Trucker Intellectuals

These two made us think of Hunter S Thompson, in true "trucker intellectual" style...

A conversation wirh Aitor Throup

Whenever I mention Throup, Susie never fails to mention that he's good looking.

As mentioned in my previous post I was fortunate enough to listen (and scribble notes) to a conversation with Sarah Mower and Aitor Throup at the V&A. It was an intimate setting, in room 40 of one of my favourite buildings in London (where one can wander for hours...or just go to the ornate foodhalls and have a scone or two...), just Aitor, Sarah, a laptop and 30 odd people (including the inspirational Charlie Porter) listening intently.

The sentence which sticks out from the aforementioned conversation is "Artists create problems, designers solve them", Aitor couldn't recall who had said this originally (Google didn't help me fnd the true source either but who cares really?), he has however adopted it for himself. After hearing him talk about his work you really can see how he is both an artist and designer, solving the problems his mind creates with focus and attention to detail and thirst for processes - his comic book scrawlings transform into reality for the runway (or however he so happens to choose to display them). Throup gave great insight into his design process and what he said only made me marvel at him more. Menswear for me isn't as trend led as womenswear, it needs designers like Throup who approach the design process in a different way, pushing textiles and techniques in new directions...challenging the typical and accepted way of how a jacket should be made.

Throup's comic book drawings evolve in to fashion pieces through moulding and sculptural processes.

Mower seemed desperate to discuss Throup's background whereas the man himself gave the impression (albeit extremely politely and eloquently) that he had said it all before but nevertheless went on to describe his youth and how it might have shaped his view on the world and most importantly for us, his design aesthetic. Throup was born in Argentina and lived there up to the age of seven, he then moved to Madrid with his family and stayed there for five years before moving to Burnley. Argentina and Madrid to Burnley. I've never been to Burnley myself but know that it's a northern town and it's not the best place to be when you're different. There can be little doubt that the racist tension of Burnley informed his work on some level but it was the passionate, devoted folowing of the Burnley Football Club which had the greater effect.

Burnely FC - a crowd which inspired a youthful Throup and still does today

As mentioned previously, Throup's MA collection at the RSA was titled "When Football Hooligans Become Hindu Gods”. It is a three-dimensional comic that communicates the story of redemption and transcendence told through fabric structures that are based on a platform of the football casual.

Phil Thornton's book on the 'Casuals' - the cover image showing one of Osti's finest designs.

Due to football hooliganism within this country during the 80's, the clothes which were adopted by 'the casuals' have had lasting associations with brands such as Stone Island and CP Company. Within this island (far greater than the rest of Europe) these brands were the labels of choice of the hooligan and have become something of a taboo. These brands have not had the respect and attention that they deserve. Throup has made me think twice about them and instilled a desire to read up on the subject. Throup left the audience with a piece of news, he has just signed up with Umbro (one of the biggest footballing brands in the UK) in a creative consultant role, I look forward to seeing his influence on a brand which was an important part of my youth. I hope he continues to both create and solve many more problems...

Aitor Throup related news:

• I've just been informed by EJ that the Throup design for Topman's Black Trouser project have now sold old out...I was too slow. These trousers were the first Throup designed product to be released and I missed out on them. Has anyone managed to get a pair?
• The Independent ran an interesting piece on Throup, the piece can be read here.

Men Represent: Style Icons of yore

When Steve and I first met (way back in 2002, it feels like a century ago) his style reminded me of a certain Mr David Beckham. This was no accident and it was no bad thing. David Beckham always seemed comfortable in his clothes (once he'd gotten past the overly-matching-his-wife stage) while continually looking sharp. As Steve and I got to know each other, our shared admiration for Mr B continued: we went shopping for suit jackets (to be worn with jeans, naturally- we drew the line at sarongs though), we googled for new pictures of the man and admired his love of tailoring.

The thing we loved the most was that hair. Yes, it changed a fair few times, but when it was good, DAMN it was good. The main thing that Steve learnt from DB's hair was how appealing touchable hair was (I'm not exagerrating when I say that the ladies couldn't stop themselves from stroking Steve's hair). Behold!

