16 Dec 2011

Shopping #3: Cowboys & Tweed

From left to right:

Tweed jacket. No, it’s not Chanel (LOL) – just the good old Mango. It might look a little traditional when pictured on its own, but you can bet it won’t look like that on me (:P). I love tweed, and, even though it’s not very present in my wardrobe, there’s always room in my Outfit Gallery for some late-80’s glamour.

Velvet belt with tassels. This one comes from Mango as well. Remember the blue tassels I got for Halloween? Well, a few days ago I saw a Japanese gothic lolita wearing this:

Japanese Lolitas in Alice & The Pirates w h.Naoto Blood & Milk Harajuku Bags

Looks like tassels are the next big trend in Japan (LOL), so I’ll keep this new belt close… just in case.

Fringed T-shirt. It seems like the design in Bershka has slightly improved during the last season. This is the second T-shirt I get from there in the last months, and you can believe me when I say that’s A LOT for me. I’ve always had something with cowboy fashion, but it was Depeche Mode’s video for Personal Jesus what definitively ignited my love for anything that has something to do with cowboy hats and fringe. How could I resist? (LOL)

Fringed leather belt. Yet more Mango! It looks like fringe is the theme of the day (LOL). I still find it hard to believe that these two pieces don’t belong to the same collection, but that’s the kind of funny coincidences that put that special thrill in shopping – and in life. The cowboy hat isn’t new, but it just looked cool with the rest.

Wow… I guess I’m ready to reach out and touch faith ;)

9 Dec 2011

Looks I’m Lovin’ #2: Suits!

I have a very curious thing with the subject of today’s post: I love suits and I hate suits.

OK, I should explain myself properly.

There’s nothing in the world I find less appealing than a regular guy wearing a regular suit (a.k.a. what we get sick of seeing at the Oscars ever since the 1930s). It’s probably because it represents the acceptance of the values and social etiquette of the establishment, but I just can’t stand it!

However, I also believe that there’s nothing in the world that dignifies a person’s look more than a suit does – which is probably the reason why masculine fashion has been restricting men from wearing any other type of clothing at formal occasions for the last 200 years.

So… how do we get out of this contradiction? Is it possible to look dignified without being boring? Can you be formal without being standard? Can you be powerful AND beautiful at the same time?

The answer is: of course you can!

All you have to do is break the rules and be creative!

Annie Lennox wearing her classic suit and short orange hair

Play with the colours!

We all know suits usually come in greyscale, ranging from the ultra-formal black you wear at funerals (or the Oscars) to the bluish light grey you use at work – white and beige are only acceptable in the hottest climates. Obviously, the objective of a good classical suit is to make you look as uninteresting as possible, so, why don’t you give it a twist and use it to make yourself visible instead? Mother Nature gave us the colours for a reason… or are men supposed to be colorblind?

Come on! Be original and catch the rainbow (just like the Rainbow song said LOL). The brighter, the better!

And, of course, electric blue is always a great place to start ;)

The suit pictured here is a piece from Banal Chic Bizarre 2012 Spring-Summer Menswear collection (don’t worry – you don’t need to wear a black hood over your face to look cooler LOL).

Red and blue taken to the next level!

Banal Chic Bizarre 2012 Spring-Summer Menswear

Play with the patterns!

Run away from the subtle stripes and challenge the world with some unexpected patterns instead!

My personal favourites in this category are these suits from Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer collection. The first one has this funny what’s-wrong-with-my-screen appeal you could only expect to find in Japanese fashion, and the second one is just killer!

Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer

Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer

Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer

Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer

Everything is allowed... as long as it’s not boring!

Even stripes can have a chance if you take their visual power to the maximum. Just like the more-than-legendary striped suit Dave Gahan wore in music video for I Feel You.

I apologize for repeating the word “killer” so many times in a row, but THAT’s the king of KILLER looks!

Play with the structures!

Take the challenge to another level and defy the conventional structure… just like Bill did with this awesome Jean Paul Gaultier blazer.

Of course, talking about turning boring suits into objects of beauty and adoration, I couldn’t skip over Bill Kaulitz – one of the huge experts in the subject, along with Master Marilyn Manson.

This outfit still knocks me out every time I see it, not just because of its unbelievable coolness, but also because of the awesome reinterpretation Bill made of the original piece. The fact itself that this blazer was originally created as womenswear (Rihanna wore it a few months before he did in quite a different context, much more similar to the version that was displayed in the catwalk) says something about how great his vision was when he decided to take it and transform it into this ultra-edgy sort of SS uniform.

I don’t know what if that’s what he had in mind when he put up this outfit, but, whatever it was, he looks awesome as f**k (I’m quoting Green Day here LOL) in it.

