Flexible Men

This intensely attractive editorial in GQ Italia is appropriately titled Flexible Man, despite a wardrobe that speaks otherwise. A smorgasbord of slim-cut suits, smoking jackets, and topcoats speak volumes on constriction when considering the tight tailoring and sharpened shoulders; they are rendered loose, like liquid, however, thanks to the choice of material and attention to fit. And the models' rousing performance of acrobatic-like jumps help, too.

Preppy look returns, replacing understated with louder style

Christina Binkley
Wall Street Journal

Club ties. Lilly Pulitzer. Pants and belts embroidered with little whales or sailboats. Jack Rogers sandals.

Preppy is back in full swing. Not just the understated khakis-and-white-polo kind of preppy. This is a time of loud pink and lime - for men.

The new preppy is much like the style chronicled in 1980s The Official Preppy Handbook, but with twists. Lilly Pulitzer, whose flowered Palm Beach, Fla., shift dresses became famous in the 1960s, now has a collection for men and has broadened her offerings for women and children as well. Ralph Lauren has renewed its famous Polo shirts by enlarging the pony, giving its WASP-y standard an ironic wink. There are new angles - such as pants in horizontal seersucker and corduroy from Cordarounds.com. advertisement




Vineyard Vines now does for men what Lilly Pulitzer has long done for women. It has quickly sold out of this season's colorful patchwork shorts, and another hot seller is four-panel pants in blue, green, pink and yellow - each panel a different color. Launched in 1998, its revenue has risen nearly sixfold over the past three years, and it is now taking its seersucker pants and flowered skorts across the Pacific to the U.K. So very American, the silk ties populated by tiny whales, sailboats or flags are a favorite among politicians; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Clinton are among the adherents.

The last time we were loving golf shirts and pearls this way, we were entering an era that celebrated wealth, on our way to a time when Gordon Gekko was the king of Wall Street and every aspiring corporate raider had a closet filled with Lacoste alligator shirts and Topsider deck shoes. Then, greed was good.

Now we call it "luxury."

This is a period that lusts for symbols of the good life: $3,000 crocodile handbags, $20,000 tourbillon watches, $250 bottles of olive oil, and big charitable donations that assuage the guilt of driving an SUV. The preppy look is the affordable weekend version of all that. It's what the people who run the nation have always worn at their country homes.

Now, as in the 1980s, people who want to suggest they live that old-money lifestyle are wearing it, too. But now the once-understated look is about flamboyant colors and embroidered whales.

"Things got so multicultural around here that preppy waned," says John Murray, co-owner of Murray's Toggery Shop in Nantucket, Mass., which invented the prepster staple Nantucket Red canvas pants and holds a copyright on them. "But now it's back."

Of course, today's preppy look has new elements - more dress styles, more florals. Some people are even mixing and matching preppy with other looks - Indian skirts, $300 jeans.

A book called A Privileged Life: Celebrating WASP Style, was just published by Assouline Publishing. Susanna Salk, the book's author, says she had trouble getting people to participate in the book because many people feared the term WASP would generate controversy. It was thought to suggest narrow-mindedness or White monoculture. But the book hasn't been controversial.

Darling of understated style

Sofia Coppola: Darling of understated style
Sophia Coppola - muse, director, mother and style icon - has followed her friend Marc Jacobs into the Louis Vuitton studio to produce a new range of timeless accessories.

Sofia Coppola, the enigmatic star of one of Hollywood’s most cherished film families, grew up surrounded by epic talents.

Her father Francis Ford Coppola cast the waifish beauty at age two in his renowned film The Godfather Part II (1974) and over the next few years she appeared in four more of her father’s films, including The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984) and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986).

Despite her illustrious film family connections Coppola took her time developing a career as a director eschewing the limelight in favour of quite dedication. Her first feature film Virgin Suicides was quickly followed by Lost in Translation staring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, which was deemed a cult success and secured her place as one of the hottest young directors, along with her then husband Spike Jonze.

Coppola’s interest soon diverged into fashion when her friend Marc Jacobs cast her as muse for his range. At the hands of contemporary art photographer Juergen Teller Coppola’s disinterested gaze captured the Marc Jacobs aesthetic. Following in his footsteps Coppola has collaborated with Louis Vuitton designing a small range of accessories to fill the gaps in her own classic, quaint wardrobe.

How would you define your style?

That’s hard to say about yourself. I like beautiful things, so I enjoy clothes, but for myself, I like things that are classic and not too loud or flashy.

