No matter how simple and how small

Christmas season is the time of giving and receiving, of course! LOL Fortunately, I am not exempted in receiving presents. I received a number of interesting stuffs this season but thought of sharing some of these meaningful and special gifts which made Christmas a little bit more special no matter how simple and small, but big in every way. :-)

1. Music Box from Hokkaido, Japan

Double B - Ball for BMW (The Ultimate Motorist Watch)

For those who admire the dynamism of BMW car engineering and design, and for those who love the revolutionary and technical feats of swiss watches, this must be a very good news. Ball watches recently entered into a project with BMW "through quest for perfection, precision, and expertise".

Have an awesome Christmas everyone! :-)

For most of us, Christmas season could be one of the most hyped and anticipated festive occassion throughout the year. Not to mention the endless holiday sales accompanied by seem-to-be infinite queues encouraged by late midnight shopping and the hundreds of Christmas themed menus and coffee flavors on “a limited offer only” basis available in almost every restaurant/coffee shops drawing afficionados who truly long for a more gratifying Christmas taste. Of course, we cannot deny that stress level could be high during this season brought by traffic jams, unpleasant surprises and the failure of people around in meeting our more than usual high expectations, from the presents we receive to our relationships with the people who matter to us.

Nonetheless, on top of these negativities, I believe that it is the “awesomeness” that we experience during Christmas season that makes it a little bit more special other than the fruitcake or log cakes. Christmas is the time where we feel the love and urge to view most things around us in an excellent way. Despite the realization among us that Santa Claus does exist only in our imagination (during childhood days), Christmas season remains a good season to share kindness and spread hope with our friends, family and dear loved ones.    

I joined my mom recently and went to a specialty store which sells Christmas trees and decors. I snapped some of these photos to share with all of you a little sense of Christmas from these miniatures and ornaments - more likely to relive the pure joy and hope in our hearts regardless of our faith, race and origin. :-)

These remind me of Peter Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

Ferragamo Shoes - Timeless Classic Italian leather shoes

One of the modernist of the Italian shoe industry is Salvatore Ferragamo. Ferragamo's craftmanship and sense of timeless style make the Ferragamo house one of the most reliable Italian shoe brand. Salvatore Ferragamo is also one of the most successful family-run shoe business passed from one generation to another. I dropped by the Ferragamo store which offers up to 50% discount on some of its shoes and other leather goods. These are some of the shoes being offered on reduced prices - a perfect treat for the holidays.:-)

I love the interwoven leather used in this piece.

A visit to Leica boutique

Finally, I managed to get to try the latest camera model from Leica by Paul Smith. Owning a piece of this camera wonder machine is among my wish list. I am more ambitious to yearn in owning a Leica camera from its M-series. Nonetheless, the Leica camera in collaboration with Paul Smith creates a more sartorial impression.

Affordable luxury watches by the Bernheim Brothers

Raymond Weil's grandsons Piere and Elie Bernheim embody a solid promise to continue the watch making expertise in the family, but this time offered a more affordable choice to avid watch fans and to penetrate the wider market. The Bernheim Brothers launched the 88 Rue du Rhone watch brand focused on creating "refined, modern and accessible" time pieces.

Time for RETRO inspirations!

I am going to attend a theme party this coming Friday night which commands a very exciting vibe just before Christmas. The wardrobe requirement is nothing but retro! As we generally know it, retro created waves of fashion fever that continues from the decade of its birth to date. I cannot simply deny that retro fashion is one of the main reasons why I have completed watching all episodes of the TV series "Mad Men"

Knitted approach to Chucks - Missoni sneakers for Converse

Everyone loves "Chuck" as many would say. Converse will earn even more affection from its loyal fans with its latest knitted sneakers by Missoni.

Eclectic gifts by Tom Dixon

I am making this entry while I am here in Europe, particularly in Berlin. I am impressed with the city's charm and spirit which deserves a separate post about this interesting German city. Meanwhile, Christmas is just around the corner. These are some of my picks from the interesting and useful gift collection by Tom Dixon.

1. Copper Jack paper weight

Time Revival - Reissued original timepiece from Junghans

Classic-style watches are timeless investments. Junghans, a German watch manufacturer, has launched recently its new collection by reissuing some of its classic time pieces from the 50's and the 60's. My absolute favorite is Junghans x Max Bill stainless steel automatic chronograph watch .

