Showing posts with label Junya Watanabe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Junya Watanabe. Show all posts

Wednesday 21 April 2010

That Heat


   I hate summer time

   It has precisely little value outside of its voyeuristic cachet. The mixture of loss of inhibitions and sensible practicality that leads to pleasing feminine visions also results in disgusting visuals of cross-gender partial nudity that gouge into the mind for the longest time. Lord knows why you all love to throw your clothes off and cavort around open spaces, frolicking without the mess


   I have an outstanding request from one reader to advise on dressing for intemperate climes such as the one we share here in Accra. Presently, the sun has rendered me insensible; there's an ice cream headache waiting for me whenever I move to overturn these circumstances in my favour. Yes, I have air conditioning. And yes, it consistently gives me a nasty cold


   For the sake of my aesthetic theory, there are usually few photographs of my summerwear; to dress for the occasion, I normally sport something elegant in black that also functions as a fitting expression of self:


   All in all, I’d rather be in Iceland


   However, request my presence at a gathering with a British Summer Time theme and the topmost photo is the result. It's intended as pastiche only, with the mode owing more than minimal guidance to the photographic submissions section of The Chap. My ramie Junya Watanabe jacket, one of the few lightweight designs that can be comfortably sported above 25 degrees, deserves better than such purposeful irony. The artifice makes it wrinkle faster


   One's summer jacket is a garment for pleasure because your dress options remain open. That Panama, the linen scarf, the silk neckerchief, the correspondents, the open-necked psychedelic shirt, the tasteful eyeframes, the go-to-Hell trousers in M&M palettes; it's a framework that has lasted almost a century but there's a protean manner of stretching it if one loves a challenge


   For all my scepticism, I like the idea that summer is a two or so month-long Traffic Light Party for gentlemen. Consider it; sun and insensibility - what else should encourage a sartorial frolic in primary colours?


   I'll be going Green

Sunday 7 March 2010

The Stephanie Rushton Portrait Shoot, Part Two

   Alternate angles of café culture and on-the-street photographic reportage

   I'll never sit for Norman Parkinson, but Stephanie's talent makes this as great an honour

 
  
  

Friday 19 February 2010

The Stephanie Rushton Portrait Shoot, Part One

   The short version: Stephanie meets Winston at a party, photographs him, is subsequently referred to me and a breezy early evening in Mayfair becomes photographic memories for all





Tuesday 8 December 2009

The Cravat Post (and Other Knick Knacks)

   Prompted by a couple of comments on StyleForvm regarding cravat use amongst the young (the most specific being "How can I wear an ascot and not look gay kthxbye?"), I have taken upon myself to investigate this Scoobariffic mystery

   I'll begin by informing you that you're likely screwed if you wear them as ultra traditionally as possible, unless you are genuinely in costume or ridiculously full of elan. I own 3 and only trust myself to wear them to either a wedding, in character at a party or without a standard suit jacket/blazer/odd jacket, unless it's a three piece suit and a cravat that's sized more like a scarf

   Call me a sentimental young fogey, but I rather think the morning suit cravat holds up very well. I wore it as a groomsman last year, yet not only had I no say in the outfit (aside from relatively accurate fit), but when I arrived wearing the lilac cravat in a traditional manner with a pearl tie-pin, the rest of the four-in-hand cravat-sporting wedding party physically attempted to rearrange it whilst I was still wearing it. Good times


Via the New York Times , this J.C. Leyendecker look encapsulates elegance through illustrative prowess


Judy and Fred during the final scenes of Easter Parade, from a Telegraph featurette 

   But you want to know about less occasional and more down to earth usage. So make it casual. You need to refer to Apparel Arts/Esky and the Duke of Windsor on this one, and even if you are young, let Will at A Suitable Wardrobe guide you along the way (he also has the most comprehensive collection of Apparel Arts images in the menswear sphere)

   Instead of a regular cut jacket, try something a touch offbeat (I don't like reusing shots, so the link is necessary) or something more relaxed and informal like a cardigan (Will favours a safari-styled shirt jacket - colonial, yet still uncommon enough to be interesting). Or just get them in a particularly eyecatching size, tune up the nonchalance and colour match with extreme prejudice:

The DoW treats it as just another part of the ensemble by harmonising it with the rest of the outfit. Bold, bright and relaxed

   What I'm also driving at is using scarves instead. You get the combination of flash and practicality without the self consciousness. Some of you may remember this one:


