Scented: Blow the Competition Away with Viktor&Rolf’s Spicebomb

The House of Viktor&Rolf has been an underlying favourite of mine. Always presenting exciting and dramatized fashion – much like myself – they have ensured I’m thoroughly entertained. On arrival of their first fragrance, Antidote, the first of their men’s fragrances, I was a little underwhelmed. It smelt great, but a little too much like Prada Homme for me. Then they launched the grenade.

Viktor&Rolf’s Spicebomb is just that - a bottle of spicy and almost sweet explosions. Designed to be the masculine of the feminine Flowerbomb released for ladies, Spicebomb hints of an endless balance between strength and elegance. It intertwines the virility of man with the subtle mannerisms of women.  I absolutely love the blatant resemblance of the bottle to an actual grenade. I feel it again amplifies the nuances of what a man is – something direct and courageous. What you see is what you get with a small surprise on the inside.

I for one am keen to get a bottle for myself. Maybe even invest in a special set that includes body and hand lotions. Viktor&Rolf have unashamedly done themselves justice with this baby and every man interested in making a fruity impression that carries a spicy bomb which will leave traces of yourself lingering in noses long after you’ve passed – this is the fragrance to get.

Spicebomb is available in 50ml, 90ml and 100ml. Check all leading cosmetics, fragrance and beauty counters at all leading department stores for your own Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb.

Grooming: iCare for Men

Skincare for men might not be expected to be as daunting as it is for women, however, our faces both carry the same architecture and therefore the same amount of care should be considered. Eye care is something most gents don’t really take into consideration, and rightfully so. If you’re getting the right amount of sleep, drinking sufficient water, exercising and using the appropriate moisturizer on your face, the chances of needing something specific for your eyes is slim. However, every now and then, added help is welcomed.

We look at the market’s top three (in our opinion) eye care products readily available for the man out there who understands there’s nothing gay about making sure your eyes look the part. Would you stare into your partner’s eyes over dinner if you could see the bags and tiredness in their eyelids? No, you wouldn’t.

ClarinsMEN Line-Control Eye Balm – RRP R345 – 20ml

ClarinsMEN’s Line-Control Eye Balm is a superb product to invest in for your eyes. Formulated to combat ageing skin, repair crow’s feet lines on the edges of your eyes and firm the eye contour area for a more youthful-looking appearance; the eye balm purifies and soothes the skin too, using its Bison Grass and Chinese extracts to energize the skin. This little bottle of pow wow can be applied twice a day – morning and evening – and its smooth non-greasy texture won’t leave a heavy sensation around your eyes.

L’Oréal Men Expert Vita Lift Eye Roll –On Solution – RRP R149.95

Because You’re Worth It. What a line, and boy does it get to the heart of the opportunity. We might only see the ladies being sold that line but guys know they’re worth it too. Men Expert products by L’Oréal have always been under the radar and we’re not quite sure as to why… Maybe they need to do more mass advertising as opposed to just targeted print advertisements. Anyway, the brand has a power stick – Men Expert Eye Roll-On Solution. Created to wake up the eyes and fight the signs of ageing with 5 actions in 1 step, the roll-on delivers an icy sensation that reduces the puffiness around the eyes, and combats wrinkles, visibly smoothing them while minimizing dark circles too. So if you’re looking for a product that can deliver results in one swift move without you getting your fingers dirty, try L’Oréal’s Men Expert Eye Roll-On for size.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye – RRP R355 – 15ml

Some time ago (when we were younger) we had a thing for the Wicca lifestyle. Potions and spells and all sorts of rudimentary behaviour. If we thought we were alone, we were wrong. Kiehl’s presents a potion, much more than just a lotion, designed to do much more than the fountain of youth promises. Mixed with natural ingredients, free of paraben or fragrance with no mineral oil, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye is the treatment you really want instead of a midnight snack. Designed as a restorative concentrate of essential oils and botanicals, the eye treatment will improve the youthful appearance of the skin around the eye contour. Your lower eye-lid will feel strengthened and replenished while the upper eye-lid light as a feather. This baby might come with a slightly higher price tag but it packs a much better punch and your skin’s longevity won’t be compromised.

Which ever of the three you choose use knowing you're in some of the safest hands possible. Your eyes will thank you and the world will thank you for continually working towards presenting us with your best face.

All the above products are available from all leading department stores and cosmetics counters.

PRESS RELEASE: SAFW Renault New Talent Search 2013

 The SAFW Renault New Talent Search returns to the country’s prima fashion event, the legendary SA Fashion Week (SAFW), for a second year running. The 2013 partnership has kicked-off and the competition is open to entries from interested parties. The competition is open to designers who are working towards establishing themselves and/or their brands in the South African fashion industry.

