[Paris Fashion Week] Paris S/S 2016 Y-3

[London Collections: Men ]London S/S 2016 Tiger of Sweden

[Milan Fashion Week]Milan S/S 2016 Emporio Armani

[Paris Fashion Week] Y/Project SS16 of gothicism with sporty street/elegant cool

Y/Project NEW SS16 COLLECTION

 "It immediately teleports you to the '90s heyday

of alternative radicalism and raw minimalism." STYLE.COM

[London Collections: Men ]London S/S 2016 Belstaff

Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture A/W 2015 RAMI AL ALI: TIMELESS ELEGANCE

Under the eyes of fashion's influential elite, Rami Al Ali returned to Paris to showcase his Autumn/Winter 2015/16 couture collection. The Syrian designer's eighth consecutive presentation in Paris, the twenty-piece collection drew its inspiration from the iconic 40s and 50s, re-imaging silhouettes with graphic interpretations of art deco.

 

 

Echoing the timeless elegance of Hollywood's golden era, fabric manipulation was key as stiff boucle and satin de chez were deconstructed, modernised with regal capes and sharp cuts which contrasted with vertically draped skirts in soft muslin. Befitting Al Ali's signature feminine aesthetic, full length gowns artfully cascaded and shorter cocktail dresses were moulded to curved contours, whilst conquettish pleats and flourishes projected from hips, reminiscent of the quirky elegance embodied by classic muse Audrey Hepburn.

 

 

Luxurious fabrics swept aorund the body, offset with structural elements and peppered with geometric beadwork, lending the collection a sumptuous yet functional feel and emphasising the raw beauty if the feminine figure.

 

 

Resonating with bygone eras, muted pastels shades of rose, powder blue and dove grey revealed a vintage inspired color palette, which contrasted with hues of beige and champagne to bring contemporary elements of freshness.

 

Reflecting modern sensibilities, Al Ali's innovative edit demonstrates how traditional tehniques and iconic shapes can be elevated through the art of couture.

 

 

 

 

 



LCM: BELSTAFF SS16 MENSWEAR COLLECTION "DESERT EXPLORERS"

 

Fearless Explorers

 

 

 

The Men’s 2016 Summer collection develops the concept of the great British desert explorer, an intrepid and adventurous figure, motivated by the desire for discovery in the world’s hottest and unforgiving of landscapes.

 

 
 

In keeping with Belstaff’s history as supplier to the British forces, a strong military influence pervades the collection, with more than a nod to the Desert Rats. This is interwoven with other references from Belstaff’s archive and heritage, such as explorers old and new who have worn the brand; namely Lawrence of Arabia in the 1930s, to those of the present day such as Levison Wood (Walking the Nile) with whom Belstaff has worked on a customised explorer jacket for SS16.

 

 

 

 

Frederik Dyhr, VP Men’s Design: “It’s an exploratory collection that injects technical innovation and contemporary fabrications into Belstaff’s iconic silhouettes, evolving elements of military and heritage gear for a modern Belstaff identity.”

 

 

Gavin Haig, CEO explains: “We remain deeply rooted in our moto heritage, but have retuned our brand direction to be inspired by our wider values of daring, adventure and style in motion.

Belstaff opening up Asia, with a third store in Korea and a first in China pegged for September, and entering Japan in early 2016, has also encouraged the creative teams to revisit our Belstaff traditions of innovation - in materials, weights, function - to meet the demands of these climates and realise a Spring Summer collection as desirable as the heavier seasons we’re renowned for.”

  

For the collection’s presentation, Belstaff has taken over Old Billingsgate Market, an impressive landmark on London’s iconic river Thames with a terrace overlooking Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast to the left, the Shard in front, and London Bridge to the right, in a reaffirmation of the Britishness of the brand, now back on home turf.

 

 

Once again referencing Belstaff’s motoring and military heritage, a desert jeep, bike and army tent were deployed to set the scene. Casablanca beer, mint tea and kebabs were served by Momo’s, London's original North African den. Guests were then drawn into the concept and transported into the desert, where the collection was revealed on relevant models.

 

 

 

Special guest, Jack Fox, the latest talent to emerge from the illustrious Fox dynasty, perfectly embodies the spirit of the collection. His most recent film ‘Theeb’ – about a perilous desert journey -  has just been released, and he is about to embark on a West End run playing alongside his father James, in a new stage adaptation of ‘Dear Lupin, Letters to a Wayward Son’.

 

KEY SEASONAL MESSAGING: PRINTS & TAPING

This season, prints take centre stage with Belstaff developing a camouflage pattern that is hand-painted and unique to each piece, and a desert-terrain print inspired by old exploration maps. The hand-crafted camo is found on parkas and pea coats, while the map motif is featured on technical summer-nylon jackets, as well as on innovative dry-touch wax-cotton styles. Other blousons have the functionalism of print on one side and solid nylon on the other. 

Taping details, inspired by parachute construction, are a theme seen throughout the collection but most prominently in key outerwear pieces such as a full-length lightweight parka in the terrain print.

 

OUTERWEAR

Belstaff’s journey into the desert sees it combining pioneering fabrications with both heritage silhouettes, and new icons such as the oversize parka.

Bonded cotton, with taped seaming and leather trims, reinforces the innovation  of the collection yet harks back to Belstaff’s heritage in protective garments. Additionally this season provides an opportunity to lighten and play with protective finishes in the forms of coated cottons in Belstaff’s iconic silhouettes. Ideal for the Spring Summer season, lightweight jackets are key: in military styles through to shirting-inspired pieces, and cotton field-jackets to breathable Japanese cotton-nylons.

