London Fashion Week shows Rooms Men

If it’s on the catwalks in Paris, and is being called a London design initiative, then we are absolutely convinced that in the near future the focus and importance in recognizing Men’s Fashion and Styling will be equal to that of the over-saturated female market.

We recognised a gap in the market a year ago and thus MenStylePower was born. And now the world is catching up. We’re proud as punch.

International design initiative ‘LONDON shows ROOMS MEN’, is a joint collaboration with British Fashion Council (BFC),  Centre of Fashion Enterprise (CFE) and Fashion East.  And this season fourteen of London’s leading menswear design talents were taken to the Men’s Paris Fashion Week, to increase their media presence and develop their businesses internationally. What does this mean? It means that men, who have always commented to us that they cannot find anything brilliant and dashing to wear, now have an innovative and first class enterprise backing their concerns.

‘LONDON shows ROOMS MEN’ launched at Tranoi’s beautiful new venue Tranoi Parc Royal (The Loft) in Paris 3rd Arrondissement (Marais) last month. The new initiative enabled the menswear designers to sell their collections with the support of International marketing, media and sales advisers. As a designer, you just could not ask for more – it’s like finding the Golden Ticket from Charlie’s chocolate factory!

Caroline Rush, CEO (Joint) of the BFC, comments “’LONDON shows ROOMS MEN’ has been successfully running for four seasons and extending this to some of the best emerging menswear talent in the UK is a very exciting project. We are confident that this new menswear initiative will give our innovative menswear designers the means to further their global profile and businesses.”

The support offered to emerging menswear designers by the BFC, CFE and Fashion East represents a growing interest in menswear in the UK and is a reflection of London’s quick response to identifying design potential. ‘LONDON shows ROOMS MEN’ represents a selection of British talent supported by BFC’s Newgen Men sponsored by Topman.

MAN showcase and the Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE) or are special guests such as Christopher Kane Men’s and Jeannette’s Pop Up shop.

NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by Topman, was launched in September 2009 alongside a dedicated Menswear Day at London Fashion Week. Growing from ‘MAN’ a single show on the LFW schedule, these schemes, which offer business support and showcasing opportunities, have been instrumental in raising the profile of new British designers. In a move which mirrors the initiatives that have supported womenswear designers over the past few seasons, ‘LONDON shows ROOMS MEN’ aims to build on the success of NEWGEN MEN, highlighting the growing talent of menswear designers in the UK to an international audience.

For those of you who are interested in support new London talent, the following designers are definitely worth a look see. Having such heavy hitters back these guys and girls is a real honour. So go to town with perusing through their websites!

Cheers. Stig & Stylemeister!

‘LONDON show ROOMS MEN’ in Paris designers include:

Bernstock Speirs

Blaak

BOYOstudio

Carolyn Massey

Christopher Kane Mens

Christopher Raeburn

MIHARAYASHUHIRO + husam el odeh eyewear

James Long

Katie Eary

KTZ

Lou Dalton

OMAR KASHOURA

Tim Soar

Active Sportswear – are you for real?

Given the massive focus on active sports wear due to the recent focus on the World Cup & Wimbledon – MSP is looking into semi-casual sportswear for blokes, which is proving itself to be more sophisticated than ever before. Active Sportswear also covers sports that aren’t so commercial such as fly-fishing, hunting, sailing, aviation and hiking. No offense fellas, we are aware these sports are dear to your ticker, yet in the light of their social popularity, only the select authentic few are passionate about them. (ps- aviation style/fashion to follow in next week’s blog).

Many moons ago, we saw that luxury brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton were venturing into the sports arena with the likes of Adidas and more, to create a semi-casual yet premium look, which quite frankly – worked. The price tag lowered, the ranges expanded, and men could move out of their gym gear and still feel like themselves (in sports clothing) and wear this to outings without having to feel like a tosser and dress in something appropriate that they weren’t comfortable in. Like? Yes.

So in ’style speak’ here’s what’s happening.

Denim textures are changing, there’s more of a rugged appearance developing, shoes are distressed more and more, (which reminds me of a funny story to tell you about a friend of ours and his new R.M Williams, and how he accidentally de-stressed them while stressing himself!), and there is a more sublimated depth to the fabrics.

