Last week we were invited to the ‘Shwop Lab’ in collaboration with Marks & Spencers and London College of Fashion’s Centre For Sustainable Fashion. The purpose of the pop-up space at the Old Truman Brewery was to explore the future of fashion through a series of collaborations with the UK’s leading lights in sustainable fashion and design. The results…a collection of outfits made entirely from donated clothes and more importantly the ushering of a possible revolution in the fashion industry.

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Located in the heart of East London’s fashion forward/vintage quarter; The Shwop Shop is the brainchild of M&S and the Unity Agency who are also the geniuses behind the below installation/stunt.

I was initially drawn to the event at the prospect of witnessing stylists and designers construct outfits from donated clothes (I sometimes have trouble doing this with my own wardrobe) however I was soon pulled into the thought provoking exploration and debate about the future of sustainable fashion led by fashion visionaries including Gary Harvey, Michelle Lowe-Holder and Dr Noki and his infamous mask. The initiative which they hope will revolutionise clothes shopping and help consumers to live a more sustainable lifestyle, builds on M&S relationship with Oxfam which has seen over 10 million items donated.

My favourite looks from the night

 Is sustainable fashion important?

Will sustainable fashion ever catch on?

What a question, makes you wonder ey? We live in such a fast paced lifestyle in London, well I do anyway. In this age of connectedness, it’s so easy into fall into the comfortable booby trap with your day job and other projects. Once you fall into that trap, you probably won’t realise your in that situation for a whole minute. Luckily for me, I have a whole bunch of personal projects outside of work to drown myself in – photography, Y&Y, a documentary amongst other things. Even then, I still feel like I’m always working and doing the same but different things all the time!? So when was the last time I tried something new. You’ll have to hop on after the cut to find out.

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Eastpak – Website

Eastpak, the urban lifestyle brand has unveiled it’s latest campaign with it centering around the thought provoking question (see title of post, duh). We all dream about the future, make plans and promises but how many of us actually follow through with them? I’m determined to follow through with one of mine. I signed up for the 10k a few weeks back, my first ‘race’. Not really a race but you know what I mean. I’ve started training for it with 2 week intervals in between each run so far o_O going to have to sacrifice another part of my life to complete this challenge.

Satisfaction is what the EASTPAK campaign is all about; by reminding us of the things that truly inspire us and what we really live for. So my aim for the next few months is to visit as many new places as possible. In the coming few months, I have Sweden, Belgium, possibly Norway, Hawaii, LA, San Francisco and Seattle on the cards. I will bless you with the photographs, I hate to do this but ‘YOLO’. One day I’ll get to a position where I’ll be able to travel the world for a year while someone else looks after my company…. *dreams*

Have a gander at EASTPAK’s mini site – click here

A couple of days ago, you saw the collection from Black Dice, here we have the LTD Ceramic Chrono watch. LTD have only been around since 2009 and within 3 years, they have made a good impression- taking classic timepieces and upgrading them with glossy accents and bold colouring that are always trendy. More after the break

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LTD Watches

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Presenting LTD watch- launched in 2009, a fashionable unique concept in accessorizing your time keeping. Who says that exclusivity equals expensive? Who says that creativity and irreverence have to be pretentious? LTD watches are classic silhouettes are supercharged with colours and accents that embolden the traditional timepiece.  Updated seasonally to reflect trends and fashion palettes, each model is uniquely produced in a highly limited run, casebacks are individually numbered, never to be produced again.

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Limited edition, the £250 LTD Ceramic Chrono comes complete with a sapphire glass face deeming it virtually scratch resistant, a white ceramic body and bracelet with rose gold accents- this watch has luxury written all over it. Ceramic watches are a great addition to a summer look but honestly I’m not particularly crazy about this model just because white watches aren’t really my thing. Having said that, I think the mix of rose gold, white and silver to make up the chronograph display in the dial looks really cool. In comparison to Black Dice’s slick collection, this collection has got the edge on style; functionality… well I wouldn’t advise dropping it as ceramic watches were not made to be dropped!! On the plus side, the glass is fairly durable and it’s also 10ATM Water resistant. View here

Mike Posner, love him or hate him? I’ve been a fan for a while, in fact I randomly stumbled across his music a few years back when he was still in college (university to us!). I actually introduced him to Y&Y readers in our launch week back in November 2009 – click here. A few years on, Posner having now graduated and slowly taking over the music world – having worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber and Timbaland in the past year. His hustle has to be respected, Reebok have teamed up with US maestro to launch the Reebok Classics‘ RealFlex campaign in London. He sits down with good folk at Vice to give insight into what it takes to make a classic and shares a little of his story. Hop on after the cut.

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Creativity, individuality and courage are what he highlights as the key ingredients into making a classic.

