Fashion
Stella Jean’s Jeune Belle Et Gatee Collection
August 27th, 2012 – What sort of creations would you expect from a Haitian born designer raised in Rome, with a deep Creole heritage? Something unexpected, perhaps? We’re talking about the cultural roots of fashion merry-maker Stell Jean.
Mr. Jean’s Jeune Belle Et Gatee Collection was inspired by old photographs taken at the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties showing the mother of the designer at embassy cocktail parties and art shows.
The beautiful silk collection is a stunning example of Jean’s unique process of creating the garments. Jean appraoches the clothes in a direct manner, skipping the step of drawing and straight to the body.
Marrying so, the thought of Vionnet, an indispensable drape, and, in some way shape, the dress directly on the body, since, in his words “the body having three dimensions we can not commit to paper.”
Jean dreamed that the garments in this collection would be a prelude to intriguing evenings. Dresses of elegance and feminine pantsuits are hand painted with images and colorful patterns, his draping has a slip on sensuality in the form of soft jerseys shining as silk!
(Photography: Stella Jean)
NIKE’S FLYKNIT COLLECTIVE WITH ERNESTO NETO’S INSTALLATION AT LONDON’S 1948
What at first glance appears to be an Avatar-like parallel dimension is actually Nike’s experiential Flyknit Collective installation at London’s 1984 space. Yep, just when you thought the London games couldn’t get any more wild, Nike drops a bomb – materialized in crocheted neon and looking oddly reminiscent of your Grandma’s macramé on acid. We were lucky enough to spend some time last week catching up with Ben Shaffer, studio director for Nike Innovation Kitchen, along with project curator Neville Wakefield, who gave us an awesomely exclusive inside look into the installation.
So – what’s the inspiration behind the woven web of gloriousness? We thought you’d never ask. Turns out that Nike has unveiled a very cool, cutting-edge performance shoe, made out of – yup, you guessed it – Flyknit technology. The revolutionary product allows the upper to be constructed entirely out of precisely engineered yarns, eliminating massive amounts of waste and giving performance athletes a light, glove-like fit.
Cables are built in through a breathable fabric, acting like a skeletal corset and moving with the foot like a second skin. This is the very shoe worn by many of the Olympic runners, comprised from a material that is said to change the way performance footwear is deigned, produced and worn.
Okay, as awesome as that all is, how does the Flyknit technology translate to the yarn-bombed, carnivorous plant-like installation at the London games? Nike Teamed up with leading Brazilian sculptor and artist Ernesto Neto to create the Flyknit Collective – a unique hybrid learning workshop and an art exhibit – all inspired by the Flyknit technology.
Shaffer describes the Flyknit Collective as “a series of events focused around different elements of the Flyknit design; performance, lightweight, formfitting, and sustainability.”
Nike has always been big on collaborations, they operate under the philosophy that when two designers collaborate, the final product would be different than either of them would have created on their own. The man responsible for the collaborations of the Flyknit Collective is Neville Wakefield. “The collaborating artists were chosen because they have a similar approach to their art as Nike does,” Wakefield explained.
It is Neto’s previous work of transforming materials into biomorphic sculptures that captivated Wakefield, and made Neto a perfect choice to join forces with on London’s Flyknit Collective.
Lucky for the rest of the world who were too cheap to pony up for airfare to London, Flyknit Collective events are popping up all over the place from Milan to NYC, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and finishing up in Rio.
With permission of the artist – you can leave the ‘don’t touch the art’ rule at the front door. If you visit London’s Flyknit collective, feel free to take off your shoes and dive right into the nets. Go on, show us your best back flip!
(Exclusive Photography Provided By Nike)
Man Meets Gear: The Best of Men’s Fall 2012 Fashion & Gear
August 7th 2012 – It’s almost time to bust out the scarves and windbreakers, as Autumn is fast approaching. To get you into the fall time mood we went on gear patrol and rounded up our top picks for the season’s best fashion & gear for men. Wool socks, indestructible headphones, and a high quality wind breaker all made the list – along with some quirky gadgets to help keep the indoors a little more interesting!
