We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine » Menswear

Topman General Store

James Davidson — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:07:40 +0000

Having spent the majority of the last decade metamorphosing from everyman high street chain into the UK’s most achingly hip fashion brands, Topman‘s unlikely transformation is now seemingly complete; with the opening of its first standalone concept store in east London’s eternally-hip hotbed of all things creative, Shoreditch. Curated by the brand’s design director Gordon Richardson and the creative director of b store – Saville Row’s cradle of cool – Matthew Murphy, Topman General Store sports that kind of early 1900s sideshow Americana look that’s oh-so en vogue right now, without ever erring towards the forced-eclecticism that All Saint’s international outlets have succumbed to.

Their ‘Design’ and ‘LTD’ collections are given the opportunity to shine in this pared back environment, whilst seasonal collaborations and choice brands sit comfortably alongside limited edition art prints, books from Paris’ 0fr and temporary installations in the store’s custom built displays. Burying, for good, any lingering beliefs that a high street chain can’t possibly be cool, Topman General Store is as bold a move as we’ve seen from a menswear retailer of this size; let’s hope it doesn’t remain a one-off outlet for too long…

Burying, for good, any lingering beliefs that a high street chain can’t possibly be cool

TOPMAN Personal Shopping, Oxford Street

James Davidson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:40:09 +0000

TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s Oxford Street fashionista mecca already provides pretty much everything a clothes-hungry girl/boy could wish for, yet – continuing ‘Mission: Takeover Highstreet Fashion’ – they’ve just added another string to their, already considerably strung, bow; the TOPMAN personal shopping experience. Three consultation areas, an XBOX gaming area, an Asahi ‘honesty bar’ and a regularly changing exhibition space can all be found in the beautifully retro space – designed by super-talented, and We Heart favourite, Lee Broom. Signature Broom pieces – such as his iconic One Light Only collection – sit alongside rich materials and divine herringbone panelling, offering a decidedly modern take on a traditional gentleman’s club. With appointments ranging from a 30 minute Express service to a 2 hour ultimate wardrobe over-haul, you’ll still be wanting more, if only to lap up Lee’s lavishly luxe interiors…

Unknown Union, Cape Town

James Davidson — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:33:24 +0000

Sean Shuter and Daniel Jackson, the owners and curators of Cape Town’s newest menswear boutique Unknown Union, were looking for an antidote to the stereotypical, staid dark and leathery interiors that are so common in men’s stores. So, what better man to turn to than We Heart favourite and colour fanatic Rafael de Cárdenas of Architecture At Large, whose bold colours, geometric lines and Op Art fantasies for OHWOW (here, here and here) and most recently New York restaurant Niko, have had us in awe for some time. The brilliantly bold colours and vibrant graduations of the product displays are brought alive by a dramatic web of fluorescent lights, forming a vividly unique environment for the exclusive designer collections. The fabulously transformed split-level 18th century building – in the heart of Cape Town – features a global array of designers that are exclusive to Africa, with the upstairs space playing host to a revolving door of pop-up boutiques featuring artist and designer installations. Bold, vivacious, unconventional, de Cárdenas has done it again…

Photography: floto + warner

Hostem, Shoreditch

James Davidson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:40:11 +0000

Independent menswear store Hostem, located on Shoreditch’s super-cool Redchurch St, opened for business over 8 months ago – but due to it’s eclectically assembled mix of raw materials and ever-changing installations this is one shop you don’t mind coming back to. The store is designed by ‘eccentric assemblage’ duo artist/interior designers JAMESPLUMB, famous for taking salvaged and forgotten treasures and re-inventing them as contemporary and elegant spatial features. The interior of Hostem is no different, the designers used mismatched reclaimed boards to lay the floor, washed-out Swedish linen curtains line the walls and raw, exposed bulbs glow softly in the surprisingly calm and quiet space…

When the designers got to work, so the story goes, they turned up carrying a church pew covered in rotten leaves and a few eyebrows were raised – this pew now stands centrepiece as a bespoke front desk. The avant-garde/luxe meanswear store which stocks the likes of Philip Lim, Caseley Hayford, Visvim and exclusive to the store Japanese labels among others now boasts a new basement space and an installation room. This third room is an ever-evolving space where visiting designers take up residence on a short term basis. If you get along to the store now you’ll find the current installation is Dr Romanelli Prescription Shoppe, curated by LA-based designer Dr Romanelli and features his latest collaborative products for the first time in the UK.

Folk, Munich

James Davidson — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:00:32 +0000

With a reputation for using organic fabrics and sourcing unique materials from tiny factories and mills around the world, it’s no surprise that London-based label Folk‘s in-store experience has an equally ‘earthy’ approach. Echoing the designs of their existing London stores, the new Munich outpost has beautifully characteristic recycled wood, lighting suspended by rope, “ware board” shelving systems and a splendid marble head, courtesy of artist Paul Van Stone. Elegant, yet decidedly quirky, Folk’s own inimitable style is a shining example of a company who are completely in control of their brand…

Jaiden rVa James A/W 09

James Davidson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:16:08 +0000

Probably not making the transition from catwalk to football ground terrace anytime soon, burgeoning London based designers Rasharn Agyemang and Jaiden James, under the name of Jaiden rVa James, shock with their exciting fusion of retro sportswear and distinctly more ‘edgy’ bondage gear. Flamboyant prints, kilts and reworked Schott leathers are thrown together to create some sort of post-apocalyptic rockstar ‘look’ and with celebrity fans like the irrepressible Miss Gaga, features in Dazed and Confused and I-D and collaborations with G-Shock and Kickers already in the bag, it might not be as long as you think ’till you see that Stone Island and gimp-mask combo on ‘Match of the Day’!

