à la mode [adj: fusion of effects]

Walk the Walk: Burberry Prorsum S/S 2014 Menswear Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:08:32 PDT

Christoper Bailey finally brought the Burberry Prorsum menswear show to London today and the S/S 2014 collection was a symbol of celebration.

The collection is inspired by Alan Bennett and David Hockney and the pieces are very colourful and sporty. The outerwear pieces are perfect for the spring season and my favourites are the cagoules. If you are into prints, you are going to love the English flowers pattern shirt and also the spot scarves. The colourful Wave sunglasses (even the lenses are in colours) are very trendy and I am also happy to know skinny tie is making a come back.

Overall, this is a well done collection and I am sure cagoules will be a hit next season (you probably will see them appear on numerous editorials). Christopher Bailey, thanks for creating yet another amazing collection!

You can now pre-order most of the pieces at Burberry website and you can even personalize them!

Pros:
- This collection is very sporty with tons of colourful pieces.
- There are a lot of nice knitwear in this collection and they are good for the slightly cool spring weather.
- The Wave sunglasses are cool, especially they come in different colours.
- The cagoule is a must have this coming season.
- And... skinny tie is back!

Cons:
- Would love to see more bag styles. The duffle bag is not really my cup of tea.

Eye Candies:
- Green bonded poplin caban jacket
- Stripes skinny ties
- Spots scarf
- Wave sunglasses
- Red weatherproof bonded cagoule
- Floral print overshirt

Please visit Style.com to see the complete collection.

Courtesy of Style.com

Walk the Walk: Alexander McQueen S/S 2014 Menswear Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:52:37 PDT

Sarah Burton presented the Alexander McQueen S/S 2014 menswear collection today in London and it was dark and creepy.

The collection reminds me of formal ceremonies but in a very dark way. The pieces have a very haunting vibe because of the dark colours and dark prints. The silhouette of the jacket is longer this season and the pants are more loose fit, which will look great on tall and lean men. Overall, I think this is a departure from the last 2 seasons because the clothes are more experimental and fashion forward.

Now I wonder if some of these prints will be use for Resort collections for the women.

What do you think?

Pros:
- I like the fact that there are a good selection of print pieces in this collection. The colourful floral one is definitely one of my favourites.
- Sarah Burton is playing with the proportion this season and these outfits will look amazing on tall men.
- The entire collection reminds me of people in different ceremonies, especially the ones in India and Middle East.

Cons:
- Not a big fan of the Mary Jane shoes.

Eye Candies:
- Lace blazer
- Skull pattern suit
- Floral suit
- Black rose suit

Please visit Style.com to see the complete collection.

Courtesy of Style.com

Walk the Walk: Kay Kwok S/S 2014 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:43:44 PDT

Back in 2012, I featured Kay Kwok on this blog and his abstract print suits are still stuck in my mind. Today, this talented designer finally has his first debut runway show at London Menswear Fashion Week and I am very impressed with the collection!

This collection can be divided into 2 sections: the dark color palette series which focuses mainly on the silhouette and cutting, and the colour abstract print series. Once again, I am in love with the print and that suit is something I really want to own. Also, the man clutch is a nice accessory for a modern man and if it is going to be produced, I am sure I will be seeing some fashionistas carrying it next year. The loose fit silhouette might not be my cup of tea, but I know they will look very good on tall and lean men.

I am so happy for Kay Kwok for his first successful debut and I cannot wait to see what he will have in store for us in the following season!

Pros:
- I am in love with the prints once again. The abstract ring pattern suit is definitely a must have!
- There are a good selection of wearable pieces and the abstract print pieces will be good for editorials.
- I like the clutch, it should be a must have next year.
- The sandals might not be my cup of tea, but I have to say they have interesting designs.

Eye Candies:
- Ring suit
- Clutch
- V-neck sleeveless top

Please visit GQ to see the complete collection.

Courtesy of GQ

Art[s]ense: Artaksiniya

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:27:52 PDT

I am a fan of Artaksiniya and for this month, I am very lucky to be able to feature her on Swide. For this particular entry, she has created an illustration based on Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2013 collection. Please visit Swide to read the article and head over to Draw A Dot. to read my remarks.

