Retail - The Best Changing Room In The World!
Changing rooms, remember those? Those badly lit places that saved us from ordering online, trying things on at home and putting any returns in the post.
Well, on my recent trip to Antwerp, I stumbled across, what could be, the best changing room in the world. A literally breath of fresh air, and who cares it’s the middle of January and freezing with the door open when you’re looking out onto this. It was other worldly.
You had to remind yourself that this was real and you were looking at it. How very un-Web 3.0.
The Ann Demeulemeester - I always have to look up the spelling - store in Antwerp, her home town, is a strict 90s monochrome palette until you get to the changing room, where the greatest of nature is laid out like a picture before you. What could easily be a nothing space is transformed by tree ferns and mind-your-own-business (that’s a plant, btw). Zen.
It is worth trying something on even just for the alone time with it.
The brand has a recent new designer in Ludovic de Saint Sernin, known for is androgynous designs, but let’s hope he leaves this store just as it is.
Ann Demeulemeester, Leopold de Waelplaats/Verlatstraat, 2000 Antwerpen, BE
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Get The Look Pedro Pascal’s Summer Crochet
While not exactly red carpet dressy, Pedro Pascal, star of The Last of Us, looked kinda cool in his brown crochet top. Crochet has been bumbling under as a men's summer trend for a couple of years now, thanks to the hands-spun look of brands such as Bode.
The waffle knit clings to the right places while letting in maximum ventilation and is ideal thrown over a vest top for day or just as it is for the evening. British brand, King & Tuckfield has this relaxed ladder-stitch version in timeless navy.
Left - Pedro Pascal on The Mandalorian red carpet
Left - King & Tuckfield - Ladder-Stitch Camp Collar Shirt - £245
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Splash or Cash? The Embroidered Linen Shirt
This is more splash and less splash looking at the two prices, but with embroidery you’re paying for time. Harago’s embroidery is all handcrafted in India, while Percival’s looks like a 17th century sampler.
These are the kind of pieces that look like new vintage and as such will slip seamlessly into your summer, warm-weather wardrobe.
Left - Harago - Village Narrative Embroidered Linen Shirt - £335 from Matchesfashion.com
Below - Percival Tapestry Cuban Linen Shirt - £199
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AW23 Menswear Fashion Weeks Winner Saint Laurent
Beyond chic! It’s official, the Saint Laurent men’s show won men's fashion weeks.
I was waiting for the Burberry show, for Daniel Lee to pull a checked rabbit - we got a duck - out of his hat, and while it was a strong start and had much more interest than the Tisci years, it was Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent collection that won the latest AW23 round of menswear shows.
Chic, retro and contemporary, this was pure YSL. The YSL of Helmut Newton; monochrome and achingly stylish. It was a masterclass on being completely on-brand while feeling fresh yet referencing the past.
Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent hasn’t made controversial waves, but instead has stuck to its black and white palette and stealthily built up a cult following over the years, taking over the brand from Hedi Slimane.
Last year, the French luxury group and owner of Saint Laurent, Kering, said it it planned to double sales at the brand to 5 billion euros in the medium term.
This men’s collection will certainly help them on the way and not a stitch of sportswear in sight!
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Menswear Product Of The Week The Sailor Cap
Move over bucket, goodbye baseball, sayonara beanie; the headwear-du-jour is the sailor cap.
Setting sail on the good ship S.S. Daley, the new collection from the British designer starred national treasure, Sir Ian McKellen, and, also, these rather fetching floppy sailor hats. While not available from the brand just yet - I really hope he follows JW Anderson's lead and starts selling those branded underpants to bankroll the rest of the brand - there are a few alternatives, designer or surplus.
From Patou's achingly Parisian style to Charles Jeffrey Loverboy cheeky sailor, it adds a playful innocence to any look.
Left - Sir Ian McKellen on the S.S.Daley AW23 catwalk
Left - More S.S.Daley AW23
Bottom left - Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY - Sailor Wool Blend Hat - £ 143 from Luisa Via Roma
Middle - Patou - Sailor hat in cotton-blend tweed - £245
Below - Sea Scouts Sailor Hat Royal Naval Class II British Sailors Pork Pie Tally Hat - £16.99 from SurplusOutdoors
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Menswear Trend Ribbing You
Below - Figi Studios - X-Rays Shirt - $340
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Below Left - Walter Van Beirendonck - Skeleton bike top - £356 From Fatfetch
Left - Walter Van Beirendonck AW23
Menswear Product Of The Week The Sailor Collar Track Top
Browsing the stores in Antwerp, and wow, what a fashion-loving city that is, I walked into Verso, a large, luxury multi-brand store in a beautiful heritage building and happened upon this sailor-type tracksuit top from Kenzo. Kenzo's new Artistic Director is Nigo of A Bathing Ape fame, who is taking Kenzo back to its Japanese roots and bringing out Kenzo's famous boke flower.
The oversized collar falls over the back shoulders to form a sailor-type bib and could be a reference to the Japanese tradition of wearing sailor uniforms to school. The back is cooler than the front, but this handsome green gives the top an innocence and playful feel, especially with the large elephant on the back.
Left & Below - Kenzo - Elephant-Print Varsity Jacket - £645
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