Born in Tokyo in 1943, Yohji Yamamoto was a graduate of the prestigious Keio University and Bunka Fashion College (Bunkafukuso Gakuin), Yamamoto is a keen harmonica player and fan of Bob Dylan. In 1970, he began designing women’s clothing. Two years later, he set up his own company, Y’s and he showed his first collection in Tokyo in 1977. His unique style attracted universal recognition after showing his spring/summer collection in Paris in 1983.

Said Yohji: “People of my generation were ripped off by economic success: during our youth, the industry kept pumping out new products we couldn’t believe in, because we knew, come tomorrow, they would be out of style. So we became the first generation to wear second-hand clothes.”

Yamamoto is the only Japanese fashion designer to have been awarded the French Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres. He was the winner of the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prize in 1986. Today, Yohji Yamamoto is known widely for his collaboration with Adidas and the creation of the Y-3 brand.

What are the origins of Y-3? Yohji Yamamoto, one of the most influential and avante garde designers of our time, approached Adidas as the original sports brand to initiate collaboration. Together Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto developed a collection that represents fashion, sport, fine craftsmanship and the future of sportswear.

The philosophy: Y-3 has not only been created with an image and prestige perspective in mind, but also to become successful business-wise. Y-3 completes the Adidas product range from sports performance to sport heritage as the third Adidas division sports style.

Catherine of Aragon was the original Spanish Queen with an English heart. The beautiful and loyal Queen of England was infamously removed to enable King Henry VIII to remarry and reset the course of English history.

Today we have a new Spanish Queen with an English heart. Desiree Mejer was born in 1968 and decided to move to London in 1992. Desiree set up the Fake London Genius fashion brand in 1995. Fake London is a fashion forward brand in love with the Union Jack and English Bull Terriers. Fake London Genius exudes archetypal Englishness; the brand holds true to the Cross of St. George like no other brand past or present.

All Fake London clothing possesses a uniquely English quality; pure punk with a regal flavour. The Fake London jeans are well made and accessorised with chains and English imagery. The tops and jackets are equally adorned. All in all Fake London flies the English flag high and proudly. Perhaps Desiree Mejer is the reincarnation of Catherine of Aragon afterall.

RARE Jeans continue to persist with their controversial marketing campaign which pitches same gender individuals in overt sexual scenes. Many argue this strategy is no more than reverse-marketing aimed at attracting recognition and attention through controversy and provocation. No doubt, this technique can be very successful. However, the execution needs the skill and precision of an experienced surgeon as even a minor slip will have devastating consequences. RARE Jeans may have severed a main artery with the execution of this campaign.

This is a loose English translation of the RARE Jeans campaign: “The concept that is at the base of the new campaign of communication integrated by Rare, developed in collaboration with the great creative photographer, Oliveriero From Tuscany gets expression from: “Maximum  liberty of behaviors, interpretations and principles of expressions, and that of a homosexual.  Also this and the sense and the spirit of fashion.

In the photographic images flown out of Tuscan Oliveriero two men play with their sexuality. They touch themselves. They joke. They do not take themselves too seriously.  But, they respect themselves. They give life to a shape of obvious ambiguity.”

Translation issues aside, why would RARE, or any fashion brand, believe they can enhance their brand’s popularity amongst heterosexuals by promoting their product through homosexual lifestyle scenes? Surely this alienates both heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. Heterosexuals will not want to be seen in a brand which is advertised with homosexial connotations and homosexuals may feel the campaign is exploitative and misleading. All in all, this campaign looks like a lose/lose effort! Perhaps RARE have inadvertently confused being edgy with being senseless.

To paraphrase a well known song: Puma Miharayasuhiro so good they named it twice. Perhaps one of the few truly inspirational collaborations, Puma Miharayasuhiro delivers breathtaking footwear with unique styling.

Born in 1972, Yasuhiro Mihara grew up in Fukuoka, in the western part of Japan. Influenced by his mother, an abstract artist, Mihara flourished in an artistic environment.

Yasuhiro Mihara Graduated from the Taina Art University in 1997, where he had a glimpse of shoe craftsmanship, and immediately fell for its intricacies and techniques. He then taught himself the traditional ways of shoe-making.

1n 1998 his first store, SOSU (prime number) Miharasuhiro, was established in Aoyana Tokyo.

The Miharasuhiro Collection consists of apparel, shoes and accessories for men and women. Mihara’s design philosophy is to break through the boundaries that we have set up through the course of fashion history. He designs with the intent of changing our perception and stereotypes. Not interested in churning out mass produced high street numbers, Mihara is interested in reaction of people to his creation; he wants an emotive response.

