Born in 2006, Monkee Genes offers organic jeans with a retro twist and luscious sateen in pop art inspired colours. From July 2008, Monkee Genes has been awarded the Soil Association organic standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard (“G.O.T.S”.). This is the first affordable, organic jean with this accreditation!
Sale price: £39.99 (Was £49.99) from EBTM
Official website: www.monkeegenes.co.uk
Jakob Birgens Kristensen began his designer carrier in the latin district of Aarhus. His designs are based on own creative ideas inspired by icons such as Johnny Depp, Leonard Cohen, Hemingway, Bob Dylan and many more. In the fall of 2007 Jakob started Frost Birgens with the first collection being SS08.
Characterized by subtle functional details, Frost Birgens mixes styles from past and present in an informal and playful fashion, balancing the familiar with the astounding. For example, Frost Birgens takes a classic, familiar blazer with slit and elbow patches and designs it in knitwear of the highest quality.
Frost Birgens deliver worldwide from their website http://frostbirgens.dk
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On this showery day, I invite you to reflect on one of the great men’s fashion classics, and an ideal mid-season choice: the trenchcoat. Although we’ve spoken about them a few times before, I realised (with surprise) that we’ve never devoted an article to their origins and their creator: Thomas Burberry.
The story starts during the first world war. In 1914, Thomas Burberry created the first trenchcoat to meet the needs of British Army officers. Lord Kitchener was one an early devotee, which helped make them popular. Compared to other military coats of the time, which were heavy mackintoshes waterproofed with rubber, the trenchcoat was made of cotton gabardine, which was lighter and more comfortable. It also had a d-shaped buckle, which allowed military equipment to be attached to it.
After the war, former soldiers continued to wear trenchcoats in civilian life. And although the d-shaped buckle is now purely decorative, it is still there alongside the other details to stay true to the original. The Burberry trenchcoat is slightly re-interpreted from one season to the next to follow the latest trends. The trenchcoat has also adapted to new fabrics and colours that didn’t exist nearly a century ago.
The trenchcoat has become so popular over the years that it has been widely copied, particularly by the Americans, the French and other British brands. Its lightness and protection make this coat a mid-season must-have, when temperatures aren’t too low, and the weather is changeable. Its stylish, casual look suits different styles as show above. Price-wise, expect to pay between €800 and €1,000 for a Burberry trenchcoat. However, while you’re saving for a brand new one, look out for one in a vintage store! Expect to pay €150-€200. And wait for the sun to return!
Details of the styles shown above:
1st style (tie + grey trousers): Ref. 3456669 – DK/05700 – “Dark Mushroom fully lined DB cropped trench”
2nd style (cream jumper and white trainers): Ref 3459362 – MIWL/25200 – “Taupe garment washed trench coat”
Unnur is a icelandic brand founded in 2006 by “Unnur Fridriksdottir”. She makes high quality handbags, accessories and clothing. Unnur’s specialty is using sea-leather in her handbags as farm grown Icelandic Salmon and farm grown African Perch! Here are some bags from men’s collection:
In summer 2007 Unnur’s handbags were displayed in Iceland’s largest design exhibition to date, Magma/Kvika, at Kjarvalsstadir Art Museum in Reykjavik. Unnur online store ships all over the world and the collection will soon be available in stores in Europe.
From $1,500 to $2,800 on Unnur.com
Get 5% Off on Orders by using code “frenchtruckers”.
What with this wonderful weather we’ve been having (somewhere between light and dark grey), I’ve got the watch you need to bring a little colour into your life: one of Toy Watch’s fluo collection! This Italian brand, may have started only 3 years ago, but it knows how to get noticed with its fashion collections such as this series of fluorescent watches available bright colours like in pink, purple, yellow, orange, green and blue!
Toy Watch’s trademark is the use of Polycarbonate, as plastic known for its strength, which is used in particular for motorcycle helmets and riot shields! Toy Watch often mixes this modern material with other more traditional watchmaking materials such as steel or ceramics. Some of their watches are even decorated with precious stones or crystals. Toy Watch is therefore both top-of-the-range and fun. And the Italian brand mainly became known after being seen on the wrists of some American stars.
However in France they’re a little hard to get hold of, as there’re aren’t any stockists! You could, however, visit Start in London or order them online:
The first men’s collection from Mango came out in March. I wasn’t all that interested at the time. Until yesterday, after having lunch with Lola, when I went to have a look in Mango Opéra on her recommendation.
Of course, Mango, for a lot of us, is a girls’ shop which we’ve only been into with our girlfriends or little sisters – until now. And Mango, as you probably also know, is one of Zara’s main competitors: they are both internationally-successful Spanish stores.
