To celebrate Paul Smith‘s 50th anniversary, the New York-based Maharam design studio is introducing new patterns inspired by the British brand on a new range of accessories. Together the brands will launch two new upholstery designs: songbird and wool check. Songbird reflects the designer’s love for botany — the classic floral is contrasted with a geometric checkered pattern. A slight departure from Smith’s famous rayon stripe designs, both prints are classically traditional. The floral option skews on the more romantic side while the check is inspired by Smith’s native UK. One standout is a wool check throw with fringe available in three colors, printed with a pattern that’s emblematic of Smith’s love for checkered surfaces, and sure to enhance any interior with the designer’s signature flair.
Paul Smith x Maharam Design Studio wool check throw will be available in March.
It’s the first Monday of May, which can only mean one thing: the Met Gala. With this year’s theme being something as fun and subjective as ‘Camp,’ it should make for a delightfully tongue-in-cheek red carpet. (Fingers crossed.) For those of us who won’t be attending the benefit tonight, we’ve rounded up some of the best menswear items from Mr. Porter to add a little camp to your everyday look before you go see Camp: Notes on Fashionwhen it opens on Thursday. Read on.
Gucci is the official sponsor of the exhibition, with creative director Alessandro Michele serving as one of the hosts, and this heavy-metal-inspired graphic shirt is the perfect way to show gratitude.
Zachary Quinto talks about his role in the upcoming The Boys in the Band revival and queer representation in our summer issue.
MOST WANTED: Ten most-desired items you must have this season, including Hermès and Baccarat.
Images: Yuki Saito.
NEW ARRIVALS: The latest style collaborations and product launches, including Bally and Paul Smith.
Images: Fabian Ohrn.
SHARP SIGHT: Attention to cut elevates form to new levels.
Images: Léa Nielsen. Styled by: Darryl Rodrigues.
UTILITARIAN FLEX: High-performance outerwear adapts to a climate in flux.
Images: A. P. Kim. Styled by Terry Lu.
PROSE LEGATO: When roaming the course of the familiar, proceed in earnest.
Images: Thomas Goldblum. Styled by Darryl Rodrigues.
A PLACID PLACE: Ryan Yoon travels the country shooting the understated serenity of American suburbia in an ongoing still-life photo series.
Images: Ryan Yoon.
FREEDOM & FUTURE: Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss is changing the world using fashion as canvas for social change.
Image: Marshall Roach.
Image: Cameron McNee. Styled by Paul Frederick.
CENTURY AHEAD: LOUIS XIII and Pharrell Williams tease an ambitious release to challenge the world into combating climate change.
Images: LOUIS XIII.
POWER PLAY: Private Policy is the young design duo dominating the downtown scene.
Images: Brian Higbee. Styled by Henna Koskinen.
MASTER CLASS: Another day, another iconic stage role for actor Zachary Quinto.
Images: Kevin Sinclair.
Styled by Joseph Episcopo.
CULTURE KID: Ben Sherman and House of Holland look to Britain’s historic Northern Soul scene in a club-inspired heritage collection for Fall/Winter 2018.
Images: David Urbanke. Styled by Joseph Episcopo.
OH MAJESTY: For Pre-Fall 2018, Versace boldly showcases its espousal to opulence.
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.
Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake revealed images from its upcoming Shunga collection, first seen in ESSENTIAL HOMME October/November 2016, that features the brand’s erotic portrayal of sexuality and design through the use of textiles and silhouettes, honoring one of Japan’s time-honored artistic movements.
Drake
Drake, the champagnepapi himself, challenged Taylor Swift’s previous Apple Music ad with one of his own, rocking out to “Bad Blood” while hitting the gym hard. Could this be the start of the next great Apple collab following the brand’s recent work with the iconic Paul Smith?
Cadet
Trevor Signorino certainly has had a busy week. Pictured here trying out Cadet‘s new Spring/Summer 2017 collection—the roman legion-inspired hardened collection—the it-model also jet-set to open the new Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai on the arm of Donatella herself.
Bruce Pask
Bergdorf Goodman‘s Men’s Fashion Director Bruce Pask shared a sneak peek into the retailer’s upcoming holiday pop-up shop with these resin craft pieces, hand selected by Paul Smith himself. The beaded beauties interestingly feature the same wild color palette as the designer’s latest Spring/Summer 2017 collection.
Canali 1934
Don’t settle for anything less than magical when it comes to your accessories this season. Canali‘s latest campaign film, teased on Instagram this week, is an enchanting look at the brand’s upcoming pieces, which would appear to pair perfectly with its latest headphones release.