Because MSP is all about keeping it ‘macho’ and ‘real’, I’m not even going to write about the deceptive trends that I see rising over the horizon when it comes to the faux fur that is being sewn into velvet jackets and hoodies, which will give you a ‘plush’ feel about yourself – it’s way too dandy for the likes of blokes that I chat to. But I am pleased to announce a more engineered nature to the sportswear that is emerging. Knits are being reworked in every manner by designers, and metallics are shining through but if you don’t want to wear your gold Nikes down the street, then that’s fine. We’re happy for you to do so in the comfort of your own home. But don’t be shocked when you see them on the shelves. Just slowly turn away, and walk to the ‘authentic and manly’ shelves and sigh quietly under your breath. You’ve escaped a bullet. Bond.

One area of sportswear that is sitting on top of the ‘uber-cool ladder’ is the virtual leather patches hanging over shoulders or on the elbows of jackets, the finer piping around pockets and the gloves that are needed in the southern hemisphere right now. What is going on with the cold-snap! Freak!

Men either can handle their clothing snug, or they need it to be loose. Depending on your body shape of course. Climate performance jackets are now multi-purpose and user-friendly. Much like an iPad. They’re adaptable, which is a big YES to the men who don’t want to look like they’re trying too hard in the fashion arena, and most are reversible which gives you a satisfying feeling that your money is well spent. Fleece tops are being reworked, but if you are like me, you’d prefer a sheep-skin jacket that is a little vintage. Some designers who are trying to innovate are taking the classic sheepskin and making it into something that is a cross pollination of a hoodie and a terry toweling cardigan. Don’t go there!

One area that I am really digging in this new emergence of sportswear is the 2011 adaptation of the cropped khaki or hiking pant. Snapping just under the knee, you’ll find the functionality when you’re doing your ‘crouching tiger hidden dragon’ the design gives you more flexibility and doesn’t pull at your crouch. We’re diggin’ it! The colours are still in dark and heavy shades, and we’re still feeling like men when we go hunting. Loving it sick!

Get racy with OntFront’s casual street style

Dudes, start your engines! If you love fast cars, this new men’s collection, ‘Shift Gear‘, will tickle your racing funny bone.

Beautiful black, stream-lined cars and lots of horsepower was the inspiration for Amsterdam-based OntFront’s fifth collection’. The menswear label, which prides its self on designing for the bad boy and the gentleman, takes on a streetwise approach that they call “sidewalk tailoring” with clean cut yet hardcore designs that emulate a fast city life.

For their fall/winter 2010-11 offering, head designer Liza Koifman drew her inspiration from the world of street racing and night life: “I’ve always had a love for the aesthetics of car design. Spyker, Lamborghini …The aerodynamic lines and forms of fast cars are the basis for this collection of OntFront.”

The 68-piece collection, which consists of jackets, t-shirts, jeans, shirts, and unique blazers, is primarily made with dark colours like asphalt and car tire black, with highlights in red and eggplant colour. The Italian and French imported materials are high in quality being both ‘water resistant’ and breathable.

We love the OntFront aesthetic, pity the label’s only available in The Netherlands and China … when, oh when will they find a distributor Stateside & Down Under?

To get a peek at more from OntFront visit www.ontfront.com.

Oh, and watch the launch video for the collection right here – quirky, yet quite engaging! OntFront – the \”ShiftGear\” Fall/Winter 2010-11 Collection Video

The Rise and Rise of the Men’s Fashion Blog

“Admirers of dandyism have taken the view that it is a sociological phenomenon, the result of a society in a state of transition or revolt.” Venetia Murray.

Is it just us or has the recent upheaval in modern society (the global financial crisis, ultra feminism, technological leaps and general uncertainty) led to men becoming more daring with their appearance and first impression, as a way to get ahead in this dog-eat-dog environment?

It’s not a new concept. Venetia Murray’s quote above that links ‘dandyism’ i.e. the phenomenon of men taking great pains with their clothes and appearance, to social change, first appeared in her 1800s literary work – ‘High Society: A Social History of the Regency Period, 1788–1830′.

Barbey d’Aurevilly, one of the leading French dandies at the end of the nineteenth century, explained: “Some have imagined that dandyism is primarily a specialisation in the art of dressing oneself with daring and elegance. It is that, but much else as well. It is a state of mind made up of many shades, a state of mind produced in old and civilised societies where gaiety has become infrequent or where conventions rule at the price of their subject’s boredom … it is the direct result of the endless warfare between respectability and boredom.”

So could the the rise and rise of men’s fashion blogs be an indication that men today are becoming keen to express a distaste for the extravagance and ostentation of the previous generations (the 80s and 90s), and to show sympathy with the new mood of democracy a la Obama, who’s  a stylish cool cat himself? Food for thought!

