GARMSVILLE: November 2009

Archive for November 2009

Ceri Vintage, Florence Italy

Saturday, 28 November 2009 Comments Off

You do realise those are my sunglasses you've got on your feet? says Dr Mandi Martin. She isn't joking.

We've been out most of the day and just got back to the hotel.

Florence is one of those small, visually rich places where you can walk for hours and consequently do.

We must have walked for miles.

The goal, of course, had been to celebrate her birthday in style - go away for a long weekend, take in some galleries, some nice restaurants, enjoy each others company and discover Florence together.

Apart from a pair of women's Ray Ban Aviators, which we'd seen in a store near the airport, shopping was not in our plans.

It was all going so well until we walked down a deserted side street this afternoon and came across an unassuming doorway to a vintage store .

This is the place I was told about, said Dr Martin. We both stood at the entrance - ahead of us an expanse of Victorian lace dresses, vintage French work wear, WW2 British and US Military wear and all sorts of rare and weathered goodies in between.

Florence is one of the worlds fashion capitals, with 20 fashion colleges and some of the best and oldest couturiers and leather specialists located here.

Until recently however, Florence has been renowned for it's lack of vintage. Ceri Vintage was one of it’s first and remains one of it’s best.

We spoke to Danilo Ceri, who runs the store with his partner.

We started the shop about 10 years ago, selling antiques, clothes and so on; but I’ve been collecting since I was young- toy soldiers, military helmets, uniforms…

…Vintage clothing, second hand clothing is only now starting to become popular in Italy – in Florence when we started there were just two of three stores, now there are almost ten – in just one year.

Rather than feeling threatened by the growth in store numbers, he's actively supporting it, with a regular vintage fair in which they all take part.

On a personal tip, Danilo comes from an antiques background and so has an eye for vintage which goes way beyond clothing.

Here in the shop our customers are mainly tourists. We also work with some fashion designers doing research, fabrics and so on.

Not surprisingly, Pitti Uomo is an extremely busy time for him.

In Ceri, everything is selected with care; fabrics, denims, buttons, lace, work wear.

Danillo pointed out that there's not a vintage t-shirt nor any camouflage in sight.

It was then that I caught sight of the shoe box over Danilo's shoulder in a corner of a room. Mason Shoes it said.

I walked over for a closer look; mint condition work boots with a kind of dress boot trim, US Made - in Chippewa Falls Americas' lumber country. And they're my size!

Wow oh wow.

…not sure what happened after that. It's all a bit of a blur.

All I know is that we’re back in our hotel room - I've severely dented our budget and blown the chance of buying Dr Mandi Martins’ Ray Bans...I’m wearing these amazing new boots and...

...there’s a storm brewing overhead - inside and outside this hotel room.

Time to find that emergency credit card, methinks.

http://www.cerivintage.it/

NKU: Humphrey Bogart

Thursday, 26 November 2009 Comments Off

Never Knowingly Underdressed - Humphrey Bogart: I came out here with one suit and everybody said I looked like a bum. Twenty years later Marlon Brando came out with only a sweatshirt and the town drooled over him. That shows how much Hollywood has progressed.

Sharpe by name, Sharpeye by nature.

Sunday, 22 November 2009 Comments Off

Designed by Barrie K Sharpe, these great shoes are inspired by pre war shepherds shoes and handmade somewhere deep in the north of the England. As a designer, part of his strength is that he internalises his wealth of references and applies them in ways that are true to his own sense of style; there's no pretence, no short cuts in this stuff.

Barrie is the man behind the brand Sharpeye. One of the first brands to really explore the design potential of blending workwear, sportswear and military wear. Over the years it's developed it's own language and distinct signatures which both separates it from, and influences so many of the brands which came after.

From East London - Sharpe is in fact his real name. From his days as a founding member and the key designer with the Duffers, to his legendary club The Cat In The Hat - which gave birth to rare groove and in turn the acid jazz scene, Sharpe has always lead where others follow. The irony is that despite being one of the countries unsung trend leaders, he's actually a bit of a classicist.

In an interview a few years ago, when asked who his favourite designer was he said Ralph Lauren, Like RalphLa, Sharpeye is a natural extension of the designers personality and as such connects with a mass of loyal and dedicated stylers from all walks of life - not to mention a few imitators as well.

Check out Sharpeye in the address above.

Also check out the classic rare groove anthem, Masterplan; directed by Earl Sebastian - in itself a lesson in style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8L5l3UxCiw

Resistance To Type: Nicholas and Nehjat

Thursday, 19 November 2009 Comments Off

There's Nicholas and Nehjat, two ardent sneakerheads on a day off strolling through Brick Lane.

As natural born garmsmen it's unlikely that they see themselves as part of any kind of sartorial resistance.