Back to my story. So I go into Mango, I ask an assistant the way and she directs me to the back of the store. As is often the case with this type of large unisex store, the men’s section is a lost little island in the middle of a vast ocean of women’s items. And it doesn’t take long to look around it all! If I hadn’t come with the idea of writing an article about it, as I was quite busy, I would probably have left straightaway.
But I decided to take a second, closer, look at what I had barely glanced at the first time. And what seemed, overall, fairly ordinary. To see what the clothes are about, you need to look at the label. This is the way I always work: I look at the price, the material, and only then do I unfold the garment to look at the shape.
And I very quickly made 2 conclusions: it’s all fairly expensive (still comparing it to Zara) but using better fabric! Let’s take the example of the jumpers. You might have seen the H+M jumper that
Au contraire, a nice surprise from Mango: their jumpers are mostly made from wool. That’s unusual! Some are even 100% wool or 100% cashmere like the jumper above. Another example: their scarves. They are also more expensive than usual for a high-street store but with a much more classy touch: they’re 100% wool!
This men’s collection, called “He by Mango”, also contains jackets and shirts. They seemed good, but nothing special (though I admit I was in a rush and didn’t look at them for very long).
However, I spent longer looking at their black, slightly waxed jeans. They didn’t look too bad for €65! I’ll go back and try a pair on and let you know…And I have since discovered the entire HE collection is available online from www.mangoshop.com. In fact, that’s where I found the pictures to go with this article.
I imagine some of you have also been curious enough to go to Mango, and maybe even try some of their clothes! What did you think?
Just as bags, scarves and other accessories are no longer the sole preserve of the ladies, and cosmetics are starting to become more accessible to men, men’s jewellery is no different and several trends which began to emerge at the beginning of the summer season are setting in.
Indeed, more than ever this season, the street is inspiring fashion and vice versa, undeniably so; just like in the collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Pharrell, the street is becoming gentrified and is taking to flirting with glamour, a sort of bling bling chic is starting to show its face.
And Hoon Paris, created in 2005 by Adrien Haddad, has understood the phenomenon well; it specialises in top-of-the-range streetwear and has already been selling luxury pendants and rings for three years, with just the right ghetto twist: stylish and virile, and whether in gold or silver, it all works rather well!
The only problem is the price: you need to spend at least €300 to have the privilege of wear the aforementioned pendants or rings, so they’re only for those who haven’t yet been hit by the credit crunch…but we can all dream! (Adrien, should you happen to read these words…)
Fed up of wearing the same bobbly and faded underwear for the last 15 years? Well here are some new ideas to brighten up your wardrobe (and your nights). French Truckers’ underwear selections are back!
And today’s winner is the young brand Core-Point created in 2006 by a group of French designers based in Hong Kong. Claiming to be part of “street culture”, the brand offers bold prints. Core-Point underwear is designed to be seen! On this point: note that there are 2 options:
The style I’ve chosen to illustrate this subject is the Prowler with black eyes on a white background and a loud belt! It is 95% cotton and 5% elasthane.
School’s back, so you might want to buy yourself a new bag. Although Tann’s has brought out restyled bags, we recommend Cyclus bags. Aside from the fact they’re the perfect size for your Mac, these bags are also unique in their design process that recycling fans will adore!
Cyclus bags are in fact made from recycled inner tubes. The reuse of urban or post-industrial materials means combatting increasing waste with a high environmental impact.
What’s more, they’re imported into France using a Fair Trade system, the prices are fixed and non-negociable with the exporting country, Colombia.
Find Tony’s advice at Fenêtre sur papillon
Yes, of course you’re manly enough to wear a cardigan! Yes, yes, I insist, even with a shawl collar. At any rate, you can bet that a lot of your friends will try to steal it or at least won’t be able to stop themselves feeling how soft the knit is with the back of their hands!
And yes, without being the best cashmere style, the knit is chunky, generous and soft, and it shows! What’s more, you’ll be able to get the bus comfortably early in the morning without carrying a bulky jacket (remember: the summer is over, Paris switched to winter timetables on 1 September!).
Which coincides with the opening of three The Kooples stores in Paris. And perhaps you also walked through the doors without noticing the brand. Even thought I knew about the stores’ opening, I completely forgot and I walked into 3 rue des Rosiers without paying attention. Simply because I liked the look of the window display even though the shop itself was empty.
Before stepping through the door, I even looked up to see where I was; at The Kooples store. All of which leads me to tell you about the brand itself.
Their idea is, as often noted, to try to use so-called fine materials and make simple, well-cut garments, and to sprinkle them with details that make all the difference! Overall I find the collection a success. There is a decidedly rock influence and a focus on tailored cuts. The Kooples’ style tends towards androgyny, particularly in advertising where couples are brought together around a theme of sharing clothes.
So we see many unisex pieces at The Kooples such as jackets and cardigans, though it’s not really true of this one. Coming soon: the opening of our online store.
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