Richard Nicoll & Ksubi Sunglasses

British-born, Australian-raised designer Richard Nicoll has teamed up with Ksubi for sunglasses, “inspired by early 20th-century futurism.”

Trained at Central St Martins in London, Richard Nicoll is a young force in fashion with his graduation collection being snapped up by Dolce & Gabanna and freelancing for Louis Vuitton.

Available in three styles with black, white or clear plastic frames for $219 at Ksubi in New York. 219c Mulberry Street, 212-334-4690

via Hint Mag

STREET CLASH–International Style Competion

We Are The Market clues us in to STREET CLASH, an international style competition between blogs & photographers around the world. At the end, one city will be named best dressed 2007. You can go here to decide.

“Varsity Shoes” Koi Klub x Onitsuka

Taking components of classic garments and twisting them into new ways is a part of fashion.

One of the latest ways it’s being done is by legendary Japanese sneaker house, Onitsuka Tige and Koi Klub in Berlin.  Their latest collaboration strips the iconic parts of varsity jackets and applies them to footwear.

The result is “Big Koi”, a shoe dominated by leather wool and chenille.  Only 550 pairs in each of the  3 colors are available starting November 30th.

 

Source: Koi Klub via Format magazine

Finding The Right Style

An article in the NYT’s examines the connection between style and uber D.J.s.

The Times looks specifically at female D.J.’s including Samantha Ronson, Beverly Bond and Skye Nellor, however two quotes caught our attention.

• “Dispensing, for the most part, with stylists, the most memorable D.J’s strive for originality, setting themselves apart from competitors with looks that vary…. Image, they argue, is essential to success.”

• “Janessa Bautista, 28, a fashion designer in Manhattan, agreed, noting that the D.J.’s she likes dress in a manner that is unforced and inventive. “People who carry their own style are influential,” she said.”

The statements in bold ring true to us. The image that a man projects will factor into many parts of his life. Your image is a business card of sorts, the thing people will take away after you meet them. It’s one of the most personal traits of a person as it can give info on the subject.

Style is directly related to image and the confidence of dressing with your own unique style can’t be duplicated. Fashion media and stores can show you all the fashionable product in the world but if one doesn’t know how to put it together there is no style. Having knowledge of what works or doesn’t work allows us to select the articles we know benefit us.

And everything is not going to benefit everyone. We show a variety of fashion, styles, and product here at Haute Concept from tailoredwear to streetwear. It’s a guide for men who know what they want but want to be informed in other area’s also.

That’s the way we dress. We’re not in tailored clothing all the time or streetwear all the time, yet have love for both. Some tailored clothing fits our style as does some street. And conversely, some tailored and street clothing we’ll flat out stay away from.

There’s no right or wrong answer…per se…because style and fashion are subjective. But with a knowledge of what’s available on the market and an idea of what trends are going on, tastes get refined to their own way. Applying this knowledge to your closet can set you apart from the crowd.
Setting the Beat, and the Style [NYT]

Holiday Gift Guides: Women & Wine

With the holiday shopping season upon us, we’d like to point you to two great guides that may come in handy from the good people at Sharp By Design.

The first is a Holiday Gift Guide: What to get the women on your list. This simple guide can take some of the stress out of the season when we seem to just randomly buy gifts for the sake of giving. This list will help you get something she can actually use. The list is extensive and fitted for many different budgets.

The second guide is Holiday Wines: How to pick the right wine for the holidays. The art of selecting wine is a tool everyman needs in his arsenal. This guide will help you select the right wine to accompany various dishes.

14 Laptop Bags For Style and Function

Refinery 29 has narrowed down a list of 14 sleek laptop bags for the urban warrior who wants a laptop carrying case that’s, “protective, thoughtfully designed, and way easy on the eyes.”

These understated bags can project confidence and style.  They use different materials and feature compartments for pens, portfolios, boxers, or whatever you’re slugging around.

Price points range to fit many budgets.

See all 14 bags at Refinery29.

Mach 3 Travel Razor by Anthony Logistics

The Mach 3 Travel Razor by Anthony Logistics is great for the guys who spend their nights on the red eye. Read more

Nike Tech Pack “Patchwork M-65″

Nike designers Jarrett Reynolds and Michael Leon created the Nike Tech Pack collection and the “Patchwork M-65″ is their latest addition.