Do you remember when you first became interested in fashion?

As a young child- I was always interested in my parent’s friends jewellery and accessories…and then as an adolescent, I loved looking at Paris Vogue and The Face.

Who are your fashion heroines?

Tina Chow, Lauren Hutton (had her in mind when we did the Monogram pochette)….Diana Vreelend.

What is your best fashion memory?

Sitting on Yves Saint Laurent’s lap at Dave’s for new years when I was about 12.

How did you first become friends with Marc Jacobs?

I saw pictures of his grunge collection when he was at Perry Ellis, when I was about 19 or 20 I was visiting NY with my mom, and asked if we could go see it. Robert Duffy, Marc’s partner met me and was nice to show me collection and then Marc said hello, and we started talking and got along and had interests in common…I don’t remember after that, but I remember hanging out with him and Anna Sui in NY in the early 90s.

Aside from Marc Jacobs, who are the fashion designers, past or present, whom you most admire?

Yves Saint Laurent

How did your collaboration with Louis Vuitton come about?

I had met some of the people who work there through Marc Jacobs, and the idea of doing something together came after I visited the factory and museum. After seeing all the things they’re making and custom orders, its hard not to imagine what you would want for a custom order for yourself.

Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do before you started?

I had an idea of what I was looking for and couldn’t find. I wanted a day bag that could fit everything I wanted, but wasn’t too big or heavy, something chic and discreet. The day bag was based a little on the Keep-all duffle bag- something chic and classic, but not formal, for everyday use.

What were your key considerations in designing the collection? What, for you, makes a great bag and a great pair of shoes?

It was great to be able to make exactly what you want- For a day bag, I wanted something that can fit all of my things I need, but not too big, I wanted something that could go with everything, and was chic but not flashy. For evening, I love to have a small envelope that fits just a phone, lipstick, a key and a credit card. I like leaving all my work things behind. For the shoes, I wanted something chic, but not too dressy..I wanted a 70’s version of a 40’s sandal, that wasn’t too high, so easy to really wear- but looks great on…and you can wear with a lot of things, so when you travel you don’t bring too many shoes.

Which products are your personal favorites?

I like them all, anything I didn’t love we eliminated from the line…but I especially like the navy day bag, and asphalt grey suede day bag…and the black pochette with gold piping with matching shoes- those are the ones I use the most…

What is your favorite item in your wardrobe?

silk pajamas

What piece of clothing could you not do without?

A t-shirt

What item would you never, ever wear?

I don’t like to say never, but I’m pretty sure I’d never wear a velour sweat suit

Do you agree that, as the French say, il faut souffrir pour être belle (you must suffer to look beautiful)?

I don’t, but I do admire these French women who walk around all day in crazy high heels.

Source: Louis Vuitton

Wealthy habits and prefernce| SEAs

Wealthy in Hong Kong, South Korea Most Likely to Buy Flashy Car
By Robert Frank

Now that the wealth-management industry has discovered that Asia has a lot of rich people, a raft of studies have come out probing their customs, habits and preference for flashy cars.


Bloomberg News
A new report from Scorpio Partnership looks at the characteristics of rich people in various countries. Scorpio is careful to call its categories “archetypes,” rather than stereotypes. For the study, Scorpio surveyed 1,800 people with an average net worth of $1.5 million. Among their findings:

South Korea–Despite their high wealth levels, few rich South Koreans had specific wealth goals for the future. Those that did have a wealth goal set it at $5 million. Most South Koreans want flashy cars that convey status.

India–Wealthy Indians value status more than other Asians and are the most likely to want to be seen as leaders and innovators. They also are unique among Asians in their desire to become famous.

Hong Kong–The rich in Hong Kong are similar to South Koreans in their desire for a flashy set of wheels. And they like to be publicly identified with charity.

Singapore–Wealthy Singaporeans are the most worried about unemployment in Asia, and they like to keep a low-profile with their charity.

Indonesia–Rich Indonesians are more discreet, wanting good but not flashy cars and keeping quiet about their charitable giving. They are, however, very confident about their wealth targets, with 98% saying they expect to add to their wealth this year.

Are there are other characteristic that you think set the rich in each Asian country apart?

Horyn and Menkes beg to differ on designer appointments, Vuitton’s boom, Eco-friendly factories, Luxury Titanic?