The SAFW Renault New Talent Search is a unique concept that has been created by Fashion icons Lucilla Booyzen and Dion Chang to give young design the opportunity to build their brands and develop their talent.

“The SAFW Renault New Talent Search is one of the most established and prestigious fashion talent searches in South Africa. It is an annual competition that not only identifies South Africa’s hottest design talent, but also provides the winning designer with a springboard (and therefore competitive business advantage) into SA’s vibrant fashion arena.” - Dion Chang

“Renault South Africa’s brand vision is 100 per cent people-centric with aspiration, ambition, sustainability and growth, its cornerstones. The path between the present and a better future is dependent upon the progress that we make and at Renault, we aim to pioneer and lead the race towards positive people- and enviro-friendly progress. Design is an integral element of the Renault brand. It speaks to innovation, passion and technical savvy and never more so than with the launch of flagship products representing Renault’s Chief Designer, Laurens van den Acker’s, “new face of Renault” - Fabien Payzan, Vice-President of Marketing for Renault South Africa.

“Progress should not come at a cost and through our self-imposed social responsibility objectives we strive to be as true as we possibly can to this philosophy. Our vision is to support emerging talent wherever and however possible. It is young South Africans such as the Zano and his peers who will Drive the Change in and ensure the sustainability of South Africa’s fashion industry in years to come”, concludes Payzan.

People-friendly progress is what the SAFW Renault New Talent Search is all about, and with the creation of this innovative and exciting new platform, Renault South Africa is delighted to be taking a meaningful step towards turning the vision of young South African fashion designers into a positive reality.

So if you think you have what it takes, click on the SAFW Renault New Talent Search banner on the right for further details and competition entry details.

For more information on the SAFW Renault New Talent Search 2013 go to: www.safashionweek.co.za

PRESS RELEASE: Official Campaign of Stiaan Louw’s SLA2

Following the success of Atletiek, Stiaan Louw's new collection SLA2, a continuation of the Atletiek range, still examines the influence of sportswear in fashion design, but this time in a more urban setting and taking sports to the streets.

Stiaan Louw, is a designer who propagates South African design on the global stage. Having shown the world a less stereo-typical idea of South African men’s fashion in past campaigns, Stiaan has chosen to look closer to home for his inspiration and showcase work that is not typically African, but which influences can be seen on the streets of Cape Town.

The taxi driver, the car guard, the home boy walking on the side of the road in Elsies River, have all played a part in inspiring this collection. The undertones of this campaign elude to a more taboo subject matter, but tries to do so in a manner that is provocative and undeniably beautiful.

"Fashion has never pretended to be real life. As a medium of artistic expression, fashion is one that is commonly under a lot of scrutiny. Not everyone gets it and not everyone likes it. It is a playground for fantasy and desire. It is provocative and it is surreal."

Shot against a black background and using a colour palette out of Stiaan's norm, the essence of an urban night scene is given life by the brilliance of Neil Robert's photography and as the face of the campaign, model, Thane Williams delivers a convincing performance as "Homme Boy" and once again conveys the brand's level of world class men’s fashion.  - Michael Beaumont Cooper

SLA2 "Homme Boy" Campaign Stills

CREDITS

Model Thane Williams as "Homme Boy"

Outlaws 

www.outlawsmodels.com

Photographer/Director Neil Roberts

Agency Book

www.agencybook.co.za

Fashion Editor/Art Director Michael Beaumont Cooper

One League  www.oneleague.co.za

Grooming Henry Maritz

One League

Hair Delin Naude

Palladium Hair Company

Photographers Assistants Oscar O'ryan and Gavin Mikey Pop

Custom Jewelry by Ida Elsje

www.idaelsje.com

Shot at Wembley Studios Cape Town

www.wembleystudios.co.za

Editorial: The culture of urban street wear today

The history of street wear is very interesting and depending on your sources can either be a long or very short read. After visiting many sites and reading through a few good library books, it’s evident that one thing is for sure and that’s the culture of street wear developed with Shaun Stussy and his surfing subculture. After signing his surfboards and those he made for others; he started delving into the world of fashion by producing small ranges of surf wear with his trademark signature on them. From there the rest is history as they say… Or is it…

In its years of development street wear went from the surf and skate community to being embraced by hip hop and punk rock. These developments though are not considered accurate interpretations of street wear as they are or were not developed with a sport, activity or recreation as a foundation; but rather they came to be due to a genre of music making a so-called ‘revolutionary’ step in history.

