"Heritage Square" by Christoffer Aguilar

The city streets are filled with sartorial wonders who capture the eyes of those who truly look the finer details. Elegant masculinity is a look and personality which has risen in the last few years, resulting in the comeback of a lost and found men's wardrobe essential - the pocket square. Street style photographers worldwide have caught onto this, and this editorial gives viewers a chance to see how an outfit's dynamic changes in different environments throughout one city and how one outfit becomes an extension of one's personality with the addition of one simple accessory.

Sophie Robertson is from Atoll, and is a designer of uniquely patterned scarves and pocket squares, giving men and women a chance to incorporate a piece of art into their daily wear. Coming from London, the city that cradles the masterful tailors of Savile Row, she knows the highly tailored man's demand for pocket squares is high. What's even more special about her pieces is that every pocket square and scarf's print is based on the designers underwater photography in the pristine Great Barrier Reef, a testament to her photographic and fashion design skill. With her name firmly secured in the mouths of dapper men all over, Sophie's squares will be featured in the upcoming July issue of GQ Australia.

"The Brown One", featured in "Heritage Square"

Photography Christoffer Aguilar (me)

Styling Noal Gurung and Christoffer Aguilar

Grooming Noal Gurung

Model Noal Gurung

To shop for ATOLL pocket squares and scarves, please go to www.sophierobertson.com

Ermenegildo Zegna: The 50th Australia Wool Award

One of Australia's most prided fashion exports is Wool, and the annual Wool Award hosted by international luxury label, Ermenegildo Zegna, aims to reward Aussie farmers who have given their all to produce the best quality wool for a multitude of designers, brands and labels. Since it's the 50th Anniversary of this special event, previews of the fashion show, tours of the Australian wool farms and a gala held at the Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney are available for all to celebrate with the industry.

The highlight of the event is the release of Zegna's capsule collection featuring a newly discovered fabric called Trofeo Natural Comfort. The revamped designs of the Lanificio patterns bring the history and heritage of a deep-rooted tradition to modern fashion, particularly menswear, which has become even more significant in terms of advancement and embracement of its essentiality in men's lives today.

Lucky for you and Zegna loyalists alike, I'm not the only fashion blogger to offer you previews into the event. To get a more informed and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the celebratory occasions during the 50th Anniversary Wool Award, famous menswear bloggers Isaac Likes, The Three F and Dapper Lou have taken the initiative to bring you more. 

Bloggers insights:

Visit Isaac Likes here

Visit The Three F here

Visit Dapper Lou here

Images courtesy of the official Zegna website

To preview all the events for the Wool Award, CLICK HERE

Ubicouture: An elevated visual representation of Art & Fashion

Givenchy x Claude Monet

Jil Sander x Joshua Dildine

It's wonderful what you find on the reblogging haven of Tumblr. In this instance, a young man named Christos Mouchas has been discovered, who skilfully reinterprets the latest fashion collections and juxtaposes them against artworks. In turn, he has created a series of profound artworks which play on the concept of "fashion as art" and vice versa, and continually grows, on his website Ubicouture. 

J.W. Anderson x Helen Bullock

Alexander McQueen x Vasily Polenov

Prada x Salvador Dali

Maison Martin Margiela x Sterling Ruby

It's a rarity to find young talent who doesn't view fashion as a superficial means of expressing oneself, as most teenagers do, but Mr. Mouchas has proven that there are still young people who recognize fashion as an art form can be both exhibited in a gallery and worn on the street. Fashion is art we wear, and art and fashion are significantly important to each other, and Mouchas has successfully conveyed, and still conveys, this message to us all. 

Images courtesy of Trendland

To see more of Christos Mouchas's artworks including his menswear interpretations, CLICK HERE

Flowers for Men

A quaint visual representation of a designer's ability to create pieces that are light and airy for a season that demands heavy, warming pieces is all that Duckie Brown needs to convey their interpretation of a peculiarly bright Winter. Duckie Brown's Fall/Winter 2013 campaign brings a more romantic view of Winter fashion, away from the usual gloomy dark colour palettes that both collections and editorials have during the colder months, with baby pink, mint green and misty grey complementing the beautiful floral menswear.

