Saturday 29 January 2011

Futura x 12ozProphet: time heals


Futura x 12ozProphet Feature from ALSO KNOWN AS on Vimeo.

Call me an old woman, but Futura lost a bit of my favour after he promised to send me something which I never got. I don't know what it was - could have been a dog turd in the shape of a Pointman for all I know, but I trusted him with my address and what happened? Nothing. In fairness to Futura I don't actually know if it was him who was emailing.

And if you are reading this Futura, or Futura impersonator, I have moved.

So it is with a degree of reluctance that I post this video of the New York graffiti artist and his collaboration with 12ozProphet. It isn't so much the colab as the insight Futura offers to his background, from the beginnings as a writer on the street to his well-known works with the likes of Unkle.

But I recognise a legend when I see one and to that end I wish Futura the best of luck. Even if he is a bit flaky on the postal front.


Friday 28 January 2011

Banksy goes flat pack: there's bound to be a screw missing

Banksy does a portrait of your average Ikea customer
Banksy's last film has been nominated for an Oscar apparently although with him you never really know what to believe so when I see a hooded figure clutchig a gold Action Man, then I will be convinced.

I still haven't seen the film anyway, and here's another one, entitled How to Sell a Banksy, which is pretty much as self explanatory as you can get, you might think. Apparently it's a comedy caper.

And to commemorate what is no doubt a bit of celluloid mastery, Banksy's vandalised another wall.

I hate Ikea anyway so this is actually totally up my strasa. It's just a shame he didn't do it inside one of their superstores, while in the queue for some meatballs and chips perhaps.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Livid? Moi?

Ace or Arte (below)? The big question
The car got towed to the garage this afternoon, my watch is still at the menders, Orange seem to be doing all they can to keep me disconnected and the stereo's on the blink.

I don't like to burden you with my trials, but I think I'm fairly safe in saying that this is a pretty crap state of affairs.

What's made it worse is the service that people expect you to put up with when you need to get these things sorted out. Orange, for instance, have been messing things up since November 23. The list of correspondence is so long I could publish it as a novel.

Then there's the watch. The face smashed just before Christmas and when I got the repaired one back it was evident they had put the wrong glass in, even though I was assured it would be genuine. In some sort of denial over what is going on, the watch mender has now sent the thing to Rolex for their opinion.

As for the car, that is an example of crap design that has been a disaster waiting to happen. Seeing as it seems to have been raining since November, it was inevitable that sooner or later the wiper tray would overflow and soak the car's brain, which the designers decided to put directly beneath it. So that's had it, and what was one car shared between two is now one car waiting in a garage for a full frontal lobotomy.

Thank god for the invention of the bicycle, that's what I say. Which reminds me, I really must investigate which Colnago to get on the Ride to Work Scheme. Every cloud, as they say.

Sorry for the rant.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Jake Davis for Union LA: Get it off now!

There it is again, the plink plink of the piano, the soft focus, the lazy hazy shots, it can only be a Jake Davis video. This man would make a riot seem like an inviting place to be if he filmed one.

This is the first in the 'Burnt shots' series of fashion pieces, called 'One Day' in conjunction with Union LA and features a girl in a shirt and not a lot else. She even takes that off. Sorry, I've ruined it now.

If I'm not mistaken that looks remarkably like the fine cut and detail of Visvim, which sheds a whole new light on the matter. Somewhere out of shot there's a boyfriend shouting: "Take that off now before you get makeup all over it! Do you know how much it cost?"

Union x Jake Davis from Jake Davis on Vimeo.
Via Freshness

Monday 24 January 2011

Five minutes in Paris: Hiroki Nakamura of Visvim waxes lyrical


Diane Pernet always sounds like she's having a really great time during her interviews and as an added bonus she is doing the people who sit there in gobsmacked wonder at the cult of Visvim a service.

How else would we ever find out what goes on between the ears of Hiroki Nakamura? It's not as if he answers emails.

