Sch�n! FEATURES LOCAL DESIGNERS IN ISSUE 10

Local designers Stiaan Louw, Suzanne Heyns and David West are featured in the latest issue of Sch�n! magazine. You can access the whole issue at nineteen74.com but make sure to see page 138.

GREGG HAMMOND IS COSMOPOLITANS SEXIEST MAN 2011

It's easy to win the Cosmopolitan Sexiest Man award. You just have to be, you know, tall and ridiculously handsome, and well built, and tanned and... well nevermind.  Taking over from Wynand Olivier who won in 2010 is Fusion model Gregg Hammond. Along with a R10 000 cash prize the winner also walked away with a floating trophy and goodie bags galore. 
According to claytonmorar.com Hammond is "currently focussed on his modelling career and appears regularly in print campaigns and commercials, he�s also completing his final year of studies for an LLB. He excels at anything sports-related; he cycles, runs marathons and loves the gym." Obviously.

The event which was held in Johannesburg last night was sponsored by The Oxford and KISS and hosted by Bonang Matheba.If you're want to see who lost to Gregg or if you're just jealous take a look at the other 12 guys in this year�s Cosmopolitan Sexiest SA Men Calendar, or take a look at the February 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan (on sale now) or visit www.cosmopolitan.co.za

(Credits: Cindy Ellis, Cosmopolitan magazine, Clayton Morar).

Trunk Magazine feature Stiaan Louw

Elle magazine October scans

In the October Issue of Elle magazine,  Industry insiders were asked about their first and favorite purchases from Woolworths. Included in the survey was me and Robyn Cooke (our sister site 'Styleguide CT').  What about you?

Men's Health Denim Guide

Branching to an online market, Mens Health magazine has plans to teach you how to buy the perfect pair of jeans. And not only that but they explain all the other questions you may have, and some you don't but are interesting nonetheless. Of course you could always just read the article I wrote in May. I'm kidding, go take a good look around. If you prefer the print version they have also gone into detail in their September Issue, which if I may say is the best I've read in a while.

Find your perfect fit!

Scene around: Peroni Nastro Azzuri

On a rainy Sunday night not too long ago my very good friend and I went down to the Waterfront for a Peroni Nastro Azzuri event. With vocal stylings from Lindiwe Suttle and Aviva Pelham, the event (honoring the Italian football team) went down as good as a Peroni smoothly.

Top Travel presenter, former model and charmer Janez Vermeiren hosted. One of my dear readers sent me this scan from GET IT magazine who snapped me up, along with a few who's who's that attended the event too. Good fun and free Peroni was had by all!

Diary of an Editor with Neil Doveton

Just last week models from Quasimi Homme walked backstage to end off Paris Fashion Week. And for just a moment it's all about menswear. Milan Fashion Week is replete with beauty, glamour and the who's who of Style, proving as always that fashion can be adorned by any shape, age or sex. Neil Doveton, Fashion Editor for Mens Health is no stranger to this. We caught up with him after the whirlwind that was Milan Fashion Week to provide you with an exclusive and unique view into it:

"Being a fashion editor is not just hard work � it�s lots of fun too. Or to be more precise perhaps it�s the other way around. But once a year I get the amazing opportunity to make my pilgrimage to Milan � the heart of menswear and the home of the Milan Menswear Collections. It�s such an honor attending these collections and the best way to not only monitor trends, but to feel the zeitgeist. Let me talk you through an ordinary, well hardly ordinary, day at the shows.






It begins a month before when the Moda Uomo Collezioni Press Office send out their media accreditation applications. If you�re accepted, which Men�s Health, as the leading men�s magazine in South Africa is; the process begins. It�s then up to Men�s Health to apply personally to every designer showing at the collections from the likes of Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Vivienne Westwood.

Needless to say with thousands of eager journalists applying I wait responses with bated breath, usually only finding out who has invited me to their shows when I arrive at my hotel in Milan. Naturally as soon as soon as I have checked into my hotel I head into the city and begin a crazy shopping spree looking for something new to wear to the shows. This can be a maddening experience � Milan is a smorgasbord of fashion. The choices endless. Avoiding the urge to blow my tight South African budget on the first day, I try to limit myself to a maximum of 3 new items. Planning to come back when my fashion starved appetite is slightly more sated.



And so the first day of the show begins�

09:00 leave hotel wearing, I would love to say Gucci, but not, a well cut classic white Zara shirt (which set me back 50 Euros), flat- front tailored Country Road trousers and can�t-go-wrong leather brogues. It�s ridiculously hot so anything more than this would be overdressed so I ditch my jacket in my hotel room. Once a day I treat myself to a cab ride to the first show, which again sets me back by about 20 Euros. After that I shuttle around on the press bus. But arriving cool, unflustered and still with good-hair is worth every cent.

