On Watch

Came across this editorial for watches and fell in love with the images.

Alina, photographed by Charles Guo for Numéro China.

These two were my favourite. You can see the others on Fashion Gone Rogue.

From Your Lips To…

Thank Goth I can restock my lipstick, come Fall.

Jacquelyn Jablonski in Givenchy’s FW11 Beauty campaign.

Image: TFS.

Cherish the Day

Seeing one of my fashion and music icons tonight.

What to wear? What to wear?

IIFA 2011: IIFA Awards Staged

Just setting the stage for more info to come on the IIFA Awards.

I attended all 6+ hours of the show on Saturday evening, and will have more pics and poses for you later this week – a little IIFA’d out at the moment. Need to have a cup of chai for it to settle in my mind.

The stage is set - for the Mumbai marathon. Photo by Jyotika Malhotra.

IIFA 2011: IIFA Rocks

I attended the IIFA Rocks event on Friday night in Toronto.

As the stage indicates, the night was all glitz and glam. Photo by Jyotika Malhotra.

I’ll have posts on the fashion, the fame and the infamous later this week – watch for them!

Red Rollout

Some things were just made for the red carpet.

Me, in Alaia flats on Bloor Street, Toronto.

Grey Area

Sometimes, the softest things can be surrounded by the roughest edges.

See beyond barriers, my dears.

Remain neutral.

You will live in luxe after it all.

Grey area: Bottega's delectable deconstruction for Spring.

Image: Vogue.com.

Duality

Life isn’t just black or white.

It’s both.

Chanel embraces duality for Resort 2012.

Embrace the contrasts on either side and wear them well.

Image: Elle.com.

The Modfather’s New Clothes

As I told you about a couple of weeks ago, Paul Weller teamed up with pal Liam Gallagher to design a capsule collection of cool clothes for Gallagher’s label, Pretty Green.

The six pieces of High Summer basics have now hit stores on Carnaby Street and beyond. They include a “wet look” jacket (not leather as I originally thought), a tank, t-shirt, “Indian shirt”, scarf and cardy.

While the basic North American male may not consider the cut of these all that basic for himself, I think it’s not a bad start for the gents groovy enough to pull these off.

These pieces have personality.

The easy cardy - with elbow-length sleeves. Perfect if you are playing guitar constantly, no?

Each piece is finished with Weller's English Rose tab detailing. Nice.

The man, himself shows you how it is to be worn.

Careful, though, boys. The italicized warning labels on the site emphasize that the cardy, singlet (tank in this part of the world) and tee are “slim fitting garments“.

Same sleeve length on the tee.

A closer look at the signature label on the singlet.

The Nehru-collared kurta, inspired by the '60s.

Same colour English rose embroidery on the "Indian shirts".

Nothing says rock star like...

The site says it's made from "luxury polyester". Will have to take their word on that one, but I do like the Issey Miyake thing going on here.

The motorcycle (read: Vespa) jacket is at the high-end of the range at £175, with other pieces starting at £30. All pieces are also available online.

I would have liked to see a pair of well-fitting trousers, too. Perhaps those are in the queue for Fall. Weller will be working with Pretty Green for a while to come – according to the brand, this is the “start of a long-term partnership”.

Images courtesy of Pretty Green.

Summer Soulstice

That part of your soul that’s been waiting patiently?

Let her loose, my dears.

Let her spread her glorious wings.

Let her show her true colours.

Let her soar.

Nothing blocking the colour at Gucci SS11. Mesmerizing!

The best belt of the season. Also, the slink and the length of the pant - discuss.

The shoes at Gucci SS11 were all highly covetable. Sky high, actually.

It was one of my fave collections for Spring/Summer. None of these tones are shades I normally wear, but oh, how they are calling out to me.

Happy Summer Solstice, my fellow soulmates and solemates, alike.

Images: Vogue.com.

Skandalous at Costume

Rude boys rocked the runway at the Costume National SS12 menswear show.

There were checkered, stacked shoes, tapered, cuffed pants and buzzed and tousled hair.

Be still my Beat-ing heart.

Hit play and… “are you ready, are you ready to go?”

 

I knew something special was in the air, when I saw these.

Remembering a checkered past at the Costume National Menswear SS12 show.

Soul food for the ska-starved.

It is interesting that the brand showed this ska-inspired collection 20 years to the day (!) that The Specials’ Ghost Town was number one on the UK charts.