Wave of Inspirology: Woman of Steel

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:10:23 PDT

One of the most anticipated movies, Man of Steel is opening today and it seems like the superhero trend has hit the fashion world as well.

Recently, Joan Smalls has teamed up with Barnaby Roper to produce a short fashion film called Woman of Steel. In it, Joan is spinning continuously in the video and she is dressed in Balmain, Rodarte and Altuzara. The video is very artistic and it contains a strong masculine vibe because of the Balmain piece.

I enjoy watching this video but my biggest concern is: Did Joan feel dizzy at all while filming?

Game[On]: Viktor & Rolf DOLLS Exhibition at ROM

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:10:21 PDT

Luminato is one of the best annual festivals in Toronto as it celebrates different things in the arts world. One of major attractions this year is the Viktor & Rolf DOLLS exhibition, which is showing at the ROM right now till June 30.

I have always been a fan of Viktor & Rolf and the brand is known for its amazing designs and craftsmanship. For this specific exhibition, there are 30 dolls dressed in some of the most iconic looks from the fashion house's archives. The best part of these dolls are "the faces are painted to replicate the human models' eyes and makeup, the hair is perfectly styled, and all the textiles, fashions and accessories are precisely scaled down versions of the originals shown on the catwalk". I was there yesterday and was fascinated by the dolls. You can check some of the images I took on my instagram.

Again, this exhibit will run till June 30, 2013 and if you are a fan of Viktor & Rolf, then you will not want to miss this!

Courtesy of ROM

Dots[Connection]: Timeless Beauties

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:27:24 PDT

Another week, another Draw A Dot. roundup!

Velwyn Yossy and I have started a new series and in it, we are comparing few seasons of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs collections that are both designed by Marc Jacobs. For this month, we are comparing the F/W 2011 collections. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Velwyn Yossy

I recently came across Yuriy's works and immediately fell in love with his fashion illustrations. The one below is inspired by Elie Saab and I love the surreal vibe a lot. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Yuriy Ratush

You still have some time to enter the Caitlin Power x KENTON Magazine contest, it might be your chance to open the doors to the international illustration world.

Funkology: Burberry Kisses

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:09:40 PDT

So you want to send a virtual kiss to your friend, who lives far away from you? Now you can.

Burberry has teamed up with Google to bring you the "Burberry Kisses" experience. On that page (Kisses.Burberry.com), you can use either your touch screen device ("kiss" the screen) or Google Chrome (kiss recognition technology) to send your kiss to anyone in the world. You can also use the Burberry Beauty lip colour to colour your kiss.

Courtesy of Burberry

The best part of this experience is "the journey of each kiss is then brought to life through a personalized animation showing rich, three-dimensional city skylines, charting its progress from the sender’s location to the recipient’s. (thanks to the Google Earth and Street View Technologies)"

Now that you know there is a platform to send kisses, why don't you try it out now at Kisses.Burberry.com?

Trendology: Thom Browne Resort 2014 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:50:01 PDT

Thom Browne has just released the photos of the resort 2014 collection and this is perhaps one of the strongest collections I have seen so far.

Stripes, unfinished hemlines, and exaggerated pleats are the major elements in this collection. Even though the designer still maintains the hourglass silhouette for most of the designs, in general, I feel like the collection is more sporty and playful. I like the colour palette and the prints as they give a nice spring vibe to the fashion pieces. Of course, those multi colour heels are just amazing and I think many of you should own a pair.

Please visit Style.com to see the complete collection.

What do you think of this collection?

Courtesy of Style.com

Trendology: Prabal Gurung Resort 2014 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:13:27 PDT

So far, I have seen a lot of the 2014 Resort collections but only few of them have really caught my eyes. Prabal Gurung is one of them.

For this season, Prabal is playing with different patterns. These prints are pretty and they off give a cool and distinct vibe. The cut out design is very interesting as you it adds a rebel vibe to some of these pieces. The colour palette is very summery and I am in love with the accessories, especially the shoes. Everything in this collection is very wearable and I assume you will see a few of those evening pieces on the red carpet in the next few months!

