Numéro Homme: Splash

Summer, it seems, is here - at least for bi-annual magazines. And even if all the outfits are tuxedos, the dominant color is still blue.


Veste et pantalon de smoking, chemise à plastron, ceinture, nœud papillon et pochette, Yves Saint Laurent; boots, Louis Vuitton

'Splash' from Numéro Homme, Printemps-été 2009

Veste de smoking et chemise du soir à col cassé, nœud papillon en soie et pochette, Giorgio Armani

Break free from tedious uniforms. Penguins, after all, enjoy a good swim.


Veste et pantalon des smoking, Prada; derbys, Louis Vuitton

Summer!


Veste et pantalon de smoking en soie, chemise, nœud papillon et pochette à pois, D&G

Come prepared for unexpected soaks.


Veste de smoking et chemise à col cassé, nœud papillon en soie et boutons de machette, Gianfranco Ferre; maillot de bain, Dolce & Gabbana

Though there should be a limit to chlorine.


Veste du soir, chemise à poignets mousquetaire et nœud papillon, Dolce & Gabbana; slip de bain, Speedo

Savor it while it's still here.


Veste de smoking, chemise, nœud papillon et pochette en soie, Carlo Pignatelli

Par Matthias Vriens
Réalisation, Timothy Reukauf

Numéro Homme: Performance

Leggings are for dancing, and so are skirts, as long as they are paired with them. What other way to say this than by the modern version of stop motion photography?

'Performance' from Numéro Homme 17 Printemps-été 2009
Par Victor Callens par Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Réalisation: Serge Girardi

I must say that, along with Hedi Slimane's photos of skaters wearing his Dior Homme creations, these are the most convincing images I have seen of men wearing skirts. Movement, it's all about movement.

Débardeur en maille jacquard, Gaultier2; kilt en toile laquée, John Galliano; jean imprimé, Roberto Cavalli; sneakers, Lanvin; ceinture en cuir, The Viridi-Anne

Short, Nike; pull en maille de coton, Gucci

And color, which this editorial so spiritedly splashes around with: like spring and summer after an overly oppressive winter. Who says man skirts have to be black and gothic?

Pull à emmanchures raglan en maille rigide, Calvin Klein Collection; bermuda plissé en coton; Comme de Garçons Homme Plus; jean, Dior Homme; sneakers, Martin Margiela

Something you can't do with bermuda shorts.

If summer has to deal with the color black, it will have to be in patterns. More than one, even more than two. Let the combinations be dizzying. Let them move!

T-shirt imprimé, Comme de Garçons Homme Plus; bermuda en acétate imprimé, Emporio Armani; leggings, Nike; sneakers, Dior Homme

T-shirts imprimé, Edition limitee Stephen Sprouse pour Louis Vuitton

Let colors and patterns scintillate together.

T-shirt à ceinture élastiquée en jersey de coton, Dior Homme; sarouel en jersey de coton imprimé, John Galliano; leggings en velours éponge, Vivienne Westwood Man; sneakers, Nike

Stars that glow in the dark.

Let your step be light.

T-shirt en jersey de coton imprimé, Jean Paul Gaultier; short vintage customisé, Z Zegna; leggings, American Apparel; sneakers, Edition limite Stephen Sprouse pour Louis Vuitton

Take the disco with you in your every stride.

(Don't you think only dancers can give justice to these mirror leggings?)

T-shirt oversize en jersey de lin imprimé, John Galliano; leggings miroir, Maison Martin Margiela; sneakers, Dior Homme

WestEast: Luminous alloys

As an introduction to two colorful editorials from this spring's issue of Numéro Homme, here is an editorial from way back in 2003 from Hong Kong-based WestEast magazine, for which I have been a regular contributor.

Gold lama jacket, Robero Cavalli; mustard yellow trousers, Kenzo; luminous yellow sports jacket, Frankie Morello; mauve tank top, Louis Vuitton; gold leather belt, Dior Homme; white gold and diamond pendant, Cartier

From 'Luminous alloys', WestEast Magazine Spring 2003

I have mustard yellow jeans and have always found them challenging to wear, especially since the climate here doesn't allow the same layering as these outfits.

Orange t-shirt, Paul Smith; silver sleeveless puffer, Prada Sport; gold lame suit, Roberto Cavalli; orange jacket, Jil Sander; turquoise silk scarf, Kenzo; metallic striped scarf, Burberry; vintage orange glasses; Harvve Benard from a selection at Cutler and Gross

Six years after and bright colors - flourescents, neons, and hot tints - still find their way into collections and shoots, and are still put together with metallics. Let's see how I'll wear my yellow jeans this time around.

Electric blue silk suit (trousers worn underneath), Dior Homme; pink and black pin stripe trousers; Etro; baseball boots, Louis Vuitton; leather belt; Dior Homme; pink t-shirt, Paul Smith; vintage sunglasse from a selection at Cutler and Gross

Photography by Eric Maillet, Fashion Editor: Georgina Hodson

Thom Browne on GQ Style: Vertigo

Thom Browne: I was inspired by the old Brooks Brothers jackets my grandfather and father used to wear, and by old movies from the 1950s and 1960s. But it was more about capturing the essence of things rather than copying how they were actually put together.



Though this editorial may have nothing to do with the 1950s Alfred Hitchcock movie with the same title, they are set in the same decade.

