It's a Make or Break Season, says The New York Times

Learn about how McDonald's is helping make Duckie Brown's upcoming fashion show possible from The New York Times..

Eric Wilson's "The Make or Break Season" article for The Times' spades into how
the age of the young designer may be coming to a close due to the recent economic downturn.

I apologize for bringing up the subject of $$$ and the recession repeatedly — but it's real, people, shit's
fucked up all around everyone. I don't really care if what I say sounds cliché. And more people will
continue to lose their jobs and no one really knows when it might get better, so watch your money,
know who you're supporting. It matters.

Sale Rec: Boutique Reborn's 50% Off

BOUTIQUE REBORN

Shopping is a Sport

Check out the pieces — buy one, some or none.

More importantly, become inspired.

Complex Geometries Sad Rainbow Sweatshirt, $139 @ CG webstore

Marjan Pejoski leggings, 29,500kr (Icelandic) @ Kron Kron

Balenciaga knit dress, £440 @ Browns Fashion

Henrik Vibskov drop crotch jersey sweatpants, $249 @ Boutique Reborn

Football leggings, $62 @ The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

YMC wrestling boot tennis shoes, $60 @ Gargyle

Bless baseball cap with attached scarf/hood, $499 @ Boutique Reborn

Kokon To Zai embroidered track pants, $289 @ Farfetch

Miu Miu sequined bomber jacket, $3,135 @ Net-A-Porter

Miu Miu over the knee socks, $289 @ Net-A-Porter

Fad-3 shirt, ¥15,750 @ Alley Company

Antipodium hole-in-one bodysuit, $139 @ MyCatwalk

La March Merveille green jeans, ¥15,000 @ Alley Company

About Complex Geometries Video, plus interview with designer Clayton Evans

About a Label: Complex Geometries from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Light, easy to move designs with versatility in mind stay quite well defines the Complex Geometries aesthetic.
The collection “inspired by the culture of mobility, exploring the pragmatics and aesthetics of travel” has pieces
ranging from draped, dyed tees and dresses to scarfed-tops and hooded jackets.  They’ve just recently put up
their SS09 collection up on their website, so you can check it out for yourself. Photos accompanied with a short
video by Jason Last featuring the soon-to-come collection shows off the springwear pretty damn well.  With the
help of friendly Adam DeKeyser at CG, I was able to get some questions to the designer Clayton Evans about the
FW0809 collection, his latest SS09 collection and the direction of Complex Geometries.


Tell us about the inspiration behind the collection.
The theme for fall was “Sex of the Ancients”.  To be honest, the title came first and we TRIED to
figure out what it meant.  So we pulled in all sorts of elements relating to sex and gender in the past.

There seemed to bit an element of bondage and "binding" along with
traditional Japanese costumesilhouettes;is this fair to say? 
The binding and bondage elements are related to the sexual theme, in probably the most literal way.
The Japanese elements are more removed from their origin, referencing other styles that
reference Japanese silhouettes.  Kind of like the game “Broken Telephone” where you whisper
something to the person next to you and they pass it down the line until the final message has nothing to
do with the original.

It seems you've got a much larger collection this coming spring. How has the
process of making a collectionbecome more efficient over the last couple years?
Well, it definitely gets easier as the style because more and more defined. And having a great team helps
things to get done faster (and better and more  creatively). We also reissued a dozen of the strongest unisex t-shirt
styles from previous collections.  

Are there any prospects of CG expanding the line to include — to say, shoes, underwear or denim? 
Shoes, yes.  Very soon, we hope.  That's always a problem when we come to the end of the collection and realize
that we just can't find the footwear that adds the "write" [or right]  punctuation to the statement. There's often denim
in the collection, but I don't think we'd ever do a “denim collection” per se.  When we use denim, its for a specific reason,
not just to fit into a defined market. And underwear, its possible.  I'm more interested in the way people use their clothing
to communicate, and underwear doesn't really communicate much except in intimate circumstances.  If we were exploring
that kind of communication in a collection, we'd try a few pieces, but not just as a way to pump up sales


There's a much-flattering juxtaposition between pieces the SS09 collection involving
fabrics,fits and color. What can you tell about the fabrics used? 
We try to balance every element in a collection.  So, for every smooth and shiny surface, we try to have
a soft and rumpled one to contrast.  There are garment dyed cotton jerseys, PU coated linens, washed
silks and shiny nylons.  