The Nike Tech Pack collection fuses innovative performance materials, diverse fabrication and design techniques and adapting them for modern use and lifestyles. The collection reinvents design classics like the wind-runner and uses techno fabrics to update them.

This patchwork jacket is fused together to seamlessly create the abstract pattern as well as keep you warm and dry. Since different patches are used, each Patchwork M65 will be completely unique. No release date has been set.

Nike continues to push the boundaries of technical clothing and style.  They are making great use of the latest tech fabrics available to re-engineer classic looks.  This strikes us as similar to what designer Italo Zucchelli is channeling over at Calvin Klein.

image: Freshness Mag

SUPRA GOLD 14K at ATMOS NYC

ATMOS, the haute-end sneaker boutique from Harajuku, Japan has announced the availability of these SUPRA GOLD 14K skytops at their NY base.

If this means nothing to you, kindly disregard.

If you’re a sneaker-head, find them here.

images via ATMOS NYC & Nice Kicks

Apartment Sneaker Emporium in Brisbane

The streetwear movement in Australia is has been kicked up a notch with the opening of Apartment in Brisbane, Australia.

The store is the second incarnation of the original store opened a year ago. Taking their cues and hints from the most successful and stylish sneaker boutiques around the globe, the team behind Apartment has elevated to a more deserving environment.

SneakerFreaker.com, a must read source for the sneaker obsessed has high praise for the store. “The end result is a breathtaking mix of futuristic lighting with a luxurious mix of classy shop fits, leather couches, cobbled slate brick walls and not to forget, the most premium street wear apparel and footwear that Australia has to offer. It is designed to make you take a fantasy ride through the ultimate sneaker store experience, yet the Apartment Dwellers have made this fantasy a reality.”

The team behind Apartment gave an interview with Sneaker Freaker Magazine which about the shop and streetwear brands to watch.

“The list is quite large now. So I’m just going to go with my favourites at the moment. The new Wood Wood range is awesome. Rittenhouse’s current season, Trainer Spotter, Umbro by Kim Jones, Alife’s coming clothing range, 10 Deep’s coming season is killer, the new Feits, especially the desert boots. Also check out the coming Ubiqs.”

Read the full interview here.

[source]

Jordan x Levi’s Collaboration 23/501

Collaborations are the hottest trend in fashion at the moment and today we report on yet another one.

Jordan, a division of Nike Inc., and jeansmaker Levi Strauss & Co. have announced a joint project to create a limited collection with a pair of co-branded jeans, Air Jordan Retro 1 sneakers and a t-shirt, to be sold as a set reports DNR.

The collection titled “23/501″ is for men only and will arrive in stores starting March 1, 2008 with a run of 2,323 kits. “23″ is for Michael Jordan’s jersey number and “501″ for the classic denim staple from Levi’s.

With a $395 price tag, the collection is for serious streetwear fans who the Jordan brand has typically courted in the past.

The collection should appeal to many streetwear buffs for its attention to quality and detail. The jeans use Levi’s raw selvedge with Jordan’s iconic elephant print as a liner. Features include Jordan’s “Jumpman” embroidery, six gold rings on the inside fly and a leather sneaker guard at the bottom hem to protect sneakers from raw denim bleeding. Now t hat’s what we call attention to detail.

The kicks feature Levi’s detailing such as denim and the red tab logo. The limited edition run will be individually numbered and beautifully packaged.

The 23/501 collection will be sold at high-end streetwear and sneaker shops, specialty chains and select Levi’s and NikeTown stores.

Scott Collins, GMM of Downtown Locker Room, tells DNR, “The execution on this and the attention to detail are tremendous….Each item can stand on its own or be worn together. But out of every 10 that are sold, nine are never going to get worn. It’s a brilliant collectible.”

Look for this to be snatched up quickly.

Levi’s and Jordan Brand Link Up [DNR]

Excubo Sleeping Jacket

 

Anyone who relies on the subway for their daily commute knows the inevitability of falling asleep on the iron horse. The sleeping is normally accompanied by head swaying and the head propping up every few minutes as said sleeper catches themselves from their dazed state.

Industrial designer Matthew Gale has attempted to solve this dilemma by creating “a jacket for sleeping on public transportation”.

Through his research Gale learned that bodies held in a “rigid state” are conducive to sleep. By adding functionality to the collar, lapels, sides, and cuffs of the jacket Gale pushes the design envelope. winner of the national “DYSON Eye for Why” design competition, sponsored by James Dyson, the vacuum guy.