In 2000, Mihara collaborated with PUMA to create the PUMA Mihara collection. With each season of the collaboration, Mihara’s collection with PUMA has evolved, becoming more authentic and truly original.

“Puma’s an international brand so it was definitely the easiest way to get my name known overseas,” says Yasuhiro Mihara. “Even if people in Europe have an interest in Japan they can’t get information about it. However fast air travel gets, Japan is always going to be the Far East. But working with Puma has been like a pipeline and it’s made it easier to get offers from overseas agents.”

Is the search for the denim grail finally over? For many years noble knights of the round rivet have been seeking what many consider to be no more than a myth: Perfect Denim Jeans! Well, there are now murmurings that the search is over and Earnest Sewn Jeans are the myth made reality. Let’s allow Earnest Sewn to tell the story:

Earnest Sewn, by definition, is a denim brand which pays homage to its Americana past and mixes, for perhaps the first time, traditional denim workwear with the ancient Japanese style aesthetic, Wabi-Sabi. Designed and launched by the former co-founder/designer of Paper Denim & Cloth, Scott Morrison, the Earnest Sewn design principle is literally translated as ‘product sewn in earnest’. Focusing on each individual jean and the numerous amounts of processing, hand application, and refinishing techniques used to create an Earnest Sewn jean, he takes things even further by intentionally incorporating imperfection and inconsistency into key design and sewing details. This is exhibited in irregularities such as stitch detailing, needlework, sewing construction, trims, thread variation, and our ever changing ‘e & s’ back pocket decorative stitching.

Although several themes are referenced throughout the collection, the most significant reference is in Earnest Sewn’s adoption of the Japanese aesthetic system of traditional beauty, Wabi-Sabi. At its core, “Wabi-Sabi is the beauty of all things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.” * The idea that perfection can be found in the imperfect is not a new thought, in fact it’s thousands of years old, but when combined with distinctly American products such as jeans, workwear, and sportswear, the result is fresh and unexpected.

Those fortunate enough to find a pair of Earnest Sewn in their local retailer will have found a line of denim and denim related products that reflect an unprecedented commitment to quality and individual style. They’ll also find an unwavering appreciation for denim and the fading mystique of American ingenuity and craftsmanship. Each piece of Earnest Sewn is handcrafted to perfection, the end result, an obvious byproduct of our obsession.

* Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren

Fall/Winter 2006 – FACE THE NORTH

The new 2006 Mustang fall/winter collection will put you in the mood for adventure, stirring up the fresh-and-frosty feelings associated with Northern countries. Denim with a patina finish, dark washes, and raw-and-dusty open weaves evoke memories of gold-rush days from long ago. Broken twill adds to this sense of excitement, as do flat weaves with authentic washes that feature strongly in this season’s range. Scuffed effects, a weathered appearance and “lost” buttons that have been replaced are combined with hand-sewn leather patches on jeans and jackets. The result – garments that look like they’ve been forgotten in a mine for decades. ‘Amateur’ cross-stitch details have a made-by-grandma touch. And blast-from-the-past designs, such as lounge, military, and lumber jackets, frock coats, and cabans, are back and all the rage. Five-pocket pants, drainpipes for boys and girls, cargo styles, worker looks, and all kinds of suit trousers are also sure to impress. While tulle fabric, small-and-dainty collars, attractive buttons, bodice designs and eyelets simply ooze feminine appeal.

Like all great concepts it’s simple! Fly is a contemporary forward-think Fashion and Lifestyle magazine which is neatly packaged on DVD. This fresh, environmentally-responsible, method of disseminating news, gossip, articles and reviews plainly represents the dawn of a new era in publication. Save a tree get the DVD!

FLY’s Zero Issue includes 140 mins of film content – including 14 short fashion films by established and emerging photographers / filmmakers featuring designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Boudicca, Zac Posen, Calvin Klein, Cloak, Y3 etc.  In addition there are also 6 interviews and documentaries, 9 music videos and The Loop (30 mins of cool film clips from FLY playing to mixed music from Output Recordings).

FLY sells at places like Colette (Paris), Moss (New York), Seven New York, 10 Corso Como (Milan), Dover Street Market (London), Surface2Air (Paris), Conran Shop (USA and Japan), The Mercer hotel, Soho House etc.

The intelligent DVD format fully engages the consumer; it takes you from a two dimensional to a fully interactive three dimensional world — a crude but fair analogy!

