The future of Y-3 and Jean Paul Gaultier

Too early for skirts I guess.

AnOther Man: Untitled editorial in red

The idea of wearing bandages as tops isn't knew. Pieces by Raf Simons in this shoot may have in fact been influenced by old artisanal articles by Martin Margiela. Coincidentally, new clothes by the Belgian designer appear alongside the "new" bandage tops by Simons. I take it as homage.


Rubber bandage (worn as top), Expectations
Untitled editorial from AnOther Man 7, Autumn/Winter 2008
Photography by Mark Segal, Styling by Alister Mackie

I think it's no coincidence that the archive-inspired bandage tops appear in the same editorial as these vintage cropped shirts by Vivienne Westwood, which are very 80s. The reference, of course, is Britain during that era and the Sex Pistol's Johnny Rotten.


Patterned jacket and tartan trousers, Comme des Garçons Homme Plus; lycra t-shirt, vintage Sex by Vivienne Westwood from Rellik; patent leather high tops by Reebok by Juun J

How else can Portobello and Rick Owens mix?

Military cap and reversible tartan jacket, Portobello market; long sleeve fine jersey t-shirts, Rick Owens; torn t-shirt, Wasteland; high waisted trousers, Yohji Yamamoto

Rubber bodysuit, Expectations; padlock pendant necklace and bracelet, TEM; Dead End pendant necklace, Atelier 11; high waisted trousers, Yohji Yamamoto; leather belt, Julius

Even the check shirts are cropped. Red tartans look good with other patterns in black. Again, as in a past editorial I posted, this outfit will not be as effective if the model weren't blond.


Three button fitted jacket and silk pocket square, Yves Saint Laurent; checked shirt, Angels; trousers, Gucci



And as precocious looking.

Oversized mohair tank top and jersey shorts, Rick Owens; rubber collar, Expectations

With that sensual defiance in his eyes.

Leather biker jacket archive, Jitrois; checked shirt, Diesel; torn t-shirt, Wasteland; Dead End pin, Atelier 11; padlock chain and safety pin necklaces, TEM

And yes! Red pants. I don't know if I will dare, but just look at these pairs!


Brick print jacket, Maison Martin Margiels; bandage top and collar, Raf Simons; bullet pendant necklace, TEM; trousers, Prada

Knotted rubber waistcoat, Maison Martin Margiela; trousers, Jil Sander; silver ring, Atelier 11

Nothing really as blatant as that color. You will need all the patterns at hand, and especially the color black, to tame it.


Lycra t-shirt, vintage Sex by Vivienne Westwood from Rellik; trousers, Filippa K; patterened silk scarves, Gucci; bandanas, Rokit

Tartan tuxedo jacket, Vivienne Westwood Man; tartan shirt, Wasteland; padlock chain, TEM; marbled trousers, Jil Sander

And this, this is just bloody fabulous.

Bandage top and saftey pin brooch, Raf Simons

Men's lace

Pop magazine's 80's Excess Issue featuring Prada lace on its iconoclastic covers is out this September.



Only realized recently that the main pattern the collection uses is paisley.



Of all the patterns usually used for lace, I think this is the most masculine.



It gives designers and fabric manufacturers license to employ thicker embroidery for outlines. Flower appliques with the same fabric do not seem amiss. The webbing appears almost like pentagons.



The embroidery is as prominent as the lace. This fusion allows the fabric to be transposed from its traditions.



Surprisingly, the lace that Yohji Yamamoto used for his Spring 2009 collection was finer than Prada's.

Strong, revitalized lace for women and delicate fabric for men: the same medium to show female strength and male vulnerability.

I wonder how we'll see Yamamoto's lace in editorials.



These are two images from "New Big Prinz", an editorial from Arena Homme Plus #25: Post Pop, 2006.



Strangely, this type of finery lends an additional shadow to masculinity.



Now Givenchy. What I noticed more than the leather was the sheer fabrics, printed lace (or is it embroidered), the lace shirts, and the tattoos.





The rendering of lace in fuchsia, the hue of next season, seems to be another reversal: taking the fabric out of context to serve another purpose.

Admittedly, it looks good with cream.



Monochromatic statements aside, the collection presents a keen juxtaposition: tattoos under lace. As if to allay worries and assert that it is still a man under the fine weaving. But both are quite similar, though apparently opposite.



Both are forms of writing: one delicate and the other garish. Both are worn: one indelible on bare skin and the other a naked layer.



Can we all don both, just one, neither? Whichever, it depends how comfortable we are in our own skin.

Photos from The Fashion Spot, The Sartorialist, Face Hunter, and men.style.com

Gone fishing with Yohji Yamamoto

I think the combination of fish mesh and sheer fabric from the Yohji Yamamoto show is ingenious. Like two shawls joined together to form a jumper.

Won't hurt to get shipwrecked with this in your luggage...