Farewell 2010: This Year in Fashion.

NYE, and all I've heard so far is people passionately listing the reasons as to why 2010 was ultimately a good, or bad year for them. Honestly, am feeling as though I'm out on a limb since I can't quite come down on one side or the other. With resolutions of boundless positivity and enthusiasm for 2011 (not built to last), I'm going to halt the wavering and say 2010 was another year to remember for all the right reasons. Here's just a bit of what's informed the decision...

LONDON FASHION WEEK

Soon after professional fash-bloggers began storming fashion weeks the world over, I chanced my arm in doing the same, and to my indescribable amazement, was actually accepted. Granted, it's London, and not one of the major capitals but considering this fact did little to appease feverish boyish excitement. After an incredible experience at the SS10 shows, I returned in Feb of this year for the AW10 round-up.

Carolyn Massey, Orschel-Read, James Long, Omar Kashoura - it was a veritable feast and I relished every moment whilst intermittently, and very subtly, slapping myself to remind myself that these incredible designers were actually permitting me see their careers develop live on the catwalk. Bit mad.

CAROLYN MASSEY

Seeing a collection you love in its entirety is one thing (Carolyn Massey's Autumn Winter '10 Obsolete Prototype C53). Getting to intern with the designer who created said collection is another. When I arrived in London this Summer I'd intended to pursue an opportunity like this, but I never expected to secure it.

My sojourn at Massey's Hackney studio was both fulfilling and relentlessly sweaty (not induced by over-work, but muggy London-in-Summer temperatures). From here I visited ASOS and Dazed HQ, was introduced to stylists from 7th Man and POP magazines and after having awed over the inner workings of a Northampton shoe factory, was given the finger by its workers on departure. Incredible. And although she's not showing this coming season, there's plenty more to come from La Massey.

1883 MAGAZINE

Time not spent at the studio during the Summer was time for writing. Having met Alicia and Paul of 1883 some time in June, I was set the task given the pleasure of interviewing six international up-and-comers from the likes of model Tali Lennox (there may at first have been a dictaphone cock-up but shhh...) to designers Fannie Schiavoni (both stunning and charming) and Angie Johnson of Norwegian Wood (she took the time out to Skype just days before getting wed!).

I'm so proud to be a part of the debut issue of this magazine monument to the next generation of fashion talent - here's to lots more 1883 in 2011.

ASOS

At some point in 2010 I placed my first order at ASOS. I have never looked back. 2011 better not batter my wallet to the same extent.

Oh, and the lovely Steve of Style Salvage also thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to plaster my mug on the homepage for a bit (alongside other men's style bloggers). Although this makes me shudder now (styling...not the photography), I console myself with the fact that I had just landed and was living from a suitcase of naff tat. Regardless, thanks Steve!

FRIENDS

Above all, and at the risk of sounding squirm-inducingly cringe-worthy, I've met so many amazing people this year including: Hanna ter Meulen, Dan Hasby Oliver, Aisling Farinella, Annmarie O' Connor, Angela Scanlon, Ali, Stephen Moloney, SOS Fi and the LDN bloggers, Elliott James Sainsbury, Lil, London mates and Dublin folks - y'all know who you are.

Lastly, this blog has brought me places and offered me opportunities I'd never have imagined when I started it in the boglands of rural Ireland in 2007. Obviously, without you, the readers, it'd have been a dud from the get-go. So, thanks. Ever so.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

x

Images from BFC, Anne Bernecker, and ASOS

Woops. Prepping for Christmas wasn't supposed to be that time-consuming. Yes, I've neglected blogging duties these past few days but today marks the first day in months that I've been back home with all the family so a hiatus will soon be underway. Fret not, I'll resume with my usual random curation of collections, rants, raves and odd observations before the New Year. In the meantime...

I wish you & yours all the very best this Christmas.

Love Male-Mode.com (and Annie L)
x

Pierre Et Gilles: The Complete Works.

Why is it that whenever you're in desperate need of buying presents for a someone else, you come across several options for yourself instead? The past few weeks I've been traipsing around trying to conclude the Crimbo wish-list but - being the selfish lout that I am - I've been steadily adding to my own wish-list. Top of which is this...