Images courtesy of Trendland

Photography by Matin Zad

Gucci x James Franco for "The Director"

James Franco and Frida Giannini in Harper's Bazaar, photo by Douglas Friedman

The official trailer and poster for the fashion documentary focused on the illustrious label, Gucci, named "The Director" has been released. The film is produced by Hollywood heartthrob actor-director James Franco, who recently interviewed the Creative Director of Gucci, Frida Giannini for Harper's Bazaar. 

The poster for "The Director", the upcoming film focused on the world renowned fashion label, Gucci

Much like Valentino: The Last Emperor and Karl Lagerfeld: Confidential, the film is centralised on the Head Designer and Creative Director of the label and how their vision has manifested for the benefit and progression of the brand, the evolution of its design aesthetic and how those around them have supported whilst on their climb to the top. The much anticipated film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, and will be in cinemas soon, but for the meantime, you can watch the trailer below:

Images courtesy of Harper's Bazaar and HollywoodReporter

Video courtesy of the JoBlo Movie Network

Read the James Franco interview of Frida Giannini, HERE

Hyères Fashion & Photography Festival

The 28th Anniversary of the Hyères Fashion & Photography Festival is upon the horizon, starting next week from the 26th of April. The festival aims to celebrate 10 talented people from fashion & photography, and this year two influential people in he field have been chosen to be on the jury - Felipe Oliveira Baptista for Fashion and Charles Frèger for Photography. The shortlisted designers and photographers must be overwhelmed by the recognition of their skills and talents by these masters of the field, a big congratulations to these wonderful people! Here's a little preview of the designers works: 

Henning Jurke from Germany

Xènia Lucie Laffely from France-Switzerland

Camille Kunz from Switzerland

For more details on the festival, exhibition and list of designers and photographers, CLICK HERE

Images courtesy of Trendland

Thank you Vogue Australia!

Finally received my prizes from the Vogue Australia Diana Vreeland competition, and just in time for a cold, winter night. I know what I'm going to be doing tonight - in bed with a warm cup of green tea watching the Empress of Fashion in her glory! Thank you so much Vogue Australia!

Photography by me

Lady Dior

 

Dior's repertoire has certainly risen since Raf Simons' inception into the label, and the new Lady Dior campaign is proof of this. The beautifully demure French actress, Marion Cotillard poses as the Dior woman - striking and mysterious with an air of sophistication about her. The modernistic Dior aesthetic of Raf's ensemble are juxtaposed against the dainty and colourful Lady Dior bags, but complete the signature Dior look. Shot by the wonderful Jean-Baptiste Mondino, this understated campaign is an eye-catching blip in the rapidly changing fashion industry.

Model - Marion Cotillard, French actress

Photography - Jean-Baptiste Mondino

Images courtesy of the official Dior Facebook page

To view the complete campaign in Dior magazine, CLICK HERE

'Men Fall' by Paul Jung

A depiction of the futurist aesthetics and its relevance in a society ran on the exhilaration of rush and irrelevance of stillness takes place in 'Men Fall', an editorial photoshoot photographed by Paul Jung. The editorial is featured in the current issue of Schon! Magazine, and when thoroughly analysed, is a visual commentary on our downfall in relating to one another in today's concrete world. The shadows of figures are haunting and the claustrophic atmosphere of the environment strangles you, but yet, there is a connection between the figures, in that they are all isolated. A brilliant editorial - photography, styling and concept-wise.