Are there any traditions when it comes to the ethic of Complex Geometries design? 
Lots of playing around.  When we make a sample, we try it on every way we possibly can.  Its that kind of experimentation
that leads to new ideas.  


Is there anything you could tell us about the audience(s) you try to reach? Is there a person,
or persons, CG has in mind when designing?
No, not really.  Diversity is what we aspire to.  

How much direct response to you get about your clothing and designs from buyers? Have there been any notable
compliments and/or clues recently that what you're doing is "right" — "with-it," yet still forward?
Sales certainly are the most notable compliments.  You know you're doing something right when fashionable consumers are still
excitedto buy the same styles season after season. It was new enough to catch their attention and strong enough to maintain it.

Store Spotlight: Ashtray (w/ Interview!)

ASHTRAY, a clothing store based in Orebro, Sweden, blends independent designers
with larger brands to get a electic and “rousing” collection. The store’s goal is to
“create a venue for people with a genuine interest in clothes,” which I believe they’ve
already accomplished.
ASHTRAY carries some of the latest, most praise-worthy collections from Swedish designers
and has aspirations of carrying more international brands in the seasons to come. If
shipping costs ever strained your thoughts on purchases from abroad, ASHTRAY offers
free shipping worldwide and is tax-free to EU customers. Unheard of if you ask me.

The team at ASHTRAY was cool enough to reply to a few questions via e-mail so be
sure to at least check ‘em out at ashtray.se.

How many people make the ASHTRAY family and how long has it been around?

We are four persons behind ASHTRAY. We started up with two when we started up the

store November 2007. Our online shop was released in February 2008.

What's been the most positive aspect of change at Ashtray since opening?

When we first opened up our online shop, the majority of our customers were from

Denmark and Sweden. Today, people from all over the world shop at ASHTRAY,

which is very positive.

Tell some thing about your customers.

While most of our customers are aware of designers’ background, some shop here

pretty much because they like to buy good-looking clothes. It is the shoppers who

are interested in knowing the "story" behind the clothes really inspire us.

Who in the fashion industry might you all find particularly inspiring?

There are a few names out there. Besides our labels, there are brands like BLESS,

Giuliano Fujiwara, Number Nine, Rick Owens, Damir Doma and Patrik Soderstam

(to name a few.)

Does the store have any projects in the work? Any parties or collaborations?

Yes, we’re working on some projects right now but we can’t reveal any details at

this stage. We’ve done collaboration with art galleries, agencies and some

designers in the past, which we hope to see more of in the future. The store is

just a small part of the ASHTRAY company.

Your store “editorial” shoot was executed pretty well. Tell us about that.

The editorial was a fun project that we did the last second with some of our

friends, actually. We plan to shoot some new photos soon, which will be up in December.

Are there any prospects of an ASHTRAY clothing line?

No.

Are there any magazines you have placed around the store\?

We have Livraison mag and fanzines from Cederteg Publishing. There are also some

magazines in our ground store, which we unfortunately don’t display, online but we’ll

probably extend our magazine selection next season, online and in-store.

What new lines have you picked up? What’s coming in the future?

Our latest received designers lines are HEDERUS, The Local Firm and So Last Season.

We’re in fact the only retailer chosen to distribute So Last Season. In the future we hope

to offer more international designers.

And what's the most surprising place you've ever had to ship an item?

It was to Macau, which is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China.

Macau is located 65 kilometers west of Hong Kong and is commonly known as

“Asia’s Las Vegas.” We had never heard of Macau before that, and had to “Google” it to get

to know where it was located.

The item shipped was an A Bug Collection tee, whose shipping costs matched the tee cost.

Not a good bargain for us, but it was a fun surprise to have a customer from Macau — a place

that we didn’t know existed.

photographer: emma arvida byström

stylist: ylva fred

make-up: fanny sandberg

models:

rasmus/kid of tomorrow, eddie/kid of tomorrow, olivia/mikas, david , miranda, einar

Bblessing 1-Day Halloween Sale, 30th of October

Best sale I've seen around — 30% off Bblessing's entire winter collection this Thursday, October 30, in-store only. From 1 to 10pm, find Raf Simons, Patrik Ervell, Rag & Bone, Surface to Air, the in-house Bblessing brand and more at great discounts at Bblessing's 181 Orchard St. (NYC) location.
Can't make it? Shop the collection (without the discount, sadly) at bblessing.com.

