Background on Black Coffee: Black
Coffee is the brainchild of designer Jacques van der Watt, who is known
in his native South Africa for his mysterious yet feminine creations.
Key Takeaways: Black
Coffee’s collection made heavy references to traditional Japanese
culture such as obi belts, kimono-style dresses and canvas flats.
Color Palette:
Beige, taupe, black and white colors emphasized an Asian influence;
some of these muted colors were contrasted with rich hues such as
burgundy and red.
Silhouettes: The
unusual cuts and lines of van der Watt’s pieces helped to differentiate
the label from many others. Black Coffee truly caught our eye with
unusual takes on layering (a structured knee-length jacket paired with
a flowy, asymmetrical skirt) and shape (tunics with three tiers of
ruffles at the bottom).
Photo Credit: Ling Kong
Accessories Report: Canvas slippers on the women; wooden beaded necklaces; printed obi belts; necklaces with coin-shaped pendants.
What’s Wearable: Black Coffee proved that, despite overt ethnic references, this collection could still be wearable.
With this top, Black Coffee has truly gone full circle:
November 1st, 2005
Background on Paul Munroe:
A former civil engineering student, Paul Munroe has been showing his
designs on the runways of South African Fashion Week for the past six
years. This show, which featured only menswear, was Munroe’s US debut.
Key Takeaways:
What this collection lacked in cohesiveness it compensated for with
creativity. While we weren’t quite sure how to describe the ensembles
seen at the show (Urban thug? Eighties rockstar? Space cowboy?) we
decided that perhaps the collection’s inability to be labeled is part
of its appeal.
Silhouettes: Baggy jeans, plaid pants and kilts, quilted nylon overalls, vests.
Accessories Report: We
spotted leather piping, medallions and iron-on patches on
everything–from the sides of a pants leg to the back of a vest–as
well as pocket detailing and fabric-and-stainless steel belts.
What’s Wearable:
While many of Munroe’s outlandish ensembles seem fitting for only the
most extreme of alternative lifestyles (example: a sleeveless leather
tank resembling a corset), each individual garment is interesting
enough to worn as a stand-alone piece. We also liked the bomber jackets
and baggy black jeans (our photographer boldly proclaimed: "I would
definitely wear those.")
November 1st, 2005
Part II of Style Intelligence Report’s guide to Men’s Lightweight Jackets.
We present to you Five stylish, semiformal jacket options. Whether you’re looking for something basic, unique, sophisticated, comfortable, or edgy, we have a jacket for you!
Kenneth Cole "Boxcar" Coat | $129.99 (sale) at Macy’s
For a sophisticated, minimalist look, this coat is perfect. Plus, it’ll go with everything in your wardrobe.
Knit for comfort, but tailored for style. The collar detailing on this knit jacket made it a real standout.
No stylish man’s closet is complete without a fitted corduroy blazer. We like this one for its cropped fit. The jacket looks great on tall men, but the cropped length also makes shorter men look taller.
Romain Kapadia Canvas Trench | $438 at Guyshop
Expensive, yes. But we adore this jacket’s off-centered button detailing and the diagonal belt fastening. Truly standout detailing.
Slim fit, streamlined detailing, and washed leather. What’s not to love about this jacket?
November 1st, 2005
