The Snood - A must have for the cold weather.

Chunky snood from Allsaints

I guess the snow storm out put in a real winter mood, staying warm inside surfing the web in search of what to wear to keep me from being cold ...but still stylish when I'm outside, this next item has a weird name but will definitely do both - the snood!

Carlos Tevez from Man city

Actually those of you who are Football (soccer) fans like me, (especially the ones who follow the English Premier League) have probably seen the snood hit the sports news lately, when more and more players started wearing it during the games, derided by commentators and creating a whole debate among players, managers and fans on whether players should or shouldn't be worn on the field. Which in my opinion was simply a drama to create more news...if it keeps players warmer what is the problem with that??? I haven't yet to see a goal scored using a snood....
Well than what is a Snood (also known as a headgear or a neck warmer)? - it is simply a tubular neck scarf often worn by skiers or motorcyclists that can be worn either pulled down around the neck like a scarf, or pulled up over the hair all the way to the nose to protect the lower part of your face. it actually not just protecting your face but also since it covers your mouth and nose you end up breathing into it which creates even more heat to warm your body.

Style icon of the week - Pep (Joseph) Gaurdiola

This week's style icon comes from the sports word, not even 40 years old Pep Gaurdiola considered to be one of the best football (soccer) mangers in the world today coaching for the first time a pro team and not just another team but probably the best team out there -  Barcelona.
Following his career as a player for Barcelona's dream team in the early 90's ((that was when i fell in love with Barcelona) 2 years ago he took over the top job and in his first year they won every title (6 of them) they were competing for, his team includes star players such as Messi, Xavi, David Villa,  Iniesta and much more but on the side lines there is only one style star and its Pep Guardiloa. Under his management Barcelona plays the most entertaining, attacking and inspiring football out there or what we call "Sexy Football" ...Just like his personal style!
On the field  he usually sporting  sleek fitted suits in either black or Grey with a  fine European touch in the form of  white fitted shirts with skinny collar and skinny ties, and for colder times an addition of a thin V neck sweaters or a cardigan under the suit... always with either one hand in his side pant pocket or scratching his bold head...

Designer of the week - week three Neil Barrett

This week's designer of the week is the British (what a shocker....) native Neil Barrett, one of the most innovative, independent talents in contemporary menswear and a leader of the deconstruction movement in menswear. Working and living in Milan Neil fuses classical tailoring with directional technology, or as he describes it "50% perfect and 50% aged and destroyed" focusing on a minimalist look with functional twist, or in other words..... the guy simply understands men and know what they want to wear!
Following two generations of tailors (his grandfather and great grandfather) it was almost a given that Neil would choose a career as a fashion designer. After graduating from Central Saint Martin's School of Art and Design and earning a Master’s degree in men's fashion design at the Royal college of art in London, Neil begun his journey (early 90's) in Florence working for Gucci. His talent was quickly acknowledged and he was promoted to senior menswear designer (not a bad start by any means.....). Five years later he launched Prada's first men's wear collection and under his direction, Prada became renowned among fashion insiders as the forerunner of "minimalist" menswear. After his success with these two fashion houses the next step was inevitable and in 1999 the Neil Barrett brand was launched with a men's collection. In 2002 collaborated with Puma for a collection of athletic shoes that was available mostly in clothing stores rather than the traditional network of sports stores. A year later Puma named him Creative Director for a series of technical collections starting with Italy’s National Football Team. Team Italia wore Neil Barrett’s "on pitch kit" training and formal wear exclusively, ultimately winning the 2004 European Cup title and the 2006 world cup title (for those who don't know these are two of the most prestigious trophies in football (soccer)). Barrett became the first fashion designer ever to have exclusively dressed a national football team.
Barrett's design philosophy is simple: understanding what men want from their wardrobe! In his own words: "it isn't about changing clothes every week - it's about loving favorite pieces and wearing them to death, men don't want to look as if they've just walked off a runway" (well... i sometimes do but generally speaking show me one man who disagrees with him????) "It is too easy to color something up crazily to give it interest he adds, referring to his love for navy, white, black and grey. Anybody can do that. Up close with my clothes there's a lot going on with the seaming, pocketing or finishing. It's a balance between interest given to a garment without making it farcical, the number-one Neil Barrett style is treating fabrics as if they've been lived in. I try to make men look masculine and credible, while most designers throw out either a sexual, fey boys or exaggerated super-macho men. It's one extreme or the other on the runway and not a lot to do with how real guys want to dress. You should look at a Neil Barrett show and either want to be that man, or want him" ....that is a long quote but one that sums him up....... once again...the guy just simply understands men and know what they want to wear!
His signature looks of rumpled leather jackets, sharply cut suits, and skinny jeans with a lived-in quality, intricate details, innovative finishes and meticulously chosen fabrics earned him a Hollywood following of A-Listers fans such as Brad Pitt, Mark Ruffalo, Ewan McGregor
Currently the Neil Barrett brand is on its 10th year and includes men's, women's and accessories lines. It is being fully produced in Italy by a Tuscan factory dedicated solely to producing Neil Barrett men's, and sold around the world through its own store and other retailers including online at Thecorner.com and Antonioli.eu.