Store Spotlight: b STORE London

b STORE — awarded ‘Shop of the Year’ at the British Fashion Awards — is an independent boutique stocking designs for a customer base that “prefers the idea and subtlety of emerging fashion,” rather than big labels, houses and brands. Located in Savile, this boutique with “old skool service” with a “congenial environment” carries their own line of clothing and footwear alongside names like Bernhard Wilhelm, Damir Doma, Ute Ploier, Siv Stodal and Bless.



opening ceremony sheepskin wedge £219
rosie 2 black and blue heel £189
bliss 3 patent leather slips £169
ute ploier physical oversized knit £315
ute ploier power knitted hood £125
xtra-long nylon baracuda bomber £245
green checkered biker zip jacket £215

Comme Collaborating

Moving from one collaboration to another — today Louis Vuitton will unveil a collection of leather accessories designed by Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in the three-month LV/CDG combo store located in Tokyo’s Aoyama high-fashion shopping district. The occasion celebrates 30 years of LV in Japan, according to WWD.

The partnership came to light after conversation between Jacobs and Adrian Joffe, Kawakubo’s husband, and president of Comme des Garçons International according to reports. Marc Jacobs, artistic director of Louis Vuitton, admires the Japanese label and is wholehearted on the joint venture with CDG, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton Yves Carcelle told The Moment.

Kawakubo described her designs as ‘party’ bags to the NYT: a monogram bags — one with multiple slender handles, a Papillon bags with animal-shaped charms dangling on, two small evening purses with long leather handles, and two tweaked iconic LV designs from the ‘70s — the Petit Marceau and the Sac 2 Poches — nostalgic references to the bags on display when Vuitton first opened up in Japan.

In a prepared statement released to the NYT, Jacobs said, “I find it wonderful to think that 30 years ago, this immense talent, someone who has inspired so many others, was inspired by Louis Vuitton.”

This, of course, isn’t the only European collaboration CDG has aligned with this coming season — the worldwide Swedish fashion line H&M will debut the fruit of an affair to remember this 13th of November.
The men and women’s collection is “pure Comme des Garçons,” Kawakubo told W Magazine.

Comme des Garçons — meaning “like boy” — offers a “mostly black and with Japanese tomboy airs,” that includes “a range of tailored jackets, many deconstructed, along with cropped pants, baggy shorts and a variety of skirts in stretch wool,” reports W. Polkadot and color-blocked shirts for men and a “showpiece” dress with “dense Victorian ruffles,” altogether with a unisex scent completes a cohesive collection that’ll be sure to have people lining up outside the stores… to auction it on eBay for those of us with no H&M in close proximity. All good!
Nonetheless, Comme Des Garçons broadens horizons amongst fashion fan demographics this fall and share promise for more surprises in the label’s 40th anniversary in 2009.

(I've come to find many of H&M's images have been requested blogs to remove collection photos. Check out their website to scope 'em out. Or look the collection up at Selectivism.)

End of Season Final Sales

Opening Ceremony green wash straight-leg jeans $145 $43.50
Raf Simons orange knit sweater with exaggerated length $635 $381
Petar Petrov zip elbows jacket $CAD 525 $CAD 262.50
Sonia Rykiel leather heels 55.900 Kr 27.900 Kr

Check out more sales and savings at...
Men a la Mode
Intermix
Built by Wendy

Coming Soon! — Fall/Winter Coverage

Coco Rocha for Visionaire and Lacoste

Visionaire is an art and fashion publication that is published in limited, numbered editions three times a year. The style, theme, packaging and format is modified issue to issue depending on the highlighted artists, designers, photographers, and other(s) whom guest edit the V Magazine sister publication.

Issue 54 SPORT is the first wearable issue published by the V Agency, who has produced full-color and coverage photographically-printed Lacoste (celebrating their 75th anniversary) polo shirts with the artwork of photographers Nick Knight, Peter Lindbergh, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin; artists Thomas Demand, Thomas Ruff, T.J. Wilcox; designer Karl Lagerfield, filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, musicians David Byrne, Michael Stipe; and painter Richard Phillips.