Supermarine Anorak by Outlier ($580)
Men’s Geometry Eco Friendly Wool Socks ($34)
California Silverado Headphones ($230)
Leather Town Gloves By Rapha ($170)
Element’s Emerald Collection: Three Panel Shoe ($TBA)
Men’s Deluxe Toiletry Kit ($325)
Toaster & Egg Poacher ($29)
Crocheted Skull Mask ($75)
Filling Pieces x Flybird Pack: Sneakers and Backpack ($TBA)
Raw Denim Tie by White Horse Trading Co ($82)
Custom BBQ Branding Iron ($41)
Best Made Company: The Gear Bag ($240)
Wooden Bear Slingshot ($15)
Stone drink dispenser By Uncommon Goods ($125)
Leicia Brown Leather Camera Case ($150)
Nike DWR Chambray Vapour Jacket ($148)
Leather Lunch Tote ( DIY )
Palette iPad Case by Nick & Beau ($79)
Moonshine: A Gentleman’s Cologne ($72)
Andrew 2 Boot by J Shoes ($TBA)
Darth Vader Apron ($22)
Wooden Handlebars by F&Y ($80)
The Radian Watch
Rhode Island based industrial designer Kyle Dell’Aquila has reinvented the way we read time with her new Radian Watch! “The timepiece is targeted at simplifying the users experience of telling time while reducing the watch concept to a minimal state,” the designer explained. Traditionally, the typical watch features 3 hands that stem from a single axis, an adjusting knob on the right side of the body, and a wrist band that is anchored by two pins to the body of the watch, but with the Radian, the watch breaks the hands up into their own planes to make reading the time more legible at a glance.
Th watch is also very different from the traditional watch in it’s hardware. The watchband is reduced to a “unibody” form that does not require delicate pins to fasten to the body of the watch. Instead, a threaded ring secures the watchband removing the need for extrinsic prongs protruding from the body to secure the band. The adjusting knob is moved away from line of sight and underneath the watch body. The new arrangement of the adjusting knob allows for a more streamlined and intrinsic approach to concealing the knob.
(Photography: Kyle Dell’Aquila)
Cholet S/S 2013 Collection
July 27th, 2012 – Brazilian fashion house Cholet has pulled the veil off their delightful Spring/Summer 2013 woman’s collection which features a series of light-weight bellowing dresses, meticulously constructed crop tops, and sophisticated pant-suits. The collection is bound raise some eye brows in the fashion world as rainbow stripes and palm trees are elegantly repeated on the ultra feminine garments. Each piece in the collection is carefully tailored, some pieces are very form fitting, while others are overly imaginative. Oh – and – Cholet brought on beloved fashion photographer Zee Nunes, to capture their new collection within a cloud filled mystical desert!
(photography: Zee Nunes)
Ksubi’s Unisex Opticals
The designers at Australian fashion house Ksubi, recently released a collection of hand-made Lennon-like glasses. The series spotlights an over sized version of the large circular frames that became the signature element of the late philosopher’s style. Some of the opticals feature a full circle in the frame, such as the mostly glass pair called the Telescopium, while others, such as Omicron, feature detailing that cuts the circle in half. The unisex frames come in a smokey black tint or clear glass and are accented with little metal details that make us want to pounce back into the 60′s!
(Photography: Ksubi)
The Cage Skirt
July 8th, 2012 – Toronto based fashion designer Leilanni (Lay-Lah-Nee) has taken an architectural approach to her carefully designed Cage Skirt. The designer says her garment is “A new take on the cage skirt – Banded Elastics!” The high waisted skirt is comfortable, and super stretchy – allowing you to mix and match it over any skirt you want. The Cage is constructed of sewn strips of horizontal black industrial elastic connected together with vertical elastic strips crossing through. Leilanni designed the garment to sit at a woman’s natural waist, making the Cage Skirt a perfect complement to the body.
(Photography: Courtesy of Leilanni)
Davidelfin’s Katharsis Collection
Davidelfin, a Spanish artist turned fashion designer explained that he “came to the fashion through painting.” Like many designers, he escaped into the portal through the art realm and become transported into a different design sector – but “is it all the same?”
The introspective fashion designer’s new collection, titled Katharsis, is made of classic white collared shirts with squares of color down the center, over sized colorful zippers and buttons, sheer blouses, and Bauhaus-esque vests, all finished with Dr. Martins & Louboutins on the runway. The garments are like blocks of color painted on a blank canvas. Maybe it is all the same? Instead of painting portraits, Davideflin is painting clothes.
(Photography: Akae Studio)
Jaime Hayon’s Orolog Watch
Tech boom? What tech boom? No matter how for advanced in technology we think we are, it is clearly apparent that we are still in infant stages compared to the possibilities of the future. Even though gadgets are popping up left and right, attempting to give people efficiency and convenience, there is one, old gadget, that won’t die – the wrist watch! One of our favorite designers Jaime Hayon has teamed up with Ian Lowe to start a new company called Orolog, to design and manufacture innovative Swiss Made time pieces.
