Detail of raincoat of the Swedish company Stutterheim at Seek event in Berlin. Each piece is signed and numbered by the seamstress.

It is a fact that high-street brands took over the clothing business with the so called “fast fashion”. We’ve seen clothing companies produce and sell affordable interpretations of luxury brands within very short time periods following the launch of new ideas on the catwalks. Most of the items are cheaply produced in China, Taiwan and India and often are consumed as fast as burgers.

Fashion, which has always reflected the promise and uncertainty of the future, has been accelerating the temptation of the consumers by offering them new identities that alter at the speed of light. Indeed, the contemporary situation might express the fragmented moralities of cultural diversity and social uncertainty, as the author Rebecca Arnold pointed out in her book: “Fashion, Desire and Anxiety: Image and Morality in the Twentieth Century” (2001).

On the other hand, a whole group of people is reacting against fast consumption and questioning the ecological sustainability of this wheel*. Some consumers are starting to give more importance to Upcycling – which means to recycle, remix and improve old clothes. Some others are reacting with a classic: the craftsmanship. Handmade items are living a renaissance especially among young men.

Not many years or even seasons ago the handiwork of gifted tailors, shoemakers and hatters seemed to be less appreciated because their manual labour demands a different time frame and is not priced as competitively as mass-production brands. “Often, the work of an artisan is seen as manual labour, forgetting about its real meaning: the ability to invent, make an object”, explained the editor of “Vogue Italia”, Franca Sozzani, in an article about the term ‘artisan’ from 2010. She pointed out that in a virtual world where everything is the same, the artisan is a unique figure, different and exclusive; he is “someone who creates something that no one has”.

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The printing technician Lars in action at Martin Schröder Drucker workshop inside Bread & Butter fair in Berlin.

Lars prepares metal plate before printing one business card.

Several craftsmen showed how they execute their work. The space was organized by a new German publication totally dedicated to authentic items, The Heritage Post.

The owner of the brand Stutterheim from Sweden, Alexander Stutterheim, shares the same point of view as the editor Franca Sozzani. His company is a small-scale brand based in Sweden that is specialized in raincoats. During the last Berlin Fashion Week he brought his brand to the city to show his pieces at the Seek showroom after being spotted by the organizer Oliver Saunders. Stutterheim’s company has only four seamstresses: Lena, Birgitta, Evy  and Ingrid. Each piece they produce is numbered and signed by them.

“We noticed that our client is concerned about how clothes are produced. Once they know that there was a person behind that product it becomes much more human and interesting for them”, explains Alexander. “The reaction has been very positive so far: in a rainy day in Stockholm people might approach each other to talk about the coats they are wearing and end up checking their number or who produced them”.

Although the craftsmanship appeal always existed, it was for a long time forgotten. Even luxury brands had to go back to their archives to rescue their history and tradition from the oblivion. Now they are all trying to tell about this tradition in a new way (actually any brand who has handmade items in its DNA). From a marketing perspective there was not a lot they could do to compete with Zara and H&M.

But why the role of individual artisans and their potential are being requested again?

It’s all about the appreciation of products that a younger generation is only getting more conscious about now. Handmade clothes set a different standard in quality and have a great story which is always nice to be told. It’s also related to something we discussed here previously in the article “Individualist World, Individual man”, that in the context of many financial crises – especially in Europe and USA – the male consumer has become more purist and more conscious about his choices. But, most of all, when someone chooses a well-crafted item, he is also choosing something that has a better quality and will most probably last longer. In other words: a good and solid investment.

Text and photos: Hermano Silva © Berlin 2012

*= A good example about the need of being conscious about what you wear comes from an initiative of the Belgian designer Bruno Pieters. He developed a new line called Honest by Bruno Pieters that is available on-line. Nothing new if it wasn’t for the fact that the visitor of the on-line store can find very detailed information about each piece, such as where the zipper and buttons come from, how much the materials cost and how much time the item took to be produced. It’s about transparency on how the business is managed. It’s for sure an innovative idea that will help to shape how we see fashion (and ethic) in the future.

Read here about our visit to one of the Saville Row tailors in London

Berlin, Autumn/Winter 2012 – Different from the woman who has the makeup as a resource to express individuality, the man has the facial hair. A true gentleman is aware of this fact and plays with his beard for his own benefit. An excellent example of this came from friendly German journalist Jan Joswig, who we found in the tent of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin.

Mr. Joswig has an irreverent Chevron moustache that is combined with round frame glasses and a hat typical from the region of Bavaria called “Trachtenhut”. He, who went to the shows with his bicycle, opted for the moustache after years using a full beard.

