WISHLIST | Haydenshapes x Alexander Wang

 One of the kings of cool within the fashion industry - Alexander Wang, has teamed up with Haydenshapes, for a painfully unattainable series of surfboards. The "Cage" within the store are the home for the five award-winning Haydenshapes Hypto Crypto models, and are exclusively for this installation. But despite the many Wang loyalists begging for these to be available for purchase, at least the designer's obsession with marble can encourage a shared appreciation for the ancient and earthen.

As simple as they may look, the production of the boards consisted of digitally creating the patterns by taking photographs of differing marble slabs and printing them onto silk, then onto the boards. The finished products are an embodiment of the uniqueness of earthly patterns, the beach lifestyle and the pure thrill of riding the waves of God's tranquilliser. 

For a closer look at the collaboration, head to www.alexanderwang.com

Images: Trendland and Highsnobiety

Source: Haydenshapes

Creative Director of Givenchy now on Nike's team

Luxury fashion-high street collaborative lines are not hard to come by nowadays, with H&M, Target, Adidas and Nike being the main partners of luxury fashion labels who want to target the highly fashion conscious generation of today. Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy has garnered much attention for his monumental change of direction for the historical label, which started with the infamous Rottweiler and Panther prints from the Fall/Winter 2011 season, even though his tenure at Givenchy started much earlier. Mr. Tisci has finally decided to join the movement and announced the release of a collaborative line with iconic sports brand, Nike. 

After a period of being illusive as to exactly what to expect from the line, the Creative Director has revealed that the collaboration is a redesign of Nike's Air Force One sneaker. Nike R.T., a stylisation of the partnership, not only includes the classic hi and low styles of the shoe, but a mid and even knee-high version, perfect for the more daring sneaker freakers. The new sneakers have been deemed as "universal yet somehow personal", and rightly so, as there is a style for every fashionista. The duality of luxury and street brought by the two labels only brings more approachability to the intimidatingly famous brands.

The Nike R.T. Force One Collection will be available in all styles in global retailers and online in Spring 2014. All styles will be available in white from March 1 and in black from April 1.

Images courtesy of Freshness Magazine, Vogue UK and Nike

Paintbox

Just another Taubman's Australia paint bucket you say? Think again, as once you open this bucket, a shirt lies inside waiting to be worn. They say fashion feeds on art, as controversially shown by performance artist Marina Abramovic and Riccardo Tisci from Givenchy via a nude photoshoot, but this collaboration makes this idea much more accessible. The Italian cotton tee features a brightly warped orchid print designed by Australian fashion royalty, Josh Goot, complementing his visually organic style and array of colours available throughout Taubman's Australia's range of paints.

Using colours from Taubman's such as Lavendula, Rouge Roi, Split Lime and Taffy Twist to create the print, the designer has managed to produce a tshirt that reflects the love of the tropics, summery weather and healthiness that Australians have. The tee is arriving just in time for the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere, being available in December 13 at the label's Paddington (Sydney) and Melbourne boutiques.

Images courtesy of Nadia Bailey, The Interiors Addict and Urban Society

Video courtesy of the official Taubmans Australia Youtube channel

H&M loves Australia

Karl Lagerfeld x H&M

Versace x H&M

The excitement within the local fashion-conscious community is rising as the first ever Australian H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) store is set to open in 2014. The fast fashion label, known for providing the mass accessibility to the luxurious fashion designs of Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin, Marni, Versace, Maison Martin Margiela and more recently, Isabel Marant, have a little surprise for keen Australian fashionistas...

Maison Martin Margiela x H&M

News has hit that the multinational Swedish label will release a specially designed collection for Australian customers, aptly named "Australia Exclusive". The collection, according to the press release, has been designed to suit the outdoorsy lifestyle of Australians. The pieces will only be available at the Melbourne flagship store, meaning Melbournians will be in for a fashion riot worth seeing, if of course they aren't there amongst the chaos.

Isabel Marant x H&M

The Australian H&M Flagship store will open in 2014, with menswear, womenswear, underwear and home wares available throughout.

Images courtesy of H&M

Organic Psychedelia

The marriage of Fashion and Art is built on the foundation of collaboration, continually wowing enthusiasts of both industries - now, the extremist styles of two prolific figures in their fields have come together to release a collection of truly wearable art pieces. The regally macabre Alexander McQueen has called on the legendary artistic talent that is Damien Hirst for a collection of luxurious scarves.

