Woolrich John, Rich & Bros.

If you aren’t totally clear on the brand structure,Replica Conduct Sunglasses, there’s Woolrich, then Woolrich Woolen Mills and finally Woolrich John, Rich & Bros. The first is the main U.S. brand, the later two are the product of the geniuses of Italy’s WP. If you aren’t familiar with WP, they are the Italian distributor for Barbour, the global distributor of Woolrich and the owner of various other brands including shirt maker B.D. Baggies.

As it turns out, the guys from WP were the catalyst in getting To Ki To to create a special collection with Barbour. That special group of jackets was my first exposure to the Japanese designer — and I have since became a huge fan of his work. While out in Las Vegas at the apparel trade shows I had a chance to chat with the gents from WP and eventually the conversation shifted to To Ki To (whose name is actually Tokihito Yoshida). Apparently, To Ki To designed two coats for Woolrich John, Rich Bros. for AW10 — a down field jacket (the style name escapes me) and an update on the classic Woolrich parka. Both are obvious To Ki To designs in shape and detailing. I’m excited to see Tokihito contribute his talent to a company like Woolrich and am now thinking I have to buy both of these coats come fall to go with the Barbour Beacon bicycle jacket I picked up recently in London. Credit is definitely due to WP for bringing good companies and people together to make good product.

Brimfield in the Summertime

It’s that time again — Brimfield. Though with schedules being as they are this time of year,monster beat headphones, my hombre Sean Sullivan and I had to execute a surgical strike. With motel reservations in hand, cash in wallets and a do-or-die spirit in our veins we set out on a 24 hour mission into the heart-of-antique-darkness. And let me tell you, this show had a different vibe then our May trip. First of all it was a hot mess up there — like a soup sandwich. I deployed gingham in the hopes of camouflaging my perspiration, but the Massachusetts humidity definitely won that battle. Secondly, the turnout was much lighter than the spring show. Maybe that was because we were there for the opening bell, or maybe it was the heat. Either way we had a blast and picked up some gems. Before I post more of that good ole Americana, I thought it would be fun to show you some of the people we encountered at the world’s largest outdoor antiques market — summer edition. Enjoy.

I was shopping the same field as this cool Japanese couple, just a few rows behind. I was trying to catch up with them to get a picture but then they just disappeared. That was right around the time we were heading out, so I figured I had missed my opportunity. Luckily they just went to drop off some stuff at their car and we caught them on the way back in.

Team Jack Spade. Note their matching backpacks.

Lighting genius Gadi Gilan from the ACL film that Sean Sullivan and I made.

Kyle from Sit and Read furniture inspects the canvas. That’s #8 duck. Respect.

These folks were kind enough to pose for a snapshot. That’s Chris from Stanley & Sons on the right. No telling who the gent in the background is.

Sullivan takes this stuff seriously — look at the man's concentration. In the end he did buy the chairs. Good pick brother.

Beat the heat.

This about sums it all up.

Koma, Wait For Me!!!

>> About a month ago, I had to tape my fingers together and sit on them to stop myself from Tweeting about the David Koma for Topshop range which I wore for a shoot.  It was like the sort of 21st century 'Twit/Twerp' generation bug that I know I'm susceptible to on certain occasions.  Well, of course Vogue.co.uk have brought you the beautiful lookbook images first and foremost but I had to add my two metal tube adorned cents to say that the make on this collection is indeed beautiful. 

Followers of Koma's work will of course know his eponymous graduate collection inspired by the metal sculptures of William Pye as seen above, but non-followers will probably recognise that distinctive metal tube detailing as seen on the likes of Cheryl Cole and Beyonce.  I for one am glad that it is precisely this metal tubing has been resurrected for his debut Topshop collection where as Koma puts it: "I felt they understood me as a designer and appreciated my need to make a high quality product without compromising the design aesthetic, quality of fabric or finishing. They helped make my vision a reality and I’m thrilled with the result.”