Tuxedo suits, dinner shirts, silk bow ties: all Thom Browne

'Vertigo', GQ Style 8 Spring-Summer 2009
By Phil Poynter, Styled by David Bradshaw

Could vertigo in this context mean a return or fall back to the past?

Ben wears pinstripe suit, shirt, tie: all Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers; pocket square, from a selection, Thom Browne

Perhaps not.

Instead, this editorial seems to attempt a depiction of the "Thom Browne man" (wearing, of course, Thom Browne and Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers) as contrasted against other "types" of men who not only identify with other labels but look more suited for them.

Rob wears cream suit, shirt, tie: all Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers; pocket square, from a selection, Thom Browne

Clockwise from far left: Rob wears cream jacket, shirt, tie: all Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers. Brandon wears cream jacket, Neil Barrett; shirt, tie, trousers: all Louis Vuitton. Blake wears cream jacket, shirt, tie, trousers: all Richard James. Ben wears cream jacket (part of suit), shirt, tie, trousers: all Dolce & Gabbana. Sean wears off-white jacket, shirt, tie: all Kilgour. All pocket squares, from a selection, Thom Browne



It depicts the old boys' club, where, even if the Thom Browne man looks relatively unititiated, he is primed to lead the pack.


Blake wears chalkstripe suit, shirt: both Kilgour; tie, Thomas Pink; Grand Carrera calibre 17rs watch, Tag Heuer. Ben wears pinstripe suit, shirt, tie: all Ralph Lauren Purple Label; shoes, Barker Black; Grand Carrera calibre 8rs watch, Tag Heuer; pen, Dunhill. Sean wears three-piece pinstripe suit, shirt: both Valentino; tie, Prada; shoes, Kurt Geiger. Rob wears pinstripe suit, shirt, tie: all Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers; shoes, Brooks Brothers; Santos Dumont watch, Cartier. Brandon wears pinstripe suit, shirt, tie: all Billy Reid. All pocket squares, from a selection, Thom Browne; all socks, Falke

Now this scene is unnerving. Why is there only a single item in his briefcase, and a newspaper of all things?

Cream suit, Black Fleecce by Brooks Brothers; attache case, Thom Browne; Grand Carrera 17rs watch, Tag Heuer

Is there an underlying story in this fashion piece - perhaps a moment of uncertainty before the maturing of an influential identity?



Brandon wears suit, tie, shoes: all Dior Homme. Ben wears suit, shirt, tie: all Dunhill; shoes, Barker Black. Sean wears suit, shirt, tie: all Calvin Klein Collection; shoes, Kurt Geiger. Rob wears suit, shirt, tie, pocket square, from a selection: all Thom Browne. Blake wears jacket, trousers, shirt, tie, shoes: all Emporio Armani

What's in My Bag II

I've been very sickly the past few months, from the flu and gastroenteritis to a current headache I've been having since last Monday (got to see the doctor yet again). So of course, this second What's in My Bag post reflects this motif of malaise.

Bag: thrifted mini-briefcase


Contents (in no particular order): Marlboro Classics card case used as wallet, leather fish coin purse, leather pocket notebook, Kleenex traveller's tissue, black plastic necklace given as token at a Vogue China event, mechanical pencil, Bic ballpoint pen, leather and vine bracelets, PowerBooks Power Card, Citibank Premier Miles Platinum card, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Swirl card, Louis Vuitton leather locket (empty: hint, hint), pei pa koa candies for cough, Kleenex wipes, various meds, pencil case in batik fabric from Davao, hand sanitizer and alcohol, generic thin 'post-its' that I use to mark magazines


Hope my headache goes away soon. Could be due to a variety of reasons. Though it goes away when I hit the gym and you-know-what. Then comes back.

What's in your bag?

WestEast: Night Crusaders

Nothing is what it seems in this editorial, where items are used other than what they are intended for. Like this "safety" pin brooch "piercing" an eyebrow.


Sweater, Moschino; vest, Prada; pants, Jean Paul Gaultier; hat, H&M; brooch as eyewear, stylist's own

These images descend into a night of dead stars, of muffled pain.


Belt as harness, Gucci

Makes you think of Nightmare on Elm Street.


Jacket, Chanel; beret as mask, Prada; necklace, Burberry Prorsum

Star Trek crossed with The Twilight Zone and Thomas Mann's Mario and the Magician.


Necklace, Christian Dior; shoulder pads, Trashy Lingerie, L.A.; t-shirt, Prada

Jacket as cape, Bottega Veneta; vest, Louis Vuitton; glasses, Dita

Jacket and leggings, Jean Paul Gaultier

Bolero, Celine; harness, Treasure Chest; belt and pants, Gucci

Pants and necktie, Dior Homme; gloves, Chanel

Jacket, Salvatore Ferragamo; blouse and skirt, Miu Miu; necklace as headpiece, Burberry Prorsum; leggings, Fogal

'Night Crusaders'
WestEast 27: Spice, Spring 2009
Photography: Wing Shya
Realisation: Sean Kunjambu

Cyber Counsel

(Own Scans)

Style:Men #18 February 2011

Louis Vuitton Fashion Feature: Cyber Counsel

Model: Pawel Bednarek / Photographer: Steven Chee / Stylist: Kim Payne / Grooming: Ken Huica

Attempted to scan an ed for the first time for the blog, although not exactly sure why the lines keep appearing in the scans (probably the scanner's problem). Anyway, hope you guys like it! Location of the shoot is Hong Kong if I'm not wrong (hint: cabs & multiple signboards). Have a great weekend everyone!=)