Not only is this a celebration of these two highly influential creative industries, but a nod to the iconic Skull print  scarves by Alexander McQueen, first appearing 10 years ago. The scarves, made from either Chiffon, Pongé, Twill or Cashmere, feature atmospherical and non-conventional animal prints that undeniably show the talent and skill of both Hirst and the McQueen label. Prints full of insect life by Hirst are carefully designed to stay true to the McQueen's orderly interpretation of Medieval-Christian pattern work, Surrealism and Op Art.

The combination of Mr. Hirst's illustrations of organic psychedelia and the regality of the religious, dark and historical themes within the Alexander McQueen aesthetic will definitely boost the enthusiasm of loyalists, but also spark the interest of those who appreciate the rarity of such a collaboration. The scarves are available from the official Alexander McQueen website and boutiques worldwide from November 15, check out the complete collection via the below sites.

Images courtesy of T Magazine, Glamour.com and The Telegraph

Dance of the Dior Man

Dutch-English men's fashion journal, Fantastic Man, and Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme have collaborated for a series of hip-hop and pop-jazz dance videos as part of their campaign for the fashion house's Autumn/Winer 2013 Menswear collection. The series, called "Rotation" is an obvious hit at the younger luxury fashion conscious market, especially with the use of energising EDM music produced by Simon Britton and Cliff Randall.

Another element that contributes to the series' appeal to the younger generation is the titles of each film. They all have one thing in common - they inspire. Titles including "100% Every Day", "Whatever It Takes" and the awe-inspiring "Work Hard, Change History" push the no doubt young gentlemen who watch to achieve their ambitions and dreams, a positive message amongst the negative impression fashion sometimes gives.

Follow this link to watch the films

Images and videos courtesy of the official Christian Dior Youtube Channel

SABA x Manuscript

The contemporary and clean Australian label, SABA, is set to unveil a special collaborative collection with the innovative men's magazine, Manuscript, for the Spring/Summer season. The collection caters to the modern, tailored man - the pieces being surprisingly multifunctional and effortlessly stylish, characteristic of the seamless aesthetic of SABA. Featuring both monochromatic and dusty yet vividly colourful options, the styling by Manuscript Fashion Director, Jolyon Mason, presents these options in a way that glorifies the young, dapper gentlemen who want timeless pieces but are far from decrepit.

The collection and magazine will be officially launched on October 17th, 2013 at the Melbourne SABA boutique. The night will include bespoke tailoring, whisky tasting and attendance by Manuscript Editors Mitchell Oakley Smith and Jolyon Mason. Make sure to head down for a free magazine and a closer look at the collection!

 For more information, head to www.saba.com.au and www.manuscriptdaily.com.

Images courtesy of GoLightly PR

x Adidas x

There can never be enough fashion collaborations, and Adidas has taken the slate! 

First off, the rising King of Fashion, Raf Simons, has released his collaborative line of sneakers with Adidas (available at Hypebeast). The wide array of choices of these runners are all homages to the sports luxe look which Raf Simons has come to popularise within menswear in recent years. The shoes are a mix of athletic function and street fashion - the comfortability and vibrancy of the space-age inspired kicks quite clear. 

Next, the upcoming Jeremy Scott and A$AP Rocky sneaker line for Adidas. Now, the only preview of this highly anticipated collection, especially amongst followers of the high fashion hip hop scene, is the poster below. Take from it what you will, but there's no doubt Jeremy Scott's infamous winged Adidas sneakers are gonna be making an appearance. Watch this space for more in the coming weeks...

THE NEW SEASON OF RAF SIMONS x ADIDAS RUNNERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE

Images courtesy of Hypebeast and Jeremy Scott's official Facebook page

New Era x Yohji Yamamoto

New Era has crept their way into the high fashion scene once again,  their latest collaboration with the praised but mysterious Japanese designer, Yohji Yamamoto, being their latest endeavour. It will be a sight to see elements of the peacefully dark aesthetic of Yamamoto tied into the iconic and functional 59FIFTY caps of New Era. No doubt, the range will be in stark contrast to the bright and worldly Kenzo collab the brand previously did, which was as successful as the overly imitated Kenzo Tiger sweater, but there's no knowing how successful this line will be in comparison. Little is known about the upcoming line, set for release this month, so we must just gander at the teaser provided to us...

