Today, Julian (aka Ju-lander, aka Ju-Lion) stopped by our shop for a chat, and happened to run into a couple of street-style photographers for Vancouver Fashion Week that were also in the store at the time. They snapped a few pics of his outfit that you can see on the VFW site, and I thought it was worth taking a couple photos too. So here’s today’s look:
A few notable items: Dr. Marten Boots, Naked And Famous Dress Shirt, Fred Perry Gloves, Infinity scarf for a hood.
Today I started a concept art project with my friend Geordon of Ill Gotten Reign. Classic punk denim vests, combined with imagery from other genres, in this case, original hip hop.
It all started with Geordon and his N.W.A vest…with Morrissey on the front.
Today, we started a new one, blue denim and Tupac.
The patches will be outlined in gold studs. On the front, there will be an “Ill Gotten Reign x Search & Rescue” patch. I am working on making the next vests from scratch, by hand, from higher quality denim than the Levis vest we used for this one. We are going to do a series of these vests and present them in an art show in the next few months.
I’ll post more updates as we progress.
Today was my day off, and there hadn’t been a good dry day in a while that I could go for a walk and take some photos, so I took advantage of the reasonable weather and hit the streets. Here are my favorite shots from the day:
I guess brown winter boots is the theme of today, as all three people I photographed are sporting a version of their own. I really like the cuffed slim trouser on this fellow, and the boots add a nice bit of Winter colour.
Interesting brown boots complimenting the navy wool coat; but it was her hair, lipstick and pale complexion against her cream scarf that made me take notice as she was heading to the Granville underground. I think this is my favorite photo from today.
Cool MotoGuzzi in Yaletown.
Great street style, nice Winter colour combination.
Winter in Yaletown.
It’s another installment of WTF is Yohji wearing. Enjoy.
Shoes: Dr. Marten, Jeans: Comune, Shirt: J Lindeberg, Cardigan: V-Room, Tie: Club Monaco, Jacket: J Lindeberg, Scarf: American Apparel, Top Knot: Last Samurai.
Last night I finally went and saw the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall. The movie was excellent, and reaffirmed what most men have wished at one point or another in their lives, to be James Bond. The cars, the gadgets, the women, and so much style, James Bond is a boss (aside from the Pierce Brosnan years…). Here’s a look at some of the sharp and tailored suits from the movie, many of which are by Tom Ford.
An iconic character with an iconic car, the Aston Martin Db5. I love that suit, and the car – though you could buy two new Ferraris’ for the price of one of those Astons. Check out this short video on the costuming from Skyfall:
Craig wearing a Tom Ford O’Connor dinner suit.
I’ve been working on new product designs for my company, Search & Rescue Denim. In previous posts, you may have seen the waxed denim work aprons that I made, and now I am working on some denim tote bags. Here is the first one I experimented with:
I think it turned out pretty well for a first go. I plan on improving the design, and incorporating other materials as well. We are starting off selling the work aprons and tote bags, but the plan is to eventually start adding clothing to the lineup. I would like to one day work up to producing a full line of denim jeans, as well as shirts and some outerwear. Right now we are working on a website for the business, and SearchAndRescueDenim.com will be up soon!
All Saints boots, Comune jeans, Diesel leather jacket, Goorin Bros hat, All Saints Cardigan, Diesel Black Gold Shirt.
People seem to be enjoying these 50 shades of Yohji posts, so he and I had a chat today, and we are going to dig a bit deeper into his extensive closet. Yohji is the second generation of his family in the fashion industry, so he was basically born into it. Over the years he has collected a seriously extensive wardrobe of interesting clothing. That being said, we are going to set up a photo shoot day where we can pull out some of the more unique pieces that are a little more crazy, and maybe not so work appropriate. I’ll let you all know when that feature is coming. Thanks for checking out today’s post!
Jill and I rang in the New Year in Gastown with a few of our close friends. My friends have a lot of tattoos, and all have excellent personal style. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the night.
Today, we have Boys’co social media manager Sean in front of the camera. A blogger being blogged, and maybe re-blogging on the company blog. It’s fashion inception. Insert Xibit joke here.. (Yo dawg, I heard you like blogs, so we put a blog in your blog so you could blog while you’re blogging). Anyways…
Sean is more coordinated than you. Love the Dr. Marten boots in brown, and the quilted navy jacket is a great piece too. Notice how the backpack matches the pants, and is complimented by the scarf and boots? Knowing Sean, this wasn’t an accident.
A great utilitarian winter look. Well done sir.