It’s very interesting to notice the use of moustaches more and more present among young people on the streets of Berlin. Sign of the times considering that the beard is a common sense now.

Have a look on our fashion editorial inspired by beards and moustaches from 19th century

+ Read here article about the new moment in fashion

Photos: Hermano Silva © Berlin 2012

Berlin, Autumn/Winter 2012 – The clothes you see above promises a comfortable winter for men who like the balance between formal and casual. This is the proposal of the German designer Sissi Goetze, one of the highlights amongst the men’s fashion presentations of this Berlin Fashion Week.

Her clothes are “gemütlich” – the German word to describe anything that is comfortable – but still they offer something quite modern. “My ideal man is a mixture of Rocky Balboa (the boxer played by Sylvester Stallone) with a bit of the elegance of the reporter Clark Kent”, said the designer to The Gentleman website. Of course: all of this with a minimal and radical approach, where only the necessary prevails.

Goetze, who in the past has created a collection entirely white, explores this time only black and grey. When observed closely the clothes reveal very interesting cuts. This research on tailoring started when Sissi was still a student in the menswear masters at Central Saint Martins in London and had as a mentor the legendary (and rigorous) professor Louise Wilson.

In the context of Berlin the young Goetze stands out and has the future in her hands.

The Berlin Fashion Week will continue until Saturday (21.01). Follow here our reports about the event during the coming days.

Photos: Hermano Silva © Berlin, 2012

By Hermano Silva

In the early 2000’s there was the “metrosexual” popularization – an expression created by the media to define the very latest looks and habits in urban men’s fashion. The term metrosexual referred to men who embraced their vanity and feminine side – at least for the mirror. They became more concerned with depilation, tanning, and with making their bodies ripped.

We have seen by the beginning of 2010’s a new direction: boys from all over the world interested in a more masculine image – a choice manifested very clearly by the current preferences for beard and moustaches. Perhaps this is a reaction to the image of David Beckham that has become fixed into our minds, or because in times of social or cultural uncertainties the sexual differences and genders definitions tend to be reinforced. Just think about the effects of economic crisis and how the working structure is changing – people are more mobile and to work from home is now seen as something totally normal.

This is the decade where the individualism seems to be finally celebrated by men in their style of dress. Some might say this individualism is based on archetypes of masculinity, such as soldiers, lumberjacks and workers. Perhaps true. But wait… Did someone imagined Village People band? Yes, fashion has its’ risks. But I believe that it is only now that men really seem to have the self-confidence to take risks and to experiment without shame.

If we carefully observe the spring-summer 2012 collections presented in Milan and Paris this past June, they confirm that the ideal man is on a new and different track. It’s about experimenting ideas that in the past he didn’t dare try, such as being more colourful, more keenly focused on good and collectible items and intuitively aware of what Fashion is all about – fun perhaps?

Cathy Horyn, the fashion critic of “New York Times”, speculates that “the current ideal man is an individual man”. In an exclusive interview for The Gentleman website, she gives her opinion: “I think the better designers tend to acknowledge that man have a very broad view of fashion today. There was a very hardcore fashion consumer in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, who was most probably gay and who had a very huge interest in being expressive about their clothes. There were also designers like Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier to fulfil that…”, she observes.

“I think now though a lot of men gay, straight, doesn’t matter, have a very good knowledge of fashion, of who is designing. They want to be comfortable; they live in an urban area; they’ve got to be polished for work, but they can also wear jeans and t-shirt most of the time or even shorts. They want a good bag, they want a good briefcase, good shoes”, Horyn concludes.

The male consumer has become more purist and more conscious about his choices. Now we see some of the best menswear designers (such as Lucas Ossendrijver for Lanvin, Junya Watanabe and Paul Smith) presenting clothes on the catwalk that don’t look like designer’s clothes. They are just very good independent items: well-constructed, precise, definitive. Perhaps fashion – in the purest sense of the word – is not as interesting anymore and is giving way to style. Designers know their clients are more self-confident and they will choose what fits them best. And for those who still yearn for the more playful and outlandish? No worries, this season Prada is there to play with.

It now appears that man will continue to re-invent and romanticize who they want to be. The fabrics, colours and accessories will express this individualism carefully – perhaps far from the constraints of the suit uniform. Even if the suit is a choice, it will be for sure a very well thought-out one.

