Any guy even remotely interested in fashion should nod in agreement when you mention Fantastic Man, easily one of the best men’s mags to sprout up as heavy-hitting titles continue to slide off the coffee table and into oblivion. But until now I’ve never read them online, and love their daily recommendation. Namely this briefcase by Valextra, which I could certainly use today (mine has seen better days).
What I love best is that the recommendations aren’t always sartorial. Last week they recommended OMMwriter, an amazing, pared down word-processor for those of us who could use a little more zen on our Macbooks. “When active, OMMWRITER takes up the entire screen – obscuring any pulsating browser or ITUNES windows competing for attention – with several soothing background images, while ambient music and interchangeable sounds accompany keystrokes. It is addictively simple.”
If you think you’re style/culture-savvy enough to contribute to the feature, send the guys an email at daily@fantasticman.com for consideration. —Paul Dexter
Scorning the avant-garde tastes of Thom Browne is like going to MOCA and complaining that they don’t have enough 18th-century still-life paintings: off the mark and besides the point. But I preferred the designer’s collection for Moncler Gamme Bleu a year ago—brilliant take on formalwear meets Aspen, cozy and natty at the same time. Fall 2010′s mid-length, belted puffy coat is a bit tough to pull off. The boots, however, are pitch perfect.
If you’re trying to decide what you may be wearing in Sun Valley a year from now, The Fashionisto has additional images from the recent Moncler show in Milan.
Joel K., designer behind the L.A.-based line KZO, has given Style Section L.A. a sneak peak at his autumn/winter 2010 collection, dubbed “The Drifters.” The motif? In his notes, Joel cites Into the Wild as inspiration (previous KZO campaigns were shot in the Sierra wilderness). Had Christopher McCandless survived his Alaskan hejira, perhaps this is what he might have worn later on. It’s a backpacker contemplating a preppy season. But not overly natty, and somewhat similar to the ethos of Michael Bastian’s fall 2009 collection. This is not for a man whose primary life goals include include being photographed in late summer sunlight by the Sartorialist.
I’m a fan of the woolblend, shawl collar blazer with navy piping. The slouchy, washed leather jacket is bound to be a hit up in the Pacific Northwest.
The elevator ride up to my office is typically packed with schlubby IT guys from Virgin Mobile and suits thumbing the track ball on their blackberrys who subtly harumph if the button you push for your floor happens to be below theirs, thus adding 15 seconds to their ride. Day: ruined.
This morning, however, two lovely young women were cooing over an Art of Shaving bag, with contents wonderfully aromatic to the point where I wasn’t quite ready to get off at my floor. Both told me about the store with great enthusiasm; I know all about it, but feigned ignorance anyway. I once rated competitor Mark Matthew in Studio City as best straight-razor shave in town over Art of Shaving for a Best of L.A. issue. I stand by my choice, though its resident barber at the time, Felix Diaz, has since opened up his own grooming studio, also in Studio City.
Art of Shaving’s products are indeed amazing, however—this gift set is now $100.
Art of Shaving, Century City Mall, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard. (310) 785-3993.
Filius designer Alessandro Tomassetti, whose former boutique All Purpose, was one of my favorites West Third Street, has a core following among discerning L.A. men for tailored shirts well under $200.
But his collection of novel bowties is also worth taking a look at—the leather specimens are a subtle fetish antidote for the oh-so-natty holiday crowd, and the pièce de résistance is a $55 bowtie made of varnished birch bark, affixed to a metal button that slides onto the shirt (which is good; imagine having to tie this thing).
There’s something undeniably sexy about the rugged, masculine, sea-faring vibe to designer Alex Carleton’s line Rogues Gallery. J.Crew senior menswear designer Frank Muytjens wanted a piece of it earlier this year, tapping Carleton to create a limited edition run of nautical T’s for the retailer.
Now Carleton is teaming up with John Bartlett, one of the industry’s unabashed worshippers of all things testosterone. On Wed, the duo debuts RGJB, a holiday capsule collection with 1970s leather bar graphic T-shirts (graphic in every sense of the word, perhaps?), along with gym bags, thermals, and, wait for it … log carriers. We don’t live in Maine, but perhaps it’ll be perfect for toting a Duraflame back from a trip to Pavilions.
Awaiting word from Mr. Bartlett as to whether the collection will be available via his online store. — Paul Dexter
Photos: Alex Carleton of Rogues Gallery (left) and John Bartlett
South Willard’s spring/summer 2010 line via Secret Forts is a smart capsule collection of quilted spring jackets, Japanese denim and another iteration of the West Third Street boutique’s shoe collaboration with Quoddy. Too bad that spring delivery doesn’t hit for many moons: The thermals and (down?) vests seem perfect for the low-50s mornings we’ve recently experienced.
Of the collection, SW owner Conder writes: “The line is heavily inspired by growing up California, and the subtle changes in the landscape through the seasons that are noticed by the discerning eye. Somehow we wanted to make these clothes modern but with a light hand.”