   This would also look rather clean and somewhat exuberant with a waistcoat, either as part of a suit or a more informal ensemble - there's something of the lounge lizard about it. It's also rather enjoyable with a v-neck:


   You should also have noted by now that rather than the standard references of Lord Byron or early 20th century motorists, I'm actually interpreting something of a mariner look, which is far less overexposed and flouncy and much more enjoyable since it doesn't need to be worked at or overstated. Think also to the peacoats-and-flat-caps casual styles of the young Paul Newman but with decorative neckwear

   For those of you who don't want too much material but enjoy the look nonetheless, well, there's always a neckerchief; leaving the ends out is standard, though one can also sport them tucked in like so:


   For the upcoming seasonal change, look to the new collection of a certain Japanese designer whose name, I'm finding, is becoming rather redundant to type. You probably know who I'm referring to by now, and he's tackled this gilded age look with utter aplomb and a clear idea of how to make it natural today.

   As befitting JW's "new feeling for basics," the proportions are executed rather similarly to my own silhouettes, generally mixing slim-but-not-tight upper halves with flowing trousers and structured looks that utilise shorts to avoid severity, alongside some well mannered quirks and enviable pattern mixing

   Observe that the neckwear is even worn with polo and short sleeved shirts and without jackets. A perfect way to bring these Esky looks back into focus:










JW CdG Man S/S10 images from GQ.com. A full review may appear after its release next month

   If you don't believe that you have a flair for the look, the solution is very simple - find someone with a flair for it and take inspiration. After that, the rest seems easy

   As for the neckerchief with suits-look, let me get back to you when I've made it happen for myself. Oooh, excitement

Monday 23 November 2009

The Party Post

Photograph by Daniel Barnett


   Always wear something interesting to a party, even when it's a costume. Parties are a dime a dozen for the average social animal, so don't count on the atmosphere, guests and copious alcohol consumption to make it memorable (especially the last one, unless your braincells happen to be of singularly resilient genetic stock)

   The most "young" party-friendly piece I own is the tailored tracksuit-derived jacket from Junya Watanabe Man S/S 07, which, perhaps too literally, puts the "sport" in "sportjacket." At least a third of its brilliance rests in the fact that it's publicly unwearable beyond flamboyant social occasions and the occasional "Go to Hell" day. Another third is that the construction is absolutely amazing, showing off an array of decorative stitches and nylon strips set on top of practically seamless patching and shaping. It looks utterly insane... and it's nevertheless an utter dream to wear, even moreso than the more subtle trenchcoat I wear from the same collection. It pairs well with rollnecks, with bowties, with scarves and very judiciously selected neckties

   Despite being my second choice for the Psychedelic 60s party I swaggered about at recently, as displayed above, it proved a hit where accuracy was concerned (I aimed to channel a fusion of Jimi Hendrix and The Who's Pete Townshend, though suffice to say, a combination of Nutter's and Mr. Fish was my ideal. It helps to actually own such things first)

(Author's note: the hat was acquired at a party; I awoke wearing it the next morning and I never saw its previous owner again. I do hope she's not missing it much, six years down the line)

   As for more traditional, and sedate, occasions, you cannot go wrong with the old black tie. If inclined, or required, to jazz it up, I find a patterned white scarf and a crushed velvet double breasted go a long way, even when everyone else at a "Black Tie With a Hint of Après-Ski" party is dressed more ostentatiously:


What do you like to wear to parties?

Monday 13 July 2009

Summer Blues Two



   Another opportunity to pull together some summer sale ensembles, this time to stomp some divots at the polo in Richmond with the aid of my heavy soled derbies

   The Junya x Lacoste jacket is familiar to some, so the centrepiece this time is the new pair of linen-cotton Aquascutum trousers that are weighty enough to see me into the chillier hours of the days. And it was past time that I returned to white trousers, a step that honours my efforts to master summer outfits in a satisfactory manner

   Were I more detail minded, I'd share shots of the belt loop-free waist and side adjusters, but I'm not yet au fait with the ways of OCD. The detail I am happy to share is below; evidence that I am not-so-secretly a cravat man after all:

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Outfit - Persistence Will Murder Your Wallet


   I am giddily pleased to report that after a year and a half of eating correctly, brushing my teeth twice daily, thinking positive thoughts at least once an hour and becoming a monk, I now possess the Junya Watanabe x Lacoste jacket I mentioned coveting not so long ago. I'd spin its arrival as an excuse to the lack of updates last month, but truthfully, I only got it last week, and I hadn't all that much to say due to the English heatwave affecting what pass for my mental faculties