 

LEATHER

Hybridisation of materials and styles defines the collection, in particular the leather offering. Archive capes and elevated riders’ and field-jackets come in super-light bonded suede, contrasted with leather trim and details for a two-tone effect.  A classic flying jacket in washed leather comes crossbred with a café racer collar and ribbed cuffs and hem. Belstaff has also incorporated a unique perforated leather to maintain seasonality. Leather and oil-suede taping is used extensively to provide contrast and texture, exemplified by the hand-burnished, hand-waxed leather gilets.

 

DENIM / TROUSERS

Belstaff has introduced a number of new denims and trousers in a variety of novel washes and treatments for jeans and chinos, with the latter’s four- and six-pocket styles inspired by the utility of military clothing.

A key denim piece is a classic trucker jacket which has been updated with the addition of a café racer collar giving it a distinctly urban edge.

 

KNITWEAR

Yarns have been played with to accommodate seasonality with the introduction of lightweight cotton and silk blends. This season’s knitwear also takes its cue from the pervasive taping theme by imitating it with typically British stitching styles. The result is a relaxed yet modern aesthetic that references Belstaff’s moto heritage. Elsewhere, luxury knitted polo shirts come with a two-button placket in a military palette.

 

SHIRTS & JERSEY

As with knitwear, shirts and jerseys reference the taping aesthetic. Shirting also embodies the desert theme with a short-sleeve cotton-linen military shirt.

Tees provide a canvas for Belstaff’s hand-painted graphics and silk-printed explorer maps. Great trans-seasonal pieces such as nylon/fleece mix café racers provide an alternative way to wear the moto theme.

 

FOOTWEAR

The desert boot is the key element to this season’s footwear collection, coming in a range of khaki and sand tones and replete with a leather sole. A reinforced patch which loops over the toe makes them uniquely Belstaff. The classic Trialmaster boot has been given a desert-style super-light crepe sole, while a Chelsea boot has been updated in suede and hand-waxed leather options.

NATIVE SONS X BELSTAFF : Spirit of Adventure

BELSTAFF COLLABORATES WITH PREMIUM EYEWEAR MAKER NATIVE SONS

FOR A UNIQUE 70-PIECE CAPSULE

 

 

 

Recently, Belstaff is delighted to announce a special collaboration with handcrafted eyewear specialists Native Sons for an extremely limited collection of the highest quality frames presented in three colourways. Only 70 pieces of the “Thompson” frames will be available globally, making them a highly sought-after and collectable piece of optical engineering.

 

Referencing Belstaff’s military-industrial heritage, the metal frames have been constructed in a weld-lug style using high-grade titanium and have been antique plated (16K) incorporating Native Sons’ signature hand-finishing processes. The temples are of a paddle configuration set to a length designed to maintain tension on the temporal protrusion just behind the ear. In short, they are some of the most robust and comfortable metal frames ever made.

Each of the 70 frames were handcrafted in the small town of Sabae, Japan, by theLIGHT Co. Ltd, a highly specialist eyewear atelier founded by Shinzuki Takizawa and Tommy O’ Gara, under the skill of by master craftsman Hiroaki Kobayashi. All aspects of the frames have been purposely built in-house, guaranteeing quality control at every stage of production.

 

Tommy O’Gara explains “When we started Native Sons, Shin and I had no plans to collaborate with other brands at all. The team at Belstaff are friends of friends and our conversations began over design and just naturally turned into this project… I have great respect and admiration for the brand and heritage, and that was truly key.  Starting out with a Lawrence of Arabia theme [whom Belstaff outfitted in the 20s/30s] we settled in to working with our dynamic Thompson over-sized aviator style… a perfect fit! A truly great experience working together. Am looking forward to an interesting future. Pleased!”

 

Fred Dyhr, VP Men’s Design Belstaff concurs “It was an honour – not to mention lots of fun – sharing the creative process with Tommy and Shin, the best in the business.  The shape and style of the Thompson very much embodies the current adventurer mood we are exploring here at Belstaff.” 

 

10 pairs of this very limited capsule will be available in each of Belstaff’s flagship stores (London, New York, Milan and Munich), while the remaining 30 pairs will be available via e-commerce from the Belstaff website: http://www.belstaff.co.uk/men/shoes-and-accessories/sunglasses

 

International pricing:   £295   $450   €350

 

 

 

About NATIVE SONS:

Native Sons was founded by Tommy O’Gara and Shinsuke Takizawa to create well-balanced eyewear designs of the highest quality. Created with beautifully simple handcrafted details and using only the very finest materials, Native Sons’ frames are built to last a lifetime. The brand takes its name from the industrial design revolution that was born on the back of young soldiers returning from war with a desire to put the past behind them and invest their energies in a future in which music, art, literature and architecture would all feed into industrial innovation.

 

About BELSTAFF:

Belstaff is a global British luxury lifestyle brand steeped in its heritage and spirit of adventure. In Belstaff, the fearless explorer and the fashion enthusiast alike will discover an approachable luxury for a modern lifestyle all influenced by Belstaff’s rich history and archives. Belstaff is headquartered in London and showrooms reside there (just opened in May 2015) and in New York, Milan and Munich. Belstaff is currently sold through its flagship on New Bond Street, and five freestanding boutiques in Europe and the United States, through select wholesale distribution worldwide and on www.belstaff.com