Mourning Glory

Great jewellery is extremely hard to find. It has only now hit me why my mother and her friends got all theirs custom made whenever they went back to Egypt. Obviously getting anything custom made in Egypt doesn't come with the same price tag is it would in the western world.

I have been in the market for a ring that I can wear forever, look at daily that puts a smile on face. This has been an incredibly difficult challenge of late. Finding something timeless is always a struggle due to my obvious changes, both emotional and appearance in terms of clothing; finding yourself and growing up is never easy, if anything its boring, dull, and a waste of time, but necessary. Our ostentatious lifestyles from clothing to going out, at times takes a halt whilst we reluctantly contemplate what we are ACTUALLY doing in our lives.

Usually when thoughts so inappropriate like these enter my mind I go through what i see as a mid-mid-life crisis, longing for the days when life was simpler, assessing who I really am. This always results in me throwing out half my wardrobe, self-deprecation, followed by an intense few days with Oprah and reading self-help books, just to study the human condition....obviously.

It's a constant battle to better yourself, finding your essence and what you want from the world and what the world can give you in return. So let me manipulate this whole situation and turn 'finding our true selves’ into fashion.

Fashion is about what we like, we represent ourselves by what we wear, indicating our likes and dislikes. (We'll keep it simple and just keep it emotional, so I will refrain from commenting on class, status, etc etc) so what happens when you don't like yourself? Or when you don't know who you are? How do you represent that? It is then when I meditate unclothed, and listen to myself- and no, this doesn't take a few hours, this is a transition that takes weeks of intense thought, avoiding people and truly becoming your own best friend. So the next step is to, like a snake, shed your old skin aka get rid of anything that you associate your old self with, making way for the new you.

The one thing that I have never thrown out though is my jewellery. Why? Because of its sentimental value. For instance I wear a necklace that previously was all the gold I received from family and family friends when I was born. (It's a cultural thing; you're given gold when you're born, rings, pedants, etc etc. I guess frankincense and myrrh died with Jesus) so at the age of 16 my mother took all my gold and melted it to create a necklace with a pendant. I barely see it and at times forget it’s there, but haven’t taken it off since i was 16. It is the most in-offence piece of jewellery I have compared to my obnoxious Vivienne Westwood costume jewellery (which I love). So now I need a ring that I can wear and treasure as much as I do my necklace.

The good news is that I came across a ring that I have completely fallen in love with. From its name to how it's made, to its overall look. And here it is.

At the SHOWstudio at Motcomb Street I truly fell in love with this Jennifer Corker piece of art. Inspired by mourning rings worn by the Victorians, commemorating the death of a loved one, this ring represents my past deaths and will represent my future deaths. A little morbid for you faint hearted, but there are always life altering changes, good and bad, that are the cause of small death within all of us.

My mourning ring harbours everything I love. Sentimental memories and traditions of the past, that have been forgotten about in our modern day lives, as if resurrected to remind us of the past. Not to mention it is made of gold and has a silk centre. The silk has the luxurious sense of being incredibly delicate, but is surrounded by the solid gold outlining it and protecting it. The best metaphor of myself.

Unlike most clothing, jewellery is always timeless. There is a reason why they are passed on as heirlooms, admired by many represents bonds, no matter how simple or over the top. It represents the person wearing it, and I assure you each piece of jewellery you have has a story to tell about your past and will undoubtedly be part of your future.

Clothes come and go but jewellery is forever.

-Andrew

Jesus, Mary & Joesph

Holy moly, praise Jesus and deliver us from evil. In correlation with the cuming, sorry I mean coming of the new pope, we have seen religious iconography appear on fashion attire. Givenchy obviously stole the show continuing their bold prints that are ever so well translated into men's fashion, darkening their mood in what can be seen as a Corrado Giaquinto painting battling between good and evil.

Having said that, there seems to be a design team that people seem to be too terrified to discuss in fear of the Vatican striking them down. Good thing I'm here. Dolce & Gabbana absolutely crucified this seasons menswear, in a good way, not the stigmata kinda way, that's just a bit horrid. No one really wants to think of getting their clothes bloody after some weird religious experience. They never mention that in the bible do they?