Apologies for the terrible scan- yes, this photo was taken before I owned a digital camera - dark times indeed.

Rock-modern on Brick Lane

More on couples who dress alike... I love these two. Very rock-modern...

Style Icons - Massimo Osti

Creator of brand trademarks such as CP Company and Stone Island since the seventies, clothing designer Massimo Osti imposed himself on menswear for his abilities of invention, research and experimentation with forms and most of all materials. I was fortunate enough to listen in on the Sarah Mower conversation with Aitor Throup on Friday night at the V&A, thanks to an invite from Stephen of thenonplace. I will do a full post on this later this weekend but as some of you are chomping at the bit for more Style Icon related posts, it seemed madness not to give you one of Aitor's, Massimo Osti. Throup mentioned Osti countless times and his words revealed himself as a teenager living in Burnley once again, a time when Osti designs were so important to him and had a lasting effect on his own designs. Renzo Rosso (Diesel) described Osti's work as marking "important moments that fashion will remember” and following last nights conversation, I would have to agree.

An inventor more than a traditional fashion designer, Massimo has always emphasised the functional, technological and innovative aspect of his garments instead of simply mutating fashion tendencies. His long research led him to build an archive which includes over 30,000 garments and 55,000 fabric samples. Even if you fail to recognise the name, you will know his work. Examples of his innovations that we remember are the fabric coatings such as joint fabrics, thermo sensitive fabrics, rubber flax and rubber wool as well as being the first to use specialised garment dying and stone washing Examples of his innovations that we remember are the fabric coatings such as joint fabrics, thermo sensitive fabrics, rubber flax and rubber wool as well as being the first to use specialised garment dying and stone washing. The entire textile industry has been entirely revolutionised by Osti’s research and the excited, enthusiastic Throup forced me to take notice. There can be little doubt that Massimo Osti, a reclusive Italian, was a truly unique and innovative thinker, fabric engineer and designer, that pushed menswear forward. The Chester Perry (CP Company as it's known today) name originates from a little known comic strip whose central character, Chester, was always coming up with innovative ideas to improve his work place, but went unheard. The name was shortened to CP Company as the original name was just to similar to the tennis brand of Fred Perry.

Below is one of his most recognised creations, the Mille Miglia jacket - named after an open road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty four times between 1927 and 1957. As you can see the garment features goggles built into the hood and originally had a small circular window in the sleeve enabling the wearer to see their watch. This jacket would certainly change my image.

I will end this post with a few words from the man himself...“If I find a piece of clothing interesting, I must be able to understand and define why it is interesting. The fabric used might be created using some new technological development, or the construction details are there to carry out a specific function. This is the reason why brands such as Stone Island and C.P. Company have such relevance in the future of fashion. I have no interest in trends, nor in decoration that isn’t relevant or justified.”

Ooops, I did it again

Another lumberjack-cool (or as our friend Hipsterrunoff would say, alt?) I love his hair, super skinnies and black plimsoles.

Spanish Goths ... Portobello

Another couple who dresses alike... This time from Spain.

Oh my.

From the Tabio website: "As supplied for the character of The Joker in Warner Bros. Pictures "The Dark Knight" - Tabio's Joker Socks are part of movie history!"

£16 might be a bit steep for some people's tastes, but I'm sold. Available to pre-order here.

Lumberjack cool - Portobello

See, more black and red plaid! the lumberjack -cool is now a very hot trend. I love the little moccasin boots too, and the hair and peacock earrings, all very consistent.

Italians... Portobello

The red plaid is ubiquitous right now... and here is one of the many examples I will be posting in these coming days. These two illustrate well my obsession with couples that dress alike and are, therefore, part of the same "fashion tribe". I always ask myself if they meet and are attracted because they dress alike, or if one serves as fashion inspiration to the other as the relationship evolves... Any thoughts?

French Hipster... High Street Kensington

I love love love this girl's look, from the glasses to her jacket and red top to the ripped jeans and star-stripey converse, to her blue fingernails, all working together in perfect stylish harmony, tres geeky chic!

