Preserve your planet.

Beijing 2008 flashback.

Twelve days of ancient games came to an end this Sunday leaving people with nothing to worth watching in wait for Entourage season 5, Gossip Girl season 2, Ugly Betty season 2 and Prison Break season 4 to commence. China has been an amazing host entertaining the world with one of the astounding performance man has ever created. The innovation and incorporation of a 15 000 people strong force China demonstrated that they are THE rising super power on the planet. Organizers of the London Olympics are probably scratching their heads wondering how they are going to top that since David Beckham kicking a damn ball isn’t move in the right direction.

Anticipated by the fashion crowd was Ralph Lauren’s tailored costume for the US team. Likewise with the Wimbledon uniforms for the stewards and referees RL are once again hustling over priced merchandise on the side. Those living near outlets should spread their wallets open since all unsold Olympic gear is on their ways to outlets where they will be sold at severely reduced priced. Sponsoring the US open as well RL are on aggressive path of fusing fashion and sport into something appealing to everybody while challenging the established sponsors like Nike, Addidas and Puma.

So the American team came out on the arena dressed in the expected colours of the national flag. Thanks to good cuts and various details they didn’t look like British Airways flight attendance. Collaborating with Ralph Lauren really set the USFrance wore the hat a straw styled hat with a ribbon that would have completed the American’s outfit. Joker of the opening ceremony was JapanUS team. If it wasn’t for waving their national flag it would have been next to impossible to guess that they were Japanese team since their outfits were completely dominated by blue and white. Looking very neat the customer designers failed in the way that they dressed the women in the least sexy shorts money can buy.
team apart from the majority who were dressed various semi-grotesque costumes. The only downer was the choice of hat which ruined the pretty image. who turned up dressed very similar to the

Weekend desires.

A pair of black loafers of mine are reach the end of their life span and will be walking their last 3-9 kilometers the coming weeks and are due to be replaced. London being a true commuter city shoes need to withstand rain, a heck a lot of stomping, running after buses and be durable enough for the harsh condition on the underground where it’s common to be stepped on by fellow hectic passengers. Having had bad experience in the far past buying loafers from Topman which ended up dusting in my wardrobe due to stitching loosening after a few days, I have this week been drawn into high end department store in search for my Cinderella loafers.

Famous for their loafers not to mention great designs TOD’s, Gucci and Prada became my first choice of visits. Scanning through the shelves for slick loafers of traditional and attractive appearance my eyes were drawn to a TOD’s loafers coming in multiple colours but sadly most of their loafers are in velvet and all of them come with tiny soft rubber studs which I would shred through in a couple of hours. Unless you spend the majority of your days walking on red carpets or resting your feet on a mink carpet in a Rolls Royce then TOD’s loafers are not recommended as daily shoes. Rolling my eyes balls towards Prada’s section my eyes locked on to a black loafer with glossy finish. Picking it up in my head I reached the height of euphoria. What an amazing shoe, the quality felt with higher than any the other loafers. The design and thickness of it was absolutely perfect with proper soul with rubber feet, in other words it was a shoe meant to be walked in. Very formidable design that doesn’t distract or steal the attention of what you might be wearing on your upper body. Given the glossy finish it should be incredibly easy to maintain clean by wiping the shoe with a damp cloth. The shoes ticked all the right boxes except for the price. How do I convince myself to drop £245 on a pair of shoes?? I know they would probably last 2-3 but that’s still a hefty chunk of sterling pounds to spend on a single pair of shoes.

The relic.

Like the dinosaurs one of the 90s most fashionable items it got phased out. Both functional and aesthetically cool the turtleneck is one of the iconic pieces of clothing ever. Popular amongst meaty body guards for people like Mike Tyson one looked very trendy in a turtle neck with a gold chain hung around the neck. Sadly the good insulator of body heat and protector from breezy weather is no where to be seen on the market.

Today turtle necks are only seen being worn by arrogant art/food critics wearing prescription glasses with thick black frames, and are people of the character who only drinks mineral water and gets en ego boost from talking about themselves in third person. As pompous as it may look wearing a turtle can transform your appearance into a more mature and wise look, especially if holding a whisky glass in your hand. Earthly colours like black, brown, grey, green, burgundy and dark shades of orange work are the best choices to opt for. Bright and funny colours are an absolute NO and will ruin the whole reserved country club gentleman image. The plus side is that turtlenecks are dirt cheap and don’t retail for more than the price of shirt unless you’re eying cashmere scared of catching a rash on your throat. Jay Fielden, editor of the overly elitist and celebrity oriented Men’s Vogue is a prime figure for how to wear a turtleneck whilst matching colours with worlds highest paid fashion editor, Anna Wintour.

Tom Ford Menswear FW08.

