MENSWEAR DAY London Fashion Week // Reviews

Carolyn Massey

Inspired by ‘a body of military patterns sourced from an anonymous donor’ Massey takes military to the next level for AW10, including elbow patches and epaulettes on fine rib knits, military inspired jackets with round brass buttons and sturdy utility pockets.  Delicate hand-drawn prints were introduced for the first time, on shirts, whilst smudgy stripes in grey appeared on casual t-shirts.

It was the colour palette that was the surprising highlight, eschewing military khaki and the traditional red/navy/gold connotations the reference usually bring to mind, Massey instead opted for light putty shades, including pinks and nudes, which were tempered with shades of grey and matt black, creating an almost nostalgic, vintage feel to some of the pieces. Boxy leather tunics were worn over knits of the finest gauge, textured squares with a delicate sheen were the perfect complement to the luxury  fabric. The almost sparkly knit appeared again on an all in one grey jumpsuit, a garment certainly not designed for the faint-hearted. 

Layers were fastened with sharply shiny brooches, which recalled medals and badges, designed by Hannah Martin, whilst a collaboration with Tabio (the Japanese sock specialist) saw large fishnet socks worn under slim cropped trousers.  This attention to detail further distanced the collection from its grounding in military, but Massey’s skill allowed her to subtly recall traditional motifs, but in a fresh and contemporary way.

http://www.carolynmassey.com/

http://www.fashion156.com

MENSWEAR DAY London Fashion Week // Reviews

WINTLE

The show notes described a strong preppy influence on the Jsen Wintle’s collection, which was hard to square with his usual angular aesthetic, but as the show opened with odd (as in non-matching) jackets paired with trousers the collegiate influence was clear. This was preppy style expressed in a sophisticated way with long boxy jackets, rather than the usual brightly coloured polo shirts.

However, the hip-hugging slacks, which puddled around the ankles, were less successful than the jackets. Wintle’s use of colour, in the form of green suits, fawn double-breasted jackets and cream blazers, was adept and he made the shapes his own with unfamiliar lapel shapes, blazers cut as short as mess jackets and futuristic slash pockets cut along horizontal seams. Jsen truly took us back to the future.

http://www.wintle-man.com/

PETROU\MAN FW 2010-11 Collection

The seasonal return of PETROU/MAN appeared on our radar whilst in New York for Fashion Week - a collection designed by Nicholas Petrou and styled by Robbie Spencer (menswear editor at Dazed & Confused), was presented at Drive Studios. 

The collection, a more tonal and sophomore affair, ratained the technical tailored sports-lux feel we have come to love with PATROU, whilst improving on construction and keeping inline a scattering of signature prints - giving a new take to tie-dye and even hand dyed tartan.

Unusual fabrics, hand detailing in the embroidered shirts and the light use of fur made for a nomad inspired collection - we especially enjoyed the head pieces and customised footwear. This is a collection which seems to be pushed further in the right direction with each passing season - a talent is before us Gentry readers so sit up and take note.

http://www.petrouman.com

Alexander McQueen

Mr Gentry is not a place for tragic news stories, but today we all heard the tragic news that British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead after taking his own life. 


It begs the question of how fragile we are, and how our industry is so demanding, exhilarating and yet so damming pressures of each season to put out a collection to the gaze of the world's media whilst putting yourself on the line too - we are surrounded by a need for immense change and pushed for drastic finales.


At only 40 years old Lee McQueen was a true original - an irreplaceable visionary creative that the world will be miss, and continue to wonder what would have come next.

The Out-Of-Towners

Believe it or not Gentry followers, there is a world of fashion retail to be unearthed outside our fair capitals walls, and here are a selected few: 


Bespoke Boutique, Norwich: Co- owned by friends Sean Ward and David Holland, Bespoke Boutique is a relative newcomer, having only launched in summer 2007. Bringing a fresh take on British and European style, they misx up rock ‘n’ roll inspired couture, modern tailoring and matching footwear, as well as accessories. Top-selling brands of the moment include Cheap Mondays and April 77, whilst a more niche audience is catered for with a limited edition Raf Simons collection for Fred Perry. 
18B Lower Goat Lane, Norwich, NR2 1EL. 01603 76 66 11. www.bespokeboutique.com




Hip, Leeds: With a stellar reputation in the city, Hip has quickly established itself as the clothing outlet of choice  for the Leeds creative set. Doing the tried and tested things well, you can expect Levi Vintage, Barbour and Engineered Garments from the US. 
9 & 14 Thorntons Arcade, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6LQ. 0113 242 4617. www.hipleeds.com




Oi Polloi, Manchester: Home to an extensive variety of must-have labels, including the ever popular full clothing range from APC and hand-dyed Edwin jeans, this has long been a favourite for clued up men in Manchester. For something a little different, you can pick up a pair of Superga super-classic canvas tennis shoes in a variety of colours.
70 Tib Street, Manchester, M4 1LG. 0161 831 7870; www.oipolloi.com

Aitor Throup x England Kit Sneak-Peak!