The four different sets of the issue contain three different printed Lacoste polo shirts in small, medium and large alongside the twelve images inside the Visionaire book. Unless you're already subscribed, this fresh issue will cost you $250, or be the first of a four-issue subscription at the cost of $675. Reserve an issue now. (If you've got the bucks for one, feel free to get us another to give away on the blog. Wink. )

Also, hard not to mention — Elite model Coco Rocha sells the Lacoste shirts like they've never been sold before — each printed shirt stripped off her tight and shiny catsuit to her dance and Coco-open-mouth pout. Frame by frame with no popped collars, watch Coco at VisionaireWorld.com.

Store Spotlight: Boutique Reborn

When I think of Reborn, I recall the boutique's slim and sleek build, the personable (and good looking) staff, long-line garments leading to the all-white dressing receptacle, the stack of magazines sitting up front (the i-D with Beyonce on the cover in '06) and the two local designer pieces all my friends wished they had. Since then the world got lucky when Boutique Reborn opened up their very own webstore. 

The hidden-away boutique of Old Montreal stocks a collection of some of the best progressive local and international designer clothing. When I shopped the boutique a couple summers back, I fetched pieces from Complex Geometries and Plateau but Reborn's designer roster also includes (but is not limited to) Alexander Wang, Robert Geller, Petar Petrov, Peter Pilotto, Raf Simons along with labels Acne, Surface to Air, Preen and Darkshdw. Find anthing from a t-shirt to a coat or accessories at the webstore or boutique — Reborn's season collections carry it all. And soon we'll all have a mag to wait out for too — stay tuned, we'll keep you updated.

(all prices in Canadian dollars $$$)

At Ease: Designer, Label Sites with Webstores

Australian label Ksubi has made finding their threads a little easier when they opened up their onsite webstore this year. Find a collection of menswear, womenswear, sunglasses and more at ksubi.com. Their round-world availability provides a selection of seasonless clothes ranging from tank tops, denim jeans to parkas, dresses and jumpers.



Sorry to the folks outside of the States but Balenciaga's webstore is US-only. Accessories such as handbags, shoes and sunglasses are available direct from the Balenciaga house. The 60s-archive inspired sunglasses presented above come in six different colors, and aren't as pricey as I thought they'd be, no? See them all at balenciaga.com.



NYC menswear label THECAST recently opened up their own shop in the city after selling their clothing to a variety of stores around the globe for years. With slick pieces like leather jackets with removable sleeves, seersucker suits and denim jeans, the very wearable THECAST should propel the label to great notoriety in the independent NYC designer scene. Check out THECAST's current collection and previous collections at thecast.com.

Bernhard Willhelm in Stores

Sorry for the lag on update, hope to make it up to you by introducing four unmentioned webstores.
Just finding a store that carries designer Bernhard Willhelm's designs are a sure tell you can find other rulebreaking/ruleless designer clothing. From Iceland to New York, Barcelona to Stockholm then 'round then to London — Bernhard Willhelm designs are now found all over the world less than ten years after his Paris debut in 1999.



Alongside Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs and Sonia Rykiel is Bernhard Willhelm at Kron Kron, an Iceland store found in the city of Reykjavik. Shop a number of Willhelm pieces in the categories of shoes, dresses, tops and bottoms at the Kron Kron webstore.



The lower east side shopping of Seven New York brings labels Material Boy, Obesity and Speed, C-Neeon. and on-sale dresses by Bernahard Willhelm. Make an inquiry or shop the Mercer Street store when in the city.

For Bernhard menswear, shop b Store's webshop based in London. Find outerwear, bottoms and tops.
Willhelm sneakers? Find some at Le Shop Stockholm out of Sweden.

Blog Shopping

Blackbird and Impulse are shopblogs with stores based out of Seattle, Washington, USA. 

Blackbird is a menswear store carrying brands such as Rag & Bone, Robert Geller, Nom de Guerre, Filippa K, Band of Outsiders, Comme Des Garcons, Cheap Monday and more. Common Projects and Surface 2 Air kicks go on sale this Friday, June 13th for Blackbird's Shoe and Denim Sale; RVCA and Cheap Monday denim will be marked down up to 75% off as well. Find the pshysical location of the store in Seattle, here.

Blackbird @ helloblackbird.blogspot.com
Impulse @ impulseseattle.com
The womenswear store Impulse stocks a range of brands and labels, including Tsumori Chisato, Superfine, APC, United Bamboo and Acne. Impulse has their very own sale starting this Saturday, marking spring items 30% to 60% off. Watch their e-commerce site Totokaelo, for the sale of pieces from the Seattle shop.