We’ve hit the middle of August and as leaves begin dying falling to the ground designers are dropping their fall/winters ads in magazines luring us into their stores. Awaited is naturally some sexy ads for the Italians or Tom Ford who set the bar high with his SS08 ads. In full swing with his highly exclusive brand he has managed to utilize his fame and build a brand name in no time turning other tailors that have existed since before Christ into jealous geezers. In spite selling menswear with prices scarier than the increasing price for a barrel of oil Tom Ford has faced no problems finding customers. Already supplying a wardrobe to Daniel Craig for the new Bond movie as well as dressing Will Smith and David Beckham it’s quite clear the brand has against all odds made a mark in the industry of luxury fashion.

Italy banning his SS08 is probably the reason why he, for the FW08 ads, didn’t decide to escalate sexuality to an even higher level. This seasons ad shots contain much less exposed skin than the previous ones, in fact there is barely anything to get aroused over than a sexy brunette chewing on what looks like a grilled piece of chicken from Nandos. But hold on, SS08 looked explicit when the first ads surfaced but got worse when the additional non-commercially published photos made their way out, so there might be some extra footage on the way. Found below are additional SS08 shots but bare in mind that they are not safe for work, so unless you want to be accused of…uhm…..warming yourself up for a mid-day jerk work on a Tuesday don’t view them at your work.

As a substitute for extreme nudity Tom Ford has chosen to stun in an equally controversial manner. With hands on the waist the male model Jon Kortajarena is posing in a way we’ve never seen a man do in fashion before. Leaning with hands in the waist has long been the way for female models to accentuate the thinness of their waist. A man should obviously never ever pose in that manner since it’s one of those things in life that a meant for women like knitting onboard a bus.

On the positive side the clothes look masculine as ever. Pushing an over sized ‘dress for success’-bowties mixed with sophisticated suits in playful patterns, Tom Ford is taking a new approach to Dandy-ism different from the crass Italian approach or the old age British way. This is the new American way of tailoring taking form.

Cold War part II.

Although Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev left office several years ago and the iron curtain is a long forgotten the cold war has risen from the grave. Involving previous super powers Russia and the United States the war has a capitalistic rather than political nature this time. Same as before the war is unexpectedly an absurdly expensive one involving zero physical interaction between both parties.

You might remember the Maltese Falcon, the technological wonder belonging to money flipping Tom Perkins. Until a few weeks ago it was the most the Playstation 3 powered by electronically controlled masts made entirely out of carbon fiber. Sadly for Perkins he had no idea that his equally as overindulgent Russian counterpart was secretly having a toy of his own tailor-made. Russian banking demon Andrey Melnichenko now sits firmly on the throne for the most expensive floating magnum sized schlong prancing through the 4 Oceans.

Hiring super star architect Philippe Starck to craft the interior makes it pretty clear that the yatch didn’t accidentally end up costing £200 000 000 to manufacture. With a length of 120 meters(390ft) the two swimming pools, a helipad and hidden speed boats will ensure that 60 or so guests that can fit on the sea vessel won’t fall into a coma out of boredom. Impressively this battleship look-a-like will cruise across the Atlantic in just 7 days while everyone on board is indulging in luxury very few get the opportunity to take part of.

Onboard a breathtaking yacht like this one has to be dressed appropriately and the only way of achieving a modern day Christopher Columbus look is by wearing oat shoes and a sailing-inspired watch.

Phony looks.

What happens when a new Hollywood star emerges? The star gets their schedule filled up with photo shoots, press events and interviews. Struggling on a monthly basis to find a suitable figure for a front cover, men’s magazines gets all excited when a male actor rise from gravel. Putting a popular man the front cover plus an interview about how stoned they used to get while smoking weed on board a roller coaster or how much alcohol they used to drink tend to result in bumped up circulation.

Oddly men’s magazines have a tendency of giving actors in their early 20s a pathetic styling treatment. With artificially looking facial hair resembling well taken care of genital areas and excessive retouching young stars are made into look more sterile in order for the cover not to look like it’s aimed at fanatic teens. Funny enough the end result often mimics a girl dressed and styled as a man for a school play. Shia Labeouf is not an exception and has been transformed by both GQ US and Arena magazine into something that would make Megatron laugh his screws off.

SS09: Dries Van Noten

If one has dreams of ever dressing like a proper man giving up skinny jeans and neon coloured jackets then Dries Van Noten SS09 is the ideal pitstop. Like an automatic gearbox this collection shall ensure a smooth transition to a new wardrobe.

Reaching his peak Dries Van Noten has designed a collection that overshadows anything he has created before. Using materials exquisite as Belgium chocolate Van Noten have managed to bring to about admiration that tend not be evoked by collection of the same style. At first sight the impression made might not give you a summer crush but as one scrolls through the various outfits it all comes together thanks to the glossy peanut butter-coloured shoes. Other details like buttons, traps and accessories further pronounce the degree of passion that conceived this charismatic collection.