Today what we see is really a combination of street and urban wear. Sports and recreation leisure wear that has been inspired by the skate and surf empires of the past and infused with a sense of high-end fashion styling. The silhouettes for the style have also grown and developed over the years. What started as a range of vest and t-shirts to board shorts and hoodies, has now developed into something a lot more varied.

Credits: Clothes by PUMA, Photography by Sbulelo Tsholoba, Styling by Monde Mtsi, Model is Siya Naka of D&A Model Management

Credits: Clothes by STRATO, Photography by Sbulelo Tsholoba, Styling by Monde Mtsi, Model is Siya Naka of D&A Model Management

As it were, the people on the streets are the masterminds who own street wear because they are the ones who dictate the trends. And urban wear is a result of the people on the streets taking their style to a more adaptive level. An area where it’s okay to dress with a sporty influence while performing day to day tasks in what one could consider a much more affluent environment. Who survives this jungle are brands who’ve learnt to adapt to their consumers’ needs. Brands who see the change and evolve with it.

Urban wear is lesser known for sport and more for leisure, albeit the prime influence on its design is sports. It’s much more laid back, refined and has a silhouette that incorporates basic pieces of street wear and introduces new styles to the style such as button-through shirts, tailored shorts, golf polos, chinos and even high-tech all weather hoodies in some of the most exciting designs, prints and cuts seen yet.

Credits: Clothes by PUMA, Photography by Sbulelo Tsholoba, Styling by Monde Mtsi, Model is Siya Naka of D&A Model Management

Credits: Clothes by STRATO, Photography by Sbulelo Tsholoba, Styling by Monde Mtsi, Model is Siya Naka of D&A Model Management

It really is about the ability to be considered dressed up in an extreme leisure manner. Comfort is key with this trend; one feels a lot more 100% cotton twill items. Polyester (a sometimes – if not all the time – highly flammable fabric) is also used for its comfort and texture features. It, along with cotton, are probably two of the best breathing fabrics on the market today. Ensuring air circulates between skin and fabric freely to help regulate your body’s temperature while out and about. Strato, as a local urban wear brand, continues to provide ranges completely 100% cotton from its track wear to its more urban chino and button-through shirt selections.

Urban wear has also seen a huge range of collaborations with designers and different brands to further enhance the experience and product offerings. PUMA has over the years managed to collaborate with a great range of brands and designers, including luxury car brand BMW Mini and creative mastermind Hussein Chalayan. Capsule collections include key staple pieces with interesting trims, great fabric choices, practical cuts and fashion-forward thinking. The kind of consideration made illustrates their encouragement for consumers to buy into the lifestyle as opposed to the brand, buying into the everyday of wearing the clothes instead of pieces worn once in a while.

Credits: Clothes by PUMA, Photography by Sbulelo Tsholoba, Styling by Monde Mtsi, Model is Siya Naka of D&A Model Management

For someone who hardly pays any attention to street wear or urban wear, I’m grateful for what I have learnt and it surely won’t go to waste. I’ll hopefully be able to further develop more street and urban wear related content in the future. I just urge the current spawn of emerging street wear brands to develop further from just selling branded t-shirts. I understand that is the basic, block and cut and sew and brand and sell. Quickest way to make cash and get your name out there… But if you don’t produce enough on a regular basis, you lose the game. So let’s try to support ourselves and push further.

I just want to thank the brands the responded to our call for help with this piece, you’ve been an immense help and hopefully we can collaborate in the near future.

As for me and urban wear… Let’s see where the road leads…

Scented: House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances presents La Collection

As much as a House of Couture, Yves Saint Laurent is also a House of Fragrance. With fifty years of making some of the world’s most phenomenal bouquets, it’s no wonder half a century later it’s more innate than appropriate to release the full collection of references, milestones and icons in fragrances that are between avant-garde and provocative, between a sense of disruption and sensual tension.

With a range of new bottles, new packaging and a reinvigorated sense of self, the House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances is giving its creations a new showcase. Much like a proud art curator gathers together with exhibitionist intentions exceptional works of art to ‘give back’ to society once more, comes four cult fragrances from House of YSL Fragrances: POUR HOMME, JAZZ, M7 OUD ABSOLU, and RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME.

POUR HOMME (1971)

A pop of citrus with a controlled sweetness of mint vibrates on a grounded base of oak moss. It’s an aromatic experience that hardly requires much effort and expects extreme levels of enjoyment. The first of its kind from Yves Saint Laurent, POUR HOMME was designed and created to unveil a quest for desire and desirability by a man who lives for the beauty of being. In part, the beginning of a new chapter in the brand’s life, what with the controversial advertising that accompanied it – Yves Saint Laurent photographed nude by Jeanloup Sieff – POUR HOMME was set to leave no otherworldly questions unasked.