South Willard, 8038 W. Third St, (323) 653-6153, www.southwillard.com. — Paul Dexter
Via Vimeo, Raf Simons’ “fitting SS10″ videos are spare, fascinating, beautiful and slightly creepy. Exactly what you’d expect from the designer who gets tremendous heaps of adulation from Cathy Horyn every season. The belted blazers and trench motif from the runway show are used for dramatic straitjacket effect. “Everything is a little bit disturbing,” Simons told WWD in June. Now we have the pictures to prove it.
Maria Cornejo, the Chilean-born, New York-based designer who this year joined the elite fashion group imbued by Michelle Obama’s golden touch (or perhaps more accurately, the stamp of approval from her Chicago maven/stylist, Ikram Goldberg), will launch a menswear collection for spring 2010, based on the four unisex looks that she sent down the runway at New York Fashion Week, Racked reports.
Though many of the new FLOTUS-designers embody their own pitch-perfect men’s style, few have indicated that menswear is in their immediate future. Any extracurricular activities beyond their core collections are all women’s wear. Thakoon Panichgul is an exception, hinting at starting a men’s collection recently in an interview early this month with Jean Scheidnes from WWDMen’s.
With a second Obama term nowhere near certain, one wonders whether these new phenoms should expand their brands while they’re hot. A Romney or (heaving forbid) Palin presidency isn’t likely to elicit the same demand for emerging American designers. — Krista Jennings
The Swedish designer Lars Nilsson, who took the reigns of Gianfranco Ferré for roughly fifteen minutes following the designer’s death in 2007, has re-emerged from wherever he’s been hiding to launch a menswear line, dubbed Mr. Nils, at the upcoming Italian men’s shows, according to WWD. The men’s work he did at Ferré was hyper-sophisticated to the point of stodginess. His replacements, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi, have since brought back the brand’s broad-shouldered verve. But Nilsson is no dilettante. It’ll be intriguing to see how he designs for his own label, and not for one so excruciatingly steeped in history as Ferré. — Paul Dexter
Any guy even remotely interested in fashion should nod in agreement when you mention Fantastic Man, easily one of the best men’s mags to sprout up as heavy-hitting titles continue to slide off the coffee table and into oblivion. But until now I’ve never read them online, and love their daily recommendation. Namely this briefcase by Valextra, which I could certainly use today (mine has seen better days).
Scorning the avant-garde tastes of Thom Browne is like going to MOCA and complaining that they don’t have enough 18th-century still-life paintings: off the mark and besides the point. But I preferred the designer’s collection for Moncler Gamme Bleu a year ago—brilliant take on formalwear meets Aspen, cozy and natty at the same time. Fall 2010′s mid-length, belted puffy coat is a bit tough to pull off. The boots, however, are pitch perfect.
Joel K., designer behind the L.A.-based line KZO, has given Style Section L.A. a sneak peak at his autumn/winter 2010 collection, dubbed “The Drifters.” The motif? In his notes, Joel cites Into the Wild as inspiration (previous KZO campaigns were shot in the Sierra wilderness). Had Christopher McCandless survived his Alaskan hejira, perhaps this is what he might have worn later on. It’s a backpacker contemplating a preppy season. But not overly natty, and somewhat similar to the ethos of Michael Bastian’s fall 2009 collection. This is not for a man whose primary life goals include include being photographed in late summer sunlight by the Sartorialist.
The elevator ride up to my office is typically packed with schlubby IT guys from Virgin Mobile and suits thumbing the track ball on their blackberrys who subtly harumph if the button you push for your floor happens to be below theirs, thus adding 15 seconds to their ride. Day: ruined.
There’s something undeniably sexy about the rugged, masculine, sea-faring vibe to designer Alex Carleton’s line Rogues Gallery. J.Crew senior menswear designer Frank Muytjens wanted a piece of it earlier this year, tapping Carleton to create a limited edition run of nautical T’s for the retailer.
South Willard’s spring/summer 2010 line via 
Maria Cornejo, the Chilean-born, New York-based designer who this year joined the elite fashion group imbued by Michelle Obama’s golden touch (or perhaps more accurately, the stamp of approval from her Chicago maven/stylist, Ikram Goldberg), will launch a menswear collection for spring 2010, based on the four unisex looks that she sent down the runway at New York Fashion Week, 
The Swedish designer Lars Nilsson, who took the reigns of Gianfranco Ferré for roughly fifteen minutes following the designer’s death in 2007, has re-emerged from wherever he’s been hiding to launch a menswear line, dubbed Mr. Nils, at the upcoming Italian men’s shows, according to WWD. The men’s work he did at Ferré was hyper-sophisticated to the point of stodginess. His replacements, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi, have since brought back the brand’s broad-shouldered verve. But Nilsson is no dilettante. It’ll be intriguing to see how he designs for his own label, and not for one so excruciatingly steeped in history as Ferré. — Paul Dexter