GAP 1969 Premium Jeans Ad Campaign, Spring 2010

The ad series for Gap's 1969 Premium Jeans picks up from where it left off last fall. The company has brought back Noah Mills and Will Chalker, both of whom I adore. Seriously, does life get any better looking than the both of them? Instead of taking on brooding serious expressions, the shots this time are more candid, but equally as attractive. I found the above shot online, and also couldn't help but snap a couple shots of the Mall of America storefront.

Looks like Chanel Iman gets double exposure standing alongside both studs...lucky...


With the latest online website update, Sean O'Pry joins the cast as well...what a gorgeous man himself...bravo.

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Burberry Prorsum Women's (and Men's) FW 2010

Anybody watch the livestream of the Burberry Prorsum Women's FW 2010 show? The stream this time around was a much more produced effort, complete with on-set announcer both pre- and post-show. What I loved about the collection was its continuation of the themes and styles Christopher Bailey presented at his men's show earlier this year. Wide exaggerated collars on jackets constructed of plush shearling, fashioned with belted leather cuff and collar straps, utility zippers...

Case in point:

I've had these screen captures from the stream just sitting on my laptop for the past few days...

HI FREJA!

Perhaps the two pieces of outerwear that appealed to me the most to me were this grey cropped shearling jacket...


...and this white patchwork shearling trench...


Both pieces have been up for pre-order on the Burberry site since after the show on Tuesday. Both these looks seem so decadent to me, and so appropriate for the Prorsum image. Perhaps a slightly pared down piece that might be more appropriate for routine winter-wear, that I just as equally warmed up to, is this doeskin coat with the shearling panels. I really love how the black shearling lends a very feminine silhouette and feel to the otherwise standard military-themed upper half.

But, enough about the ladies. My original intentions behind watching the show online were to see which men's pieces would show up for an encore presentation. I love how Bailey always casts a few male models to showcase looks from the men's show.

I have been lusting after this coat ever since I saw it for the first time during the men's show. The final look of the show, the blue-grey tone of the shearling is such a beautiful color, and contrasts quite nicely from the other hues that comprise the collection. I still can't seem to get this coat out of my mind, I seriously am tempted to begin making calls in hopes of tracking it down. I really hope it makes it into production and that it wasn't just a sample piece.



I also found this black shearling coat to be rather appearling, and if I can't track down the above rendition, I'd seriously look into whether or not this second piece was a possibility...

:: hi-res men's images per menstyle.it by way of Festat on tFS ::

Must. Start. Feeding. Piggybank. Starting. NOW!

all images from burberry.com unless otherwise noted

Daniel Liu for J. Crew SS 2010

This is pretty cool...we all first saw him modeling for J. Crew at the GQ/CFDA event earlier this month...and I thought, how strange, the two other models posed front row alongside him are J. Crew veterans...having been used time and time again both online and in the print catalogs.

Unless...

So he's shown up in the latest batch of online updates modeling several of the label's pieces...is this a harbinger of print catalog work to come?!! I certainly hope so...the March catalog featuring the staff of Monocle magazine is great, but perhaps in April we can go back to models and highly editorialized shots??

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Daniel Liu for Liberty of London X Target

:: video still taken from the Liberty of London X Target site ::

Liberty of London for Target, A Different Sort of Preview

Last week, while shopping at my local Target for actual needs, and not just theoretical wants (e.g. browsing Rodarte for Target pieces...as a guy...), I couldn't help but notice the fresh banners they have hanging all over the store. More-so intended to herald the upcoming Easter holiday, a double take of the actual patterns had me wondering, "Liberty prints?"

Target's preview site for its Liberty of London collaboration features a video bursting with florals (and the signature Target-esque quirkyness that flavors the majority of its commercials) along with a guide to the names of the patterns they've derived from Liberty.

Sure enough, even though the actual collaboration doesn't launch until the middle of March (14th to be exact), Target seems to have found a convenient use for its prints, named "Sixty" and "Garla", in the meantime...

Marc by Marc Jacobs FW 2010

Cat-eyed sunglasses!