Picture a man with minute materialistic intentions living a life of grandeur. A man with such immense power all exerted through a slimly defined figure. He is poised and in control, vulnerable as he bears his soul without a fear of judgement. Such is the POUR HOMME man. A man envisioned by Saint Laurent and brought to life today through this deeply masculine and sophisticated fragrance of elegance – YSL POUR HOMME.

JAZZ (1988)

You’re about four beats into the song; you realize your snaps are a beat ahead of your feet’s tapping and a bit behind your heart’s beat. You don’t stop. The actions seem out of sync but the rhythm is still on point. Just over a minute and a half into it all and this moment takes a turn in the opposite direction. What you’re experiencing can only be cited as JAZZ – the House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrance’s second amalgamation of creativity and life. Only this time in 1988, YSL’s follow-up fragrance to POUR HOMME takes on a much more musical personality.

JAZZ by House of YSL Fragrances arrives as a paradox. A twisted composition of simple notes that make up a complex emotion of smell for a man who sometimes battles self in the eternal quest for masculinity in a world that continually grants femininity full access. Much like many true great jazz numbers, the underlying virility is pungent and well carried by the note of coriander. The scent makes swirl or sweep perhaps, into a deeper scope of floral with the inclusion of geranium. The fragrance’s singular and most consistent note is the patchouli, much somber and mysterious, it illustrates a sense of inner wealth in a scent made rich in culture and multi-ethnicity of the time it was originally born of.

M7 OUD ABSOLU (2002)

In the early 2000s fashion had seen a quiet storm around sexuality and man’s identity come to the fore. With men dressing to their best and facing a new era of being known as metrosexuals; the House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances was brewing their own war. Or maybe we should call it a victory. Donned as the company’s ‘climax to man’s liberation in his relationship with the body and sexuality’, House of YSL Fragrances’ most direct and expressive scent for men was born – M7 OUD ABSOLU.

The third step in the brand’s ladder of decadent smells comes as a package of bottled excess. Rich in character, body and style it packs a range of premium ingredients that create an alluring deep unambiguous presence. Held together in its core by the 2010 restyled oud wood which gives off an enriched and brilliant mineral freshness, M7 OUD ABSOLU hints roots of spicy amber and balm with a quirky and tenacious top opening of mandarin. Evidently, the M7 OUD ABSOLU man has raw virility and sensuality that makes him equally desirable and dangerous.

RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME (2003)

“Everything a man can dream of being, everything a partner may expect from their man.”

- House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances

In 2003 when the House of Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances developed RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME little did anyone know their fourth would be an icon of a man past taboos. Stepping into the world showing gentleness through strength he reinforces the scents of patchouli and deep and sensual Gaiac wood through his sense of power in a silent display of control over all matters – male or female. His unquestionable elegance is only rivalled by the infusions of lavender and oak moss in the fragrance’s top notes. What implodes in this moment is a dual battle between sweet surrenders and carnal sensualities. RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME almost takes on the role of the woman and exalts masculine pride through a semblance of reassuring but unbridled strength.

Uncluttered lines praising simplicity and manifestos of minimalism don the restyled packaging for the full Yves Saint Laurent Fragrances La Collection. Placed in black square boxes, the emblematic colour of Monsieur Saint Laurent, the men’s fragrances embody extreme elegance, traces of power and a firm stamp of virility.

This collection is a must-have, even if it’s about collection the fragrances as opposed to actually wearing any on a special occasion.

Check out your nearest major outlet – Edgars, Red Square, Foschini, Truworths, Stuttafords and Woolworths – and celebrate this milestone in pure indulgence.

Grooming: Get Skin for All Seasons with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Range

I’m a sucker for packaging. You could sell me ice in the Arctic if you packaged it correctly. So it was no wonder when I had to stop and stare when I discovered Kiehl’s Ultra Facial range. Kiehl’s is a relatively new brand in my world. Having discovered it mid last year while paging through a magazine, I haven’t really had a chance to get into the brand and test out the waters but I’m hoping to get into that after this post and after you discover this exciting range.

Enriched with ingredients such as nutrients, root extracts, even vitamin E this range of skincare products arrives packed and clinically tested to thoroughly cleanse and moisturize the skin with very little effort. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser was inspired by the brand’s Ultra Facial Cream. Using a mild formula to impeccably cleanse the skin without over-drying the deep washer ensures no skin is stripped of its natural oils and dissolves dirt and debris leaving your skin feeling fresh to its PH-balanced core. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner visibly reduces oil on skin’s surface with each application leaving it instantly healthy.  Using a root extract base the toner soothes and hydrates the skin with its non-drying alcohol-free formula. 

