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You are here -> Lifestyle / Fashion Saturday, 17 May, 2008
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Bench
I know it. You know it. Baggy is back, people. Led by Klaxons, Hadouken! et al, the Nu-Rave kids are takin’ over, and there’s nothing that the gloomy old indie folk can do about it. It all seemed to reach an apex at the O 2 festival in Hyde Park in June. Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Calvin Harris, Klaxons, CSS, New Young Pony Club: the day-glo kiddies were out in force, and what a sight it was… But if smiley badges and neon face paint are just a little too much – and let’s face it, unless you’re about 15 years old, it’s all a bit embarrassing – then Bench is the brand for you. Always known for its exciting collaborations, Bench’s latest collection is bang on. For the SS07 collection, the brand have enlisted none other than prominent design collective Central Station. Central Station is the design team behind iconic album covers for the likes of Black Grape and Happy Mondays. They also designed for Factory Records, the Hacienda Club, and Steve Coogan’s film 24 Hour Party People. Nobody has better “Mad-chester” rock-rave credentials. The Central Station for Bench designs are a riot of clashing colours, pop culture references and cut-and-paste aesthetics. Designers Matt and Pat Carroll and Karen Jackson have revivified their signature style for this exciting and unique collaboration. Central Station has always been about doing their own thing and staying consistently innovative: “I don’t think we have a formula” explains Matt. “We just approach every design totally differently.” For their work with the Happy Mondays (Matt and Pat are cousins of Shaun Ryder, by the way) Central Station were very careful in their use of imagery. They avoided pictures of the band and incorporated very little, if any, text. “We wanted people to be able to spot a Mondays record from 250 paces, in the middle of 500, 600 records,” Matt continues. The same desire to stand out from the crowd distinguishes the work of Central Station for Bench from that of other casual-wear collaborations. This is the first time that they have produced designs with no direct relation to music, and it is exclusive to Bench. This is entirely fitting given Bench’s ability to maintain its identity in the face of massive competition in the men’s casual-wear market. Whilst other big names in graphic casual-wear have fallen by the wayside or drifted towards the mundane, Bench has remained at the top through a combination of a commitment to quality, an understanding of its customer base, and the ability to remain consistently surprising and innovative. With enough bright colours to interest the trendies, and signature Bench detailing to keep the casual-wear aficionados happy, this is some collection. Bench has long been known for an almost obsessive attention to detail and this latest collaboration is no different: hoodies come in great fits with asymmetric zip-detailing, shorts are bright and bold, and t-shirts feature chopper bikes, toy soldiers and red Indians. This is a collection to remind even the most gnarled of old ravers of their innocent halcyon childhood. For women, hoodies have branded metal eyelets, vibrant Central Station linings and zipped side pockets. T-shirts come fitted, with small printed pockets and collar trim, and cotton shorts feature printed draw-cords and curved appliqué text. If you’re heading to the festivals this summer, and want to be out-standing in your field (ho ho) or if you’re simply staying put in the city, Bench is certainly the brand to be seen in. And, with Central Station’s amazing designs and Bench’s attention to detail and quality, trust me, you will be seen.
tags: | bench | ss07 | matt carroll | more...