^ Pierre et Gilles Complete Works by Taschen

For those of you who are not Jean Paul Gaultier-devotees/Madonna-obsessed/homo-themed art dealers/avid fans of kitsch, Pierre et Gilles are a duo of French photographers who construct some of the most stunning portraits renowned for their unabashedly gaudy and gay aesthetic. 

^ Le Petit Communiste Christophe (1990)

Their work is heavily constructed with most of the portraits featuring sets and costumes designed by the pair (who are also lovers - cute!), half-naked models (most often male), mythological overtones and serious re-touching to give the effect reminiscent of cheap religious artworks (for Irish readers, think your Granny's old Sacred Heart in the kitchen). They've also created invites for Thierry Mugler shows and count legendary Parisienne actress Catherine Deneuve as a fan. 

^ St. Sebastian of the Sea (1994)

^ La Madone au coeur blessé (1991)

^ Mercury (2001)

I'm not denying this is all youth-adoring fetishism and barely veiled (probably not at all, really) homo-eroticism but who said art had to be high-art in order to be appreciated? 

Anyway, it's not all glitter and vacuousness, the Madone au coeur blessé is really quite subversive when you think about it - a pretty boy in drag as the Madonna? Religion, something usually seen as persecuting homo- and non-normative sexuality, is quite openly given a good bashing. What say you?

Diego Diaz Marin: Señorito Italiano.

Although having been raised quite Catholic during my childhood and early adolescence, I couldn't recite a Hail Mary now if my life depended on it. But my current anti-Church/anti-organised religion stance notwithstanding, I do have a certain soft-spot for religious iconography, esp. where usage is naughtily blasphemous. As the great surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel once said, "Sex without religion is like cooking an egg without salt"...



And this latest shoot from Spanish photographer Diego Diaz Marin entitled Señorito Italiano featuring Alberto Ciottoli, brings the conventionally antonymous spheres of crude and creed together in a representation of one man struggling with the various pressures of tradition, religion and sexuality.

Marin has also shot Just Cavalli's SS11 underwear campaign, keep an eye on his homepage for further updates, or to check out more of his work.

YMC's New Hanbury Street Home.

One of London's worst kept secrets - but brilliant nonetheless - is the Truman Brewery's Sunday Up Market. Although most of my times spent there, browsing in a hungover stupor, yielded little more than serious pangs for falafel, it's still one of the city's best offerings in terms of feel-good atmosphere and great shopping.

Now, with the arrival of one of the most sought-after independent labels - YMC - to nearby 23 Hanbury Street, the area's packing even more appeal. Having opened its first store in Soho's Poland Street, YMC have taken their off-kilter yet easily worn and feverishly desired brand to the East End. The store itself draws heavily on Victorian inspiration; think macabre meets industrial: abattoirs, mausoleums, schools and factories, with most of the pieces housed within being vintage finds from around the world (post-war wood prosthetic limbs, anyone?).

^ The store-front features stained-glass lettering (YMC) and an original timepiece from the 1930s-era Old Street tube station - a double-faced clock.

^ In keeping with all things industrial, the interior is decorated with irregular sized white brick tiles. In the centre lies an authentic mausoleum slab, and another (to the back) serves as a desk. Not forgetting about the Victorian strain of influence, the clothing rails are custom-made from original Victorian nut carts.

^ Some of the delectations on offer.

Although I was invited to a preview of the store, I couldn't quite make it across the Irish Sea in time to talk with Fraser Moss, founder of the brand, on all things YMC. However, had I done, I probably would've worn something along the lines of this...

^ YMC Bib-front Henley shirt - £65.00

^ YMC Classic chinos - £125.00

^ YMC Despatch coat - £295.00

^ YMC Toe Cap shoe - £175.00

Will you be paying it a visit next time you're East End-bound?

Frater Clothing: Fame is the Thirst of Youth.

Trust me to, you know, get obsessed with a t-shirt label in the icy heart of Winter. Still, poring over Frater Clothing's look-book for capsule collection, Fame is the thirst of youth, is providing me with much-needed hope that warmer times are indeed on the way (even if it will take a while) and, if not, if we somehow forever remain in this dark and apocalyptic cold front then we can always use these for layering, yeah? Yeah.

