No shave today, beard tommorow!

Summer has finally hit! Aside from the odd rainy outburst in Manchester the weather really does seem to be perking up! Guys out come the flip-flops, shorts, sunglasses and er beards…

It has become increasingly apparent this season that the most sought after and hottest male accessory is in fact the beard! Yes! you heard correct! Long gone are the days of shaving to achieve that smooth exterior…this summer its all about embracing your inner caveman and growing a bit of rough!

This all may seem quite the unlikely trend for men in recent times, but look no further than the fashion industry and you shall see why a new breed of man is stepping into style. Recently fashion advertising campaigns by French Connection and All Saints, decidedly turned their backs on the atypical skinny indie buy silhouette that once showcased angelic androgyny to perfection. Instead these High street powerhouses have swayed back to a more masculine, hench-worthy figured man to represent them in the style stakes! Bearded clad and all!!!

French Connection’s ads are particularly powerful with a handsome yet unconventionally smart man fronting the brand and carrying off possibly the biggest beard ever sported by a model high street sweetheart. Pictured in many a comfortable stance, with enlightening statements such as ‘Man should be brave’ and ‘I like my trousers you should like my trousers’ emblazoned across his portrait, the model acts almost like a protagonist, creating an exceptionally humorous narrative through the expression of his views on fashion, culture and lifestyle whilst casually sporting his summer wardrobe.

With this unkempt mature selection of model that’s noticeably more individual than your average pretty boy, his home-grown facial hair and relaxed poise come across effortlessly as that dudelicious guy next door whose stylish clobber you simply want and must have!

Suggestively looking to also have been influenced by the heightened appreciation for relaxed street style, this ad undoubtedly reflects the important fact that men want to get back to their roots…less preening and more grrrrrrr!

With a boho friendly appeal, the beard is transforming the modern man into an original piece of eye-candy that’s edging further away from the metro-sexual male we know to date. A guy who wears it very well is Devendra Banhart, an all round talented musician, artist and creative being extraordinaire.

Take a leaf out of his style bible, let it grow and simply embrace your inner bohemia! Just think facial hair is an extension of your personality it creates more mystery and adds originality no-one wants to look like a clean-shaven clone forever!

To check out the collaborative version of this article with some info about male grooming products by fellow bud Matt Pike. To view on MFN SITE cliCk HERE 

My interview with designer--> TONIA BASTYAN

To celebrate the launch of new brand Bastyan, a V.I.P event was held in the late

afternoon on Wednesday 9^th June, at the concession in House of Fraser Manchester. The inspiration behind the brand name ‘Bastyan’ comes from chief designer Tonia Bastyan who has previously worked for Karen Millen, Whistles and was part of the design duo Press & Bastyan that excelled in the 90’s.

Tonia was on-hand in the afternoon from 4pm until 8pm offering a personal shopping experience to customers, with the fantastic promotion of 25% off all purchases to also mark the event. Molton Brown and Bare Minerals were also on hand pampering customers with beauty products and complimentary makeovers.

The Bastyan concession situated on the second floor in House of Fraser, debuted in late March and has steadily set up a successful customer base attracting the interest of women of all ages. The collection is focused around the theme of a trans-seasonal wardrobe and explores contemporary feminine tailoring through beautiful soft hues suitably perfect for any special occasion.

In the early evening I managed to catch up with Tonia and we had a cosy chat about her debut collection as well as her ideas and inspirations for the future.

So Tonia…how did you get into the fashion industry and what got you interested?

I worked in fashion retail like you when I was younger and started off working as a Manager in Karen Millen Turnbridge Wells shop, as I didn’t get accepted into my desired degree. At this time of working in the shop it was before the Karen Millen brand was established like it is today and in the early days Karen would drape fabric and work on mannequins in the shop creating her latest designs. I then got accepted into my desired degree and studied Fashion & Textile design at university and a year after I left, I set up Press & Bastyan my own business when I was 25 years old.

What sort of things inspire you?