55DSL
Imagine being paid to live. Just to live. No more working the 9 to 5, no more manic Mondays, no more living for the weekend… Thanks to 55DSL, this dream is now a possibility. Every year, two appropriately named ‘Lucky Bastards’ will be recruited simply to live. All they have to do is have adventures that will make everybody else jealous, and document them as they go along. They will travel the world for a whole year, take photos, make videos and write blogs. It’s a tough job, but I guess someone’s gotta do it. This project is just part of 55DSL’s innovative approach to branding: their website www.55dsl.com , for example, is definitely worth checking out. Eschewing the standard product/stockist vibe, the site includes links and interesting news tit-bits from all over the world. One that caught my eye involved some funny little village somewhere in the US of A, where wearing your jeans too low slung may land you a $500 fine, and even, would you believe it, a possible prison sentence. Perhaps they should introduce that here: it would certainly sort out those pesky emo kids who are always milling around the clock tower in my native Crouch End. Through other initiatives such as collaborations with emerging artists and sponsorship of famous active folk – surfer Joel Tudor, skaters Tony Hawk and Steve Berra and snowboarder Lukas Huffman, among others – 55DSL has achieved the two (linked) goals that most brands aspire towards: firstly, it has a massive global profile, one which is clear enough and flexible enough to adapt to differing cultures and locales. Where HSBC fails with its slightly nauseating ‘World’s local bank’ schtick, 55DSL actually succeeds by not trying so hard, or so obviously. Secondly, 55DSL has managed, like Abercrombie, to exist, not so much as a company that makes nice casual wear, but as a kind of all-encompassing lifestyle. With their slogan imploring you to ‘Live at least 55 seconds per day,’ 55DSL has set itself up as the brand that represents adventure and an enjoyment of experience. It stands in stark antithesis to dull bland-mines such as Banana Republic or Tommy Hilfiger. Thankfully 55DSL is neither as horribly wholesome as the likes of Abercrombie nor as obsessively all-consuming: this is about more than just polo and six-packs. 55DSL manages to tread that fine line between brilliant brand management and weird obsessive quasi-religion. But despite all this, 55DSL is not just a good brand with a nice a logo and some clever folk in the marketing department. They also make clothes… I was about to argue that however well a company is branded, the product is the ultimate test, but actually that’s complete nonsense. Just read ‘No Logo’ again, pal. Or consider those brands where the enormity of name and legend work in complete opposition to the actual quality of product (not naming any names, natch – I’m not that bitchy a fashion hack). But let’s just take it as writ that ubiquitous brand does not equate to worthwhile garments – indeed, the (non-Derridean, of course) logo-centrism of many a major brand generally has the effect of producing vulgar, over-the-top design which detracts from the aesthetic of the product before the issue of quality has been reached. Fortunately, 55 are all too aware of the pitfalls and pragmatics of branding game – seems they took my advice to re-read ‘No Logo’. In the desperate, grasping world of streetwear, they’re completely clued-in to what the consumer loves about brands – where name is an attractive persona, a guarantor of those who wear it and a promise of quality (aspects which the wearer naturally hopes will relate to sex appeal, which is of course the main reason for dressing well). Where does 55DSL’s branding thrust come from, then?First, consider the product itself: each season sees a full casual wear collection throughout which potent graphics combine with relaxed and functional streetwear styling. 55DSL manages to keep its product consistently bold and clear without being brash or excessively logo-centric (not in the Derridean sense, obviously). Polos, hoodies, zip-up tops and tees are crisp and unfussy, whilst lightweight jackets come in relaxed fits. Stripes and prints feature big on tops and dresses and denim comes casual and low-slung (but not criminally so, one hopes). Autumn Winter 07 is no different; design and graphics once more remain the highlight – silhouettes are straightforward, but the graphics run with militaristic iconography and colours to match, both manga-future and 20 th century classic. The significance for the brand, however, is how any logo or brand name work in the design is stylistically incorporated. You can trust them for the quality, for the graphics – and you can trust them not to treat you as a walking fucking advertising hoarding. Is there a reason for this? Origins are telling, of course, as 55DSL began as a younger, experimental off-shoot collection for Diesel, comprised of 55 pieces ( 55 pieces, D ie S e L offshoot – geddit?!?!), and the loose association with one of the world’s biggest brands can’t hurt. However, 55 is forward-looking and we’d be doing a disservice to treat them otherwise – rather than their origins, it is their leader who imbues the label their reliability, authenticity and their cool-as-fuckness. Andrea Rosso, the creative director, knows his branding but loves his graphics – that centrepiece to any 55 garment. In an interview we did with him for the Hipster Handbook, he remarked that, “in terms of graphic, what we’ve always wanted is to show how when you pass someone, you are seen by them. A graphic wants to grab attention. That’s the part we work right on. I think the influence of the new is more a graphic approach, and not for the way you design the pants and the jackets.” Rosso thirsts to be genuine, for quality: “It’s important to stick to a general guideline that you’ll always perform to, a solid base. The market changes so fast that people want a little authenticity.” With such a leader, they’ll be around for awhile; so what of the future? Plans include the Harmonic Distortion Art collaboration and an exhibition of the work of last year’s Lucky Bastards at the 55DSL store just off Carnaby Street. Which reminds me: I’m off to apply for the position of ‘Lucky Bastard.’ See you in a year, people…
tags: | 55dsl | travel | blog | more...
