'Title of Work' by Jonathan Meizler FW12: Accessories and the Abject.

Jonathan Meizler was bored by ties. I mean, weren't we all before this? With a background in independent film production, Meizler moved from camera lenses and shooting locations to couture womenswear - a dramatic gear shift by anyone's standards - to finally end up in men's accessories, working to dismantle the banal connotations of the necktie. 

And so, 'Title of Work' was born. Now based in NYC, Meizler brings his wealth of experience in couture detailing to the men's market, hand-crafting an extensive collection that includes not only neckties, but bowties, cufflinks and tiepins, too.

For Fall Winter 2012, the designer looks to risqué Miami Beach artist Enrique Gomez de Molina and his body of uncanny taxidermy hybrids. A visceral mesh of the abject and the beautiful, De Molina's transgressive sculptures boldly go where no artist has gone before (and won't go again without a good deal of difficulty, according to this report on De Molina's imprisonment).

^ Sculptures by celebrated and officially condemned artist Enrique Gomez de Molina

Meizler certainly nods to the sculptor, but crafts a collection that channels the strangeness, that stresses the liminal nature of the imaginary border between something ugly and a thing of outstanding beauty.

Queue ties adorned with sterling silver ants, claws, fox heads, racoon teeth and Amazonian black cock feathers that transform a conventional well-crafted tie made from quality fabric to something altogether more singular. If sporting creepy-crawlies removed from the sanctioned context of Hallowe'en isn't really your thing, then there's plenty more to catch your eye including a range of more traditional but indisputably luxurious neckties as well as a selection of styles subtly embellished with leather bands and japanese mesh.

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Learn more about 'Title of Work' by Jonathan Meizler | Shop 'Title of Work' | Learn more about Enrique Gomez de Molina and his art | And look here for an unnerving Hallowe'en surprise

De Molina images from Lost at E Minor and The World of Photographers

Movember & Sons.

Since Sandy's really starting to lay it down outside, I've been thinking growing a mo - as an extra insulating layer - probably isn't the worst idea. Let's ignore the fact that my chances of 'stache success are slim, considering the common razor was an arbitrary and alien object to me up until the age of about oh say 17 (when I first shaved, and it wasn't even all that necessary...), and instead admire a few lads' hairy faces back home in Dublin.

As part of the 5th annual #MOVEMBER campaign, rugby player Jamie Heaslip, magician Shane Gillen, editor of Irish online men's lifestyle mag Joe.ie Mike Sheridan, and jockey Paul Carberry, banded together with photographer Lee Malone, stylist Marie Kelly, and several more mo-bros for an Irish Independent LIFE magazine shoot that promotes the campaign and celebrates notions of masculinity, both depression-era old-school and contemporary.

It also features footage of Ireland's hands-down best barber-shop, the Waldorf (beloved of every self-respecting, vaguely style-conscious Irishman from teenage band members to investment bankers), which provided me with a service that's so far proved inimitable.
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All funds raised as part of the Irish campaign go to the Irish Cancer Society's initiative, Action Prostate Cancer | Learn more about Movember | Learn more about Waldorf Barbershop

An Afternoon at Eayrslee.

Though they'd be far too humble to admit it, Joanne Lee and Mimi Eayrs-Jones, are some of Brooklyn's best when it comes to emerging designers. Having chatted with the girls behind Eayrslee around this time last year (you'll get the back-story here), I had the pleasure of meeting the bag-designing duo in person at their Greepoint-based studio just last week.

Currently juggling the tasks of planning the introduction of their SS13 wares to the market and also laying the conceptual concrete for their FW13 collection, Eayrs and Lee are busier than ever with stockists ranging from NY fixtures Gargyle and Thistle & Clover to AHALife.com, Ofakind.com as well as their own online store. And it's hardly surprising, given their knack for conceiving accessories which marry sound structure and practicality with aesthetically pleasing design.

With their FW12 collection (above) complete, the brand is beginning to move away from the Italian and Argentinian leathers which dominated previous collections, in search of leathers sourced from American tanneries so as to localise the craft and ease the formerly laborious process of quality control.

Oh and they're lightening up, too, quite literally. SS13 (below) sees Eayrslee combine their considered, faultlessly-constructed core designs with bursts of neon hues from lime green to safety orange - an apt nod to optimism for a label constantly on the up.

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Learn more about Eayrslee | Shop Eayrslee | See a full range of stockists here

Q+A: NUMBER: Lab

Continuing on from the sports spruced-up tendency I attempted to define, or at least draw attention to, a few months back, this is NUMBER: Lab; a label, for those of you unfamiliar, that at its core seeks to mesh a technical, sportswear influence with a tailored, formalwear-informed aesthetic. It's triple-lined garments, reversible jackets and totes that double as backpacks that are created with equal attention to the matters of form and function. Five years since the brand's birth, designer Luis Fernandez and business partner Greg Lawrence continue to deliver.