Vintage is one of my biggest inspirations and throughout the collection there are many examples of embroidery, beading and knitwear as my interests lie within textiles and I like touchy feely surfaces. The concept of lifestyle is also one of  the major influences on my designs as the clothes are based around things that you do within your life, places that you go to and what you might have to do in the day. The collection is very functional and can ideally be worn during the day at work and then carried on through to the evening. I love the work of Ann Demeulemeester and a lot of other Belgian designers who I think are fantastic, it’s probably because of their sharp tailoring mixed in with more softer vintage pieces. Bastyan is put together like that, there is a very tailoring influence as the core and lots of feminine pieces layered on top of that; a mix of the feminine and masculine.

Have you always been interested in design?

From the age of four to eighteen I did ballet and originally wanted to be a dancer, but not having the required height or build for a dancer which can be judged around the age of twelve, I started to think about my other interests with fashion being one of them. My passion for creativity led me to do an art and design foundation course, and I also studied fine art for a while but eventually focused on fashion and textile design.

Who is your collection aimed at and why?

I would say that my target audience is women in their thirties and upwards, tailored for a confident individual someone, who is quite creative about the way they put their clothes together, someone who works and has a busy lifestyle. All my designs I would wear myself too, so I think it’s aimed at women like myself really and I’m not different to everybody else,  I may be a designer but my lifestyle is exactly the same. I get up in the morning and do exactly the same things as everybody else does…like taking my son to nursery, working, come home and then making dinner; Bastyan is very much a lifestyle brand.

what are you planning for the up and coming seasons?

The designs for Autumn/Winter 2010 is already complete and I’m about to start working on Spring/Summer 2011. For Autumn/Winter there are areas of the  collection that are quite military, mixed in with very feminine vintage pieces, I don’t design in specific themes I tend to design as a look so it’s an extension of what I have already done and ideas that I have added to. The pieces I have done for Spring/Summer this season are also in Autumn/Winter and will follow through as they are suitably wardrobe basics. The pieces found in Spring/Summer are also in Autumn/Winter and will follow through as they have been designed as wardrobe basics. For Spring/Summer going forward which I have only just started working on, again is inspired by textiles that I see, specific silhouettes that I think should be integrated into my designs. The collection is built around core pieces, great pieces of tailoring, good jackets, good bottoms and then lots of prettier pieces that can then be layered on top of it. 

where do you see the business in 5 years and where would you like to be?

In five years time we would like to say we are in all the major cities in the UK and we would love to have some stand alone stores. The plan has always been to branch into Europe fairly quickly, particularly in some of the Scandinavian countries that I think the brand would sit alongside in quite nicely.

To round of the Q&A Tonia makes some further comments about the brand.

The most important thing to say for the brand, would be that we are launching our first click and buy from August for the Autumn/Winter 2010 season, everything will be available at www.bastyan.eu

You can purchase the beautiful current collection on the House of Fraser website.

Jean Charles De Castelbajac- A nod to POP culture

Since the late sixties the fantastically eccentric French designer Jean Charles De Castelbajac, has been creating beautifully bizarre fashions bursting with colours so vibrant, they have made millions of eyes pop in delight!

With such flamboyant yet innovative approaches to fabric assembly, De Castelbajac has proven over the years that his clothes really are a pop art lovers dream.

His design ethos is of that of an unashamed playful streak, which appears to be entwined in his lifelong working style as a designer.

De Castelbajac’s penchant for graphics, print and imagery compliment his bold and kitsch fashion statements beautifully with the successful culmination of figurative elements and contrasting fabrics. His designs bear a constant antithesis in design, with some of his past creations emblazoned with graphics praising cult figures such as John Travolta, Natalie Portman and Barack Obama.

Most recently at Radio One’s big Weekend, Marina Lambrini Diamandis aka Marina and the Diamonds was seen sporting one of De Castelbajac’s creations, a stunning silk kaftan dress featuring a huge endearing pic of our favorite Disney character…yes Bambi! Other celebrity followers include Lady Gaga and Madonna, who have been happily donned in some of De Castelbajac’s off-the-wall creations in the past.