   The photographs of its debut outing were kindly taken by Winston, and subsequently, I've managed to repair my own camera, allowing me to take my own picture when I next wear or see something remotely interesting. The pushed-up sleeves, hat, "pyjama trousers" and scarf-belt are partly a tribute to the late King of Pop. Unlike its counterpart, I see no reason to dye or customise it in any way - it will prove as versatile as I wish. Like its counterpart, the jacket is an amazing piece of construction and design that's perfectly calibrated to the weather as it's as light as the polo shirts it was reconstructed from. Though I wish it was designed to better hold a puffed pocket square

Friday 12 June 2009

Junya Watanabe's Year of the Gentleman, Part Two


   I'd never known a fashion collection speak so directly to what I feel could be my idealised aesthetic, particularly in the summertime. After all, for this moment, I've almost achieved it. I'm happy to thrift, to inherit, to use eBay, to go High Street and discerningly acquire at deep discounts, but the JW CdG Man S/S08 show had me considering its extraordinarily high retail prices with genuine intent

   And that almost never happens


   It was the show that sealed my fate. The average runway presentation puts my mind in one of about 3 places: "must have the entire outfit" "would wear that jacket, nix the trousers," "what the hell is that meant to be?" While the latter two speak for themselves, I've never actually purchased and worn an entire runway outfit - this isn't "Monkey See Monkey Do" - nor have I worn an outfit entirely inspired by one. But I've come so very close to this and the current summer collection, and it isn't hard to appreciate why

   With the exception of the more outré ensembles featuring effervescent paisley shorts, sportcoats or trilbies - perhaps de rigueur for the likes of Patrick McDonald on a resort vacation - the show presented an improbably sustainable run of desirable appearances that flirted with practically every trend that has seen men's fashion through the last few years, pushed the bounds of Watanabe's self-imposed traditionalism for all it was worth and somehow ended up as the last word in contemporary dandy gear

It's particularly notable, and impressive, just how much different a lanky man looks in the Lacoste safari jacket compared to myself


   Certainly, something of a mannered, elusive, better-dressed-than-all spirit pervaded matters. The models's walks intermingled with the stationary gathering of the guests, who stood and assessed the viewing in an austere, brightly lit space, waited on by an impeccable man in a double breasted white jacket and a black silk necktie. One of the models was snapped whistling through a turn and doffed his dark Panama hat to the waiting photographers, while another strode with nonchalant ease, a hand in his pocket and confidence and haughtiness hinted across his face. Yet such mannerisms seemed rather unplanned and in full accord with the theme that Watanabe aimed for, terming his creations "Relaxed Suiting"

   This was very much a presentation for the smart dresser who wore his clothes to live, much in the manner that dear old Fred Astaire would roll up and throw his freshly bespoke suits against the wall to rid them of their "newness." And roll ups were certainly driving many of the ideas. The wrinkles evident in so many of the garments were created by tightly tying them into a ball and leaving them overnight. Meanwhile, every single trouser on show was roll cuffed for maximum offbeat elegance (and some jacket sleeves too)


   Having seen and purchased some of the clothes, I can confirm that they're a genuine delight, but the true value certainly lies in its tailoring. A Lacoste safari jacket made out of recut, overdyed polo shirts and utilising features such as armpit guards could quite possibly be the apex of lightweight outerwear, but the other collaborations were just as thrilling. A short safari suit made out of Brooks Brothers Oxford cloth was similarly inventive, while the ante was upped on the longterm Levi's collaboration when Watanabe actually recut the jeans jackets into sportcoats and safari jackets rather than simply cutting them in different fabrics as before, though the gingham cloth certainly helped in that regard

   The own label jackets were just as charming - aside from the wrinkles, there was variety to be had in four front patch pockets; foulard or floral print half lining; leather and elbow patchwork; the memorable coffee bag redesigns; madras blazers; cotton, linen, ramie; and a variety of warm weather weights. Some were so thin a camera flash could expose the lining for a single instant and if that wasn't enough display, some of the jackets inventively featured their lining above the second button on a 3-button configuration, displayed by rolling the first button point into the lapels (3 roll 2, so goes the parlance)

   And the JW shorts suit, 2 years on, is still about the only take that doesn't seem wholly silly. The proportional balance of matching a shorter jacket to knee length shorts and opting for a cut with a slimmer, rather than skintight, waist and natural shoulders made them an enticing proposition