What’s amazing is the effortlessly and neutral appeal of the outfits which have very little or close to non superficial styling that there for the sake of staging a show. Perfect for wearing on at a tea party on a posh rooftop garden during a mild August evening most of the outfits fit in anywhere one would want to dress sophisticated but in chic way.

+The runway surface suits the collection like a glove.

+Dotted trousers.

+The execution and attention to detail.

+The glossy bags and shoes.

-The fluffy dotted trousers can look like a bit like jammies.

-Slightly more variation would have been welcomed.

-Grade: 9.4/10 In conjunction with the write up it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Dries Van Noten gets the highest rating of any SS09 collection. While the other designers were busy playing with trend and using dark colours, Van Noten spent his time more wisely designing outfits that not only looks like an SS collection but are also posses charm and universal taste. In and out it’s the best SS09 men's fashion show.

Eye Candy.

The 90s were funny times, especially the mid 90s when the world began counting down to the millelium and wondering if the earth will begin rotating in the opposite direct after 23:59 on the 31th December 1999. As many began painting imaginary pictures of themselves driving a airborne card at elevations higher than a uniform skirt, an obsession with silver struck the world.

What used to be beige/white in the kitchen like the oven, microwave and refrigerator is nowadays coloured in metallic silver in most contemporary homes. During the second half of the 90s silver became the symbol of progression, the future and pretty much defined the word modern. Over night a black 26 inch Philips CRT TV looked plain dull next to a 32 inch wide screen Sony TV. Suddenly any merchandise that wasn’t silver looked prehistoric and uncool. Thankfully the colour didn’t hijack our wardrobes making everybody walking around like seasoned meat ready to be laid in an oven. Undeniably funky the fella pictured managed to revive the forgotten aluminum jacket in a very charming manner. Looking a partially opened piece of caramel wrapped in a metallic foil this is an example of someone taking wearing something cool from the past without appearing like a desperate fashion guru trying to start a trend.

Tax return thoughts.

It’s August meaning that everybody are rubbing their hands in anticipation for their long awaited tax return to boost the bank account a few digits. Since scarcity is a problem we face everyday with the inability to ever fulfill our materialistic needs most people made plans for the money back long ago. Those in need of some help to find something to blow their money don’t need to look further than this list of wasteful goods.

Lamborghini Wine

No matter how smart of a consumer you are it’s impossible to fully ignore brand. When a manufacturer have imprinted their name in a particular industry it’s hard to accepting them jumping into a completely new field. It’s like when wrestler John Cena produced a rap album, it’s very difficult to take him serious as rapper. In accordance with that the Lamborghini brand name carries no prestige on the bottle of wine. One thing is for sure, the wine won’t make you drive a Lamborghini better.

Bentley branded laptop

It’s no secret that the design of a product can weigh more than features or price. Just ask Apple, they have enjoyed major success in the computer industry. As sexy as the Macbook Pro is the rich aren’t flattered since it’s still a heavily mass produced product. Bentley have come to the rescue by pairing up with laptop manufacturer “Ego” and creating a handbag-shaped laptop covered in a choice of 8 different coloured leather. The Bentley brand name and the limited production of 250 laptops translates in a heart pounding price of £10 000 which is more than an entry level Toyota hatchback.

Tag Heuer phone

Jewelry styled cell phones tend to offer low specs at a high price and the Tag Heuer Meridiist is no exception. Under the skin it’s merely a 2-3 years old phone disguised with crocodile skin and premium metal. Priced at €3900 in Europe it’s nothing but an overpriced lump of steel. One is better spending that money on a Tag Heuer Phone and a HTC Diamond.

Swedish Fashion - STHLM Fashion Days @ Berns

If Victoria Silvstedt, IKEA, Volvo and……polar bears is all you know about Sweden then shame on you. Sweden is much more than just that, it’s the nation of high standard of living, delicious tap water and high taxes that probe the rich into hiding their wealth off shore. Most impressive is the functionality of the Sweden, the country is highly efficient and it’s not until you move outside the borders of the country that you notice how stupid works in other countries. A good example is the United States where you get charged when ever someone calls or text you, and if you happen to have zero credit on your card then you cannot receive anything. In the UK things a bit funny as well, here it’s illegal to drive a car without insurance. Instead of the car getting insured the driver must acquire an insurance for every single car they drive or subscribe to a more expensive insurance that permits you to drive another vehicle than the one listed on your insurance papers. In Sweden you simply buy a car, insurance it and anyone driving it automatically insured.

Moving to more interested matters than car insurance Sweden is a pleasant habitat with clean air and very tidy streets. Looking good too are the infamous Swedish women who are gorgeously proportioned thanks to a sound and active way of living. Equally impressive is the Swedes way of dressing which is very young and trendy. Walk into a Swedish inner city high school and sight of all the well groomed and hip dressed students will leave you impressed.

