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STYLE WOMEN
FASHION FUTURES S t y l i s t a n d fa s h i o n w r i t e r K a r o l i n a K i v i m a k i h a s t h e i n s i d e t r ac k o n n e w s e a s o n t r e n d s , fa s h i o n m o v e r s a n d s h a k e r s a n d au t u m n m u s t - h av e s
Men’s fashion finally arrived on the Fashion Week circuit when its own edition, London Collections, took place in central London over three days in June, opened by the Prince of Wales. From Burberry and Tom Ford to Paul Smith and Pringle of Scotland, a long list of designers showed Gieves and Hawkes, their spring/summer 2013 collections on the catwalk Savile Row and in presentations across the city. For once it was all about the men and not a one-day event attached to the main London Fashion Week. Savile Row tailors opened their doors to guided tours of their ateliers and cutting rooms where the real action happens. After witnessing how a tailored suit is painstakingly handstitched from start to finish at Gieves & Hawkes, it’s no wonder the price tag for these garments run in thousands for such a laborious effort. It was at the London Collections I came across London-based brand Dashing Tweeds. Designing with wit, Guy Hills and Kirsty McDougall have put a spin on trad pieces such as threepiece tweed suits, knitted tank tops and sporting caps, adding clashing colours and sporty nylon detailing. “This autumn we’re going big on British wool and designing a technical explorer’s jacket called the Dashing Explorer”, Guy told Style Birmingham. “The fabric is woven using British wool and a reflective yarn and the jacket
will be full of useful hidden features including lights and silhouette changing fasteners.” Dashing Tweeds has also done a collaboration with Converse, resulting in a funky tweedy pair of sneakers, £80 (dashingtweeds.co.uk) and a bicycle bag range with Il Soigneur, from £80. Their collection for Topman will hit the shops this autumn. On the subject of designer collaborations, H&M teams with French fashion house Maison Margiela for a new range launching November 15.. Famed for their deconstructed tailoring, there will be plenty of statement pieces for guys who are not afraid to plunge into a surrealist approach to classic fashion. Topman carries on the Britannia Rules momentum with a t-shirt collaboration Converse trainers, £80, Dashing Tweeds
with Newgen designers James Long, Katie Leary, Lou Dalton, Sibling and Christopher Shannon, and £5 from the sale of each t-shirt (prices from £24) goes to the British Fashion Council’s Princess of Wales Charitable Trust to support young designers. For sneaker lovers, Aston Martin has rolled out a collaboration with London shoemaker John Lobb: shoes, £525, mrporter.com. These beauties have been expertly crafted by Aston Martin’s director of design Marek Reichman and John Lobb’s creative director Andrés Hernández, resulting in a go-faster shoe
made of butter-soft Italian leather with a streamlined rubber sole. I first saw the sneakers on Aston Martin’s CEO Dr Ulrich Bez at an Aston Martin launch back in May and he told me they were the most comfortable shoes he has worn. Now, Dr Bez might be slightly biased to his own product but they do look ergonomically designed and make a fantastic driving shoe. Right now, shops are finishing sales and filling up with autumn collections. Separates are the easiest and quickest way to update your wardrobe. Get started with a new jacket and go for the gentleman look with a burgundy melange wool jacket by Jaeger, £340, House of Fraser, in stores from mid August. For a more casual look, opt for a mustard jacket by Jigsaw, £225, for a hard-working staple piece to wear with jeans or chinos. Dockers has a great range of corduroy chinos in a multitude of colours from mustard and rust and khaki for £90 a pair at House of Fraser.
Union jack tee, £24, Topman
New Look has also tapped into the dapper side of tailoring. “Our newly relaunched tailoring range shows the smarter side of the Sweeney Todd trend, consisting of three-piece suits in cottons and Neppy wools worn with tonic shirts,” says Leszek Kubasiak, menswear designer of New Look. This black-grey Donegal tweed style jacket, £49.99, and matching waistcoat, £24.99, are so well cut they easily look five times the price tag. New Look has also done expensive looking brogues for just £19.99: the shoes to have this season. Read Karolina’s blog at heelsandlipstick.blogspot.co.uk
Wool jacket, £49.99, New Look
Modern jacket, £450, Dashing Tweeds Alpha cords, from £80, Dockers
Musette bag, £80, Dashing Tweeds
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Brogues, £19.99, New Look
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