The rapid-fire growth of British label Paul Smith shows no sign of slowing down as the brand opens two new stores in the heart of Paris, bringing idyllic silhouettes and colorful flair to the picturesque Parisian streets. After an auditory collaboration with Apple Music, a vividly psychedelic Spring/Summer 2017 runway, and the recent inclusion in the upcoming Pitti Immagine Uomo 91, the 40-year-old brand braces itself for global domination in these two new European shops. With one on Rue Saint-Honoré – the heart of Paris’ fashion district – and another on Canal Saint-Martin, the stores provide definitive pillars to support the brand’s grasp on the Parisian fashion landscape. The former favors a classic approach, breathtaking mosaic-tile and a handwritten logo greet each customer with a warm motif that shoulder the burden of a careful restoration of the building’s Haussmann-era features – after all, who could do away with the Versailles-paneled flooring. Preceding the central skylight illuminating 1,000 vintage photographs is a special display frame, housing a series of rotating installations that highlight the brand’s ideals and carefully curated image.
Image: Paul Smith.
The second location, PS by Paul Smith, is the former’s modernized cousin – luscious pinks and daring blacks that pop and fizz against the stony Paris backdrop. With a wall of vintage cell phones and weathered wood-paneled flooring, PS is youthful and robust, decadence redefined as a carefree safe haven. Aiming to shatter the minimalist stylings of surrounding shops, the stores feature the wild color palette and eccentric decor that instantly transports, bringing customers to a fun-filled fashion playground. The stores are the latest addition in a two-decade spanning hold on the Paris market and cements the brand alongside other design giants in the eye of the European fashion hurricane.
The Paul Smith shop is located at 223, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris. PS by Paul Smith is located 15, Rue de Marseille, Paris; both are open now.
Following last season’s designer-spectacular, super menswear trade show Pitti Immagine Uomo adds a line-up of noteworthy names to its exhibition list for the 91st edition this January 2017. Stepping farther toward “the search for new formats that combine stylistic research, communication, and authenticity for the market,” says Lapo Cianchi, the event’s director of communications, the forthcoming season stars British icon Paul Smith, who will view a special fashion installation at the fair. Joining him, contemporary Belgian via NYC designer Tim Coppens will stage a runway event, debuting his upcoming Autumn/Winter 2017 menswear collection, while cult-favorites Golden Goose Deluxe Brand and Cottweiler will offer special projects, the later a special project with Reebok.
Pitti Immagine Uomo 91 will take place in Florence from January 10-13, 2017.
Fresh off the brightly colored runway of Paris Fashion Week, Paul Smith teams up with Apple Music for an exclusive celebration of music and the namesake designer’s personal inspirations. “From the album artwork to the friendships I’ve built over the years with musicians, it’s all a part of my creative process,” says Smith of music’s influence on him and his tried-and-true design philosophies.
Image: Apple Music.
Divided into three separately themed playlists – each more personal than the last – the collaboration brings fans closer to the man behind the leading British brand. With “Around the World in 20 Tracks” Smith displays his globetrotting passions and desire for fresh experiences, though “Something Old, Something New,” a playlist in four parts, proves inspiration can be found anywhere and in everything. Ending on a much more personal note, “From Herble to Holiday” is a time-traveling ode to all of the jazz musicians Smith experienced live during his youth. When played in succession the three playlists provide the listener a genre-hopping ride through a legendary designer’s inspirational life – celebrating his connection to music and the way in which its influence has shaped him.
Image: Apple Music.
Listen to the legend speak on the power of music through his own words online now and tune in to the three playlists, available exclusively on Apple Music.
In memoriam of David Bowie and other icons, Paul Smith celebrated the best of Brit music with an ode made up of tailored clothing in check-printed coats and ’60s drain pipe pants.
The case has been made time and time again that dressing well can alleviate anxiety, aid mental health, and make you a happier person. The only caveat impeding these beneficial factors is not always feeling great about where or how you came across some of those more questionable choices hanging in the back of your closet (looking at you crocodile skin jacket). With social reform and a heightened ethical presence becoming the global “it” topic of pop culture today, here is a compilation of products that will make you look good and feel even better on the inside too.
1. Statement Scarves, Acne Studios
Image: Acne Studios.
Swedish fashion house Acne Studios embraces gender equality unabashedly with its Fall/Winter 2015 statement scarves. These rustic-tinted accessories bear powerful feminist slogans, such as “Woman Power” and “Radical Feminist,” and when worn loosely over the shoulders, resemble classic suffragette from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Represented in spruce green, toffee yellow, and coral red (among other colors), these football-inspired knitted scarves combine classic masculinity with feminist ideals.