UNIQLO and Lemaire SS16

It's been a while since I got excited about a designer's collaboration with a high street retailer. It looks like only UNIQLO refined the recipe for success after their hit-after-hit run with Jil Sander, which explains the instant success of the collaboration launched with Lemaire for the FW15 season.
The Japanese retail giant announced that the partnership will continue for the forthcoming SS16 season with the new UNIQLO and Lemaire collection launching exclusively online on March 4th and worldwide in stores on March 18th.

The new collection brings together two of my favourite style influences – the 60's and sportswear. The French brand continues to combine their clean and streamlined silhouettes with sportswear detailing by playing with buttons, pockets and volume. The colour palette – faded ginger, mahogany, and the brand's signature optic white, navy and khaki – touches on the preppy side of the 60's and sits so well with the clean lines of the tailored pieces.

You can check out a preview of the collection online here.

The Turnbull & Asser x Globe-Trotter Collaboration

Courtesy of Turnbull & Asser

Late last month, shirt experts Turnbull & Asser unveiled their latest collaboration with travel-maker of the moment Globe Trotter. The result is a set of limited-edition suitcases bringing together Globe Trotter's already iconic aesthetic and timeless approach with Turnbull and Asser's attention to detail.
The two models, in 18'' and 21'' sizes, are both cabin-friendly and feature a black vulcanised fibreboard exterior with a leather trim and silver metallic detailing. The interior is fully lined with a blue gingham, two-fold 120 poplin fabric, which Turnbull and Asser uses most notably on their shirting.
Click here to get your hands on the ultimate travel companion.

Orlebar Brown's Capsule Collection in Collaboration with Konstantin Kakanias

Today is my first day officially back from my summer holidays, which is usually the time when I get over the summer and start planning my wardrobe additions for fall/winter. I'm not sure what changed in my brain this time but the truth is that I am plotting to get away for another weekend or two for a little more sun before it's too late. And that's exactly why I keep looking at swimwear pieces to add to my limited collection.
Only last week, Orlebar Brown released a capsule collection in collaboration with Konstantin Kakanias. The Greek artist's illustrations of scenes of jungle life are perfect for swimwear – they stand out from others but are still manly. You will find the prints on the brand's signature OB Bulldog shorts and also printed on their Tommy T-shirts, as part of their ever-expanding RTW range.

Click here to shop the collaboration.

Courtesy of Orlebar Brown

Wooster + Lardini Launch their Collaboration at Pitti Uomo 86

It isn't an easy feat for a man to achieve a signature personal look – a uniform if you will – that while being subtle, manly and appropriate allows you to stand out from the crowd. And this is exactly why guys like Nick Wooster gather what is almost like a cult following. His distinctive combinations of suit shorts with perfectly tailored jackets and polished shoes together with his graphic tattoos and grey moustache make him impossible to overlook.
For the SS15 season, the iconic Wooster has partnered with Italian brand Lardini  to create a capsule collection of pieces that play with the traditional and the very much contemporary. Classic menswear colours like grey, khaki, olive and navy cover lined and unlined jackets and trousers in anything from a slim and straight fit to a dropped crotch and a ghurka.
The collection is a masterful game of fabrics and detailing bringing together Wooster's clinical eye and Lardini's tailoring knowhow to deliver raw and understated pieces I, for one, could not have even dreamed of.

Courtesy of Lardini

Tod's launches 'Dots of Life' celebrating their iconic 'Gommino' shoes

This week Tod's launches their latest project 'Dots of Life'. With a name referring directly to the pebbled sole of their world-famous 'Gommino' driving loafers, the Italian brand wants to celebrate their iconic shoe.
The newly launched social site – www.gommino.tods.com – is a platform where wearers and fans of the 'Gommino' can share their images wearing their favourite pair. For its launch, Tod's asked a number of digital trendsetters around the world to also share their images showing their love for the brand's staple style. I was so thrilled not only to be a part of this but to add the perfect pair of spring shoes to my shoe collection.

To participate, you can either upload your image on the website www.gommino.tods.com or you can do it through instagram using the educated hashtag #todsgommino. Every day, Tod's will chose the best image received on their website and their social media channels and publish it on the site.

If you are not the proud owner of a pair of 'Gommino' yet head straight to the Tod's website and get your pair. You won't fund a more comfortable and effortlessly elegant summer shoe!