Picture Postcard: I can see the light

Dearest EJ

I have been told that moving is one of the top three most stressful times within a lifetime...It hasn't been that bad so life must be good (touch wood). I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel...and it's not a light purchased from Ikea... hurray! The place is looking great already and the move has made me find some forgotten pieces, not to mention the fact I know have my whole wardrobe in one place... finally! Expect some more interesting outfit posts in the coming week. Anyway, enough about me, I just wanted to let you know that despite the fact I've been doing some serious hard labour...not to mention white van driving...everything will return to normal soon. In the meantime please see my good friend Gustav shot by the sartorialist, I just love the over sized safety pin brooch.

Much love

Steve

Hola Steve

Glad to hear the move has gone ok. Looking forward to seeing photos (HINT HINT) of the new place. Liking this chap a fair amount, particularly the way all the blue look together. Also like his bag, even though it looks a little cumbersome for everyday use. Not quite sure of the proportions of the outfit though. Something seems a little bit off and I can't put my finger on what it is.

EJ

p.s. I have so much less hair than you now, it's great!

Pink tights and layering... Portobello

When I asked where she got her tights and shoes she responded only shoes £1, tights £3... creating your personal style from inexpensive pieces, priceless!

Post Modern at Portobello

I scouted him at Portobello, and I loved his post-modern asymmetrical hair and shirt. A very cohesive style...

Elegant Handbags

In celebration of her recent bonus and exam results, one of my girl friends decided to invest in a handbag. She asked me to recommend her something suitable for work that is understated, classic and preferably not Chanel (which was naturally my first instinct!). Naturally when it comes to understated, classic, the Birkin comes to mind, but I think we can wait a few years before we proceed to that level. So I added young to the equation. Many "it" bags come to mind, but few are classic. So here I've listed a few that I think may last through the test of time.

The Balenciaga motorcycle (left) and the Miu Miu bow bag (right). HG and I love them both and if you've been reading this blog, you'd know that already since these two bags have been positively overblogged by us. They were 'it' for a reason. I may be biased (because we own them), but I'd like to think that these two are classic. Only thing is that they've been around for a while already so you'd see it a lot in the streets and I'm not exactly sure that they qualify for "understated" or work (is there such a thing as being too hip for work? or am I just being a prude?).

Two bags I personally think is more understated and appropriate for work, is the Classic Multi Pocket bag from Marc Jacobs (left) and the Dr Q Groovee satchel from Marc by Marc Jacobs. These are not as in your face as some 'it' bags, but they are definitely still very recognizable as MJ by those in the know. They are also simple, elegant and young. Love them!

For a bit more detail and design, there is the Miu Miu napa bag. But I personally think that this one is a but too recognizable and will be dated in a year or so. For something a bit more exclusive there is the Valentino Histoire bag, a less common 'it' bag that resembles the Mulberry bag from back in the days a bit.

And I KNOW that this is supposed to be young and understated, but I can't help but posting these two. If I were a bit older I'd definitely go for the Bottega Veneta bag (left). Even though it is covered with the Vuitton monogram, I can't help but love this Vuitton Mahina bag. The prints are subtle and the design is just elegant and so cute all at once. I want one!

Now for the winner of this competition- the YSL Muse. A bit more sophisticated than the Marc Jacobs, this bag is structured, simple and elegant. It fits everything and is definitely perfect for work. I checked out the Muse II as well, but I didn't really like it. It looked like it was pretending to be a Birkin. For something a bit more casual and young, I am loving the YSL Downtown bag as well. This will probably be less common on the streets as well.

Men Represent: Men of wardrobe_remix

A little late, here are my favourite men's outfits submitted to wardrobe_remix in the last few weeks and a very brief summary of what I like best about each of them. Steve's will follow when he's all moved in to his new flat.

Men Represent - Day 1

Thom really set the bar for the week with this one. Hat, jacket and nonchalance are my favourite bits of this outfit.

Messy Layers

Cozy, classy layering. Love the glasses. I'm just love hoodies too.