Marc by Marc Jacobs will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember making the trek down to the Bleeker Street mecca way back when the Y2K scare was still a recent memory of the past...yes ages ago...the specialties items shop was still the home for collection bags and shoes, and men's and women's were still housed together at the original store site...my how things have changed since then.

What hasn't changed, though, is the MbMJ look. Jacob's collection for Fall 2010 features the same themes we've come to know and love, with a few tweaks here and there of course. Military runs strong throughout the collection in the drab olive tones and khakis -- of course, there's the occasional splash of color to round it out -- all the way to the paratrooper-style pants complete with zippers. Sweaters are once again baggy, and cardigans slightly zany -- I'm particularly loving the translucent/sheer quality of some of the cardi's he sent down the runway.


But I can't get over the cat-eyed sunglasses...I'll have to keep an eye out for those later this year...I do hope they do make it into production. Ever since I saw the Alexander Wang rendition, they've been on my mind as a must-have accessory. What I like about the version shown here at Marc is the softened edges (butterfly-eyed?) but that the retro and quirky qualities of the look are still intact.

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J. Crew to Open Fourth Men's Store

:: image source: J. Crew by way of ACL ::

This morning, by way of WWD and Alexis over at JCA -- the blog that consistently caters to all things pertinent/relevant to J. Crew (I love it) -- I learned that J. Crew will be opening a fourth men's-only outpost.

How exciting! Sort of.

The new store will be located on 79th & Madison.

Wait. Why does that sound familiar? Oh yea, doesn't J. Crew already have a women's-only sister store sitting on Madison Ave. at that very same cross-street?

The men's store will be located across the street from the pre-existing women's store.

From a business perspective, it's no surprise that women can be a big drive in sales of men's clothing. So...with the Liquor Store already in place, and a second Manhattan men's store on Broadway in Soho, my two questions are this:

1. Does the retail landscape of Manhattan need another J. Crew men's shop?

2. Is Manhattan the only location that can support these forward-thinking gender-specific stores?

I think the Liquor Store is a great hit. In essence, here is the company's lab in which it gets to experiment and establish the direction and taste that, in an ideal world would set the standard for how it runs its men's business nation-wide. Ideally, the company would regard the Liquor Store as the poster-child of its men's business. I use these italicized modifiers because men's style and discernment appear to drop off exponentially as you inch farther and farther away from NYC. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the discrepancy between its normal stores and that of its concept stores.

Now before you chew my head off for making such a blanket statement, let's take the example of the company's men's-only store in Paramus, NJ, at the Garden State Plaza. Opened in Fall of 2008, who's heard anything of it since? On the other hand, the Liquor Store and the Broadway store continue to bring in press. In fact, if you take a look at the online store directory, there's no mention of a men's-only store status for the Paramus location. Perhaps it's because this one is set within a mall, so no free-standing walls, and there's a women's only location to complement the men's. But on the other hand, wouldn't you want to market the special status of this store? Could this be a business move gone wrong that, in essence, is the bastard sibling nobody talks of?

Thom Browne FW 2010

I'm enamoured with the feminine touches Thom Browne has worked into his FW 2010 collection (shown yesterday afternoon). I say this because in an era where women's fashion is constantly blabbing on about deriving influence from male pieces (don't you feel like there's a "the boyfriend insert article of clothing here " everything these days?), it's so refreshing to see the tables turned. And it works! -- these guys in Browne's show exude a masculinity that's all the more refined through this counter-pursuit.

First there were the silk scarves, carefully wrapped and reminiscent of a bygone Jackie-O era...

...with pillbox hats that I could just as easily imagine the former First Lady touting...

And fur muffs...so romantic!

I love the Thom Browne label, and I personally find Thom Browne's work very innovative. I think it's great he's constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to defining the cut, form, drape, and silhouette of male fashion. His is the stuff that makes you go "hmm..." And later on, after conscious reflection, "Ahah!"

My personal favorites from his show include a bolt of grosgrain-trimmed wool wrapped around the hips in a mini-skirt like fashion...

...this amazing toggle coat complete with fur, signature Thom Browne grosgrain, and some snowflakes for added humor...DECADENT!...

...and these fur earmuffs, which, I'll be willing to bet will still be pushing my upper limit on what I'm comfortable charging in one sitting...


