Sportswear & Gypsies At London Fashion Week

I'm in the process of writing a london fashion week menswear review for a magazine, but wanted to share some thoughts here aswell. Wednesday was the perfect illustration of how the modern man has electrified into senses of dare, adventure, and the breaking down of boundaries. trends and characters fused together on the runway landscape, such as E Tautz's 'fisherman in the city' vibe I illusioned, and Christopher Shannon's bohemian prints in the city sportswear sphere. I loved the rustic and rural pallete, where the countryside influence found its way into gritty wool trousers with a jogger angle. Quilted farmer jackets also blasted out intense black colour for a striking urban feel, and carnival patchwork lined the white shirts that would be perfect for the party monster crowd. other highlights of the day included James Long's fuzzy and distressed mohair with quirky romantic tweed blazers, and J W Anderson's high waisted business trousers. I've posted some photos below, alongside the outfit detail I wore myself. I channeled a 70's bohemian boy with slight gothic androgony. They were taken by my blogging friend at www.girlalamode.co.uk

Casting One Last Spell

I might be temporarily distracted with my scribbling and sketching for the next few days. I'm writing from Fashion Week for Conquer Magazine, so no doubt will be wearing my biro thin. But to keep my blog ignited with a fashion fix, here's some pictures from a shoot I did in Hackney recently. Infusing Victorian posture and prints into the urban landscape was an exciting prospect, where I found the ambience of the industrial backdrop so inspiring. The grafitti would reflect across the canal, and the shadows from the bridges creeped and craved for mysterious fashion shoots. I'll be sure to venture there again soon. Oh, and the photos were taken by the talented Michael Golding, who can be contacted via michaelgolding@live.com

Strawberry Fields Forever

Summer might be a distant mirage that teases but never seems to reflect proper heated anticipation our way, but it doesn't stop me romancing ideas of how the sunshine style could be. Lazing in gardens with my eyes trailing through the clouds and sky, I become a stoner without the pot of gold, hazing away to vintage and acoustic sounds. So with the likes of The Beatles playing strawberry fields with a delicious whisper, this soundtrack always brings about a flare for 70s trends. It's been great to see women bringing back flares into their grunge pallete, but I'm keen to see men adding this bohemian glamour into a masculine stance. There's something so intoxicatingly fun about the decade, where florals kaleidoscope over shirts, corrogated textures ripple down trousers, and jewellery teases all over the body. And recently it seems designers are slowly showing signs of a reinvention of this era. Marc Jacobs presents a glorious collection that has a twist on a 70s businessman. The colours are dusty oranges and grainy creams, the jumpers are fuzzy, and the working trousers parachute and ripple. And giving a modern footprint, trainers suprise the silhouette. With all this inspiration in mind, some of my outfits recently have kept me cool from the cold, but also spiced up a love for the trend. Suede coats with furry collars, and jumpers with vintage disco print.

Uncle Sam

Fashion week is around the corner, and I'm going around the bend with love for up and coming designers like Asger Juel Larsen who I've championed for a while now. For those that aren't aware of his aesthetics yet, he's a dark and gothic romantic that suprises with twisted designs and textures. I've posted the recent press release I wrote for him below, but be sure to head to www.asgerjuellarsen.com to see more of the magic and spell he's sure to cast at London Fashion Week.

Caged Crystals & Secret Languages

I've had quite a heavy week that's been infused with fashionable activity. Working behind the scenes of the cosmopolitan and esquire websites has been a great insight, looking at the 'nuts and bolts' and mechanisms of the industry. And alongside this, I've written a press release for the talented prince of twisted industrial gothic tailoring, Asger Juel Larsen. His alluring androgyny can be seen at www.asgerjuellarsen.blogspot.com . Meanwhile, within the world of my own wardrobe, my attention and addiction this week has turned to the inticing intricacy of jewellery. I love the way some chains can electrify a sci-fi vibe, etherial beads and crosses can embody the weathered traveller, or a bow tie can create the Victorian eccentric. Take my example below, where an offbeat suit that's sprinkled in flowers and accessories looks like a vintage clash against the urban jungle around me. And a brand I've become enchanted by is Bjorg, whose lookbook is a mysterious set of myths and quests. The jewellery explores 'inside out' aproaches, with ribbed bracelets that creep and corset along the arm, crystals that blind and chunk on the hand, and capsules with rare gems and feathers hanging from the neck with serious bohemian charm. To see more, head to www.bjorgshop.com/cms/

Tearing Up My Heart With Thunder

One of my favourite womenswear trends over the chilly season was the fair isle spell. My stylish flatmate Connie would wear white waterfalling cardigans with irresistible frosty prints and patterns across them, exuding extreme comfort with a grunged flare. And it's this 'flare' and flame back to the 70's that I've been influenced to invest in this Spring. I used to assume that baggy trousers and corded materials would illuminate a lost boy in 'passed through the family tree' clothes, drowning in an unawareness of body shape and fit. But in a bohemian light, flare can be just the flavour away from the easy addition to skinny fit jeans and tee's. Take my heavy blue cardigan hood, and more importantly the recent pictures from Topman's new collection. There's something enchantingly etherial about them, with dusty electric spots sprinkled on the jumpers, and a lightness to the colours that melt to the eye.

Black Icebergs

When I reflect on certain textures I've tested, while I never question the interpretation or adventure behind the time, there's occasionally 'that' coat that didn't quite fit. Take the nostalgic punk biker jacket I had a tug-of-war with to get out of the cupboard last year. It evolved into a fun and powerful shoot, but it would have drowned and bullied me to the floor with each step and walk if I went out in it. Some fabrics are just too heavy to handle when you don't have the broad shoulders of a man from the Milan runway. But this isn't to say that the vibe can't be trimmed down into a skinny latte version. So with a love of leather, I traded animalistic armor leather for a lighter retail interpretation. The Topman jacket I'm wearing below is sticky to the eye and light enough to crunch and crinkle into a tough urban shape. And an editorial from Iceberg has a similar appeal, where they've even creamed the aviator trend into something softer. Be sure to let me know of your own trend adaptations this season!