Click here to read the exclusive The Gentleman’s coverage of the Spring/Summer 2012 menswear collections

Credits for the images: Looks from Lanvin, Junya Watanabe, Paul Smith, Dries Van Noten and Prada (Monica Feudi / Style.com, Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com), Cathy Horyn (photo via Twitter) and still from “Altered States”, from director Ken Russell.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

“The Outsider is a man who has awakened to chaos. He may have no reason to believe that chaos is positive, the germ of life; in spite of this, truth must be told, chaos must be faced”.

Excerpt from the book “The Outsider” by Colin Wilson

Credits

Photos & styling: Hermano Silva © Berlin, 2011

“The Outsider”: Kurt Von Bley

Clothes: Vintage pieces by Kenzo, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Hugo Boss, TopMan, Burberry and Mephisto Leathers Chicago.

Olivier is an art student from Paris.  It’s original and brave the way he uses his beard and combines it with a mohican and a long earring.

Kaspar is a movie maker from Berlin. The basic black hoodie together with a long beard really represents the uncomplicated way that Berliners dress and easy-going lifestyle they like to keep.

An American in Paris:  I found Jonathan walking around the city with his backpack and a map in his hands. It’s all about comfort when you are backpacking: no ironing, no shaving.

Johnny is a model and since he decided to let his ginger beard grow his career took off. His leather vest is a proof that, yes, we have the right to sometimes dress like a 70′s rock star even though nowadays we only listen to Led Zeppelin and Gentle Giant every now and then.

Bent is a musician from Belgium and he is really interested in fashion. What is interesting here is the absence of belt, the blue watch and the blond moustache – that fits with the colour of his sunglasses.

Stefan is a very talented photographer that lives and work in Stuttgart, Germany. He could not have given a better interpretation for a jeans uniform:  traditional Bulgarian shoes combined with a `Cathedral` beard and a red wallet.

Gelati is a Brazilian model that lives in Sweden. His grey hair is his trademark since he started working few decades ago. Everything about Gelati looks right. But the most admirable thing is that he has no fear to reveal the true colours of his beard.

Photos: Hermano Silva © 2011

The whole city got into a different mood. In Mitte all the shops where open until late to follow the celebration of B&B. Here an intervention of the collective “Sleep is Commercial” – a group of Italian musicians and designers, that promoted their work with gas balloons in vintage cars.

But in fact there is no reason to really use a car in Berlin. Everything can be easily done by bicycle. Here we spotted three girls cycling back from a fashion show – not really what a Londoner would try to do.

The Bread & Butter fair is growing every year. This edition they reached the number of 600 fashion traders from all over the world. Their birthday celebration was like a rock festival. The location itself was already worth a visit: the Tempelhof Airport. Now the airport  is deactivated and it will be turned into a park. The building is used for such big events.

It’s true that sometimes Berlin has something of Mad Max due all the bombing of WWII and the desert spaces that are still possible to find. Although this feature is disappearing due to the gentrification process of the city, the roughness will always be in the heart of Berliners – who learned how to cope with all the difficulties during hard times. On the left side, a sculpture at the “garden” of B&B. On the right side, the fashionable uniform of the Tempelhof staff.

The sunset lights the hall of  Tempelhof through massive windows. It has something of Tate Modern there. Or the other way round, since actually Berlin has more art galleries and museums than any other city in Europe. It’s worth to Google about this building to know further details about its controversial history.

On the streets there is a very strong desire for vintage clothes. On the left side, the model Jakob Wiechmann wears shorts with pleats. On the right side the designer Daniel Dück wears a vintage Adidas t-shirt.

Actually the use of vintage is not really a surprise if you think about the huge offer of second hand shops here and their affordable prices. The retro style is also part of the Berliner style, in a way.

On the catwalks of Berlin Fashion Week, another favorite: street wear. Far from the glamour and sophistication of Paris, the DNA of the Berlin fashion is the casual, urban and relaxed look. On the left, presentation of Patrick Mohr and on the right, presentation of the Danish brand Wood Wood.

The city has interesting locations for fashion shows. This one took place on the backyard of an empty industrial building in the  district of Wedding.

The city has also a modern and young side that looks to the future.

Many young designers and artists have no fear to come up with creative ideas and embrace technology in their work. It’s the case of the designer Iris van Herpen, from The Netherlands, that showed her collection in the city few days after showing it in Paris, during the haute couture season. Iris has only 27 years old and did one of the most exciting shows. It was applauded several times by the audience.