‘A lot of people have amazing ideas but they’re scared and don’t think they’re deserving of the greatness they could achieve. So they don’t end up achieving it.’

You know how I often talk about having to juggle photography, Y&Y and my day job? It’s worth it, Posner juggled his studies and music career, now look where he is. It’s a process.

‘Thursday I performed in Detroit. Friday I performed in Detroit. Saturday I performed at the University of Dayton. I came back and studied Sunday and Monday. I had three finals on Tuesday, and I had a show on Wednesday….Thursday I had like, a meeting with a professor, and Friday I had a meeting with Jay-Z.’

It’s this inspirational journey and can-do attitude that appealed to Reebok, who partnered with Posner to show the world what it really takes to make a classic. Obviously he’s not made a ‘classic’ just yet in his career, he acknowledges that in the interview but only time will tell. Seriously though, how is his shape-up that defined? It looks photshopp’d on. I need to hire his barber.

The sneakers remind me of the Free 3.0′s. Not bad Reebok.

You’ve already seen the impressive men’s & women’s AW lookbooks courtesy of DJB – well I was blown away too but not 100% convinced as the brand’s quality isn’t always the best. Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a closer inspection of the new menswear looks from Hennes at their Central London Showroom and it’s fair to say I have been won over. My initial thoughts of the collection is that they’ve upped their game to catch up with Topman in the tailoring department. It’s a bold and understandable move, it’s all about tailoring after all. The sharp-suited 60′s silhouette is the central focus of the collection; you know the slim lapels, slightly cropped trousers (I don’t do none of the crazy roll up business), sharp fit that is perfect for layering. More on the reverse.

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The best thing about a suit is the layering options and this winter it looks like Steve Jobs’ favourite piece is back in fashion. The polo neck sweater. Yes I know, I don’t like the thought of it either but I’m pretty sure I’ll give into it sooner rather than later. Weak.

Surprisingly they’ve used real leather. I need the dark brown belt.

Tweed adds texture. One of H&M’s key pieces.

Reminds you of their Marni collection, no? and BIGGER PICTURES. Embrace and get used to it.

Got to give props to the design team. The shoes are fine.

Clearly inspired by Mark McNairy though! However I’m not complaining since his shoes are extortionate.

If I can cop this for less than a quarter of the price…

Need this jumper.

Love textures.

Actual suede and leather pants. I don’t think I could pull this off without looking suspect, though I can picture a look with a loose fit jumper. I’ll leave it for Kanye.

Nice detail.

Excuse my photography. Lazy lunch-time photography on a near empty stomach.

Definitely my favourite piece from the collection. It’s just a damn shame my photography doesn’t do it justice, check out the lookbook.

I didn’t know who he was till X-Men – incredible performance from him as Magneto. This month’s GQ features Irish-born actor Michael Fassbender (What a surname!). This has to be one of the best styled shoots I’ve seen in a long time – each and every look is layered and colour coordinated perfectly. Of course with a genius like Mario Testino behind the lens, it was bound to be a masterpiece. The great thing about GQ is they always give a back story to the creation and idea generation. More on the reverse and potentially a little NSFW – no nekkidness though.

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GQ creative director Jim Moore reveals the concept behind the Mario Testino shoot:

One of the inspirations the photographer Mario Testino and I talked about were Helmut Newton photos. Not necessarily the black-and-white series he did but ones that had a more voyeuristic feeling to them. The story is actually shot through objects and is meant to feel as though Fassbender and the model are being watched. We wanted something that was tough, chic, and a little bit naughty as well as a scenario that played to some of his recent parts as a leading man. Our goal was to make it a really epic shoot and once we had the great Mario Testino we then pulled in a lot of references, from Steve McQueen to Cary Grant and images of strong guys who ride motorcycles (and have a beautiful woman on the back of them).

It’s clearly evident in the images, classic men’s looks pulled off well by Fassbender. The photography is something else, I look at it and think ‘hmm, maybe I can reproduce this?’ but the hard part is getting the idea for the shoot. Execution is everything.

I’ll leave you with some inspiration and I need that jacket. Please buy it for me. Thanks!

The Olympic games are just around the corner but while the world anticipates it’s arrival I simply await the arrival of the different apparel collections that will be conjured up as a result of its presence. Adidas have been sponsoring Team GB since 1984 however its 2012 that i’m more concerned with. Peep this new Tailored Team GB Sport Collection. The collection includes outerwear, fleece, polos, shorts and more, the offer comes mostly in the colours of Team GB’s red, white and blue and adorned with the adidas Originals Trefoil. The collection will be hitting the shelves of Adidas Orignals retailers soon.

*sidenote* I’m in France on holiday yet I all I wanna do I blog, dedication :)

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Source

If you’re into your watches then you might know of Black Dice Industries and LTD Watches; two relevant sources of good quality yet stylish timepieces. Our friends over at Zeon, one of the UK’s biggest watch distributors, dropped us a couple of gems for your visual pleasure. Read up on Black Dice after the break and keep an eye out for LTD tomorrow.

