Wharf Clothing & Wares is one of the few, if not the only, rather comprehensive menswear stores around Providence. They stock a good bunch of mainly outdoors-inspired and American brands, denim, outerwear, and shoes/boots.
Something a little different this time was to style these inherently American pieces only on Asian college students here in Providence. I just wanted to see how everything would look. Nothing up to par as the venerable Black Ivyof course, but still something different from what we see all the time on the interwebs, I hope.
Last week Agyesh invited me to stop by Isaia’s New York showroom. Having only seen most of their stuff online prior to this, it was great to finally have a feel of their registered burgundy tartan and appreciate the general grandeur of what Leonardo Genova has cooked up for this fall. Genova, who primarily focuses on the fabric development of the Neapolitan brand, has really brought something new to the table while staying true to a classic archetype in menswear.
Hopefully the photos manage to capture at least some of the genius behind Isaia, and no doubt did Agyesh do a brilliant job of styling all the mannequins on display. The next time you see that Red Coral on someone’s lapel, you know what’s up.
Although Ascot Chang is a Hong Kong-based bespoke shirtmaker, they have two other stores in America. One in Beverly Hills and the other in Manhattan. I stopped by their store on Central Park South recently to see how things were going, and what struck me was the spacious setup they had compared to their other stores in Hong Kong.
Ascot Chang still prides itself first and foremost as a custom shirtmaker, however this time I went there there was also a solid variety of Isaia RTW. Some awesome neckwear from Breuer as well as a great selection of other accessories for the well-dressed. They also do bespoke PJs and silk robes, yo.
As the WSJ recently revealed Drakes’ buyout by The Armoury, I’m sure some people had their doubts about it. Some of you probably saw this as a sellout by one of the world’s best tie manufacturers. You aren’t to blame, since after brands such as Gieves & Hawkes and Kent & Curwen were bought by a Hong Kong properties developer, both brands were then mass-marketed in Asia pretty much with a purely profit-driven business model. Rest assured, I’m quite certain this won’t be the case for Drake’s.
To be honest, I can’t think of anything more appropriate and deserving than what has happened. The guys at The Armoury are individuals who care about what they do. They fucking love it. They’re a rare breed in the industry. As Michael Drake would “turn down things that might make money if [he] didn’t want to do them,” so would the guys at The Armoury. It’s romantic and comforting that there are people who care about quality and would go to great lengths in order to uphold high standards of craftsmanship. I saw a Prada knit tie today that costs more than one by Drake’s. Personally, I think you should get shot if you chose the former. You can’t trust all luxury brands these days.
Enough talk. Check out some of the pics by Dev, the homie, from a recent visit to their new store in Savile Row. Just glancing at their recent pieces, you can only expect greater things from Michael Hill – head designer at Drake’s. Aside from that, thanks to Jake, Augustine, Chris, and Lal for showing us around. (Excuse us if some photos are blurry, but it’s sprezzy like that)
Been working on this for a while. Hope you do stop by on Thursday to check it out. Means a lot for the “made in Hong Kong”.
Cocktail party launch Thursday, August 11 6 – 9.30pm
G.O.D. Central Store 48 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
RSVP Jordan Mak 92362251 info@colonialgoods.co
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Colonial Goods is proud to present a three-way collaboration with Goods of Desire (G.O.D.) and the Lee Kung Man Knitting Factory (L.K.M.). The essence of this project is to re-introduce a classic T-shirt with much heritage, while showcasing the craftsmanship and traditional methods of production behind a quality product still made in Hong Kong.
The T-shirts are made from vintage tubular-knitting machines dating back to the 1950s at the L.K.M. factory in Hong Kong. L.K.M. – one of Asia’s oldest operating mills – is among the few remaining factories worldwide in possession of such rare machinery. Due to the unique features of such antique knitting hardware and the time-consuming knitting process, the 100% Swiss cotton garments are unmatched in fineness of fabric as well as comfort. From Bruce Lee to the average tea-house goer in the 1960s, this T-shirt was undeniably an iconic staple of the past.
The tshirts will be available in two iconic styles: The “Roundneck” and the “Henley”.
