Versus Versace Spring/Summer 2017 Campaign

Image: Versus Versace.

Versus Versace descends into the revealing underbelly of pop-culture’s most hounded relationship with a new Zayn-starring Spring/Summer 2017 campaign. Shot by Gigi Hadid, the former One Direction member’s real life flame and model-of-the-moment, the images are an honest peek at the celebrity couple’s lifestyle, Hadid’s camera-front role substituted here by model Adwoa Aboah. A visually dark departure for both—Hadid the apple of every Versace boy’s eye in her Dylan Blue campaign, Zayn serving his best smolder in his recent Giuseppe Zanotti prints—the images cement the power couple as a fashion mainstay. Though the singer’s dual-gender collaboration under the brand doesn’t drop until June 2017, the campaign is a telling look at what’s to come—a punk rock rebellion whose “all black everything” vibe feeds into a raw #versusuncensored messaging.

Image: Versus Versace.

LANDLORD Releases Gap Capsule Collection

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Image: LANDLORD x Gap.

After reworking its denim line for a more active wearer, Gap partners with LANDLORD, the New York-based brand, to release a capsule collection that celebrates the 2-year-old label’s fashion progression. Following founder Ryohei Kawanishi’s Autumn/Winter 2016 runway, heavily inspired by Gap’s vintage ’90s vibe, the retailer approached the designer to combine its uniformed precision with LANDLORD’s hardened, eccentric vision. The result an oversized dream, the first ever collaboration for Kawanishi, and features the high-flying, khaki-coated vibe portrayed in Gap’s late-millennium campaigns. With both baggy tees and relaxed pants, the capsule cherry-picks from the workwear construct that walked LANDLORD’s Autumn/Winter 2017 runway, though here escaping into more modest territory than previous iterations. By pairing light colors with non-constricting cuts, the collection is a simplified time capsule, bottling up an alternative, evergreen spirit and pouring it over the young label’s modular aesthetic.

Image: LANDLORD x Gap.

The LANDLORD x Gap capsule collection is available now through March 31, 2017, exclusively at the “I am Gap” pop-up store, located at 30-31 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London.

WANT Apothecary Opens in New York City

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Image: WANT Apothecary.

Looking to the past to create its future, WANT Apothecary opens its first U.S. boutique in NoMad, New York City. Heading in a new direction from the brand’s retail store, the apothecary recaptures the essence of the intimate, charming, and amiable experience of nineteenth century drugstores.

Image: WANT Apothecary.

The range boasts a selection of WANT Les Essentiels items, in addition to a plethora of fashion and grooming brands, including Acne Studios, Tomorrowland, Commes des Garçons, Grown Alchemist, and Byredo. Consolidating its vintage pharmacy aesthetic is the boutique’s interior, designed by Maria Rosa di Loia, which features herringbone floors, custom-designed dark oak tables, and Roll & Hill smoked bulb chandeliers. The throwback aesthetic is perfectly housed in The NoMad Hotel, a lavish, turn-of-the-century Beaux-Arts building originally inspired by French designer Jacques Garcia’s Parisian flat. The apothecary, its selection, and its aesthetic attest to the brand’s mission of reinterpreting what is already timeless.

The WANT Apothecary New York City is now open at 1170 Broadway, New York, NY 10014.

It’s Been a Long Week: The Dabney’s El Diablo

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Image: ESSENTIAL HOMME, The Dabney.

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make a glass or two on us, you deserve it.

WHAT

The Dabney’s El Diablo

The crux of Washington, D.C.’s premiere eatery The Dabney is its Mid-Atlantic, farm-to-table methodology. For those who can’t make the trip to this historic/modern hybrid, mixing up the restaurant’s famous El Diablo cocktail is the next best thing.

HOW

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Fidencio Mezcal
0.5 oz. Ginger cordial
0.5 oz. Crème de cassis
0.5 oz. Fresh lime juice

Image: ESSENTIAL HOMME, STOCK, and Fidencio.

THEN

Combine and shake mezcal, cordial, and lime juice. Fine strain, then sink Crème de cassis.

Gap Launches Technical Denim Line

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Image: Gap.

After the launch of its high-endurance fitness collection, Gap found itself sitting on the blueprints for breathable, cooling textile-tech. Aiming to put these aero-positive designs to work, the all-American brand releases Technical Denim, a combination of GapFit’s performance with its signature 1969 Denim style, an engineered update of quality fit and comfortable ease.

Image: Gap.

