OUTRAGE | Male Body Image: Thom Browne and Hedi Slimane

A male model at Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2015 feeling the pump

The Spring/Summer 2015 menswear season has just ended, and may be one of the most radical - unusual yet intriguing styling, unorthodox headwear and a general flurry of graphically blinding prints filled the collections of London, Milan and Paris designer labels. But, it seems as though two designers, who are vastly different from each other, has tackled two sides of male body image and confidence head on.

There is no denying that a health and fitness revolution has struck the general population, and this has certainly been targeted by the blatantly obvious bodybuilding parodical designs of Thom Browne (as above). The Spring/Summer 2015 collection featured a myriad of padded blazers, jackets and pants exaggerating the muscle groups bodybuilders aim to pump up. It's plain and simple: Thom strikes at the heart of the resurgence of bodybuilding by conveying this physique as nothing but a fleeting trend, and how it correlates with the coming and going of trends in fashion. It's ridiculous to see clothing that reflects the body image, but that's how Thom is - he always strives to shove it in your face. Always an advocate for the avant-garde and risky, Thom has definitely challenged the realness of what dedicated muscle men are really striving for.

On the other hand, the comparatively small frames of the male models within Hedi Slimane's Spring/Summer 2015 collection for Saint Laurent Paris created a stir. An ode to a time when a man's natural physique was glorified, Hedi has also challenged the ideal male body image today. But, seeing these delicate men walk down the runway forces us to question whether the strive for thinness that is rampant amongst female models is being placed upon male models too. Whether or not these men are naturally or forcibly thin, I don't know, but at least there was a modern-day Jimi Hendrix to clear the air of shock (below).

Jimi Hendrix, is that you?

As a man, the pressure to become your best physical self is popping up everywhere. No doubt, these two designers have given us something to think about - male body image. Speaking as a young men adept to the rapidity of marketing, I believe men should be proud of their body no matter if they are striving for a better physique and health status or comfortable where they are. C'mon guys, stand with pride!

Images courtesy of Style.com

The gN Project | Zegna

The gN project, started by Italian luxury label, Ermenegildo Zegna, has been around for quite some time now. The elusive campaign has no doubt forced myself and Zegna loyalists what this campaign is trying to convey to us. The photographs and videos of projections of words such "Album", "Gesture", "Dichotomy", "Pure" and "Aesthetic" must hint to more goings-on behind the scenes of the renowned Zegna label.

Further on in the campaign, it was revealed - the project is a lead up to the anticipated debut of Stefano Pilati as the Head Designer for the label. Stefano Pilati is a well-respected man throughout the fashion industry, having spent many years as Head Designer for Yves Saint Laurent before Hedi Slimane infamously changed the name to "Saint Laurent Paris". 

Significant organizational shifts have occurred in the last few years in the fashion industry, and it's easy to understand why this campaign ever started - to help non-Italians pronounce the "GN" in Zegna. This campaign has been for the sole purpose of educating and visually enthralling possible customers and loyalists ahead of the revamp of the label to be seen worldwide on June 22nd. Will Stefano Pilati stay true to the Zegna aesthetic or rule with his signature style? We'll have to wait and see....

Images courtesy of The gN Project by Zegna

SUBSCRIBE

Daft Punk go High Fashion

First, Hedi Slimane, Creative Director of Saint Laurent Paris photographed a series of grunge music icons from the '90s, and now, he's shot the powerhouse electro masters - Daft Punk. The contrast between the more raw, intense images of Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson and Ariel Pink and the mechanical, clinical images of Daft Punk in Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent Music Project are applaudable, paying homage to two music styles which became prominent in the 1990s and more popular throughout the first decade of the millenium. For this specific campaign, Daft Punk donned a redesigned version of the revolutionary gender-bending "Le Smoking Jacket", fitting to the duo's ability to revolutionise a music genre. A bionic campaign, perfect in lead up to the duo's much anticipated album, Random Access Memories. To view the complete campaign, CLICK HERE

The revolutionary gender-bending "Le Smoking Jacket" was redesigned as stagewear for Daft Punk 

Images courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent

To view the campaign, CLICK HERE

Hedi Slimane's Grunge Revival

It's no surprise that Hedi Slimane, Creative Director for Saint Laurent Paris (formerly Yves Saint Laurent), has decided to photograph some of the '90s most popular music icons for the fashion house's latest campaign, as '90s fashion and music is experiencing a resurgence in today's pop culture. The campaign, featuring the controversial misfit Marilyn Manson, rebellious Courtney Love, Ariel Pink and the frontwoman of alternative rock group, Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon, is an intriguing fusion of fashion, photography and music, highlighting the revolutionary vision and skill of Yves Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane and icons of the '90s grunge movement. Not only this, but the campaign complements the rapid changes within the fashion industry, especially in the last few years, with the appointments of many revolutionary designers as Creative Directors for historic fashion labels... for example, Hedi Slimane himself.