Jennifer Appiah-Phillips for Fashion, Frankly

Just in: Michael Bastian x Uniqlo

As part of my mission to get my wardrobe ready for the new season – thanks London for being so miserable and extending my deadline – I visited my favourite high street store, Uniqlo, to check out their SS14 offerings.
Even considering their t-shirt collaboration with Pharrell, the most exciting part of the collection is the polo shirt line they have created with Michael Bastian. As you might expect from anything the king of preppy is involved with, every single piece is beautifully simple and includes amazing details such as embroidered golf balls and bears, plaid and pinstripe patterns and 60's-inspired prints.
My first choice so far is the style below. A navy button-down polo shirt featuring green and red micro-paisleys. You can shop the whole collection here.

Frank's SS14 Picks: Converse Jack Purcell x Hancock

From the age of 11 until I was about 20 the only footwear I'd ever have on would be Converse Chuck Taylor's. I still own at least 10 different pairs of them as I believe they will never go out of fashion. However, I wear them a lot less these days party because they are a bit dressed down for most places I have to go. And so I was thrilled to see this new collection Converse Jack Purcell is launching this season in collaboration with Hancock Vulcanised Articles. The shoes combine rubber-bonded, waterproof materials with Purcell's classic mid-top sneaker.
They are the perfect balance between a casual and timeless spring shoe and a luxury everyday essential I can wear to the office with my jeans or chinos. They are available as a limited edition in indigo, mastic grey and summer yellow. You can get your hands on them for the very reasonable price of £170 a pair from March 14th. Click here from tomorrow to buy your pair.

Courtesy of Converse

L'Estrange London Celebrates their new Limited Edition Hoods & Pop-Up Store

Judging by the buzzing crowd outside 46 Monmouth Street, you wouldn't guess L'Estrange London only launched their now popular hood back in April of this year. The brand had a double reason to celebrate last week. The first was the launch of their latest limited edition Liberty Fabric Hoods, and the second was the opening of their Christmas pop-up shop in Covent Garden.
Following the obviously successful first collaboration with Liberty, L'Estrange is now heading for round two with their latest fabric of choice: 'New Year's Eve'. The modern take on Liberty's classic paisley pattern is a perfect match for the black cotton jersey of the Hood, which has been produced in a limited run of 100 pieces to make it even more special. I couldn't possibly resist to become part of such a cool club, so I took home with me one of them.
The brand has also released their latest main collection, which continues to play with their streamlined hood silhouette and their four key colours – black, navy, grey and burgundy – in their signature style: the 'Grey Stripe' both with gold and silver hardware. The other new introduction is 'The Paris Print' available in green with a black exterior, navy and burgundy. This one, I believe, will be their next big hit – and very likely my next L'Estrange London purchase as well.

Make sure you visit L'Estrange London online and do not miss their pop-up shop,

which will be open through the holidays until January 5th and also offers a specially curated selection of
brands like WANT Les Essentiels de La Vie, Oppermann London or Eye Respect.

L'E Shop

46 Monmouth Street

Covent Garden

London WC2H 9LE

Courtesy of L'Estrange London

Iñaki Carvajal x Tod's No_Code

I couldn't quite believe it when Tod's, one of my all-time favourite brands, asked me to take part in their latest No_Code web campaign. It was something I had never done before and I am known to be a little adverse to photo cameras but I, of course, had to say yes. When asked which photographer I'd like to work with on this project, Jonathan Daniel Pryce was my top choice. After all, he had shot me in Tod's No_Code before and everyone had sent the nicest compliments my way thanks to his images.
If you read the lovely piece they wrote on me on the No_Code website, my outfit makes a lot of sense. I chose to wear the leather and pony skin-effect lace-up shoes – buy them here – because they had a slick modern feel despite their more traditional shape. I wore them with my favourite Acne black skinny jeans, a Ralph Lauren denim shirt and my All Saints biker jacket for a classic look with a dash of rock and roll.

Go check out the amazing FW13 Tod's No_Code collection here and choose your favourites. You will not find a more comfortable and cool shoe this season!

You can see all the images and read the full interview with Tod's here.

I want to send a huge special thank you to the dapper Jarvis Macchi at Tod's, and to Silva Premoli and to Jonathan D. Pryce for their help making this happen!

