Advent - Day Fifteen

I'm back in good ol' Blighty after having a lovely (but oh sooo cold) long weekend in Paris and it is nice to be sitting opposite my Christmas Tree once again...if Paris wasn't so expensive (damn the strong Euro!) the tree would be accompanied with a few more presents. Whilst away, EJ sent me a link to a beautiful pair of bauble like Hi-top trainers by Alejandro Ingelmo that would like look great on or under my tree....

Alejandro Ingelmo has very few stockists (which is why I've not come across his work before, even though he has been designing men's accessories since 2006) but fortunately he is stocked at Oki-Ni and these futuristic beauties can be purchased here. If I owned these shoes I would certainly think twice about hurling them towards the deservedly downtrodden soon-to-be ex-President of the United States...they would more than likely shatter into a thousand pieces and they are just too pretty for such a fate.

The early morning Eurostar has made me sleepy so I think I'll switch on the Christmas lights and curl up on the sofa watching trashy TV...normal blogging service will resume shortly.

Details: Textured Tracks

Christmas came early last week when these Auckland Racers were left in my stocking one night last week. Missoni and Converse is a match made in dreams and the fruits of their latest creative coming together were previewed on the runway in Milan earlier this year. The unique textured upper made from black Missoni space-dyed wool is highlighted by metallic copper lamé thread for a festive feeling.

Bits and bobs

Prepare for a mixed bag of a post. We had a late sketcher who we felt we should share with you, as well as a few links.

First, the sketches. These come from JP of cantilevered style. Goddamn it, is everyone taking secret drawing lessons??




Now, the links:

How much do I want these bad boys? Answer: a lot. I think I'd switch the white laces for black ones, but otherwise they'd be good to go for the winter party season (I refuse to talk about the C word yet).

How's your mustache coming along for Movember? If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than these mustache-themed wedding photos (thank Jennine for the heads-up!)

Finally, do you ever fling your shoes over power lines? (don't we all? Wait, no we don't, I love my trainers too much to chuck them even when they're veyr very dead). Read this interview as these guys would like to hear from you!

What belt would you wear with these?

It is a common held belief that your belt should match your shoes and I try to follow this as best I can. However, the great shoe dresser that is Pierre hardy has just devised this hi top which makes belt matching a touch tricky. I would suggest wearing a nice grey belt with these. I am in love with hi tops at the moment. I'm not entirely sure why, it is extremely unlikely that you are going to see me within 100 yards of a basketball court. I just think they are the trainer of choice right now. As for Pierre Hardy at times I wish i was female so I could wear his designs. Hardy's work has been influencing accessories and fashion design for decade and he has made his name creating masterpieces for Dior and Balenciaga. I will buy myself a pair of his creations for myself at Christmas.

Minimal metamorphosis

As our eyes prepared to focus on the spring/summer 14 catwalks of New York, Converse and Maison Martin Margiela treated us to teasers of their much publicised creative coming together. For their first confident stride forward, Converse Chuck Taylor All Star and Jack Purcell trainers were drenched in Maison Martin Margiela's iconic white paint. Covering all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, the old favourites are altered simply yet radically. All white everything. A palette and sole cleanser. For me, the French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry best defined minimalist design as being “not when there is nothing more to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away.” This is a makeover from a true minimalist iconoclast. However, what interests me most is that the white washing is just the start. As soon as the paint filled brush leaves the Converse classics, they naturally crack and shed their outer coat to reveal their original selves beneath. So simple and transformative, the hand painted act is the beginning of a unique dialogue between both brands. As they advance with age with each step forward and evolve in the everyday, they reveal their true selves in their own way. Wear and tear is rarely so intriguing and so obvious.

From well loved wallets to beautiful brogues, the gentle ageing of leather is a an ever absorbing process but it takes its time. The blank Converse canvas encourages change. Thankfully, after following fashion's conveyor belt through from London to Milan and Paris, two pairs of ice white Jack Purcells were waiting for me at the office. A few weeks of pacy peddling, puddle plummeting and pavement pounding has seen a rich burgundy hue peek out from beneath the cracks on one pair (black, blue and an exclusive yellow are also hidden behind the white wash) whilst the other is still perfectly wrapped in its thick blanket of white. Minimal metamorphosis. Using a recent paint tin spill in the car park as the ideal backdrop, I couldn't resist documenting their difference.