I recently stumbled on a section on Getting Beat Like You Stole Something. I’ve chosen a few excerpts below lest they are lost on the interwebs. It’s run by Jon Moy, one of the three guys behind Run of The Mill. If you already don’t know, Run of The Mill is a small private label which focuses on small collections and footwear. I wouldn’t do them justice to talk about the brand here, but the guys who run it are really doing it first and foremost because of their devotion for quality garments. When people ask me who I turn to for inspiration or motivation in what I do, name-dropping industry magnates is so previous level. Instead, take a closer look at people you see everyday around you. Individuals who are going out on a limb either to support their family, run a business, or building a brand to share products they’re passionate about.
Anyway, I screwed up and missed out on their spread collar oxfords. But there’s always hope in #Menswear. Come fall, I hear they’re cooking some suede joints to make feet sexy for the masses.
I really do love when girls dress like this. It’s not because her boat shoes could be navy chromexcel joints. Not because she has her hair in the one style that is certified boy kryptonite. Nor that she realizes a little collarbone can be the sexiest thing in the world. It’s the pants. A lot of people would consider them to be ‘unflattering’. I love when girls wear ‘unflattering clothes’-drop crotches, over sized military jackets, mens oxfords, all that gear. I feel like I enjoy this style so much because from my perspective, it takes more confidence to wear something that others may see as a little wonky fitting or too far outside the box rather than something you know you look smashing in. And nothing, nothing is better than a girl with confidence and a nice smile. But then again, I feel like this woman knew she looked amazing in this gear. How could she not? Look at her. So who knows. All I know girls, is a little bit of clever goes farther than a whole lotta cleavage.
While we always notice the girl with the outlandish outfit on, we always want to fall in love with the girl in the simple shirt and braid. If girls ever realize how much we love a simple braid, I’m pretty sure there’d be no other hairstyles. In fact, if girls knew how much we love everything about them they’d be incorrigible.
You see this girl at that random hipster launch party you go to “just ‘cause there’ll be free booze” and not because pretty girls like this go to hipster parties. I’d like to think I’d run into her at the bar, and we’d have that “Man, aren’t hipsters the worst?” conversation. Then I’d make up an awesome lie that’s hard to disprove like “Hey girl, I’m the guy behind Fuck Yeah Menswear.” And her pretty little hipster self wouldn’t be able to resist me after that. Just kidding, I would never lie to a pretty girl at a party. I’d just stand with the dudes I came with and smile awkwardly when she looks over. I’ll think it’s cause I’m looking extra crispy, but it’s probably due to the fact that me and all the other guys have our jeans rolled up the same way.
Since starting Colonial Goods around a year ago, I’ve come across many people who I know could hold meaningful conversations with me whether it was 5, 10, or even 20 years from now. I value friendships like these a lot, and when you add #Menswear to the relationship, shit gets real.
I collaborated with Carmen Chan on this and went around the city snapping the steezy/crispy/fresh/swag/wavy/jawzned-out men of Hong Kong on a Mamiya. This isn’t a ranking of any sort, that’s not the point. With all the action that’s happening in New York, Milan, and Paris, I wanted to use this opportunity to capture the up and coming menswear scene here in Asia. Despite all that China wealth lined up outside the Prada/Gucci/D&G stores here in Hong Kong, I have faith that genuine quality and style will thrive.
It was incredibly unfortunate I couldn’t make the festivities over at (capsule) this time around, but thankfully The Real Ryan Ho held the swagger fort down for Hong Kong. Thanks to Justin Chung over at WATM as well as the honorable Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist for these pics. Girls in Hong Kong are crying over that LBM joint.
I’m looking forward to wrapping up a project I’ve been working on with Carmen Chan — a promising LA/HK-based photographer who I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about in the near future. It’s always fun working with other young and talented people in the city, hustling like none other.
Nothing too complicated, I basically wanted to showcase a few good friends of mine whose styles reflected the subtly refined chivalry so often associated with “classic menswear”. Sounds pretentious and androcentric, but I assure you all of these guys are some of the most cordial, most interesting, and most exerent people I’ve ever come across. Each shoot was scheduled very last minute, but it wasn’t a problem since these dudes dress like this on the regular. Everything was shot on medium format 120 film with the Mamiya RZ67, giving us incredible depth and authentic, organically produced captures.
Hong Kong’s fashion scene is overcrowded with a lot overpriced and downright weird stuff. Obviously everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but when the quality versus price ratios are at polar opposites, you’ll start having people complaining. That, along with Abercrombie’s latest efforts in capitalizing on the Chinese market, we’re on the brink of a sartorial crisis.
Anyway, don’t not take this too seriously. Best dressed real men in Hong Kong. Coming soon.