Here is a glimpse at their first collection which is comprised of 3 simple function and 3 chronographs using multiple materials within a clean and simple design. Hayon wanted to create the series by “exploring the combination of classical elements and modern details to create a contemporary classic [watch].”
The talented designer created an organically shaped case, ‘Capitone’ quilted texture dial face, a clever use of typographic details for numerals, complemented by exquisite colored leather straps (made from Hermes leather).
The water resistant watches are manufactured in Switzerland, they feature Ronda quartz movements, with matte stainless steel and pvd case finishes, matching or contrasting matte black pvd buckles, crowns & pushers.
(Photography: Jaime Hayon)
The Knight’s Armor Hoodie
Ladies and gentlemen – your childhood dreams of becoming a knight are finally here. Maybe not in the form of clunky metal armor – but more impressively in the form of a surprisingly stylish new rendition hoodie created by Chadwick John Dillon. The dark grey jacket will keep you warm and fulfill your heroic fantasies at the same time. You have the option of going “helmet” free, but when the safety of the people are at risk (or the wind kicks up), the jacket offers full head protection with a strong hood and and full face cover. Before you go asking us where to get your Dragon slayer like jacket, you should know that they are not available to buy just yet, but will be starting mid-summer on Dillon’s Etsy Shop.
H&M Ups Their Game
Hennes & Mauritz, better known as H&M, have spent the better part of 2011 and 2012 upping their game in a massive way! The Swedish team behind the mega brand is serious about giving you an uber fashionable wardrobe for pennies. Recently, something has changed, their garments have gone from fashionable – to near couture because of their smart collaborations with genius designers around the globe. Fashion makers such as Marni, Versace, Lanvin, Carola Remer, Isabeli Fontana have all joined forces to make awesome clothes available to the masses, with each seasons being more interesting than the last.
Neon Active Parka
Isabeli Fontana Swimwear Collection for H&M
Carola Remer Collection For H&M
Carola Remer Collection For H&M
Carola Remer Collection For H&M
Conscience Campaing For H&M
Frida Gustavsson Collection for H&M Summer
Constance Jablonski, Edita Vilkeviciute, Toni Garrn & Karmen Pedaru for H&M Conscious Campaign by Terry Richardson
(Photographs Courtesy Of H&M)
Summer’s Best Swimsuits Are Here
Summer time is almost here, which means its time to transition out of your windbreaker and into your bikini. This mix of techno tropical blends, sexy cutouts, and flirty frills are sure to make you stand out on the sand. Get a glimpse of our favorite new swimsuits of the season – that weren’t in Sports Illustrated!
Agent Provocateur Mazzy Swimsuit $220.00
Baku Australia Santorini Bikini $55.00
Norma Kamali Striped Top $195.00 + Flip Bikini Set $310.00
Baku Australia Pebble Beach Bikini $127.00
Zeugari Halter Wrap Bikini $88.00
Mara Hoffman Printed Ruffle Busti $300.00
We Are Handsome The Adventure Zip suit $315.00
Mara Hoffman Striped Set $300.00
Rirratti Riflessi Couture Bikini ($TBA)
Zimmermann Savannah Belted Drape Piece $330.00
Lee + Lani The Rio Collection $250.00-$310.00
Zeugari Cotton Candy Monokini $60.00
Baku Australia Ginga Bikini $150.00
O’Neill Bikini Set $90.00
Herve Leger Swimwear $350.00 – $500.00
Mara Hoffman Beaded Bandeau $320.00
The Mustache Scarf
Canadian based fashion designer Gillian Hyde says “You’d better have a sense of humor to wear this scarf this autumn and winter!” In regards to her funny new Mustache Scarf. Each scarf is hand made, Hyde cuts the brown leather mustache and then sews it on a classy and distinguished brown tweed (much like a professor’s jacket) then she lines it with a soft brown flannel. The designer noted that her creation is “perfect for men who have mustache envy and for women who want to gender-bend!”
Great Shark Rock Climber Bag
For rock climbers, chalking is the only way to stop those sweaty hands from getting slippery on the rocks. All Beta, an online shop which specializes in the creation of gadgets and accessories for climbers, thought the standard chalk bag was in need of a fun re-design! The Great Shark Rock Climbers Bag, became the quirky solution. The outside of the shark shaped bag is made with canvas and twill, while the inside of the bag is lined with a fleece to act as a soft contrast to the feeling of those hard rocks.