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Black Dice Industries

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Each product appeals to a demanding sub-culture of consumer that expects styling and design that evokes the heart and soul of their lifestyle – and an uncompromising dedication to performance.  Quality materials, and cutting edge technology ensures that what is expected, is delivered.  All watches use high precision analogue movements, custom designed digital or cutting edge LED’s.  Bracelets and cases are made from solid stainless steel, straps from high quality genuine leather.

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In a nutshell, the company launched in 2005 with the vision of switching up the luxury timewear industry by producing watches that embodied elements of fashion, music and an urban edge. The masterpiece above is from the ‘Slick’ collection and it really is a slick incarnation of a classic casio watch complete with a digital display and a host of other functions- albeit minimal; the watch keeps its modern edge with ergonomic touchscreen technology and a world clock. All of that encased in jet black sold stainless steel and 5ATM water-resistance, this watch is perfect if you’re looking for something practical that will last you a while. With this kind of coating and minimal branding, you’re looking at a device that is mild in terms of aesthetics but a very sturdy one. Price wise, these ship for £160,00 and are available in other colours including grey and rose gold. View here

What a week, I am knackered. You all have probably noticed through our other social channels (FB and Twitter) that DJB and I headed down to Paris for a very special launch. The good folks at Levi’s Strauss Europe invited us down to the launch of their new flagship store on one of the city’s most prestigious roads, Champs-Élysées. I can’t pronounce that title with a French accent, end up saying Champ Ellesee haha. We bumped into London-based style enthusiasts on the Eurostar, Aaron and Martell of Individualism who happened to be going to the same event. More on the reverse.

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Levi’s – Facebook | Blog | Champs Elysees Store

What makes this store so special that Levi’s wanted us to be there? Well the history of denim actually started off in France.

Appropriately enough, the legacy of denim harkens back to 17th century France and Serge de Nimes, a sturdy fabric known as “serge” that was introduced in Nimes, France. More than a century later, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invented the first blue jean.

To celebrate the legacy, Levi brand have launched this new flagship store with their latest collections (Commuter, Made & Crafted et al) , ALL their denim range as well as the vintage clothing. Keep reading…as we went gorillas for the rest of the night.

The day started off pretty early with us heading to Paris around 10am. Straight through to the hotel as soon as we reached there – y’all need to stay at Mama Shelter if you’re going to the city. It’s a little bit special with iMacs in every room and hip-hop playing as soon as you walk in. I wasn’t sure how to illustrate our brief trip so decided to feature it as a photo story below.

We were planning to take video and a hell of a lot more imagery but the day was hectic! to be honest, we weren’t expecting 27 degree weather. Sweatfest.

Aaron let me borrow his 50mm 1.2 lens. JEEZ, the depth of field and focus is a little bit better. Auto-focus is a lot faster too.

DJB looks happy.

iMac on deck. Photobooth ting.

Mama Shelter. You have to stay here. Now onto the actual store…

Impressive installation ey? It’s Busy P/Pedro Winter’s first ever art installation. Taking him back to his skateboarding roots.

The 2 limited edition jackets from the new collaboration collection with Pedro Winter/Busy P (Ed Banger Records) and James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem). To celebrate the long-standing connection between the two countries, the launch of the new store features a few collaborations between popular French and American cultural tastemakers. Over the next few months, artists and music legends; Busy P, James Murphy, Mr. Andre and Shepard Fairey will share their love for each other’s culture, creative movements and homelands through installations, limited edition design, collaboratively designed apparel and events. Now that’s what I call a collaboration.

You should have seen how happy Busy P was to represent his city. We’ll be dropping an interview later on this week – spoke to him on what inspires him and his Ed Banger movement.

I dig this! This look is for the mid-30s creative director haha.

Custom Levi’s Vintage vest. This guy’s style >

‘This friendship has inspired important movements in music, film, art and fashion’ – We can only dream of doing the same with the family.

Busy P‘s tattoo inspired design. I need and want – $190 euros, might just have to make another trip down to Paris for one as I was in two minds on the night.

I’ll leave you guys with the campaign video, so clean. SHEPARD FAIREY YO.  I need to see what he comes up with. Obey x Levi?

Shout out to the Levi’s PR team. We had a joyous time!

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, I appreciate a women’s fashion. I don’t know what is goign on in the waters down at the H&M desginers HQ but the be sippin on the good stuff. Fresh from delivering the mens Autumn/Winter lookbook (see here) I now bring you the womenswear counterpart. I must say that the styling on this and the mens lookbook is on point. This lookbook makes me wanna go out and buy clothes for my mother, sister and friends, love it!

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