Footwear for All

Marni flat jelly shoe £75 

Alexander McQueen crocodile pumps $,1440

Balenciaga Moroccan shoe £1,025 

ACNE flat birkenstock style sanda £185

ASOS leather boots £45

Christian Louboutin Yasmine cork wedges $795

Maison Martin Margiela shadow mark high-top trainer £205

Sneaky Steve black Hank Highs $106

Jil Sander sandals $188

Jonathan Saunders for Gola leather high-top trainers £110

Fiorintini+Baker pull on boot $410

d.co Copenhagen soft black bootie $182

Store Spotlight: Aloha Rag

Found in Hawaii near the Ala Moana Mall — Aloha Rag, based out of Hawaii, is known for the Japanese owner, Tatsugo Yoda's, smart eye for wearable high fashion designs. The store carries accessories, footwear, outerwear and more in menswear and womenswear.

Their webstore at AlohaRag.com carries designer labels such as Lanvin, Comme des Garçons, Maison Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Pierre Hardy and hosts sales all year round.

Just in today are arrivals from Elizabeth & James (the Mary-Kate and Ashley line), Golden Goose and 2K for both men and women.

Purchase at Aloha-Rag.com requires membership. Receive 3% off on your next purchase upon application approval. The more you by the more you save at Aloha Rag, your total dollar amount is accumulated to calculate your percentage of discount. 

Lanvin tieredsle top $2185

Lanvin bib front longsleeve $543

Linda Farrow sunglasses $525

Ksubi media sedation tee $140

Maison Martin Margiela leather jacket $1985

Maison Martin Margiela printed tee $395

Random Accessories... For Her

Humanoid knotted shawl $125 @ La Garçonne 

Balenciaga scarf £195 @ Matches Fashion

Comme Des Garçons color embossed zip wallet $272 @ Tobi

3.1 Phillip Lim "hombre" rope belt $145 @ La Garçonne 

Chloé leather alligator fold clutch £656 @ ASOS

ASOS stitched wrap belt £12 @ ASOS

Yves Saint Laurent brooches £175 @ Collette

Cavallini cut-out contrast socks £6 @ ASOS

Store Spotlight: Oak

New York boutique Oak has three locations in the city: one in Brooklyn, two in Manhattan. Oak, formerly Canary, is owned by former stylists Louis Terline and Jeff Madalena who looked to dress "real people." Oak (including its webstore) carries the wearable brands Ksubi, Patrik Ervell, Filippa K and Grey Ant in men and womenswear.



Complex Geometries' light 100% cotton unisex turquoise top comes in an extra wide jersey tee-shirt styling with a pieced guazed underarm for a dolman sleeve effect; it's price runs for $110 at Oak's webstore. The circle beaded button United Bamboo blouse goes for $526; the right off the runway piece comes with circular motif hand beading and embroidery across the chest.



Pants continue to change outfit silhouettes on and off the runway and this pair of bleached out, drop crotch Alexander Wang jeans come in a slouchy/oversize fit. Their pricetag is $332. Oak's house denim comes available in lean-leag fits in the colors yellow, black and blue. The jeans shown run for $152.



Gain a subtle help of height with these 80/20 wedge-tennis shoes at the Oak webstore. The green canvas, lace-up sneaker with built-in 2.5” wedge and gold leather trim fetch for only $98.

Get Baggin' Brights

Chanel, Fendi and Marc Jacobs all included bright-colored handbags in their 2008 Spring/Summer collections this year. The list doesn't end there: Lanvin, Maison Margiela and Pierre Hardy also included poppin' bags that filled the color spectrum. As it goes, any color is in this season — that is, anything out of reach of depthless AA "range." 



Whether matched with colored prints or solid basics — patent leather, fabric and animal-skin handbags help a look standout. Finding a bright bag to your liking won't be hard and making it work with your outfit just right could be accomplished in so fashions.

Lanvin patent leather bag $418

Margiela 6 fabric shoulder bag $108

Prada degrade clutches $950

Store Spotlight: Complex Geometries

Say Complex Geometries' Spring/Summer 2008 pieces are out of your reach because you don't live in Tokyo, New York, Montréal or Copenhagen —  well, the Complex Geometries webstore makes up for that. Pieces in outerwear, tops, bottoms and accessories come in all shapes, sizes and hand-dyed colors at the Complex Geometries website. Get your goods delivered to you internationally from label-base city Montréal, Quebec, Canada.