The pubescent models is what did it for me, and no, not in a sexual way. They all had a sense of innocence to them that has been completely misused, baring the burden of the religious imagery on their chest that I'm sure a few of us know the feeling of too well. Once joyed of the idea of being protected by a higher power, disheartened by the truth these alter boys walk down the catwalk with a sadness, fear and loneliness in their eyes. It is beautiful. Now this is a comment of society today via fashion like we haven't seen in a while. Pure brilliance.

Not to mention the choice proportion of the garments. Dolce & Gabbana forget their sheers and tight fits and seek the over powering over sized tops submerging their fragile models in an image they can not yet fathom. Love love LOVE the concept and the execution of the pieces and the whole show. Romantic, drastic, truthful and beautiful.

-A

Follow me on Instagram

As I am in the middle of starting my own fashion label, working full time, trying to blog and managing my own home; for the days I do not have enough time to post on my blog- so if you are interested in how my mind works without the essay long posts please follow me on instagram, be prepared.


Much Love

Andrew 

Comfort is where the sole is

Day in and day out I run up and down steps, walk for hours and am on my feet constantly for my job. Adorned in spikes, snake skin or the finest of leathers, my feet get to live in the lap of luxury while I am constantly reminded of how wearing tight shoes might ruin ones feet in the long run. However this is how I like my shoes. Call me masochistic if you will but I do love getting my shoes a half or full size smaller as I believe they last longer and make my feet look more in proportion with the rest of my petite fisique.

Now the thing is this; when the day ends and my once lavished feet are ready to commence their long journey home, I take off the snake skins keep them safe for another day and put my feet in something supposedly more comfortable shoes.

For a while the trainers, sneakers, plimsolls DM's, boots etc etc etc never really did the trick. My feet would still not feel the ease that everyone says they are meant to. So after thinking long and hard I decided to go back to my past. Remembering what shoes used to make me feel uber comfortable.

Much like all of you  I had fashion transformations; ghetto, skater, indie boy, preppy, grungy- which is why I like clothing, design etc because looking back you can always see who you were and where you've gotten to until this point, and trust me even though you might think you are not part of a group, someone will always label you, and once you're labeled, your subconscious frustration will make you move on to something new.

Anyway whilst thinking about my previous styles and phases, I remembered an argument I had with my mother ( nothing new) at the age or 15. She continuously attempted to throw out my favourite pair of shoes away and I would always find them in the bin. Now let me just let you know that I have never been a unwashed, dirty teenager. I bathed regularly and did take care of my appearance, having said that; there were a pair of shoes that I wore until they were completely cut up, whole infested and all in all just horrendous, yet they were the most comfortable of shoes. These were my black and white checkered slip-on VANS. At the age of 15 having begged and pleaded for these shoes, I remember the abuse I would get for wearing them. People didn't seem to understand the checkered pattern, but I believed there was something very serene and yin and yang about them (thats me tapping into my early Deepak Chopra). Although the harass from what is now known to be one of the biggest fashion capitals in Europe did not stop every time I wore these shoes, I did not mind, as I knew and truly felt I had the happiest feet in all of Copenhagen.

So dear readers, 10 (nearly 11) years later, after remembering my happiest feet moment, I realised that although I sometimes choose to forget the past, sometimes the small things that creep up, creep up for a reason. They remind you about good times and how you have become who you are today. Therefore I have succumbed to going back to my checkered VANS, the best shoe I had in my life. The one that made me stand up for ridiculous comments, step on negative thoughts and arise to my stronger self at the same time whilst being incredibly comfortable. 

 
I am not the only one who has picked up on this. High end Luxury designers have done so too. effortlessly chic Celine, constantly creative Christian Louboutin, and a collaboration with an homage to vintage Hermes. The cloud like pillowed soles have made their way in to high fashion, it doesn't necessarily mean it will take over, it just means you have more options to play footsie.

Andrew

Celine, Pony Hair & Snake Skine

Christian Louboutin, Roller Boat 

VANS & Hermes Collaboration.

VANS

Truth & simplicity

First and fore most let me apologise for the lack of posts, life has taken over and I have been forced to take on a full time job where all my spare time is spent on eating or sleeping. If only there were more hours in the day.