Not being a fan of the game they call football, i always find the fanfare surrounding a new kit astoundingly surprising.  However the time it gets interesting, for me, is when a certain Aitor Throup, graduate of the Royal college of art , gets involved.

Famed for his ability for reinterpreting the form of the human body and translating this into carefully engineered garments, he has consulted and worked with the likes of Levis, Stone Island, CP company and even high street wonder TopShop.

Aitor, appointed creative consultant to Umbro in 2008, designed the new look england kit last year entitled "Tailored for England" for which he worked with famed Islington tailor Charlie Allen. This time round, only Throup worked with Umbro to apply his relatively unique approach to contemporary tailoring, constructing the kit around a "unique 3D form, designed for player movement specific to the game of football" -  the result is not yet available to see but is apparently form-fitting and performance driven.

I'm not sure whether this kit will become a style icon in the circles of fashion, but i'm sure it will be an innovation masterpiece adored by football fans the world over.

The new away kit will go on-sale March 3rd 2010 and will be revealed shortly before then.

http://www.aitorthroup.com

http://www.umbro.com

The Beginning of Gentry Style Bites // Mismo ‘Boston’ Wrinkle Leather Collection

Starting today there will be Gentry Style Bites - a quick fix, if you like, of Gentry style praise for a chosen brand and its worthy product - first up is a sneak peak into the beautifully crafted world of Mismo.

Gentry Style Bite:

Whom? Mismo 

What?  Maker of fine accessories for gentlemanly folk. 

Which? All styles from the shopper and document carrier to the duffle bag. 

Why so special?  This collection uses full grain ‘wrinkle’ leather specially made for the brand. 

Available When? Right about now but limited to 1oo per style worldwide 

How Much? £350 - £650 

From Where?  http://www.mismo.dk

Studio D’Artisan 30th Anniversary

Here at Gentry Towers we just adore a celebration of heritage and pain staking yesteryear techniques of producing garments, and so i introduce to you Studio D’Artisan.  Founded in a tiny workshop in the traditional cotton weaving area of Okayama prefecture, Studio D’Artisan are celebrating their 30th Anniversary in true style with the release of their 30th Edition jeans.

The brand boasts being stocked at fine establishments such as Self Edge in New York and at the very relevant style emporium PRESENT, based in east London . The 30th Edition jeans are made from 17oz Japanese selvedge denim and dyed with Natural Indigo, the "Kase Zome" dyeing technique is repeated up to 30 times on each of the 200 limited pairs which have been produced, which provides the deep colour. Other refined features include "Tri-colour selvedge intertwined with gold Lame, triple needle dual-colour chain stitching", and pocket bags lined with the 30th Anniversary Jacquard lining. 

But its not all denim and indigo dyeing, also available as part of the 'Big 30' offering is the premium grade organic cotton jumper limited to only 180 pieces, each produced using the vintage loopwheel process (a technique Nike use on their premium sportswear produced in Japan) to achieve an extremely soft garment.

Available at  www.superdenim.co.uk 

Dunhill AW10 Collection

The revival of Dunhill is well into its third season and for AW10 the Dunhill man is a suited and booted style chameleon: he’s studious, an explorer, enjoys out doors-y sports and isn’t afraid of dressing appropriately for black tie events.

Kim Jones' third collection for Dunhill looked at exploration, travel and adventure undertaken by Clement Court (general manager of Dunhill’s Rue de la Paix store), and Setsuji Wada (Japanese ‘Maki-e’ lacquer artist) for inspiration. “It is always about a maverick with dunhill, said Kim, ‘and when I found out about Clement Court trekking across Europe and Asia in 1930, taking the Trans-Siberian railway, and saw the detailed diary he kept with photographs, he became the focus and the maverick figure to personify this dunhill collection.”

A profoundly important collection which should be watched, taken in and digested for any man worth his style salt!

http://www.dunhill.com/

Bill Amberg X Jonnie Walker

Bill Amberg, one of our most respected accessories designers, has par-taken in a most covetable collaboration with ultra-premium whisky Johnnie Walker Blue Label.


The pairing sees Amberg creating a limited edition branded carry case and weekend bag in beautiful dark blue oil-toned leather. It features adjustable belted-buckle handles, a shoulder strap and a perfectly formed luggage tag just in case (horror of horrors) you manage to lose this brilliant little combo whilst on your travels. 


Available at Selfridges, Harrods and www.thewhiskyexchange.com this little pair will set you back £1,200, pricy yes but crack open the whisky whilst you hand over your credit card and you wont feel a thing.


http://www.billamberg.com/