Releasing in three different pant variations—slim 5 pocket, utility, and biker—in both dark and washed palettes, this denim is all about its special features. With a built-in webbing belt, special pocket for your cell phone, and reflective tape interior backing—yes, for safety, but also an interesting pop of added flair—the pants prove that denim doesn’t have to be boring. The pieces’ perfect companion? The new icon jacket, a heritage appeal updated with advanced design. Water repellent and with zippered pockets, not to mention a drop down hem for added length, the piece includes a ventilated back yoke and underarm gussets that rework a once claustrophobic construction into a lightweight breeze. Rounded out by a classic worker shirt, mimicking the jacket’s look but with a more everyday appeal, the line is a working man’s ideal—quality denim that doesn’t put up a fuss.

The Gap Technical Denim collection is available online now.

Kit Harington Becomes Latest Face of Dolce&Gabbana’s The One for Men

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Image: Dolce&Gabbana.

A classic Dolce&Gabbana fragrance gets a refreshing facelift with Kit Harington’s appointment as the new campaign star for The One for Men. No stranger to the olfactive world—the “Game of Thrones” actor previously starred in Jimmy Choo Man’s 2014 prints—Harington takes command from previous heavyweight Matthew McConaughey, whose 2013 slow-moving ads embraced the scent’s spicy candor. “Harington is exactly how we see the Dolce&Gabbana man,” says founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. “Young, naturally charming, charismatic, with a personality rich in traits. There could be no other face for The One for Men.” While the first official release for the tobacco-infused scent won’t be arriving until September 2017, expect a Jon-Snow-is-alive level of speculation—the actor has already been spotted filming in Napoli, Italy wearing a crisp Dolce&Gabbana suit and dancing in the cobbled streets.

Saturdays NYC Unveils Grooming Essentials Line

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Image: Saturdays NYC.

Though its Spring/Summer 2017 lookbook may be chock-full of breezy linens and carefree ceramic prints, Saturdays NYC aims to keep hair firmly in line with a new Grooming Essentials collection. Featuring three different offerings that pack a serious punch, the line is the surf brand’s latest in a bold attempt for multi-industry injection. Of the three, wet wax proves to be the well-kempt man’s best friend. Its petroleum-free, water-based formula offers a firm hold with optimal shine, the perfect companion for a tamed pompadour or slicked-back business look. The grooming cream, the wax’s antithesis, offers a light hold with a natural finish, ready for any wind-swept quiff, whereas the clay pomade, perched between the two, professes a medium hold mixture with a matte finish, its fragrant scent hinting at its beeswax roots. The three offerings, all made to wash out easily with one single rinse, are a first foray into grooming for the Manhattan-brand and continue on the heels of its ongoing market expansion—including recent brick-and-mortar openings—into a burgeoning lifestyle range.

Saturdays NYC Grooming Essentials line is available online now.

NikeLab Gyakusou Spring/Summer 2017 Collection

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Image: NikeLab Gyakusou.

After a string of collaborations, including Kim Jones, Stone Island, and Riccardo Tisci, NikeLab returns to its seven year partnership with Jun Takahashi’s Undercover line, Gyakusou, for a sportswear collection of adept versatility. Following last season’s Summer of Sport line, the pair drops Perfectly Unbalanced, a figure-hugging “body map” that breathes as well as it looks. Engineered knits, a staple of the release, are worked into 3-layer weatherized jackets, running leggings, and tees, with the ever-enviable Nike Zoom Streak 6 sneaker providing a gradient-mesh base. Both Dri-FIT and Aeroreact technology are glossed over with color-blocked patterns that are electric in execution and continue the deep palette of line’s past. With a heavy runner’s hand visible throughout, the collection bleeds its creator’s passion for the sport—Takahashi swears on hitting the pavement as his biggest creative inspiration—and rounds out NikeLab’s interactive and collaborative design messaging.

Image: NikeLab Gyakusou.

The NikeLab Gyakusou Spring/Summer 2017 collection is available online now.

Mission Makes Working Out Less Messy With Highly-Stylized Gear

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Image: Mission.

In a world where gym attire is evaluated just as heavily as the post-workout outfit, the rules of exercising have changed.

Is the fit just right (compact where it matters; extra-tight everywhere else)? Are there ample pockets for storage of iPhones, locker keys, and other other necessary gadgets on-the-go? And what of the actual operation: Can it whisk away moisture and block out unwanted scents?