Either way, men are increasingly fashion savvy or at least eager to find out the best and most credible information on how to dress themselves well and the current men’s fashion revolution is led by a pack of style-mad dudes – from Justin Timberlake to Johnny Depp and hip hop bad boy Kanya West – who make sure they’re always seen publicly looking great.

Today’s style kings have replaced the 1700 and 1800’s immaculate high collars, perfectly tied cravats, and exquisitely tailored long coats with Versace Collection Pinstripe Suits, Crew-Neck Sweaters, TAG Heuer ‘Aquaracer’ Automatic Chronographs and Burberry Double Breasted Trench Coats.

They’ve tossed aside the powdered wigs, sideburns, arched moustaches and short curled haircuts à la Brutus (Roman fashion) and mixed in Alexander McQueen Classic Skull Scarves, Fedora Hats, and left their locks to grow luxuriously to the shoulder.

Instead of breeches and snug pantaloons, they rock Polo Ralph Lauren Double D Twill Pants, Rock & Republic jeans, cargo pants and chinos.

It’s a pleasantly surprising revolution and here at MSP HQ we’re all raging fans!

However not every male aspiring to attain this sense of elegance and style can succeed, so BUYER BEWARE! Visit our men’s fashion blog – menstylepower.com, to keep on top of the latest, greatest and best for you.

Overall gents, always choose the best fit and style for you unless you want to be, like the extreme dandies of the 17 & 1800s, subject to caricature and ridicule.

We leave you with this example of dandyism taken to the extreme: Venetia Murray quotes an excerpt from Diary of an Exquisite, from The Hermit in London, 1819:

“Took four hours to dress; and then it rained; ordered the tilbury and my umbrella, and drove to the fives’ court; next to my tailors; put him off after two years tick; no bad fellow that Weston…broke three stay-laces and a buckle, tore the quarter of a pair of shoes, made so thin by O’Shaughnessy, in St. James’s Street, that they were light as brown paper; what a pity they were lined with pink satin, and were quite the go; put on a pair of Hoby’s; over-did it in perfuming my handkerchief, and had to recommence de novo; could not please myself in tying my cravat; lost three quarters of an hour by that, tore two pairs of kid gloves in putting them hastily on; was obliged to go gently to work with the third; lost another quarter of an hour by this; drove off furiously in my chariot but had to return for my splendid snuff-box, as I knew that I should eclipse the circle by it.”

Moral of the Story: Like anything else good out there, style yourself in moderation. (However you could also argue the opposite, a la Oscar Wilde: “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”)

The Bachelor Pad of Your Dreams

Call it the ultimate bachelor pad or a dream home, this is how Hollywood’s 2009 “House of the Year” looks like. Put together by the talented folks at Temple Home, the breathtaking 7,000-square-foot structure is the perfect blend of drama, design and innovation. Nestled close to the most shining stars in Hollywood Hills’ best, the lavish home is packed with technology up to its teeth. Perfect for a young actor or maybe a talented director, we salute the modern furnishings, the outdoor pool area and the gorgeous scenery that it’s part of.

This stunning house sits among the Hollywood Hills and it’s full of new technologies: CinemaScope theater, 7.1-channel surround-sound, intricate TV concealment, extensive automation.

“Developed as the ultimate bachelor pad, (the designer’s) thing was that they wanted all of the technology that a young Hollywood actor or director might want,” says systems developer and DSI co-founder Eric Thies.

“Obviously, there were a lot of potential buyers here that fit that category, so for a 7,000-square-foot house they wanted a lot of technology crammed into it.”

Three areas are filled by surround sound, including a rattling 7.1-channel JBL Synthesis system in the theater and an understated 7.1 Sonance architectural speaker layout in the family room. There’s even a separate video game room that features a triple-screen auto racing simulator and a flat-panel TV that taps into a local PC for gaming fun.

The theater presents movies on a 125-inch Stewart Filmscreen in the superwide CinemaScope format (2.35:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by a Runco projector and CineWide anamorphic lens that fills the screen without black bars. Combined with the JBL system, which includes Synthesis processing, amplification and equalization, the theater rates with the finest of Hollywood screening rooms.

The blend of A/V and architectural touches doesn’t stop at the back door, either (35-foot sliding glass doors, by the way). The outdoor pool area and landscaping are included among the 20 zones of housewide audio and peppered with 16 unobtrusively placed speakers.

