Raf Simons at home: safe lounging

I'll tell you now that I don't care a lot for Raf Simons clothing designs. I often confuse him with Kim Jones on account of his entirely unremarkable offerings. I actually find it no surprise that he comes from Belgium.

But just take a look at his gaff. Urban art prints on the walls, modernist furniture, a 1968 open plan apartment set in acres of greenery ... this could be somewhere in the Hollywood hills.

If that's what playing sartorially safe and living in Belgium gets you, I'm moving now. And changing my career.

Via WSJ

Supreme fall / winter 2011: chill winds

Japanese street fashion mag Cool Trans has done a shoot featuring the latest collection from New York skate brand Supreme.

It features Aaron Bondaroff looking suitably bothered or unbothered, depending on which picture you look at.

The collection is your tytpical Supreme fayre of shirts, caops, hoodies, and leather puffer jackets, and will no doubt be fairly reasonably priced but sell out instantly.

Via Slamxhype

Girls Friday: no secret

Firstly let me apologise for the lack of posts over the past week. I have been decorating the office and besides the laptop being buried under a pile of dust sheets, have been forced to spend my time wielding a paintbrush instead of scouring the net for ... well ... things like pictures of Victoria's Secret models to show you.

But as I sit here waiting for the carpet fitters to arrive I have time to pass on the excellent news that yes, I have finished painting, and that as well as launching a new Showstopper lingerie line, VS is branching out into sportswear. I'm sure you'll be delighted about that.

Ah, Fridays.

Rapha+Paul Smith Essentials case: wearing in Part Two

For the second instalment of the Wearing In series I present you my Rapha+ paul Smith essentials case. It's quite an appealing little number if you overlook the fact that it bears more than a passing resemblance to a woman's makeup bag, and remind yourself that it does in fact contain very manly cycling-type things like tyre levers and a puncture kit.

It has some nice Paul Smith details such as the bi-coloured zip and embossed leather to one side, as well as a message from the man himself printed on the lining.

Seeing as this has already been up a few mountains with me on the Etape and done some considerable miles since and is still looking as good as new, I fear this might present a little less exciting subject.

But it is white leather and is already demonstrating a few signs of wear, so I live in hope that over time it might become a nicely battered piece of kit, especially with the grime of the winter looming.

Rapha Grand Tour mitts: wearing in Part One

For a while now I've been meaning to do a little series on items and the way they develop characteristics and become an extension of myself as they age.

Leather is an obvious candidate for this sort of thing so these new Grand Tour mitts from Rapha provide the perfect subject.

This is how they look after one 45 mile ride, and being white and unwashable I fully expect them to show every knock, bump, and piece of dirt that riding can throw at them as time goes on.

They are size medium and right now fit quite snug but are very comfortable. After a succesion of larges I now realise that this is the size I should have gone for all along.

Watching these mitts as they mature and then grow old and finally die is one journey we can all go on together.

Girls Friday: hey hey Beyonce

 

 Bet you'd put a ring on it

 

 

 

Oakley Jawbone: view through a winner's lens

So I actually won something the other day. I'm still struggling to believe it myself, even though the evidence sits astride my nose every time I go out riding.

Because the prize was a pair of Oakley Jawbone sunglasses - the very model worn by almost every rider in the Tour de France (it seemed). But these are no ordinary Jawbones, these are the Transitions model, which feature photochromic lenses which darken according to the intensity of the sunlight.

In this country it more than likely means they will be clear for most of the time, but hey ho - my eyes love 'em.

In case you're wondering what I did to win them, I finished the sentence: "Eyewear Oakleys because ..." with the line "... when the crap hits your face at least you'll have some eyes left." The Sunglasses Shop evidently thought that was worthy of a win. I'm sure you have your own opinion.

I'll be adding a Sunglasses Shop button to the sidebar shortly so you can check out what they have to offer. That's how chuffed I am.

Passion of the Craft: this is the way

There are those who follow and those who show the way - and I have always had an overriding desire to find out what makes the latter tick.

Enter Passion of the Craft - a ten-part series of videos focusing on those who influence the culture of today, and the way they go about it. The series features some invaluable nuggets of wisdom from the likes of Brendon Babenzien of Supreme, Vashtie, and Rob of Alife.

You never know, we might learn a thing or two. 

Passion Of The Craft  [Trailer] from THIS IS BANDIT on Vimeo.

Nigel Cabourn Everest Parka: historical

When it copmes to researching his designs, Nigel Cabourn goes to the sort of lengths that the subject matters of his inspiration go to.

Take this Everest Parka. It's a copy of the jacket Sir Edmund Hillary wore when he climbed Everest in 1953. Nigel Cabourn found Hillary's original jacket in a display in New Zealand.

The Everest Parka has become one of the staple parts of the Cabourn autumn / winter collections for the past few years. This release, in a navy ventile, is extra special, seeing as only six have been produced.

They are hand sewn in Yorkshire, stuffed with goose down and feature a hood trimmed with coyote fur, as well as a sheepskin collar. Add to that wooden buttons and a Riri zip and you have something that should be in a museum itself, even though that would be a waste.

Available at Superdenim

Rapha visits Moots: made up

Rapha Continental USA Pro Cycling Challenge Moots Factory Tour from RAPHA on Vimeo.

They like building bikes in America. The type of bikes that dreams are made of, hand crafted, with cool little details that mass produced machines are sadly lacking. They build them with vision, flair, and a whole bucketload of passion. They take weeks on each bike and the waiting lists are global and years long.

One of these bike builders is Moots. A more lovingly produced machine you would be hard-pushed to find anywhere.

The Rapha Continental crew went to visit the factory on a day off.

Visvim FW 2012 Sense magazine shoot: brought to life

You can't really tell how good Visvim stuff is until you put it on, which is why the Sense magazine shoots of the latest collections are always a welcome arrival.

Here you get an idea of the flavour of the fall winter 2012 collection, which appears to have departed slightly from its Navajo roots and set up camp amongst the indigenous tribes in the foothills of Chille or some other impoverished South American country.

You might notice a pair of Virgil boots there. These are made from German deerskin and have a price tag of Y176,400 (£1,428.37). Which is just silly. 

Girls Friday: and relax

Thanks GQ