Image courtesy of Hypebeast

The Margiela and Converse Collab

Maison Martin Margiela has fast emerged from the depths of the fashion world, gaining much popularity in recent years through avid brand loyalists such as Kanye West and A$AP Rocky bringing this once underrated luxury label to the forefront of the fashion scene (not to mention the unholy appropriation of Comme Des Garcons). Maison Martin Margiela used to stand alone, both aesthetically and ethos-wise, but recent collaborations with fashion houses Missoni, H&M, and most recently, G-SHOCK. have expanded the overall reach of the brand. Iconic shoe brand, Converse, has formed a partnership to release an exclusive line on the 11th of September. The preview shows a Chuck Taylor Hi-Top being engulfed in thick, white paint - the colour Maison Martin Margiela has mastered. Watch the preview below, and watch this space for more in the coming weeks!

Image courtesy of High Snobiety Video courtesy of the official Converse Youtube channel

Lines of Neoclassicism

The coveted Australian fashion designer label, Dion Lee, has released previews of their collaboration with collage artist, Mason Mulholland, for their diffusion line, Line II. The new collection is called "Neoclassical", and that theme is apparent throughout, especially in the skewed prints that are reminiscent of the exploration of the human form in the Classical period. Classicism is further appropriated in the design of the garments, featuring a more geometric take on the draping that was prevalent in Classical fashion and a colour palette reflective of the Grecian peninsula. Dion Lee has once again demonstrated his ability to creatively influence fashion's future, and this collection will most likely be a hit amongst loyalists and newbies to the label.

Images courtesy of Dion Lee

ASOS Black x Puma Returns!

The low-key success of the first ASOS Black x Puma collaborative line was forced these two forces of contemporary men's fashion to come back for another round! The first collection featured styles that rivalled high fashion designers who had the same aesthetic, such as Rick Owens, Boris Bidjan Saberi and Alexander Wang, but this time around, the brands have merged to create much more aesthetically subtle pieces.

 Retrospective polka dot prints are distorted into the contemporary with gradients and blocking panels amongst many of the pieces. The complementary colours of canary and shades of blue blend well with the monochromatic blacks and whites throughout the collection. All these elements combined with the sportiness of both ASOS Black and Puma clothing make it functional and durable, but with an air of sombreness. 

With notable creatives on board such as Thristian BPM from Boiler TV, former pro BMX rider Caleb Kilby and photographer Michael Mayren, the influence of the collection will no doubt spread. As this line is fleeting, ensure you keep your eyes out for when the pieces are available online. 

ASOS BLACK x PUMA IS SET FOR RELEASE THIS MONTH

Images courtesy of GoLightly PR and ASOS 

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The First Screen Test

A collaboration between the punk Versace diffusion line, Versus, and renowned British fashion designer, J.W. Anderson, has been tightly wrapped for a while now. The diffusion line has been inactive for a quite a long time, and it's been interesting to think such an eccentric label such as Versus by Versace would be revived by a strictly minimal designer. But at last, the first "screen test" has been released, giving us a preview of the clothes in the collab collection and a look at the models who are going to be the faces of the collection. 

Just from the preview, hints of Donatella's influence over the design of the clothing is already noticed - the wild, hypnotic black & white print being the standout so far. The rawness of this Andy Warhol x Calvin Klein Jeans style ad is the type of advertising that is missing in the fashion industry nowadays. This type of ad allows us to relate to the people who are representing the collection and look at the clothes - without all the flash and extravagance. Here, take a look for yourself:

THE COLLECTION AND WEBSITE IS DUE FOR RELEASE ON THE 15.05.13
http://www.versusversace.com/

For a closer look at the collection, CLICK HERE
Images and videos courtesy of Models.com and Dazed Digital

Guerilla Fashion Fusion: ASOS Black x Puma

ASOS's grasp on fast fashion is undeniably strong, and now the designers from the brand's underestimated architectural diffusion line, ASOS Black, is collaborating with the one and only Puma. Street fashion and sports wear is fast becoming more and more integrated into the world of high fashion, more so in the minimalist and structural streams of fashion, leading the birth of "Sports Luxe", in both menswear and womenswear. The fusion of guerilla street wear, functional sports wear and the dynamics of simplistic high fashion are executed brilliantly in this collection, with a focus on geometric and panel detailing and a calming colour palette with pops of fiery orange.

In the lead up to the launch of the collection, film maker Ben Newman and renowned Brazilian graffiti collective, Os Pixadores, were called upon to capture the very essence and inspiration for the collection - modern rebellious creation, which is a rarity in today's society, in two trailers.

Images courtesy of Asos

Videos courtesy of Asos

Preview the collection HERE

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