“The ability for technology to disappear was far more important in this house than others we’ve done, and the things we couldn’t hide, like touchpanels and keypads, had to be special,” says Thies. “We didn’t want to completely give up A/V performance, and I think we compromised here in the right ways.”

The making of a Legend

He’s among TIME’s Top 100 Influential People. In 2009, 10 years after landing on the streets of the Big Apple, he headlined the legendary Madison Square Garden Arena in New York  for the first time – the same year in which he won his 6th Grammy.

He’s sold more than five million albums world wide, garnered multiple hit singles (“Ordinary People,” “Used to Love U,” “So High,” “Save Room,” “Heaven,” “Another Again”), received countless awards and wowed rapt audiences across the globe. Music’s leading producers clamor to work with him. Fashion aficionados can’t get enough of his incomparable style. And the humanitarian community has rallied around his fight to end poverty.

Critics have called him a genius, one of the most compelling and important singer/songwriters of this generation, an elegant ambassador of soul.

He is John Legend and since his debut on the world stage, he’s left the competition, musically and stylistically, gasping in the wind.

Born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, the singer (born John Stephens) began playing piano at the age of four. He was singing in his church choir by seven and blossomed into a choir director in his teens. He began to work his way into the Philadelphia music scene while studying at the University of Pennsylvania (where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1999). While in college, Legend was introduced to Lauryn Hill by a friend. Hill hired him to play piano on “Everything Is Everything”, a song from her album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Kanye West gave Legend his first big break when he signed the artist to his G.O.O.D Music production company in 2004.

It would prove to be one of West’s smartest decisions. Legend’s debut, Get Lifted, opened at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 and turned the singer into an overnight sensation. Featuring the hit singles :Ordinary People,” “Used to Love U,” and “So High,” the album quickly became both a critical and commercial success, selling more than three million copies and earning Legend a slew of awards, including Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B album.

Legend’s new album ‘Evolver’, the follow-up to his Grammy award-winning ‘Once Again’ is a strong, soulful and passionate project whose name is as succinct as it is bold, a one-word mission statement encapsulating the singer’s ambitions. “I am constantly evolving as a person and as an artist,” says Legend. “You still have the legacy of what you did before and the people’s memory of that will always be there, but with each album you get to question that, to play with it and even rebel against if you want to and I did that with this album.”

One of the tracks on ‘Evolver’ – “If You’re Out There” – reflects John’s passion for social change. In 2007, John and his team launched the Show Me Campaign whose mission is to fight poverty through fostering sustainable development. Through John’s work with economist Jeffrey Sachs and Millennium Promise, the Show Me Campaign has adopted a village in western Tanzania called Mbola. The campaign funds a robust program to help lift this village out of extreme poverty. Additionally, Legend and Sachs have toured the U.S. on a “Poverty Action Tour” to bring the message of sustainable development to the nation’s college students. Legend has recently been honored with the 2008 Humanitarian Award from CARE and the 2008 Difference Award from OneXOne.*

Reflecting on his evolution, Legend says that at this point in his life he is the most confident that he’s ever been. “I’m more comfortable with my entire being,” he says. “I’m more engaged in the world around me. In every aspect of my life–in relationships, sexually, emotionally, intellectually–I’ve grown up. This album is a statement about where I am right now.”

When it comes to style, Legend is dapper and clean – he loves his Prada and Armani suits and tailored garments – he’s not a creases and tousled locks kinda guy, but on him that preppy look is sexy and suave. Mr Legend rocks major style and for that, we at MSP give him a major thumbs up!

* Bio excerpts from www.myplay.com.

The Utmost in Luxury Living

We’ve been recently inspired by approaches in luxury and opulent design and art that signal the ultimate in making a stand for a sustainable and responsible existence and respects the environment, peoples and planet we live on.

Be inspired (and work very very hard) and you too could be the owner of a stunning asset (or at least enjoy an experience) that both enthralls AND gives back.

1. The Ultimate Eco Home

Nestled on a 450-acre nature reserve in the UK, the luxury and eco-friendly Orchid House designed by Featherstone Associates will actually produce more energy that in consumes, making it a pinnacle in contemporary sustainable housing design. The unique facade is inspired by local plant and animal life, utilizing laminated veneer lumber and covered in timber shingles to provide beauty and durability for years to come while blending in with the surrounding environment. Interior spaces fan out from a central living area, with portions floating on the lake. Fetching an astounding £7.2 million (or $14.2 million) from an anonymous buyer, sources indicate that interested parties included Brad Pitt and Kylie Minogue, but if you really want to know who bought this ultra-modern abode, you’ll have to wait until its completion in 2011.