09:20 arrive at Dolce & Gabbana show. Greeted by the lovely Paola Lacoti, PR agent for Dolce & Gabbana. Present her with 2 black Vuvuzelas she has asked me to bring to Italy. Ushered to the 3rd row. Yeah � there�s a serious pecking order here. But I have come a long way from the first time I went to Milan and stood in the back row six years ago! Seated next to the Fashion Director of a Slovakian publication and a fashion journalist for an Australian newspaper. Cards are swopped and unfortunately misplaced in the excitement that follows. Morgan Freeman is escorted in by a group of black suited ushers � keeping the press and fans back as he takes his seat in the front row. Peaches Geldof, looking stunning, enters and takes her seat near him.




09:30 International press and TV channel photographers start cheering and whistling, urging the show to begin. Everyone is on a tight schedule, the next show, Burberry Prorsum is due to start in less than an hour at a site 20 minutes across town. Lights dim, a whisper of hushed voices and the set curtains are drawn back to reveal Annie Lennox seated at a grand piano � the crowd erupts with delight. Lennox sings as models enter onto the runway. It�s a heart-stopping fusion of music and fashion. Dolce & Gabbana show a range that indicates a new move towards softer tailoring this season.



The designers, who are celebrating 20 years in menswear, show a collection that is calm and unforced and has the ease that comes with no longer needing to push boundaries of taste or striving to be part of a youthful club scene. It�s a breathtaking moment, one I will never forget. The audience applauds with admiration as Lennox reaches a crescendo, a vibrant and emotional accompaniment to a spectacular finale of 30 models dressed in Dolce & Gabbana suits. I am momentarily dazed.

9:55 The show is over. I gather my bag, camera and notebook and join the throng of bubbling, impressed fashionistas as we head out to the street. Excited, I head off eagerly to the next show - Burberry Prorsum .

10:30 It isn�t long before Christopher Bailey, head designer for Burberry has me riveted to the edge of my seat, craning my neck to get the best view of the runway from my middle row seat. I don�t care that I don�t have the best seat in the house. I am honored to be there. To be part of the first to see his new collection. A collection that has me stunned, gob smacked by Bailey�s expert ability to reinvent the archives. This season he seems to find fresh territory: motorbike riders, with their use of studs and leather. Leading the way for an obvious trend for next season � the biker jacket.

11:30 and I find myself halfway across town at the Emporio Armani show�.and so goes my day till seven in the evening when the last show ends.

19:00 The sun still sits high in the sky, my emotions up there with it. I snack on a real margarita pizza, sip a double espresso slowly (they cost 4 Euros so you have to make them last!) and reflect over the days shows. Jotting notes in my diary. Scanning through the pictures I have taken. Indulging in the moment. 3 whole more days to go � it doesn�t get better than this."

And he's right. Bloggers and journalists from here to New York dream of attending one show let alone an array of them. So with that in mind I had a few question for Neil:



I never try too hard when I am in Milan. Less is more when attending the shows. I tend to keep my looks as simple as possible. Although many dress up for the occasion there are always the purists who are there not for the extravaganza but for the art that fashion is.


I am always inspired by the shows � to a point where it�s almost heartbreaking, not being able to afford what I see on the catwalks. But there are terrific mainstream stores like Zara and H&M that generally offer contemporary looks at more affordable prices. I always invest in some classic items that I know I am going to need for the next year or so, like a good jacket, white shirts, leather brogues and jeans. Then I splash out and buy a few more trendy items for a mood lift! And of course with the whole shift away from last season�s bright and garish colours to a more neutral and tonally monochromatic color spectrum I had to introduce a few more neutrals to my wardrobe.


I guess one of my highlights this years was being invited to the Dolce & Gabbana 20th Anniversary Exhibition of the duo�s best works at the Mayoral Hall next to the famous Le Scala Opera Theatre. It was a momentous occasion, red carpet, film crews and to top it off an opportunity to be welcomed and received personally by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Yip � I got to shake hands with them! Admittedly this sounds horribly pretentious but it certainly isn�t something I ever expected to do!


I am a fan of the classics. I love tailoring, suits and the feel of Mediterranean elegance. I guess I am a bit of a romantic when it comes to fashion. Armani always moves me. It�s no wonder his success spans more than 6 decades - he has an innate ability to create the most beautiful suits and this season his collection showed a new relaxed approach to fit and tailoring � indicative of a new trend emerging. And then of course I am a devout fan of iconic Vivienne Westwood, who never ceases to amaze me � with her origins in early Punk , there is none better at fusing the practical with the fantastical. Dolce & Gabbana�s collections are always amazing and the D&G show this season, was fresh wonderfully fresh and pale blues greens and yellows added pleasant highlights to the general tonal beiges and pale grays of this seasons dominating color trends. I am also a big fan of Iceberg. It�s a brand I would love to see in South Africa. It�s very wearable and even though it has a high fashion edge there is always something in the collection for the average guy. Practical stuff like polo t-shirts, cardigans, trousers and cool jackets."