Parrots, Pirates and Paradise, for SS/10 showcases a fantastically inventive and glamorous collection inspired by the tropics, sea-life and sailors. Taking a new edge on summer wears De Castelbajac’s garments, prints and embellishments appear faultless in fresh white, navy and red, perfect for a sophisticated ship to shore statement.

Just as flamboyant as his personality, De Castelbajac’s second part of his collection, features some intense brights complemented by kitsch Hawaiian style prints that would have Carmen Miranda knocking on the fashion followers door. Fancy pieces such as grass skirts, turbans and artificial parrots added theatricality to the runway, and gave a humorous nod to 21^st century dare to wear decadence.

From dabbling in Disney to sequins and Elvis’s portrait also featured in Parrots, Pirates and Paradise, De Castelbajac will forever remain an inspiring designer channeling fun, frolics and originality into his work for years to come.

Check out his ace website HERE

Images from De Castelbajac & Look

FASHION fascination---> LA ROUX

Ever since she strutted around with that gel laden red quiff and eighties androgynous get-up like that of a young Annie Lennox, Elly Jackson aka La Roux has come top of the music charts as well as in the style stakes.

 Last week (back in May) I excitingly attended the last date of her highly acclaimed and sold out Gold Tour, that finished at Manchester Academy. I must say I was really looking forward to this gig, the great music, the electric atmosphere, the stage set-up & special effects and most importantly Elly…what would she be wearing? I asked myself.

Never failing to un-impress, Elly debuted a dramatic high-necked long black cape for the opening song ‘Tigerlily’, which she swished around the stage profusely. She then removed this garment to reveal a monochrome ensemble suitably matched by her other band members. Wearing an eighties style black blazer with a fuss-free contemporary take on white lapels, her trademark lady silhouette gold and cream pendant and black trousers with gold ribbon trim, Elly serenaded the audience with her stylish persona and infectious charm.

All the greats were performed including a lovely acoustic song called ‘Savior’ that was wrote by Elly somewhat five years ago. The lighting on stage was particularly magical, with mood enhancing hues violet, turquoise and orange beaming down on Elly and being projected into the audience. The lights for me were an integral part of the show, evoking a stylistic stage of a northern light esque presence.

Minimalist art deco style screen props were placed in the centre and surround of the stage, which prolifically added a suave and nostalgic reading to the visuals of La Roux’s performance.

Quickly darting off stage for a few moments and then come back on and reveal yet another beautiful stage outfit…this time around Elly donned a white double breasted jacket with black lapels that perfectly complimented the rest of her understated outfit. 

Looking every inch the androgynous swaggerer, Elly belted out her highly anticipated ‘In for the Kill’ which the audience and myself receded with excitement.

With ‘Fascination’ done and dusted, Elly and the band Said their farewells and disappeared out of view, to everyone’s dismay. After claps, chants and the occasional outburst from a La Roux hungry fan, the band re-appeared with Elly to perform their final song ‘Bulletproof’ which re-ignited the last mad dancing session for the evening.

In yet another jacket, her third change in an hour, Elly sported confidently a more avant-garde look than before with a gold leather cropped and fitted military jacket, that looked utterly fantastic on stage.

I thought the gig was amazing, and Elly too, her style epitomises English eccentricity to a tee, dressing with bags of attitude and going against the grain of following too many trends. It’s very easy to achieve her look, with staple pieces of jackets, baggy shirts & tops, drainpipe trousers/jeans, loafers/brogues and heavy clunky jewellery don’t be afraid to mix up prints, contrasting fabrics and colours, as this only adds to an individual look.

For some Elly inspired pieces, New Look have a great selection of cropped military style jackets at the moment. For your pins try Topshop, I’ve seen some lovely floral leggings that would look fab with an oversized T-shirt and waistcoat. Office have these amazing collection of coloured Frank brogues, which are just Elly, those are on my current wishlist!!!