Hot tips for hipsters2
Runway Models Ah, what a deliciously impenetrable world high fashion is! We desire those couture show seats precisely because we can’t get them, and we want to find an occasion where it is actually acceptable to wear sunglasses indoors. Shame. Well, it would be were it not for the generous ways of the V&A, fashioning its museum into a catwalk so that we mere mortals can get the couture experience. ‘Fashion In Motion’ is a series of live runway events where even Joe Bloggs can get an eyeful of forthcoming collections. Hardy Aimes and Christian Lacroix have already bared their beauties to the great unwashed; on 7th September it’ll be the turn of Manish Arora and his exotic imaginings. Expect rich global references, a full palette of colour and of course a good bit of gender-bending for the converted and the curious. For tickets call 020 7942 2211 Cream team Striking a first in clubland, the legendary Cream have stepped up in the styleranks to collaborate with DKNY in the creation of a dancing shoe. Designer ofthe now iconic Cream logo and the man voted most influential designer in the UK, Mark Farrow, came up with the male and female trainer design. Pink forgals and blue for guys, even the most mangled clubber will be able to followthis trend! The trainers are launching this month into the Microzine stores, new to London and already a Liverpool style staple. www.microzine.co.uk Best one British writer Best One is keeping himself busy following the success of his first solo exhibition ‘My Black Heart’ in London, where his discarded, graffedup skateboards, broken photo frames and furniture went down a treat. Here he lends his painting style to the eternally hip Swear, splicing his signature black with vivid flashes of colour. The brand have long supported our native tagger-turned-artist; in 2004 his handmade characters ‘Scar Cats and the Furs’ were exhibited in Swear’s Carnaby Street store, with a popular unique t-shirt collection after that. Tread the pavement with flair in these painted puppies! Surrender James Lavelle certainly has been a busy boy of late. What with wrestling rock into UNKLE’s new work under his new Surrender All label and beat-pressing in the Surrender studio, the man also scrounged time to create a Surrender clothing line, decking out his disciples who made it back from Never Never Land. UNKLE devotees no doubt still treasure rare merchandise like the UNKLE toys; join James as he carves out a new era and a new identity for his empire. Just as the limited version of new UNKLE album ‘War Stories’ is accompanied by a beautiful 32 page booklet, featuring photography and specially commissioned paintings by Massive Attack’s 3D, Surrender clothing is a visual reflection of James’ musical imagination; almighty beats and dark melodies made art. Expect graphic prints and unnerving statements with the uniform by the man from UNKLE; let your wardrobe take a walk on the dark side! Sketch book ‘The Big Book of Fashion Illustration’ by Martin Dawber documents fashion illustration with examples from every media and technique, showcasing an international roster of artists. Menswear, womenswear, sportswear, youth culture, accessories and glamour are all covered, so budding fashion designers take heed! Strip the scene back to its origins and watch the styles come alive... Anova books are kindly offering Notion readers a fiver off! Order a copy for £15.00 including free UK p&p. Call 0870 787 1613 and quote reference CH766
tags: | fashion in motion | hardy aimes | more...