VMAN >> Walk it off - In Copenhagen

Copenhagen was a flutter with models, photographers and generally more important folk than ourselves, where VMAN partnered up with Copenhagen Fashion Week to celebrate the launch of VMAN18: A Scandinavian Summer. Catch the gallery here.

"Tuesday night we partnered up with Copenhagen Fashion Week to celebrate the launch of VMAN 18: A Scandinavian Summer. It was a major bash uptown at Good Units, the new venue on the lower level of the Hudson Hotel, with a lot of Belvedere Vodka to drink. Harking back to the way they did it in �80s and early �90s New York, a fashion show appeared out of nowhere smack in the middle of the party. Fashion from our favorite Scandinavians including Bj�rg Jewellery, Bruuns Bazaar, Cheap Monday, David Andersen for Kopenhagen Studio, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Georg Jensen, Henrik Vibskov, Hummel, Moonspoon Saloon, Oscar Magnuson, Shamballa Jewels, Soulland, St�rk, Stine Goya, Tiger of Sweden, and Vilsb�l de Arce paraded down the runway.



Through a little fancy lighting slight of hand, each model was transformed into another half way across the runway. The slim Michael W became the buff Brad Kroenig; Julia Hafstrom became Maggie Rizer; Georgina became Sessilee; Aiden became Rainer; Lady Fag became Daphne; and so on. Then to a roar of applause, the show closed with Anna Cleveland transforming into her legendary mother Pat Cleveland.

Accompanying the whole thing, the amazing disco�d-up gospel singer Cookie sang her hit anthem �Lola�s Theme.� After the show wrapped, the Scandis and a bunch of models moshed to a high energy performance by Danish rockers New Politics. Rumor has it that after the party, most of the Danish designers then decamped to the box for a long night of further celebration. But that�s just rumor."

Paint trend for 2010: You should paint my Love

When Fashion tells you to add a splash of colour, be mindful of how much. Appearing all over Summer 2010 in not only menswear by ladieswear too, one of the newer trends is paint. Used by designers, Thakoon, Alexander McQueen and BCBG to name just three, this paint theme is really making a splash!





Using paint in fashion has even made it's way to print campaigns such as Lanvin, and editorials like the one below in FHM with the black dipped hands. It goes to show that even a novice Fashionisto could take out a paint bucket and spruce up and old pair of jeans. But do so, cautiously.







Don't be surprised that a trend like this lands up in VOGUE HOMME, But on your underpants too? Well that's Fashion for you.

MAN UP!

The New GQ Style came out this week which is focusing on Ambition. Paul Smith lends his voice to the issue with an article on ambition from his point of view.

To celebrate the SS10 issue of GQ Style which goes on sale on newsstands from 22nd March, Paul Smith is delighted to support the launch with specially created windows in Paul Smith shops around the globe and limited edition merchandise promoting the GQ Style Ambition issue entitled, �MAN UP!'.

Unique �Man Up� inspired windows will run from 2-4 weeks in March in Paul Smith shops in Milan, London, Paris, Tokyo and New York. Copies of the magazine, which come with free Paul Smith designed �Man Up� totes and specially created printed T-shirts will be available to purchase from the shops listed above.

Inside the issue, Paul Smith has written an essay on ambition and has interviewed Olympic cyclist, Mark Cavendish on what inspires him as one of the world�s leading athletes.

In the UK, a �Pop -Up Man Up Space� will run for one week from 18th March, stocking copies of the magazine and T-shirts along with showcasing �behind the scenes� footage of the fashion shoots in the magazine.

The Pop-Up Space will run from 18th-24th March 11-5.30-pm (weekdays only) at Princes House, 37 Kingsway, London WC2.




TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!

MAN UP
Paul Smith presents GQ Style
18th-24th March

11.00am-5.00pm - (week days only)
37 Kingsway
London
WC2

{source paulsmith.co.uk}

David Gandy by Greg Lotus for GQ Style Germany

Legendary model David Gandy gets snapped up in scuba-gear by photographer Greg Lotus for GQ Style Germany. These are actually some gorgeous images. We don't really know what they're selling but I bet no one really cares. I suppose Gandy really is the embodiment of masculinity and he's said to be a treat to work with. He is also very gracious to his fans. Enjoy!

{source: fashionisto}

TRUNK SHOW

Shot with what many South Africans take for granted as a backdrop, model Jacques Naude takes charge as ringleader in Dansk magazine. Kevin Mackintosh photographed Naude atop a great Elephant and on one of our great beaches for this beautiful editorial, capturing the vulnerability of a runaway or circus drifter. The styling was magic with talents from Christian Stoble who was on par with the other two counterparts, resulting in the great bohemian spread below.











{source: fashionisto}