Surprisingly Elly didn’t don many a colour in Manchester, which her playful style is notoriously known for, however she did look incredibly chic and effortless…that’s what we like to see! A Brit trying not too hard…stay cool Elly…peace out!

Buy the album ‘La Roux’ from HMV.

  

Topshop Make-up Tried and tested

Topshop Make-up

Finally its here!!! The very highly anticipated brand spanking new Topshop make-up collection has landed and it’s stocking shelves by the plenty!!!

With the launch of a versatile Core collection and a fancy SS/10 Trend collection, this new range really is the definitive answer of how to create a high fashion beauty statement with an affordable high street price tag! Many of the fantastic products include nail polish, eye-shadow, blusher, skin tints, kohl and glitter in a variety of shades as well as much more…Topshop really have gone all out to bring this youthful and vibrant collection to the high street.

With summer fastly approaching, on trend colours this season SS/10 are beautiful metallics with gold, silver and turquoise that look to have been inspired by rich tones of the Middle East. The trio eye shadows in Sunstar and Moondust are particularly lovely with a mixed of dark, light and neutral tones for defining feline eyes and highlighting sun kissed ones. The perfect make-up essential for a night out!

The Core collection, that will be here all year round, has a stunning spectrum of colours ranging from the nude and versatile to bright and flamboyant. With quirky additions of stripy bronzers, dual contrasting eye shadow, felt-pen eyeliner and crayons, this collection is kept fresh and playful, utterly perfect for the 21st century girl!

Pretty much everything in this new range is tempting…if you ask me! With a minimalist 80’s inspired approach to fuss free packaging you really can’t go wrong with this sound collection of make-up. Topshop will surely impress with their black and white neatly boxed products, scrawled with fine liner illustrations and quirky cutwork, which really does look so stylish in comparison to most high street make-up.

Even the individually named essentials are inventively cute, some of my favourites are the nail polishes ‘Bees Knees’, ‘Carry on Camping’ and ‘Art School’ and lipstick ‘Brighton Rock’ that come in such beautifully bright shades.

With make-up to suit every grungy, preppy, vintage loving, retro and classically clad girly, Topshop have indefinitely unleashed their new secret weapon that I’m sure will be an absolute hit!

Since launching in store on May 5^th, Topshop.com have added some very inspiring video make-up tutorials online, with professionals showing you how to create four stunning looks in a step-by-step. As well as the videos there are also virtual makeovers that you can take part in yourself, by uploading a personal photograph and experimenting with this seasons colours online.

Having been so excited about word of the new collection, I made my way down to Topshop in town to check out the new collection! As I was browsing I was surprisingly met by a lovely freelance make-up artist called Paula Valencia who was there all week doing complimentary makeovers in store. I had my face beautifully made up by Paula with a selection of the new products that we both picked out. I must say I was extremely impressed with the colours, quality and finish of the makeover. Really affordable too with prices ranging from the very cheap and cheerful £4 to the still pretty nifty £10!!! Amazing value for money, and a great versatile collection that can be easily incorporated into your existing make-up bag of essentials!!!

Check out the photo of my lovely makeover by Paula as well as her fantastic website Paulavalencia.co.uk currently based in London she is incredibly talented!!!

All is left to say…go on treat yourself…just try not to buy the entire collection like I almost did! x

Girl You New Romantic Stud for MFN!!!!!

As fashionable palettes appear to be getting ever so more muted…this season the lustful trend for nude tones and monochrome is being morphed with harder edge embellishments to steer away from being atypically feminine.

The most delicates of fabric lace, chiffon, satin, organza, silk and mesh were all seen at Bora Aksu’s stunning SS/10 collection. Colours were kept decidedly next to nude with fresh white, crème, grey and the occasional regal yellow gold. This collection romantically explored lots of layering particularly of contrasting fabrics and sheen, as well as structured separates and fabric cutwork.

Possessing a fantastically feminine and theatrical quality, Aksu’s designs exude a subtle punky attitude with references to see-through mesh blouses; laddered knitwear and cropped leather-look embellished smart biker jackets.

