April 16, 2013
Landon Miller lives in Brooklyn, works in PR, and is a new men’s fashion blogger. He has a gift for delving through thrift shops and curating an extensive wardrobe of cool and easy vintage pieces. Shooting him was a treat—often the subject of photo projects, Landon was both curiously shy and boldly generous, reminding me of how much I love to do portraiture. His look is emblematic of the borough in which he resides, and let this post be one that celebrates Brooklyn, the place which I, too, now call home.
Landon Miller in a vintage shirt and sweater, Levi’s jeans, and Cole Haan boots
Landon in a vintage shirt by National Geographic
vintage wildlife + Nat Geo
vintage Timberlands
a vintage Native American jacket and a D.A.R.E t-shirt
with Calvins and Timbs
inside out
vintage sherpa jacket and boots, Blank NYC jeans
March 1, 2013
Tuan Bui owns An Choi, a dark and sexy Vietnamese restaurant and bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and creative hub for many young visionaries in the area. I don’t exactly live in the neighborhood, but find myself with my grilled lemongrass shrimp banh mi there all the time; it was the first meal I had coming back to New York after a two-month-long hiatus. Get it with fried egg and a side of their clear soup. I see Tuan there regularly, and second only to my envy of his ability to grow a full beard is my admiration for the ease and coolness by which he puts himself together.
Tuan Bui wears a quilted Barbour jacket liner as a vest, Clark’s Wallabees, and drop-crotch skinny pants by Oak, which though harder to pull off than big drop-crotch pants, he wears them well.
quilted Barbour jacket liner as vest
An Asian man with a substantial beard is a unicorn in the world of grooming.
Monolith necklace by Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons
a hefty leather key fob, designed by a friend
in an Ann Demeulemeester jacket
February 21, 2013
BJ Pascual was my first fashion friend. We would turn up at Philippine Fashion Week in high, high hair and outfits freshly cut-up and DIYed in the car, and collaborate on experimental photoshoots, the outcomes of which shall never be released. He is now the Philippines’ top photographer, having shot every cover and billboard and every major campaign in the country. BJ’s style has mellowed through the years, now favoring well-worn comfort and muddy hues and subtle luxury over tight, ferocious theatrics—a mood akin to what I feel about men’s style today. I paid a visit to his photo studio in Manila, and took some portraits of this young photographer I so respect and admire.
BJ Pascual in an Eairth sweater, Maison Martin Margiela trousers and sneakers
detail on the Eairth sweater and BJ’s no-shower curls
Margiela shoes against a Margielic wall of frames, by Cheska Nolasco
sitting in his cyclorama in an asymmetrical sweater by Zara, shorts by ÅLand (Korea), and Alexander McQueen for Puma shoes
Puma x Alexander McQueen high-tops with gill-like detailing
dressed up in the dressing room: shrunken blazer by Ziggy Savella, double-collar shirt by Jerome Lorico, Margiela trousers, Dries Van Noten shoes
Dries Van Noten canvas and leather lace-up shoes
I find this worn floral shirt (by French men’s high-street brand Celio) to be reminiscent of Comme des Garcons Fall 2012. Levi’s pants and Alexander McQueen shoes
McQueen slippers and mismatched socks
January 30, 2013
Yoshiaki Hayashi is a model who has walked the runways of Lanvin, Jil Sander, and Damir Doma and regularly graces the pages of one of my favorite magazines Men’s Non-No. Yoshi is Japanese and Chilean, and this fascinating combination of ethnicities and his passion for football give him a very striking look and physique. His style is part model-off-duty, part Japanese boy quirky, with a touch of athleticism that makes it all his own.
Prohibit cap, Joyrich paisley t-shirt, Bed J.W Ford bracelet, Motel jeans
red cap by Prohibit NYC
a beaded red wrap-around fabric bracelet by Bed J.W Ford
inscribed with a verse from one of my favorite poems, Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Puma sneakers
Bed J.W Ford t-shirt, Motel checked pants, YSL leopard sneakers
checked and spotted: Motel checkered pants and YSL haircalf leopard print sneakers
oversize Bed J.W Ford t-shirt with raw-edged side slits
GAP denim vest with doodles by Yoshi and his friends
GAP denim vest, Adidas t-shirt, Balmain jeans, Puma sneakers
These Balmain skinny motorcycle jeans, worn beat-up and entitlement-free, can spark a change of heart.
