Autumn Leaves Kicking Boot

After months of planning, mood boards, factory visits and samples, the fruits of the sixbysixbloggers project officially launch today. Now, if you've somehow missed my previous posts on the project (here and here), sixbysixbloggers is an exclusive creative collaboration driven by global online marketplace Farfetch that showcases the production skills of cool shoe powerhouse Six London whilst satisfying the design whims and extravagent fancies of a selection of bloggers. Along with Susie, The Man Repeller, Stockholm Streetstyle, The Cherry Blossom Girl and Facehunter, I've been able to create my dream pair of shoes - the Autumn Leaves Kicking boot. To think that this design idea has been pinballing around my brain for years has now been realised is nothing short of remarkable. Thanks to the talented team at Six London I've been able to create a true harvest festival of footwear in a limited run of just twenty pairs. Over the weekend, on a perfect misty autumnal morning, I squeezed my feet in to the sample and celebrated the imminent launch by kicking leaves in the park. 

As previously mentioned, the inspiration for my design centred around my love of the timing of its launch. Now is the time when the rich colours of autumn really come into play and I strive to envelop myself in nature's most magnificent palette as much as possible. These Autumn hues of plum, rich red, deep green and various shades of brown should all be celebrated. Even the sound of walking through crisp leaves excites me and I wanted to create a shoe that replicated this feeling even walking on the greyest of pavements. As I walked through the park, surrounded by leaves and little else (the odd dog walker aside), my love for the season was only heightened by the boots.

Kicking leaves in the boots for the very first time. 

My celebratory outfit includes Dries Van Noten jacket, Whizz Ltd knit and Chinos by Ben Sherman

It is a strange feeling wearing a pair of shoes that you have had some hand in designing. Something I really did not think I would ever do. These boots really are my dream shoes (for this season atleast) and I'm so happy with how they've turned out. This strange feeling will only be heightened if I ever see people wearing them out and about. Thankfully, I've been eased in to this week by a blog post from the lovely Anastasia and Duck. It'll be interesting to see them out of the blogosphere though. 

Now, if you're interested in the launch and in acquiring appropriate footwear for kicking leaves you'll have to be quick as there are only twenty pairs available. Given the limited run of the shoes, the sixbysixbloggers project launches privately today to those who signed up for updates, before launching for everyone else on Thursday. Now, I'm off to kick my way through more leaves...

Edit: As mentioned above the boots shot here were just samples. I was just too eager and excited to wait for the finished article. However, this morning I had a package from FarFetch. As requested, the leaf print has been tweaked for an even more intense autumnal feel. The result is a much richer print. Without further ado, here they are...

Currently only available to those who signed up to receive more information about the launch, the sixbysixbloggers will be on general sale tomorrow. Happy leaf kicking!

Gee Whiz

During my time in Tokyo this Spring, I enthusiastically pinballed my away across the sprawling city and discovered a myriad of concept spaces both large and small. One of the real highlights was Yuichi Yoshii's The Contemporary Fix. The two floored space takes a gallery approach, installing limited-time exhibitions that spotlight individual brands. The ground level is an inviting cafe and bar that rewards and rejuvenates customers with a welcome respite from consumerism whilst the second is dedicated to offering a selection of the finest Japanese labels. During my visit I was afforded the opportunity to examine a vast offering from Phenomenon, Visvim, Bedwin and The Heartbreakers, Facetasm and SASQUATCHfabrix to name but a few. However, atleast one label slipped under my radar. Thankfully, Susie was recently dispatched to cover Japan Fashion Week and on the very last day she was wowed by the Yoshii curated series of shows, Versus Tokyo. It was here that she was properly introduced to Whiz Limited.