Thick wool,replica soccer jerseys, metal tubing and sculpted cuts don't come cheap and with a £100-£350 price range, it is one of Topshop's more expensive collaborations but then again having seen a shonky ripped off version of Koma's metal tubing designs at another high street store (shall go unnamed...but FOR SHAME!),coach shoe outlet, I'm hoping people buying into these pieces should be able to discern that there is a reason why the prices are what they are.  The tubing has of course been trimmed down to become embellishment edgings rather than the sole focus and in fact it's Koma's love of sensual halter shapes, cuts to reveal the back and cleavage, that shines through here.  Fortunately, it's all juxtaposed with the heavy wool fabric which adds further weight to the dresses, pulling them away from the wrong side of slutty. 

It was this skirt that also comes in camel (I believe the belt does too) that I tried on and of course in a lighter shade,Replica Pit Boss Sunglasses, the effect is completely different.  It's hard to see here in the black but the tubing is interwoven with a silk tulle that adds a softened texture to the mix. 

The last DOH! note was that I perhaps should have attempted to steal the skirt from that shoot because the collection is hitting Topshopbeatsdreheadphonesbuybeatsdreheadphonesbuybeatsdreheadphonesbuy.com and the London Oxford Circus store on the 10th February when I'm in New York (likely to be fast asleep when UK morning arrives...) and there are only 30 of each piece being sold.  This could well call for some manouvering to ensure at the very least the belt and the skirt will be mine.  I well and truly hate myself for having designer collab anxiety attacks.  I tell myself that a few years of wisdom will rid this infliction.   

Anywho Antics

>> It was mis-communicated in this month's issue of UK GQ that Style Salvage Steve and I were collaborating together on a label and whilst the other half has been semi-entertaining the idea, I guffawed with laughter at the mere thought.  It's not so much the collaborating bit which freaks me out (aren't couples who have been co-habiting three years plus collaborators of sorts anyway?) but just the idea of my working on the design process in fashion makes my stomach lurch.  I would have had to have immerse myself in deep hubris to even think for a second that designing anything is within my capabilities.

I'm not adverse to baby step collaboration though.  Take Anywho,monster beats 2012, the Danish blog written by Ingrid, Stephanie and Elise who claim they aren't "experts, journalists nor arbiters of taste, but merely write about fashion seen from their taste, view and aesthetics" (though both Stephanie and Elise have studied fashion design) have worked with local shop and designer Kobra by Fornebo to create three styles of loose and draped coatigans in their chosen materials and colours to sell online. 

What's interesting is that the three have thought outside the box to work with what is admittedly not necessarily a 'fash-on' type designer/store.  Judging by the website Kobra by Fornebo seems to cater to perhaps what could be described as an older/artistic type of woman (40-something year old gallerists who make pots in their spare time might be a totally stereotyped archetypal customer).  However, they've taken Kobra's loose n' easy shapes out of the originating context to present three cashmere styles in cognac, camel, black and blue, putting them on a model with some Jeffrey Campbell shoes and bobs yer uncle... a new customer set comes-a-calling.

The long voluminous Manuella style

The shorter Elisabeth style

The draped cardi Lara style

It's nothing groundbreaking of course to approach a designer to tweak some colour ways and shapes but I definitely admire the enterprising nature of the Anywho girls to start off with a simple idea that could possibly give way to more like-minded collaborations.  I should be cowering in shame in my own distinct lack of enterprise and ambition but then again I'm still chortling over the ridiculous notion of my selling anything under my own name. 

I'll leave it to the other smart cookies in this world and just admire the results and in this case,beats tour headphones, wrap up in Anyhow x Kobra's luxuriously voluminous Manuella coatigan along with three scarves and two pairs of tights. 

(Worn with Steve's Edwin cable knit jumper, Ki:ts double ended belt, Monki belt, Kolor tweed trousers,Replica Jawbone Sunglasses, Anastasia Radevich ankle boots)

Dust that Jacket

I've been playing a bout of shameless favouritism this season in Paris and I'm not afraid to admit it.   But like I said before, it would have been a heck of a lot awkward if I showed up and Anthony Vaccarello, a friend of mine who I met randomly on a trip to Dallas many moons ago, had produced a collection that I was not into and would thus have to do awkward smiles and tumbleweed would come blowing in scratching my face with its sharpness.  No, that I LOVED his collection was a) a relief and b) a perky brucy bonus as this week I've been roadtesting the jackets out and about to see whether the beautiful cut glass shoulder embellishment would hold up.  Answer is a big fat yes, albeit nobody can pat me on the shoulders and say "Good job!" lest they jab their hand (an unlikely event seeing as this blog has gone down a pretty horrible hole of late...).  