2. A Yacht Dream

Imagine your own floating villa on the sea, a moving island that is spacious, luxurious and developed with the latest and most advanced sustainable technologies; that recycles thermal energy and all waste. The architecture is fluid, fitting in well with the sea – there are no excesses, nothing is superfluous, and the impact on the marine environment is minimal. Imagine space, shade and light. Imagine a new art of living on the sea. Imagine the conceptual WHY Hermes Yachts. For more, visit www.why-yachts.com.

3. The Sheer Indulgence Sustainable Holiday

If your idea of ultimate luxury is never lifting a finger (or foot), then this vacation and luxury tent experience at Campi Ya Kanzi ( The Camp of the Hidden Treasure) is probably not for you. Situated at the meeting point that connects three of Kenya’s stunning national parks (Chyulu, Tsavo and Amboseli), the 280,000-acres reservation is home to a vast wildlife and birdlife population. The Maasai tribespeople are the landlords here, making it one of the last unspoiled areas of Africa.

You’ll spend a lot of CO2 getting here if you live overseas but once you arrive in this vast wildlife area to the private reserve just 35 kilometers from Mt. Kiliminjaro, you’ll appreciate that the lodge was built using local materials (and not a single tree was cut). Solar collectors provide all the electricity, solar heaters the warm water, and eco-friendly charcoal made from coffee husks is used for cooking. Water is a precious resource at the camp and is collected from rooftops–gray water is recycled. Plus, a portion of proceeds is directed towards programs preserving local lions by compensating the Maasai for lost livestock. According to the managers, Campi ya Kanzi has two goals: to help the Maasai preserve their wildlife and cultural heritage and to treat you to the most memorable vacation of your life. Learn about Maasai lifestyle, their land and their culture and help to play a huge role in preserving this paradise on Earth!

Michael Zavros – A brilliant horseman!

Pic: Zavros sketches for Yves Saint Laurent.

It always astounds me, when walking through private homes or galleries, how we are awed by art that looks nothing more than a 6 year old’s Sunday lunch scribble. No offense, I’m a lover of fine and delicious things, and I understand the training and natural talent needed to be an artist, yet if it’s ugly and makes no sense … I’m not buying it.

But in saying that, beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? And the beauty reflecting in my twinkley little eye is Michael Zavros, the illustrator du jour.

So how did I come across Zavros? Well, once, wandering through a gallery at the Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast, I stumbled across one of the most beautiful 10ft x 10ft paintings of a horse I’d ever seen. (No Stylemeister, not the Ol’ Spice Ad). This horse was in full flight as if jumping over an imaginary bar in a stark white landscape. I stood there for a good 5 minutes in awe of its beauty and immaculate design – step aside ‘Pegasus’ (Clash of the Titans). I then found myself walking over to the curator, wide eyed, hand in pocket ready to flip out my fantastic plastic to put a deposit on the piece. The curator smiled at me politely and gently put her hand on my wrist and lowered my almost feverish shaking hand, (symbolising ‘I need this piece of art!’) and said, “Darling, there are no deposits to be placed here. Mr Zavros has a 10 year wait list. You might need to come back”.

O…M…G. This dude (then) was only 29 years old!

There’s no doubt that Zavros is ridiculously talented that its almost like art chose him, and not the other way round. In fact he made that statement himself in a recent interview. Apparently Zavros has been drawing since he was a child – illustrating his unique vision of life on scrap pieces of paper, sketchbooks, and the back pages of books.

Today, he’s an expert in a wide range of art forms, including sculpture, plasticine, water colours, inks and oils; and he was recently commissioned by the design house of Balenciaga to create art pieces of their various accessories. Zavros has won many accolades including being a finalist in Australia’s prestigious Archibald Portrait Competition which he says encourages “the selection of more challenging winners in recent years (which) sets up an interesting tension with the traditional regulations and frameworks playing with ideas about what contemporary portraiture can be”.

Zavros employs traditional techniques in a fresh and contemporary manner to push the boundaries. He’s brave and creative, authentic and dedicated and his subject matter varies. His recent focus has on bringing to life horses as grand centaurs of the classical Greek mythology. In real life, centaurs are a complete fiction but Zavros wills them to exist on his canvasses, where they leap out at you in their impossible beauty and filled you with a mystical and powerful desire.