Hiroaki Shitano launched his label in AW 2000. First as simply “Whiz”, then opting to add “Limited” three years later. His line, originally consisting of handmade printed tees for his closest friends, slowly grew in popularity and encouraged him to expanding his 'individual clothing' concept. Inspired by his native surroundings, Shitano is ever evolving his own Tokyo streetstyle outlook. Whilst being impressed with Whiz Limited's colourful parade for SS12, Susie was inspired to revisit The Contemporary Fix to treat me to a little present from the label's AW11 offering. The collection showcases a heady cocktail of prints and patterns, ranging from plaid to Native American tribal designs, to help breathe new life in to familiar staples. 

AW11 look book shots courtesy of Whiz Limited

Even confronted with the well stocked rails of The Contemporary Fix, Susie still managed to keep a clear head and plumped for the item (having had a chance to look at the entire collection) I would have snapped up for myself. A breton reimagined with the simple addition of a tribal knit trim.  

For me, the real beauty of menswear is in the details. After all, it is the small details which are so often overlooked and neglected which can transform any mediocre outfit in to something special. I've said this many times and will ever tire of saying it opting instead to celebrate the designers and individuals who take as much pleasure in celebrating and exploring them as I do. With Whiz Limited, Shitano is one such designer.

Agi&Sam SS12

After the initial excitement of the opening round of shows, the adrenaline of Menswear Day began to be replaced with fatigue and fashion weariness. Just when I needed a pick me up, Agi&Sam offered a shot of Tobasco, Tequila and Tomato Juice. This was not served in a glass but instead thrown in my face. Weary onlookers like myself were given a visual shock as the exciting design duo took our outstretched hands and led the way on a sartorial journey across Central America. The sights, sounds and smells of a cacophony of cultures and festivities whizzed by and merged before tired eyes deep in the East Wing of Somerset House.

Thanks to their penchant for clashing and layering print upon print, the design duo once again opened my mind to print possibilities. Much like the shooter that inspires the SS12, the duo threw a number of unexpected ingredients together to create something intoxicating yet tasty. In most pieces, references are torn apart, manipulated and reassembled to create eye-catching yet ultimately wearable clothes...

Agi&Sam's cross section of Mexican characters brought some much needed colour to the SS12 presentations.

Shots from the many I took throughout a snap happy day.

As the hangover of Menswear Day subsides and the weekend arrives, we could not help ourselves from ordering another shot of tobasco, tequila and tomato. Here we talk through the collection with Sam Cotton as we devour another hit of the hard, colourful print stuff with the help of their look book...

SS: Tabasco, Tequila and Tomato Juice takes us on a a journey through a colourful patchwork quilt of influences from Central America. What was the starting point point, what drew you to this region?

Sam Cotton: Tabasco, tequila and tomato juice. It’s a great shot that was introduced to us by one of our friends. It entails the same methods of a tequila slammer but changing the salt and lemon for tabasco and tomato juice, respectively. After one too many we then began waffling on about tequila and its uses within Mexican society. Strangely this led on to thinking about Mexican 'Day of the Dead' and its social significance, the collection evolved from there.

SS: What was your mood board like for SS12?

Sam Cotton: For the first time we actually developed a colour palette which was quite unusual for us. Normally we tend to throw things together and see where it takes us, although it has worked in the past we felt this time we needed more cohesion in the collection. When we research we tend to cover an entire gulf of cultural and social influences; artists, photographers, filmmakers, criminals, heroes etc. From this we are able to get a feel or how societies cross over and why. Especially important to our colour palette were the works of architect Luis Barragan; regarded as being arguably the most important Mexican architect of the 20th century. His bold and unashamed use of colour within architecture showed us a way of tying the collection together without compromising the colour scheme too much and risking it looking too safe.

SS: How did these Central American influences evolve in to the collection we see today?

Sam Cotton: We tried looking at a cross reference of the traditional Mexican man. Firstly we began looking at the labourers and farmers of Central America, in particular their sartorial requirements and the functionality of their work wear. From there immigration became a key point of our research, in particular the Bisbee deportation where 1300 Mexican American mine workers were illegally deported by vigilantes on July 12 1917. The workers were kidnapped at a local baseball park and transported 200 miles for 16 hours through desert without food or water before being unloaded in New Mexico without money or transportation.

