With the recent opening of The Optimist, Los Angeles continues to expand as a rising menswear hotspot. The new boutique, in the up-and-coming Platform shopping center in Culver City, features an array of menswear goods and home objects sourced from independent designers around the world. Designed by architect and designer Jeremiah Brent, the open interior space is relaxed and casual, inviting the customer to peruse the assortment of contemporary goods from the comfort of their own living room. Additionally, every piece of furniture in the store is available for purchase.
To help customers navigate the curated range of sophisticated clothing, the store just launched an A-list styling program. Overseen by Julie Feingold, who has previously worked with a roster of menswear icons including David Beckham and Harry Styles, the extensive service isn’t limited to in-store activities — in addition to personal shopping assistance, on-site tailoring, and monthly open houses, The Optimist offers customers the option of one-on-one home visits and closet cleanses with a team of professional stylists.
The Optimist is open now at 8850 Washington Boulevard, Culver City CA 90232. Take a look at some more pictures of the space below.
After giant, perplexing buzz on social media from a tease earlier this summer, H&M‘s Autumn/Winter 2015 campaign for its Modern Essentials line is finally out. Starring comedian Kevin Hart beside athlete, model, and style legend David Beckham, the imagery pokes painful fun at the duo’s inherent differences. Thankfully, not all the shots are doubles, letting Beckham do what he’s does best. Take an even closer look at the two with an H&M video spot here.
Superstar and global trendsetter David Beckham has once again teamed up with luxury clothing line Belstaff following the massive success of their preliminary collection last year. This second capsule, debuting today and sitting alongside the Belstaff Pre-Fall 2015 and Autumn/Winter 2015 collections through to sell-out, features an aviation-inspired theme and Beckham’s signature luxury polish. Building off of the previous collaboration, this year Beckham has moved into a cleaner, more refined style with a honed in focus on outerwear. Where last year there were pockets and zippers to add visual variation, here Beckham utilizes a sleeker cut and more material distress to create texture and differentiation.
Image: Belstaff.
Image: Belstaff.
Image: Belstaff.
The riding jackets, the undisputed champions of the line – of which the debut Ryde and Moore are highlights – update classic aviator, flying, and trucker jacket designs and modernize them with tumbled leather, pleats, and contemporary silhouettes. The brooding greens, blacks, and browns that fill out this trans-seasonal follow up are a testament to Beckham’s definitive moto-style and love for a vintage debonair palette. These standout pieces are supplemented with the inclusion of clean denim jeans with knee detailing, simple tees, Chambray denim shirts, yellow riding gloves, and, because no rider would be complete without one, the bandana.
The new Beckham for Belstaff 2015 collection is available now.
Great news for Anglophiles—British luxury lifestyle brand Belstaff just launched a new capsule collection in collaboration with fellow English icon David Beckham. The soccer star was recently announced as the face of fashion house’s 2014 global advertising campaign, along with news of the opening of the company’s London flagship store on New Bond Street.
The new collaboration offers t-shirts, jackets, and boots in muted grays and browns, with an air of ruggedness that reflects Beckham’s cool-dad style. In particular, the casual-but-sophistcated leather pieces exhibit this style, utilizing elements of the classic motorcycle jacket and updating them for a paired-down, modern look. The jackets also feature textured shoulder pads, adding masculine detail while maintaining a slim silhouette. It is in these specific, English-made details such as these that the collection succeeds, adding just a touch of toughness to otherwise sleek designs.
Beckham x Belstaff also features distressed detailing, particularly on its trousers and boots. However, the effect is far from gaudy or distracting—a usual overeager casualty found in this trend. The dark gray Harpton Trouser shows off this technique on its leg and thigh areas, exhibiting the collection’s rugged aesthetic without detracting from the slim shape of the pants. Similarly, the brown leather Norley Boot (shown above) features distressing in the ankle and toe areas, appearing worn-in and comfortable. Like the jackets, both pieces utilize zippers, with the trousers featuring zippered pockets, and the boots zippered heals. These details combine style with functionality, making the pieces especially suitable for men who travel often or otherwise spend significant time performing physical activities.
The Marshfield Jacket (shown left) is another particular feat of the collection. Featuring a button front, four large pockets, and a belted waist and collar, the jacket is a refined blend of utility and style. As with the collection’s leather jackets, the Marshfield features a slim silhouette, accentuated further by its belted waist. Both the waist belt and the smaller collar belt feature matte, gold-tone buckles, providing a pop of color without straying from the character of the collaboration. The Marshfield is particularly successful in blending utility and style, with large pockets suitable for everyday essentials. Paired with the right boots, the Marshfield can straddle the line between toughness and refinedness.
Belstaff is a heritage brand that seeks to appeal to the “fearless explorer and the fashion enthusiast alike,” and with its latest collaboration, The Beckham x Belstaff collection perfectly embodies this adventure.
The Beckham x Belstaff collection is now available online.
As genetic pools go, it doesn’t get much more utopian than the mixings of David and Victoria Beckham. Thus far, they’ve given the world a lot to squack about. Her: once talking/singing lyrics as one fifth of The Spice Girls (including “we moon walk the foxtrot”) and him: recently kinged the “Underwear Model of the Century” by Tommy Hilfiger. They’ve also given humanity a batch of beautiful offspring to be jealous of appreciate. Four of them. Brooklyn Joseph (15), Romeo James (11), Cruz David (9), and daughter Harper Seven (2). Now, the oldest of the pack, Brooklyn, is making the family name/face proud, beginning his modeling career with a cover of Man About Town magazine. The 20-page spread was shot by photographer Alasdair McLellan (a family friend), who shot Victoria for UK’s Vogue and David for Fantastic Man.
Ben Reardon, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, said: “We could not have wished for a stronger subject than Brooklyn to bring this story to life. He was a diligent, relaxed cover star for his first ever fashion shoot. The story was a genuine pleasure for all involved. Brooklyn was a true professional and had a keen eye in the styling process. It is clear that he is becoming a credit to the family name, not only possibly the most famous in the world but one with a wealth of heavyweight fashion influence behind it.”
For the 10th anniversary of Y-3, Yohji Yamamoto made a collection that summarized the brand’s ten years in existence (iconic acid-bright prints, bold voluminous silhouettes, the three-stripe motif. The genius was that through this retrospective, Y-3 presented a clear direction towards the future. The Adidas stripes were emblazoned in new and unique manners and new, a feather, water and thorn motif created by Mr. Hayashi (imperial printmaker to the Japanese royal family) populated the loose and easy selection of parkas, linen blazers, oversized shorts and dress shirts. As always, here’s a way to dress sporty but upscale, active and modern. And the celebs, who’ve been rather mum this season, happily came out in droves. The front row included David Beckham, Michael Stipe, A$AP Rocky, Anton Yelchin, Brook Lopez, Isabel Lucas, Lupe Fiasco, Jesse Williams, Natasha Bedingfield, Casey Spooner, and Laure Shang.