Please visit Style.com to see the complete collection.

Courtesy of Style.com

Wave of Inspirology: Lanvin Homme Classic Sneakers - The Video

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:53:54 PDT

One of the things I want to own in my wardrobe is a pair of Lanvin sneakers. I consider that is a stable piece because its simple design works very well with many of your outfits.

Today, Lanvin has released a short creative video based on this product and this reminds me why I want the purple suede version so badly.

Which pair do you want to own the most?

Courtesy of Lanvin

Trendology: Maison Martin Margiela 10 Men's Clip Square Sunglasses

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:51:18 PDT

The collaboration between Cutler and Gross and Maison Martin Margiela is always something I am looking forward to each season and right now, I am falling in love with this piece of eyewear.

I like the "clip" concept of this pair of sunglasses, especially how the lenses are connected by using a lightweight metal frame. It has the Margiela aesthetic as the brand is always trying to give a twist to ordinary items.

You can now purchase this pair of sunglasses at Oki-ni.

Courtesy of Oki-ni

Dots[Connection]: Silky Smooth

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:31:45 PDT

It's time for the weekly roundup for Draw A Dot. and I can use the words silky smooth to describe these 2 illustrations!

Lidia Luna has really caught my eyes with her fashion illustrations and I am specifically in love with this Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2013 cage wedge piece. The details are amazing and the art work just looks so smooth and beautiful. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Lidia Luna

I am not usually a fan of look book illustration, but this Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2013 series is one exception. The illustrations by T.S. Abe are very smooth and I just can't get over all the details on the pieces. [Read Here]

Courtesy of T.S. Abe

Make sure you check out the Draw a Dot. x KENTON Magazine x Caitlin Power illustration contest, it's a very good opportunity if you want some nice exposure!

Trendology: Burberry Prorsum Resort 2014 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:30:59 PDT

Burberry has just released the photos for the Burberry Prorsum Pre-Collection (Resort) 2014 collection and based on what I see here, I think it will be a big money making collection.

This time around, Christopher Bailey is more concentrated on cotton lace and embellishments. The looks are very sporty and the embellishments (such as the scattered gem-brooch embroidery on the trench coat) add a very interesting touch to some of the outfits. When it comes to the eveningwear, every piece is basically good for a nice summer party. Overall, the entire collection is very wearable and if this is a preview of the new runway collection, I assume there will be lots of embellishments in the S/S 2014 season.

Courtesy of Burberry

Game[On]: Draw A Dot. x Caitlin Power x Kenton Magazine Illustration Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:35:23 PDT

For all you illustrators out there, here is another contest for you!

This month, my other blog Draw A Dot. is teaming up with Kenton Magazine and Caitlin Power to hold a illustration contest. The Editor-in-Chief of Kenton Magazine has narrowed down 5 pieces from Caitlin Power F/W 2013 collection, and you will have to use at least one of the pieces to create a creative illustration. The winner will not only win gift certificate from the fashion brand, but he/she will also have a chance to work on a illustration series with the Kenton Magazine team and be seen by half a million viewers. For more information, please visit Draw A Dot.!

Are you in?

Art[s]ense: Sunny Gu

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 08:43:32 PDT

You probably know I am a huge fan of Sunny Gu and after 2 years contributing to Swide, this week I finally have the chance to feature her. For this specific article, she has illustrated the 3rd piece of Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2013 illustration to end this trilogy.

Now please head to Swide to read the article and you can also visit Draw A Dot. to read my personal remark on her.

Trendology: Neil Barrett Dark Olive Green Shopper Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Fri, 31 May 2013 09:38:58 PDT

Aside from the Valentino Camouflage tote, I think this one is probably my other favourite tote this season!

This tote is from Neil Barrett S/S 2013 collection and I really like the crumbled suede texture. The blue stripe adds a sporty touch to the design as well. This bag is now available at Ssense.

Courtesy of Ssense

Dots[Connection]: Pop Art

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Thu, 30 May 2013 08:58:55 PDT

The topic of this week's Dots[Connection] is Pop Art!