Delving deeper we headed into the underworld, happening upon those living below that acceptable line; those that create their own rules and live under their own guidelines, the gangsters, ‘gangbangers’, drug barons and prisoners. The underbelly of society being the catalyst that propels ‘normal’ life is what really pushed this collection into its reality, and in tow, the idea that one cannot live without the other. We wanted each of the looks to hold characters taken from each of these sub sectors, we like the look book to have character and personality. Some of the shots are of the Agi&Sam Farmers and Labourers, where as others are of the Agi&Sam Columbian drug barrons and prison gang members.

SS: You've experimented heavily with texture and colour, stretching the boundaries of digital printing. In most pieces, references are torn apart, manipulated and reassembled to create eye-catching yet wearable clothes. Could you talk us through a selection of the prints. How were they manipulated and clashed?

Sam Cotton: We like to play with texture and the whole process of printing, were able to experiment a bit more of certain safer fabrics such as canvas and even plain t shirt prints which in some ways is harder than working with the kind of techno fabrics we worked with last season. As stated earlier we always think big when gathering inspiration for a collection. Having very eclectic tastes can sometimes be a hindrance because you begin to dissect and develop every little bit of inspiration, and this is why our research becomes so wide. Its not always a bad thing as it gives you a lot more scope to play around with but I think this is why a lot of our prints, colours, silhouettes, and details are clashed. For example, one of our prints is a lumberjack, usually seen on ‘the lumberjack shirt’ and the idea of using this came from looking at early 20th century workwear and the photographs of Mike Disfarmer. From a distance this is how it appears but in reality, the lumberjack itself is taken from traditional Mexican blanket weaves, dissected, and placed into an irregular check. This check is then placed over another layer of print, which appears like wood. This is a wooden fence print we designed, and is to signify the barrier between Mexican workers and the land of opportunity; an idea highlighted when we were researching immigration; in particular, the Bisbee Deportation where 1300 Mexican American mine workers were illegally deported by vigilantes on July 12 1917. We did put this print onto a shirt, but instead of following strict rules of expectancies, we smartened it up, and put it on a more classic, tailored shirt as opposed to a work shirt. On top of this we spread the print out over even more garments, such as a tailored suit, a parka, jersey, and within our shoe collaboration. We do this because we believe a print can become more accessible this way, and challenges the way one should look at it, rather than it always being the norm. This is similar to the way we did a Fairisle knit in our ss11 collection to look like knitwear but when you come close you realize its actually a print.

SS: If at all, how has the design dynamic that exists between the two of you developed for this season?

Sam Cotton: We don’t think that the dynamic has necessarily ‘changed’, more that it has developed, and maybe hopefully matured. This is our third season together and it feels like now we are really beginning to understand exactly what it is we are doing or trying to establish as a brand. In the beginning we were literally like ‘okay lets make some interesting clothes that contain our own prints and can inject humour into fashion’. Now we are reading between the lines, tweaking things, and playing off each others strengths and weaknesses, so that we can develop in the best possible way, and with a clear direction and vision. We want the brand to have some kind of longevity, so we are purposefully tackling it from all angles.

The last two collections we did were all out of Agi’s living room floor and we had no stockists so this was never in our heads. Since AW11 was released in Feb, we’ve picked up six stockists, a joint business account, a proper studio, interns, and dealt with factories and production. So with this, came quick responsibility, and I guess this is what pushed us to think more intelligently and maturely about Agi&Sam. In a way its amazing to see it progressing, but sometimes you take a step back and realise, ‘its not just making clothes with your friend anymore’ its an actual business. And that is ridiculously scary.

SS: This season marks the debut of two new collaborations to provide the accessories for the collection. Printed oxfords and slip ons with New York shoe brand Osborn and fedoras and straw hats with J Smith Esquire. How did these collaborations come about? How was it working with both of them? Who would you like to work with in the future?