Banal Chic Bizarre 2012 Spring-Summer Menswear

This suit from Banal Chic Bizarre (you might have already recognized the collection by the black hood) is another wonderful example of challenging structures. It even has a bunch of subtle punk details placed there specifically for my enjoyment (LOL)!

Play with the materials!

Don’t think I need to explain this one (LOL).

Pictured below are Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese dressed fully in latex: the proof that wearing fancy suits is perfectly compatible with a socially acceptable heterosexual life (LOL).

I won’t be the one who tells you that a latex suit is the most practical solution for everyday life, but, just like Dita herself would say: “It’s not as comfortable as going naked, but there’s something about it we love”.

Got it? (LOL)

Animalize!

Remember the cover of the KISS album?

There you’ve got it! I’m not usually a big fan of animal prints, but they are certainly a great way of turning a suit into a big statement. Of course, this is only suitable for those who are not afraid of looking a bit gangster.

The first two looks featured here come from HEADL_INER 2012 Spring-Summer collection. The short pants and the heavy boots make them look quite childish (okay, the Indian headdress might help too LOL), and that’s something I find particularly lovely (maybe it’s time to check back on my London Calling post :P).

HEADL_INER 2012 Spring-Summer

HEADL_INER 2012 Spring-Summer 02

HEADL_INER 2012 Spring-Summer 06

Scramble Market Harajuku launch party at Le Baron de Paris Tokyo

What did I just say about looking a bit gangster? (LOL)

This one here is the mythical Omega outfit (well, that’s what I call it LOL) Marilyn Manson wore at the VMAs in 1998 – I’ll spare you the vision of virtually naked Rose McGowan because I guess none of us wants to go through that again (LOL).

Now that suit IS a dream. If I wasn’t the size of one of Marilyn’s legs, I swear I’d sneak into his house and steal it… well, that’s if he still keeps it.

Unfortunately, I think it doesn’t look that great when you don’t have bright red hair to match it...

Glam it up!

Who said boys don’t glitter? Of course they do, and you should see just how!

No, those are not thigh-high boots (it took me months to figure that out LOL): it’s just a clever visual trick played by Rad Hourani. In fact, it’s a normal (well, “normal”) pair of trousers with matching high-heeled booties, but the overall effect is awesome. Rad Hourani is only releasing unisex collections (thank god SOMEBODY does that), so you can all feel welcome to join this trend… for a reasonable price (LOL).

Are those garter belts peeking from underneath Marilyn’s beautiful wine-coloured suit? Did he borrow them from his (ex)wife? (LOL) I love them! And I adore the huge false lashes he used to wear in that period, too.

Now that's what I call BEAUTIFUL.

Make your own rules!

Fancy suits are there for anyone who wants to use them, and this goes for everyone: boys, girls… who cares?! Never let anybody or anything tell you what you can and what you can’t wear!

Janelle Monáe wearing a cool white suit and dandy shoes

Be brave and make your own rules… or otherwise the rules will make you.

Feel like trying something new? ;)

3 Dec 2011

In Chains (acoustic cover)

OK, it's time for some promo!

As you already know, I'm a musician, and, as such, I do make music sometimes ;)

I can't show you any of my own songs yet because I'm still producing the demo, but in the meantime, you can listen to some live acoustic covers at my SoundCloud page.

So, don't be lazy and check it out! It's free! (LOL)

1 Dec 2011

London Calling (Punk In The Park)

The outfit I bring you today is one of my big, big classics.

I can’t tell you how I came up with this look because the truth is I have no idea of how it happened. I remember myself standing in the bathroom trying to decide what to wear, and then my memory just skips to the point where I’m already dressed up like this.

I personally describe this outfit as a very British punk/dandy look done the Harajuku way.

On those days (I’m talking about early 2007), I had just landed my hands on three books that changed my approach to street wear almost completely: Fruits, Fresh Fruits and Gothic & Lolita, all published by Phaidon. Those books are basically a collection of photographs from Fruits Magazine and some other street snaps from Harajuku and Akihabara. I had been a fan of the Japanese culture (and extreme looks) for a very long time, but when I saw all those boys and girls wearing things that would have been impossible to find in Europe at that time, they immediately became my fashion heroes. It didn’t matter what style or subculture they represented. I loved the freedom, the fantasy, and, of course, the sense of humour that were present in all their stylings.

I could have never imagined, back then, that one day I would be getting daily news on Tokyo street fashion and have the chance to get in touch with the current trends! :P

However, back then, all I had were those three books and my imagination.

punk 02

(Source: Fruits – some of the looks that inspired my outfit)

It all probably started with the T-shirt. I’m not a fan of The Clash, but a T-shirt with such an iconic design was just begging to be a part of my wardrobe (:P). I was probably planning one of my typical punk outfits… and then inspiration struck me, and I just said to myself: “why not wearing this with my striped blazer instead?” I don’t know if that’s the real story or not, but that turned out to be a great idea.