Even better, she allows him to just ramble on for an entire four minutes (it seems like longer) in these Youtube clips for her Shaded View on Fashion blog on such topics as using 19th century technology to reinvent nylon.

And for that Diane, we thank you and your undeniable interview skills.





Friday 21 January 2011

Yuketen x Nigel Cabourn: on the right foot

I'm not going to bore you with this again, aside from to say that for the next week I will again be telecom-less at home. This time it's Orange's fault. Don't even ask. So I'm going to rattle off a few posts as and when.

We might as well start here with this thoughtful little Nigel Cabourn Yuketen colab. They've essentially taken the Maine Guide boot and stuck some melton wool on it. A decent production from a couple of well-suited names, made all the more appealing by the addition of a nice white Vibram sole.

To be honest someone could stick a vibram sole on a pair of slippers and I would probably like them.


Wednesday 19 January 2011

Banksy's graffiti blackboard: saves paint

I've just painted a blackboard onto a wall in my kitchen, but this isn't it. You'll find this particular blackboard on a wall on the Regents Canal and it has been created by Banksy.

I'm not entirely sure if this is the wall which became the subject of that aerosol-fuelled feud between Banksy and his nemesis King Robbo, but it looks like it's in a similarly grim setting.

If it is it means Banksy has obliterated Robbo entirely, thus setting the scene for some more tit-for-tat antics. Maybe that's the point of the chalk drawing - Robbo can just rub it out and do his own, and so on ad infinitum.

More fun than a game of hopscotch in the lunch hour, and just think of the environmental benefits.

Monday 17 January 2011

Woolrich Woolen Mills Autumn/Winter 2011: still cosy

Mark McNairy sparked a bit of debate when he stepped into the shoes of Daiki Suzuki at Woolrich Woolen Mills, not least when he was reported to have said he was moving away from the outdoors element the brand has become known for.

He talked about tapping into the alternative Woolrich heritage of Ivy League and Naval Uniforms and a good few plaid loving devotees must have choked on their sandwiches.

But his debut collection has revealed he isn't the barbarian at the gates that many had feared. Granted, there is more of a preppy feel, but he hasn't steered into uncharted waters exactly.

There is still a bit of plaid, a few waistcoats, a peppering of tweed and a nice comfy palette of cosy hues to the Autumn / Winter 2011 collection.

And quite a few sheeps' worth of wool.











Saturday 15 January 2011

Burberry spring / summer 2011: a flash of the seaside

There's nothing like a good Burberry campaign to fuel the patriotism, especially when that involves a string vest and a pair of leather biker strides. All he needs is a knotted hanky and you have every style you will see on your average trip to a seaside resort rolled into one. 

At least the mac looks a bit nicer than your average flasher's, but as is the norm with this kind of thing, he isn't really the one we're looking at anyway.

And on that note I feel I have to say that while I miss Emma Watson, the blow of her departure from the Burberry account has at least been softened.


Friday 14 January 2011

Girls Friday: time flies

It's that time of the week again.


And just top to it off I found this on FUK

Thursday 13 January 2011

Moncler V Betu: there goes a piece of history

I once walked out of a suit fitting in Aquascutum because the peg-toothed salesman guffawed when I said I wanted the opinion of the missus. "Ask the missus sir?" he sneered. "A gentleman doesn't have to ask the missus what she thinks of his suit." So he lost that sale.

As far as I am concerned, the missus does need to be consulted sometimes. It isn't a case of getting permission, more the fact that she gives an honest view, because she has a vested interest in making sure I don't look like too much of a berk.

I am lucky in that I consider her to be possessed of considerable taste, and also to take a sizeable interest in the clothes I dress in and who they are made by. Thanks to this she knows her Visvim from her W)Taps and if put in a Mr and Mrs situation would be able to name the five stores I make a point of visiting when in London and probably the very route I take to get to them.

It works both ways. I once persuaded her to put back a jumper with horses all over it.

However there have been occasions when my faith in her judgement was tested.