Launched in September of this year, Frater Clothing is a casuals brand that, in contrast to so many of its contemporaries, errs on the side of the eccentric, and does it pretty well. The line - founded by 21-year-old designer Michael Brown (yes, that's 21, honestly can't see myself achieving that in the next year or so...FAIL) - is inspired by the Mancunian designer's upbringing, and is a mix of all the usual suspects i.e. tees, jumpers, polos etc., with the tees being the main point of interest for me. Scoop-necks, arresting patterns and heaps of detailing (embroidery, silk stripes, ribbed collars and more) make for stocking worthy gifts.

Oh, and they're v. reasonably priced for the standard of work, ranging from £20 to £35 (free deliver on orders over £80, too!). Shop them here.

Henri Lloyd: Skincare Giveaway.

"WINTER HATES YOUR FACE!" or so the enthusiastic/aggressive Gillette ad informs us. And, well, despite this TV spot being patronising with its overly masculinised roaring (it's OK, Gillette, there are plenty of straight men who don't actually feel emasculated by applying hand cream *gaspshockhorror*), they're really not far wrong. From icy winds to the excessively drying effects of central heating, these months can prove extremely detrimental to your skin. 

SO, here's a bit of help in battling the wintry weather from Henri Lloyd. To celebrate the launch of their skincare range, this brand traditionally renowned for their covetable outdoorsy wear are offering one lucky reader a travel pack to ward off the worst of plummeting temperatures consisting of:

Ocean Mineral Moisturiser SPF 15
Hand Protection Cream SPF 6
Ocean Mineral Shower Gel

All you need to do to be in with a chance to win is LIKE this here blog on Facebook and post a comment on the wall. Simples, as ever.

Competition closes next Friday Dec 17th @ 12pm GMT

VMAN 20: Model Citizens.

I nearly always draw a blank when asked to describe this blog, but usually settle on 'menswear-oriented' as the most appropriate adjective. Still, due to my shoddy blog-naming I took great pride in several years ago on its inception, I've succeeded in attracting waves of readers hunting for something more 'male model', than 'male style'.

^ Model Citizens from VMAN 20

And it's not that I make a point of ignoring that aspect of men's fashion i.e. editorials, composite cards, model interviews etc., it's just that design (be it clothing or otherwise) has always been at the locus of my mind, so, naturally, and quite selfishly, that's what you're going to find here. Anyway, there are so many other blogs and mags that already do an incredible job: The Fashionisto (which - any fashion professional working in the men's arena worth their salt will tell you - is an invaluable resource) and HERO (which gives unprecedented insight into the personalities beyond the buff surfaces).

Yet I've come across a little something that I've been meaning to blog since it arrived in my inbox. VMAN has decided to honour some of the top modelling agencies from the four corners of the world, with pretty awesome results. It's like a men's version of the British Vogue cover from Jan 2002 (the one adorned with Union Jack-wearing top Brit models), only better.

^ Long Teng - China (shot by Victoria Wong, styled by Stinger Wong)

^ Scoop - Denmark (shot by Bo Egestrom, styled by Wiktor Hansson)

^ Sight - Barcelona (shot by Xevi Muntané, styled by Alberto Murtra)

^ The Making Of...

Reckon Scoop (Denmark) and Sight (Barcelona) are my joint first - who will you be booking with? Oh, and see the rest of the story at Homotography.

dunhill Day 8: Heritage and Online Innovation.

Since the arrival of economic downturn a few years ago, countless editorials and journalistic fashion commentaries have linked the growth of heritage houses with the consumers' yearning for something that stands in opposition to fast fashion, and promises to stand the test of seasons to come. But, as is typical of its nature, fashion now demands something more of the well established and revered - digital innovation.

And the best houses are steadily coming up with the goods. Take, for example, Burberry's 3D digital AW10 ad campaign which blends the unique experience of a live catwalk show with ease of access, allowing you to get 180-degree views of a particular item. Yes, the incredible, hulking aviator jackets might have been the first attraction, but with the launch of this new method of online marketing, Burberry enticed a whole new legion of fans.

^ Burberry's Digitally Interactive AW10 Campaign

Now, dunhill, which has been undergoing a renaissance since its inception (started out as a saddlery, then switched to all things motoring-related, now a fully-blown fashion behemoth owned by Richemont), has decided to get in on the action with the launch of Day 8 - an online platform and iPad app for engaging content.