New new and old new. 
Converse and Maison Martin Margiela
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Vans venture in neo plasticism

Back in April we posted about the Mondrian inspired Dunks and TheSundayBest proclaimed his love of the Dutch master of abstract art and even admitted visiting the MOMA just to stare at the great man's signature (this post is dedicated to you Thom). A visit to thecoolhunter has in my eyes unearthed a shoe taking the Mondrian even further...

Vans have released a Modular Authentic series which come in three different colourways (from a nice and simple black, grey and white colorway to a more vibrant red, yellow, blue, black and white colorway).

I have some time on my hands over the next week or so as Susie is away in San Francisco so I will research Mondrian further and will dedicate an outfit to one of the greatest of all modern artists. I will leave you with a quote from his essay on Neo Plasticism which has made me think about the options within my own wardrobe...

'As a pure representation of the human mind, art will express itself in an aesthetically purified, that is to say, abstract form…The new plastic idea cannot therefore, take the form of a natural or concrete representation …this new plastic idea will ignore the particulars of appearance, that is to say, natural form and colour. On the contrary it should find its expression in the abstraction of form and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primary colour'.

Pick 'n' mix

Bonjour! Back on the same island at last!

Don't know if this has caught your eye yet, but I'd wager it'll be on your wish list soon. For the indecisive... the Diesel Puzzle trainer:

Not three different pairs of shoes, but one pair three ways. The first is a pretty regular, but delightfully shiny trainer. Next, something a little more substantial, something that might lend a work suit a nice little edge. Last, a high top, again with the delightfully shiny. I LOVE patent shoes right about now (more about that at a later date), so these are tempting. Sadly, they didn't have them in anywhere I looked so I can't give you a first hand impression. I'm not entirely convinced, though i like the idea of maybe taking the bits to work and changing your look slightly. I remain an Adi-whore though. (seriously, that last pair doesn't look like much in that pic, but me want)

Bon soir! It is great to have you back in ol' Blighty!

I am so tired but couldn't resist replying to this post! Seriously, it was BAD idea getting the Eurostar straight to work this morning, not only did it mean an early start but it also meant I had to go to work resembling a drowned rat...and I wanted to be the personification of Paris Chic! I have come across these before and they are on my wish list. Patent shoes and accessories in general though are so damn appealing. Just like a magpie to silver I am drawn to black patent trainers wanting to take each pair I see away with me back to my nest. These are better value for money than any others I've seen in recent shopping outings. The Hi tops are currently the best way to wear these though but it is nice having that option to transform the shoe. I'm interested in seeing these up close so I can examine the mechanism/fastening. I definitely have to see them in the leather. The images make the first two options look really clumpy and I like sleek trainers. The Lanvin Hi Tops are higher up on my wish list. Speaking of which, I drooled over the Lanvin window yesterday. I will post within the next day or so about the cool style facets I saw during my time in Paris.

Wish List: Lanvin Hi tops

During the Lanvin a/w 07 show there were a few good elements but the hi tops stole it for me and I really want a pair or something very similar. Now all I need to decide is which colour I want. The patent black is currently edging it.

I did see these on Kanye's blog, have you been on there yet? If so, what do you think? A tad self indulgent (not very surprising from Mr West though!) It has some really cool links. Go have a look here

Picture Postcard - Kanye

Today's picture postcard is a little more topical/tabloid-y than normal. If you care it seems Kanye is winning the 'battle' of the rappers (I do abit, I bought the album and it's good...plus I really like the artwork by Takeshi Murakami who also worked with Marc Jacobs on those Louis Vuitton bags among other things) but lost his cool at the VMAs. Whilst I'm on the subject of the VMAs did you see Britney's performance or there lack of, if not watch it here. The words train and wreck spring to mind. Anyway, enough of this Perez bitchiness, back to the style. I personally really like Kanye's style, here is an example of him wearing his clothes well and of course a pic of those much talked about sunglasses:

I really like this outfit and it clearly shows that he's not your average rapper. The weekend bag is great as his deep v neck sweater. Overall this outfit has a relaxed sartorial elegance about it. I do expect him to be wearing sunglasses though...