Male-Mode: What is NUMBER:Lab? 

Luis Fernandez: NUMBER:Lab is an American, men’s advanced-sportswear brand, for the man who is tech-savvy, athletically-minded and constantly on the go. We call it TECH+TAILORED, a collection geared towards keeping relevant in today’s modern world. Just like great architecture can impact the life of its inhabitants, we think that fashion too, should empower and enhance the performance of the wearer while still looking tailored and polished.

^ NUMBER: Lab Fall Winter 2012

Who does the team consist of? 

Greg Lawrence and I founded the company in 2007, and we both still run the company together. I am the Creative Director and Designer and Greg deals with the business and operations side of the company.

Who is the NUMBER:Lab man?

Our ideal man is a perfect blend of the intellectual-with-athletic-sensibility or the stylish-athlete-with-smarts.

Where do you glean inspiration for your designs?

Art and sports are always an initiating source of research and inspiration for me and architecture, for sure, is always very present. I'm always fascinated by athletic and performance gear; it’s such a rich and educational source, from the super-techy and futuristic to great vintage images.

Blurring the boundary between tech and tailored is your speciality, what is it about this combination of form and function that is so important to you?

I have a suspicion it might have something to do with my ‘modernist’ architectural training at Cornell. I still keep Le Corbusier’s Towards a New Architecture on my nightstand. Even 90 years later, this book still holds a very pure lesson of form plus function that can be re-interpreted for today’s modern world. Technology has started to rule and influence our lives in ways we don’t even perceive anymore. We are surrounded by apps and gadgets that enhance our daily life, and that give us more efficiency, speed and comfort. I think that our clothes should speak to that, and do the same thing.



NUMBER:Lab is currently involved in the CFDA {Fashion Incubator}; can you tell us a bit about how this program came about, and how it benefits your brand?

The CFDA {Fashion Incubator} is one of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's programs, which supports the new generation of fashion designers. There are ten designer brands that were chosen to be a part of it, for a two-year period. It’s really quite an honor. Aside from this great space in NYC’s garment district, there is an amazing mentorship program with some of the best industry leaders. It is an incredible support system which aids in fortifying our business and helps us to be competitive in the fashion industry.

Since founding the brand in 2007, what’s been the highlight so far? And the most difficult challenge?

Oh wow, that’s quite a loaded question. It has definitely been a roller-coaster ride. That’s the fashion world for you - never a dull moment. There are tons of highs and lows (sometimes just in one day alone), and you just have to keep bobbing and weaving. You know, rolling with the punches, and that keeps you on your toes. As a designer, anything that keeps you on your toes and that keeps you moving (sometimes even running) is a good thing. You can never stop observing, learning or asking questions. It’s what propels creativity. As for an all-time high, there is no better feeling than spotting someone wearing something you've created. Every time. And if they make a comment about how great they feel wearing it, or if they thank you for it, it really hits you inside. It tingles, in a really good way.

You’re done and dusted with SS13, what’s next for the brand? Are there are any particular long-term goals? Interest in collaboration(s)?

Well, sort of. Now comes the production and execution of the SS13 collection, which is almost just as important. It’s the last step in making that sketch a reality. But yes, as a designer, you are always living and thinking in the future. I’m almost done with designing FW13 (it’s a bit crazy, because it doesn’t even feel like Fall 2012 has arrived yet). I’m always thinking of collaborations and design partnerships. It’s such a cool concept to bring two points of views, and two different areas of expertise, together to create something. There are a couple of them cooking which are very exciting. But our main goal is, really, to continue to grow the brand, and to continue to explore and express our point of view.

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Learn more about NUMBER: Lab | Shop NUMBER: Lab

Made by Hand: Exploring the contemporary and hand-crafted.

While you'll find a good deal of Manhattanites that involuntarily shudder on hearing its name (that's you, Manhattan contingent of Gallery Girls), Brooklyn is undoubtedly a more liveable alternative to the skyscraper-riddled, kaleidoscopic hamster cage that is the city itself. And rents, by and large, are cheaper too, which attracts the usual motley crew of artists, writers and designers, some fledgling, some established, all a little bit inebriate of the creative atmosphere of the borough (as I write this, my neighbour rehearses a more raw, stripped down version of Mavin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's classic, Ain't No Mountain High Enough; doesn't sound much better than it reads...)

Moving away from the established media (blogs, mags etc.) covering Brooklyn's art, gigs, readings, events and emerging designers, Made by Hand recognises its burgeoning craft industry, as well as craft businesses based just beyond the borough's border. A short film series intended to share the stories of those making things by hand, sustainably, locally and with a relentless devotion to their craft, Made by Hand currently features a beautifully shot exploration of cigar-makers, Martinez Cigars, detailing the business' integral role in New Yorkers' social life and cultural heritage.
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For fellow gin sinners, there's the debut film which features Breuckelen Distilling Company, as well as two more from the series shedding light on the business of knife-making and beekeeping. Stay tuned for the next installment, 'The Bike Maker'.