Sam Cotton: Accessories and shoes are something we’ve always wanted to do, and when Agi was at uni he always thought of complete ‘looks’ rather than individual separates. We’ve done them in some way or another in past seasons but they’ve always been done in house, and, to be honest, not that well. So in keeping with our wanting to mature and grow as a brand, we thought now would be the perfect time to collaborate with people that could actually do it properly. We actually stumbled across Osborn shoes through a friend during the research stage, and were instantly awe struck with they’re amazing designs and how similar they were to the kinds of shoes we’d imagined in our minds. The fact that they are all fair trade and cobbled together in Guatemala almost felt like fate so we simply got in touch with them began the collaboration process.

The same thing happened with Justin Smith Esquire, we had been looking to collaborate with a milliner for a while especially with this collection in mind and our friend mentioned he was a nice guy and he might be up for collaborating. He certainly was for both of those things and even on a last minute deadline of about two weeks he was able to produce these incredible hats, both printed and made from straw.

It’s hard to tell for the future of collaborations. We don’t like working with the obvious as its all a bit too easy and safe. It’s more exciting to work with a brand that is either new or a bit left field. Although the idea of someone like Nintendo or FILA would be quite exciting but it would have to be relevant to the seasons direction. We tend to mix up our influences for every season and not stick to a certain type of design, one season we could be inspired by sportswear and FILA would then be relevant but then the next we could be doing worker wear like this. Although saying that maybe it would be interesting to approach FILA in a worker wear way. So scrap that last paragraph, haha.

SS: Finally, what's next for Agi&Sam?

Sam Cotton: Another season, another collection. We are working on production for the second time which we feel a lot more comfortable with now after the first year. Our first stop will hopefully be Paris again with the BFC at London Show Rooms in January. It was such an eye opener for ourselves, especially for the kind of quality you need to be producing in our position, it was also great to stand back and almost hold a retrospective on what we had designed for SS12. It didn’t change the initial design ideas we had but it gave us a chance to add key things into the collection and start polishing the entire thing.

Look book credits:
Styling by Rose Forde, photography by Luke Stephenson and 
modelled wonderfully by Jerome Robeiro
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Always aiming to be revolutionary in their approach to print design, Agi&Sam once again experimented heavily with texture and colour. Stretching the boundaries of digital printing and pushing me to consider unexpected print combinations. As colourful and dazzling the collection certainly is, I'm most excited by the design duo's continued evolution. Having brought so much to the Fashion East Menswear Installations for two seasons now, I'm in little doubt that this pair have a bright future. 

Menswear Day Preview... Shaun Samson SS12

Shaun Samson's SS12 lineup

In precisely one weeks time we will be half way through a packed Menswear Day schedule. We would have Asd been amazed by Anderson, seduced by Shannon, dazzled by Dalton and moved by MAN. As we countdown to the big day, it is the latter that is causing our blogging pulse to race. Since its inception and thanks to the support and sponsorship of Topman and Fashion East, MAN has created a whole new momentum in the London menswear scene. Season after season, it grows in profile and importance but the SS12 lineup marks an energised beginning. The talent showcase is all about heralding what’s new in menswear but this lineup is one of the most exciting to date. Martine Rose shows for the third time and is joined by two newcomers, Matthew Miller and Shaun Samson. Now, regular readers will know that Miller is no newbie in our eyes. His work has impressed us for a number of years now and after capturing the collective imagination with his AW11 presentation, his addition to the show lineup marks a much deserved step forward for the design talent. Samson on the other hand is a recent discovery. 

Having stood out with his seamless MA collection of harmoniously fused knits and plaids earlier this year, we met up the California born graduate to learn more about his needle punch felting technique. As we were talked through the design process of his AW11 collection, we could not help ourselves from peeking at what he had in store for us on Menswear Day. Here, we take a look at how colourful Mexican blankets sparked a renewed love affair with his homeland and accompany his words with a few studio shots....