“The Excubo (Latin for “I sleep outside” ) jacket transforms around the wearer to create a warm, protective cocoon. The collar becomes a sleeping mask, the lapels become pillows, the sides tighten around the torso to keep you upright, and the cuffs unwrap to make mittens for your hands” said Gale. Check out a video here.

Don’t expect it in stores soon as it’s patent is pending.

 

 

via Matthew Gale’s website

21 Moments That Made Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren has become ubiquitous this year with accolades continuing to pour down on the legendary designer as he celebrates 4 decades in business.

A career that spans 40 years is bound to have many stand-out moments.  Esquire narrows down Ralph Lauren’s career highlights to a list of “21 Moments That Made Ralph Lauren.”

From the ties that spawned the empire to the U.S. Open these defining moments helped Ralph Lauren and his brand achieve global success.

To you Ralph!  L’Chaim!

21 Moments That Made Ralph Lauren [Esquire]

(images via Esquire)

AnOtherMan Autumn/Winter 07 Issue

We recently picked up the Autumn/Winter 07 edition of AnOtherMan magazine now available.

The magazine is a thought provoking taste of the current climate in menswear. Sections are broken down to essays, interviews and the editorial selection of the A/W 07 collections.

We find the magazine to be an interesting read and examination of whats going on in the menswear realm. The magazine presents current trends and taps various pop cultural figures allowing the reader to digest the info and decide how to proceed. The magazine doesn’t dictate as much as inform.

A great pictorial presented in the issue looks at extreme takes designers have been showing on the runways. The magazine gives extremes of silhouette, volume, proportion, delicacy, and fabric to challenge our beliefs of traditional menswear.

Definitely worth a read through.

Bodega x Converse Jack Purcell

Bodega, a Boston-based company aiming to be your neighborhood store, has collaborated with Converse to re-create the Jack Purcell sneaker.

The anticipated Bodega x Converse Jack Purcell will be available at ACU(Shanghai), Wood Wood (Copenhagen) and Bodega (Boston) this weekend on Saturday November 17, 2007.

The Purcell sneaker has had a long history. It was originally designed by the athlete Jack Purcell and was first produced by BF Goodrich in 1935. Today, Converse has offered this classic silhouette for a very special collaboration with Bodega for this limited edition Purcell Mid. It will feature distressed leather, flannel detailing and brass eyelets. In conjunction with the shoe Bodega is also offering a matching fitted flannel cap. The new sneaker will be specially packaged in a beef jerky wrapping.

(More pics after the jump.)

Read more

‘Members Only’ Coming Back to Market…Seriously…We Think.

Talk about a blast from the past.

We Are The Market has posted that Members Only is being resurrected.

According to W.A.T.M.:

“The Members Only Licensing Group,including Seventh Avenue veteran Arnold Simon, and former celebrity tabloid editor Kelli Delaney are working to revive the brand for spring. “We are resurrecting one of the most famous brands in the world, because great brands never fade,” Simon said to WWD. We say, let it fade Arnie!”

Guess they ran out of members and had to recruit some more.

Hopefully the collection will look more like this:

photo credit: WWD via We Are The Market

And less like this:

Source

Nike Vintage Classic Kicks: Whats Old Is New Again

Many people know that the fashion industry works in cycles as is true for many industries. Designers and companies are constantly referencing the past to move forward.

History has an uncanny knack for repeating itself and now Nike repeats itself with the Nike Vintage collection. Nike has looked at their archives revisited their original styles and crafted them to look 30 years aged–fresh out the box. 1970’s-grade nylon, awkward swooshes, aged laces, weathered foam and suede.

The vintage collection is the result of a collaboration between Japanese designer Junya Watanabe (of Comme des Garcon fame), and Richard Clarke, Nike’s Creative Director of Sport Culture.

The collection was first sold at Comme Des Garcon stores in New York earlier this year and have moved to selective, high-end boutiques around the world.

There is an interesting read on the collection here at Brand Channel.