Red and Black Hellboy

Hint: I'm a sucker for buffalo check. Anyone else being dragged to the new Hellboy film and praying that it's good?

blogging 050

This is a woman's shirt! Fear not gender labels on clothes! (also love the cuffing on the shorts)

Sunday 10 August

The hair! The shades! The ability to wear white envy! (I spill) Did I mention the hair?

Day 1

Great shirt, great hat, great watch.

Wet Tuesday

Love the flash of stripes and the mooooon boots. I love stomping around in those moon boots almost as much as Steve does.

La fleur du mal

Gian killed me with his gloves and shoes combo... not to mention the silk flowers!

P.S. Because Steve is so busy moving all his worldly possessions to a new abode with the lovely SB, this week's Men Represent task will be extended for an extra week... keep those style icons coming!

Best Shag Style For You

One of the most important things to consider before getting a Shag Hairstyles is the length. Of course a shag can be done on everything from really long hair to very short hair. With long hair typically the outer most layer of the hair is left untouched for the most part and then the inner layers of hair can be cut with the shag to add more volume and style to the hair leaving. Be careful not to do too much shag to the outer layers or it can quickly end up looking like you have really damaged hair. For medium length hair you can add more layers and a lot more shag to the overall cut. Then for those of us that choose short hair of course the shag can be done everywhere.

Just keep in mind if you are choosing to go with a short shag haircut it can take a great deal of time to grow it out and therefore it is a pretty big commitment. One other important thing to note is if you have really thin hair then a shag is not the cut for you. Yes the shag can add a lot of volume which is a great thing for thin hair but typically the shag will leave wisps of hair and the shag will make thin hair look really unkempt.

Why Get A Shag Hairstyles
Shag Hairstyles are edgy and different. They are very easy to take care of and typically require only an air dry and maybe some volumizer spray. They typically portray a very confident attitude because they do not require a lot of extra styling and they look great all day long.

Balenciaga bag at Bond Street

To me true style is defined by the way someone is able to combine pieces of clothing and accessories that come from completely different places to create something new yet harmonious. This girl illustrates this very well. Her dress is from a shop in Denmark, her boots are from Topshop and her bag is Balenciaga.

Future Hair

This is what might be looking back you in the mirror next year...

Via the great Mensrag I stumbled across Fashionising's analysis of hair trends as seen on the s/s 09 runways and their predictions for our barnets in 2009. The post quite rightly suggests that like all trends, those within hair are cyclical, and in recent years, they have gradually modernised the looks of the 20th Century and planted them firmly in the 21st. As for my hair I will dabble between two stylings.

Firstly, the Burberry Prosoum style with textured longer fringe, with an overal light and layered feel - the 2009 incarnation of the 'Caesar cut' (to be honest it's not too far off my current look) While cut to bring hair from the temples and crown towards the forehead, the overall effect depends largely on using a matte wax or pomade to create the rugged texture and is quite akin to something sported by men in the Regency era.

This look reminds me that I really should use product in my hair.

My second look will see me dabble with more product as I attempt that classis hairstyling...the slick back. Fashionising's advice on the matter is knowing your hair and getting the right cut and then it's all down to the product. The trick with using the right product (good old-school Brylcreem is suggested) is to make sure that the side you choose to slick the hair back towards actually suits your face. This will involve me playing in front of the mirror. I will film it and put it on the blog for your pleasure and much merriment.