Underground Creepers, Commune jeans, J Lindeberg shirt, All Saints cardigan.
So, right now I’m working a lot, and haven’t had time to hit the streets and get some new style photos. Fortunately I work at a clothing store with co workers that know how to dress. My friend and manager Yohji has a particularly extensive wardrobe, so we decided to start taking a daily photograph of what he’s wearing. Here are the first two…(photo quality will improve, these photos were just taken with an iPhone.)
J Lindeberg Shirt, Underground Creepers, All Saints Blazer, American Apparel Infinity Scarf, Goorin Bros hat.
I was recently introduced to the Canadian outerwear brand Soia & Kyo, and quickly fell in love with their beautifully designed and tastefully luxurious winter coats. We brought in a selection of their Fall/Winter lineup to Boys’co, the menswear retailer I work at, and we’ve barely been able to keep them in stock. I think they’ve been incredibly popular because not only are they quite functional for our wet and cold Canadian winters, but the level of attention to detail and creativity in their design is way beyond most of their common competitors. On top of that, they’re actually pretty well priced, most of them being between $300 and $500, which for a high quality winter coat is quite reasonable (especially if you compare them to another certain Canadian brand, named after one of our national birds…. that can retail for upwards of $1000, and aren’t half as good looking).
I’m a big fan of the Paco Black jacket seen here to the right, with it’s two-tone body and arms, real (ethically farmed) fur hood, and down lining. We sold out of the first batch of these ones already, so I may have to order one online, unless we get a new batch of them (fingers crossed).
You can check out their online store here, or if you live in Vancouver, you can come visit me at Boys’co on Robson street, and have a look at them in person.
Here’s a look at their Fall/Winter 2012/13 lineup, including a number of beautiful women’s looks that you can find in their online store.
Two|One|Two S/S 2013 – Photography Kyla Hemmelgarn, Styling Deanna Palkowski, Model – Jordan Swail
To understand where a company is going, I think it’s good to know where it started, and where it came from.
Back in 2004, Scott Walhovd was living in Vancouver, BC, out of high school, and getting on with life. It was then that something we only hear about in the movies happened: he was discovered on the street by a modeling talent scout. After a first initial photo shoot, Scott was flown off to New York, and his professional modeling career took off. In the following years, he worked on numerous campaigns for brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo and countless others. His work took him to all the usual locales: London, Paris, Milan, and back to New York. But then at the peak of his career, Scott had a sudden realization, and could foresee that his modeling career, though successful, was fleeting. He always had a passion for all things creative, and had developed a good eye for design, so he knew what direction he was to go next. He resigned from his current modeling contracts, and found himself an internship at NY contemporary knit wear company Lidi, where he would meet his future business partner Anthony Castro.
Two|One|Two S/S 2013 – Photography Kyla Hemmelgarn, Styling Deanna Palkowski, Model – Jordan Swail
At night, Anthony, a graduate of Parsons School of Design, mentored Scott in all the aspects of clothing design and production, essentially giving Scott an invaluable fashion design education for free. In 2006, over late night beers, Anthony proposed that they take their working relationship to the next level, and begin the groundwork for a new clothing label. Two|One|Two was born.
Two|One|Two S/S 2013 – Photography Kyla Hemmelgarn, Styling Deanna Palkowski, Model – Jordan Swail
This new clothing line would be tailored for an independent, fashion savvy woman. It would have a west coast vibe with distinctive east coast roots. They wanted to make clothes that were classic and effortless, with a definite level of luxury, but at a price that was not out of reach of a typical successful, metropolitan woman.
Two|One|Two S/S 2013 – Photography Kyla Hemmelgarn, Styling Deanna Palkowski, Model – Jordan Swail
In 2007 Two|One|Two opened in the Gastown neighborhood of Vancouver, BC to great accolade. Now, at the end of 2012, Scott and Anthony are setting their sights on the global market and expanding their company’s reach by launching online sales, and re-branding the clothing line. In the coming year, expect to see popup shops with their S/S 2013 line in Vancouver and NYC, and a greater focus towards growing their online presence. I love their previous collections, and their S/S 2013 line looks stunning – think New York meets Miami beach. Colourful, effortless, fun.
Scott Walhovd Co-Owner Two|One|Two – Photo c/o David Ellingson
As the global economy changes, I think shifting from a retail focus to online and wholesale is a smart move by Two|One|Two, and I think this is a brand that will be embraced far beyond the limits of Vancouver, or even North America. With their impeccable taste and perfect execution, I think that the the rest of the world is ready for a brand like Two|One|Two. If you haven’t already, head over to their new site and see for yourself.
