Peacocks and power-dressers: Men at LFW

I couldn’t help but notice that there seem to be more male visitors at London Fashion Week this season too. A far cry from the dowdy image of the typical British male, every man ShopCurious saw was distinctively dressed and demonstrated a uniqueness of style.

Some were especially ‘chi-chi’  - like Daniel (I hope no one tried to hang their coat on his earrings). And a black and white colour scheme seemed to be popular with younger men.

While Grey Fox, a blogger specializing in fashion for the older man, looked smartly stylish in a country style tweed jacket, teamed up with jeans and brogues.

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Tsunami of style

Life size weeping cherry blossom trees were the magical backdrop for Nicholas Oakwell’s fourth collection.  Branches dripped down over the catwalk, causing towering models to wave petals out of their way.

Couture is all about attention to detail – and this show was no exception. Opulent shagreen, (shark or ray skin) used to trim the accessories and clothing even adorned the reverse side of the sumptuous invitation to the show at Claridge's. 

And Roja Dove created a deliciate lilac based perfume ”with an unexpected kick” especially for the occasion.

The ‘kick’ was due to the inspiration for Oakwell’s Spring/Summer 2013 show  - Hokusai’s 19^th century woodblock illustration, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Japanese art and culture generally portrays a harmonious and balanced image of the nation’s society, showing calm and serene landscapes of flat water and iconic mountains, tranquility gardens and the fragility of nature in the form of cranes and wisteria. But there is the constant reminder of the destructive forces of nature.

The show began with ruffled, fringed and beaded designs, reflecting the foaming waves of a tsunami. The ensuing serenity was embodied in outfits of neutral tones, with the lean silhouettes of 1970s inspired kimono sleeved trouser and catsuits. The regrowth of flora and fauna following the wave were represented by handbeaded and embroidered wisteria, honeysuckle, weeping willow and birds – not forgetting Oakwell’s trademark feather and seqin embellishment. Traditional Japanese hexagon woodblock prints were also intricately woven into the handcrafted designs.

Like ShopCurious, Nicholas Oakwell Couture prides itself on supporting British craftsmanship and “working with the finest artisans around the British Isles.”

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New dandy style - fashion for gentlemen

London Collections: Men should have its name changed to Gentlemen's Fashion Week, if yesterday’s Savile Row showcase at Spencer House is anything to go by. The event was an elegant display of all things uniquely British and beautifully made – interiors, furniture, art and afternoon tea, as well as men’s tailoring, hats, shoes and accessories.

The presentation, sponsored by The Woolmark Company, was a reminder of the fact that London is still the world capital of masculine style – as it has been for over two centuries – certainly way before Downton Abbey (the television series at least).

A mix of models and ‘London men’ were dressed by Savile Row Tailors, from Ede and Ravenscroft (established in 1689) to Richard Anderson (opened in 2001). The outfits were styled by Jo Levin of GQ Magazine, with accessories from the likes of James Lock and Co, John Lobb Ltd and Holland and Holland.

A delicious tea of sandwiches, mini-cakes and cocktail curiosities was served, washed down with Nyetimber English champagne and King’s Ginger from Berry Bros and Rudd – or a nice strong cuppa.

Spencer House, described as London’s “most magnificent 18th century private Palace,” belongs to the Trustees of the Spencer family and is open to the public on Sundays. You can also hire the venue for private events. I can confirm that it is even more spectacular when lit up by candelabra for a dinner, plus you get a private tour of the house and a box of Spencer House chocolates when you leave. Even the loos are curiously splendid!

Anyway, getting back to fashion… Shopcurious noticed that some of the male guests, like Masahiro Murase (below), wearing Celine, had their own arty and original interpretations of gentlemanly dress.

But British dandy style doesn't have to be traditional...

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Funk, fashion and pheasant for groovy guys

A belated Happy New Year!

Christmas has flown by and the past week has been a blur of catching up. On a Sunday night in early January, I fully intended to be sitting quietly at home in front of the television. In fact, I would have been watching the first episode of Mr Selfridge, if I hadn’t been invited to Harvey Nichols for an event to celebrate the launch of LondonCollections: Men. The party was held in the 5^th floor café, where curiously creative canapés courtesy of Salon in Brixton Market included crispy fried pheasant and Welsh Rarebit with pickled walnut (yum!)

Guests at the event exuded a cool, offbeat vibe and dressed with a smart-casual quirkiness, like Boy Meets Fashion blogger, Jai’me Jan.

Harvey Nick’s new Fashion Director, Paula Reed, buzzed around, overseeing the proceedings. Amongst the international fashion glitterati, was male supermodel, David Gandy. I squeezed my arm around his waist, and can confirm that his body is just as taut as it looks in the photos.

I later saw him chatting to Men’s Health Style Editor, Dan Rookwood… With so many fit men under one roof, I’m already enjoying this week of men’s fashion.

The highlight of the evening was a special performance by Kindness to preview 1205’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. The band members modelled 1205’s forthcoming clothing range, as they wowed the audience with an impromptu jam (see below) in their distinctive contemporary funk style.

Adam Bainbridge showed off his fabulous mane of tousled locks (see top and below), 

whilst the band’s talented drummer rocked an enormous afro. Seems like big hair is getting bigger.

ShopCurious looks forward to more uniquely British men’s fashion and style over the coming week.

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London's most conspicuously cool landmark?

It’s come a long way since its original conception around 12 years ago, but today The Shard will be officially opened to the public.An extraordinary feat of engineering has taken place to create the mega-monolith - just take a look at the photo gallery of the construction project at Wikipedia (see link above). During the course of the building works, I’ve also taken quite a few photographs from various angles and locations, several of which can be seen here:

Despite what the advertisement hoarding next to the Shard says, there’s no longer any need to travel to America - at least not to see the towering, shimmering glass of colossal high rise buildings.What’s more - the Shard is so conspicuous, it’s difficult to escape from, wherever you are in London...

With penthouses on offer at around £50 million apiece, the residential accomodation on offer is a tad pricey, but if you’re looking for something tall, with a bit of English provenance, how about these curiously collectable twisted wood antique candlesticks from ShopCurious? I’m not sure how well they'd suit a contemporary apartment in The Shard, but if you love old fashioned British style and subtle lighting (as opposed to laser light displays), these may be just what you’re looking for.

 

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