King
Swinging through the concrete jungle like certified VIPs are mean street sisters and brothers bearing the King label on their backs. Formed in 2003 with Prince’s Trust backing by former pro snowboarder and skateboarder Tim Hoad and an old mate good at graphics, King is a brand built around firm principles. — Skating, hip hop, grime and street art all splatter their influences across King’s mighty clothing canvas, offering up pieces for pavement people to rock with passion. Next-level graphics and detailed embroidery adorn apparel that has both flair and functionality. Take the forthcoming season’s CCTV Camo of the Covert range, which has been specifically built so we suit the streets we’re treading – sneaky! Other lines go by these names: Explorer, Krest, Flight, Deluxe, Defy, Prestige and Patrol; you get their drift that this is streetwear for real folk with serious shit to lock down! — King fulfilled its premium swinging streetwear title by being the first brand to hook up with Stateside headwear dons New Era. Since then the favourite fitted caps have been reworked by various labels looking to add their colour to this classic range. Not so with (the) King, who naturally went for a fully fledged exclusive design – forget monkey business! New Era is now licensing the caps to be sold back in the big US. — Elsewhere King stands by its strict ‘no re-runs, no repeats’ policy: all outerwear and accessories are limited to just 300 pieces, so fret not about some other chimp stealing your style crown. King’s best selling Defy Hoodie has been given a wee reworking for A/W ’07, but classicists can stay content that their originals are safe. — Fulfilling its mission to make clothes with not only credibility but a conscience too, King is about to unveil a denim initiative to keep you even safer streetside. Teaming up with teenage charity Want Respect? to help reduce pregnancies and STDs among 15-18 year-olds, the brand has designed a limited range of 1000 pairs of jeans that are kitted out with discreet Johnny pockets on the inside of the waistband. That ought to stop the odd mishap in this troubled King-dom, eh readers! So stick ‘em up to all of the folk aping the same tired styles and deck yourself out like a king. Respect! WWW.KINGUNDERAPPAREL.COM
tags: | king | camo of the covert
Artful Dodger
Forget the 80s as a foundational year for fashion and youth culture: according to the Artful Dodger school of design, it’s all about the 1800 s! The 1800 equivalent of castrating yourself in skinnies and donning a guitar or slavering your mug in face paint and stepping out like a technicolour terrorist was to join the Swell Mob. Oh yes, these guys were the business – our very own hooded Tower Hamlets tribes aren’t a patch on these authentic crews of cool and criminality. Their ‘flash-dress’ as described in an 1816 document, was ‘unruly hair, blue frock coat to the knees, blue trousers tight to the knees... velvet collar waistcoat, low riding fancy worked shoes... hat, generally tilted on one side... (as they) go about with a cigar in their mouths.’ Unruly hair, tilted hats and cigars? Dahling, how uber! Anglophile American brand Artful Dodger takes these stylish scamps as their inspiration, stitching mischief into streetwear garments and keeping it quirky. The S/S ’07 Artful Dodger collection marked the brand’s very first birthday – graphic blazers, hoodies, polos, tees and hats flooded in to deck out Dodger disciples along both sides of the Atlantic. Just as Dickens’ celebrated ‘Oliver’ character revelled in intricate plots for thievery and the minutiae of people’s insecurities and flaws, these are designs where detail is key. Like the storytelling, trickster ‘cutter lads’ who are the label’s muse, every item spins a tale via its special visual language. Humble hoodies become exotic canvasses where bright embroidery and prints yield jungle creepers, majestic creatures and all manner of weird and wonderful imaginings. Welcome to the rich visual world of British born, New York based creative gurus Vault 49, the collective who head up the graphics for Artful Dodger. Vivid stripes overlay whimsical illustrations on the back of a jumper; sun dials, zodiac imagery and mythical beings dance across jacket arms and satin gets stitched up with leftfield visions in neon thread. Media slogans and street art, travel, nature and architecture are just some of the worlds Vault 49 ransacks for Artful Dodger like veritable 19th century swell mobsters. — In this swell mob spirit, ingenuity and flair are the order of the day for Artful Dodger apparel. Don’t be surprised to sneak at a snatched glove or an illicit charm smuggled into the design; wayward ideas and imagery are all ensnared as the brand casts its net. Nab yourself some swell mob attitude as Artful Dodger brings coveted swagger and cheeky detail to streetwear gear. www.artfuldodgerny.com