My favourite pieces in this collection without a doubt are the beautifully ornate, heavily embellished, shimmering leggings and tights that come across as mermaid turned savage-esque. Combining fishnets, jersey, lace and sequins Aksu transformed ordinarily looking leg-wear into striking graphic works of art that shimmied their way down the catwalk, enhancing and complimenting the collection perfectly…if you ask me.  The addition of these pieces ultimately challenges the aesthetic of this incredibly romantic collection and gives it an edge that strays away from looking too sweet.

Likewise Temperley seem to have jumped on the moody-esque Victoriana bandwagon...which is stunning to say the least. Showcasing auto-shape inspired prints, black chiffon and jersey, cutwork and subtle shades of pale blue, grey, poppy red and vibrant purple, this collection really plays on the stylistics of hard and soft.

Throughout the collection there were noticeable early 1970’s fashion undertones that I detected through the exploration of monochrome, mini and maxi dresses.  A nod to Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ could also be suggested, with models donning strikingly smudged dark eyes, and the occasional eclectic touch of masculine styling with black bow neckties and side propped top hats.

By far my favourite pieces in the show are the button and stud embellished dresses that are so aesthetically pleasing to the eye… and have the most beautifully intricate patterns of wavering lines, diamonds and nostalgic symbols such the anchor and heart. They possess a certain gypsy-esque romantic feel that is kept really chic, with minimal black accessories such as the chiffon flower headband.

Temperley’s collection showcased so many beautiful pieces that have this effortless stylish look about them. Her styling in the show was kept decidedly feminine and modern mixing interesting techniques with hints of colour to provide a really grown up and fun yet elegant collection.

Though traditionally, bright colours are associated with spring & summer, this season it can be noted that designers are taking a new fresh approach to what can actually be classed as summer-wear. With no garish colours in sight…think muted tones of pink, blue, grey and green…pretty much anything that is soft and ethereal. This season you can really ditch the typical sunny brights and opt for a more understated palette that will be sure to make you stand out from the crowd.

Adam without the ants

This photo is a bit beautiful...i often find myself these days listening to Stand and deliver...and pretending that I am in his presence. Nice jacket, i want it and the white stripe. 

i l o v e DIESEL

Simply some of the best ad's that Diesel has ever created. The text & imagery just looks really good together and i like its boldness.
I think my favourite line is 'SMART LISTENS TO THE HEAD. STUPID LISTENS TO THE HEART' 
just because of the sheer romantic-ness...which is amazing. 
Some very inspiring photographs...that you can't help but evaluate and the humour/meanings behind them. Utterly smart, brilliant and a bit ridiculous but nonetheless fun and forward-thinking. 

R.I.P Malcolm Mclaren, for MFN

‘I was excited by this idea of taking culture to the streets and changing the whole way of life, using culture as a way of making trouble’.

Ever the inspirational anarchist, Malcolm McLaren viewed life and perspective on a completely different level to others. It was his sheer enthusiasm and fearlessness that propelled the likes of The Sex Pistols into their glimmering limelight all them years ago. Many a fashion maverick, punk lover of music and the late 1970’s London underground youth culture, stopped in their tracks last week to find that beloved Malcolm McLaren dubbed as the ‘Godfather’ of punk, had sadly passed at the age of 64. I myself, was really sorrowful at hearing the news, I found him and Viv in the good old days to be such a fantastic and vivacious pair of talents, totally irreplaceable if you ask me.

Most folks have heard about Malcolm, mostly for his important role manufacturing and marketing the raw rebellious attitudes of Punk, which he channeled through one of the most iconic bands in the late 20^th century, obviously it is hard to even mention Malc’s name without The Sex Pistols. They were like a few maybe too many writhing peas trapped in a pod, full on clashing, confrontations and an unashamed sensibility of  revolt. Yep, that was them all over.