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Valentine by Justice

An old favorite I felt just might be appropriate on a day like today.

新年快乐!

With the continued opening of the Chinese market, it's been great to see the further acceptance of Asian faces within the fashion industry.

With the successful launch of sister publications from mainstay industry staples -- like Vogue and GQ -- to the Chinese viewership has come the celebration of Asian faces in modeling and the opportunity for ethno-centric editorials.

We here at HDNB wish you a Happy Chinese New Year. We're sure Du Juan wishes the same as well.

image per Vogue China (60 Memorable Fashion Moments) by way of Kazaf @ tFS

Alexander Wang FW 2010

Trendwatch: Thick framed sunglasses over matted and flattened hair.

Thank god for Showstudio to add some purpose to a weekend day.

Natalia! I've missed you!

Hoping my sister will be watching this on the American Eagle LED billboard in Times Square shortly...

J. Crew Fall 2010

Through GQ, and in keeping with NYFW for Fall 2010, we get a look at what J. Crew is offering this coming fall. ALREADY! Spring merchandise has only flooded the stores for a short while, but of course, it's already time to look ahead into the future.

For fall, based on the selected looks GQ used to showcase Frank Muytjens' directorship over at J. Crew men's -- these images come from GQ/CFDA's Best New Designers in America event held a couple night's ago -- we clearly get a continuation of the themes and aesthetics that Muytjens' has brought to the company. There's clearly an Americana workwear element once again as shown through the boots and sturdy dark denim pieces, infused with military-inspired looks through utility jackets and muted colors (navy, olive, khaki, grey). This is all complemented with tailored slimmed down suiting complete with cropped pant hems. I'm personally enamoured with that Fair Isle sweater, that definitely ends up on the top of my list of things to look out for later this year. I didn't include the shot of Daniel Liu in this series, as I already posted on him (here), but I'm also going to keep my eyes open for that olive cardi he's sporting when the time comes.

Close fitting suits of this specific silhouette and cut are nothing new, especially when one conjures up previous Thom Browne and Band of Outsiders collections, and in general, American-inspired fashion is still in the midst of enjoying a hey-day of sorts. So in a way, J. Crew really isn't doing anything more than what it does best -- translating key trends and concepts in fashion and making them acceptable to the mainstream perspective. And although I do appreciate that J. Crew does this with a much softer pricepoint, and what that in turn can do for my need-to-look-presentable portion of my wardrobe, doesn't this all usually mean it's time to move on and see what's next? So my next question is, does this really make Muytjens worthy of being nominated for the title of Best New American Designer? The award actually went to Billy Reid, and personally, I would have voted for Vincent Flumiani of Caulfield Preparatory, who doesn't just adopt a look/trend (the ever-present collegiate and erudite preppy casual), but...subversifies it and turns it into a darker less-explored look...umm perhaps a visualization/interpretation of a certain J.D. Salinger character, anyone?

But I digress. So back to J. Crew, what happens when the bubble for this trend bursts, as pondered by the team over at Fashionista? I agree with the notion that there will always be a devoted following to the looks that just happen to also dictate the current style of the times, but is that enough to support a big company like J. Crew?

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Daniel Liu for J. Crew at GQ's Best New Designers in America Event, 02.11.10

I've always thought J. Crew could use an Asian male model in its catalogs. Asian women have broken down that barrier for quite some time now (Hye Park, Du Juan, Liu Wen), but I wonder if that will ever translate to the male gender. Well until that day actually comes, whenever that will be, we in the meantime have Daniel Liu head-to-toe in J. Crew at the Best New Designers in America event put on by GQ. Editing and styling were done per GQ, so who knows how much say each label -- J. Crew included -- had in the casting of the models. However, there are a few other J. Crew favorites that pop up in the series. So who knows.

ALSO, J. Crew Fall 2010 ALREADY! It's great to catch a glimpse of what will be coming out. Apparently, Red Wings are still good for another season. Wait. Maybe I should devote Fall 2010 @ J. Crew to a post of its own...

Keep on popping up, Daniel!

I wish there was a better version of this photo floating around somewhere. Big THANKS to Flashbang over at tFS for finding a better quality version of this photo!

all images per GQ.com