Motel bone ring
December 27, 2012
I found a kindred spirit in Borgy Manotoc: poster prince of the Philippines and grandson of the ever-iconic Imelda Marcos. Just like me, Borgy picks out fabrics and has his tailor turn them into shirts, he dyes his clothes, and even designs his own signet rings. His style is effortlessly eclectic, and he brings this sense of ease in the many projects he is involved in: modelling, design, social media consulting, and management of the franchise of Dr. Martens in Manila. He is an invaluable force in the growing Manila creative scene. Borgy was both arrestingly handsome and impossibly talkative; shooting him was a riot.
Borgy Manotoc in a shirt of his own design, gray cutoff shorts, and brown suede Vans chukkas
Borgy picked out this print at the textile market in Kamuning and had his tailor fashion it into a short-sleeve shirt with kangaroo pockets.
signet rings in silver and horn, both of his own design
I always like the air of casual-cool that a pair of Vans brings to an outfit. These chukkas in brown suede are a pair to consider.
Borgy Manotoc in a Prada suit, Comme des Garcons shirt, and YSL shoes
“like a boy bored at prom”
These YSL shoes in 100% molded rubber are deceptively clever.
Borgy Manotoc in a vintage suede shirt, Greyhound pants, Dr. Martens boots, and an Hermes Herbag—a present from his mother Imee Marcos. 1. I’ve never seen this bag in this beautiful mauve-prune, 2. I’ve never seen this dud of an Hermes bag worn so well, 3. I might have found my first Hermes.
Borgy’s striking look has been catnip for photographers for many years—he may look Native American, Eurasian even, but he is Filipino through and through.
perforated suede shirt with Borgy’s favorite necklaces: a scapular and a vintage turquoise
pants in olive drab with pointy-toed Dr. Martens Chelsea boots
Borgy in a Jil Sander cardigan, an American Apparel women’s plaid chiffon shirt, white Levi’s jeans he destroyed and dyed yellow, and Dr. Martens shoes
December 19, 2012
Brandon Seah is a fashion buyer in-training in New York City by way of Singapore, a substantial patron of Rei Kawakubo and her disciples, and a favorite subject of The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman. I’ve learned to appreciate the merits of wearing well-loved sneakers to balance a heavy, rich Fashion outfit since I met him two years ago. Unlike many of the men I’ve profiled on this site, his style reads more doofus than debonair—humor plays a huge part in the way he dresses. Brandon Seah wears clothes for the joy and artistry of each piece, and it is the peace and the grace with which he puts himself together that I admire most.
Brandon Seah in a Y’s by Yohji Yamamoto jacket, Comme des Garcons shirt and trousers, Vans sneakers, and I-D Tokyo glasses
buttons large (Comme des Garcons) and hidden (Yohji Yamamoto)
wide pinstripe trousers and Brandon, your favorite Vans sneakers are falling apart.
Miharayasuhiro jacquard coat, Hermes bag, Calvin Klein trousers, Vans sneakers
The forest print on this Miharayasuhiro piece looks like a picture projected on to a mundane gray striped coat.
boy with a Birkin
Brandon’s Hermes Birkin 35 in vert anis comes adorned with a rosary, a hippopotamus, and googly eyes on the clochette.
detail on the Tess Giberson sweater worn inside
Comme des Garcons jacket, shirt, and shoes, Tsumori Chisato trousers, Uniqlo leggings
If there’s one piece I could inherit from his wardrobe, it will have to be this fringed Comme des Garcons Homme Plus long jacket. It is dark and dandy incarnate.