Christophe Lemaire, new Director of Womens, Hermès Source: Adah

Three Separate Challenges (NY Times)
“With a number of companies now being run by equity-market managers, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would love to get their hands on an experienced design maestro — if more were available.”

A New Pragmatism Behind the Catwalk (IHT)
“A post-recession strategy likely to define luxury brand management for the early 21st century has emerged from a week packed with designer changes at European fashion houses… the era of the star designer… is over.”

Louis Vuitton: Where the boom never ends (Independent)
“‘We have a wider range of product – ready-to-wear, watches, jewellery – than we did 30 or 40 years ago…but the spirit is the same. In each product we have an extraordinary mix of tradition and innovation.’”

Cambodian Factories Seek Eco-Friendly Power Alternatives (IHT)
“The majority of the country’s garment factories — making clothes for brand names in the U.S. and European markets — use firewood to heat old-fashioned boilers that produce hot water for dying fabrics and steam for ironing.”

Are Luxury Brands Just Shuffling Deck Chairs on the Titanic? (Nathan Branch)
“The brand leaders appear to know that something needs to be changed, but as they’re charging forward with their lists of decisions… there’s little to no public attention being paid to the water pouring into the forward compartments below.”

Legacy of Savile Row,Masstige, Polo Profit, China, Reaching Wealth Go Direct

What Does ‘Masstige’ Mean For China? (Jing Daily)
“If masstige collections are offered supplemental to the luxury collections, there is little risk of impacting the luxury spending; instead, masstige opens up a new market segment of middle-class consumers.”

Polo profit beats, revenue outlook raised (Reuters)
“Polo Ralph Lauren Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday and again raised its full-year sales outlook due to strong demand globally, sending its shares to an all-time high.”

China Looms Large in Luxury Industry’s Vision (NY Times)
“If heritage is the tool fashion houses have turned to in the wake of the global financial crisis, then the actual market the luxury industry sees guaranteeing its future is China… while China booms, the industry is turning back to basics with more mature markets.”

Direct messaging, social media key to reaching wealthy consumers (Luxury Daily)
“Direct messaging such as personal phone calls and social media tactics are particularly effective for targeting consumers with annual incomes higher than $500,000 and should play a role in holiday strategies, according to research.”

Perpetuating the Legacy of Savile Row (NY Times)
“To reread reports of the advent of Richard James on Savile Row in the early 1990s, you would think he was selling jeans and jocks… What he was proposing from his tiny Savile Row shop was a ready-to-wear collection supplemented by special bespoke orders.”

Top 10 Articles of 2010

The BoF community looks on at Fashion Pioneers with Natalie Massenet | Photo: Lawrence Randall
LONDON, United Kingdom — It’s been quite the year for the BoF team. In January, we will celebrate our 4th birthday, having seen BoF grow from a passion project created from the sofa in my living room to a growing global community of like-minded fashion professionals that is BoF today.

We are grateful for all of the support our community has shown us over the past 12 months, from the success of our sold-out Fashion Pioneers series to the rapidly growing numbers of you who come to us every day for opinionated fashion business analysis and a highly-curated point of view on the day’s news. We now have over 150,000 followers on Twitter, 2,000 fans on Facebook and growing follower base on our new Tumblr page. We are honoured and grateful that so many of you take the time to engage and interact with us on a daily basis, in so many ways.

The international media has also been paying attention to the power and reach of our community, from the International Herald Tribune to Vogue Italia to The Evening Standard. Canada’s Macleans Magazine called BoF “The Economist of Fashion,” the Daily Telegraph included BoF in their round-up of “Britain’s Best Fashion Bloggers” and just this month British GQ gave us a little surprise for 2011 (check out number 92). What an honour and a great way to start the new year!

None of this would be possible without you, the global community of executives, designers, editors, students, academics, investors and supporters who have made BoF their daily must-read on the fashion business. We’re going to take a break over the holidays, but in the meantime here’s a look back to the articles and stories which fired up your interest and passions this past year. Thank you again for your continued support.

Happy holidays, happy new year, and see you in 2011!

1. In Tokyo, Abercrombie Misses Its Mark


Abercrombie & Fitch, Ginza | Source: Fashionsnap.com
When BoF’s W. David Marx filed his report on the new Abercrombie & Fitch store in Tokyo’s Ginza district earlier this year, calling the American fashion brand out for its culturally insensitive approach to international expansion, the fashion blogosphere lit up with conversation about the new store. Commenters on BoF joined in large numbers, describing their own experiences — positive and negative — at the brand’s Tokyo emporium and providing insider scoops on the brand’s bungled retail strategy in Japan.

