ALEXANDER MCQUEEN + PUMA IN THE SAME SENTENCE?

Absolutely correcto! Avant-garde crafter Alexander McQueen is (and have been, for some time now) shooting collaborative efforts with sportswear label PUMA. From the onset, Mr. MSR wondered how this relationship came into action? However, the relationship is sprouting healthy, stylish, pieces! The design marriage birthed attention-getting collection images (pictured below) .

Mr. MSR is truthfully feeling every scope of the collection!

TOP-PICK FALL MUST-HAVES!

A dynamic Fall look !

Like me, many of you arose to the official first day of Fall earlier. Even as a innocent (at least in my elders' eyes) chap I enjoyed watching autumnal transitions: The leaf color changes + crisp air breezes. Besides prepping Fall-appropraite outerwear, Mr. MSR plans to include these stellar picks in the Fall budget. What I admire about each selection, is their easy transitioning over into winter months.

GAP "1969" Premium Jean

For Fall, Gap's marketing force, outpoured aggressively "Born to Fit" branding to the brand's iconic 1969 jean. I was smitten! After eyeing over a drop-down advertisement insert (showcasing all 1969 new jean fits) I felt like yanking the classic-blue wash off the male model. The "Authentic" style (pictured below) is my top favorite. It offers a broken-in-feel + mild sloppy rips + vintage distress treatments .

It's the perfect jean fit! Why? It sits just below the waist. It offers a slim [non-restricting] fit down and seals off with a straight leg opening. I think I have found my new--possibly all time--favorite denim!



Shofolk "Artie Mo" Shoe

I just love a shoe with subtle standouts! Busy shoes just don't work in my book. Shofolk clearly traveled with a-less-is-more approach for the Artie Mo shoe. The bitter chocolate hue sent me in a frenzy!! But the calm design statements--stitch detail on the toe cap and a white leather tape loop on the back heel--convinced a proud purchasing decision.



Louis Vuitton Macassar Carrier

Sharp. Distinct. Straight bad-a**! Perfect fitting for a bundle of great reads or daily essentials, the new Maccasar monogrammed carrier scream function + taste. Plus, the unique marriage between brown and black fleshes great I found.

Speaking of design process, LV produced a broad selection of delicious Macassar accessories (weekender bag, shopper, attache, merse, overnight grip handle (ala Hermes) ) targeting strictly the Louis Vuitton male consumer. Kudos LV!



Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver Cologne

Since chatting up Tom Ford's 'Black Orchid,' many of you--faithful readers + viewers--wrote in to say how 'in awe' you were by the rich scents blended within the ridge-textured bottle. Well, time to gear up your "awe" emotions! Tom Ford excited havoc for a second go-around. Call it second-time charm if you want, but Tom's Grey Vetiver took the cake for Fall premiere fragrance for men!

In similar bottle architecture to 'Black Orchind', the silvery glass structure is packing all the right notes. Very airy + light on the garment, Vetiver still unpacks a masculine scent-noticeable essence.

Tom Ford comments, " Vetiver immediately evokes for me the classic man, someone who has a confident, refined, and slightly traditional senses of what it means to be a man--an elegance that is mirrored in Tom Ford clothing." I will have to second that Tom!


The SARTORIALIST by Scott Schuman

Since his inaugural blog post to current, Mr. MSR have been in tandem with all-things The Sartorialist --from gallery exhibitions to featuring Scott's epic street captures here on MSR . (He produced a pleasant spread on the Fort Greene neighborhood Mr. MSR resides in, highlighting well-dressed neighbors I call friends for GQ's August issue.)

A neat anti-tome, Schuman's pumped up an addictive page-turner of fresh faces (youthful + seasoned) clad in killer fashions in street environments across the globe. It's my new coffee table fixture. And hopefully yours, next!

ENDING FASHION WEEK RECAPS

Bon voyage NYC Fashion Week!

Overall, NYC Fashion Week received likable and spirited reviews! Personally, I gave the entire week a bold 8! With F.W. officially wrapped, its time for rollout reviews of my favorite ending designer shows.

Michael Bastian

A show worth attending--packed with all the right punches!

Last week a colleague and I rush determinedly to sit in on Bastian's much-buzzed Spring presentation. Even in nosebleed seating assignments (power fashion A-listers crushed the frontal and secondary rows), I still swung a perched and focused view. Truthfully, opening runway men's looks were clear, conventional, Michael.

...What happen next, ensued repeated jaw-drop gasps--literally. Space lights dimmed, reappearing (in seconds) to propose fresh-toned models hammering out attractive + striking! pieces along the runway mile. (Michael focused substantially on one-piece standouts as per se coordinated and matchy looks.)