I suppose the rest of the outfit just came along :P

The white platform creepers are the other key element in this look. This pair of shoes is, of course, one of my all-time favourites. They are as close as I can get to the wonderful Japanese shoes I keep dreaming of. Shoe design is one of those things at which the Japanese will always be light-years ahead of the rest of humanity. If I ever get to go to Japan – I mean: WHEN I finally get to Japan (:P), I swear I will be taking a huge extra suitcase with me just to fill it up with shoes!

Out of the World Harajuku Creepers Shibuya Random Sights, November 2011 03

(Source: TokyoFashion)

…and the golfer socks are the extra-funny detail that rounds up the mocking mood of the whole thing :)

What I specially love about this look is that it feels extremely teen. I’ve always liked the idea of taking adult elements (like blazers, golfer socks or dandy hats) that somehow represent the establishment and mixing them with pieces that look casual or even trashy to show that you just don’t care. Taking concepts defined by society and giving them new meanings that respond to your individual view of the world; creating your own rules – that’s what punk is all about, right? And that’s exactly what teenagers do, or at least it’s what I believe they should do.

I did this photoshoot a month before my 18th birthday, and that is right what these pictures represent: the promise of never getting too old to do the things I like. And that includes swinging until my legs fall off! (LOL)

That’s a promise we all should keep, don’t you think? :P

DIGITAL CAMERA

T-shirt: Fruit of the Loom
Jeans: MNG
Socks: unknown
Shoes: BCN Shoes
Blazer: MNG
Hat: MNG
Choker and chain: dog collars (purchased at Auchan)

23 Nov 2011

Motor Rebel

As you might already suspect by the title, what I bring you today is a real biker look.

I’ve been a fan of biker looks for a long time, and that’s something I never really get tired of. I have more denim, leather, fake leather and vinyl jackets at home than I can handle, but that’s OK with me. After all, I’m a rocker, right? ;)

Do you know that rule in style that says: “if you put on something that’s original and flashy, the rest of your outfit has to be simple so you don’t end up looking too over-the-top”? Well, what I say is: if you put on something flashy, the rest of your outfit has to be flashy too to make that one flashy thing look even flashier!

In this case, it all begun with the sleeveless T-shirt.

This incredible piece of clothing comes from Bershka, and that makes it even more special, because I don’t find things that match my quality standards there very often. However, I have to admit this particular T-shirt is a masterpiece. It has this extremely biker print (vintage motorcycles + American flag + tattoo-style wings = whoa!), and the words “MOTOR REBEL” are decorated with tiny crystals (!). I already have a small collection of biker-themed T-shirts, and this one looked just like it was meant to be a part of it. Besides, it has a zipper in the back part that gives it an extra cool edge. I can’t tell you if it has a real use or not, but you know I just love zippers! ^^

It was clear that this super spectacular T-shirt was asking for an extreme biker look that could match its iconic potential. The big challenge here was how to create such a look without being too obvious or repeating myself.

Since we’re already in November, the first thing I needed was something to wear underneath, so I picked up my old Scissorhands long-sleeved T-shirt (you might remember it from my Goth For One Day…! post).

The worn-out jeans and the biker boots were quite an obvious choice.

Those are probably my favourite boots ever. I’ve had them for about a year now and I just love everything about them: the cowboy-ish shape, the aggressive square heel, the minimalistic straps and the extra-heavy studs… Do I need anything more in life? LOL

However, my imagination ran out at that point.

At first, I tried a classical vinyl/leather approach, but it seemed a bit too obvious. I felt like I needed something special that could give the whole look that unexpected twist.

I had already picked up some accessories – which included my classical leather choker and my nameplate dog chain – and, of course, those Tokio Hotel fingerless gloves. I had thought of them almost immediately, because the open wings on their print matched the ones on the T-shirt in a way that seemed almost incredible. And, of course, they also matched the ones on my REBEL necklace.

That necklace is probably the most iconic piece of jewellery in my collection. I purchased it in Mango sometime around 2009, and the funny part is that I did it mainly because it reminded me of Bill in the first place (LOL). Putting the three things together (gloves, necklace and T-shirt) was almost like closing the circle :P

However, there was something about the gloves that clashed with the rest of the outfit. It took me a long time to figure out what it was. I even thought about leaving them out at first, but I couldn’t betray my triple wings concept. Instead, I decided to be brave and leave my S&M vinyl cap for another day.

This outfit was going to be all about wool and denim.

After searching through my cap drawer (I didn’t remember I had SO many caps and hats!), I picked up my old woollen hat from Kiabi, and it worked… or I though it had to work, but I still wasn’t sure. With my hair loose, I looked too Axl Rose-y for my taste, and when I hid it under the cap, it looked just too raw. The whole outfit was still missing something.