Apparently Kanye had designs on specific Jeremy Scott shades to wear in one of his performance scenes for the 'Stronger' video — and it took him three months to find them, finally spying a pair in Paris. ("I wanted something you can't get in stores," he explained.) Personally, I like them on Mr West but they aren't for me.

What do you think of Mr West? Have you heard DJ A-Trak's remix of Stronger? Here it is.

I like Kanye, but oh what an angry man he is in that video clip. Britney I just feel sorry for... poor lass, she clearly wasn't ready for that. I'm not sure about the first pic. The clothes certainly look sharp- the very low v neck makes it that bit more interesting, as does the way the sleeves are rolled up.- am I imagining it or are they a different colour to the collar? Really like that back too- I keep going to Selfridges and stroking very similar bags. They haven't thrown me out yet though.

I adore the sunglasses. The man seriously knows how to pick interesting stand-out pieces (and he shares my not-so-hidden love of cardigan jackets). I love how he's not ashamed to be seen/filmed in the same item of clothing more than once. I saw an interview recently where he defended this, saying quite reasonably that when he likes something he wants to wear it all the time. I certainly know how that feels!

By the way, have you seen the Bape/Kayne West trainers?

Style Stalking... Jeffrey Ko

You might think that we have been a bit quiet on the Style Stalking series in recent weeks but we have spent the time drawing up a list of people to 'stalk'. One fellow worth lurking in the shadows for is Jeffrey Ko. Jeffrey is an Architecture Student and Freelance Designer who lives with our good friend John Howard Little and every time we have seen him we are in awe of how he layers designer with high street as well as his impeccable use of accessories. As soon as we found out he was going on a two month break to Shanghai and Hong Kong we asked him to send us style postcards. You can thank us later for sharing them with you. Make sure you click the images to view them in a larger size- it's definitely worth it.

Day One:
Dior Homme Waist Coat, Comme des Garcon T-shirt, Local silk scarf from Shanghai, Casio Baby-G, Nike Sweatband, April 77 skinny jeans/trousers, Swear Shoes.

Day Two:
Black Shirt from Alternative, Electric blue bow from the Barbican Shop, Casio Baby-G, Nike Sweatband, Red belt from Topman, April 77 shorts, Swear Shoes

Day Three:
Shirt from uniqlo, Casio vintage gold watch, Nike Sweatband, white belt from Zara, Skinny jeans from Topman, Liberty x Nike Dunks.

Day Four:
Shirt is by an unknown brand from Dover Street Market Sales, Nike Sweatband, Tissot watch, red belt from Topman, Cheap Monday jeans, Swear Shoes.

Day Five:
Topman shirt, Local silk scarf from Shanghai, Nike Sweatband, Tissot Watch, White belt from Zara, Skinny Jeans from Topman, Converse.

Day Six:
Prada Sunglasses, Dior Homme Shirt, Uniqlo sweat shirt, Nike Sweatband, Casio baby-G, April 77 Shorts, Swear Shoes.

Day Seven:
Hat from Topman. Self Designed T-shirt, Shorts from Hurwendeki, Liberty x Nike dunks.

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Extending the idea

Further to your earlier post about Prince I have been thinking about colour. I've never been a monochrome kind of girl (far too messy and accident prone for white and black is just too depressing) though I can hardly be called a riot of colour. I think colour can be a scary thing and while I see it bandied about in different forms on the catwalk you rarely see real (as in, on the street, not some kind of bizarro macho) men giving it a go. I saw the picture below from the Paul Smith Spring 08 show and wondered why.

Yes, it always helps that he is a pretty boy with lovely hair, but I really think that this could look brilliant on the ordinary person (btw, why do I love the rolled up turn ups in this picture so much?).

This chap, taken from facehunter, proves my point quite well I feel. This is of course a severely toned down use of colour, but I think those bright pink shoes and the crisp white shirt complement each other so very well and stops this look from being boring. I love that he's wearing a neon yellow belt and it's not the first thing you notice.

facehunter again, and the same pink shoes. Now, I'm not big on the shorts, but I do like how this all goes together. The purple of the top is just lovely, while the dark colour of the shorts stops them screaming 'look at me, please' as much as they might have done in a different colour.