Cristiana De Zanche and Pietro Gaudenzi have created a very interesting illustration editorial for Vogue Japan last year and it is all about the twisted version of Alice in Wonderland. I personally am in love with the illustration style and these images definitely remind me of pop art. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Studio Fantasma

BENDA's latest illustration series is now featured on L’Officiel Hommes China. He has dressed up 7 icons in the S/S 2013 menswear collections. Each art work represents a particular era of the art history. Definitely one of my favourite editorials this week! [Read Here]

Courtesy of BENDA

Make sure you don't miss out the "final" episode of Soul Voyage as you will want to know how Lamont and Valerie are connected! Head to Draw a Dot. now!

Trendology: Moncler x White Mountaineering "Moncler W" F/W 2013 Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Wed, 29 May 2013 07:17:54 PDT

In this coming F/W season, Moncler is going to collaborate with White Mountaineering for a menswear capsule collection under the label Moncler W.

I have always been a fan of White Mountaineering, so knowing this Japanese brand is going to create something special for Moncler makes me very excited. There are some outstanding outerwear pieces in this collection and I personally am in love with the zig-zag quilted pants. Here are some of my favourites and you can visit Highsnobiety to see the complete collection.

Courtesy of Moncler (source: Highsnobiety)

Trendology: Romina Quiros x Marni Winter Edition 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:53:17 PDT

For this coming season, Marni is going to collaborate with Romina Quiros to create a capsule collection.

For this collaboration, Consuelo Castiglioni has chosen 3 designs from Romina and all of them are figures in a slightly abstract form. The collection consists of t-shirts, bags and iPad cases. My favourite is definitely the iPad case as they add a fun edge to the device.

This collection will be available in Marni stores and marni.com in June. Are you excited?

T-shirts

Bags

iPad Cases

Courtesy of Marni

Ray of Inspirology: YSL Paris je t’aime Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Tue, 28 May 2013 08:41:21 PDT

Anja Rubik has become the new face of YSL's Parisienne & Paris je t’aime fragrance and I just cannot get over the Paris je t’aime image. It is shot by Mert & Marcus and Anja is holding a big bottle of fragrance. I think this image is very pretty and it has a very warm and romantic vibe. What do you think?

Courtesy of YSL

Trendology: Givenchy Pre Spring 2014 Menswear Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Mon, 27 May 2013 09:36:44 PDT

Givenchy is the first brand to release the menswear pre-spring collection and I find it to be the continuation of the F/W 2013 womenswear collection.

If you are a fan of the juxtaposed prints in the F/W 2013 womenswear collection, you are going to love the fashion pieces here because Riccardo is bringing this element to the menswear. Camouflage is also one of the major elements here and I quite like the blue/white/black/grey sweater. Overall, I think this is a very typical Givenchy collection and I am looking forward to see what Riccardo has in store to surprise us with the S/S 2014 menswear collection.

Courtesy of Givenchy

Ray of Inspirology: Chanel Pre-Fall 2013 Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:38:17 PDT

The best pre-fall campaign at the moment? It has to be Chanel.

The latest campaign is shot by Karl Lagerfeld and it features style icon Tilda Swinton. From background to clothing, lighting to composition, everything is perfect here and the images really capture the vibe of this collection. I seriously can look at these images all day long.

What do you think?

Courtesy of Chanel

Dots[Connection]: Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:45:58 PDT

Another week, another Draw A Dot. roundup!

If you are a fan of the Soul Voyage series, then you are in luck because Roberto Sánchez and I have created the 2nd arc of this story. Now you are going to see the Louis Vuitton mystery world through the eyes of Valerie! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Roberto Sánchez

Artaksiniya has been blowing me away with her illustration works and recently she has done one based on Givenchy F/W 2013 collection. I love the haunting vibe of it. Now can you guess what is the girl doing in the illustration? [Read Here]

Courtesy of Artaksiniya

Trendology: Camouflauge Products for Your Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Kan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:54:46 PDT

For this month, I have created a camouflage products gallery for AmongMen and featured some interesting items. My favourites are definitely the Valentino bag and the A.P.C jacket. If you want to spice up your wardrobe this season, make sure you give it a read.