Jonathan Saunders A/W'12 menswear review

It’s taken a while for Central Saint Martins graduate Jonathan Saunders to reach his current untouchable status in the fashion industry. Saunders made his debut on the London schedule in 2003, whilst designing prints for Alexander McQueen, the last British designer to truly make an indelible mark on the global fashion map, and has since gone on to design for Chloe, Pucci, and high street department chain Debenhams. Thankfully he’s managed to shake off the Designers at Debenhams Kiss of Death and last year won Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards.

Saunders’ eagerly awaited collections for women have praise heaped upon them season upon season, unsurprisingly as the designer always unerringly hits that exact point between retro and modern, good taste and bad, flattering yet directional. A brilliant trick if you can pull it off, which Saunders does with aplomb.

With his womenswear firmly established, Saunders has recently branched out into men’s clothes, the results of which currently have every male fashion journalist in a bit of a tizzy, and it’s not hard to understand why.

His Autumn/Winter collection follows on from his womenswear, in that he’s taken a moment from the mid-20^th Century and lacquered this with his signature clashes of colour and texture, and added some innovative textiles developed in partnership with British mills.

The resulting collection works better as a selection of independently covetable pieces, rather than a single overpowering theme.  This is good. Saunders understands that men don’t want to wear a label from top-to-toe, lest they appear to be trying too hard. You can dip in and out of this collection. Maybe wear the angora and rayon plaid twinset with some jeans, or a less startling shirt with the somewhat busy suits. This collection is crammed full of what we like to call “Hero Pieces”, items which will instantly pep up a wardrobe on the wane. The use of colour is challenging, but not so challenging as to scare the fashion-savvy gent off back to the torpid tones shown elsewhere.

So, a Scottish designer pwning Milan menswear week with British fabrics in an uncompromising palette. Not only that, it’s not difficult to imagine some of these ideas filtering down to the Topmans of this world. He might be hailed as “The Saviour of London Fashion Week”, but Jonathan Saunders may well be the saviour of men’s fashion too.

Review written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.
Imagery kindly supplied via www.style.com

Heaven could well be a place on Earth - Liberty's Beauty Treatment Rooms

Is it just me or is going for a beauty treatment, in this case a massage, a bit like a confessional? "Forgive me Sister, for it has been one whole year since my last massage." Followed by the guilty stare and the "so is there anything you'd like me to work on?" conversation. I was tempted to reply, "Yes, indeedy. My life," but the therapist was just too lovely to handle the intricacies and downsides of being la KC.  

Instead, and with graciousness she offered me the choice of an uplifting or relaxing Decleor full body massage and oh, how I needed the latter. 2011 (*spits*) sucked the life and the spirit out of me as in its time I was broke (financially and physically - elbow), burgled (car) and beaten by its onslaught of misfortune. Welcome to 2012 and the Chinese Year of The Dragon and sod off bad luck and any toxic types & situations.

I had no idea that Liberty had a little warren of the most well designed and hidden beauty treatment rooms with therapies from some of my favourite brands right in the heart of its store: Decleor, Dermalogica and Aveda all have spaces and The Liberty Room is home to names such as Anne Semonin, Eve Lom and Dr Sebagh.

Decleor's Signature Back Diagnostic and Body Massage using its trademark Relaxing natural oils was my little piece of heaven to ease the strains that I thought I'd ceremoniously ditched in the final days of last year. However, my body thought differently. It's always a surprise to establish that 'yes, you do ache there' and 'I didn't know that part was sore' but this is the skill of the masseuse. To apply exactly the right pressure, to enfold you in her skill and comfort and to soothe you of your pains while relaxing the body and mind.

Even the usual 'plinky plonky' de-stress music is un-plinky and plonky. Instead, classical flourishes with new age touches in the 'Cafe Costes' vein didn't grate while the surroundings were stripped back plush and the therapist a delight.

Choose from a whole host of facials from the different brands, waxing, manicures, pedicures, tinting and of course different forms of massage.

Drifting home in a blissed out haze, I finished my day with an Aromatherapy Associates deep relax bath with its key oils: vetivert, to quieten the mind, camomile, renowned for its exceptional soothing qualities, sandalwood to bring you back down to earth and coconut oil which helps soften the skin. (The Perfect Partners duo contains the Relax and Revive oils and is priced £15.)