Thinking of biker accessories that could do the trick, I decided to pick up my good ole black bandana. I tried it on in different ways, but none of them seemed to be working just like it had to.

And right then, I thought about Tom Kaulitz.

tom 1 tom 2

I’m in a bit of a Tom mood lately, to be honest. I’ve been fantasizing with the idea of dreadlocks for some time (don’t worry – I won’t be doing that to my hair any time soon LOL), so I decided to try something new: I put my hair into a high ponytail – the way he used to do when he still had his dreads – and tied the bandana around my forehead. Then, I just put my woollen hat back on and let some of my hair peek from underneath.

I was extremely satisfied with the result :D

I’ve never been a fan of ponytails. In fact, I hadn’t worn one out on the street since the day I had my last gym class at school (and, believe me, that was a looong time ago), but I think I will be doing this again in the future :P

I should add that ponytails are quite a common everyday solution in the biker world (we’re talking about old-school Harley Davidson bikers here), since many of them fancy long hair (…and beards LOL). When I saw myself wearing that hairstyle, I couldn’t help thinking about the old (is it me, or I’m using the word “old” a lot today? LOL) Walter.

Walter was a character from the – awfully underrated – TV-series La Femme Nikita, wonderfully played by Don Francks. He always wore his long white hair in a ponytail and a bandana around his forehead – I still remember him from my childhood days! Technically, he’s not a biker, but you can’t deny he DOES look like one (LOL), and now that I think about it, I guess that man was probably my first contact with the biker aesthetics!

Of course, the finishing touch to my Motor Rebel outfit was this super cool denim jacket from Mango.

I got it at a second-hand store, and what I specially love about it is that it looks hard and elegant at the same time, like some improbable cross between a biker jacket and a dandy coat. And the asymmetrical details in the design add some extra punk coolness ;)

Ready to hit the road, babes? ;)

Let’s go!

MOTOR REBEL T-shirt: Bershka
Long-sleeved T-shirt: MNG
Jeans: MNG
Boots: In Extenso
Jacket: MNG (second-hand, purchased at Humana)
Woollen hat: Kiabi
Bandana: Caroche
Tokio Hotel gloves: official merchandise
REBEL necklace: MNG
Cross pendant: LSD
Choker and chains: dog collars (purchased at Auchan)

13 Nov 2011

My GQ

Here I bring you another one of my dandy looks.

This photoshoot is a bit of a classic already, so it might be familiar to those of you who have known me for a while ;)

I conceived it as a response to the legendary phooshoot Bill and Tom Kaulitz did for the German GQ in February 2010. I found it quite funny that Bill and Tom were doing these dandy looks (something quite unusual for them at that time). I had been into that style for years, so I liked the idea of adding myself to their (fantastic) cover, like some kind of third character and feel like I was invited to the party as well (LOL). I love playing with the concept of “the picture within the picture”, and magazine covers always offer huge possibilities for this kind of experiments.

I have to say that this outfit was created exclusively for this photoshoot, so I’ve never used it in real life :P

The starting concept for the look was, of course, electric blue. I don’t have an electric blue suit myself (it’s not the kind of thing you usually find among your basic wardrobe! LOL) but I knew I had this old turtleneck that matched the colours on the cover perfectly, so, instead of creating a copy, I decided to turn Bill’s outfit inside out. He’s wearing a blue suit with a white T-shirt and little black details. I’m wearing a black suit with a blue turtleneck and small details in white. It might not sound that obvious when explained like this, but it makes perfect sense in my mind (LOL).

The rest was quite easy. I’d had those trousers for years, but I had never found them a proper use. The blazer was new and I had never worn it either, so it was great getting to use them both. You don’t get chances to wear such elegant looks very often in your everyday life ;)

These shoes are a bit of a jewel in my collection. I purchased them at an outlet, and they were quite expensive still. I don’t usually buy things in this price range, but the quality and the design are so exquisite it was definitively worth it. I was really lucky, because they only had one pair and it was my size. Of course, I’ve never found a chance to wear them (you can only wear those to red carpets! LOL), because just putting them on to walk on the street would be such a waste!

As you might already suspect, I don’t have an electric blue top hat (even though I’d kill for it LOL) either, so I had to improvise. I put on one of my favourite gangster hats, and it worked. This wasn’t intended to be a recreation, after all, and my striped hat adds some 1940s feel I find really funny :P

Not bad for an improvised dandy reunion, right? ;)

[Show a little bit of fan love ;)]

[This is one of my favourite pics ever. It has some delicious Magritte-like creepiness (LOL), and it’s also quite an accurate depiction of my usual state of mind ^^’]

Turtleneck: MNG
Trousers: MNG
Shoes: Simone Mariotti
Blazer: MNG
Hat: Gorin