Paisley Paradise

Reinterpretations of classic prints continues to filter through the male fashion spectrum with a refresh of Camo and now Paisley. Whereas Camouflage took on new forms with bold, broken up, upscaled prints. Paisley has been invigorated through patchwork effects, bold colour blocking and mixed scales.

Paisley, (taking its name from a small Scottish Town) immediately makes me reminisce of my Dad's old work tie in the early 90s and the 'grown up' world of office work. This sits world's away from its Indian heritage and its hey day as a visible symbol of 1960s psychedelia and spiritual freedom. Two decades later in the 1980s Paisley sat alongside other classic prints as a mainstream staple for jacket linings and ties. With a subsequent decline in the era of minimalist dressing, the print has made a recent and welcome resurgence into menswear.  The collaboration between Opening Ceremony x Adidas encapsulates the contemporary take with a mosaic of Paisley running across shoes, tees and jackets.  A similar cross-cut aesthetic of block blues and Paisley can also be seen in Christopher Shannon's Paisley Jacket. With such a strong aesthetic I feel this will be quickly disseminating down the fashion chain into high streets stores in the next season.

Hedi Slimane

'Who's Back to take Reign? it's Hedi Slimane'

 

The news is old but it is worthy of celebration Hedi Slimane has returned both to fashion design and Yves Saint Laurent after a 5 year and 11 year departure respectively. His previous work as the creative force behind Dior Homme was heralded as a revolution and he remains the founding father of the new male aesthetic, slimming down the tailoring and torso of the modern man. Whilst redefining the perceptions of male beauty, he attracted a cult-esque following that has continued to follow his work as he confidently glided from design to photography. The Hedi Slimane Diary is a go-to for desaturated images of middle america, rock'n'roll imagery and more than one emaciated male.  
With such a lengthy departure and somewhat waining interest in the YSL brand, Slimane's task to return it to its former flavour is hefty, and expectations are undoubtedly high. Questions are raised as to whether he can re-convene the fashion flock and bring them to the steps of Yves. The indicator will be the SS 2013 collections in September, with undoubted focus upon his work with the YSL Homme menswear offering. I am already ready and waiting.

Patrick Grant

Easily considered one of the most visible faces of British Style

Stats:
Name: Patrick Grant
Age: 38
Occupation: Owner of Norton and Sons and Ready-to-wear Subsidary E.Tautz
Best Advice: Dressing the male is all about the detail and ensuring harmony in style, match your leathers and metals.

5 Key Facts:
I              Prefers to tie a 4-in-hand knot
II           Completed an MBA at Saïd Business School writing his thesis on Old English Brands.
III       Previously worked in manufacturing before in his words, stumbling into the business.
IV       Lives in Bow with long term girlfriend Katie Hillier, jewellery designer.
V           Cycles to work each day from his home in Bow, East London.

Brief Bio:

In his formative years Patrick Grant attended Barnard Castle School alongside notable fashion figure Giles Deacon, wikipedia indicates a possible daily corridor walk-off in which the pair tried to outshine the other in the fashion stakes.

His further education choices led him down a career path away from fashion, after completing a degree in Material Science from University of Leeds he worked in France and LA before working in a number of marketing and development roles  before returning to education completing an MBA at Saïd Business School. It was just following this when he fell into his current situation. After a friend was delayed for a planned coffee meeting, Patrick came across an advertisment for Norton and Sons within the Financial Times.

Throwing caution to the wind, he sold his house and pretty much all else along with seeking outside financial investment to buy the ailing 19th century tailoring house. In the last 4 years the company has gone from strength to strength expanding its client base from 20 to over 400. The formerly defunct subsidary E. Tautz has also been revived, providing a ready-to-wear range which provides a second avenue to capitalise on Patrick's success. His work with the E. Tautz range has led him to be honoured with the 2011 Menswear designer of the year, pipping to the post Christopher Bailey.

If in search of fine tailoring then head to 9 Saville row to find Patrick and his team.

DOCUMENT WALLET

'As the briefcase became an item of historical reference, a new form of document carrying has blossomed'

The image of the 1980s in The City of London is one of high-spending, enormous mobiles and the finest leather briefcases. The briefcase synonymous with wealth, professionalism and success has since become as out-dated as the mobiles it used to carry.

The 21st century carry-case is the document wallet as the replacement of vast swathes of paperwork and bulky laptops has allowed slimmer cases to dominate. This new legion of leather and non-leather goods have been embraced by the grip of high fashion. Milan and Paris SS12 Menswear show season saw document cases clasped and gripped by the fast hands of buyers, brand directors and journalists as they swarmed from show to show.

My personal favourite was a royal blue leather weave document wallet that perfectly complimented the subtle grey suit. Another firm favourite was the open-hole weave wallet, with a grubby and rough beige colouring it is more suited to the rugged man.

Just remember when choosing a document of your own to consider its use, how it will work with your existing wardrobe and what do you want it say about you?

 

CAMO TREND

For one moment leave all your previous jungle and warfare associations with camouflage to one side and see it purely as a mixed pattern of organic forms in dark brown, forest green and desert yellow hues. This return to the constituent parts provides a fresh look at the pattern and allowed designers to redefine its boundaries. Camo has been re-aligned as a versatile and elegant print that can sit comfortably alongside the sartorial elegance of a Harris Tweed Jacket or under a J Crew sweater.

 

The YMC camo shirt really demonstrates to me the adaptability of the print. By altering the print with a toned up palette, up scaled pattern and breaks between the dark brown and green organic forms – camo is no longer camouflaging. The shirt is subtle and fresh enough to be worn in early summer and is distanced from its utilitarian origins. The pattern has encapsulated the versatility of leopard print and has the promise to be a true sartorial statement. I have strong expectations for a wider scale re-emergence of camo over the next couple of years with this fresh take, supporting its growth.  

Angelo Flaccavento

'Easily one of the most stylish men within Western fashion with the most enviable collection of bow ties.'
Peter W. Stocks

Stats:
Name: Angelo Flaccavento
Age: 39
Occupation: independent, Italy-based fashion writer contributing to a roster of international publication including Vogue Italia and Fantastic Man
Best Advice: When cultivating a personal style do it for yourself, not to please others or seek for acceptance.

5 Key Facts:
I              Has a frequent habit of mentioning sex and pornography in interviews.
II           Concerned by ego-babble and waffle that occupies the often self-prophecising world of fashion online.
III       Recommends Tumblrs including: http://notmyshoot.tumblr.com/
IV       Posseses an enviable collection of bowties and an equally enviable beard.
V           Conveys intellect in his dialect with a welcome dash of well placed humour.

Brief Bio:
It seems somewhat inappropriate to write a biography online for a man that prefers images over words online However it sees necessary to present my own slant on a gentlemen that could be conceived as arrogant and self-important. The material in favour of this argument is weighty, pompous remarks in interviews and a frequently stated disregard for the fashion commentary of others.
Firstly it is most likely that his comments are exaggerations built to promote a more well-defined persona. Secondly his motivation for disregarding others seems to be a distaste for others self-indulgent writing and a desire to protect his own unique perspective. To protect his own thoughts and attitudes, he must avoid any deep engagement with the opinions and arguments of others that can dilute his capacity to make a valuable commentary. And make a valuable commentary he does, working independently for a number of publications including Fantastic Man, Vogue Italia, and The End magazine of which he is currently features editor.