Sartorial books for men

Sometimes, I still prefer the actual flipping of the pages of books despite the advent of e-readers, iPads and Kindle. Once in a while, I feel peaceful and amused being surrounded by colorful piles of books.   Browsing hundreds of reading materials by walking through sections by sections still remain appealing to me.

I went to the bookstore recently and thought of sharing some useful book titles about men style and fashion.

Half-zip wallet from Comme des Garcons

A compact wallet is very much practicable especially if you use a separate card holder. This half-zip wallets from Comme des Garcons possess minimalist design with masculine element that perfectly fits in your trousers or shirt pocket!

The half-zip wallet from Comme des Garcons is made in Spain accented with tonal zip fastening.

H&M: Maison Martin Margiela Re-edition

I am suspecting that there will be long queues outside H&M stores on November 15 because of outcome of the creative collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela. These are some of the pieces that will charm your wardrobe this season:

Gazette Mood - Halloween Party

For those who are not going to attend any balls or parties this halloween, there are other alternatives of riding on this occasion in casuals. These pieces from John Galliano add up to your list of available options.

Lupetto sweater with skull

Savile Row's New Sartorial Neighbor - Alexander Mcqueen's first menswear boutique

The tailoring territory of London, Savile Row, finally welcomed its new neighbor. Alexander Mcqueen's first store solely dedicated to men has finally opened.

Union of Paisley-Prints, Color and More - ETRO

A plain white canvas without prints or dash of color can be boring. Etro is an Italian luxury house known for its vibrant and elegant prints in various hues and colors. These are some of the picks for this season.

Mercurio Paisley-Print Slim-Fit Velvet Blazer

Y oh why - YSL Full Grain Leather Holdall Bag

I have seen in many celebrity women being chased and snapped by the paparazzis in their Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Chyc Cabas bags.

The distinct "Y" shaped clasp and panel obviously does the talking for these bags of timeless elegance and style.

For men who are in love with the "Y" bag, YSL created its masculine version in the form of holdall bag.

This is crafted of black full grain leather from 100% calfskin.

60 long years of functional and creative furniture design - BOCONCEPT Collection 2013

If I will have a chance to have my own pad, most of the major furniture pieces would come from BOCONCEPT. I am attracted to its urban Danish designs. BOCONCEPT maintains its own production in its origins, Denmark. At present there are almost 260 stores in almost 59 countries around the world which have grown from its humble beginnings since 1952.

At present, BOCONCEPT is known for its strong commitment to functional, creative and affordable furniture pieces worth of homeowner's pride. Here are some of the snapshots I took while roaming (and sometimes sitting on the display couch) inside the store.

The carpet pattern is in harmony with the white dining furniture pieces.

Picasso, Buffet, Warhol, Botero and an Apple

Recently, I went to an art gallery to indulge myself and awaken my artist's senses. I was truly inspired the moment I get to see some works of Picasso, Buffet, Botero, Warhol and an apple.:-)

Say it LOUD - Designer names

I thought sharing this list of designer names with corresponding pronunciations would be a good source of fun yet informative form of linguistic exercise. This is not comprehensive but long enough to entertain you by following the PRO-NUHN-ZI-EY-SCHON (pronunciation).:-)

Trust me, this is a good speech exercise! My favorites include DOLE-chay and gab-BON-a AND Comb day gar-SON. So, EHN-ZHOY! :-)

Alessandro Dell'Acqua: Ala-SAND-roe del-LA-kwa

Ann Demeulemeester: ann DEH-moo-lah-MEE-ster

Bottega Veneta: BO-teg-a VEN-eta

Burberry Prorsum: BUR-bur-ree proar-SOME

Comme des Garçons: Comb day gar-SON

Dior Homme: dee-OAR OM

Dolce & Gabbana: DOLE-chay and gab-BON-a

Dries Van Noten: DREEZE van KNOW-ten

DSquared2: DEE squared

Givenchy: Zshee-VON-she

Gucci: GOO-chi

Hedi Slimane: Eddy slim-MAHN

Hermès: AIR-mehz

• The hipster travel emporium Flight 001 should be pronounced as "Flight One."

John Varvatos: John var-VAY-toes

Junya Watanabe: JUNE-ya Wah-TAH-nah-bay

Kris Van Assche: Chris van-ASH

Lanvin: lon-VAUN

Louis Vuitton: loo-E vo-WE-ton

Maison Martin Margiela: MAZE-on Mar-TIN mar-GEL-a

Moschino: mo-SKEEN-o

Raf Simons: rauph SEE-mon

Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-TOH-reh Fair-a-GAH-moe

Veronique Branquinho: Ve-ro-NEEK BRANG-kee-no

Versace: ver-SAH-chay

Yohji Yamamoto: YO-jee ya-MA-moto

Yves Saint Laurent: EVE Sane-LOR-aunt

Zegna: ZANE-ya

The above is definitely a very useful reference.:-)

Cheers!