Disappointingly Swedish designers can make you fall asleep as a result of boredom from looking at near identical collection consisting of pale uni-coloured pieces which can be about as interesting as bowl of unsalted potatoes and carrots. Sweden’s biggest fashion brand Acne Jeans is the heaviest declining and have yet to regain the innovation and creativity they presented between 2005 and 2006. Swede’s are very conservative and rational people. Sadly too much of the people’s rationalization has translated into the fashion scene as well where function has overweighed form. There is a need for an antagonist to stir things up in Sweden, make the designers relax their vaginas and start designing out of passion instead of rationality. On the other hand one has to bare in mind that Sweden’s fashion industry is very young with the vast majority of designer only been in existent for no longer than 5-10 years.

STHML Fashion Days at Berns

Traveling light I packed a weekend back with necessities, chocolate, gifts and pointed my right index finger north east towards Stockholm where I went for the “STHLM Fashion Days at Berns”. Having work as a model in Sweden it was intriguing to be on the other side of the camera as a critic rather than a living doll strolling up and down the runway like a robot.

The duo.

Like visiting cinema and playing Nintendo Wii spectating a runway shows is always more enjoyable with the social presence of someone you know. Not very well familiar with Stockholm I got a good friend of mine to accompany me. Joining me during the fashion days I brought my friend in as my “faux assistant” who actually ended up assisting me quite a lot with snapping photos while I scribbled down notes and even guarded my bag while I went to the bathroom relinquishing all the champagne I couldn’t stop drinking.

Looking formidable she did a good job with her attire coming dressed in neutral secretary-ish black and white outfit with tasteful but barely noticeable make up. She perfectly complimented the black/darkblue/white I was wearing. Too young for fashion shows there was my baby cousin who loves destroying gadgets and ripping apart the London teddy I bought him.

Nikolaj D'etoiles

First up was Nikolaj D'etoiles which is a new high-end Swedish fashion house selling clothes in parallel with the pricing of Dolce & Gabbana unlike the majority of Swedish designers who sell premium but yet affordable clothes. Nikolaj is very unorthodox in the way that they stand out in the crowd, not only by their exclusive selection of materials but also the execution of their designs which for the SS09 season were influenced by Russia and sleazy Tsar Officials enjoying expensive caviar while the nation was collapsing during the 70s.

Quite a bold collection since Sweden is quite a socialistic country where it’s common to fit in rather than standing out by taking paving your own path. Although very short their collection was a breath of fresh air to the Swedish fashion show brining with it foreign design influences, male sexiness and exciting materials. Biggest letdown was the presentation and the awful choice of music which was one of the most generic runway tacks one could ever choose. SS09 being their 2^nd collection should leave most Swedes hungry for more as it’s a brand to keep an eye on.

Carin Wester

If your great grand parents are still alive and think it’s year 1903, and you want to convince them that time is standing still then Carin Wester SS09 is for you. Reminiscent of fictive figures straight out of a “Little House on the Prairie”- TV series Carin Wester stunned with a joyful and springy selection of outfits. Having the runway show outdoor accentuated the enlightenment created by the country side inspired makeup and styling. Overall a very adorable that brings out thoughts of a cute neighbor knocking on your door on a Saturday morning with a basket containing home made blackcurrant juice and freshly baked cinnamon buns.

Minimarket

Playfully romantic Minimarket’s SS09 was worthy of a loud applause as the three sisters getting more and more convincing that they are in the industry of fashion to stay. With bright crayon colours and cool presentation doll house ambitions are back with mature and sensual touches. With convincing design and character Minimarket SS09 was probably the strongest collection at STHLM fashion days.

Mercedes Benz: Young Industry Fashion Award

Sponsoring LA and Berlin fashion days Mercedes are on a blitzkrieg strategy of further strengthen their ties with fashion and pop culture. In July they officially kicked of their first sponsorship of a fashion event in Sweden with many more to come. At the show they unveiled their awfully feminine and overpriced Mercedes CLC that was colored in white with a cow blood red interior. Ending the day was their FYIA show where three finalists, who were aspiring designers, got to show of their talent in a battle for some major financial backup and a slot at STHLM fashion days in February. All of the designs showed very laughable and neither of the designers were worthy of any sponsorship. Literarily speaking the pieces shown were light years behind what I saw earlier this summer at Graduate Fashion Week.

Betty Suarez in Sweden

In the maze of people grabbing glasses of free wine and champagne there was a sight of an unidentified individual. All alone with her camera she was swaying across in the facilities in a sky manner she looked like she jumped out of my telly while I was watching Ugly Betty. Dressed in knee high socks, black glasses with thick frames and colourful clothes she was the word fashion “nerd” redefined. In spite being invisible to everyone else her unconventional attire made her mysteriously seductive in a way.

Assexuality.