I have a saying, “it is the details that set the men apart from the boys.” Thomas Pink is known for the details they incorporate in every shirt. This sets them apart from the other shirt makers in their strata. I enjoyed their presentation as usual.
From my first encounter with Diego Vanassibara, I have been an enormous fan of his shoes. Originally from the countryside of South Brazil, he relocated to London as a young man. His eye and processes have been impacted by his early training as an Architect. The form and function in his design evoke true feelings. With this latest collection he stays consistent.
We were able to yet again see the unique and innovative footwear from architectural and fashion genius Diego Vanassibara in his new AW15 collection The Tornado.
As one may expect from the title of the collection, the colors and lines are all inspired by the movement and intensity of the such a weather disaster. Flashes of yellow and silver brightness come to us as the lightening in the form of zippers, and raindrops in the form of embroidered details. The entire collection is marked with deliberate, accurate style.
That being said, not only are the shoes beautifully hand-crafted and impeccably designed, they were created to weather the conditions of icey, rainy, wintery weather, so don’t be alarmed if your Diego kicks last through the next tornado thanks to their heavy soles and waterproof leather.
Let’s not forget Diego’s signature wood panels, which come each season in a new, original form, along the sides or tops of the eclectic designs. He never ceases to amaze, each new season pleasantly surprising with a vibrant, elegant collection, one which could easily encompass a variety of men and personal tastes.
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
The AW15 Louis Leeman Paris collection was inspired by manhood, bravery, strength, pride and elegance…all words that seemingly describe the Navy. This goes hand-in-hand with the uniform inspired looks seen walking the London runways for Fall of 2015.
The colors present a sharp blue and white as well as a khaki and army green. Prints, tassels and studded hardware show give the collection that extra bit of trend, and represent the strength and design of a traditional Navy uniform.
Despite the sharp influence, a noticeable trend in this season’s footwear is heading down casual lane with sneakers, moccasins and slip ons. Red seems to be another color big for Autumn, in various shades of course, that was well represented in the Louis Leeman Paris footwear. Despite the casual influence, Louis Leeman Paris collections always exude an elegance and sharp sense of style in each and every shoe or boot created.
BDMOTP favorite: Red suede boot and polka dot slip on moccasins
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
The CMMN SWDN AW15 collection was filled with bold color, a grand switch from their previous spring collection, which was entirely made up of white and grey garments. For fall, we see CMMN branch out to using a vibrant orange as well as a blue in addition to blacks and browns. Color-blocking and mixing prints (plaid and window pane) was also prevalent within the collection.
The idea for the collection was to bring “Armani to Manchester”, meaning bringing some high fashion and mixing it with the daily working sub-culture of middle class Britain. We see the heavy “uniform” influence, as well as the high-style of long coats and tailored sportswear.
This season, we see a great deal more of “design” from CMMN. In fact, many a man would be thrilled to wear a CMMN outfit, as it could really appeal to an Italian “Rico Suave” or just the average Joe.
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
The Belstaff AW15 collection takes its inspiration from the 1950’s, especially the “greaser”. This typical rock n’ roll dude was reckless, cool, emitting masculinity and style always. Think Marlon Brando in his iconic leather jacket.
These motorcycle dudes sport lots of leather, shearling, as well as the traditional British tailoring. Belstaff is a very elegant British brand, and combines this class along with their cool 1950’s “bro”inspiration for a fabulous modern twist. In addition to leather (in various colors–definitely a coming trend for this fall we’ve seen all over the runways) and shearling, we see a lot of waxed cotton jackets, outerwear and knitwear. Fur hoods and motorcycle boots completed this outfits, making the models the envy of every man in London.
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
The Joseph AW15 collection is all about winter volume. With a 70’s inspired color palette featuring browns and beiges, the otherwise basic, work-appropriate clothes see a modern twist do the the voluminous silhouettes and trendy knitwear.
The appearance of leather, a staple in almost all AW15 collections we’ve seen thus far at London Collections: Men, of course makes its flash showing in the form of pants and a jacket. Warm, fuzzy sweaters are layers on to create even more volume and funky knit gloves and scarves accessorize the looks.
Knit grey pants are also a fashionable, original addition to the Joseph collection, and one we haven’t seen elsewhere!
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
Soulland is a Scandanavian brand dedicated to providing original and stylish clothing and fashion to men all over the world. With their first store location in Copenhagen and their second in Bangkok, Soulland is all encompassing, coming up with unique designs that worldly men love to sport. They are famous for their “fedora meshed with baseball hat” design, and continue to to create fashionable and modern clothing.
The AW15 collection was presented with models chilling against a neon green wall, a bold, unforgettable statement. The designs were heavily influenced with print and graffiti and also delving into autumn trends like layering and leather. The models looked confident and cool, and the designs ranged from day-to-night, office-to-club, city and country wear.
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
Staying true to British roots, the Ede & Ravenscroft collection at London Collections: Men took its inspiration from Edwardian roots. This heritage is not only seen within the the designs, but each look is named after towns and villages across Ireland, and taking its form from four main concepts: Uniform, City Gent, Out of Town and Formal Dress.
The Uniform looks were inspired by the idea of “staff” in a royal household (think, Downton Abbey butlers), like peaked lapels and double-breasted looks. The City Gent looks were just as named, casual city looks with luxurious fabrics like cashmere & wool. The Out of Town garments featured traveler shades like hunter green and deep burgundy and of course, tweed. The Formal Dress garments, rich in color and texture, drew to velvet, jewel tones and classic dinner jackets.
Among the immense amount of “pushing the envelope” with modern and futuristic designs seen this season at LC:M, it was truly lovely to see the traditional British looks and tailoring come to life through Ede & Ravenscroft.
Posted by Lori Zaino and photos by Paloma Canseco.
If there is one accessory that is a must-have not by whim but by necessity, that is the Satchel. Some claim to believe it has its origins in Ancient Rome, known by that time as the loculus, but having no evidence of this, it is commonly believed that their immediate antecessors are those vintage school bags and mail carriers circa 1940.
Perfect for every daily occasion and being completely unisex, the Satchel has become an indispensable accessory. That is the main reason why The Cambridge Satchel Company, founded in 2008 with the aim of recovering an iconic British piece that had everything but somehow had disappeared, has decided to take a step forward creating a collection just for men with a wide range color palette, including pine and russet among navy, black, oxblood, sand and dark brown.
Following the classic leather Satchel, we can also find new designs such as The Map Bag, The Folio Group, available in three sizes including a backpack style, The Cartridge Collection, perfect for photographers, and the Expedition Collection, made with Sahara leather. But the star of the presentation was, undoubtedly, The Saddle Collection. Made with saddle leather, as its name states, is a classic working bag that matures over time and use, making this piece is unique.
The objective is clear; cover every possible necessity but always bearing in mind the quality of manufactured leather and the well-known brass hardware. As the founders say “stylish in their simplicity, perfect to treasure.”
Post and photos by Paloma Canseco.