For a while now, fashion lovers have desired the effortlessly simple Celine T-shirt. Like all things in luxury fashion, one had to be quick to purchase this simple and chic piece.

Now for those of us that lacked the funds or weren't quick enough to get our hands on the t shirt, designers have come up with a way to create these tshirts with our loved logos on them but come with a joke like twist. Enter Michael Agwunobi. With a fashion sense of humour there is no wonder why his t-shirts have to be constantly restocked on his website with a great client list like Rihanna.

Now more recently after a previous article I wrote for Men's Fashion Magazine regarding the change of the Saint Laurent logo, a new t-shirt has been introduced to the market. Clever, witty and some what true, the 'ain't Laurent' t-shirts convey what a lot of fashion followers feel about the brands new identity yet is never really talked about in the industry.

Both are also a comment on fashion. Not done in a very f.p.c ( fashion politically correct), but speaks volumes of truth. Lining up the but the bitches to buy a tshirt that is sooo simple and easy to make with a price tag of your monthly food shop, and the other expressing what we all think about a logo that has been with us for decades, and taken away from us so abruptly like death of its founder.

One ironic and the other true.. For those of us with a humble income that appreciate designers and fashion and find it more than just clothes we wear to keep warm, this pieces are a new start to an suave anarchistic change. A new side of fashion is emerging and I don't think it'll be pretty. But so far it's been brutally honest and clever.

-a

....or not......

So obviously I was given the wrong info. A while back on my wonderful blog (you know its wonderful), I was given the news that Christopher Kane would be taking over Nicholas Ghesquière position at Balenciaga. This was apparently not true, according to WWD this morning the designer that will now become creative director of Balenciaga will be the effortless stylish Alexander Wang. Does it make sense though? Maybe it's just because I was just coming to terms with Kane's take over, but can Wang replace Ghesquière? to be honest Wang is always a great way to get over things. So here's it to Wang. Let Wang prevail! VIVA WANG!- Here at WhatIsABoyToDo I wish him the best of luck! 

To Read what WWD said click here.

The MIU MIU

Last night the brilliant Miuccia Prada opened her exclusive 3 day members club at the Café Royal in the heart of London. This limited occasion consists of a bar (obviously), restaurant and a small shop where those invited can shop till they drop whilst sipping on their Champagne deep into the night. Now how great does that sound?--AMAZING! For us who unfortunately have not been invited, the great news is we get to log on from home and hear the wise words of Shala Monroque and Penny Martin tonight starting at 6:30 GMT. Although I would have much rather been sipping cocktails with Nick Cave at last nights event, I'll definitely be watching tonight's conversation with the hope of being awed by very inspirational women if the industry. Hey, beggars cant be choosers. To watch tonight follow here.

dressed to kill

This all started when I first saw the Balmain collection. Heavily embellished, very structured  somewhat armor like, the Balmain 12-13 collection blow me away. Since then I pondered on how this effeminate look can be translated into menswear? Then a small trip to Spain reminded me that its has already been done! Matadors have been adorning appliqued, embellished uniforms for decades.

In the beautiful city of Nerja, I, together with my partner and his parents, enjoyed the last of the sun, great food and drinks with a constant view of the stunning Mediterranean sea. Little did I know that I would see something that will not only inspire me for my next StitchUp London collection but it made me even contemplate moving to Spain. It's weird the effect clothes have on me, I barely understand it myself.

In a wonderfully elaborate hotel Chris and I came a across this beautiful Matador custom. A piece so stunning, that I had to try to take as many pictures to try to do it justice. In a glass box, treat as if it where a masterpiece, there it stood right by the reception commanding attention, and that is what it got.

Every individual tiny detail in this one piece can create the most romantic collection. So obviously designers have already picked up on this and here are a few things that are my personal favourites.
Lets start with the A.F Vandevorst shoes and make our way through to Balmain.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a Matador jacket to take back with me so I opted for the Spanish Sombrero. This does not mean that my quest for the jacket has ended- this is just the first chapter of my journey to get it. To be continued.

