Every rapper should watch this
The ruler
I pray that history is destined to repeat itself.
Will Leather Goods works magic with this year’s Tribeca Film Festival bag. I loved seeing how this product was made from beginning to end and maybe I’ll be able to get my hands on one.
Side notes:
The video was filmed in Eugene, Oregon and El Paso, Texas in March 2011.
Music by Dawes “When My Time Comes”
The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 20 – May 1.
Bloomberg Game Changers: Anna Wintour
I’ve been a fan of the movement over at Street Etiquette for a while now, so when they took a sidestep from their normal tunnel-vision of fashion progression based on historical cool & teamed up with some friends to create a synergistic musical euphony…I had no choice but to check it out and share it. This video features small interviews and musical showcases from:
I encourage all of you to support the project and the musicans therein. I didn’t realize how many of these artists I was already Facebook friends with, but that’s neither here nor there.
Remaining stagnant is a death wish and the good people over at Street Etiquette are doing their best to live forever.
The Next Edition To The Coffee Table
New York fashion week just wrapped up and now everyone is walking around posting pictures that they took on their newly-purchased Canons/Nikons and thinking that they want to become clothing designers, bloggers, stylists and fashionistas. If you run in the trendy circles of the major cities and are reading this post, statistics show that you either fall into one of these categories or know at least 3 people who fall into one or more of the aforementioned clubs. Now that the norms have been established, it’s time to add a new book to your coffee table of “Oh, that’ just something I picked up a while back” books.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is a retrospective about the fashion, design and life of the late Alexander McQueen. “Focusing on the most iconic and acclaimed designs of his prolific career, this stunning book examines McQueen’s inimitable technical virtuosity and its subversion of traditional tailoring and dressmaking practices. The book also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures found in McQueen’s collections and in his astonishing and extravagant runway presentations, which suggested the most avant-garde installation and performance art.” Written by the people who knew him best, this book is poised to give readers the most true to life depiction of the man that brought us iconic designs and physics-defying shoes.
Side note: “Andrew Bolton is Curator and Harold Koda is Curator in Charge at The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tim Blanks is contributing editor of Style.com and Susannah Frankel is fashion editor of The Independentnewspaper.”
This summer when the burgers have been consumed and the wine spritzers/mint juleps are ushering in the bourgeoisie conversations of fashion, art, expression, religion and post-modern neo-self-introspective thought…impress your friends with this one.
Alexander McQueen:Savage Beauty is available for pre-order now on Amazon.
I wrote an article about manly minimalism and it’s place in the wardrobe about a week ago, but today, I felt like playing within the confines of the Old Boys’ Club. Brooks Brothers ties, tortoise shell frames, Ralph Lauren wallets and stainless steel Tag Carerra chronographs paired with some straight leg Levis, a crisp oxford shirt and some snow boots for this hellish weather make for a manly Tuesday ensemble. What did you wear today?
Manly Minimalism & Its Place In Your Wardrobe
I have been falling in love with manly minimalism. I used to be on a never-ending quest for the grandiose, gilded & gluttonous, but in recent times I have come to realize that the truest displays of taste, sangfroid, class and character come from details and functionality rather than obtuse price tags and current trends. In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to provide some insight into the logic that drives my everyday choices and hopefully expand your personal paradigms a bit.
If you’re a modern man, you’re probably walking around with a bulky wallet in your back pocket. It undoubtedly holds your IDs, credit cards, health insurance card, some cash and possibly a condom you keep for emergencies (Leave the condom at home, if it’s in your wallet…you’re a virgin). You feel powerful because it’s made of leather and you paid a pretty penny for it. You also choose to ignore the fist-sized imprint it leaves in the back of your pants and the random back pains you begin to feel from sitting unevenly 99% of the time. I too fell victim to the horror of the bulky wallet, in fact as I write this article, I’m looking at my $200+ leather Ralph Lauren monstrosity from the corner of my eye. Slim things down. Try abandoning the boulder and stepping out with a card holder and a money clip. I keep my business cards, a credit card, my license, and my health insurance card tucked away in a neat/stylish holder. It’s small, sleek and engraved. I rarely carry cash, but when I do, it’s probably a single $100 bill rather than a veritable small army of stripper-sized monetary notes. Therefore, I normally just tuck a bill into my card holder, but if I do need to carry more cash, I’ll bring a small money clip to do the job. I’m not telling all of you to throw out your wallets, but really, there’s no reason for them (especially in dress pants). Try the money clip/card holder combination and let me know how they work out for you. They’re slim, light and make you appear to be much more refined than the standard schmuck.
Leave your grandfather’s retirement watch at home and opt for his WWII timepiece. I have a gorgeous Tag Carrera chronograph that is sitting in my cash box praying for the day that I will bite the bullet and pay the $400 fee to get it re-banded as well as a gold Bulova that makes me salivate every time I think about it. Yes, they’re amazing but in the on-the-go world of a young/Black/college man, I found myself needing something lighter and more suited for day to day use. I hit eBay, bought a sleek Japanese military watch and haven’t looked back. It’s waterproof, light, resilient and very versatile. The price tag didn’t hurt either. You can find a very nice one for under $100. Every manly man on the go should have a military watch in his arsenal. Your grandfather did, so should you.
In my life, knives are a necessity. They’re great for everything from opening letters and packages to landing you a role in a remake of Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. Through trial and error, I’ve found that the key to choosing the right knife is making sure that it’s big enough to be of use but not so big that you now look more like a mugger in khakis than a refined young man. Try to find one that is about the length and width of your middle finger; you should be able to cover it with a closed fist, both for style and legal reasons. Don’t think you have to spend a ton of money on your knife. No you shouldn’t be a cheapo and buy a dollar store multi-purpose piece of metallic stool, but you don’t have to try to get an old Japanese sword master to forge you a blade of eternal fire either. My girlfriend bought me one for Valentine’s day and while I’m not sure exactly how much she dropped on it, I know that she’s not a cheapo or a fool. Tip: Have your initials engraved on the side and you now have small memento of your college-aged manliness.
My advice for phones is simple…leave the precautionary bulk at home with your uterus, you’re a man. Unless you are a total klutz who drops everything, leave the phone covers behind. I was once a phone cover addict. I wanted the toughest case and the smoothest silicon, but I’ve come to realize that I’m paying for insurance on my phone so if I drop it, I’ll have my information swapped over and get a new one. Your phone looks better without a cover. You look cooler without a cover. If you can make it through the day without a pocket protector to shield your oxford shirt/tailored chinos from your pens, you can make it through the day without a phone cover to protect your insured Blackberry from the ground.
Till next time, if you see the status quo….kick it in the shin. Lol.
Images of a geisha
Before Myspace, Facebook, Twitter YouTube or the fights that come with them, there was Show. Check out Nick Knight (photographer/SHOWstudio) conversing with Imran Amed at The Hospital Club, London on 26th November 2010
Keeping in line with the trends in luxury fashion, Prada is now introducing customizable sunglasses. The glasses allow a combination of two letters or symbols to be added to the temple arms of the shades. I used to think that monogrammed towels were cool, but I think I’d rather have these. For more information click here.