“Modern” is actually not a precise word to describe anything in Berlin. Perhaps neither “post-modern” because things can be faster than that. Everything is build and re-build all the time. The newest building is the Humboldt-Box, in Unter den Linden. It opened its door this summer under a lot of criticism because of the monolithic appearance of it and because it’s placed in the island of the museums, where the overall assemble is rather classic.

However it is at night that the “box” shows its true colours. But not for long… In few years it will be gone to give place to a replica of a historical German palace (Stadtschloss) that once stood in this place and that now will be rebuild. It’s fine. Berliners secretly know that no matter if we talk about past or present, here we are always back to the future.

Photos: Hermano Silva © 2011

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT BERLIN AND HERE

So a quick rescue of the French values ​​before we start to talk about fashion…

The men’s shows were marked by the case John Galliano. While the designer tries to avoid the “guillotine” in the courts, his assistants are continuing his work. Here the designer Bill Gaytten take the bow at the end of the show, instead of Galliano.

While Brazil and New York celebrated their right to celebrate the marriage between equals, Paris also lived its gay moment. The season was marked by the homerotism present for example in Nicola Formichetti’s work at Mugler. People were also talking about the new work of the English choreographer Wayne McGregor inspired by Francis Bacon in the Ballet of the Paris Opera.

A little anarchy came from the Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck - he will be honored by MoMu (Mode Museum) in Belgium with a retrospective of his career starting in September. This look shown during Paris fashion week has everything to do with the poles in the sidewalks of Marais painted by street artists.

Creative freedom also for the boys that went to see the shows: they felt free to wear skirts and tights with webspider print…

Well, everything to do with some of the buildings facades.

The tidy and smart hair cut, in the 1950s style, is on the rise as well. Here the reference from Alexis Mabille’s show created by the super hairstylist Odile.

Many already got the look…

Some personalized it with a military touch. Overall the haircuts and beards are both more groomed than ever.

Many creative solutions for the hats too, as this in which the back is secured by a pin

Or here, in this helmet with op-art pattern.

The scarves around the neck also promise a return. Blame it on Miuccia Prada, who proposed the idea on her show in Milan this season.

The “white-matched-with-white” look appeared in the most relevant shows…

And was already assimilated by the magazine editors at the front row.

We  finish here with two clicks that reveal the warmth of this summer. Time to go for a surf (it seems it will be trendy too).

Photos: Hermano Silva © 2011

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR COMPLETE MEN’S PARIS FASHION WEEK COVERAGE

Paris, Spring-Summer 2012 - The Parisian men’s fashion week finished on June 26th after 51 shows. Below you will find the links to our daily coverage of the event:

Day 1: http://www.thegentleman.com.br/fashion/it-feels-like-1992

Day 2: http://www.thegentleman.com.br/fashion/the-silent-revolution-of-rick-owens

Day 3: http://www.thegentleman.com.br/fashion/checks-stripes-and-vivid-colours

Day 4: http://www.thegentleman.com.br/fashion/paris-day-4-the-relaxed-chic-of-wooyoungmi

Last day: http://www.thegentleman.com.br/fashion/without-pretension

Photo: Hermano Silva © 2011

The designer Paul Smith celebrates with models at the end of his show

Look of the presentation of the French brand Arnys

The brand showed its collection in a small square in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris, Spring-Summer 2012 – Under a heat of 35 degrees, the last day of Paris men’s fashion week was marked by the diversity of their shows. While the English designer Paul Smith showed clothes that were simple and easy to wear, the American designer Thom Browne surprised everyone with a collection far different from his previous. Inspired by Berlin in the 1930’s, their models had a touch of androgyny and the clothes were often conceptual.

The diversity continued in the presentation of designer Songzio, which showed clothes adorned with flowers that could well be used by 19th century poets, and also at the Lanvin fashion show that brought a varied casting, with different types of models. The collection, as always, was highly praised by the editors and has many pieces that will surely be copied around the world.

Without much fanfare, it was perhaps the presentation of the brand Arnys the surprise of the day. They took their guests to a little square hidden in the middle of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés for an open air show. The inspiration for the collection presented was a bit nostalgic: the great icons of Hollywoodian musicals, like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, with more traditional clothes but chic. It has everything to do with their mature clientele – as the front row could prove.

The focus of the brand was on the use of linen – a fabric widely used by other designers this season – but in different colours and combinations. What we saw was a traditional material being used in a classic and impeccable tailoring. Yes, why not? We don’t want always ultra-modern clothes. Sometimes the only important thing is a good piece, with a good cut and that is aligned with the desire of the moment. And that Arnys delivered without pretension.

Text and photos: Hermano Silva © 2011