Images courtesy of Dazed & Confused

To view the complete campaign, CLICK HERE

Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013 - Highlights Part 3

The final part of Paris Fashion Week featured shows from Sacai, Giambattista Valli, Chloe, Valentino, Paco Rabanne, Miu Miu, Elie Saab and the debut of the "rival" of Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane, and his first womenswear collection for the newly named Saint Laurent Paris, formerly Yves Saint Laurent. 

My favourite shows from the last days of Paris Fashion Week include:

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2013

Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen has stayed true to his vision ever since his unfortunate passing, and it is warming to the heart to know that she has done so these past few years. For this season, Sarah designed a series of luxurious garments filled with honeycomb inspired geometric prints and meshing details for the shoes, and fashionable approach to the beekeepers hat, rivaling the visor-wide brim hat hybrid as shown by Hussein Chalayan.

Chanel Spring/Summer 2013

THE Hula Heap Beach Bag, as designed by Karl Lagerfeld, which received mixed reviews by fashion media

Mr. Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel goes eco-chic this season by showcasing a surprisingly minimal and post-modern approach to Chanel's classic tailoring by adding details such as wider shoulders and meshing with elements of Japanese fashion design. The set of the show was a sight to see, the floor resembling solar panels and gigantic windmills lined the runway in the Grand Palais, heightening the exuberance of the collection. On a final note, there was one stand out piece of the whole collection - the Hula Hoop Beach Bag... I wonder if the trend will take off?

 Pedro Lourenco Spring/Summer 2013

The 80s and contemporary minimalism are fused to give an intriguing collection by Pedro Lourenco

Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2013

Sheer panels and eye popping colours went all throughout Stella McCartney's collection

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2013

There is a lot of checkered garments slowly coming back into the fashion scene, and Marc Jacobs from Louis Vuitton has elevated that trend by contextualizing the pattern into high fashion, drawing inspiration from the 50s-60s, which will surely take off the mainstream market

Marc Jacobs at the Louis Vuitton finale

All images courtesy of Fashionising

All runway shows can be viewed on FashionTV and FataleFashionII's Youtube Channel

Vogue Hommes Japan #9 - Preview Day 1

The preview of the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan on Day 1

Nicola Formichetti, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Hommes Japan, former stylist of Lady Gaga, Creative Director for  Mugler and Head Designer for Nicopanda, is set to release the most anticipated issue of Vogue Hommes Japan this September. The issue features photography by Hedi Slimane, the Creative Director of Saint Laurent Paris and eerily beautiful artworks by the alternative "it" girl at the moment, Grimes, but most of all the issue is a chance for men worldwide to see the Fall/Winter menswear collections in a variety of editorials complementing the garment and the dark punk atmosphere that Nicola has injected into the usually glamorous Vogue magazine.

As it is the eventful month of fashion of September, Nicola began a series of previews of the issue in collaboration with Models.com - with the covers, digital covers, fashion films, and stop motion versions of the editorial images for everyone to see. I selected a few images to share, as I could not help but do so as the previews of the magazine so far have signaled to me that this issue will probably be my most prized in my collection, if I manage to buy it!

First of all, the covers were released according to what was being previewed on the day. On Day 1, the cover (above) was previewed, along with the editorial that complemented the cover featuring Gryphon O'Shea, shot by Hedi Slimane, with Grimes' artworks - "Bleached".

One of the artworks by Grimes

There is no doubt that Gryphon would've been the perfect man for this editorial - a beautification of the dark subcultures of Goth and Punk, particularly London's punk scene, whilst drawing from elements of maximalism. Hedi Slimane has shot this editorial emphasizing the mysteriousness of many men within these subcultures, and has captured how this aesthetic is now praised within the fashion industry rather than isolated from high fashion. Grimes has added to the atmosphere with her abstract morbid artworks, a style she is best known for.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL PREVIEW FOR DAY 1

All images courtesy of Models.com