View more at Made by Hand | See more from Martinez Cigars

Weekday AW12: Spare but sound Scandinavian style.

God, I love Weekday. How the Swedish brand manages to continuously release collection after collection of styles that should, in theory, be boredom incarnate, but in reality, inevitably worm their collective way into my top ten of the season is pretty laudable.

I mean, you'd be totally right in saying what we're looking at here is a pile of grey-hued (with the startling variety of raincloud-grey to charcoal!) separates, but really, this is something so much more. I could v. well be impartial here, given that these colours (plain), these cuts (largely unremarkable) and these fabrics (functional) make up what I'd describe as my personal style, but Weekday really is so much more than that.

It's the detail (or complete lack thereof), the intransigent simplicity, the downright refusal to entertain flounce and whimsy for no good reason and, here, the series of subtle nods to styles as disparate as military, hip-hop-cum-streetwear, classic sportswear and formal tailoring. If anything, it's wearable, versatile and - based on previous purchases - reasonably good quality for the price. 

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See more, and shop, Weekday.

Williamsburg Garment Company: Brooklyn-based denim.

Maurice Malone's Williamsburg Garment Company is pretty much the quintessential American story - one of jeans, entrepreneurship, and making it big in the big city. Having moved from Detroit to NYC several years ago, Malone identified a niche in the casualwear market for a denim-based label that took heed of current trends, prized quality craftsmanship, and understood both retailers and consumers demands for affordable pricepoints. Combining this opportunity with his already existent urbanwear expertise, Malone founded Williamsburg Garment Co., and hasn't looked back since - not that  he has the time considering his chock-full schedule.

Based out of his Williamsburg residence (unbearably swish and Hudson-side), Malone designs, markets and manages the sales of the entire brand alone, taking every opportunity to eliminate complications and iron out middle-men nuisances which drive up the cost of production and often frustrate lines of communication. Surprisingly, for a man helming a label that's stocked by some of fashion's most hallowed retailers (Opening Ceremony, Lane Crawford, Brooklyn's Bird), Malone is incredibly modest about the whole thing, barely giving himself credit and diverting all attention to his brand rather than himself.

He's ambitious, though, which is less surprising considering the rampant success achieved by the brand in such a short space of time. And he's passionate, repeating several times during my visit, his primary motivation: to cut costs for retailers, allowing for decent mark-ups, thus cutting costs for consumers, allowing for savings on great product, whilst never losing sight of the ebb and flow of fashion.

And so you have camo-printed slim-fit trousers in both a light- and heavyweight style, denim shirts with intricate detailing and a range of jeans that runs the gamut from skinny to straight, light-washed to raw. Priced at $102 to $139, it's hardly difficult to see why it's America's selvedge sweetheart.

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See more from Williamsburg Garment Co.

COS AW12: Strict form and fun.

As much as I appreciate the fondness for worn, rugged, and casual shared by the majority of New Yorkers, the streets seem to lack the spare and slickly tailored styles epitomised by Scandi-chic and brands like COS. In fact, despite the abundance of H&Ms, COS doesn't even have a North American presence. Calvin Klein and Armani may have seen minimalism become the mainstay here during the 90s, but it (at least its buttoned-up, stark variant) seems to have fallen out of favour at this higher-end high-street level of the market.

So, even though I've never really invested much in COS, it's with a semi-heavy heart that I pore over these shots from the COS Autumn Winter 2012 press day wayyy back in April. Quilted overshirts, lots of contrast sleeves, a heavy dose of navy, charcoal and aubergine (thrown into relief by a pop of perfect autumnal colours [chocolate, sunflower yellow and olive]).

On an altogether tangential note, the press day venue, Dublin's Waterways Centre, was perfectly on-brand. The combination of marine surroundings, wood-panelled interiors and leather upholstery was the ideal compliment to a collection that mixed unerring reliability and a few instances of playful luxury.

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See more from, and shop, COS (just have the heart to refrain from telling me about it)

Stighlorgan AW12: The Rain Never Stops.

Remember Stighlorgan? The London-based accessories brand that takes inspiration from Ireland's landscape and cultural heritage to create bags, belts and scarves that are utilitarian, hard-wearing and chock-full of singular design details? 

They're back for Autumn Winter 2012 with 'The Rain Never Stops' (never a more collection title for an Irish brand...), a collection intended as equipment for embracing the rain, featuring a slew of coated fabrics including two newly developed by the brand, the 18oz Fisherman's lacquer canvas and 16oz paraffin wax canvas. 