Stella Jean SS 2012 Collection
Many designers find themselves intuitively influenced by their roots. So what happens when you have a Roman designer with strong Caribbean origins? The mixture of these two massively different cultures manifested into a brilliant fashion collection for Stella Jean. A bold mixture of strong hues, pattern, and texture is the essence of the collection. Color filled floor length gowns are the dominant elements amongst the pieces, but vibrant suit jackets, tiny tailored shorts, and floral patterned head dresses make the rest of the collection shine. Stella Jean’s pieces are the perfect solution to a romantic vacation – suitable for a sunset date by the sea or a stylish walk in a rustic old town.
Invader Aiko Ring
Frank Tjepkema, principal of Amsterdam based design studio Tjep, has found that his interests in design reach beyond interiors and architecture, but also into jewelry design! His latest creation is a bold silver ring titled Invader Aiko, for its pixelated resemblance to the old arcade game Space Invaders. “The invaders ring is computer engineered with high precision and than casted in silver using traditional techniques.” Therefore, Every Invaders ring is made to fit it’s conquest (you), exactly!
Very French Gangsters
Admit it. You always feel sorry for the token nerdy kid with glasses. Be it Ralphie from the Christmas Story or Steve Urkel from Family Matters, the poor chump is always taken down a few notches in all of his horn-rimmed awkwardness. Well, rejoice near-sighted youngsters of the word, for alas, we’ve found spectacle salvation! Feast your eyes on Very French Gangsters – a brand of prescription glasses and sunglasses for tykes 3-10 years old. Founders Karoline BOTHOREL-Bolzinger and Anne Masanet meld comfort and style to create uniquely awesome specs that leave kids looking stoked. I mean, their “Very Boss” shades say it all – “Knack that commands respect.” Now that’s a cool 6 year old if I’ve even seen one. Just check out the mug shots of these kids sporting specs. How stoked do they look? These glasses are most definitely boss. We only wish they made them for, ya know, normal, adult-sized faces. *Sigh.
(Photography: Very French Gangsters)
Zimmermann Summer 2012 Collection
For eons Brazil has reined supreme in the the bikini arena. Look Rio, we have to hand it to you, you’ve had a good run, but Lycra has a new daddy. We’re talking about Zimmermann Swimsuits, fresh from Sydney. Spandex-savvy sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann are the wonder duo behind the curve-loving cuts dripping in delectable colors. The Sydney sisters spent the past twenty years honing their craft, garnering a cult following in Australia. Lucky for us they’re bringing their suits stateside, hawking the sizzling swimwear at their first shop in NYC’s Soho hood, which is currently filled with their most recent collection of tantalizing floral one pieces, delicately knitted bikinis, vibrant, silk wrap dresses and chic, high-waisted satin shorts (swoon!). We have to admit, the beach never looked so haute.
(Photography Credits: Zimmermann)
Men’s Footwear Spring 2012 Lineup
Spring is in full bloom and we think it’s time you stack your fall and winter boots back into the closet and get your feet into something that makes you want to sip some lemonade on a warm day in the park. This season of men’s footwear has tons to offer – high tops, low tops, loafers, wingtip, leather, suede, denim….(pause for a quick breath)…. laces, no laces, sporty, colorful, and formal. In the midst of all of the fashionable shoe trends, we didn’t forget to add in a few classics to our list of this Springs most desirable kicks. Enjoy!
Alba Prat Neon Old School Collection
Ylati Venere Shoe white Leather
Clae McQueen Boots ($95.00)
Y-3 Kazuhiri Shoe Grey ($300)
Shoe The Bear vs. SHFT – Multi Color
Adam Kimmel Suede High Top Sneakers ($540)
Clarks Originals Denim Desert Boot ($130.00)
Fred Perry Woven Stripe Foxx Shoe ($90)
Cole Haan LunarGrand Wingtip ($248.00)
Le Specs & Henry Holland Sunglasses
Henry Holland, brainchild of London’s vibrant and edgy fashion house House of Holland, has decided to give his youthful perspective on style to Le Specs, in an exciting new collection of sunglasses. Holland explained that he decided to join Le Specs after he met with their team for the first time and found himself “amongst like minded creative professionals who love their work and are passionate about what they do.” Le Spec hopes to ignite a unique sense of fun, attitude and culture into the fashion scene with sunglasses such as The Muffin Top, a cleverly designed pair of specs where a half moon of the dark colored lens sticks out above the Lucite frames. We shouldn’t forget to mention another funky pair titled Hoodies, because each of the smokey circled lenses has a metal visor over the top. Refreshing hues of turquoise, navy blue, plum are used to complement the effortlessly cool metal and Lucite frames.
