Fujiwara Hitomi Wallpaper

Fujiwara Hitomi Wallpaper

Casely-Hayford AW09: Sportswear collides with formal tailoring

A number of labels attempt to combine a street and sport aesthetic with formal tailoring but very few truly pull it off. Casely-Hayford are leading the few who have done just that. Back in January we posted the first set of images from Casely-Hayford's debut collection which saw the father and son design team combine the urbane qualities of Edward VIII with the contemporary sportswear of London's street culture. Fortunately for me, Fashion156 were offered an exclusive sneak preview of their AW09 collection and it is great to see that the design duo have built on the duality of the brand.

Casely-Hayford have undoubtedly built on the successes demonstrated in their capsule collection with a full drool inducing collection. As part of the exclusive feature for Fashion156 I managed to catch up with Charlie Casely-Hayford about the unusual dynamic of the brand and the craftsmanship behind it all. The first part of the interview went live this morning and the final part which discusses Charlie's style influences will follow tomorrow. One of my favourite extracts from the piece is the one below:

Our clothes start from a traditional stand point, but rather than being nostalgic and whimsical, we choose to reflect the spirit of 21st century gentleman - a character conscious of many reference points yet someone who chooses to distill his style into a concise statement. Things have moved on since the days of the Duke of Windsor, and although he is a great inspiration and a foundation for the brand, the modern sartorialist has a different appetite. Our requirements, desires, and practical needs have been drawn towards this synergy between the formal and athletic.

The tailoring fits perfectly with my current sartorial aesthetic as it is full of interesting features such as a dropped hem on a single breasted jacket and the ribbed cuffed trousers in tweed jersey. This is tailoring for the 21st gentleman and I would love to be that gentleman. The styling for me (Art Direction by Casely-Hayford & Son) makes this the strongest AW09 look book thus far. My favourite look of all is featured above and sees the combination of a transparent plastic coat with tartan trim worn over a quilted panel shirt. It is the combination of fabrics, both traditional and modern, throughout the collection that come together to create such great texture which excites me most.

During the course of the interview I asked Charlie for a few recommendations that he would like to share with us. The more observant of you, might have noticed that we have been collecting quite a few people's recommendations... all will be revealed soon. In the meantime please see Charlie's favourite shops, designers and websites below:

A hidden gem of a store called Hornets off High Street Kensington is great for any gentleman on the search for second-hand English gentry attire, you can find nice little pieces to add a bit of class and often colour to your everyday outfit.

Jjjjound is an amazing website that satisfies my visual thirst for creativity, I can't get enough of it.

Pia Stanchina is a designer that I've begun paying a lot of attention to recently. I'm very interested in the bridge between ethical clothing and high fashion, and she seems to be one of the few people filling that niche. Definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.

If you would like to hear more about Casely-Hayford and from the interview with Charlie, then please take a look over on the Fashion156 blog or just drop us a comment below.

Famous Actress: Xu Jing Lei 徐静蕾

Profile

Name Xu Jinglei 徐静蕾
Date of birth: April 16th, 1974
Horoscope: Aries
Place of birth: Beijing, China
Height: 168cm
Weight: 49kg
Measurements: 33-25-35 "
Blood type: O
Education: Beijing Film Academy (graduated 1997)
Profession: Actress, director, lecturer, singer and writer
Favourite colour: Black and white
Favourite flower: Tulip
Favourite sport: Ping-pong
Favourite actress: Isabelle Adjani
Favourite actor: Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner
Favorite Movie : Killer.Butterfly.Dream

One More for the Hayden-Harnett Haul?

Dudes, should I go BACK to the Hayden-Harnett sale and hope this scarf is there tomorrow, possibly for a lower price (their online sale is always pricier), or get it now now now? I was deterred as I often am by retail price being inflated by shipping and tax, such that a $35 scarf comes out to almost $50. It's a thing that makes you go hmmmm.


But I did see this scarf on one of the ladies at the sale today, and it was really quite striking. Boudoir scarf sample, $35.


Cuuuuuuuuuuute! Yeah, I guess you could say I like the brand.

p.s. The swimsuit fits and looks great! Yay!

p.p.s. What the hey: I bought it.

Hayden-Harnett Sale: Hey, It's Only $30 Edition

Going on day two of a sample sale is never a good idea. Unlike the huge basement o' bags that was their last sample sale, the showroom was, well, "well-stocked" would be not be the word. There were a few bags, a few $50 wallets, a couple of $60 leather vests, but it was clear that the early birds did some damage yesterday. I heard one worker saying they might have more stuff tomorrow, "depending on what they dig out of the warehouse." O, to know the location of said warehouse! Didn't sound promising, though. I did okay, although I was really going for small accessories and came up short on that front (lots of bronze and patent—yucky). Here's what I did walk away with:



I looooove this Laurel leather trim party dress, which is no longer available but which I coveted from behind my computer screen when it was retailing for about $400. I picked it up for a cool $30 despite it being too big around the waist. I think I'll take this opportunity to audition that Chinatown tailor I've heard good things about.



I also grabbed this maillot, only in black (sadly). It was only $20, and I figured, hey, black is chic, why not? Maybe I'll pretend to be chicly vacationing on the French Riviera this summer while I am eating Twizzlers by the pool in my dad's New Jersey condo development.

Michelle O. Mania hits the UK

America's First Lady Michelle Obama has been showing a fashion thing or two to Britain's First Lady Sarah Brown this week as their husbands, namely President Barak Obama and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, together with leaders of the world's largest economies discussed global woes and affairs this week at the G-20 Summit in London. From the minute Mrs. Obama stepped onto British tarmac in a chartreuse Jason Wu dress we knew she meant fashion business, and that she was travelling with a 300 person wardrobe/stylist entourage (or so I heard).

Looking lovely in a J.Crew beaded ivory cashmere cardigan and mint green checkered pencil skirt, Mrs. Obama brought some fresh spring air to 10 Downing Street which Sarah Brown needed as she looked wintery indeed in her navy tailored dress and opaque tights. On her first visit to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Mrs. Obama looked positively elegant in a black and white Isabel Toledo dress and Azzedine Alaia cardigan, as she towered over a Lilliputian seeming Queen Elizabeth. The Obamas presented the Queen with an iPod and I sure hope she has iTunes. At least Mrs.Obama was wearing sleeves.

At the subsequent cocktail party to meet Britain's top female talent, Mrs. Brown looked much improved in a black Britt Lintner dress and Graeme Black embroidered jacket. Also in attendance were J.K. Rowling who looked gorgeous in sharp navy, and model Naomi Campbell who thought she was attending a raunchy bachelorette party instead. Today our First Lady garnered mixed reviews for her argyle cardigan by Junya Watanabe and teal prom dress by Jason Wu, which she wore to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden where the G-20 wives gathered for some cultural entertainment, including a reading by J.K. Rowling. I liked Mrs. Obama's dress but the cardigan felt distracting and the cut accentuated her hips in a not so flattering way. Also in a not so flattering way was UK's First Lady Sarah Brown, who looked downright somber and clingy in a too tight knit dress and matching jacket in navy, yet again. Ok, I know it's still damp in London but it's Spring people! Photos courtesy of dailymail.co.uk