Nike Vintage [website]

Barking Irons Sample Sale

 

 

 

If you’re in New York from November 30 thru December 2, you’ll want to cop some merchandise at the Barker Black sample sale.

via We Are The Market

 

Earlier

 

10 Popular Myths About Wealth and Luxury

The following ‘10 Popular Myths About Wealth and Luxury’ comes from our friends at the Luxury Insitute:

1. The Wealthy made their money easily and spend their money easily.

 

Most wealthy individuals spend far more hours working, embrace far more risk, and create far more value for society than their mainstream counterparts. Even today, for most, it still takes years of immense sacrifice to achieve wealth. Wealthy consumers are therefore very value conscious and discerning when they buy luxury goods and services. As a luxury provider, you need to recognize and acknowledge their achievements, deliver compelling emotional benefits, and position your offer as a complete experience that delivers a fitting reward.

(Continue reading the rest after the jump.) Read more

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Articles 

10 Essentials of Barker Black

November 14, 2007

Kirk Miller and Derick Miller the brother duo behind Barker Black discuss their 10 Essential Things to men.style.com.

Here are a few of their favorite things:

Sixties-era Brooks Brothers Tux, Barker Black Wolfe Loafers in black calf, a Filson duffel, a complete shoe-care kit, a custom tailor (seriously, a good tailor can be you best friend.)

Source

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Accessories 

Check Out These Rubber Sole Tranformers

November 14, 2007

These galoshes are called “Swims” and come to us from a Norwegian design company.  Material Interest recently featured them referring to them as, “the most stylish ultra-low-top galoshes (they’ve) ever seen.”

These Swims made from a tear resistant rubber, fit over your shoes to protect them from the elements.

“The inside is fitted with a smooth liner that makes it easier to put on and take off the overshoes,” Parsons-trained designer Johan Ringdahl tells men.style.com. “At the same time it does a good job of shining up your shoes.”

We think the concept is pretty cool and very functional.  Any takers?
Swims galoshes, about $155, available at Bloomingdale’s NY, (212) 750-2000, bloomingdales.com

Source

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Accessories 

‘Black Fleece’ Stand-Alone Stores?

November 14, 2007

Black Fleece, the upscale sibling of apparel and accessories guest designed by Thom Browne for Brooks Brothers may get stand-alone retail stores.

The collection, which debuted this past September in select Brooks Brothers stores is the companies most expensive line, retailing up to 40% more than classic Brooks Brothers’ clothing.

Claudio Del Vecchio, CEO of Brooks Brothers, tells DNR, “I’m convinced that it can be its own location….there are certain cities where it will work.”

Although nothing is set in stone the company is hoping and thinking optimistic about their newest offering.

Del Vecchio says, “Black Fleece retail stores can go forward with or without (Thom Browne’s) input.” Browne’s contract with Brooks Brothers is for four seasons.

Brooks is trying to make Black Fleece independent on any one designer it seems. “It doesn’t have to be Thom Browne, it can be another guest designer.”

Brooks Brothers Eyes Black Fleece Stores [DNR]

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Articles, News 

Italy’s Valentino to Rely on Internal Team for Menswear

November 14, 2007

Italy’s Valentino SpA fashion company will rely on its internal team to design its next menswear collection after the retirement of founding designer Valentino Garavani, the chairman said on Tuesday.

Designer Valentino will be leaving the company he built in January.

“We are working with our internal team as regards menswear. And for now we are thinking of approaching the next season in this way,” Valentino SpA’s chairman, Matteo Marzotto, told reporters.

The menswear collection will continue to be shown in Milan, while the company’s womens wear collection will stay in Paris.

source

Earlier

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Articles 

The Perfect Plain Brown Loafers

November 14, 2007

In part 9 of their $5000 Wardrobe series, Esquire explains the allure of perfect, plain, brown loafers:

“you need a pair of plain brown loafers. They look as good with blue jeans as they do with corduroy or flannel trousers, and once you break them in, they’ll feel almost as comfortable as your favorite pair of sneakers.”

Featured are Leather loafers ($365) by Cole Haan.

source

Written by Haute Concept · Filed Under Accessories 

Nintendo Licensed Clothing Line

November 13, 2007

The nostalgia of our youth (where many a morning and afternoon were spent parked in front of the TV playing N.E.S.) can now be re-lived sartorially.

A Nintendo licensed new urban clothing line will feature Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Super Nintendo Entertainment System logos. Check out the collection here. The line, announced and made by Torrell LLC, debuted at the Magic Show in Las Vegas and will be showcased in at the Nintendo World Store in NYC on November 15th. Here’s an invite via onnintendo.com.The products are aimed toward male consumers.