Comme des Garcons sandal-shoes
November 15, 2012
Julien Decanali is a buyer at Barney’s, and one anomaly of fashion. You might see him at the gym, scruffy, looking like he might have just gotten in a fight, and if you miss his Margiela basketball shoes, you might never think he was a card-carrying member of the menswear set. He represents a movement in the menswear industry—men, not particularly “creative”, or crazy, just men who are more and more honestly appreciative of fashion—a movement that spells great, global changes in menswear. Julien melds the ruggedly athletic with the suave and polished, a bundle of both rough and smooth, all in a style that is charmingly his.
Julien Decanali in Burberry Prorsum, at home in Williamsburg.
single monkstrap shoes worn lazy-private-schoolboy-style
Julien Decanali in a vintage tank, Nike shorts, and YSL sneakers
a tattoo tribute to Alexander McQueen
space-age Margiela basketball shoes
Florsheim for Duckie Brown lace-up wingtip boots
The Dandy Project for W Magazine
November 2, 2012
I had profiled art director and Dazed and Confused writer Paul Wagenblast on the blog a few months ago. I really like the way he pairs cozy clothes with tiny pieces of jewelry, like amulets for life’s daily battles. It’s a look I have yet to master; comfort and gentleness are not my strong suits. Here are a few more photographs of Paul at home in Williamsburg.
a tiny trinket over a Jil Sander t-shirt
a vintage brooch on Paul’s Lee jean jacket
The Dandy Project for W Magazine
October 20, 2012
Stylist Paul Morehouse and photographer Gordon von Steiner are creative partners and dear, dear friends. They have collaborated on projects for GQ Japan, Tim Hamilton, and The Ones to Watch, among many others. Gordy and Paul belong to the new guard of talented creatives in New York City: thoughtfully progressive, with a mastery of classic technique. I see this in their work and in their clean, iconic, and subtly subversive personal styles.
Paul Morehouse and Gordon Von Steiner, both in self-made cut-out tank tops
on the right: Gordy in a Jeremy Scott jersey, Neil Barrett leather pants, and Nike basketball shoes, Paul in a Y-3 jacket, Uniqlo jeans, and AllSaints shoes
Paul Morehouse, stylist
photographer Gordon von Steiner in his studio in a Givenchy tank top and his favorite vintage plaid shirt
Gordon von Steiner in a Martin Margiela dip-dye shirt and vintage cross necklace
Gordy and Paul collaborate
The Dandy Project for W Magazine
October 10, 2012
Leo and Houman are best friends, and the conversation between their respective aesthetics is one to eavesdrop. Together’s they’re an essay on the clean and gritty, the architectural and the organic, the tenderly human and the alien-like. I’ve encountered the duo many times as fellow night crawlers in New York, and I’ve long been intrigued by Leo’s penchant for vintage volume and skin, and Houman’s clean, clean lines.
Leo Becerra and Houman Farahmand
Leo Becerra, originally from Caracas, is a student at The New School in New York City and people, energy, friends, change, and innovation inspire him.
Leo Becerra in a Patricia Field “Vogue” mesh football shirt and Charlotte Ronson leather pants
mesh and leather
Houman Farahmand is a buyer for Nasty Gal in Los Angeles. He loves mid/late 70s-80s film, and Woody Allen films, especially. ”It’s hard for me to go through a film without stopping several times and doing Google searches, and pulling up images based on what I see,” says Houman. He also has a penchant for color and texture. He says, “I have and always had an obsession for leather. I love the smell of the leather in old european cars.”
Houman Farahmand in a Fred Perry polo, vintage white jeans, and 3.1 Phillip Lim shoes
vintage gold zipper earring
Houman’s favorite large rings
Houman in a vintage motorcycle jacket, Thierry Mugler turtleneck, The Row hunter green leather pants, Comme des Garcons slip-on half boots
the resurgence of the square toe by way of Comme des Garcons
Leo wears Dries Van Noten glasses, a Miu Miu cardigan, and a vintage shirt
I really like Leo’s matching vintage red leather bracelets and his voluminous striped Hermes pants.
Leo in a vintage motorcycle jacket and Alexander Wang top and Houman in a Fred Perry cardigan and Balenciaga turtleneck, in Chinatown
The Dandy Project for W Magazine
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