I did say seeing them in person would make all the difference between seeing some lookbook images given that black,Coach Backpack, the base colour of most of the pieces is hard to photograph.  So in full light, they went out to the shows and so ensued the coos and oohs and aahs... it's almost like "Look into my mirrored shoulders and ye shall be hypnotised,Replica Scalpel Sunglasses!"  I certainly don't hold any sort of hypnotic allure so I'm crediting all oohs and aaahs to these giant glass acoutrements...

If I was a braver soul this week and not having lady problems, I'd most definitely be attempting some kind of layering thing with this swimsuit...

 

I'm sure Anthony will probably get inundated with editorial requests, private orders etc but I am glad that Tommy Ton documented this err slightly sun struck expression along with the jacket for Stylebeatsdreheadphonesbuybeatsdreheadphonesbuybeatsdreheadphonesbuy.com and that beyond the mannequins and the lookbooks, the jackets take on a life in reality too...even with my lack of feroshness (these jackets require a modicum amount of ferosh!)...

Outside Givenchy wearing another jacket looking a bit crazed...

(Anthony Vaccarello jacket, vintage stripy top, All of the Above sheer top, ostwald Helgason for ASOS leggings,monster beats studio headphones, Acne wedges)

Photography by Phil of Street Peeper

Go Forth...

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... and shop without to your heart's content without me.  I'm there in spirit as I'm in Montreal until Sunday... or will it be a case of sending the other half down to do some 'on behalf' shopping...hmmm...

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Young and...

... Posh? 

Ok, I can just about scrape the 'Young' bit though compared with the other sixteen bloggers that are part of Glamour's newly launched Young & Posh blogging network, I think 'Young' might be pushing it a bit.  This was particularly impressed upon me when I arrived at the campaign photoshoot back in January ear-ly in the morning faced with fresh-skinned fashion bloggers, all energised and raring to be shot by Garance Dore and there I was, haggard, sleepy and plodding away on my keyboard trying to catch up with UK time. 

Then there's the Posh bit which if I'm honest had me in a bit of a wrangle with the peeps at Glamour which went something like...

Me: Errr... you do know that 'posh' has a sort of negative connotation in the UK?  And that when Vicky B used it, it was sort of in an ironic way because err...she isn't actually posh in the strictest sense. 

Them: It means something different in the US!

Me: Errr... ok... I trust you like the nodding sheep that I am.

I can't ascertain exactly what 'posh' means across the Atlantic but I guess I'll have to defer to the original acronym meaning of the word "Port Out, Starboard Home" just to be abstract and distant.  I've also noticed my voice gets brandied as 'posh' sounding whenever videos come up of me.  Not sure what that says about me but I just needed to put it out there that I'm not really 'posh' in the sense that I know it to be. 

In any case, pedantic wrangling with words doesn't take away anything from what is essentially an amalgamation of bloggers on Glamour's Y&P, exposing them to a new audience through separate blog posts.  So over the next few months, I'll be splitting up my time for some breezy blogging that sits there... a mixture of outfit pics (I'm ready to be torn apart by what looks to be a critical readership...), fashion week tidbits obviously because of the upcoming month and spillage from this blog, where I have no limit of word and picture length. 

The list of the other sixteen bloggers that are part of the network are a mix of ones I do know and unfortunately ones that I don't.  *hangs head in shame* Will get onto some Bloglovin' research in due course...

The Glamourai, Trop Rouge, Greta Guide, Cherry Blossom Girl, All the Pretty Birds, Sincerely Jules, Runway Hippie, Natalie Off Duty, Chic Muse, Jess Zaino, Beauty Sweet Spot, Mode D’Amour, Blue is in Fashion This Year, Turned Out, Sea of Shoes, Cupcakes & Cashmere

I'm quite excited about the campaign imagery that is coming out shot by Garance... four words... JEWEL TONE COLOUR BLOCKING... today has turned out to be trend-i-licious hasn't it?  See?  I tacked on 'licious' onto a word for no reason.  Posh, I am not...

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