Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Bespoken About.

Last Fall, Bloomingdales became the exclusive American stockist for Bespoken, the British label seeking to step foot into the fashion world by means of classic and tasteful menswear. While the label has only released one previous collection (Autumn/Winter 08), their refreshingly simple Spring 09 collection makes it clear that Bespoken is a label with a no-nonsense approach to clothing: they use only the most exclusive and authentic fabrics, they tailor with the utmost precision and attention to detail, and they design and manufacture their entire line in England. Sadly the label doesn't sell any of its products online... at least, not yet. So unless you have access to Harrods London or a Bloomingdales store, you'd be hard pressed to grab a hold of Bespoken. However, without a doubt this is a label that deserves attention. And I suspect it's only a matter of time before this young, budding, and chic English label will be the new talk of the town.

More information at Bespoken.Com

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Reclaiming the Boyfriend Jean.

So your girlfriend took your baggy jeans and decided to wear them for herself. Well, the go-to denim brand for the made-for-women Boyfriend Jean (popularized by Katie Holmes) has just come out with the answer to your girl's beloved baggy denim: introducing Current/Elliott's Tom Sawyer Jean. This spring the denim brand, whose slogan appropriately reads "Wear For Love/Love For Wear", offers the style in two washes: Hickory and Super Loved Rip and Repair. The Tom Sawyer Jean looks as if it's been worn and worked for years, lending it a relaxed and effortless appeal (as is the case with all Current/Elliott's jeans). But being the respected line that Current/Elliott is, there's no doubt that the Tom Sawyer Jean is made with the best quality denim and the highest level of care. So now is your chance to show your girlfriend how a pair of real boyfriend jeans look like. And I have a feeling she'll go wild over them.

More information at CurrentElliott.Com

Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Beauty from Bangalore.

Following models is something that I do. I memorize their names, their physical statistics, their campaigns, their editorials. I do it because, well, beauty is inspiring. I know, I know -- sappy much? Maybe. But let's take the stunning Lakshmi Menon as an example shall we...

How can you not look at her and think, "Damn. Now that is a beautiful woman." This Indian stunner, born in 1981, is, by fashion industry standards, old for modeling. Yet, she's the "It" model of the moment, booking jobs for such renowned fashion bibles as Vogue and L'Officiel.

But beauty is beauty, regardless of one's age, skin colour, status, or height. It doesn't hurt though that Lakshmi's got it all. A breathtaking face? Check. A slammin' body? Mhm. Regality? Without a doubt. Poise and maturity? Undeniably. The list goes on and on.

Lakshmi began modelling at the age of 25. Her first major booking was the 2007 ad campaign for Swatch. Next she landed the cover of Vogue India's premier issue. From there she skyrocketed to supermodel status, booking an unprecedented amount of coveted editorials, fashion campaigns, and covers.

If you want to learn more about and see more of Lakshmi Menon, just google her or visit her agency's website, Ford Models. And grab this month's copy for US Vogue to see her in an editorial entitled "India Are We" photographed by Mikael Jansson. 

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Scents of Hermes.

By 1949, the Parisian fashion house Hermès was already primed to reach renowned status. So what do you do next when you're already producing what would soon become some of the world's most exclusive and coveted luxury apparel and goods? You make a fragrance to go along with everything else. Eau d'Hermès, created by Edmond Roudnitska, was the first of its kind: the scent, daring enough (at that time) to feature notes like bergamot, lemon tree, and cinnamon, instantly became a classic. Only 1500 bottles were made for the debut, and both women and men grabbed at the chance to waft in the smell of Hermes.

In 1959, Hermès decided to make their fragrance a continuing staple. It wasn't until 1961 however when the house finally decided to make their perfumery section subsidiary, coinciding with the re-entry into the US market and the release of Calèche by Hermés. Several very successful fragrances later and no one could deny that the family-run business had the golden touch, committing themselves to any and all products and executing them with the highest level of workmanship and taste.

Fast forward to 2009, and Hermès has done it yet again: their new trio of colognes for men, appropriately titled Les Colognes, is a mix of three very distinct scents all effervescent and classic in their own right. The set includes a modern version of Hermès most popular scent Eau d'Orange Verte, a simply effortless presentation of orange and mint notes; Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, showing off a delicious sparkling grapefruit scent with rose and rhubard; and the earthier Eau de Gentiane Blanche, featuring notes of white musk, gentian, and a hint of iris. The latter two fragrances are the creations of Hermès' new in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, whose renown in perfumery is nothing short of brilliant.

More information at Hermès.Com

If you're looking for something sheer but refreshing for the warmer months to come, or even for something more refined that can easily take you from morning to night, you can't go wrong with the new Les Colognes trio from Hermès. After all, who wouldn't want to walk around with that timeless smell of elegance, sophistication, and savoir-faire all-day long and all-year round?