Here’s a look at some samples of Two|One|Two’s previous collection. To shop their current line head over here.
Vogue is known more for couture dresses and European catwalks, but in November 1988, Anna Wintour decided to put model Michaela Bercu in a pair of Guess Jeans and a Christian Lacroix sweater on the cover. This was the first time Vogue put the spotlight on contemporary street wear, and the beginning of a sartorial movement. There is a (surprisingly) a good article in the Daily Mail UK about how this cover photo came to be that you can read here.
On December 6th, HBO released a documentary that highlights the visual and historical contribution Vogue editors past and present (including Polly Allen Mellen, Grace Coddington, Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele, and Camilla Nickerson) have made not only to the magazine, but also to the world of fashion itself. The emergence of street style is profiled, along with all the other fashion that the editors have curated along the way. After months of shooting in the Vogue offices and on location, here is a first look at the documentary:
This is really interesting to me. Rap and fashion have always gone hand in hand, but not usually rap and high fashion. Now, I don’t proclaim to really know anything about rap, mainstream or otherwise. I know there are artists I like, some I find amusing, and some that I could easily call manufactured garbage. ASAP Rocky definitely has a style of his own, and that’s all well and good, but what I find really interesting is he has basically said that if you are a true baller, you need to be on the next level with names like Margiela, Jeremy Scott, and designers more common on a Paris runway than the streets of Harlem. Look closely, and ASAP’s love of mixing and matching high fashion and street wear is most apparent in his video for “Goldie”:
ASAP wearing the very trendy Givenchy t-shirt.
Gold Margiela high tops from the “Goldie” video.
ASAP with the Comme des Fuckdown toque available from SsureEpireState.com
Whether you’re into new rap music or not, I think it should be acknowledged when artists are breaking and evolving cultural norms, and I think ASAP Rocky is a great example of this (sorry Kanye).
The don of mens street style, Nick Wooster has been in the fashion game for the last 25 years. From his position as fashion director of mega-brand Neiman Marcus, to advising Thom Browne and the Gilt Group, Nick has made his mark. Most recently, he has stepped in as creative director for JC Penny, overseeing the areas of brand, trend and design, and hopefully to help rejuvenate the aging company. Some saw the hiring of Nick by JC Penny as a controversial move, being that he’s an openly gay man, which middle class America doesn’t always take kindly to, and after the backlash that the company got when they brought Ellen DeGeneres on as a spokesperson. I’m not a conservative middle class American, so this doesn’t bother me one bit, and I think it’s an excellent move by the company. There is no questioning Nick’s impeccable and creative taste in style.
photo c/o Stockholm Street Style
Now, besides his vocational accolades, the main reason I admire Nick Wooster and have no problem referring to him as the proverbial bad-ass, is his unique and bold style. From the full sleeves of tattoos, to the coiffed moustache, and his finely tailored suits, nothing in his look is left to chance. This guy knows what he’s doing, and he executes it like a boss. He’s a regular on the street style blogs, and been featured in hard copy on the pages of GQ.
Camo is in right now, so why not a camo blazer? Matching tie? Why not?
According to Canadian retail and fashion news website Retail Insider, Japanese clothing maker Uniqlo is negotiating a lease on space inside The Bay downtown. The shop would reportedly be located directly below Vancouver’s newly opened Topshop Topman store.
A bit about Uniqlo from their site:
In 1984, Fast Retailing, headed by Tadashi Yanai, opened the first UNIQLO store in Hiroshima, Japan. Since then, the brand has evolved from a chain of roadside stores to an international leader in style, quality, and fun.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, UNIQLO makes clothes that transcend all categories and social groups. Our clothes are made for all, going beyond age, gender, occupation, ethnicity, and all other ways that define people. Our clothes are simple and essential yet universal, so people can freely combine them in their own unique style…
I really like their mixing of utilitarian pieces in bold colours. Their clothing is accessible, but still interesting, and I think would fit in well here in Vancouver.
Here is a taste of their Fall/Winter 2012/13 campaign.
I did an interview about the Style Butcher with online culture magazine YBS this week!
From YBS-Magazine.com
If you’d like to read about my thoughts on the world of fashion blogging, you can check out the interview here.
I always love to see people mixing bright colours into their Fall looks. It makes these Vancouver days a little less gloomy. Love the scarf, sweater and boots! And take a look at that dog!
Everything going on here is just fine with me. That is colour co-ordination done well. His shoes and burgundy pants are excellent.
Slim camouflage pants and red Dr. Martens. This is how it should be done.
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