Men Represent - Guilty pleasure style icons

So we are already half way through the second week of Men Represent and it's really about time that we sunk our teeth into the subject of male style icons. They come in all shapes and sizes and within all walks of life I'm sure...there are more icons to be found outside the modern day clut of celebrity. I would like to start off proceedings with airing my dirty style icon laundry and staying in the realms of celebrity...here is my guilty pleasure style icon. We all have them I'm sure, the people who inspired us as impressionable youths and now that we have managed to grow some facial hair and have the ability to legally do the things we did before, these figures still affect us. Despite our better judgements sggesting the contrary they invoke some degree of nostalgic loyalty. What's that? You want an example...ok well I will give you one of mine, Pharrell Williams (I refuse to call him Skateboard P or any other name he might want me to). There was a time when Mr Williams who could do no wrong in my eyes. He had produced the soundtrack to many summers and was being featured in all the right places, what can I say, I was an impressionable youth. This style icon puppy love reached it's peak following the cover shoot he did for The Face. Since then I've grown older and seen many a crack in him but my lasting nostalgia lives on. Even if he is wearing the very worst kind of smart causal hybrid (he really it at his worst when he wears tuxedo and ill fitting jeans and uninspired footwear) I really don't mind...in 2002 he owned the radio.

However, I recently stumbled across the below image and it brought out the teenage girl in me. For me this is perfect smart casual wear. This look inspires me all over again and provokes a desire to go out in search of a well cut grey wool jacket - I might just do that tomorrow...who needs to work? Anyway, my guilty pleasure isn't looking that guilty here - there were plenty of example of Williams getting it wrong but the blog isn't an outlet to criticise - we leave that to the likes of gofugyourself who are far cleverer and better at it than us. Regardless go and listen to one his productions, I suggest Mystikal's 'Shake ya ass' and post your guitly pleasure style icons in the comments and I will revisit this often over looked phenomenon.

All American, re-invented... Oxford Street

This woman's re-invented All-American look is impeccable, from the square glasses, to the handkerchief and the jeans that fit so well with turn-ups just right, to the red Converse. I also love the vintage watch and her hair...

PDG 4 life

Hey Steve, I think I've found what you're going to buy from the Comme Des Garcons for H&M range...

Question is: top, shorts or both? And would you wear them at the same time? By the way, is that a polo shirt layered over a regular t shirt? Because that would be just dandy.

Despite the nod to the all powerful PDG (if you were wondering it refers to the Polka Dot Gang - myself and EJ are founding members) I was disappointed with the collaboration. I just think it looks a little dull, uninspired and the worst sin of all...cheap. The look chosen is definitely my favourite for obvious reasons and in answer to your question I would like the polo/tshirt ensemble (the shorts are a little too much for me)....I'm not sure it's worth queuing up for though.

Plaid shirt and bowtie... Selfridges

I was first struck by the hairstyles on both these girls, and when I had a chance to give the one on the left a proper look, I just had to photograph her. The plaid shirt bowtie denim short ensemble is so cool! It was a quickie, inside Selfridges. I always get nervous thinking I am going to be told off~

Rockabilly Artist... Clerkenwell

Men Represent - One week on

Above documents what I've been wearing this week. I wasn't able to experiment as much as I'd hope to but it gives an honest account of what I've been wearing lately. The last few weeks have been monopolised by flat hunting and other stressful tasks which have not allowed me to do everything I planned, but that's life! I've been away this weekend so not had a chance to look at your posts on w_r but we will put up a selection of our favourite outfits over the coming days. It was great to see so many of you taking part. How was it for you?

Men Represent - Style Icons

We love discussing our style icons here at Style Salvage and would love to read about yours. As part of our Men Represent season we invite you, the readers and fellow bloggers, to post about your inspirations and how these influences might filter down to your everyday wear. There are some men that inspire many of us and there are others that might only inspire one of you in obvious or in subtle ways... we would like to hear about them all. Steve is going to start off proceedings with his style icons on Monday and then we pass the blog over to you. Just drop us an email of your thoughts and we will help out as much as we can.

Guidelines: This can be in any format you choose (you can be as creative as you want here, use any media you wish), however a basic entry would consist of:

1) Introducting your style icon - who, what, when...

2) Reasons for your choice

3) Supporting images

4) How the icon inspires your everyday dress with supporting images of yourself

The great raincoat... Tate Modern

I love this girl's whole look! From the oversized portfolio to the sneakers and the beautiful raincoat with oversizes sleeves. Her haircut is sweet too.

Red tights and neckpiece... Tate

I am loving red tights these days, I even worn mine today, inspired by this girl I scouted at Tate the other day. I also love her neck-piece/necklace thing, very crafty!