   Other strong showings came from the knitwear designs, which were heavy on classic argyle and cricket stripes arranged in a less conventional manner and rendered in bolder, yet considered, colours than by, say, Gucci. The shirts were also delightful and progressed from plain pastels to the currently-ubiquitous gingham to wrinkled foulard-printed shirts. My inner Jermyn Street fanatic was immediately sold by the emphasis placed on French collars, and only a little disappointed that the matching white cuffs were not designed for links. The appearances of the latter shirts were matched to colourful, candy striped loose-fit trousers that appeared initially uneasy, but ultimately seemed to cohere into a witty take on current pyjama-derived dressing

   The preference for smart, sturdy shoes also worked to keep the collection grounded (per se), and were accurately matched to the shorts, chinos and jeans. And the hats were simply fantastic; varied in colour, style and hue, the hatbands composed of the same print cottons as the linings, shirts and jackets. Watanabe was so enamoured of them that he used both the men's and women's hats in each show.

   As he is wont to do, the later women's collection was a fantastical version of this one, utilising the cricket jumper, reworking the shirts into floaty, voluminous wrap dresses or short jumpsuits and even creating a women's version of the panelled, stitched charcoal suit that could be bought with either matching trousers or a shirt. No one riffs on a theme the same way Watanabe can


   And what of the themes? One of the similarities I neglected to include in the previous dissection was a resemblance to Paul Smith’s A/W 03 collection; all sturdy shoes, country checks and somewhat boxy, slim-and-short-cut suiting. This had a beguilingly subdued mix of youthful Paul Smith-esque colours with Etro-like patterns and emphasised a much more European outlook to Junya's work this time. Although his traditional manifesto always holds true, Watanabe is often considered to be an American nostalgist and the instinct was strong amongst some to connect the pastel pieces, cricket v-necks and short suits to Thom Browne and preppydom. And this would be selling the wide-ranging styles of the pieces rather short

   Indeed, a variety of influences can be gleaned if one looks closely. Naval stripes and the prints suggested early 20th century seafaring and resort holidays. The coffee bag theme and the messy formality put one in mind of Deep South river workers, just the types to roll up their cuffs and get soaked, emerging with clothes shrunken and clinging to their frames. And Frillr.com, recognising that there is no single overriding influence, memorably described the aesthetic as "a Coffee worker born in Italy, raised in New York around the 50s, who then went west and worked at some farm with Thom Browne"

   But I think my fellow StyleForvm member, Fuuma, was particularly accurate in citing Lanvin as an influence, pointing out that the European dandyism, "manchild mash-ups" (an all-ages appeal exemplified by the varying ages amongst the models), nontraditionally cut suiting and washed, wrinkled smart fabric was straight out of the Elbaz & Ossendrijver playbook, albeit filtered through Watanabe's own wilder and personalised insights. And such a recombinant form of dress speaks highly of his unerring eye for hybridisation


   I'm still in love with much of this, two years after I first saw the photos. A different way of looking at tailoring but without sacrificing good taste and a gentleman's attention to detail. Wonderful colours and a laid back presentation. Smart shoes, smart socks, smart hats

   Glib as this may be, who says tradition is boring? Or that it should not co-exist with high fashion? Not Junya Watanabe - and clothing is all the better for him

Your author trying on his JW wrinkled sportcoat with floral lining. It will see many more outings in better weather, though I think the buttons may have to be changed

It's been over a year and I still need this jacket in my life. My time will come

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Junya Watanabe's Year of the Gentleman, Part One


   Anyone who's discussed clothing with me for more than 5 minutes of their time knows that at this particular moment in my life, Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man is indisputably my favourite line of men's clothing. Let me extrapolate on that

   Around the time I first immersed myself in the online rabbit hole of style websites and the warrens of discussion forums, his name would often come attached with enough superlatives to make most other designers insecure for life. His interview with style writer Charlie Porter was the only reason I have purchased an issue of i-D magazine since my student days. His womenswear is justly more acclaimed, but nevertheless, he expertly produces four collections a year across both gender markets that intersect his visions of practicality for one and fantasy for the other with shared themes, prints and even cuts. And his influence on me is such that I've practically graduated to wearing a garment designed by him once a week

   But the ease in which I can integrate his designs into my aesthetic is one of many reasons that inspire my affection for his work. And I don't think that was any more apparent than when he debuted his Spring/Summer 2008 line, as well as its successor for Autumn/Winter. So, in the name of backwards logic, I'll start with the latter