Some things are classic – but not mass classics. They exist a bit below the regular radar. Worn with a suit, these shoes might get some initial reactions as being quirky or fun – but a man doesn’t wear these to illustrate those facets of his personality.

A man wearing these has a checkered past with this era. He’s got the 7-inch single with the original artwork, to prove it.

Music and fashion crosses all borders, 'innit?

As I’ve said before when it comes to music I like, I don’t separate the music from the look of the band – they are synonymous for me. The Specials and other ska bands of their ilk, had an unstoppable style to accompany the non-stop sets of finger-snapping, head-bopping, am-I-really-jumping-up-and-down tunes.

They may have been singing about rude boys, but these were gentleman. In suits. Note the looser jackets, the skinny lapels, the layering, the proper head wear.

The details in this one photo alone, I can discuss for miles: the pocket ruffle and pant pleats on Lynval Golding; the tilt of the hat on Neville Staple; the mirrored shades on John Bradbury; the tense scowl on Terry Hall’s face contrasted by the easy jacket; Jerry Dammers’ infamous tooth-less grin and wrap-around shades; the knot on Horace Panter’s tie; the layering and pouf of hair peeking out from Roddy Byers’ fedora.

See why the boys from Coventry were and are special?

The band had such a distinct look: The Specials, circa 1980-ish.

I look at this model off the Costume catwalk and I see a Terry of today.

Love the looser, wider jacket and love the suggestion of a skinny tie in the shirt stripe at Costume.

There was always an element of taking sportswear and adding tailoring with the ska sartorialists. Look at the side cut of that jacket, just below the pocket. Look at the zippered pockets on the vest below. I also love the chunky bracelet and the “don’t mess” earrings. Very Rude Boy.

Roddy’s hair made the current cut, too.

This do will make my head turn, each and every time. Retro reflex.

The flap of the shirt flashes back to the ’80s, as do the red, black and white shoes.

Perfect for strutting in the Concrete Jungle.

However, it’s not about reliving the past exactly as it was.

The classic knit shirt gets a modern treatment.

The grey suit gets a splash of black and white.

You can keep your style, but still be up to date and relevant. The gents in the band are the best examples of that.

The Specials on their recent tour, photographed by Andy Willsher.

It’s all about borrowing elements but keeping that original personality that you brought to the clothes.

This tie, for example gives a nod to Terry’s ascot in the Message to Rudy video.

Is it wrong that I want one for myself? The tie. Not that I'd mind if the gentleman sporting it came along as well.

It’s taking things like the slouch of an original jacket and removing the sleeves in the current version. It says casual and dressed at once.

No style slouch, here. Costume National Menswear SS12.

It’s about keeping that inner style star bright and taking him (or her!) one step beyond.

Here's the skinny on cuffs.

The perfect soles for skanking!

Images: Collection images courtesy of GQ and Costume National. Specials images courtesy of TheSpecials.com, except for recent tour image, which was taken by Andy Willsher.

Three Pièce de résistance

I am finding the menswear collections for SS12 to be a little too cajh and careless for my liking.

However, as always, there are exceptions to the rumpled rule.

Vivienne Westwood World Man SS12.

Elegant gentlemen are so rare these days.

I like the care taken by men in three-piece suits.

Show us you care, gentlemen – by all means and by all seams.

Images courtesy of Vivienne Westwood.

Hissy Fit

Your inner Cleo will love these wrap-around reptilian roadsters.

Marc Jacobs SS11 snakeskin sandals.

Not that you will actually want them to touch the road, of course.

The colour combinations are delicious – just don’t have a hissy fit trying to figure out which one is best for you.

Add a little regal to the reptile and opt for a purple and gold combination.

I want both.

What? Cleo was all about excess, wasn’t she?

Images: Elle.com.

Gentle Goth

I don’t know about you, but I have been loving the gentle gothenticity that has been happening at Valentino the past few seasons.

It’s given me a whole new appreciation for lady-like dressing with a distinct edge.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli had their work cut out for them, following the Grandmaster of Fash, Valentino Garavani, when he retired several years ago.

I think they have not only respected Valentino’s romantic aesthetic, but have managed to add their own distinct signature to the collection.

Sometimes a goth girl needs a little softness.

Image: Vogue.com.

Things Don’t Line Up

…and who says they have to?

Who says you can only dress in one direction?

Read between the lines.

I loved the meticulously stitched ruching and pinstripes combination at Vera Wang’s SS11 show. It’s the same ruching that was on this dress from Cannes.

Image: Vogue.com.