Which brings me to the Moncler V Betu.

I was stoked that this made it to the sale - checking the End site for a price reduction had become a daily ritual. The thought of completing the Wasi-Betu two-piece had consumed me for weeks.

More so than I realised, it turns out. So much so that when I put this jacket on I was unable to see that it gave me the silhouette of Spongebob Squarepants, that it fitted all wrong. I looked "like a padded box with legs."

All I could could see was grade 1 goosedown comfort with a water resistant shell and a little white Moncler badge on the arm, perfect on its own or as a liner to the Wasi. What's more, after months of persistence I was in posession of a piece of Visvim collaboration history. This wasn't just a jacket. It was a quest realised.

In the process of this quest I had become blinded to the fact that the Betu might not actually look that good.

Convinced Lizzie's style sense was going askew, I posted a picture on FUK. It didn't go down very well there either.

So it went back (sorry End). Like a prize fish lobbed back into the lake. All I have now is these pictures as evidence it was ever here.

Am I bitter? I was, for a week or so, especially when I saw someone trying to flog an identical one for £800 on Ebay, and when I saw it had once again sold at End.

But the pain is subsiding, and deep down I think I know she was right. She usually is.







Wednesday 12 January 2011

Guest post: when style turns nasty

Turn of the century workers: boots of death (Pic: Kathleen Potter)
The last thing we think about when it comes to styling ourselves are the health risks, but as guest poster Eric Stevenson points out, fashion can be painful.
Polyester: combustible

Ever hear of fashion risks? People dive into the craziest trends, eyes closed, head first. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn't. It's all up to your fashion sense, your guts, and your timing. But fashion can damage more than your reputation. It can be seriously dangerous. Did you know that fashion can literally kill you? It's possible, and it happened all the time.

Back in the day (the Fifties), lots of clothing, especially kids clothes, were really, really flammable. We're talking
brushed rayon sweaters , cowboy chaps, and even pyjamas. Scary, right? These days there are laws to keep people from igniting every time they get too close to any kind of heat. Back then, kids and others who followed these fashion trends would actually catch on fire. If that's not risky fashion, what is?

Maybe this. Did you know people can get cancer from clothes? Yep.
Mesothelioma. Deadly. As recently as the Seventies people wore their work boots to factories and construction sites. Those old triple stitch, steel toes carried asbestos (which lead to Mesothelioma Symptoms ). The workers inhaled, and within 50 years they were dead. Even if the boots were washed, asbestos could still get in the air and into lungs. Talk about dangerous.

As well as spontaneously combusting or contracting lung cancer, people could lose their minds. Fashion could do that. Ever heard anyone say
"Mad as a hatter”? The phrase has more to it than Alice and Wonderland lets on. In the past, hat makers used mercury in their pelts. The poor hat makers inhaled the stuff and that was it. Their neurological stability went out the door. Mercury can make you crazy, and with too much in the air, it could kill you. In the 1800s hat makers walked the streets incoherent and blubbering, just so ladies and gentleman could keep up with latest trends. Sacrifice for fashion? I think so.

So what does this have to with now? If you're a retro fanatic, if you love throwback sweaters, hats, and boots, watch your back ... and your lungs ... and your brain. Flammability, asbestos, and mercury may have been involved with the making of those old accessories and tops. Don't be fooled. Fashion can be deadly dangerous.

Fifties leisurewear: unsuitable for digging roads (Pic: Ed Woods)

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Visvim spring summer 2011:

Hiroki Nakamura has always had a thing for native Americans, and even though he might have diversified a little with his motorsport inspired Visvim collection last year and the Moncler V collaboration this winter it seems that for spring 2011 he's been having another pow-wow with the Navajo.

As well as the more obviously mocassin influenced shoes such as the Shaman he has used blanket patterns in the blazers and also taken on more cowboy infuluences with yolked jackets and a number of denim treatments.

The result is a colourful palette and a collection that takes us back to the kind of look visvim always did best.






Via Slamxhype