For a list of prices and details, please contact Liberty of London on 0207 734 1234 and request the beauty treatment rooms. With Decleor, a £30 booking fee is required to secure your treatment and is redeemable against the purchase of two or more recommended Decleor products on the day. Aromatherapy Associates products are also sold at Liberty.

Chutzpah's Weekly Barometer

A light hearted look back over the past week’s good, bad and indifferent including the “don’t even go there’s”.

LOVING
The ASOS Bird of Paradise T-shirt - Riccardo Tisci is at the top of his game and don't ASOS know it with their budget take on his Spring/Summer Givenchy collection

The cute CH Carolina Herrera Mini Matryoshka Handbag - A limited edition style that's available at the Caroline Herrera this Spring. Love the contrast colours used, the size and the user friendly compartments. Seven different variations in goya leather are available priced at £260 and available from Carolina Herrera, 120 Mount Street, London W1.

Statement shoes for men – The menswear collections were desperately short on new ideas everywhere except the footwear. Next Winter’s shoes are chunky, two-tone, or elaborately tooled exotic skins, and sometimes all of the above. We especially love Alistair Carr’s colourful Chelsea boots with industrial fastenings for Pringle.

Zahia Dehar – The underage escort embroiled in the French soccer scandal extends her 15 minutes by turning spendy lingerie designer and has Lagerfeld in her thrawl. Much classier than Celebrity Big Brother.

Jenny Packham for Debenhams – Wiley old Debs, keen to harness 'The Kate Effect' pounce on one of the Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite designers for a collection of occasion wear and accessories due later this year.

‘London Collections: Men’  – Normally annexed to the last day of fashion week, whilst anyone important jets off to Milan, the BFC announce a full weekend to showcase British menswear talent running from 15th-17th June at the swish  Hospital Club . And about time too.

Dolce & Gabbana's Ltd Edition Charm Pencils - If I did cute, I'd do these. Four lipliners and eyeliners are decorated with gilt charms to show love, luck, femininity, fashion and romance. Available from Harrods from February priced at £18.50 each.

‘The Big British Bang’ at Selfridges – With the Jubilee and Olympics not far away (oh and how we’re constantly reminded of that) upmarket shopping mecca Selfridges announces a celebration of all things British running from 4^th May until the end of August. Katie already has her eye on those Nicholas Kirkwood Pearly Queen heels.

The Arts Club on Dover Street – Benefiting from a sensational makeover, The Arts Club on Dover Street offers high culture and high-end French cuisine in opulent surroundings. We love.

Sonia Rykiel – The quintessentially French fashion house snapped up by Fung Brands. We’re expecting a spectacular re-launch next season.


HATING
Flatforms – An extreme version of the Brothel Creeper and twice as ugly. So terribly 2011.

Beards – Suddenly acceptable for Walt Disney employees (whither Uncle Sam?), you just know that every self-respecting counter-culture hipster is reaching for the King of Shaves.

Couture T-shirts – Boxy, heavily-embellished, and out of most people’s price range, we say take one of your favourite old tops, cover it in glue and run through John Lewis’ haberdashery department.

“Creative Director” Alexa Chung – Yet another portent of the impending Apocalypse. *sigh*

High-waisted men’s trousers – Unleash your inner Simon Cowell with these chest-hugging offerings from Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin. But we’d rather you didn’t. One Simon Cowell is, frankly, more than enough, but more about him, below...

Rihanna’s knuckle tattoos – Fed up with ripping off influential fashion shoots for her videos, RiRi turns her attention to Motorhead front man Lemmy as style inspiration.

Winter White – White may well be the official hot option for eveningwear, but you’re fighting a losing battle against the elements. Only recommended for wives of oligarchs or anyone who lives next door to a dry cleaner. La 'KC' has been banned from even thinking about it.

Dior – We don’t know which is more depressing - that this affair has been drawn out to the point of ennui, or that acting creative director Bill Gaytten is rumoured to have designed several seasons ahead. For the love of God, STOP!

Even more Z-list collaborations – Kelly Brook bedding for Argos, Kimberley Walsh’s toiletrieszzzzzz...FUTURE LANDFILL.

Simon Cowell’s DJ talent show – Yes, we’re back to the SYCO media mogul and general blight on humanity. Not content with ruining pop and Saturday night television, Cowell now sets his sights on the dance music industry for a new reality show produced in partnership with Will Smith.

DON’T CARE

Digital fashion shows – Even more lifeless than some recent couture efforts, KCD promises to collate filmed catwalk presentations online, along with backstage beauty tips and designer interviews. Easy and egalitarian this may be, but we think you simply can’t beat the buzz as the plastic is removed, the music starts, and the first look comes down the runway. Fashion is often a mood and a 'that's it' moment – something which can’t be translated to an iPad screen.

Hosting brand videos/YouTube/FB links et al - My oh my, the amount of brand videos begging to be hosted on your site (gratis) continues to grow hundredfold as every label and their grandmother takes to social media and attempts to drive traffic to their brand on a freebie, courtesy of bloggers and sites. My first question is, 'why should I drive traffic away from my site and to yours a) at all and b) for free unless its relevant to the editorial and/or its actually news and not a round-robin?'. Perhaps brands need to consider or be advised that site owners also need to make a living.

Weekly Barometer compiled by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) and Katie Chutzpah. Please do let us know your comments concerning Barometer in the comment box below.

Jil Sander A/W '12 Menswear review

At the end of 2011 it was rumoured that Raf Simons is top of Bernard Arnault’s hit list for the role of creative director at Dior, the vacancy created following John Galliano’s tragic fall from grace earlier that year. Simons’ Autumn/Winter 2012 collection for Jil Sander underlines just how great an artist and designer he is – and just how wrong he would be for that position.

Simons’ isn’t one for extravagant flights of fancy involving acres of lace and tulle. A pragmatist, rather than a romanticist, Simons prefers to explore the darker recesses of fashion, where things aren’t what they first appear.

Take a pair of gloves, for instance. Jil Sander isn’t the first catwalk to show gloves this week, however in Simons’ hands this rather generic accessory becomes clinical and downright sinister. His slim tailoring seems to grip the body, and his leather trenchcoats designed to keep the wearer in, not the weather out.

Black leather, black nylon, black vinyl. All worn with severely pomaded hair. These are clothes for those iconic demons of The Me Decade; schizophrenic fashion obsessive Patrick Bateman, or the sadistic denizens of ‘Hellraiser’. This collection is the monster in the closet. Psycho killer – qu’est-ce que c’est?

Delve a little deeper. The only hints of colour are some handkerchiefs and knitwear featuring infantile drawings of dinosaurs, stereos, and whales. Another jumper features a similarly childlike jacquard relief of an anchor, and there are sailor collars on shirts. This exploration of the male psyche, the man versus the child, is what Simons, and also Miuccia Prada, do so well.

Raf Simons could probably fill the role at Dior, but it would be to fashion’s detriment. We need to start a petition now.

Review written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.


Catwalk imagery kindly supplied by www.style.com

Men's skincare brand 66˚30 launches at Whole Foods.

Whilst Katie’s inundated with new product at Chutzpah Mansions, it’s extremely rare that I get to trial new ranges. This may well change, as the male grooming industry is rapidly expanding, and there is a host of niche brands looking to gain a foothold in that sector.

One of these companies is cult French concern 66˚30. New at Whole Foods stores and also stocked online by www.hecosmetics.com and www.mankind.com, 66˚30 offers an innovative range of products designed to protect against the potentially harmful effects of modern life on men’s skin, such as air conditioning, ozone, pollution, sunlight, and stress .

Containing up to 80% organic ingredients, 66˚30 is the antithesis to the paraben-packed toiletries most men buy on impulse at the supermarket (of which, guilty as charged y’Honour). I’ve done the crime and my skin has definitely done the time so I jumped at the chance to try out a couple of these products.

The Cycle Extreme Essential Face Balm offers 66˚30’s leading-edge Urban Shield protection, and contains Seaweed to improve cell renewal, Processed Sesame Oil to assist repair capability, relaxing and soothing Montpellier Rockrose, Argan Oil, Shea Butter, and Spent Wax, plus wrinkle-reducing Sodium Hyaluronate. Claiming to be ideal for use before sports and other activities, I trialled this product during my daily visit to the gym.

The packaging doesn’t disclose a fragrance, so I can only presume that the rich lemony menthol aroma is the result of synthesising the above ingredients. I found this scent extremely attractive, if a little heavy, so it might not work so well with your day-to-day aftershave slapped over the top. The fluid was easily absorbed and my skin looked brighter whilst the fragrance played with my pleasure centres. Not only did I look fresher, I felt fresher too. It’s easy to say that I was wowed by this product.

I have previously written about eye fluids, which have always seemed a waste of time to me, possibly because I’m so relentlessly “on the go” that the resultant bags and dark circles are too much to contend with. 66˚30’s Cycle Precision 3-in-1 Eye Fluid promised to reduce these, as well as tighten the skin. Active ingredients Amino Acids, Red Deep Sea Algae, and Buckwheat Wax take care of the science part whilst Elderflower Water and Hibiscus Seeds soothe muscular tensions around the eyes.

After a few days I did actually notice some difference, despite current work stress ruining my sleep patterns. Both of these products did exactly what they say on their boxes, and the face balm actually exceeded my expectations. Not only have I been forced to rethink my stick-in-the-mud facial routine, I might also look into the other products in the range too.

Stylishly packaged, 66˚30 is expensive in comparison to other men’s toiletry brands but not by female standards, and is a prime example of getting what you pay for. Sorry L’Oreal Men Expert, but I’ve decided I’m worth it.

Review written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.

POLICE launches film star Luke Evans as their Brand Ambassador

Last night leading Italian lifestyle brand POLICE launched their new 2012 eyewear, watches and jewellery campaign with Welsh actor Luke Evans, their new Brand Ambassador, at Soho club, Dstrky. Hosting a party for fashion industry insiders and celebrity fans of the brand, POLICE celebrated their new campaign, which focuses on their iconic blue eyewear lenses.

The only down side of this fun packed night that lit up a dreary January was the stench of poppers permeating the Dstrkt nightclub in Soho, no doubt left over from its weekend activities. I swear it took me back to when I was younger and more naive and thought the distinctive reek was amalgamated crowd body odour. Ughh!  

 

Celebrities attending the event included Luke Evans (of course), Aidan Turner, Oliver Jackson Cohen, Jay Camilleri, Rita Ora, Noelle Reno, Georgie Okel, BB, Milo Cordell (The Big Pink), Robbie Furze (The Big Pink), Mary Charteris (DJ) and Leah Weller. 

Electro-rock band The Big Pink wowed guests with an enchanting semi-acoustic live performance after listening to back to back DJ sets by MIA, Mary Charteris and Leah Weller. 

Guests drank Ciroc cocktails and viewed the new campaign images styled by Tom Stubbs and photographed by Jason Hetherington.

Bottega Veneta A/W '12 Menswear review

So far this week I’ve spoken in length about the financial constraints affecting menswear designers, as well as the existing sartorial codes which seem to be eroding at the same rate as the Great Pyramids of Egypt. If anyone can work within such stifling confines it’s Tomas Maier, the creative director of Bottega Veneta.

Maier’s Autumn/Winter 2012 offering takes the current staples of the male wardrobe (a narrow suit, jeans, a decent ‘Perfecto’ jacket), cuts them in a precise, body-conscious manner, and then creates surface interest through overlaid geometric forms. This is at its most effective when applied to a selection of subtly checked suiting.

Denim is coated and quilted and overcoats feature leather panels on arms, alluding to the motorsport trend which has recurred over the last couple of seasons. The palette remains a murkily autumnal melange of greys, blues, and browns, plus hints of army green, which is rapidly emerging as next season’s accent colour.

The real shock here is how little leather featured on the catwalk, save some specific details on outerwear, a couple of shearlings, a leather peacoat, and the stack-heeled boots worn by the models. This is especially surprising when you consider Bottega Veneta’s background as a luxury luggage house. Whilst other brands are filling their presentations with accessorises, Maier has the confidence to let the clothes speak for themselves, such as a shrunken bomber with peaked shoulders which resembles a matador’s costume.

Unlike the ostentatious opulence at Dolce & Gabbana, Maier doesn’t feel the need to shout, his only moment of madness being a silver shearling aviator jacket and, even then, this feels entirely right in context.

Review written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah Blog


Catwalk pics kindly supplied by www.style.com