"I was initially really attracted to these Mexican blankets. They are everywhere in California. However, it wasn't until I moved here and away from them for a couple of years before returning that I saw them in a new light. I'd never think to put these colours together but for some reason they work.  They are made in the traditional way by Mexicans and use whatever yarns they have at that time. No two blankets are the same which is great except for when it comes to production but I'll figure it out. The blankets are so nice themselves that I can't over design the garment."

Shaun Samson on the starting point for the collection and the confident use of colour in the blankets.

" From the blankets, I reminisced about growing up in California; the surfers, the grunge and the gangster rap movement."
Shaun Samson on the evolution of design influences from the blankets.

"I'm also experimenting with one off pieces that I won't produce, mixing vintage garments and pushing the aesthetic that bit more"
Shaun Samson hinting at what we can expect to see on Menswear Day
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Summer Soaring

Over the last few seasons, Tim Soar has designed collections that are both warm and familiar yet undeniably modern. They have have many overlapping memories and echoes from the past but still manage to look forward and feel fresh. Soar has offered his take on the greatest hits of menswear and the results have provided collections fit for any modern day gentleman. Timeless elegance. For Soar, each season is not about the exploration of a unique silhouette and then moving on but rather it is about taking different elements and putting them together in a way that is a coherent whole. The themes, riffs and references are there to be seen and are developed each season. My most recent Soar piece encapsulates these points wonderfully...

Silk shirt by Tim Soar worn with suit by Comme des Garçons Ganryu and King Tubby's by Mr Hare.

Now, regular readers should recall how enamoured I was by Soar's AW10 collection and that I added two key items to my wardrobe as a result. I was particularly taken with Soar's silk dress shirts. They were fascinating and represented a good part of the inspiration behind the entire collection because they were from the 70s but they felt Victorian at the same time. There were equal influences within them, two periods. The length and the volume of the shirt means that is caught somewhere between loose and fitted. As an aesthetic going forward, I think an area between loose and fitted is a good place to be and I've enjoyed experimenting with volume and silhouette much more since owning my shirt.  

For SS11, Soar was drawn to the wardrobe of David Bowie in Nicholas Roeg’s film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’. As Thomas Newton, Bowie's wardrobe explores the moment where the excesses of Seventies style culture (the big flares, the wide lapels and long lines) are about to mutate into the New Wave utilitarian aesthetic. It is a wonderful mix of formal men’s tailoring with technical undergarments and sportswear. And this, for Soar, is the very essence of modern menswear. His silk printed dress shirt is the perfect example. Here he took the silhouette, the mood and softness of them and took them one stage further by adding an abstract, colourful digital print. It makes them slightly trickier, it takes them out of themselves and adds an element of surprise. I could not resist in adding this evolved item to my wardrobe...

The abstract, colourful and bold digital print certainly adds an element of surprise.

Treasured Items... Tim Soar

Every wardrobe tells a story. Of course, some stories are more captivating than others and here at Style Salvage, we strive to seek out the most interesting to share with you. Almost all of us are all obsessed, or at the very least intrigued, by a particular item, era or theme of clothing. Tim Soar is a long time collector of vintage military garments and this interest frequently trickles down to his own collections. Therefore, it should come as little surprise that when asked to reveal a treasured item, he plumped for a favoured item from his ever growing archive. Here, Soar himself sets the scene and describes just why his Gold Tiger Stripe shirt is so special.  

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Tim Soar and the Gold Tiger Stripe shirt. 

Dialectics and Tiger Stripe. "One through nine, no maybes, no supposes, no fractions."

