Spanish designer Juanma Granero studied industrial pattern making and applied arts in Barcelona before melding his two backgrounds to form El Cuco. A women’s line focusing on volume and shape, Granero takes influence from music, photography and art, seeking to recreate the feminine attitude with contrast and modernity. Balancing texture, volume, elegance, and individuality, El Cuco is that perfect middle ground between the progressive and the girly.

With each new season high-end knitwear company Lutz & Patmos calls on someone from outside the realm of fashion design to create a small capsule collection to coincide with their signature offerings. For Spring 2006 perennially stylish French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld was selected as were Sofia Coppola (Fall ‘05), Richard Meier (Spring ‘08) and Kirsten Dunst (Fall ‘08). For Spring 2009 the duo of Tina Lutz and Marcia Patmos tapped another French ingenue in the form of uber-muse Jane Birkin. Admitting to using a “boring” color palette of greys, blues and beiges, the collection will no doubt be as low-key and timeless as Birkin herself.

Some past L&P guest collections:

Christy Turlington (Fall 2003): Model/Yoga Advocate

Liv Tyler (Spring 2007): Actress/ UNICEF Ambassador

Richard Meier (Spring 2008): Architect

Great video to follow up the drop of Yamamoto’s newest line, COMING SOON. Expect more of these sort of art piece/video look books to correspond with each season’s offerings.

Croatian born Damir Doma studied fashion design in both Berlin and Munich before landing in Antwerp to work with the multi-talented Raf Simons. It was with Simons that Doma crafted his skill for weaving a sort of soulfulness into his ethereal, almost fragile garments. His focus on material, draping and layers challenge the typical menswear aesthetic and create a new interpretation on contemporary dressing. His light, airy collection for Spring ‘09 is what many a modern menswear dream is made of and Doma has amassed to cult following to prove it.

Often times I will have guys friends come to me asking for advice in putting themselves together. Whether it’s their everyday wardrobes or something for a special occasion, they seem to value my opinion and I truly appreciate that.

I love men’s clothing. I mean LOVE, so much so that I often wear more clothing specifically designed for “men” than I do for women (although I cannot deny the fact that my miniskirt and dress collection is a bit out of control as well…). This is why when my guy friends come to me for advice I feel pretty sure of myself in the direction I point them and there seems to be one general direction I can point them in with virtually no doubt in my mind that they will love it and that they will look amazing. That direction is Corpus.

Grown up while still being quirky, the line is tailored enough to be appropriate for dressing up and yet still casual enough that guys don’t feel uncomfortable. Their focus on details separates the lines from other button up and dress pant designs and their slim tailoring gives everything a decidedly more youthful and hip edge.

In my humble (and in some cirlcles even trusted) opinion every boy looks good in Corpus. Trust me on this one!

Fall/Winter 08:

The duo of William Anzevino and Richard Florence have been meshing their opposing forces since the Warhol Museum commissioned their talents for a line of tees in 2000. Taking William’s cryptic sensibilities and Richard’s penchant for architecture, their line Anzevino and Florence makes the basic extraordinary with interesting details and an aesthetic that isn’t reigned in by the traditional ideas of body shape and silhouette.

Truly one of my favorite independent lines, their combined senses of style makes for a progressive and edgy form of glamour that has become the staple for the way I dress.

A little something to get through the rest of the colder months…

burberry:

Oscar de la Renta:

Issac Mizrahi:

Doo.Ri

Rag & Bone:

It seems that Fashion Fund winner Alexander Wang is ditching the trendy in favor of the timeless. Sticking with his meticulously thrown together aesthetic, Wang replaced the perforated leathers and athletic touches of past collections in favor of streamlined jackets, elegant cocktail dresses and details in fabrics like velvet and crepe. While the overall look is still very much Wang, the silhouettes show a decidedly more grown up direction for the young designer who is still so fresh in his career. I’m looking forward to seeing his progression as an artist and how his collections will effect the way we dress for years to come.

Pre-Fall 09:

I love the tomboy girlishness of New York based line Pencey. Ruffled dresses paired with beat up combat boots and baggy pants with heels are just the kind of cross genre juxtaposition I love to see being played with. Contrary to a decidedly popular belief, girls can look just as sexy in a tee and oversized shorts as they can in teeny cocktail dresses and sky high heels, the defining factor has always been the attitude accompanying the ensemble. Pencey’s mix of glam and comfort is that edgy New York aesthetic that even if you don’t quite have the in-your-face attitude that makes NYC girls so notable, at least you can dress like you do!

Holiday 08:

Resort 09:

Spring 09: