Tommy Ton Fashion Week Street Style

The undisputed King of street style photography, Tommy Ton, never fails to fill me with equal parts inspiration and envy when looking at his photos of the rich and fashionable. Here are some of my favourites from his time at this season's fashion weeks.

Source: JAK&JIL.

Nick Knight x Karlie Kloss - 10 Years of NEWGEN

For Topshop fans, the recent celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the brand's sponsorship of the NEWGEN scheme will not have gone unnoticed. Mary Katrantzou's Topshop collection sold out in about 45 minutes and the stampede of fashionistas storming into the Oxford Circus flagship was a sight to behold. Trust me. Also getting involved is this fashion film by legendary photographer and filmmaker Nick Knight. The film stars the unstoppable Karlie Kloss and was styled by now creative director of Topshop, Kate Phelan. The soundtrack is also pretty great, courtesy of Roxy Music.

London Fashion Week Menswear Day Roundup

Although it feels like LFW is long gone, and Paris has its turn tomorrow, I've only just got round to catching up on all the action. So here is my roundup of menswear day - I'll try to keep it brief.

First on the agenda are the outstanding collections at the MAN show. Agi & Sam showed that print doesn't have to be confined to Spring/Summer, with printed suits and coats in brightly coloured digitals and large-scale checks. The matching print trend is set to continue into Autumn/Winter but this time in heavy wools rather than the cottons and silks of the current season. Also look out for the duck print suit - I can't think of an occasion to wear such an outfit but it's always nice to have one as a backup...

Also on the MAN roster was Astrid Andersen. Street-cast models wore Astrid's now trademarked twist on classic street and sports wear, with sheer and metallic materials in silver and pink providing a feminine edge to traditionally masculine apparel. Fur coat, jogging bottoms and no knicker combos give the collection a luxe elements, but the addition of toe-hugging footwear makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. They look like hands.

Up next is Shaun Samson, who has been firmly on my radar since his Spring/Summer '12 collection last year. Samson also succeeds in re-inventing streetwear, and he attempted this season to masculinise the use of fur, which I am very much on board with. Massively oversized, basketball player silhouettes were key, and sweatshirts with fur slogans or graphics emblazoned on the front were stand-out pieces from the collection. The dungaree has also made a comeback, in jersey and cotton instead of the traditional denim.

Knitwear king James Long has done it again for Autumn/Winter. Incredibly intricate arran knits and wide-leg velvet trousers will no doubt keep us all warm next season. Matching jumper and scarf combos will be a big trend for knitwear, with Long providing his take on the matching trend from this season. I personally love the cardigan tucked into trousers look, complete with large belt.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a big fan of print and this thirst has been quenched by Matthew Miller. Once again showing that print doesn't have to be confined to the warmer season, Miller shows matching printed suits which conjure up the transition through seasons - the colours of Autumnal leaves transition to vivid Summer shades before dulling down to whites and greys representing Winter months.

Image Source: CATWALKING.COM.

Underwater Dog Photography

I just found these great photos of dogs underwater by Seth Casteel. The latest craze of dogs with food on their heads has rekindled my love of amusing animal photography, and these are no exception. Plus the last one looks a lot like one of my dogs, which is always fun...

Image Source: LITTLE FRIENDS PHOTO.

Alexander Wang S/S'12 Campaign Teaser

One of my favourite Spring/Summer collections came from Alexander Wang, who showed Nascar influences and sports fabrics giving his girls a tough bitch look, complete with wet-look hair. The video campaign to accompany this collection has just been released - well, a teaser has anyway. The little tease. The campaign features Liya Kebede and music from Azealia Banks.

And here is the track used in the campaign. Angry lyrics and trip-pop beats accompany the video nicely, and anyone who gratuitously uses the 'C' word is alright by me.

Topshop Unique S/S '12 In-store Now

This week saw the launch of Topshop's Unique Spring/Summer collection. Inspired by the ancient Egyptians, but with obvious sports references - the collection channels a modern day Cleopatra who might be a fan of this season's sports luxe trends. The collection will appeal to a younger customer than last season's Cruella De Ville fur and velvet fest, but there are some standout pieces for the more fashion-conscious girl. The matching printed twinsets embrace one of this season's big trends and the slightly-sheer maxi is not for the faint hearted. Here are my favourite looks from the collection.

There are some exciting goings on in Topshop over the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled online or check out the Oxford Circus flagship store. #marykatrantzou #newgentees. Now I need Topman Design to launch...

Image Source: STYLE.COM

Autumn/Winter '12 Mens Trend Forecast: Vintage Military

The second of my trend forecasts for A/W '12 is vintage military. With military and naval influences common in collections, the difference here is the time period referenced. Bally and Yohji Yamamoto showed American civil war soldier, with navy coats and blazers with gold detailing. The red white and blue colour scheme was muted in Yamamoto, but a little bolder for Bally. Make sure to avoid the nautical pitfall that is easy to fall into when combining these colours, by mixing scarletts and navys rather than bright reds and blues.
The era of choice for Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton was WWI, with naval and airforce references in waxed jackets, cable knitwear, bomber jackets and navy headgear. Camel tones were used which will provide a variation on a common theme. Try not to wear breton stripes when embracing this trend to avoid the sailor boy look.

The military theme was also on the cards for Dior Homme, Dries Van Noten, John Galliano and Umit Benan. This time khaki overcoats, trousers and belted jackets gave a nod to WWII uniforms, from both sides of the pond. The all-over khaki look may be a little fancy dress party (think Prince Harry...) so instead choose separates such as military trousers teamed with a simple black tee and military boots for a nod to the trend. Or a khaki overcoat can be an easy way to embrace this look.

 

Image Source: STYLE.COM.

Shaun Samson & Alex Mattsson - Bright Young Things

So once again Selfridges' Bright Young Things project is in full swing. Featuring work from talented young designers in both womenswear and menswear, as well as accessories, food and art & design. Doing it for the dudes are Shaun Samson and Alex Mattsson, who both provide a great take on directional luxe sportswear. With sports luxe trends being flogged for women both designer and high-street, these two designers enable men to jump on the trend bandwagon without looking like they're on the way to the gym or going for a run. Both collections are available in-store at Selfridges or online HERE.

Image Source: TOTEM FASHION.

Image Source: ALEX MATTSSON

i-D February 'Whatever the Weather' Issue Covers

So the new issue of i-D magazine comes out next week, and the covers have just been released. If you're anything like me, the choice of covers is an important and time-consuming one. These are the shortlisted candidates.

Option 2, shot by Hedi Slimane could be the winner. But then again option 3 has Lara Stone. Decisions! There are also a number of covers shot by Chinese photographer Chen Man to commemorate the year of the Dragon, and aims to show us Westerners the range of beauty in the country. They look like paintings!

Image Source: I-D