The great thing about toner is that it’s applied using a cotton pad (don’t freak out guys, a cotton pad is a small round disc made from cotton) which means you can pop it in your bad and between work and after-work drinks as a refresher, swipe a few cotton discs with toner and rejuvenate your face for round two in your twenty-four hour day. The third tool in this range is the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Lotion. Leaving you with a shine-free and balanced appearance this lightweight moisturizing lotion retains essential hydration, enriches the PH-balance in your skin and ensures fresh and healthy looking skin all day.

No more feeling like your skin is about to chip off from dryness and no need to fear the camera’s flash – no more oily skin. The packaging is exactly what any non-fussy articulate man of fashion appreciates – white, clean, crisp with no added bits and pieces to complicate the matter. And if you’re that kind of guy who likes to share his newfound joys with his partner, you’ll be stoked to know the range is unisex.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser 150ml RRP R220 / Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner 250ml RRP R215 / Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Lotion 125ml RRP R285. The range is available for purchase at all leading retail outlets.

Collections: Adriaan Kuiters A.W 2013

Firstly, I need to apologize to Keith and the rest of the Adriaan Kuiters team, then also to everyone in attendence at the launch recently for my unhealthy state. Coming down with a flu or cold is not something I had anticipated, however, I’m a huge supporter of the Adriaan Kuiters brand and was not about to get second-hand information on the collection and its launch. I wanted to experience it all first-hand, even if it was just for a few moments.

Secondly, a warm welcome back to Mali + Athi + Fumi, who were all at the recently fabulous Hyeres Fashion and Art moment. Thank you Mali for introducing it to me, every blog post (which ya’ll can go and read over here) was just amazing and I couldn’t help being envious and excited to be part of it all at the same time. To my favourite Queen B, Bee Diamonhead, your posts on Merchants blog are fabulous love. You know I be stalking your work. I got you on my radar.

Thirdly, it was fantastic to see Arthur (from GQ SA Magazine) and Neil Doveton (from Style36.com) out and about. Was surprised it was an Adriaan Kuiters event, but was surprised they were out at an event. Of course they didn’t notice me – the goldfish in their Atlantic ocean – but I did get to hear a little of their lives, from a change in neighbours, cat names, and even some bits about the industry.

Fourthly, there were bubbles at the event. You gotta love Adriaan Kuiters for these moments. Bubbles!

Fifthly, There’s more to the collection than was displayed – literally. The rest of it was still on its way. What was on display though gave a clear illustration of Keith’s understanding of the current menswear trends and he superbly made Adriaan Kuiters work of the best of the trends. The over-sized check trend was adapted in a very subtle manner. Not too obtrusive but not disappearing into the background either. Muted to grey on a soft black canvas of what I felt to etiher be 100% wool or a wool/cotton blend to create a luxurious cashmere texture. Leather, which is another trend this season was well taken care of through its applications in shoes (duh) and BIG bags (hooray). My ultimate climax moment was though seeing leather in transitional vests!!! And in yet another autumn winter trend of mustard (warm spot colour). True to Adriaan Kuiters form, there were two box-cut vests produced in leather. One in black and another in mustard. Like that for me was taking it to another level right there on the spot. If anything, that is the one key piece I need to own for AW2013 and going forward. Texture is another great trend adaption and the fur-like crew-neck (round neck) cardigan (jersey) was a beautiful piece to the collection. In a while, it plays the anchor in all this subdued glamour. It’s that piece of Adriaan Kuiters you can wear everyday and alternate with options within an already established wardrobe and still feel right at home with the rest of the fashion gang.

Visit Adriaan Kuiters to get your hands on the staple AW2013 pieces produced. The trench coats are great. Squared-off cuts with minimalist collars and invisible buttons. A very less is more likely less military-inspired look. Also, there is the beautiful coat in black with a deep indigo lining which just looks absolutely phenomenal. Wear that with either a salmon coloured shirt and olive or forrest green chinos with loafers to work or rock your favourite pair of jeans and that mustard leather vest on weekends to drinks with the boys. The world will be inspired by your look.

It really is a shame I was feeling under the weather as I really wanted to stay for longer and mingle since I haven’t seen the fashion crowd in such a long time. But alas, I’ll be back in full steam again soon enough.

PS Keith/Adriaan Kuiters, that hot mustard track pants and sweat combo is amazing. So soft and sports luxe. To be honest though, I wouldn’t wear it out. That number would be for me indoors or in bed!!!!