Not a "blog", the press release states (does the word "blog" really connote such bad things that they've got to run from the association and label their endeavour "the world viewed through the dunhill eye" instead?), Day 8 aggregates content from various corners of the cultural world for the delectation of the consumer. And, as cynical as I could be, and as much as you could term this a blatantly obvious jumping on the bandwagon, this is a bloody good effort.

The launch of the online interface features a film of a commission undertaken by illustrator Chris Dent, entitled "Homes". In this work Dent sets his interpretation of the four 'homes' of dunhill around the world onto paper, and the resulting dunhill cityscape is pretty impressive: Bourdon House (London), Prince's Building (Hong Kong), the Twin Villas (Shanghai) and Ginza (Tokyo) neighbour each other, whilst the Oriental Pearl (Shanghai) brushes shoulders with the Millennium Dome (London) and the Bank of China (Hong Kong).

^ Illustrator Chris Dent

^ Dent's commission for dunhill, "Homes"



Add to this Day 8's features on the Manhattan Short Film Festival (for which dunhill's Bourdon House is the venue), the making of its Chassis leather range, Japanese artists Wataru Komachi's display for the Tokyo 'home' inspired by a 1930's dunhill employee (Clement Court, who travelled over land from Paris to Tokyo), and the work of photographer Andrew Zuckerman.



^ Chassis holdall

It's a veritable visual feast, and has me hooked again since the exit of former Creative Director Kim Jones. No doubt the partnership between digital innovation and dunhill will last a good deal longer?

Check out the new collection from Dunhill including this extensive range of men's leather bags.

Morgan O' Donovan's The Facebook Project.

'Alternative' nightclub photography, once the reserve of East London's art-infused after-hours urban landscape, has exploded on the Dublin scene during the course of the past couple of years. Influenced by the renowned shots of heady nights at Boombox (as captured by Richard Mortimer/DirtyDirtyDancing), Dublin's dance-floor paps have brought to the table visual proof of our being the best race to party. But an Irishman abroad (fast becoming my favourite phrase...) acclaimed for his work for everyone from i-D to Vogue, photographer Morgan O' Donovan, has decided to reveal the homogeneity beneath the mass of heavily made-up-with-MAC faces of the fashion and art types that populate these places.

^ The Facebook Project by Morgan O' Donovan

 For The Facebook Project, Donovan took it upon himself to photograph over 500 portraits of people in "varying states of sobriety" reveling in East London clubs. The point of difference between this and what's graced thousands of Facebook photo album covers and profile pictures, is the harsh exposure of a medical photography flash, which strips away facades to allow for more a accurate insight. Blemishes and imperfections are suddenly apparent beneath the layers of artfully applied slap, which leads to a portrayal of these supposed individuals, as more of an homogenous group. 

Or put simply, each club-goer is shot in such a way that you'll recongise them come Monday morning. Oddly - and I do know it wasn't O' Donovan's intention to make them look bad, but that flash could prove fatal to vanity - I think a lot of the subjects look gorge...

The Facebook Project is at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland Road, E8.

For more on the Project, including a Q+A with the creator himself, check out Dazed Digital.

Cabin Fever.

At this stage, looking out the window at a housing estate that looks as if it were encased within a snowdome, I'm pretty much convinced we're enduring the coming of next ice age. Still, with cabin fever having set in (I now conduct lengthy conversations with myself on the merits of wholegrain pasta...wtf!?), I'm prepping myself to make the 30 minute walk trudge down to the Luas in order to visit a city-centre friend for a day filled with premature Christmas baking, much mulled wine indulgence, and maybe even going out depending on how much Dutch Courage we gain...

^ Apologies for the lack of lighting - apocalyptic skies don't really lend themselves to outdoor shoots. Wearing: black donkey jacket by Dexter Wong for Topman LENS, mulberry cable-knit crewneck from New Look, slim grey jeans with side panel from Bershka, black leather military boots by Grafters. (Oh, and I'll probably be throwing on a black snood from Penneys, too, just in case you thought me raving for baring my neck...)

^ And here's what I'm absent-mindedly staring out at...

PS. If I don't update within the next few days, you wouldn't mind sending a rescue team, would you?