Malcolm’s prominence within music history has ultimately overshadowed his indeed pivotal and creative role within fashion. Going back quite a few years now, to be precise it was 1965 when both Viv and Malcolm first met. Of Malcolm Vivienne once said ‘Malcolm’s a one-off. He was fascinating and mad, and it was though I was a coin and he showed me the other side’.

You could say that the pair got on like a house on fire, Vivienne was young, naïve and a conformist but with ambitious ideas and a penchant for creativity. Malcolm was somewhat opposed to traditionalist views and very self-aware with a political agenda. The culmination of these traits provided the perfect catalyst, for their radical yet ultimately lucrative business in the form of a fashion boutique that was opened at 430 King’s Road.

In 1971, Malcolm and Viv opened ‘LET IT ROCK’ which initially payed homage to old school Rock & Roll and Teddy boys, selling records, fifties memorabilia and original clothing. Reviving this iconic style, the pair wanted to steer away from the bohemia and current hippie-esque movement in the early seventies. Looking back it was possibly one of the most smartest things to do, they were literally establishing anti-fashion that was going against everything culture and fashion wise at the time.

Vivienne stated ‘What changed our lives forever was when Malcolm had the idea to sell rock 'n roll records to trendy customers’.

Over the next 9 years, they consecutively closed and re-opened four more boutiques Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die (1972), SEX (1974), Seditionaries(1977) and Worlds End (1980), which still gladly retains its likelihood and spot today at 430 King’s Road.

 Throughout this decade Viv and Malcolm experimented with customization and the D.I.Y ethos of self styling, Vivienne inevitably had the creative flair to chop and change clothing and Malcolm I suppose was a sort of fashion consultant. Once Viv’s creations had that provoking element that Malcolm loved, that was it, the sewing and designing fleeted and collections really developed from there. 

‘Even though it was the 70s, we found old stocks of clothes that had never been worn from the 50s and took them apart. I started to teach myself how to make clothes from that kind of formula’.

By far my favorite shop out of them all was ‘SEX’, it was shocking, confrontational and extremely provoking towards society and the real world. After all it did have gigantic pink lettering above the door  spelling out the taboo that literally stared at you in the face. All that leather, PVC, zips in the most un-inconspicuous places and those iconic printed t-shirts emblazoned with naked cowboys and rude slurs that only a radical youth could carry off. Amazing if you ask me…and so pioneering I love all that drama…the hype…everything about SEX was pretty mind-blowing!

Always very self-assured Malcolm admits, ‘The Pistols were like my work of art. They were my canvas’.

However The Sex Pistols weren’t the only band to front and model Vivienne’s creations, in the 1980’s Malcolm put together New Wave band ‘Bow Wow Wow’ to initially promote Vivienne’s new romantic pirate-wear, that consisted of squiggle print blouses, leather strapped slouchy boots and cotton pantaloons. Anabella Lwin fronted the band with her quirky side shaven head, flowing Mohican and braids, which was a great look paired with Viv’s attire. Malcolm also had a brief stylistic stint with The New York Dolls in the early 1970’s, but nothing really fashion major.

This partnership was completely unstoppable and  I personally think it was the best creative combined talent that the late 20^th century had ever experienced. Not only was Malcolm a great fashion advisor, he was passionate about music and art direction too, he designed and styled all the layouts of the shops even the galleon style sloping floor at Worlds End.

All in all they were really great together, I love looking at photos of them together in the early days, they just have this energy about them, a truly special bond that can be seen through the work life and love life they shared together.  I’m getting all deep right now about it… but it’s so true.

Later in his life Malcolm ultimately released some solo music material, listening to the actual songs themselves they aren’t too bad, it’s the ideologies behind the music that is the most interesting focal point. He has this ongoing charisma that you just can’t take away from the guy.

A humorous attempt to music for me would be Malcolm’s ‘Buffalo Girls’ which boasts a great visual to watch and is fantastic documentation of early 80’s hip hop as well as culmination of other music influences/genres that Malcolm was passionate about.  The video also features some of Malcolm and Vivienne’s collection worn by the buffalo girls, although I can’t seem to distinguish which collection as they had Nostalgia of Mud, Punkature and Witches all going around the time of 83. 