One last picture from me, this time courtesy of MTL street:

This looks like the easiest way of wearing colour- and it probably is- but look how well put together this is, with his trainers picking up the colour of his pocket, jeans and his top and his sunglasses matching his belt buckle.

Just doing it, again and again

"Innovation is not about creation for its own sake, it's about creating something better, designing with a purpose," Mark Parker, President and CEO of Nike explained to an assembled audience of international press as he introduced the Nature Amplified design ethos and unveiled four running enhancing innovations last month. With pens perfectly poised and dictaphones desperate to document, this simple statement might have been lost in the pleasing product parade that delighted and dazzled over the course of my stay in Oregan. They weren't. As we were all enveloped and inspired by the all inviting swoosh during our tour of its campus, Parker's words grew louder as they echoed across each and every inch of their impressive HQ.

It had been half a decade since Nike had gathered journalists from all over the world together at their Beaverton base. Having heard countless tales of awe inspiring visits to Nike's state of sportswear, expectations were high and as they unveiled a quartet of products designed to enhance runners’ natural abilities and offered glimpses inside their Nike Sport Research Lab with air bubbles of innovation, we weren't disappointed. A princely pair of running shoes were introduced in the Nike Free Flyknit and Nike Free Hyperfeel along with a dynamic duo of apparel technologies in Aeroloft and Dri-FIT Knit, all guided by Nike’s Nature Amplified design ethos, an approach that is focused on designing for the body in motion and fuelled by scientific data and athlete insights. "Nature Amplified means designing for bodies in motion and creating products that work intuitively with the human body,” Trevor Edwards, NIKE Brand President divulged. “The footwear and apparel we’ve unveiled today is based on insights from athletes and runners at every level, combined with extensive research in our lab. These innovations are data-driven, but body-led," he continued.

After introducing the revolutionary (in production terms atleast) Flyknit last year and receiving widespread acclaim, you'd forgive them if, like many other leaders of industry do, they spent the next year or two subtlety tweaking the concept but they haven't. They're now pushing this technology and applying it to other models, for all kinds of potential applications and two were unveiled last month. The Nike Free Flyknit is the fusion of two of Nike’s most iconic footwear technologies — the compressive Nike Flyknit upper has been teamed with the flexible Nike Free outsole. The shoe provides the benefits of natural motion and a snug, supportive fit in a single shoe. 

The evolution of the Flyknit

With the above pair of Nike Free Flyknits myself, I can testify that shoe fits snugly, it's hugs your feet. Also loving the feet of runners and getting that bit closer, the Nike Free Hyperfeel is designed to feel like an extension of the body by minimising layers between the foot and the ground. The ultra-thin waffle outsole uses strategically placed waffle pistons for grip and feel, allowing the foot to get closer to the ground. Drawing directly from the Nature Amplified doctrine, the shoe that mimics the intricate workings of the human foot: Lunarlon foam replicates cushioned pads under the foot. The outsole protects like hardened skin on the sole. Dynamic Flywire flexes and contracts, inspired by ligaments. 

Feeling the Hyperfeel

Over the course of the summit, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Trevor Edwards and I asked him what constantly drives the brand forward. Given that he been an integral part of the company for twenty one years and seen tremendous growth and all sorts of innovations, he was perfectly placed to detail how and why Nike are never satisfied and to explain the latest developments:

"This mindset was embedded into the company at the very beginning by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. As Bill was a coach and Knight an athlete, the mentality of constantly struggling to be better was there from the start. Bill used to say innovate or retire. That statement rings true today. Mark (Parker) is just the same. It is an everyday pursuit. We all come to work every single day thinking how we can help athletes get better, there's always this hunger to improve. If something's not better then why are we doing it? From this, it allows us to remove any sentimentality about a product that was great at a particular moment time and instead we're thinking of solving new problems in a fresh way.