Michael Zavros is on the rise and rise and watch out for more from this exceptional artist who hails from Brisbane, QLD, Australia – the Stig-of-Style’s home town.

Men’s Street Style

Behind every good Fashion show, whether it be in Paris, New York, Melbourne or London, you can be sure to find the epitome of street style lining up to fill the seats of the second row back. (The first is always reserved for the Designers and their clientele and the socialites of each incredible city).

However street style and the rash of blogs that pay homage to this growing phenomena of the past decade, is fast becoming a core reference tool for fashion houses and designers who monitor them for global inspiration and to learn how trends are being adapted on the street. The highly expensive fashion subscription sites such as WGSN have dedicated an entire category to Street Style. And it’s incredible.

Street Style is personal, individual and out there. Its rockin bold and celebrates the . Tokyo street style celebrates the spirit of Harajuku, Street Peeper is a global street fashion photo site, featuring the best street style from cities like New York, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo, and more. The Style Scout is London’s longest running Street Fashion blog, documenting London Street Fashion across the city.

Copenhagen StreetStyle takes a look at the street style in Copenhagen, Denmark and of course there’s nothing that can beat ‘The Sartorialist’ – Scott Schuman’s wonder child that pioneered fashion photography in blog form. Scott begun his ode to street style when he began carrying a digital camera around on the streets of the Big Apple taking pics of people who dressed in a way that caught his eye, and then posting them to his blog, with comments on his  best finds.

Yvan Rodic, the photographer and creative behind the facehunter blog, gives the reader a window into the edgier side of street style. His many unique moments of inspiration direct from the pavement are the kind that startle, excite, calm and allow the world of fashion to be a lot easier to reach than we ever anticipated. Gone are the days where designers on the other side of the world from London or Germany had to wait 6 weeks for Vogue to sail out on a ship! Instantly we are transported to the streets where Rodic shoots, with the permission of the subject, quick, seductive and authentic imagery for our minds’ delight.

Unique, out there and definitely a celebration of our distinct, exceptional creativity, street style is a now major force in the way we present ourselves. Long Live Street Style! (Are you street stylin’?)

True designer clothes, where art meets fashion.

The art-meets-fashion approach that designers are turning towards is finally bringing fashion back to the more ‘tailored’ and ‘personal’ touch.

The mass-production that we saw saturate the garment racks in every retailer last year, has suddenly been exposed by the savvy consumer. Call it the GFC, or the greed that has compromised creativity and innovation, it’s well and truly pushed the consumers pocket into ‘personal selection’ not the usual ‘retail therapy’ that would help people take their minds off their complicated lives. Why spend your hard earned dollar on something you know cost $11 to make and sells for $89?

Consumers are tired of seeing what’s in one medium priced retailers window, (non-designer) that’s also on sale in another store. Usually 40 feet away. And the reason for this fellas, is that in China, the factory of the world, has allured business owners, buyers and vertical designers alike to Hong Kong, to then get on a train to enter the south of China, pick out the clothing that they know will work based on their consumer profile and re-label it. Or copy it, and produce a small quantity to hit deadlines for speed to market. Business is business right?

Now. So we’re not left on that depressing note that we’ve been paying far too much for the shirts and trousers we’ve been buying from retailers not to be named, I’ll give you a little heads up for the items you should invest your precious dollars into.

Right now in Australia, the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is 2 hours into it’s Opening Night Cocktail Party at Government House. And Penthouse Mouse is a highlight of the festival’s cultural program. It’s as if the moons and stars align, successfully bringing together various designers and artists from a range of creative fields, all in the one space. It’s a unique platform, and one that is perfect for new and emerging designers.

Many of the designers involved this year at LMFF have been working on their very own prints and fabrics. There’ll be silkscreens, screen prints and inspired collaborations with other artists, knitwear that is of the chunky, fine, merino, jacquard and Peruvian persuasion, mesh, leather, stripes, florals, geometric patterning, contrasting proportions, assorted textures, rope and even a little bit of velour.

Now what’s exciting about this, is when a designer prints his or her own fabric, you know it’s like buying art. They can only do small runs as it’s a very expensive process, costing up to $100 a metre of prints and that’s wholesale! But what you’re getting is usually only available to a handful of people across the planet. Ahhh I can see the ‘vintage’ tag on it and it’s value rising if you look after these pieces well.

So if you’re the sort of person who really wants to see the quality for his dollar. Buy local designers who print their own fabric.

Peace out.