tags: | artful dodger | new york | apparel
Hot tips for hipsters
Head Candy Introducing New Era LDN. We have proof that calling our hometown LDN in conversation with foreigners will rile them, so desperate are they for a piece of our cool. I mean, dude, we’re so cool. As, of course, is New Era. But you know this. If you consider yourself sorted, you’re already quite rightly stoked that LDN is going to have the largest available collection of New Era headgear in the world, with over 50 percent of them exclusives, as well as the Marvel and DC Comics ranges featuring Spidey, Bats and Supes. When we mentioned the New Era store-launch to Dizzee, we thought we were going to have to make him put it away, so excited was he. Weller From being unable to afford Ben Sherman threads as a nascent scenester, to heading up his own shirt design via a hit or two with The Jam (just a band), Paul Weller has had a close kinship with the brand. Introducing ‘Candy,’ a British-made, sweetie-striped buttondown shirt according to the frontman’s exact specifications: from cuff size and fabrication to colour ways. Move over, rockers and stand up mods! If you’re keen you’ll swipe 1 of 100 numbered and boxed collectors’ shirts at Ben Sherman’s Carnaby St store (£120, available now). Those with their fingers not quite on the (chocolate) button can still get a sugar rush – Weller’s main line (£55) shirts carry all his signature mod-style features and are available in selected stores. Lick it up, baby, lick it up... Lee in the sky with diamonds. From dressing Wild West American cowboys way back when to being the first brand to style The Beatles in an ad campaign (collaborating with the creators of the motion picture ‘Help!’ in 1966), Lee Jeans has done denim proud. Its first zip-fly jean (101Z) and slim fit jacket (101J) were the authentic pieces the Fab Four flexed: a cowboy quad from the rugged plains of Liverpool, how apt! Now we too can rock (n roll) a bit of cowboy cool; happily, Lee Jeans have distributed 1001 of each of the pieces across their stores, for us to lassoo into our wardrobes and wish lists. Made from left-hand twill denim woven on old American narrow looms, this is a jeans n jacket combo where credibility comes stitched in. Lee has priced the limited edition pieces at £155 and £175 respectively. Perfect for hard days and nights... Whipping floyd Devilish designers Whipping Floyd have come up with a T-shirt collection to see you through a suitably debauched summer. The ‘7 Deadly Sins’ line features one tee for each of the sins, with this illicit tribe each affiliated to a colour and, quite randomly, an animal. What’s more, on the reverse of each T-shirt a suitable punishment for the particular sin is inscribed. Gluttony, symbolised by the pig, will land you a force-feeding of rats, toads and snakes, while lust, here beefing out a cow, carries the retribution of being smothered in fire and brimstone. Check out WWW.THE-7-SINS.COM to see which tee best suits your dark side. Wickedness! Freshly squeezed East London is already like one interminable extreme catwalk, the willfully whacky zone where deadly serious bright young thangs road-test their latest self-styling. Stroll down Brick Lane on a Tuesday afternoon and you can be sure to catch at least three pairs of neon love bugs, the occasional strappedon electric fence and an off-putting array of rainbow spandex. Where better than here to celebrate and showcase fresh fashion talent? FasChion has been devised to do just this, embracing unknown designers and flinging them a platform to wow us upon. Creatives and curators, head to http://www.fasChion.com to book yourselves in for the ultimate summer uber session.
tags: | candy | ben sherman | carnaby street | more...
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