In many ways Nature Amplified is a disruptive way of thinking in terms of product creation because the common viewpoint is to add things to product but instead we're now taking anything that fails to enhance performance and experience. It's a purist approach. The HyperFeel is a pure form of product, we're using Flyknit but we're developing this idea of being close to the surface. The body knows, it can feel that sensation and it reacts accordingly. Nature has created the way we are, we look to add to that by making the product more personal to you, the athlete, you the consumer. Over time we can apply our knowledge and ability to innovate against specific problems, we're always looking at fresh ways to improve products and to innovate.

To reach that point, there's always a great deal of work behind-the-scenes. We are amassing years and years of knowledge that continue to build up and innovation can only occur when technology catches up with the knowledge, it's a case of being able to deliver. Knowledge, design and technology need to be at the same level That's what we were able to do with Flyknit. We had researched where and how the foot required support an to stretch itself out when it is performing naturally and the Flyknit technology helps us produce stitch by stitch. It changed how footwear is made. It has so many benefits. From a consumer perspective, it allows us to engineer the product to their specific needs in a mass way. From a manufacturing perspective, it reduces waist and brings digital knowledge into the creation of a production."

A teasing look inside the lab

As we bounced from room to room inside the all consuming campus, I lost count of the times I heard the word innovation. "Innovation is everything at Nike. It's the core of our character. We use innovation to serve human potential. It's the answer to limits," Parker stated in his opening summit speech. It was impossible not to swoon over the sportswear giant as it flexed its research and design muscles by opening white boxes containing next level products which were duly promoted by pulse racing presentations but it was Nike's insatiable appetite to improve, to be better that left the greatest impression on me. Mirroring the efforts of the superstars that they work with each and every day, they are always pushing forward, striving to beat previous personal bests and helping their sponsored and supported talents to do the same. Laurels or heels are never rested on in Beaverton as Edwards explains.

"Being here for twenty years, the great thing is that we come to work every single day trying out how to innovate, how to make something better. We're not interested in new for the sake of newness, it has to be better. Certain product innovations are a journey, we launched Free and we're now at this point, we envision that products will be based on nature - how can we continue to improve our basis by thinking along this ethos. That doesn't mean less technology, it means taking away the negatives and only adding to the positives, finding the purest essence of the product and stripping away everything else."

Fashion vs Sport

Sportswear meets fashion

Firstly, apologies for being so quiet the last week or so but I've been hanging out with the guys above (I wish, I've actually been in the process of flat hunting...a difficult and stressful time at the best of time, made worse by the fact that it is taking place in London). I will be taking a well deserved break from the antics of flat hunting over the weekend and as things return to normal top of my agenda is a write up on the recently opened “Fashion Vs. Sport” exhibition at the V&A. Fashion and sport might not have always gone hand in hand (I can recall many poorly dressed sportsman over the years and digusting sportswear) but there are so many designers working to improve this poor relationship, even the sport stars themselves have been challenging this idea aswell.

Y3 a/w 08/09 - Fashion hits the streets

From the creation of Y-3 by avant-garde die- hard Yohji Yamamoto to the fashionable appeal of Nike Dunks (an item only previously seen on the court, sportswear and fashion have created this great amalgamation of high/low and casual/formal) and this exhibition is delving deeper into this interesting relationship. What does sportswear offer fashion I hear you question? Well the curator, Ligaya Salazar, mentions one of the main reasons - "Technological innovation allows designers the freedom of new shapes and fall. There are so many new man-made fibres in sportswear. For designers, it opens doors." Which is certainly true, I recently saw a Lucas Ossendrijver interview where he discussed the evolution of his fabrics over the seasons; how at Lanvin the choice of fabric has changed from purely natural fabrics like cotton and silk are increasingly looking at methods of fabric creation. I recently talked about my respect and admiration towards Aitor Throup and look forward to seeing his work up close. Sportswear has become an essential part of the modern wardrobe. Trainers and tracksuits are often more readily worn than suits, and high performance textiles developed for competition are being integrated into high-end fashion.

Unfortunately the exhibition doesn't allow photography so when I do the full write up you will have to make do with my crazed and excited ramblings. If you are interested the exhibition runs from August 4 – January 4, 2009 which gives one and all plenty of time to go and see it.