^ From top: Sé, a dual function suede leather tool bag, and a new addition to the Stighlorgan family; can be worn as a holdall or rucksack; Reilly, roll-top rucksack, crafted from the 18oz Fisherman's lacquer canvas

^ The Driscoll drawstring returns; Oisín (bottom, left) mustard zip-top rucksack, made from another custom fabric - 16oz paraffin wax canvas; Roban (bottom, right) remains a staple

^ Boann canvas webbing belt; cable knit Cian scarves

As intrepid explorer Rannulph Fiennes so brilliantly put it: 'There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing'.

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See more and shop the collection at Stighlorgan

Svbscription: Your life styled.

Bespoke, it seems, has taken a new turn. What started in suiting has been translated to subscription services, with an ever increasing demand for the specialised, the specific and the carefully selected. Almost a decade ago, ca. the birth of the modern noughties gentleman and the Savile Row revival, we all went cray for the bespoke suit, forming a backlash against the off-the-rack ill-fitting easiness of Giorgio Armani's 80s and the intransigent casualness of the 90s.

But now it's old news. We get it, if you can afford bespoke tailoring, then you're pretty much guaranteed quality, good fit and excellent service. Recently, the tailored service has migrated to the level of lifestyle. Brands like Glossybox and Svbscription fuse the concept of the traditional magazine subscription and a curated range of products. In the case of Glossybox for Men, it's grooming products; a well-selected package of seven moisturisers, hair products and after-shaves in sample sizes is boxed beautifully and shipped to you each quarter for your delectation. I've trialled the service and readily admit that it's probably fun for anyone interested in trying out several different products but as an unapolgetic cosmetic conservative, having stuck to a pretty stringent grooming regimen since my teens, it's not for me.

^ Svbscription releases Version 2, 'Study'

NYC-based Svbscription steps it up a notch, offering a quarterly shipment of anything from grooming products to Loden Dager to literature. The keyword here is 'luxury', with the service operating on the basis of limited membership and coming at a price that I wouldn't personally describe as accessible ($330 per quarter). Then again, it's a premium service; if everyone bagged a Birkin, we'd be using them to cart the cans of tuna back from LIDL.

The debut shipment took its inspiration from the theme of 'Travel', while Version 2 (just released) focuses on 'Study' and comprises an exclusive Loden Dager navy suede folio, Nicola Barker's The Yips (longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012), a metal travel tube by boutique perfumery Le Labo (engraved with each of Svbscription member's initials) and a Kawaco AL Sport Fountain pen.

As something in the vein of now immensely successful Visionaire, Svbscription seems like a start-up worth saving for.

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See more from Glossybox for Men | Check out Svbscription

Levi's: In for the long haul.

Those of you who've been reading for a while now will know that of all the fashion capitals, NYC has consistently produced the menswear I find most appealing. From Patrik Ervell's industrial minimalism and Tim Hamilton's sharp sporty aesthetic to Thom Browne's signature psycho-prep-wear. 

Similarly, some of the bigger brands I've been following keenly since childhood and still admire today are also American; global style influencers including but not limited to GAP, Ralph Lauren, and Levi's.

The Levi's story is an interesting one. For a brand that actually created and patented the world's first pair of blue jeans, they've remained relatively quiet since 1873, subtly creating pieces that remain true to the brand's no-nonsense, functionality-is-fundamental spirit and generally being the envy of designers worldwide; Yves Saint Laurent famously got really jels and admitted to harbouring the secret wish that he would have designed the first pair of blue jeans. 

The current FW 2012 collection comprises everything from trucker jackets to some no-frills accessories to jeans, a decent selection of slim pants, and cords. So, for those who acknowledge Levi's genius in manufacturing jeans for the first time but subsequently write the brand off as something bland and bootcut, consider yourself learned.

^ Left to right: Commuter Hooded Trucker Jacket; canvas backpack; light wash Trucker vest

^ L-R: 511 skinny Commuter trousers; washed leather Lugger boots; 511 skinny jeans

This is a sponsored post.

Concrete Jungle.

If you've been following on Twitter, you may have noticed I've made like some of my ancestors and upped sticks to NYC for a while. Since arriving a few weeks ago, there's been a lot of sweat, fat rat-dodging, burritos at 10pm, apartment viewing, both fun and unbearably tedious IKEA trips, beard-spotting, PBR-and-shot-drinking (and some moonshine sampling, too) and general feet-finding.

Here's a more easily digested visual guide...

^ From top: Dumbo Arts Festival; ferry view; midday at Williamsburg roof-top housewarming; new home in Bushwick; me, visibly elated, on our roof (wearing thrifted long-sleeve tee, shorts from H&M, socks from Nike and boots from Timberland)

A lot more coming soon, including NYC-based brands, thrift stores etc.

Thanks Midge for the photo