And yet, virtue of their unassuming originality they've established a clear line between fashion and style and sided with the latter.

Garmsville Exclusive: Bond International Pop-Up Store

Wednesday, 18 November 2009 Comments Off

Anyone who knows anything about streetwear in London has probably sat on this very bench at one time or other - but not here - not in East London, but Soho - or West Soho to be exact.

For over twenty years Bond International has been catering to the needs to sneaker, skate and street style fiends with an unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to the good and the new.

Each Friday the good and those who knew could be found hanging out on the Bond corner outside the store - having a drink, exchanging ideas, discussing clothes, music, art and the weekend ahead - a totally informal, impromptu occurrence which became a real tradition.

When the store closed it was the end of an era...but not the end of Bond which has been doing a roaring trade online since then.

So what's the legendary bench doing in the heart of East London? This week sees the launch of a Bond pop-up shop - with Lee, Nicky and of course main man KJ Reid at the helm... Soho's loss is our gain.

Look out for the bench on Cheshire Street E2 from Thursday

or check out Bond International - http://www.bond-international.co.uk/

Norse: No Smoke, No Mirrors

Monday, 16 November 2009 Comments Off

Trying to differentiate your brand from others ain't easy - 'specially these days when menswear has become such a boom industry.

Norse have managed to stand out by using what seems to be a rather novel approach; there are no gimmicks or gadgets thrown in to distract us from the quality or design of the clothes.

As with this amazing crew-neck cardigan, they seem to have realised that understatement can sometimes make the strongest statement of all.

Check out the Norse collection @

The Hideout, 7 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DH

NKU: Lee Scratch Perry

Sunday, 15 November 2009 Comments Off

Never Knowingly Underdressed - Lee Scratch Perry, the man who created dub music: It was only four tracks on the machine, but I was picking up twenty from the African Heritage squad.

http://www.myspace.com/leescratchperry

Ray Okunubi: Shoreditch Reclaimed

Wednesday, 11 November 2009 Comments Off

Shoreditch: a mecca for young artists - creatives relocating to this new frontier, eager to be part of this mini Left Bank experience, this minor San Francisco moment...

There were artist here before it was discovered by the current waive of émigré; people born and grown up knowing these grey streets and dark alleys without the glossy guidance of magazines and blogs.

Like Raymond Okunubi. His work is all about growing up in this manor; a biracial childhood spent in the racially intolerant, economically impoverished and culturally stigmatised Shoredich of the recent past.

For Ray it seems that sculpture, both the end result and the sheer physicality of making it has allowed him to explore layers and layers of emotion and experience.

These beautifully worked pieces, many of which use locally found or reclaimed materials, offer an unapologetic and much needed glimpse both of one mans personal journey and of what a life rooted in Shoreditch is really about.

Stone Sculpture, Wood Sculpture and Jewellery by Raymond Okunubi @ The Gallery, Swanfield Yard, 2b Swanfield Street. contact for times: 07985 440385

Pokit Take Soho

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Everyone else is heading east; Pokit go the other direction - a new store in Soho.

File under inspired, uncompromising and future-facing.

Custom made or off the peg; within defined parameters you have an abundance of choice.

A trend free zone. For vintage workwear, rural heritage, post-punk pop - look elsewhere.

Pokit Soho store - modern and monochrome - a manifesto all its own.
A world dominated by reds, blacks and white.

Straight lines collide at angles creating unusual feats of balance - a new Constructivist revolution.

Exercise minimalism. Make instability work for you. Play with proportion.

The spirit of Buckminster Fuller lives on.

Visionaries unite; today is just the beginning.

info@pokit.co.uk

Pokit, Wardour Street, Soho W1

Pokit, Lamb's Conduit Street WC1

Caio Lavenham! Spring Summer 10

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 Comments Off

Adding pop colours to menswear classics is often accompanied by a drop in quality.

Style gives way to fashion, long term investment buys give way to short term trends...

But not in this case.

You can imagine those stalwarts of propriety over at Lavenham setting themselves more stipulations, clauses and proviso's than a millionaires pre-nup agreement when it came to this Spring Summer 2010 collection.

And who can blame them? - Sudbury based Lavenham didn't become a by-word for country classics by half-stepping on detail.

Retaining the design integrity you'd expect from their product, the pop colour-ways rather than make these jackets less authentic, give them a kind of Italian metropolitan chic - one trend which will never fade.

www.lavenhamhorserugs.com/

NKU: George Bernard Shaw

Monday, 9 November 2009 Comments Off

Never Knowingly Underdressed - George Bernard Shaw:

A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic

Heavy Plant Crossing

Wednesday, 4 November 2009 Comments Off

Spotted this lady outside the construction site that will be the new East London Line station on Bethnal Green Road.

I just turned around and she was gone.

I guess she was just crossing.

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