Ding-Ding, round one for the ultimate pink punch-up! Sir Elton John and Fashion Queen Karl Lagerfeld are reputedly in the midst of a major “Tiaras at Dawn” conflict.

Facts, as always, are rather vague. Nonetheless, it appears the conflict started when Karl “The Abominable Gay Man” Lagerfeld snubbed the wedding of Sir Elton John and David Furnish because of extreme security measures at the after party celebration. Karl Lagerfeld reputed said:

“I refused to go to Elton’s civil ceremony. I got a paper saying no gifts for the couple. Cameras are forbidden, cell phones are to be deposited at the arrival. No smoking. I will not go where things are forbidden and I’m told to behave. They say it’s security – I went to The White House, I went to the court of Monaco, and I never got this. You feel not like a guest. You feel like an unpaid extra. You’re hostage for a party.”

No doubt the girls will soon kiss and make up; let’s face it, their wigs are actually brother and sister, so these two super-queens are albeit related!

Sugar Cane Jeans are a uniquely Japanese denim made from — you guessed it: sugar cane. For many years Sugar Cane Jeans were a ferociously guarded Japanese secret but today the brand is attracting global attention. Interestingly, Sugar Cane prefer to use the vintage term “dungarees” in preference to the term “jeans” to discribe their product: “The word, ”jeans”, has become the vernacular for faux denim fashion wear that masquerades as the tough, classic waist overalls history made famous.”.

Sugar Cane Jeans are cut from original and truly outstanding Japanese selvage denim. Japanese selvage denim is arguably the finest in the world. Japanese selvage denim is made on old style shuttle looms rather than modern projectile looms. In simple terms this means that the cross thread goes back and forth during the weaving process. Modern looms, shoot each cross thread through individually, hence the edge of the cloth is frayed rather than clean. No shuttle looms have be made for over 40 years as they can only make cloth about 30 inches wide whereas projectile looms can make fabric 60 inches or even wider for much less money.

Sugar Cane Jeans are constructed of fibers derived from the plant that gave rise to the brand name – SUGAR CANE. Sugar is made from sugar cane, that seems simple enough, but not everyone knows that sugar cane and its byproducts contain essential amino acids and enzymes necessary to fuel and rejuvenate our bodies. Likewise, byproducts from sugar cane are used to fuel automobiles in Brazil in order to have a less harmful impact on the environment than found in burned fuels of a purely fossil origin. Following these facts in a rather philosophical approach, the textile specialists at Sugar Cane were the first in the world to produce a selvage-denim fabric made from woven cotton yarns and sugar cane fibers. Cotton and sugar cane yarns are dyed completely by hand (no machines of any kind are ever used) following an ancient Japanese technique using only 100% all-natural indigo dyes (no artificial or blended dyes are ever used). In this specific selvage dungaree style, the indigo plants, cotton and sugar cane are all harvested from regions of Japan.

Sugar Cane Jeans don’t come cheap but if you’re looking for a pair of truly vintage Japanese selvage jeans then these are the true originals amongst an illustrious list of “pretenders” to the crown!

Is the Paul Smith Naked Lady wallet sexist and degrading to women or a clever and harmless piece of marketing?

The buxom brunette, pictured kneeling naked and holding a red telephone, is the favourite model of Archie Dickens, who works from his small studio in West Wickham. The 94-year-old pensioner initially sold the illustration to an American collector who then sold it on to Sir Paul Smith, who uses it in his wallets, cufflinks, keyrings, shirts and belts. Archie insists his designs are cheeky but not in any way pornographic.

Perhaps the decisive question is, how would guys feel if women carried purses with pictures depicting naked men? A fair compromise might be a wallet depicting a naked woman and man side-by-side?

Working extremely closely with Adidas on all thier product development this collaborative effort for spring ‘06 features designs pulled from historical items and Adidas Originals trend product. oki-ni endeavours to continually push the boundaries with thier Adidas designs, colour ways and materials and brings you originality plus a breath of fresh air.

For this season They see the re-introduction of the Wilhelm Bungert as part of the Icons theme celebrating the careers of three German world-class athletes. In 1967 Bungert was the first German tennis player to make it the Wimbledon finals and this shoe dedicated to his achievement was released in the early 1970’s. This classic sneaker is offered exclusively through oki-ni in these two new colour ways with tonal Three Stripes. Reminiscent of the Superstar, this style features a rubber toecap designed to assist tennis players whose toes would drag on serves. Full grain leather uppers provide excellent support whilst the perforated sides and tongue allow for extra breathability. The sturdy textured sole and cap both in artic white provide excellent grip and flexibility. Dual branding of oki-ni/Adidas is used on the tongue and innersole thus adding to the exclusivity of this sneaker. This style launches in late March 2006 in sizes (UK) 6-12.