2. BoF Exclusive | The New Creative Establishment 2010


The New Creative Establishment | Source: INDUSTRIE Magazine
Possibly the most controversial article of 2010 was our exclusive preview of The New Creative Establishment created by our friends at INDUSTRIE magazine. The preview rocketed to the top of our Most Read Articles list right away and has firmly held its position for more than a month. Lists like these always spark some kind of controversy, but the uproar about this one was heard in fashion quarters around the world, and indeed on all of the major fashion websites from Grazia Daily to Style.com. Who deserved to be on the list? Who didn’t? Who was missed? Are these kinds of lists constructive contributions to the fashion dialogue or just a way for a new magazine to get attention and flatter would-be collaborators? You decide.

3. Fashion 2.0 | What The Independent Article Didn’t Tell Us


Tavi Gevinson's Bow at Dior Couture | Source: Twitpic by SteffiSchuetze
Back in February when The Independent newspaper contacted several respected bloggers for comment on an article about the growing influence and questionable ethics of some fashion bloggers, BoF was more than happy to provide some thoughts. However, when the article was published quoting only editors from major magazines, we published our own article, to give the other side of the story.

4. Fashion 2.0 | Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season


Our twice-a-year rundowns of the top fashion films of the season continue to be very popular. Fred Butler’s Sunshowers film topped our ranking of fashion films in the Spring while Gareth Pugh’s tour de force film shown in Paris’ Bercy stadium grabbed the top spot in the Autumn ranking. If you have some time over the holiday break, sit back and enjoy these curated selections of fashion’s finest films.

5. BoF Exclusive | Zaldy Goco talks about designing for Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga


Michael Jackson by Zaldy | Source: Zaldy Goco
Michael Jackson’s untimely death right before he was about to kick off a 50 concert series in London shocked the world. Not only did BoF get the global exclusive scoop from designer Zaldy Goco on the costumes he had designed for the King of Pop, but we also got his take on working with Lady Gaga, whose impact on fashion in 2010 was absolutely huge.

6. Fashion 2.0 | Suzy Menkes on the Growing Influence of Fashion Blogs


In early in 2010 Suzy Menkes issued a warning to bloggers about the risk of becoming mouthpieces for fashion brands, many of whom seem to be looking to manipulate bloggers into publishing what some consider to be nothing more than brand propaganda. Ever the pragmatist, Ms Menkes also realises that the growing impact and relevance of blogs and other social media is here to stay. She told Mary Scherpe of Stil in Berlin, “the world changed when fashion instead of being a monologue, became a conversation. And that’s never going to stop.”

7. Fashion 2.0 | The Fashionable Rise of Tumblr


Tumblr Screenshots | Source: Google Images
Tumblr is the latest social media platform to take the fashion industry by storm. Vikram Alexei Kansara’s round-up on the rise of fashion tumbling elicited a huge response amongst the Tumblr community and resulted in BoF being invited to become an editor on the official Tumblr fashion channel. BoF has also launched it’s own Tumblr to participate in this passionate community.

8. Fashion Pioneers | Jefferson Hack, Natalie Massenet and Nick Knight



Our series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with fashion’s most inspiring pioneers have been extremely popular on BoF and have spread around the internet like wildfire. If you missed our interviews during the year, take the chance to listen to these pioneering fashion forces speak about the future of fashion:

Jefferson Hack on Fashion Media in The Era of Digital Beauty

Natalie Massenet Says to Create the Future, Follow the Consumer

Nick Knight Says Heart and Mind are the Key to Fashion Imagemaking

9. How Influential are the New Fashion Youth?


Much has been said about the increasing influence of young fashion bloggers, empowered with digital media and their own creativity. Indeed, today’s internet-empowered youth have the tools, access and information to create and promote their own fashion culture. Our exploration of the ‘new fashion youth’ demonstrated how this kind of online showcase may create opportunities for long-term careers in the fashion industry.

10. It’s Time Fashion Schools Got Down to Business


Thomas Tait’s Sketchbook | Source: Thomas Tait
Rounding out the top ten articles of the year on BoF was an opinion piece highlighting the lack of business training and preparation given to young fashion designers at fashion schools the world over. The article does not advocate upseting “the unique and delicate creative climates that have been carefully constructed at the world’s leading fashion colleges,” but “building some basic business training into the core fashion curriculum would be a very good thing indeed.”