All Images by Jonathan Daniel Pryce

Vivienne Westwood x Johnstons of Elgin

Courtesy of Johnstons of Elgin

I was recently introduced to Johnstons of Elgin, one of the best British manufactures of fine wools, cashmeres and tweeds since 1797 known for their quality and craftsmanship. They are also the only Scottish mill to take cashmere from fibre to fabric. For all this, they were granted the Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales.
With this in mind it comes as no surprise that Vivienne Westwood chose them as part of their "Vivienne Westwood ♥’s" initiative, which celebrates the best of British craftsmanship and to spread the message of ‘Quality over Quantity, Buy less, Choose well, Make it last’.
As part of this celebration Westwood has collaborated with Johnstons of Elgin to create a capsule collection that brings together the designer's quirky approach to British design and the brand's excellent materials. The result are a beautiful range of beautiful tartan scarves and, my favourites, a diamond motif lounge trousers, a cardigan and a jumper (a twin-set of sorts). All of which are marked with a distinctive fun logo.
The pieces are all available from November exclusively at the Vivienne Westwood flagshipstore on Conduit Street and at VivienneWestwood.co.uk

Versace dress Real Madrid for the new season

Courtesy of Versace

Today Versace announced they have become the official designers for Real Madrid's uniform for the new season. Players, coach, management and technical staff will all be head-to-toe outfitted in Versace.
The players will be wearing a classic black and white look made contemporary by the details and fit – a wool suit with two-button jacket and interfacing on a black background and jet pocket. Stretch polin shirt with visible overstitching and a button-down collar with hidden buttons. Lace-up Derby shoes and belt in calf skin, and a silk tie featuring both the Real Madrid and the Versace logos. For the colder seasons, the brand has also designed a two-button overcoat to complement the suit.
The Italian house will also be outfitting Real Madrid Castilla – the reserve team – and the Real Madrid Basketball team.
I am looking forward to seeing the entire team wearing their perfectly cut tailored looks!

Pernod Absinthe gets the Maison Kitsuné Treatment

Pernod Absinthe and cult fashion and music label Maison Kitsuné have collaborated on a limited-edition bottle of the world-famous drink just in time for the holidays. Only 1000 bottles featuring the illustrations by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki – including their famous fox – will be available in the UK. To make things better, Is Tropical has created an exclusive track, All Night, which will only be available for the lucky few to get their hands on one of the bottles.
To get your hands on one of them, head to the Sipstor website and order yours. Once you have your bottle you only have to log onto pernodabsinthe-music.com, click on 'download the song' and enter your email address and the code you will find on the label of your bottle.
The experience of enjoying a glass of Pernod Absinthe while listening to All Night can only be topped off if you do so wearing Maison Kitsuné's super cool jumper of the season.

Marni's Exclusive Capsule Collection for Mr Porter

Today Mr Porter unveils their latest exclusive capsule collection, this time with Marni. The collection constsists on six pieces – a crew-neck jumper, a cardigan and a backpack in two colour variations. One with dashes of blue and one of red. The inspiration is, of course, found in the 70's. More specifically in sport kits – think of a sporty style from the slopes translated into après-ski.
My personal favourites are the jumpers – the one with the red! – but I love how all the pieces are at once modern, timeless and so very Marni. Shop the whole collection here.

The Pharrell Williams x Moncler Sunglasses Collection

Courtesy of Moncler

Fashion is no stranger to collaborations with celebrities of all sorts. I am usually a bit weary of this as you never know how they are going to turn out. However, when I hear that Pharrell Williams was launching a sunglasses collection in collaboration with Moncler I knew it would be a hit. Forget about Kanye, if you must choose rapper to trust with style that is Pharrell who, at the age of 40, has been relevant for 20 straight years both in music and in fashion.
Like everything Moncler is a part of, this new collection blends together an understated and timeless yet contemporary style with the best materials and spot-on functionality. The 50's inspiration has been brought to the 21st century with a new modern-techno look and are perfect for use in the city and at high altitude resorts (perfect with your Moncler down jacket for skiing) and are all entirely made in Italy.
The Moncler Lunettes by Pharrell Williams are already available at Moncler stores and online.

The Grenson x Foot the Coacher collection launches exclusively at Mr Porter

Today Mr Porter exclusively launches the latest collaboration between Northamptonshire-based shoemakers Grenson and Foot the Coaches, a Tokyo-based brand by designer Toshinosuke Takegahara. The two are a perfect match, as Foot the Coaches is known for their Victorian influence, which they have always approached with a twist. For this particular collaboration the brand has brought back some of the traditional Victorian details from their archive for an absolutely stunning shoe collection.
The collection consists of five boots in two different styles – one inspired by a vintage football boot  and the other by an Edwardian 'Balmoral' boot. Despite what you might think, the price point is actually very competitive for such great quality and design – they range from £425 to £475.
I absolutely love the entire collection and can see myself wearing many of the styles, especially the football-inspired boots in the grainy leather.

