Le Grand Bleu

Καλωσόρισες from the Greek Islands! I thought I’d pair some Mediterranean inspiration with the latest men’s Spring 11 trends as there is just something about le grand bleu that makes such an easy translation into menswear.

From Mykonos..

And now from some of the leading Spring 11 menswear collections, inspired by the Mediterranean seaside.

Enrico Coveri, Spring 11

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 11

Kenzo, Spring 11

Kenzo, Spring 11

Salvatore Ferragamo, Spring 11

The Standard Boardshorts by Quiksilver

Any Standard boys out there? Quiksilver and The Standard Hotel have partnered up again for the second time to offer a collab of retro boardshorts. The limited edition series features original boardshort styles from the 70s and 80s with modern fits, fabrics and technology. 4 styles are available for $75 a pop, and available at poolside vending machines at The Standard Hotel in New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood and Miami Beach. The color palette for each style reflects 1 of the 4 hotel locations. Not like that matters though; the boardshorts are pretty rad to begin with.

Grassroots Denim: Imogene + Willie

So to add to J.Crew’s current winning streak, they’ve inked another exclusive with denim brand Imogene + Willie. Say WHO? There’s good reason you don’t know them, yet. Imogene + Willie is the brainchild of Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, artists and designers that over the years developed and produced premium denim for Levis, JBrand, Replay and Girbaud, to name a few. So yeah, they know their stuff on denim. Now the lovers reside in Nashville, Tennessee and since 2009, have dedicated themselves to producing and selling the best denim and lifestyle products in the world. They live in the attic above a retro gas station which serves as their retail concept and is also where everything happens (there’s a bathtub on the patio for finishes). How’s that for homespun? While I have yet to see it with my own eyes, their website alone makes me LOVE this concept and want to buy into it. There’s also a great video that encourages you to “Wash your jeans like real people”. It’s said that when you walk into their shop, they tell you the story behind every single piece. “They make you feel like you have already worn the jean or shirt all your life, and then you realize that you will.”

So back to the collab with J.Crew. 2 Imogene + Willie jeans for men (sorry ladies) will be out at the end of August, retailing for $350 and $425. To my knowledge, I think this is the first time Imogene + Willie is going to be available to the masses (sort of), since I believe current distribution is only out of their Nashville shop. They say they want to stay small but have recently made celeb fans out of Sheryl Crow and Gweneth Paltrow. I really hope they stay small.. without having experienced the homegrown approach myself, I’m already a fan. Perhaps now is the time to take a trip to Nashville.

Imogene + Willie for J.Crew

LINstallation @ Merci

This past weekend, I popped into Merci (yes THAT Parisian concept store that is truly worth all the buzz it generates) to see “Linstallation by Masters of Linen”. Both fashion and home products in linen were represented in a bold way from the very entry point of the store. Linen scarves were featured prominently in rich vegtable dyes and bins were filled with linen pillows. I was particularly impressed with the selection of linen bedding on the top floor.

Displays throughout the store pronounced the Linstallation and hand-outs informed customers of linen’s various properties, like the fact that 85% of linen is produced in Europe, linen promotes eco-responsible cultivation with zero irrigation or waste and is 100% recyclable.

Bulletproof or Camouflage? Moncler x Pharrell Williams

Tired of military? Moncler x Pharrell Williams has the solution with their latest collaboration, featuring “pacifist bulletproof” vests. At €520, two of the bulletproof styles are already sold out at Colette after launching last week. But just in case you’re still in the trenches, there are some serious camouflage puffer jackets and vests still in stock.

I’ve got to say that the Moncler x Pharrell bulletproof styles are pretty bad ass. 3.1 Phillip Lim had a similar vest in the Fall 10/11 collection, and I remember liking the idea of armor for menswear, even if Phillip Lim’s style looks kind of smock-like.