"Looks like REISS will be making its way into my wardrobe!" - Mr. Darkwah

For those of you who read La Clique regularly, you will know that I am not one to write about press days. I find that recently, in order to get a freebie, anyone will attend and write about any press day and that is not how I work. You will also know that I never write to slate therefore keeping my blog squeaky clean and positive - how I like my life. In this case, however, I find myself writing about a press day because I absolutely adored everything I saw!

REISS, established by David Reiss in 1971 started out providing businesswear for men in and around London. In its expansion, it took on womenswear and became an international brand. I must say, though the styling was always impeccable and the clothes of good quality, I could never really see myself donning an outfit from there. Maybe the odd sweater or pair of trousers but nothing beyond that. I saw REISS as a 'staple' for my wardrobe and thus was indifferent to them.

Their most recent press day changed my mind completely! Never have I walked into a room and wanted everything (well, barring Lanvin's A/W 09/10 and Gucci's S/S 11 collections)! You could have likened my amazement, "ooh-ing" and "aah-ing" to that of a Herbal Essences advert. All of a sudden, REISS had life! Bags were bolder and looked like they belonged in the clutches of the meanest fashionistas around from New York to Tokyo! (Not to mention in my wardrobe!)

The women's collection was bold in accessories and shoes. The new accessories designer managed to breathe an edgy life force into the brand whilst maintaing the lady-like REISS woman. (Lady-like being used loosely as now she was more of a Glamazon than a lady who lunched!) Evening-wear was bursting with life with sequin detailing and gowns that could make the clumsiest of women look as though she was floating into the room!

Having started as a menswear brand that dealt mainly in businesswear, I expected a relatively boring collection from men, and thus an anticlimax. I was wrong (thank God!) What I walked into was the perfect fusion of masculine style with softer feminine undertones. With a pastel colour palette contrasted with structured tailoring and brought together with the most beautifully printed pocket squares, the menswear collection blew me away!

"See what I mean about the pocket squares?"

"Give me a soft turtleneck and I'm SOLD!"

If you don't know what you're doing and who you're wearing for Autumn/Winter this year, I strongly recommend you make REISS a part of your wardrobe! Just giving you the heads-up!

Live Beautiful, Stay Vogue!
Ciao Bellissimi!

Mr. Darkwah
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"Where Real Style Goes"

Paris, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and London - fashion capitals known for their pristine, prim and proper fashionistas and 'nistos. No doubt, if you decided to walk down London's Sloane Street, or Paris' Champs Elysees (not to mention anywhere in the other fashion capitals listed) you would be wowed by the beautiful understated luxury of rich fabrics, luscious furs and of course, drawn to the beautiful red soles of our high-power fashionistas.

That's all well and good but in all honesty, it does get rather boring. You find that more and more you can predict how people will be dressed because fashion is global and fashion capital have an image to uphold. Sadly, this image is slowly becoming the same image - no variation whatsoever. As a stylist, I seek the oddities in fashion and look to highlight their beauty and individual nature. Granted, beauty is subjective and so something I appreciate, you may think is garbage - I nevertheless aim to find the most fabulously outlandish styles and bring them to the fore!

For every prince, there is a pauper (or ten) and so for every Louboutin-donning fashionista, there is a Saucony-wearing, Skateboard-riding style icon! Want to know where to find them?

Unlike Tokyo, Paris, Moscow and New York, you needn't go to one specific area of London to find these people. All you need to do is walk. I found myself stopping constantly as I walked the streets of Ladbroke Grove because someone's sneakers caught my eye. In Brixton, I couldn't help but ask people where they got their studded jackets and their creepers because they were so cool! I can't say I've felt underdressed in my life but I most definitely felt un-stylish next to this lot! My eyes were opened to a new movement. They say the Devil makes work for idle hands but here the results were solely heavenly! Upon asking about the jackets, I was told "I was bored and decided to stud my jacket. Got the studs off e-bay..." Clearly, I'd interrupted the flow of this young man's day but I felt it was well worth it!

Too often we are obsessed with brands and how much something costs. I found, looking at the style around me, that a lot of it was homemade! That wasn't all, though. Looking at the way skaters, "indie" kids and "hipsters" dressed, I realised, though little effort may have gone into it, the results were similar to those of editorials for VIBE magazine featuring Run DMC and the styling of characters like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Jazzy Jeff! Surely they couldn't know about all this? The styling, the brands, the painstaking effort to create a look that would sit well on the cover of a magazine and yet remain accessible to the masses? I thought they didn't but they did!

The fact is, we don't need to be in the most expensive neighbourhoods or be in the most expensive clothes to be stylish. It's not what you wear but how you wear it. So if you're looking for real style - look to Brixton Market, Ladbroke Grove and its surrounding skateparks, Brick Lane and the night scene of Soho!

That's where real fashion goes!

Live Beautiful, Stay Vogue!
Ciao Bellissimi!
Mr. Darkwah
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"THIS is wearable art! All others are secondary." - Mr. Darkwah

Colour explosion! I felt "Like a kid in a candy store" seeing his work!

I find it funny that recently people have moved away from wanting things to be completely unique to them. I recall a time in fashion when one would buy something, take it home and start stitching things onto the garment, painting onto it or simply cutting it to make sure no one had the exact same thing. What happened to that? It still goes on, yes but only in certain parts of London - namely, Brick Lane and Camden (the most obvious choices). 

Asian Persuasion - Asian Scroll-inspired sneakers with a matching box!

I remember my visit to Hong Kong and seeing all of the beautifully put together and yet beautifully unique outfits of girls, boys, men and women of the city - irrespective of the region they hailed from. I think about the city of Tokyo and the Harajuku and Ganguro trends and how despite them being a trend, all who go by it are completely unique. Why are we living in a city where uniforms range from Topman suits in the CITY (we'll get to that another day), Hollister on virtually every teenage boy and Uggs on girls everywhere?! Where is that sense of London's individuality?! 


I'll tell you where it is.


Theon Marcel is not just another guy who can customise sneakers or design and print t-shirts. He is an artist and his art is based completely on being unique. Looking at his work, I was like a kid in a candy store (not to mention that his work, with colours exploding everywhere quite resembled a candy store!) Influenced by comic art and, as I joked, "all things fun in life" Theon Marcel's work is truly exceptional! Working on materials from canvas right the way through to suede means that there is nothing that Mr. Marcel cannot work on! More so, being inspired by each person's individuality, Theon works to make sure that nothing is ever the same in his work - sometimes going so far as to paint a continuous comic strip over a few pairs of shoes! (Stand in a line and see what happens to your hero!) 


I recall meeting with Theon and commenting on the spectator shoes he was wearing as you see so few of them now. He smiled at me, shook his head and said "I painted them." I was astounded! The sheer attention to detail down to the point that he painted them to look as though they were old and weatherbeaten like true vintage shoes was amazing! I honestly thought they were leather! There began my love for his work and I must say that since that day, two years ago he has never failed to impress!

Reminded of Kanye, anyone?

If you would like to get your hands on Mr. Marcel's work, you can e-mail him on theonphokeerdoss@gmail.com and for my readers in the states, worry thee not because Theon does shipping at little extra cost. Let's bring back individuality and let's do it in style!


Ciao Belissimi!
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