Source: Valet mag

The road to gentlemanliness

The word "Gentleman" connotes a higher level of expectation that hardly can be undermined.    Most of the time, such word is rather used as a suggestion instead of a description to whoever it is attributed to. The continuous exercise of the so called gentlemanliness will likely lead to one thing - perfection of character.

This may sound ambitious but of course, this is achievable through optimism, rehearsal and proper guide.

Classic design with a twist - Paul Smith for Leica

No doubt, creative collaborations with consumer products are becoming the latest trend and proved to be an effective marketing strategy. We have seen the success of the recent collaboration between the well revered Yayoi Kusama and the House of Louis Vuitton.

Leica has launched its limited Leica X2 Edition by Paul Smith. 

Mugler Menswear

Nicola Formichetti embarked on an aquatic theme on Thierry Mugler's latest RTW Spring collection for men. Fromichetti described the collection as something close to "sand, coral, sea foam and oyster." The smart tailoring and neutral sophistication of the fabrics give a very powerful impression of the entire collection.

It's all about the attitude.

Ring my bag!

It is not common to see briefcases or bags for men in general to have a seemingly interesting exteriors. Most of the briefcases have conservative tones and designs so as not to overshadow the man carrying the bag himself.:-) 

For those men who love to wear bags with fun, cool yet stylish designs, Hi-Tek Designs London by Alexander offers these requirements with its unusual designs yet maintaing its industrial feel matched by genuine leather.

This is Gothic modern Steamapunk small cross body bag. 

Hey Nancy

Philip Lim's new Nancy shoes collection for men creates a very suave impression of whoever wears a pair. The Nancy Oxford flats have pointed toes that are contrasted by a smooth leather cap.

Bottega Veneta's Bering lambskin

Bottega Veneta  has been notorious of its patented woven leather which really provides a symmetric yet rich texture on its bag collections both for women and men. The introduction of blue bering lambskin in Bottega's collection for men's bags is indeed very attractive and truly stands out among other bags in black to gray hues.

This is the Bering Nero Soft Lambskin Microrighe Briefcase. This brief upholds the Bottega's intercciato details.

Radical yet meticulously tailored

Thom Browne's designs are really striking from the design concept to the tailoring techniques applied in every piece. Having previously designed for Club Monaco, Thom Browne put up his own label on 2001. From thereon, Thom Browne has earned countless awards and citations and launched exhibits too creating a growing number of enthusiasts for his radical designs.

French Patisserie - PAUL: Maison Qualite Fondee En 1889

PAUL Patisserie and Salon de Restaurant offers French bread and cuisine derived from almost 120 years of continuous expression of love for bread and passion for baking. But this does not mean that the food under the PAUL menu is meant to be below par, instead the food is equally impressive on its taste and use of fine ingredients.

Suits on "wheels"

Riding a bike while on a suit is a very challenging task. You have to make sure that your shirt remains properly tucked in your pants while seamlessly dashing in the streets. It is really not necessary to dress up whenever you will be on a bike, but doing so will likely be a testament of maintaining style in motion. :-)

Stunning autumn prints from THE Prince of Prints

These are some of the latest print outfits from Dries Van Noten from his fall/autmn collection.

What a sweet surprise - fruitcake friends

I met one of my long time girl friends for a catch up dinner. She was over 20 minutes late but with a very good excuse. She surprised me with her home-baked fruitcake straight away from her kitchen oven. I thought that was early for Christmas but of course, it wont be surprise at all and would rather be predictable to receive such goodie during the holidays.

Oh yes, this really tastes good as it seems:-)

Be educated in public

One of the notable collections seen during the New York Fashion Week this fall is from Public School. The label communicated effectively its menswear collection in the runway, not to mention its label name that is interesting to many.

The design collection is mainly characterized by effortless styling but heightened and refined by sharp tailoring details.

Autumn/winter 2012 campaigns

These are some of the autumn/winter campaigns for 2012.

Wrist accessories

Bracelets are becoming one of the more popular accessories for men us it adds on the vibe and style. I must say it also plays as a sort of an extension of one's taste and personality. Luis Morais, a Brazilian-born Miami-based designer,  creates discreetly luxurious bracelets using fine materials such as gold and black diamond clasp.

