It's a loaf-off: Visvim Fabro Folk v Gucci loafers

There's no disguising of the Italian influence with the new Visvim shoe lines. Both the Fabro Folk and the Moc Denim Folk offer a little more than a nod to the loafers Gucci has been churning out for yonks.

But Gucci has been taking a few tips from Hiroki Nakamura too. I can't imagine it would have occurred to Gucci to add a trainer sole to their loafers before Visvim started doing it. Or to extend their trainer line at all. It wasn't long ago that all Gucci offered was a couple of suspect looking abortions made out of monogrammed canvas. Hardly subtle.

So Gucci and Visvim seem to have done each other a bit of a favour. But who pulls it off the best?

Put your preconceptions of the brands and their associations aside for a minute and check out these two loafer offerings.

Which one would you go for?

The Visvim is above, the Gucci one below.

Available from The Glade and Gucci

Go faster stripes

An homage to the racing stripe.


www.the-glade.com
www.rapha.cc

Original Fake SS10

Another winning collection from the New York graff artist and his clothing collaboration with Japanese toy company Medicom.

The usual deal, crosses and teeth all over the place, adding a fresh urban detail to some clothing staples. The trademark screenprint tees are evident again, as are a selection of hoodies and shell jackets in the finest Gore fabrics, with neat little details like branded zippers and logo embroidery.

You will either love it or hate it but there's no denying the quality of this stuff.

Images via Hypebeast and Warp magazine Japan

Morris Stockholm spring/summer 2010.

One day it will stop raining, one day the spring will come, and when that time comes I want to be on the banks of Lake Como, dressed in multi-coloured preppy gear from Morris Stockholm, with a carefree look on my face and a scooter.

Friends are optional but they would have to be good looking. I don't ask for much.



Via Unabashedly Prep

Banksy: Exit Through the Gift shop pop up cinema

Only Banksy could lure the art lovers of the middle classes by their thousands to a tunnel underneath a railway station. He's done it already, when he held his 2008 Cans Festival in Leake Street, the sort of place you would quite understandably expect to get mugged.

Maybe he's bought the rat infested throroughfare, because he's back there again, this time converting part of the tunnel into a cinema, which he's called the Lambeth Palace, decking it out with some reclaimed seating and industrial lighting.

Here the nocturnal spraycan man will be screening his film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which he previewed at Sundance earlier in the year.

Well, it wouldn't have done to show it in the Odeon, now would it?

Get your tickets here.

Note: I think all the tickets are now sold out. But apparently it will be screened in cinemas, so perhaps the Odeon might show it. You never know ...

A reader writes: NBHD horse play

Ray has asked my opinion on this season's Neighborhood collection, in particular the Long Riders shirt, pictured above. So rather than just add another comment below his comment and leave you wondering what the hell we were talking about, my reply is below:

Is this a trap Ray? You're not going to tell me you painted those horses or anything are you?

Assuming you're asking for an honest opinion I can only say that if I wore this shirt to my local pub I'd be unlikely to make it out alive. I mean the top half is OK, you could wear it with a cardigan. But what if you got warm? What if you had to expose the full splendour of those galloping mares? It's like you're wearing a still from Rawhide.

That would be when you would wish you had one of those horses tethered up outside, in order to make a swift getaway.

Unless of course you are a truck driver, or a country music enthusiast, or both. In which case this kind of attire is virtually uniform.

Thanks for the comment Ray, I hope that helps.

Please note: The actual shirt Ray referred to is in a red plaid, and can be found at Union in LA here, should the urge take you.

Rapha Transit Elite sweater: Made by hands

TRANSIT ELITE from Dave Christenson on Vimeo.

I suppose it's a good idea to have a jumper handy when you're halfway up a mountain. Better still to have a jumper factory, and a flock of sheep for the merino and cashmere. Or does cahmere come from a goat?

But just think of the knitting possibilities.

This is probably why Shea Parton of Apolis Activism and Cole Maness of Rapha turned Himalaya-wards for someone to produce their Transit Elite Sweater. No idea how they found this team of women - probably bumped into them on a bike ride.

But what a find. One look at this film and you'll be wanting to get on that bike and find a village of your own to knit your socks. Hopefully with a handy mountain next door to make use of your Rapha gear on, too.

Rapha long sleeved shirt: Too nice for riding

I've often wondered if Rapha actually thinks any of its customers are filthy enough to sit around at work in the same gear they just cycled there in. No matter how leisurely you ride, you'd have a hard job not getting up a bit of a sweat, and after a few hours at your desk you'd be kicking up like an old sock.