Courtesy of Mr Porter

Ready for the Summer: BEAMS x Herschel Supply Co.

It probably had been about 10 years since I last wore a backpack until I recently got my Herschel Settlement Backpack for my birthday in March – which you can still get here. Ever since then I have been using it non-stop to go to work, travel, as an overnight bag and to go to the park. It is cool, practical and it adds a fun note to any outfit.
Now, Herschel have collaborated with Japanese brand BEAMS to create a Spring/Summer 2013 collection of bags. Not unlike my own, the BEAMS x Herschel Supply Co. line offers their classic backpacks in orange, khaki and camo print with a contrasting front zip pocket in suede. They're all available online at ZOZOTOWN for about £90.

Ready for the Summer: Liberty x Vans SS13 Collection

It looks like summer has finally decided to make an appearance in London and I have never been this ready for a bit of sun and heat. My absolute must-have when it comes to goo weather are low-top Vans. A man can never have too many of these. They are a perfect casual touch to any outfit, are ultra comfortable, lights and also a classic.
This season the brand has collaborated with Liberty of London to create a SS13 collection of both Vans Era and Authentic, featuring the shop's iconic Liberty prints. I am not a huge fan of floral prints but they work so great on these. My personal favourite are the two at the top – especially the navy and red based paisley print.
They're available at select Vans stores, online at Vans and at Liberty of London.

Agi & Sam for Topman

GQ-Magazine.co.uk

I have been crazy about Agi & Sam from the moment I first heard of the brand almost three years ago before they showed their latest collections at London Collections: Men. Yesterday British GQ exclusively announced that the design duo will collaborate on a capsule collection with Topman set to launch on June 4th.
I already have my eyes on the creme and mustard feathered-appliqued mac, which pretty much epitomises their great tailoring skills, their quirk and the dash of sportswear all their collections have.
Find out more about the collection, including the rest of the collection in pictures over at GQ here.

Kenzo x Vans Spring/Summer 2013

Earlier this week Kenzo launched their 4th sneaker in collaboration with Vans for Spring/Summer 2013. You know I have been a great fan since their first ever collection almost a year ago. My SS12 Kenzo x Vans proved to be amazing quality and an injection of fun to any outfit. After making a mistake in size with my desired FW12 pair and missing out on the whole line I feel like I should treat myself to one of the new models.
The new collection – Tiger Fever – is all about slightly abstract 'cloudy' leopard print. And for the first time the collaboration offers not only the Vans Authentic but the classic slip-on model too. I'm more of a lace-up fan myself and, after much consideration, I will be going for the orange and green model – my two favourite colours. Keep an eye out, the SS13 collection will be dropping any moment on Kenzo.com!

Frank loves: Tom Sachs for Nike

nikeinc.com

Foot wear is a long-time addiction of mine but I seem to be taking it further as I become older. As you might have noticed, I am currently what could be correctly described as obsessed with sneakers. I usually go through a phase like this every summer but, since I rarely wear any sneakers in the winter, it usually fades for 9 months. Not this year, it seems.
It so happens that for the last couple of seasons we've seen the rise of what you would I would call trainers not only as every-day shoes but as cool accessories fashionable men know how to combine with formal clothing. Before high-end brands like Valentino have their go at this new niche in SS13, sportswear giants New Balance and Nike have really taken the opportunity to open to this new market.

A great example of this is the latest collaboration between artist Tom Sachs and Nike for the Nikecraft collection. Tom Sachs is known for his conceptual sculpture work and exhibitions such as the 'Space Program', which links to his Nike collection.
My favourite piece is the 'Mars Yard Shoe' inspired on lunar boots. Not only it's a handsome shoe (!!) but a brilliant exercise in product and package design, which explains for the most part its $385 price tag. Ragged as it might look, the shoe is meant to be as tough as old boots (ha!) as it is built to astronaut's standards. So you could technically take them for a stroll in the moon and doing that in style, believe me, is priceless.

The shoes are on sale at the coolest retailers around the world (obviously): 10 Corso Como, Colette, Dover Street Market and Opening Ceremony. Click here for the full list of retailers.

nikeinc.com

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