Photography - Paul Jung

Stylist - Raytell Bridges

Grooming - Yetty Barnes

Stylist Assistant - Kenneth Bovain

Grooming Assistant - Geneva Barnes

Models - Joe Choi, Michael Basquette, Matt Waters @ New York Models

Fashion - Janet Zheng

Images courtesy of Trendland

To view the complete editorial, CLICK HERE

To visi the Schon! Magazine website, CLICK HERE

Ksubi's Structural Spring/Summer collection

Ksubi has taken an architectural spin on Spring/Summer fashion, and have furthered their fashion design prowess by incorporating elements of Ancient Egyptian and South American artworks to their upcoming collection. Since Ksubi did not show at the recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, which may have been due to the launch of Ksubi designer, Dan Single's, independent line - DAAN, fans of the rebellious Australian label have awaited the release of the look book. The orderliness of quilted bombers, double collar leather jackets and tesselated sweaters mesh easily with the psychedelic tie-dye, odd plaid and symbolic patterns in shady hazes of blue - set to create a trend amongst the younger fashion-conscious market.

Images courtesy of RUSSH Magazine

To view the complete look book, CLICK HERE

Going Beyond the Lens with Vogue Australia

Australian fashion design exports, Sass & Bide, on display

A revealing yet demure dress by Willow

Two influential forces of Australian fashion - Westfield and Vogue Australia, have teamed up to present the best Australian and International fashion designers that have been featured in the Fashion Bible. Spreading across 3 floors in the ultra-modern Westfield Sydney, top Australian designers such as Willow, Collette Dinnigan, Christopher Esber, Ksubi and LVMH's newly bought bush oufitters, R.M. WIlliams and International luxury labels such as Prada, Calvin Klein, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta's designs are exhibited in fashion photographs that encapsulate the personality and aesthetic of the designer and label itself. As you walk around the centre, commentary on the photographs and the future of fashion and its place in society by the recently appointed Fashion Editor of Vogue Australia and street style superstar, Christine Centenera and Genevra Leek are available to watch, further increasing the exhibition's interactivity and viewer's insight into the often overlooked fashion industry. My 3 favourite Australian designers were featured in the exhibition, all revolutionary in their vision and are leaders of Australian fashion - Josh Goot, Romance Was Born and Dion Lee (pictured below).

Kaleidoscopic pattern King, Josh Goot's dress 

Eccentric Australian fashion label, Romance Was Born

Australian supermodel, Jullia Nobis, in Australia's future of fashion and Woolmark Prize 2012 winner, Dion Lee's design

VISIT VOGUE: BEYOND THE LENS AT WESTFIELD SYDNEY (LEVELS 2,3,4) BEFORE APRIL 21ST TO WIN A HOLIDAY AT THE DIANE VON FURSTENBERG PENTHOUSE ON HAYMAN ISLAND!

Photography of the exhibition by me

(Photographers, stylists, models and assistants credits for individual photographs in the exhibition)

For more details on the exhibition, CLICK HERE

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

The "It" Crowd at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia

Photo by StyleCreeper (Emelie Lundqvist and George Cunningham)

When Fashion Week hits, Stylists, Bloggers, Writers, Fashion Editors and Buyers flock to appreciate the country's emerging and established fashion designers upcoming collections, and it is our duty to represent these creative minds on the streets by giving them the justice of incorporating their pieces into our outfits. This years Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia has proven that us Australians are a force to be reckoned with in terms of street style and fashion design, so here are my favourite street style photographs from last week:

Givenchy sneakers (Photo by OhJamie)

Actress and model, Phoebe Tonkin on site for Vogue Australia (Photo by Streetlief)

Structurally detailed blazer (Photo by OhJamie)

Off-duty model (Photo by Streetlief)

Men's FW13/14 trends - camo, bright orange and cleated soles (Photo by OhJamie)

Fashion photographer, Candice Lake, on site (Photo by Peta Rudd for Harper's Bazaar)

Grids and cleats (Photo by OhJamie)

Shine By Three blogger, Margaret Zhang, on site (Photo by Peta Rudd for Harper's Bazaar)

Fashion blogger Zanita Morgan on site (Photo by Peta Rudd for Harper's Bazaar)

Images courtesy of Harper's Bazaar (Photographer: Peta Rudd), StyleCreeper (Photographers: Emelie Lundqvist and George Cunningham) and Manuscript (Photographer: Jamie Wdziekonski)