Which kind of makes the whole line of city-type garments a bit redundant. At least it does if you're thinking of cycling for more than five minutes in it.

But the thing about this line is that if you take away the cycling associations, you have a collection of garments unparalleled in fit, cut and materials, with some subtle twists that even dedicated menswear designers haven't thought of.

Add to that Rapha's choice of wicking materials and the end result is sharper than your average designer clobber, and at a very competitive price.

That's why I've got my eye on the new long sleeved shirts. Just look at the fit, it's perfect.

But there's no way you'd catch me getting it stinky on a ride, that's for sure.

You'll find it here, when it's released

Sweat pants: Stop it now

You don't have to do it. No one's going to force you to walk around looking like you're carrying a sack of spuds around your arse.

But I must warn you. Sweat pants are here. and before long they will be everywhere. You won't be able to move for excess flapping of jersey material.

These have to be the worst thing for fashion since multi-coloured loon pants. Just look what it does to that outfit above, the poor bloke looks like he got dressed in the dark.

So take it as a warning. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Sweat pants are good for no-one. Except maybe smugglers of small rodents. Plenty of room in there for a few ferrets.

For a detailed look go to C Store blog, if you really must.

The Arches, Southend: Pap free zone

This is a picture of some awnings, down at the Arches in Southend. Notice anything unusual? Any familiar faces? No?

Well you wouldn't. It could have been a picture of Pill Jupitus, the closest thing Leigh-on-Sea has got to a household name, unless you count Helen Mirren, and I'm not sure she still lives down here.

But there is an absence of any minor celebrities in this shot, in fact the absence of anyone at all really, because as I set it up, unwittingly framing Jupitus in the process, Lizzie pointed him out to me, and then informed me that "he's probably not going to want his picture taken."

It's not like Jupitus gets papped. He has to have one of the most unremarkable lives outside TV. He's not even worth the effort of following. Not that I do that, of course. He was sitting there with his kids, wearing a pair of shades, and a scowl. That said, someone might have been interested because I just found him on Twitter and he's got 61,000 followers.

But I moved anyway, for Lizzie. So if you imagine me taking this shot, Phill Jupitus is directly behind me, in the opposite direction to where my camera is pointing.

He got non-papped. And he probably doesn't even realise it. He doesn't know he ruined my shot. It might not even have been him. I should have told him to get out of the way.

Supreme SS10: Double bubble

When it comes to value you can't go far wrong with Supreme. As the exchange rate takes a good hiding and all those desirable labels from the more quality end of streetwear price themselves out of the market, Supreme has, for the most part, remained relatively affordable.

You can still get yourself a tee for less than a nifty, and even the pricier hoodies and sweats are of such a high quality that you don't mind forking out a few extra quid. And the great thing is that alongside all those 'clever' t-shirt prints that mean absolutely nothing to those unfamiliar with the brand, New York based Supreme also does some respectable pieces, verging on prep, with a big nod to skating.

How could Supreme offer even better value?

It seems the answer lies in the new SS10 swingtop (Harrington to you) jackets. On one side you get a nice plain single colour, and on the reverse a look-at-me plaid or monotone gingham. Two jackets in one.

Double the value, or half the price, depending on your perspective.

Via Slamxhype

Rossi's: Retro Ice cream

If you haven't been to Rossi's you haven't been to Southend. The place is a seafront institution, and thanks to some light-handed refurbishments it's a retro gem harking back to an art deco heyday.

Combine a visit with a stroll along the front and you've got the perfect warmer to keep the winter chill at bay.
The staff even pose for you (above).Bright enough to get away with shades (above).Halfway along the front Lizzie realised she'd been dragging her scarf along the ground (above).

Visvim SS10: And a Porsche

I reckon this is probably the best shot from the Sense Magazine Visvim spread I posted about.

It's not so much the clothes as what you notice. There's the checquered flag draped nonchalantly on the floor, which complements the check of the shorts, which leads the eye to the soles of the shoes.

Then there's the Porsche. Le Mans by the look of it. Pristine. White. Enough said.

Quote corner

"Our worst fears lie in anticipation"

Don Draper, Mad Men.

Images of inspiration

No rhyme nor reason to this lot, just great images I've stumbled across this week which serve no purpose other than to inspire.
PandoraKate MossThe Selby
Eden Wynter
Brando HlavlacThe Sartorialist

Visvim shoe care kit

If you own Visvim shoes you'll know how welcome this is. The amount they cost, the last thing you want to do is smother them in Kiwi Parade Gloss.

The trouble is, for the $115 price tag, you could actually get another pair of shoes. But they wouldn't be Visvim.

You pays your money ...

Via Slamxhype