Paul Smith x Alan Aldridge Pinafore Trainer

James Davidson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:03:12 +0000

One of the defining illustrators of the last forty years, Alan Aldridge brought to life the psychedelic sounds of the 60s ad 70s with his vivid, colourful cartoon art works. Working with The Beatles, the Stones and The Who whilst being Penguin Books’ art director, Aldridge also designed iconic identities for brands such as the Hard Rock Café. His first UK retrospective at the Design Museum last year, accompanied by the rather wonderful 24o page art book, Man with the Kaleidoscope Eyes, seems to have stirred somewhat of a revival for his classic psychedelic works and, ever the art & design magpie, Sir Paul Smith has roped in Aldridge for a series of collaborative pieces on his AW09 collections. Our pick of the bunch are these classic Converse style trainers with printed fabric uppers featuring a typically detailed psychedelic piece from the legendary artist.

BAPE® Store, London

James Davidson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:39:38 +0000

Following a 6 month residence at ‘Nowhere’, Dover Street Market, A BATHING APE® have relaunched their first flagship European store in Soho, London. Again designed by long term collaborator, Masamichi Katayama, founder of interior design firm Wonderwall (see the Harajuku, Tokyo store we featured back in July last year) and re-built within its former 4 Upper James Street premises, BAPE® London uses aluminum, stainless steel, & neon materials to create a spacious retail environment within 750sq ft. Stocking limited edition label staples along with a number of exclusive items available solely in the UK that include T-shirts, BAPE® STA and other BAPE® footwear along with tailored pieces, shirting, watches, ties, socks & underwear.

Oi Polloi’s ‘Rig Out’ Zine

James Davidson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:17:09 +0000

Started in 2002 as ‘a reaction to the mass of bland, uninspiring men’s fashion stores lining the UK’s high streets’, Steve Sanderson’s Oi Polloi in Manchester is a pioneer in the revival of traditional British gentleman-type garb with names like Barbour, Belstaff and Nigel Cabourn sitting alongside equally blokey international labels such as Atelier LaDurance, A.P.C. and Lee. Currently being given away in a limited edition with all orders, ‘Rig Out’, a naval term, is a small and well written fanzine produced by the boys at Oi Polloi, with some brilliant design and photography, that gives their customers an insight into their interests, sensibilities and buying policy.

Rick Owens Trainer Boot

James Davidson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:13:15 +0000

Back at the very beginning of November last year we we’re talking about the ‘Goth Revival‘ as part of our Halloween special, well that’s something very real that we see continuing through 2009 and in no small part, thanks to cutting edge designers such as Rick Owens, who claims that his “look is about an appreciation of teenage angst without actually having the angst”, which basically means he’s a bit of a goth and these ‘Washed Destroyed Trainer Boot’s‘ which are part of his Dark Shadow collection are a perfect example of that. Not cheap at £750 a pair, that could probably have bought the late ’80s goth a decades worth of kicks from the local Army & Navy store, but they’re pretty rare and last years collection has been going for stupid money on eBay, so if you’ve got the cash, and the attitude to match then these brutal sneakers should be an essential component of your 2009 wardrobe.

Book of Warriors

James Davidson — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:02:35 +0000

Once a much sought after status symbol in China, Warrior sneakers are now associated with deprivation as the elderly and poor working classes sport this previously highly regarded footwear whilst labouring at construction sites and pulling rickshaws. On a trip two years ago to China, Helsinki based graphic designer Shumeng Ye saw a cleaning lady at an airport wearing the sneakers, unknown at the time to her, and set about finding out as much information as she could regarding this enchanting brand. The result of Shumeng Ye’s discovery and her subsequent quest to learn more is this stunning book of photograpy she has produced which features the unique story of a forgotten brand.

Much to her surprise Shumeng Ye, who had moved to Europe from China as a child, found that almost all her family had at some time worn Warrior sneakers, a fact which gave her further drive to find out more about this mysterious sleeping giant. The elegant photography throughout the book looks like it has come from the portfolio of a seasoned professional, not a young lady who is still at college where, besides going to design school, she is also doing a MA in computer science.

Shumeng has released only 420 copies of the book, which comes with an obligatory pair of Warrior sneakers, however we’re sure that the demand which she has caused with her effortlessly cool photography and style will see this getting a reprint, if your desperate to get your hands on a copy then we suggest contacting her directly as this publication is literally gold dust.

Alejandro Ingelmo Hi-Tops

James Davidson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:27:19 +0000

Already being talked about as ‘the new Manolo Blahnik’ thanks to celebrity endorsements such as Madonna, Alejandro Ingelmo is currently a really hot name on the ladies shoe market, raised with Cuban influences while incorporating a strong New York hipster vibe, he has also been hard at work establishing himself as a name for mens footwear. Always with a brilliant eye for cutting edge design, oki-ni are one of a small number of worldwide stockists and are now introducing these obscenely futuristic metallic Hi-Tops from the New York based designer. Get them while you can, these look set to be ridiculously popular.