Frankly, taking in the mixture of styled together assortments--thigh-long cardigans over safari green shorts, U-ring toggle coat layered over a sweater-shirt-combo and milky shred-cutoff shorts--planted me on the cobblestone roads of Italy. Michael's echoed machismo inspirations were transparent even before receiving Spring '010 collection notes. A collection has one charged once cravings and itching for a second walk-of-show conjures.

Mr. MSR plans on scouring through Jeffrey's NY aisles [early March] for Bastian's all-powerful Spring collection.








Timo . Weiland

Überhip fashion designers, Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein, blew us out of our loafers--again! First exploring with a capsule [accessories] collection, Timo tag-team duo shout out a rather well-rounded men's + women collection. Themed A Life Full Of Holes, Timo Weiland synched a theme-matched collaboration within their Spring roster: ivory open bow tie bibs, whimsical ruffled loop neck chokers + skirts (women's), perforated asymmetric-back militia coat (a dreamy cognac), and polka dot traces.

The creatively styled host of models presented an anti nouveau riche essence during their stance atop v-shape runway platforms. On the outskirts, for an aerial preview, Mr. MSR documented well-tailored, highly-wearable, statement looks.( All jazzy wares for discerning twenty-something wearers.) Besides drool-swooning over the aforementioned cognac perforated coat, a charming precision-pleated trench took ahold !!

Designers of Timo . Weiland.

Spurr

"The casual, weightless luxury of his clothes marks them as dream ensembles for the contemporary playboy connoisseur," were penciled thoughts from men's style critic Tim Blanks. I couldn't agree more Tim!

Spurrs' Spring collection emanated a subtle yet clear air of sexiness and gentleman flyness! The collection--without any reflection of doubts--mirrored Mr. MSR's Spring '010 wardrobe lineup: sheen navy-blue double breast suit, white sport blazers paired to worn-in distress jeans, peach tone singular pieces, suede oak brown lace-up shoes, bleach-white skinny jeans and a distinct [day-into-night transitioning] trench coat. Using '60s style icons Jimmy Hendrix and Bowie as main inspiratory for Spurr's Spring layout, I would say it had a real groovy and spiced appeal.

See for yourself…

OBSESSION: MODEL ARLENIS SOSA

Models appear in strong doses within my industry--especially during the current Fashion Week. Nothing gets my visual grips more than attractive faces + matching poses! For about a year, Mr. MSR have built a fixed eye on model—supermodel soon—Arlenis Sosa. The young (born 1989 in Dominican Republic) überlooking model just gets me creatively going when she's in action—whether posing for Patrick Demarchelier or stomping the catwalks at Christian Dior.

I really see Arlenis soaring far and high in the industry. (And it does not hurt Anna Wintour strongly champions Sosa.) With her pleasant and warm disposition, Arlenis, I’m confident, will continue knocking’ the industry dead!

MORE FASHION WEEK RECAPS

Buckler

Dipping and diving through cobblestone pavements, I breezed over to Buckler presentation in their downtown men’s wear boutique. In traditional Buckler presenting format, models planted atop curving podiums. The Spring collection inspired from Helmut Newton’s photographs of a fiberglass mannequin alongside of a human model and Cathy Wilkes’ “Non Verbal-Installation.”

Innovative fabrics were utilized to stylish effect, such as cargo pants and double-breasted blazers made from chintzed linen. Buckler’s spring collection included a stretching of colors: white and ecru, khaki over blues, gray mixed with blacks, with highlights of saffron and flame.

Band of Outsiders

…Beach. Beach. All Beach. Band of Outsider boys converted well-like-and-partied-in Milk 1^st floor gallery into a full-on beach ambiance. The carry out setting: Runway-long sand floors and mountains garlanded with vintage pop bottles.

The boyish models paraded in standard Band of Outsider-character: shrunken suits, boasts of nautical traces, and surfer insinuations. B.O.O. opted on furthering above-knee shorts and rolled pant cuffs for S/S ‘010. Frankly, I expected alternative designs out of the oft-creative design house. Nonetheless, Spring pieces were wearable!

Victor Glemaud

Lauded and much-admired for signature trompe l’oeil cardigans, Victor Glemaud rolled out new tweaks + co-designer collaborations for his Spring/Summer ‘010 collection. I entered Milk Studios gallery greeting a cluster of oil-slick GQ models horizontally lining a studio-lighted wall.

Soaking in the Spring wares, Glemaud elected for vivid and multicolored board shorts (Quicksilver collaboration), dashing tailored coats (Mackintosh collab!), full-of-character collar-contrast button-front shirts (Gittman Brothers collab!) which I couldn’t keep staring down! Upon a passing interaction with Victor Glemaud—whose also designs for Tommy Hilfiger—it was explained “collection inspirations were drawn from his recent travels in Rome!”

Buono Victor di lavoro!