Italian brand was the protagonist. Funnily enough, everything from the space to the collection and the atmosphere felt like a perfectly balanced mixture between Sicily and London.
The models wearing the SS14 tailoring collection had been prepped and groomed at Claridge's, from where they marched down Brook Street and onto New Bond Street inside the shop. The whole idea made me think of those old beautiful salon shows like Chanel or Christian Dior used to do at their ateliers. They were intimate and special and so was this.
The collection also had a fantastic combination of a southern Italian and an English point of view. Three-button double-chested blazers reminded me of the Mods and three-piece suits with micro checks or polka dots made you think of understated British elegance. But with a few injections of dark but bolder prints and patchwork and the always modern fit that Dolce & Gabbana is known for these British influences became their own.
As it could be expected, the event also brought out a lot of familiar faces – Kylie Minogue, Jeremy Irvine, the LC:M ambassador David Gandy, Sir Paul Smith and Oliver Cheshire and Thom Evans, who also participated on the catwalk.

The new store, which also includes a stunning barber shop, is going to be my new hairdresser's address so you can expect plenty of Instagram pictures from my monthly visits.

Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

Burberry menswear comes back home to London

As I read Robin Mellery Pratt's article yesterday on BoF I couldn't help but get very excited about the upcoming London Collections: Men – as Shortlist very well pointed, out no one calls it.
But even more so than excited I am proud that London is taking back something that belongs in this city that had been the centre of tailoring for such a long time.
After only a year since LC:M launched this season's schedule looks pretty impressive. One of the highlights is, of course, the return of Burberry menswear to London. To celebrate the occassion in anticipation of their upcoming SS14 show next Tuesday, the brand has released this video.
Burberry has also announced that they will continue with their global live streams and their 'Runway Made to Order' service, which they introduced for womenswear in February. We will now be able to purchase coats and accessories personalised and delivered within 8 weeks.
The brand also continues with their forward-thinking and unique social media strategy on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Google+ and Vine, where they will release different content leading up to, during and after the show. A new introduction is the live stream of the show on Twitter!
It will be an event not to be missed and no matter where you are or what you're doing, you can follow it!