(Photography: Le Specs)
Cobrasnake Hamburger Sneakers
Holy hamburger lover’s paradise. These sweet kicks have got all the fixins. Order up a double double with lettuce, tomato, cheese and special sauce and they’ll throw in some extra laces. These custom kicks are brought to you by the infamous party rocking photographer CobraSnake, Vans, and Colette collaboration and they’ll be making stomachs growl in unison when they launch on March 1st. Get ‘em while they’re hot folks, these babies are a limited edition (only 60 left!)
Fred Butler’s Autumn 2012 Collection
If we were to sum up Fred Butler’s Autumn 2012 collection we’d have to say it’s mango-sorbet-meets-Rainbow-
Butler adds “The way I design is to fiddle around with paper and materials first and then put those samples onto the mannequin to toile a wearable item.”
“The quilting shapes from cross sections of sushi rolls came from a ski jacket I made for my foundation in 1998 …… I never knew at the time it would come out of the closet again!”
“From the screen-printed sushi trousers of this project I chose to use the palette of washed out Wasabi greens, picked ginger soft pinks, caviar coral oranges, subtle salmon flesh tones and monochrome black and white mimicking the contrast of rice against seaweed wraps.”
“I wanted to make headwear using the knots and ties from kimono obijimes, translate the twists and turns into a cable for cosy jumpers, and then have Rosy relate the technique to her trademark French knitted tubes for the high heels and bracelets.”
(Photography: Emily Beard & Fred Butler)
Noel Stewart’s SS 2012 Collection
Is it just us, or did the Royal Wedding spark an deep desire to don one of those nifty facinator headpieces and rock it like it’s nobody’s business?! Well a hop, skip and a jump across the pond Noel Stewart’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection is turning a few heads of his own. The London based milliner takes his inspiration from contemporary art and architecture, then fuses them with historical references. The products of his process are a series of voluminous, colorful, feminine hats. This season, Stewart released his pieces under three collections titled Electric Gardenia, Dark Crystal, and Lindisfarne Daisy, all of which encompass Stewart’s perspective on fashion and art of the moment. Hats off to Stewart!
Founder of Olasul Chimes In On Their Spring/Summer 2012 Collection
Olasul trunks are a retro throwback – something you’d see Miki “Da Cat” Dora rocking in Malibu back in the 60’s. The bright citrusy colors are reminiscent of ice pops on a summer day and are sure to add life to any beach party. Lorenz Korder Fort, founder and designer of Olasul, creates what he knows best – boardies! (*whispering - otherwise knows as “surf trunks”) A surfer himself, Lorenz has extensive understanding of what it takes to create a perfect pair of trunks. “This season we’ve focused our attention on the fit and overall construction quality of our product,” Lorenz explained. “We’ve updated all of our shorts to feature curved waistbands for a better fall off the hip. We’ve also added side slant pockets to our 5″ inch shorts to accommodate our customer who is constantly coming out of the surf and going strait into other seaside activities with out changing.” Lorenz’s understanding of the sport combined with the trunks’ stylish good looks have helped Olasul shorts ride a wave of success and have put the trunks in high demand for surfers all over the globe from Malibu to the Malvides. We caught up with Lorenz to ask him a few questions about Olasul’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection. (See interview below)
KNSTRCT: What was the inspiration behind this season’s collection?
Olasul’s signature shorts with their classic diagonal stripe detail are found in nine updated solid colors inspired by a coastal way of life. The purple Chicha Morada and yellow Inca Kola shorts find their origins in popular, refreshing coastal drinks that speak of summers spent by the beach.
This season’s printed shorts take their cues from snapshots of surfer’s day. The vibrant hues of the sun-setting sky, the texture of a wave’s rapid flow beneath a carving board and the ocean’s rumbling white water are translated onto the Gradient, Nano and Spray print, respectively.
In addition to two vibrant dip-dye tee styles, three solid color tees are made from the softest Peruvian cotton and accented with a pocket in washed linen, a harmonious and classic pairing perfect for summer beachwear.
As the temperature drops and beach bonfires are lit, Olasul offers three heathered Peruvian cotton sweatshirts in Bahia blue, peach and walnut shades
K: If we caught you on the beach this summer, which short from the SS2012 collection would you be wearing?
(Photography: Justin Hollar)