First seen in 1968 the Gazelle was created as a general athletic training shoe and became renowned for its incredible cushioning. The Gazelle has been re-interpreted for oki-ni in two styles across four exclusive colour ways. Both styles use full grain leathers to replace the more common suede upper.GAZELLE LASER uses full grain leather for the upper with stitch details signifying the Three Stripes, plus an oki-ni laser cut detail in the outsole. Whereas the GAZELLE VINTAGE has an outsole, eye stag and Three Stripes all created from white suede. Each style has a rubberised sole tread featuring a circular forefoot wedge insert to relieve excessive pressure. Perfect for summer, these stylish all-purpose sneakers are available with dual branding in contrasting colours on the tongue and innersole heightening the exclusivity factor. The Gazelle laser will be available in April 2006 in sizes (UK) 6-12. The Gazelle Vintage will be available in May 2006 in sizes (UK) 6-12

It looks like Diesel have orchestrated a controversial advertising campaign to convolutedly gain brand exposure. The controversial advertisement, which has already been banned, depicts the rear of a naked man with three pairs of female legs hitched suggestively around his body.

 

The controversial advertisement appeared in The Sunday Times Style Magazine and reputedly ignited outrage, not dissimilar to the Yves Saint Laurent Opium perfume advertisement featuring a naked Sophie Dahl.

Diesel reputedly countered the outrage by insisting their advertisement was appropriate for the Style Magazine readership.

Someone should remind the marketing team at Diesel that Subtle is invariable more Sexy!

Billionaire Boys Club, a collaboration between Pharrell Williams, the highly regarded internationally acclaimed producer/artist of Neptunes and N.E.R.D, and Hip Hop fashion designer Nigo of “A Bathing Ape” fame and fortune, finally started to crawl off the production line at the end of 2005.

Originally Reebok were to produce the Billionaire Boys Club range of garments and the complimentary Ice Cream Sneakers range too back in 2004. However, for one reason or another that failed to transpire and the Billionaire Boys Club label failed to materialise in the exclusive fashion stores as expected. Apparently Pharrel Williams is in the process of suing Reebok for $4 million for breach of contract – Ouch! Looks like being messy.

These were Reebok’s original sentiments: “The Billionaire Boys Club collection is a true reflection of Pharrell’s attitude, universal appeal and lifestyle,” said Todd Krinsky, vice president of Rbk. “Whatever the context, Pharrell touches today’s youth with authenticity and relevancy.” Where did it all go wrong?

So where is Billionaire Boys Club now. We’re told on the official site “Billionaire Boys Club is a true lifestyle brand that is very limited and exclusive while maintaining an aspirational appeal to the global market.” The Hoodies, Tees, Polos and Sweats all look quality and the Nigo connection is sure to generate a lot of interest. That said, you can’t help feeling all the bad publicity in relation to Reebok, the delays in production and the questionable name (and acronym) all conspire against the brand having a major impact on the fashion world.

Maybe Pharrel should go back to what he does best and Nigo should stop and think about the potential negative impact BBC could have on his Bape brand?

One of the most exclusive shoes of 2006 has arrived. The Jhung Yuro exlusive luxury lifestyle footwear is limited to just ONE shoe per size – now that’s LIMITED EDITION for real. The luxury shoe consists of full grain leather with genuine snake skin Split suede, leather sock and collar lining Cup sole with deco stitch detailing. Two sets of laces and a full grain leather shoe box, contrast deco stitch on box exterior, magnetic buckle closure Monogram interior box lining.

Launched in 2005, Jhung Yuro was created when designers Jhung Yuro and Ceasar Lunix recognized a void in the men’s luxury lifestyle footwear marketplace. Jhung Yuro is currently available in specialty boutiques including, Nom De Guerre and Otto Tootsie Plohound in New York City, Ubiq and Fusion in Philadelphia and Arrive in Miami.

The sophisticated new collection from Jhung Yuro gets its inspiration from the safari and various wildlife. Natural materials like snakeskin in vibrant colors continue Jhung Yuro’s design esthetic of the marriage of luxury lifestyle footwear and exclusivity with comfort and originality. Key styles for the season include the Exotic I and the Hiker Low, designed in rich, bold colorways and earth tones with pastel pops, respectively.

The collection is available to view and buy online: Click Here!