Malcolm was a innovative and unique soul that is really ultimately hard to come by. His legacy will live on, his influence in music will never be forgotten only ever commended and his role within fashion too particularly his collaboration with Vivienne are so ideal that they were and always will be ahead of their time. Dare I say a youth will never look at a safety pin in quite the same way again…to only imagine it through the queens nose.

R.I.P Malcolm X

I WANT THESE NEW FEET PLEASE!!!

POSSIBLY & probably the BEST shoes i have ever seen and will see for a long time...courtesy of Comme Des Garcons...i need them now and quick!!!

STREET STYLE MENSWEAR article for MFN!!!

Just as eco chic is becoming more apparent in our ever-evolving fashionable lives, street style is having an increasingly large affect on the way in which we dress ourselves. In the fashion industry particularly, designers are now sourcing inspiration and constantly trend spotting, hip whereabouts and cities, for unique figures in the style stakes. It’s now the norm to take a leaf out of someone else’s fashion book and create a concept inspired by an individual who wears it well.

The latest Menswear collection from Japanese powerhouse Comme Des Garcons Homme SS/10 seems to have demonstrated this exact creative styling ethos. Clad in a youthful juxtaposition of suiting, knitwear, kilts, baseball cardigans, waistcoats and t-shirts, this collection sure is explosive in terms of colour and energy. A vast array of fabrics, prints and patterns such as tweed, checks, plaid, patterned knits, denim and an unconventional addition of the silk tie were featured in garments.

All of these striking materials were cleverly combined through the process of patchwork, which ultimately ties the collection together in layers, strips and blocks of contrasting colour and pattern. The palette echo’s that of a rainbow, with almost every colour on the spectrum making an appearance, from acidic bright yellows to primary reds and blues paired with shiny steel grey, orange and the occasional salmon pink.

Bold, striking and smart this collection exudes attitude, unconventionality and a hint of late eighties early nineties preppy gone wrong. Garcon’s fashionable look is considerably grungy; with visual references to street styles formerly worn by Teddy boys via the two pieces suits, turn-ups and side buckle brothel creepers, which have had a somewhat contemporary twist with two-tone acid bright coloured leather.

A character that indeed wears his well is Duckie from Pretty In Pink circa 1986, whose style bears a remarkable resemblance to this particular catwalk collection. Duckie personifies an eccentric youth, whose style revolves around thrift store finds and a penchant for Teddy boy attire.

Throughout most of the movie he is seen wearing a variety of preppy jackets, in coloured tweeds and plaid, with long front lapels, sewn on patches, cuffs rolled up and all. He pairs his with quirky patterned shirts, layered underneath silky waistcoats and accessorises with western bolo neckties to give a unique look. Just like Garcon’s guys, Duckie has his trousers rolled up to sport a pair of white leather low crepe sole pointed brothel creepers that are unashamedly beautiful. I want those shoes!!!

Surfers and Skaters alike, Garcon’s collection also showcases attire that references these comfortable and desirable wares, with the addition of Hawaiian style floral prints cut into harem crotch shorts and trousers to ensure a baggy fitting silhouette.

One of my favourite Menswear collections by far this year, I love the interesting and unexpected brilliance behind the attention to detail in Garcon’s work. Silk ties for example have been strategically integrated into formal jackets to create lively depictions of boldness through a DIY approach to stitch and pattern. Pockets have humorously been sewn inside out on shirts to provoke mismatched elements that cleverly steer away from the norm.

It is these details that hint in the collection eco wear, re-cycling and ethics, as the stitch techniques particularly to do with patchwork, are incredibly easy to achieve if you have some old fabrics lying around and are handy with a needle and thread. The models can’t help but represent to me youthful street swaggering eco warriors dressed in a psychedelic mish mash of anti-fashion. Eccentric, bold, smart, innovative and most of all very very beautiful.