An Exclusive Preview of the A. Sauvage SS14 Collection

It is so nice when designers decide to release their collections after the fashion week madness as it gives us the time to have a better look and really process what we see. Such is the case of A. Sauvage and his SS14 collection.
A few months back, I had the chance to meet Adrien Sauvage himself at his studio downstairs from his Maddox Street Store. Having been a fan of his line for a while, I was interested what he would be like in the flesh. As you might expect from his clothes, he is a down-to-earth guy, very cool, very relaxed. He's not one of those designers who can go on for hours telling you bs about his collection. Everything he told me about the choice of fabrics, colours or the cuts was said in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

For his SS14 collection, Sauvage continues to explore his personal heritage, which brings together his family's Nigerian roots but also their British upbringing during the 50's and 60's. It was in the early 50's that his father travelled from Nigeria to Scotland, where he was raised and took his studies in law.
This 'meeting of cultures' appears in the shape of British heritage cloths worn with sportswear-inspired jersey tops printed with scenes from the African Savannah.

These prints are one of the highlights of the collection. They are the work of German artist Nelson Crespo, who in his 'Eden' series manipulates different images to create surreal cut-and-paste imagery.
In contrast, Sauvage has developed his first tartan pattern, designed in-house. It brings together his signature 'Kente' print and his personal connection with Scotland.

SS14 is also the season when A. Sauvage is fully getting into the accessories arena with a full range of leather pieces from rucksacks (printed with Crespo's work), tote bags and card holders. But also with the debut of their first eyewear collection inspired in styles from the 50's.

If, like me, you're a fan you would also like to know that signature pieces such as Sauvage's biker and bomber jackets are still a part of the new collection in shades of the Scottish landscape-inspired colour palette applied on suede.

Courtesy of A. Sauvage, NelsonCrespo.com

Emporio Armani SS13: Trends with personality

Courtesy of Armani

Very few menswear designers are able to marry sportswear and tailoring as well as Giorgio Armani. That's probably the reason why he was trusted with the task of dressing the Italian Olympic team this summer. What could give more pleasure than saying "I'm wearing Armani" when you're decked down in activewear? Exactly.
I personally loved how this influence was introduced in the SS13 Emporio Armani collection because it was subtle and elegantly done. The eclectic textiles used in the collection not only helped the symbiosis of the sporty and the smart but added value to all the looks because of the play of textures they created. I especially loved the outerwear and how it was styled with comfy shorts and shoes as smart as they were tough.
But perhaps what I appreciated the most about the show was the fact that we even saw some seasonal trends, which is something rare at Armani because the designer marches to the beat of his own drum. I loved seeing parkas, quite a bit of khaki and even a dash of leopard reinvented by Mr Armani as a sort of enamel monk shoe.
This was one of the best EA shows of the last few seasons and a personal favourite. You can watch the video of the runway show below.

Just in: ASOS camo jacket & shorts

ASOS

Camouflage is one of those trends I would have never seen myself wearing. It seems like it doesn't take much to make me change my mind. Over a year and many pictures of Nick Wooster, Jeremy Langmead and Josh Peskowitz after I am a new man.
It took me quite a while to find the right camo print because I didn't think the traditional one would suit me. I needed something more modern and, if possible, a little more subtle. Beams Plus lead the way with their modernised print and Acne reinterpreted it but we had to wait for YMC to hit the right note. However, I still wasn't sure. And then I found the ones at ASOS.
I first bought the ASOS camo jacket over a month ago. It took me about a week or two to gather the courage to actually wear it out but it was quite a hit, which gave me confidence. I combined it with a white and pink striped shirt, light blue Cheap Monday jeans and my new pair of Vans x Kenzo.
Then, I bought the ASOS camo shorts. I decided to go for a different palette because otherwise I knew I would end up wearing them together with the jacket as a sort of suit and, really, no one wants to see that. These ones haven't been worn yet because 1. the weather has been shit in London and 2. I am saving them for fashion week in Milan. I am not 100% decided yet but I might wear them with a beige blazer, a white Oxford shirt and my tan leather Grenson brogues.

Frank Musts: Summer 2011

I am finally going on a proper summer holiday next Monday after almost two years of not stepping on a beach (not while it's hot anyway).
I have been quite excited for a couple of weeks and so I have been planning my wardrobe carefully. I also treated myself to a couple of things I could simply not do without by the seaside. I either already own or have bought all of the below (with exception of the Proenza towel). I don't want anyone to think I'm doing an advertorial.

Anchor belt @ ASOS, A.P.C. shorts @ My-Wardrobe, Superga shoes, Proenza towel, Balenciaga bag @ Mr Porter, Missoni towel @ Heal's

How short is too short?

Over the last couple of summers we've seen how men's shorts have been creeping up our legs reaching scarily high places far from the bermuda. I am a big fan of the shorter short (aka: mid thigh) but anything above that seems rather overdone to me. But I never thought men's shorts would go as high as women's until I saw this pictures of Baptiste Giabiconi (Karl Lagerfeld's entourage number one) in the kind of denim shorts that simply risk putting your man goods on display.

What's your take on shorts length?

[Pictures: RDuJour.com]

Anchors & espadrilles

If you follow me on twitter you'll know already that last week I got some ink on me. I had been meaning to do so for quite a while and I finally dived in while being in Madrid. Luckily for me, my flatmate had given me these H&M shorts of anchor motifs. So it seemed only obvious to wear them a couple of days after getting my tattoos for the full effect. I wore them with a burgundy Uniqlo polo shirt and my brand new El Ganso espadrilles.

[Pictures: Iñaki C.]

Feeling the Bass

This is what I wore yesterday. In summer I either feel like wearing all muted colours or going all Chuck Bass and combining very bold colours. The latter makes more of a statement for menswear in the summer. I'm wearing a bright orange (it is brighter than it looks on the pic) from Uniqlo, lime green shorts from H&M (that I should've bought in every colour last year) and my filthy pair of white chucks. My mum has already complained about the dirty state of the shoes but I always say Converse are the one shoes one should wear dirty because it shows you've lived, no?

[Picture: Iñaki C.]