Lacoste Holiday Artist Series 2010...

Li Xiaofeng x Lacoste

Top - One of a kind, handmade porcelain shards. Bottom - Limited edition polo.

Paris Favorites...

The Best...

Balenciaga

Basically this collection satisfied my two most basic desires from clothes; simplicity and a shrunken fit. Love the hand painted zebra prints, which will be exclusive to the new menswear store in Paris. And yes, I have already taken the leather cummerbund idea from this show out for a spin, much to my delight. 

Dries Van Noten

Two thoughts on this show 1) acid wash has never looked better 2) looking like you stole a shirt and burst the security ink tag all over it never looked better. 

Kenzo

More than the clothes, I loved that some notable women walked the runway next to the men... in the mens clothes. Androgyny is one of my favorite things that fashion can address; in extreme forms like Rad Hourani, or more mundane displays like this one. 

And because pictures would just hurt my eyes (you can click the links to view the pictures if you must).

The worst...

Givenchy

There was only two looks that I liked. The rest was fit for a modern, devout Catholic version of Tarzan, who was abducted by aliens. You'll get that reference if you see it.

Dior Homme

 I say it every season. It is basically an extension of Kris Van Assche's own line at this point. 

Rick Owens

The first half was great, (with a bunch of great edgy tailored jackets) and then came the fog... Next thing I know the models are walking out in Do-rags and the draped leather boots, a Owens signature that I am not to fond of. 

JPG Does YSL...

With a distinctive Marrakech theme, thick rimmed glasses, and one androgynously dressed female, I couldn't help but think of a young Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux. 

The photograph that I am mentally referencing for this is Betty in Le Smoking and Yves in a tunic lounging in his Marrakech garden. It is in the book "The Beautiful Fall" but I can't find it online at all. Since I am too lazy to haul out my scanner, crop the image down, and share it with y'all, this picture will have to do. 

DIY Day...

Four hours of work vs. four figures spent? 

Mulberry x Target...

I'm not so secretly screaming on the inside right now. Between October 10th and December 24th, Target and Mulberry will be teaming up for what I hope will be an amazing collaboration. Mulberry said they will not be using their own bags for collaboration, but that they may be inspired by some of them. If that inspiration comes from the Alexa, Bayswater, or Piccadilly, then those bags better be coming my way. This will be the one time I will be actually sad to be away from a Target store, since I will be in Paris. Hopefully my family will catch a hint if I actually like any of the bags, and run out the day they go on sale to get me some. Christmas in Paris + Mulberry for Target = A very happy me. 

Hermes On The Cheap...

About three years ago I came to the conclusion that my life was not complete until I somehow acquired an Hermes Collier de Chien. You know, that big chunky leather bracelet covered in studs that would look oh so right sitting on my wrist. It would be that one item that I would never take off, and you would always know it was me in a crowd by that shiny piece of alligator (ok, maybe that is pushing it, but if you are going to aim high, minus well aim a little further). 

Oh well, one day. Maybe I will venture into a high end vintage shop and see if I can find one second hand until that wonderful day comes that I can afford a new one... and a matching Birkin... Hey, I'm aiming high, like I said. What's an extra $10,000 for a bag when you are spending $1,000 on a bracelet?! 

Anyways, I stumbled upon the most amazing fashion fix I have seen in a long while, and something that I will be spending all day tomorrow working on... ready?!...

I KNOW! Official Hermes patterns to make your very own paper Collier de Chiens! I'm thinking I will start out with some in vellum, then maybe try it with real leather and resin. Then I got a little obsessive at reading about these that I came across...

DIY Kelly Bags! Hermes was reading my mind before my mind even knew what it wanted! I'm going to be a busy boy this next week. The house will be turned into a mini Hermes workshop  during the day. 

And in the style of that Vogue Nippon segment "High Low", we got the low, now for the high...

Hermes footstool ($5,950.00), armchair ($10,200.00), and console ($7,200.00). These would be perfect in that room in my future house that I will devote to my future collection of Hermes that I know I will have. 

Burberry Goes Punk...

I know I complained recently about Christopher Bailey not changing it up enough at Burberry Prorsum, with his multi season run of shearling aviators, but his latest venture at the house more than makes up for it. It reminded me a lot of Slimane era Dior Homme; influenced by music, highly subversive, and undeniably young. It went against the direction that menswear is taking these days, just when we thought we were out of the studded leather woods, out comes more "it" items that will be sure to make their rounds on the street style blogs. Most exciting to me was the bag in the bottom right ($3,500). And because Burberry knows these items are going to be hot, like last season, the jackets and bags are already on pre-sale through their website, so you can get it in your closet by mid August (6 months before they would normally hit the stores). Nothing here was too ground breaking though, but menswear never is. You could easily make mental references to all the items shown; sandals that were the love child of Balenciaga and Birkenstock, jackets that look a whole lot like Rick Owens work, and the leather motorcycle pants that I could swear came right off a Balmain runway. What made all these items different from the crowd though was the styling of the looks, and the distinct Burberry touches that Christopher does so well. His vision is unique to Great Britain, and you could instantly tell when the models started walking out in wellingtons (I told you mom, boys can wear Hunter boots too! Just incase the Thimister S/S 2010 Couture show didn't prove it to you.) If this collection has any key trends in it, I'm sure we will be in for another dark spring next year. Another year of summer blacks? I won't complain. The leather on the other hand might be a bit hot and sticky for my wardrobe.