Faded Dreams / Starlit Shadows

I might not have run away with the gypsies to a festival this summer, or hibernated much in The Shire back home, but this hasn't stopped me being a sort of pixie in the city. Taking time-off from the trilby for a while, I've nestled my hay of hair into beanies in anticipation for the autumn rustle, giving that perfect bohemian slouch. Scrap influences from stubbled music-makers and undercover hippies however, as my recent style is a foxtrot towards the one they call The Fantastic Mr Fox. He might be created by crayons, but the suited corrogated vibe of that cartoon flickers autumn colours in the smoothest caramel of manners. Taking a few tips from the trendy animal of mischief, I'm wearing a cardigan that looks like rippling tree bark, a cut up jumper stained with fading flowers, a tie as a popping belt by Coral Garett, and amber coloured trousers that have a thick and earthy texture to them. My Dad's vintage brogues then top off the new season look. I've also posted below a few designers that offer little twists that catch my eye as summer hides. Stolen Girlfriends Club gives Amish a modern victorian juxtaposition, where sharp shirts meet tight punk shorts and unique harem tinted trousers. And Orschel Read gives couture an earthy interpretation, with layers of exotic carnival texture that even tip-toes into an urban sort of funk.

Word Up From The Street

I found out today that my interview for Malaysia's Esquire Magazine has just been published. To say I was chuffed would be an understatement. I might have earthy tendancies but there's no denying the satisfaction of 'the glossy', and where better to be laminated to this landscape than Esquire. They've done a great feature about the influence and wealth of male bloggers that bring to life the runway on the streets, so I thought I'd mirror their piece with a selection of my favourite fashion kings and princes that have a regal presence online. First up there's Andre who manages to make couture a step closer to accessible. His designs are innovative, surreal, and clustered with crystals and fantasy. Then the bohemian boy Bobby naturally exudes the desert sun kissed atmosphere that the likes of All Saints take a fancy to. I'm a huge fan of Blake's romantic takes on industrial and city frames, and Spencer is the ultimate intoxicating dealer of vibrant colour. All their vital links are punched below for you.

http://lookbook.nu/user/66083-Andre-J /http://lookbook.nu/bobbyraffin/

http://www.thestylemanual.net / http://lookbook.nu/user/54430-Spencer-E

The Mad Hatter

I'm attending a twisted masquerade this coming weekend. Encouraging the ambiguous, it's set to be a dancefloor of disguise and couture designs. I've got in mind the victorian poptastic theatrics that the Mad Hatter channels. So for starters I played my cards right with a lucky break at a Brick Lane market the other day, picking up a shirt that's clustered with kings and queens of hearts.

Time & Time Again

I started a blog to scratch together a constantly evolving diary, but I've always been pre-historic with my time-keeping ability. I was too concerned with the feeding and upkeep of my precious tamagotchi as a kid to ever want a watch as my hand held pet. But my fast pace of late has called for a clockwork change. With my constant endeavour to initiate colour into all spectrums of an outfit, these popping watches from HipHop are a retro essential. There's an 80's sportswear feel to them, with a rippling wrist strap and simplistic design, which lends all the A-List attention to the acid trip colours. I love the slogan they go by on their site: Hip Hop is colour. It's that desire for change. It's that ability to choose. It's knowing how to have fun. It's being, so you like yourself. It's experiencing the 80s nowadays. So what are you waiting for, HipHopIze yourself by heading to http://www.hiphopwatches.eu/en-EN/home/

You Walked Through My Dreams

One of my scarfs from Topman AAA is so deliciously thin and misty that it whispered to me to encorporate it into something unconventional this summer. I love how it faintly bleeds a tapestry design, offering a gothic splinter in the suns sharp reflection. Seeing as a scarf found itself in the academy of outcasts this season, I thought I'd enlist more to this class. Wearing a wool jumper during a muggy weekend might hint at sunstroke behaviour, but my vintage find below looks like King Kong from afar, but light and almost mesh like up close. Suprisingly comfy in the sun to put it simply.

I also thought I'd share some pictures from the dark warrior desires of Jose Duran. I love the oversized epic nature of the clothes. The cardigans deliciously drown the models, with a deconstructed appeal in rustic industrial tones. The vibe is like an immaculate work in progress, showing the distressed aesthetic in a true raw primitive state. Romantic vampires from an industrial side of town springs to mind.

Whispering Into Misty Mirrors

Sorry I've been invisible this week; I've been working at Men's Health, offering a few fashion ideas to the suited ones. It's a refreshing and unique scene to be around so many men that embody that perfectly groomed 'gilette' mood. I thought it was only fiction, but their suits are suitably making me look like a tramp in comparison. Perhaps I'll endeavour to add some tailoring to my tracks soon. Anyway, I'll be back on the blogging roll properly next week, but in the meantime here's some editorials of the 'gilette' admiration, and an outfit I wore to work the other day. Ciao!

Dream Of Californication

It's not really the time to be the proudest brit of the pack at the moment with London's current plague of pointless riots. So for now I'm dressing myself in stars and stripes instead! I loved how the retail trends went all exotic this summer with Aztec prints, and I was also drawn in by the Americana about. My jumper below from www.loveclothing.com is a popping use of the famous flag, with the stars sprinkled around the shoulders and the sharp red jetting across the chest. It's got the serious comfort factor, and is going to befriend me well into the Winter. I've also included some editorials below that indulge in the idea too. Erin Wasson quite literally drapes herself in a flag, and designer Reneg Urskov adds a galactic angle.

The Sigh Of Wild Electricity

On my runway travels I recently came across the most literal collection that cropped up the countryside grit and spirit. While I didn't really 'dig' the look as a whole, Junya Watanabe certainly aimed to take the farmer out from the 2D mud into a look that copy and pasted inspiration from all walks of life. Parka coats, lumberjacks, postman shorts, stumpy doc martens, fisherman hats and even dungarees were all in the pasture. I like this idea of the slick fisherman in particular. And one of my recent looks has a faint reflection of this in the ripples, where my postman shorts are teamed with a casual light sweater, farmer cap and creamy countryside brogues. An outfit designed for dreaming away the days by a lake.

I also thought I'd introduce you to some shots from my good friend and designer Damian Marquez. His new collection is an innovative take on texture, pairing intricate sheer shirts under tough pop art barbour jackets, introducing indulgent creamy coats and asymmetric knits with gritty trousers, and encouraging the manly skirt; something I'd love to dare into soon. It's refreshing to see feminine esque colours being used in a male palette, and there's also an interesting sci-fi and war-like vibe about the collection. A name to watch, check out his site for more at http://www.damianmarquez.com/

Desert Eyes & Egyptian Desires

It seems my previous post with parrots was as tropical as a trip to Butlins in comparison to some of the Rio esque runways recently. I absolutely loved Dolce & Gabbana's adventure this season, where the shorts had melted treasure maps on them, tops had aztec looking calligraphy to be royally admired, and the jackets looked like snapshots of egyptian architecture. Canali also offer something rich and exotic with seductive lace that looks like something regal from another world, and Givenchy gave tropical a retro pop art edge. I've also included my own interpretation below, which is 'treasure from a charity shop.'