Starry starry NIGHT

Few days ago, I went to attend the Night Festival. My camera and I had a feast on capturing those lights. The mood of the crowd was very hyped and you can really feel the energy across the audience while watching the performances. One of my main agenda for attending this event was to take my chance in the annual Night Festival photography contest. Here are some of my night shots.:-)

Autumn aztec

I have been seeing lots of so-called aztec patterns both in women and men's clothes lately and its quite attractive and fresh in the eyes. These are cultural patterns and a true expression of Aztec art.

It has arrived!

After so much public anticipation and media speculations, the new iPhone5 has finally arrived.

Invisible socks

Like many of us, especially during casual weekends, we would wear low-cut shoes which could be loafers, esparadilles, boat shoes, etc. But it is always a challenge to get the perfect pair of socks that is perfectly hidden with lesser discomfort and of course hygienic.

Invisible socks from Falke (German brand) make our feet experience with our low-cut shoes less miserable for two major reasons: first, its clever cut design that stays concealed while its making love with footwear; and secondly, it has anti-slip system keeping the socks in place all the time.

I suppose that these socks minimize the inconvenience of having to go to the side of the street or rather lean against the wall just to fix your socks . :-)

If you have noticed in the label, it is 98% cotton. The remaining 2% is made of elastane material. 

Stylebook for Men

I have not appreciated most of the hundreds of apps available in iTunes relating to fashion until Stylebook Men: Closet Organizer & Assistant became available. This is an understatement because Stylebook Men app has been featured in New York Times Style Section under "Best Fashion and Shopping Apps for Cellphones", Vogue Australia, Harper's Bazaar UK, LA Times among others. This app has made it four times to the Apple's App Store homepage (aka app Billboard charts) for FOUR times.

House OF Music and Fashion

Autumn is now on, at least in the other side of the world.:-) This now sets the craze for retrieving your cardigans out from your (dusty) wardrobe, and if you feel that this season calls for new autumn essentials, Maison Kitsune could be a good source.  

This French label fuses BOTH music and fashion under one roof. Maison Kitsune (French word "Maison" means "house") originally was a record label until its founders Mr. Gildas Loaec and Mr. Masaya Kuroki branched out to fashion in 2002. 

Kitsune carries some of these albums by Citizens!, Two Door Cinema Club and Is Native under their music label.

Hand-me-down some shoes

Sometimes wearing burnished shoes over a super shiny formal or perfect leather washed shoes can exude stronger and more interesting appeal. No doubt, so called "hand-me-down" shoes is a common staple for a men's wardrobe. Some of these hand-me-down shoes are in fact  more expensive than brand new ones for that matter, mainly because of the peculiar kind of material used to give this footwear a rustic, old, worn, and charming effect.

These are some  picks from an array of hand-me-down shoes which are essentials this fall. Click the photos for an enlarged view.:-)

Washed-suede brogues from Dolce & Gabbana

Brass studs throughout!

This studded leather tablet cover from Burberry Prorsum really attracts someone's attention with its brass studs placed throughout. The symmetric placement of the brass studs makes the design neat and edgy.

From a distant view, the brass studs seem to have smooth tops resembling like brass half-buttons.

Top Hair Trends for MEN - Fall/Winter 2012

After having featured previously the barber services being offered at Dunhill's Bourdon House in Mayfair, I thought sharing these hair trends for this year's Fall/Winter would be appropriate.

Short sides with shaggy top

Bespoke services for hair

Alfred Dunhill is widely known for its luxury and tailored jackets, leather goods, writing instruments and clothing for men emanating the British classic style.

I have visited a few Alfred Dunhill's emporium and would always notice a vintage leather couch - lawyer's style- which adds to the sharp and classic appeal of its interiors.  I do not remember Alfred Dunhill's sales staffs offering whisky though. LOL

For the discerning clients, Alfred Dunhill offers bespoke tailoring services.

But what makes the Alfred Dunhill's store in London more than ordinary, otherwise known as the Bourdon House is the premium services available other than bespoke menswear and leatherwear.

The Bourdon House, a Gregorian mansion in Mayfair, London, boasts its own Barber surrounded by its custom leatherwear and menswear.

 And if this sounds to be a perfect retreat and haven for its clients, the Bourdon House has spa, humidor and bar lounge too. If any of these services do not impress you, watch in their private screening room instead. :-)

Cheers!


Photocredit: Alfred Dunhill website