   An admission - I don't own any pieces from the recently departed A/W08 line (yet). It was an engagingly dandified take on American Trad and varsity looks that perfectly exuded the credo of "a new feeling for basics" that concludes the manifesto on the transparent blue flexi card attached to each new piece (the card is a rather Japanese sentiment, much like their giving of gifts and instinct for amazing record packaging)

   Despite the notoriety of Thom Browne's alterations to the silhouette of tailored suits, the pervasively shorter image was an exploration undertaken by Watanabe as far back as 2003 when his A/W04 collection showed in Paris, which not only showed shrunken suiting, but also darted and cut away fabic at the points where the body's movement would take place within the suit (or joints and 'pits to the rest of us). And if there's one thing that Watanabe gets very right where Browne can falter, it's in making this shorter look seem appropriate and wearable, much more linked to the well-cut "bum freezer" jackets of the 60s and 70s than the slightly off-kilter boxiness or blood flow-constricting tightness of Browne's work (although I'm also aware that Browne's customers may choose not to emulate his infamous look)


   But this background knowledge makes for a good starting point to delve into the collection, as do the Browne comparisons. Usually, a Junya collection has a title, and although I didn't find an official one anywhere, Dover Street Market referred to it as "Junya Watanabe's Way of Dressing Up," which works for me. The overall look is smartened up, but there's a hint of mischief in jackets that include trim running along the hem and quarters, including a paisley pattern that debuted in the previous season

   The runway ensembles showed a look that was utterly gentlemanly and easily emulated if the proportions are correct - the rolled-up cuffs on the trouser bottoms easily balanced out the particularly short lengths of the jackets and allowed for an utterly daring, but fun, display of one's socks. This was where the show excelled, by bringing the Edwardian holidaygoer look into an archetype that took hold around 40 years later on an entirely different continent. Perhaps it was the use of such trad staples and silhouttes but for some reason, the rolled up look felt rather unique to this particular archetype and did not feel beholden to the aforementioned Edwardian look, nor to the greasers that also appeared during the 1950s. And whilst it's more of a nod to Watanabe's well-documented fondness for punk, the inclusion of porkpie and trilby hats and the shortened trousers added an element of idiosyncratic refinement into a look that usually utilised bold madras and checks to inject a playful element into its ensembles. In actual fact, the use of such patterns in Watanabe's colection was rather subdued, opting for duller compositions on cardigans as overall patterns or patch pockets, and also cut into panels and attached to the backs of shoulders and arms on recut Brooks Brothers shirts to inject a subtly whimsical element into them

   This whimsy continued with the backs of various jackets, trousers and even suits presenting a different aesthetic at the back - racing stripes, nylon tracksuiting, striped knitting and wool checks all appear as each garment is turned around. A sportier, collegiate image was represented by nylon and wool varsity jackets rejigged as sportscoats with leather sleeves that could still appeal to, and stand out with, a smarter look


   Whilst a lot of it appeals to my sense of fun, I believe that part of the reason I didn't gravitate to this collection as closely as I have to some of the others was due to the persistent sensation of the collection being gimmicky. Many of the pieces felt overly designed due to their double-sided construction, which made it difficult to find one's sense of self in wearing them. (Un)usually, Watanabe would get around this by using a more subtle form of hybridisation, merging two disparate pieces such as a military jacket and a blazer into one by adding the details of the former to the shape of the shape of the latter, or presenting a biker jacket in bright, boiled wool instead of leather. This season was less exploratory in that respect, opting to display sartorial quirks and fabric choices rather than the subtle insights of the designer that has allowed him to put fresh-yet-mostly-restrained spins on traditional pieces in a way that is unmatched by any other

   It's not a good feeling to realise that a Watanabe item could effectively be bought elsewhere from other brands - repp ties are available from various outlets, even moreso if you attended public/prep/private school or a top tier college - and while it easily stood apart from the inevitable Browne comparisons due to the injection of its own ideas, the collection did not quite create "a new feeling" for tradition - if anything, it felt greatly beholden to the past


   Nevertheless, there were some great ideas to be found when Watanabe's instinct for cross-pollination took hold. Workwear met suiting with hammer loops and nail pockets on smart trousers, the leather sleeves of the aforementioned varsity sportsjackets appeared on Gloverall duffel coats that were actually from the boy's collection, and trousers were constructed in a jean factory and triple-stitched accordingly. But these sorts of ideas were elementary for a Watanabe collection, and what I consider to be his best work will certainly be analysed in future entries


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