Thursday 26 September 2013

Naissance AW13

Naissance is the baby of Takashi Kumagai, a Japanese photographer with plenty of fingers in pies. In his native Japan he is also a renowned stylist and branding expert as well as having turned his hand to shop design for New York based brand Saturdays Surf NYC, who collaborated with Gap back in 2012 as part of their young American designers initiative.

Like a lot of Japanese brands there is a heavy Americana influence and for AW the amalgamation of heavy fabrics, tailored outerwear and workwear inspired pieces.

The thing I enjoy about these brands is that there is a simplistic relaxed demeanor to their composition. The wearer looks comfortable and un-fussed yet you can see that careful consideration has been made in each choice.

The workwear aesthetic will be big again this winter and the introduction of tailored cords and flannel trousers will accompany the usual selvedge denim.









Photo Source: Men's Reverie

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Bill Amberg & the Next Generation of Artisan

You would be forgiven for not having heard the name Bill Amberg before, nor having much notion of the brand but that is not to say you may be inexperienced in his work, his influences and collaborations span a wide spectrum of both menswear and womenswear, working most notably with Paul Smith from '86 - '93 and Dunhill for 2 years from 2004. He has designed leather paneled interiors for iconic buildings and super-yachts as well as floors for retailers across the world. His 'Rocket' bag design has been admitted to the V&A museum as a 'design classic' and the craftsman has garnered a dedicated following and an elite client base citing Jude Law and Jarvis Cocker as patrons.

What became apparent upon my visit to the perfectly proportioned split level shop, tucked away behind Shepherds Market in Mayfair was that his passion and vision for his craft is continuing to grow with a new breed of co-contributors.

To exhibit a collection of one off commissions by 2nd year students at London College of Fashion on a wet and drizzly Thursday evening would appeal to few. I, as an admirer of the leather purveyors works, considered the invite an opportunity to obsess over the minute details of some beautifully made carry's and to study some exciting designs from young emerging talent.

Due to the state of central London's roads at present and the incredible amount of redevelopment in the City I was late to my destination, after an hour and a half staring at the back end of a bus however I managed to snag a parking spot and made may way down to the shop. Fortunately I was greeted by Chris who was just as enthusiastic about what was on show and despite being in the process of tidying up beckoned me in to take a gander.

The pieces on show were incredible, the materials exquisite and each carved out their own individual icon for a recognisable style.

Ill prepared though I was, without my trusty camera I was forced to lean on my phone, which for all its misgivings saved my bacon.

Below are some images of my favorite designs from the LCF students:




I also had a chat with Chris about Bill Amberg's AW13 collection and some newer designs coming through for SS next year. The photos below are for the current season and the 'Hunter' backpack and 'Medicine' holdall in particular are two items I was almost swayed to shell out on there and then.




The shop in Shepherds Market will soon see an interesting makeover with some interesting additions to the retail experience so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Monday 16 September 2013

Ways to Wear: Oxfords

At the beginning of last month I was contacted by Samuel Windsor and introduced to their Blog Network, which lists the best menswear blogs on the web, moreover aims to compile all these guides in to handy directory for your delectation.

You've probably come across Sam Windsor on your travels and if not I can only assume it's because you don't work in an office and are not privy to their alleviation of strain on a bank balance dented by the expense of new shoes every 6 months. For a long time these guys have been offering affordable footwear to those who have searched and found. My first experience with the brand was a fair few years ago, possibly 2009, when I invested in a pair of dark brown suede chukka boots to kick start a more classically inspired shoe collection due to my developing tastes. Since then I spread the news to various family members and friends who have since gone on to make their own purchases.

The chukka boots are still going strong, if you're interested, and half my old man's wardrobe is now down to Samuel Windsor. Creatures of habit!

I started conversing with Dan at SW discussing ideas for the blog network and a contribution towards their social media footprint. My first inclination was a guide to making the most of your shoes, focusing on the versatility of certain styles. I then dug deeper and since the influence of the #menswear movement I think most people are aware of brogues and loafers and how they are just as at home at the bottom of a tapered suit trouser leg as they are neath a turned selvedge denim hem. I wanted to turn our attentions to a more overlooked style and I settled on plain oxfords.

Oxford's are typically characterised by eyelets sewn under the vamp (the part of the shoe starting behind the toes extending to the back of the foot) and a cap-toe. This is to say they are not a wholecut or derby. Although brogues are a derivative of this style it is the traditional arrangement, that we recognise as an oxford shoe today, that my collective wisdom is aimed at.

My view is that we mostly see these as a particularly straight-laced shoe for business and very formal dress, however you may be surprised to hear that this shoe was born out of rebellion by students at Oxford university in the 1800's against knee and ankle high boots. The veritable punk of modern footwear!

There's no questioning the simplicity of the cut and pairing a black cap-toe oxford with a clean cut navy or grey suit is a winner every time, but if you want to vary the occasion of these staples why not try introducing some tailored khaki or military green cotton trousers, a plain white t-shirt and bomber or denim jacket. The key to taking these shoes out of their formal setting for me is the trousers, stick to a composition with a crease and tailored aesthetic and you will find them just a suitable for a more casual setting. Steer clear of blazer's and suit jackets up top and take inspiration from 1940's service dress. Below are a few examples I've pick out from the net to show just how versatile these shoes can be:






In retrospect of this guide one lucky reader will become the owner of a classic pair of black oxfords kindly provided by the good people at Samuel Windsor. To be in with a chance all you have to do is subscribe to esteewhyele.blogspot.co.uk via the handy widget at the top right hand margin of the screen and follow @esteewhyele and @samuelwindsor on Twitter. Tweet us #STYLExSW when you're done and you'll be entered in to the draw at the end of the month.

A winner will be picked at random from the entrants on the 30th September and contacted to make arrangements for the delivery of their prize.

Good luck!

Photo Source: TheSartorialistTumblr & Tommy Ton via GQ via IQ Menswear