Scene 1. The Death Of The 1960s as told in Apocalypse Now

Captain Willard (Martin Sheen). The self obsessed Army assassin, the embodiment of American 'might is right', slowly realising that he is on the loosing side. End point: the previously unimaginable American defeat in Vietnam

The Photojournalist (Dennis Hopper). The whacked out hippy photographer who is starting to believe that the ultimate 'trip' is pure Nietzschean will and that truth lies beyond good and evil. End point: Charles Manson

The two sides of the American dream lost and adrift. Both wear Tiger Stripe camouflage fatigues.

Scene 2. The Clash at Shea Stadium. The Combat Rock Tour. The end of 1970s (in 1982).

Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon wear a strange mix of Tiger Stripe fatigues and 1950s American rockabilly clothing. The rockabilly clothing representing a time when rock and roll was still pure, before the corporate rock whore excess of the mid-1970s, the Tiger Stripe fatigues represent the spirit of punk confrontation, again a rejection of the of the pre-76 music scene. This is early Post-Modern dressing - an era that we are still in - where disparate items of clothing are mixed and matched to tell stories about the wearer. We now call it 'vintage'

I was born in the 1960s and grew up in the 1970s and these two scenes illustrate why this Gold Tiger Stripe shirt has a strong emotional resonance for me. From the point of view of a fashion designer, Tiger Stripe camouflage is fascinating. The uniforms where originally issued to South Vietnamese forces in the late 1950s/early 1960s before being appropriated by in-country elements of the US Army throughout the Vietnam war. They where predominately manufactured in Japan. The proportions of the garments are always slightly wrong with most uniforms in tiny Asian sizes, while those made especially for Americans usually having weirdly short arms and legs. This gives the shirts and trousers a slightly naive quality. There are many variations of the camouflage design that veer from subdued greens to vivid golds, while all retain the strong black horizontal stripes that are the distinctive feature of this pattern. The inks are screen printed onto cotton (rather than vat dyed like modern uniforms), therefore each item of clothing will fade and soften in a unique way. All this makes vintage Tiger Stripe feel much closer to the hippy and the punk than it does to the soldier. Finally, all Tiger Stripe, and particularly Gold Tiger Stripe, is now stupendously expensive. I found this shirt at Camden Market 10 years ago, and I always feel a smug sense of satisfaction knowing that I paid only a fraction of it's potential resale price. I know, its the little things.....

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Jonathan Saunders SS12

As I wearily staggered from showroom to showroom on a ridiculously hot and sweaty weekend in Paris last month I encountered a number of reasons to be excited for SS12. None more so than Jonathan Saunders' menswear. Now, ever since Saunders burst on to the womenswear scene with his graduate collection from CSM in 2002, the design talent has caused much excitement and fanfare. His intricately engineered graphic prints in a kaleidoscopic of colour have made him a real highlight on the LFW schedule. Having already dipped his toe in the inviting waters of menswear with a few complimentary looks within his runway shows (most recently AW11), this season sees the Scottish born designer jump right in with surprising aplomb.

As in his recent womenswear collections, Saunders offers a clean and concise statement as he applies his well honed design signature to true classics of menswear. The peacoat, trench coat and relaxed tailored pieces are all given a decidedly Saunders twist. His trademark print is of course in evidence. One flourish looks like Victorian wallpaper. However, it is in the more subtle variants where the pieces really shine, as in a striped shirt which showcases a delicate engineered jacquard. For me, the real highlights are the tan outerwear pieces that are brought to life with flashes of aqua. We've come to expect these assured games with print and colour blocking from Saunders' womenswear but it is a real treat to see them employed so well here. Now, I could wax lyrical about the collection but this is a collection that talks for itself. Without further ado, here is a selection of imagery. The following combination of supplied look book images and my own close up shots will surely get you all drunk on a heady cocktail of luxe staples and stunning details...

Look book images courtesy of Jonathan Saunders, close up shots taken by me at the Paris showroom.

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We have long declared that the real beauty of menswear is in the details and will never tire of taking the time to celebrate the finer details of men's style. Jonathan Saunders' full menswear debut is certainly a reason to blow up the balloons and pin up the bunting.