LOOKS FROM THIS LAST FALL 2010 SHOW IN MILAN

LOOKS FROM SPRING 2010

LOOKS FROM FALL 2009

Photos by GQ

P.S
I saw the following Q&A on business week and thought it gives a deeper understanding of the designer's philosophy:

>THE FIRST RULE OF DESIGN IS... always follow your instinct
> I FIRST STARTED... by following the family tradition of tailoring
> I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM... my surroundings
> IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE... it drives you to achieve more in life
> I FIRST REALIZED I WANTED TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER WHEN... it turned out to be the easiest subject I studied
> THE MOTHER OF INVENTION IS... Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons and the most inventive of all designers
> A GOOD IDEA... comes to you when you least expect it
> SPORTSWEAR IS... a word generically overused to describe anything not tailored
> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKING FOR A LARGE COMPANY AND MY OWN COMPANY IS... responsibility
> INNOVATION IS KEY BECAUSE... it inspires
> UP CLOSE, MY DESIGNS... come to life, the attention to detail and proportion can be appreciated
> MEN LOOK BEST... when they appear not to have tried too hard
> I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED... in pushing myself
> THE KEY TO DESIGNING AN ON-PITCH FOOTBALL STRIP FOR THE ITALIAN TEAM IS... understanding what they want
> THE BEST WAY TO RELAX IS... sleep
> MY FAVORITE PERSONAL FASHION MOMENT IS... my first L'Uomo Vogue cover with Prada, shot by Bruce Weber
> THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IS... believing
> THE ESSENCE OF STYLE IS... being natural
> MY PERFECT HOLIDAY IS... sun, beautiful surroundings and friends
> ALWAYS... appreciate what you have
> NEVER... whinge about what you haven't got- just make it happen!

Designer of the week - week two Burberry/Christopher Bailey

Milan Men's fashion week for the Autumn/winter 2010-2011 season ended on Tuesday. I was browsing through the collections on the GQ site while contemplating who should be this week's designer of the week???? it all than clicked as i watched the Burberry Prorsum show with the amazing outwear pieces! A category that in my opinion, is the house's best and as a matter of fact the one that this British (i don't mean to brain wash you with Briticism.....) legendary, luxury fashion house was build around in 1856 by Thomas Burberry . Piece of info: Not a lot of people know but in 1881 Burberry invented Gabardine - a water-resistant and breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving and that is used to make suits, trousers and overcoats. Although that by itself is a great contribution to fashion and definitely one to be known for, its distinctive trademarks are: The tartan pattern in black, tan, and red (known as haymarket check or the "Burberry classic check") that was widely copied, and the Trench coat! In 1914 Burberry was commissioned by the war office to redesign it's officer coat and that resulted in the trench coat which in 1920 was lined with the famous iconic tartan print and the rest is history..... (check out The art of the trench coat).
During the 1970s, the brand became popular with the British football (soccer, which is my favorite sport for those of you out there who don't know me....) casual cult, leading to it being associated with hooliganism by the 1990s. In 1998 The Burberry Prorsum (meaning forwards in Latin) ready-to-wear collection was launched, introducing a youthful and sexy image of the Burberry conservative, quintessential Briticism. This major resurgence was elevated in may 2001 when Christopher Bailey (who is currently the chief creative director) joined Burberry and transformed the fortunes of the company. Christopher was faced with the challenge of forging a hip and fashion-forward identity for an old British company. He was able to successfully merge Burberry's venerable English heritage with the punky vibe of London street fashion! And to that I say......Hallelujah!!!
oh.....and on the way he grabbed few British designer of the year awards as well....
Going back to Milan fashion week....it was all about heritage and simplicity (apparently there are some advantages to the global financial meltdown....), and Burberry did it best with artfully crafted wool overcoats that took over the whole look ...at times Hulking and blanket-y and at times fitted and smartly simple, all seasoned with a touch of Russian, militant feel! Craftsmanship in it's best.
I tend specifically to not write about future seasons because we live in the NOW, but this one i just couldn't resist... so the bad news are that all the beautiful overcoats below are available only a year from now, but the good news are that for those of us who can't afford them we have a year to work hard and save for them......




Pics by GQ