Mission‘s just-dropped apparel performance collection does all that and more says Dwyane Wade, co-founder of the brand and, of course, three-time NBA Champion. “You’ll get a better workout all around,” he assures. The promise lies in the line’s temperature control technology. Named VaporActive, the scientifically-engineered series accelerates thermoregulation so that the body can use its energy more efficiently for performance. The result, says Mission’s CEO Josh Shaw, is a smarter use of time and strength, which ultimately helps build endurance. It also blocks out the messy parts of training (like sweat stains or areas of smell) longer than other brands on the market.

Image: Mission.

Comprising over 30 styles—such as a water-resistant, black and white geo-print parka or fast-drying compression-style leggings—the new collection is a precursor to a soon-to-come special capsule collection designed by Wade himself. Featuring neon colors and an added flash feature—in which a tribal pattern is only able to seen through the shine of a photo—the limited run was a personal for the athlete to say the least. “I’ve worked on other branded projects before, but it was really cool to see something like this, that I use and wear all the time, really come to life.”

Mission’s VaporActive apparel collection is now available online.

Weekly Instagram Roundup: Academy Awards, Zac Efron, and More

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This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.

From the hottest celebrity parties to the regretful morning-after shots, ESSENTIAL HOMME‘s Weekly Instagram Roundup brings all of the hottest designer, model, and trendsetting pics from the week directly to you. After all, no one has time to scroll through anything but the best.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali, the Best Supporting Actor winner for his pivotal role in “Moonlight,” posed with his Oscar at a star-studded after party in classic Ermenegildo Zegna fashion. The actor, who rose to fame in hit shows like “Treme” and “House of Cards,” followed up his win with a quickly released, Willy Vanderperre-shot Calvin Klein campaign alongside Ali’s fellow castmates.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Though Yayoi Kusama’s “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins,” currently on display at Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C., has already been met with controversy—the selfie-friendly exhibit recently reopened after one of its pumpkins was destroyed by over-active snapchatters—the visionary artist continues her quest for infinity with this latest installation. Operating under her Infinity Mirrors umbrella, the piece is a continuation of her ever-popular Infinity Room series.

Alexander Wang

ESSENTIAL HOMME December 2016/January 2017 cover star Alexander Wang puts athliesure aesthetics to test with a much-anticipated second drop alongside adidas Originals. With a campaign shot by Juergen Teller, a frequent collaborator of the sports brand, the new collection promises to embody all things disruptive, defiant, and deconstructed.

Zac Efron

The “Baywatch” actor’s first order of business as HUGO‘s newly appointed brand ambassador will soon reveal itself—Zac Efron shared a sneak peak at his new ad for the brand’s Hugo Man fragrance. Entitled “Your Time is Now,” the upcoming campaign is a parkour extravaganza, highlighting the energy and masculinity of the fragrance itself.

Louboutin Homme

Hot on the heels of releasing a Culture Convergence line for Spring/Summer 2017, Christian Louboutin‘s Homme off-shoot shared a pic of Leonardo DiCaprio flashing that cherry red lacquer on the Academy Awards stage. Here sporting the Cousin Greg, DiCaprio also wore a piece from the French brand at last year’s ceremony, where he took home Best Actor gold for his role in “The Revenant.”

Essential Homme Magazine

Men's Fashion & Style

Versus Versace Spring/Summer 2017 Campaign

LANDLORD Releases Gap Capsule Collection

WANT Apothecary Opens in New York City

It’s Been a Long Week: The Dabney’s El Diablo

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make a glass or two on us, you deserve it.

WHAT

HOW

THEN

Gap Launches Technical Denim Line

Kit Harington Becomes Latest Face of Dolce&Gabbana’s The One for Men

Saturdays NYC Unveils Grooming Essentials Line

NikeLab Gyakusou Spring/Summer 2017 Collection

Mission Makes Working Out Less Messy With Highly-Stylized Gear

Weekly Instagram Roundup: Academy Awards, Zac Efron, and More

This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.

Mahershala Ali

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Alexander Wang

Zac Efron

Louboutin Homme

Follow ESSENTIAL HOMME on Instagram at @EssentialHomme.

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make a glass or two on us, you deserve it.

WHAT

HOW

THEN

Trending Tunes:

The mix:

Trending Tunes:

The mix:

This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.

Mahershala Ali

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Alexander Wang

Zac Efron

Louboutin Homme

Follow ESSENTIAL HOMME on Instagram at @EssentialHomme.