Christopher Kane & Balenciaga

The news is out. Replacing the faboulous Nicolas Ghesquiére for Balenciaga is, drum roll please................ the talented Christopher Kane. Cannot wait to see the outcome!

MMM & H&M

It was 6:00 am and after a night of white wine, Champagne, red wine and whiskey, the last thing I wanted was an early start the following day. After a drunken conversation with my friend Sabrina while intoxicated, I thought it would be a fabulous idea to meet her at the crack of dawn after a debaucherous night. The phone rang at 6 and luckily, I was still drunk so it felt as if everything was still a dream, and it probably wasn't too far from. 

We didn't have to queue for hours in the cold, we were respectful given wrist bands and where told to come back 5 minutes before it was our time and like clock work, we followed instuctions. There was no pushing no banging no shouting or hollering. Simple. 10 mins to browse and shop, you can only select one one item per style, fair and simple.     

Still drunk from the night before, I bought what I wanted (minus the over-sized watch face bracelet, as I missed it). We headed up to the stylish Selfridge's  fitting rooms (with cameras in them to take photos of what your wearing and send to a friend)  to try on our new purchases and this is what we got. 

So what better way to celebrate a successful Maison Martion Margiela/ H&M day then with a cigarette and lunch. An all in all perfect day- good company, fine purchases (minus the bracelet) and nice food. I wonder who is doing the next H&M collaboration, please make it good like Margiela- creative designers should be more accessible to the high street! well maybe only once in a while, or else they will lose some value. Either way I'm glad with this collaboration. Totally worthwhile and spot on!  

Drawn together

Our childhoods are over as we know them. Gone are the days of referring back to our favourite Disney toons to give us that warm and fuzzy feeling of security and being safe to re insure us that everything will be alright in the end. Nope, those days are gone; much like our relationships with our parents, the older we get we figure out that our mothers aren't sweet innocent women dressed by small woodland animals daily as she sings in 8 octaves rejoicing her love that the a new day has began; our fathers are not the muscular hero that can save you from fire breathing dragons, powerful wizards and witches and a mob of people who are trying to kill you because they just don't understand you. No my loves, we find out that our parents are just mere mortals just like us.

The new realisation is this: although Disney always taught us that everything is beautiful, simple and traditional, real life is never like this. Life is complicated, messy and unpredictable yet still can be as beautiful without certain traditions and hang ups. Artist Rodolfo Loazia paints the Disney characters somewhat after their roles as princes and princesses end. We need no longer ask 'what every happened to Jasmine and Aladdin after they got married?' or 'did Cinderella & prince charming truly live happily ever after?' the truth is Jasmine fell in love with Belle, Aladdin, upset with his wife that he had used all his 3 wishes on, went to his confidant, Hercules, and after a few too many drinks, tears and an emotional breakdown, they found each other lip locking their aggression out. Haven't we all been there? And as for Cinderella- the girl eventually got everything she wanted. So what happens to the women who goes from rags to riches? Sadly she couldn't deal with it. It started when she began to hang out with that slut Sleeping Beauty, and they would continuously attend their Balls in shorter dresses without underwear exposing themselves to all their minions, then it just got worse. Her once gorgeous blonde hair was stripped away. In a moment of pure insanity, she decides that she no longer needs it and not in the spiritual sense of the word- but in a 'I don't know what the hell i'm doing' way, assuming it'll grow back in the morning. That bitch cray.

But its not all doom and gloom; another thing that we were all taught from Disney was aspiration. We all can have what we want and dream when you believe. This is demonstrated to well in the new Disney & Barneys New York collaboration. Taking us into Minnie Mouse's mind and fantasy of getting her Lanvin dress. The short cartoon gives us very influential people in fashion from editors such as Suzy Menkes, models like Naomi Campbell, celebrities like Gaga & Sarah Jessica Parker, as well designers like Alber Elbaz, hair & make up artists, photographers and other fashion icons like Daphne Guinness. To be fair, there is nothing I love more than seeing someone I like illustrated. I don't really know why, but I guess its because there is so many ways of drawing someone depending on what part you see them and how they are perceived. Its a cute cartoon that has the softness and happiness of Disney, but the hard edge of today.

flourishing men

give us a twril