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SPRING 2013 FASHION TIPS FOR HIM

Watching the new James Bond movie, I realized that all my suits are out of date. What’s up with this skinny look?

In fact, the men’s clothing industry has been pushing a slimmer model for several years now, but it took Daniel Craig to help get the message across! Yes, today’s suits are narrower: coats are shorter and trousers slimmer for a modern look that’s much more youthful than pants dragging on the ground. So anything you’ve had in your closet for three or more years is likely too baggy. And any suit or tux with pleated trousers is begging to be replaced! To complement your new trim suits, you might want some slimmer shirts and narrower ties. (Tie widths should relate to the lapels of the suit.)

I’m seeing lots of color in men’s fashion magazines: are real guys wearing it?

Shoes for spring ’13 run the gamut from casual boat shoes and cool wingtips to soft suede lace-ups and dress/casual hybrids that combine

luxury leathers with high-tech soles. Color is key, if not on the shoe itself then on the soles or laces. It’s about

Real guys are wearing it! Color has always been a factor in men’s sweaters, shirts and neckwear; only recently has it moved to bottoms. We

classics with a twist: taking a tradi-

suggest pairing colored denim with a

tional shoe and adding a touch of

neutral sportcoat (check out our cover

whimsy. Finally, a fun footwear sea-

for a good example of this!). It’s a

son with lots of creative options!

great look that’s surprisingly easy to

(And you can be sure she’ll notice...)

pull off, once you take that first step.

WALKOVER FOOTWEAR

I read a study that said the first thing women notice on men is their shoes. So what shoes should I be wearing this spring?

ASKLYNWOOD In the Northwest where it rarely gets too hot, you can pretty much use a scarf all year, especially a sheer style in airy cashmere or a cotton/cashmere blend. When it does get warmer, untie and drape it over your shoulders as an easy wrap. We’re also starting to see silk scarves come back as a fashion item. Look for them in the same geometric, striped or color blocked patterns popular in RTW styles. To get even more use out of your scarf collection, tie one up and wear it as a headband or style it on your handbag to accessorize.

Color always plays an important role in my spring/summer wardrobe. Are there any particular color trends I should look for this season? Beautiful blues! From azure to turquoise, there’s a shade out there that looks good on everyone! If you’re not comfortable with the boldness of blue, tone it down by popping one piece against an otherwise black and white outfit in strong graphic shapes—another huge trend. A black and white wardrobe is perfect for unpredictable weather, since you can layer pieces easily and veer towards one shade depending on the rain or sun. Plus, owning a variety of black and white items

SPRING 2013 FASHION TIPS FOR HER

means you don’t have to pack as much when you travel. Pair black and white separates together or opt for a monochromatic look, livening up each outfit with accessories. Color blocking continues its reign on the runways, though stripes are bolder than in seasons past. Pay extra attention to where the stripes hit on your body and make sure your garments are tailored for a perfect fit. You can even try color blocking or stripes on your shoes or bag: just as on-trend but much easier to pull off. In bright colors or soft neutrals, this is a perfect way to provide some contrast in your wardrobe and effortlessly liven up your basics. Come in to check out the fresh, modern styles from Lanvin, Prada and Pierre Hardy.

Last year my favorite designers all showed floral patterns on the runway. Which prints will be big in 2013?

Pixel and geometric prints are popular this season, though florals are certainly still happening, especially when layered with lace. Head-to-toe geometric prints are not for the faint of heart, but luckily they work well in small doses and pair back beautifully to the black and white items in your wardrobe. The most important style advice of all: wear what makes you feel good!

SARTI SCARVES

There are many beautiful, lightweight scarves out there, but how can I wear them in the warmer months?

Archeological area of Tharros

CAN A MANʼS TROUSER OR JEAN, A BASIC ITEM OF CLOTHING, BE TRANSFORMED INTO A “MUST HAVE?” ̶MARIOʼS THINKS SO

T H E U LT I M AT E T R O U S E R . . . AND JEANS

profile

GLOVES FOR YOUR FEET MAGNANNI SHOES OFFER THE FINEST IN FIT—AND FLAIR. BY JILLIAN LAROCHELLE

ebastián Blanco had been working in shoe factories since he was 12. In 1954, at the age of 44, he decided to start his own business. With only five employees, he began making shoes out of a small workshop in his own home in Almansa, a factory town in southeastern Spain specializing in leather goods production. Two years later he partnered with shoe salesman Antonio Garcia to form Blangar. When Blanco’s only son Pascual turned 14, he began learning shoe design and pattern making from his father. At 16, Pascual became the lead designer, introducing more elegant styles and rebranding the company as Magnanni (after going to a movie with his future wife Rocio, where he was impressed by Italian actress Anna Magnani). In 1968, Pascual married Rocio, and the couple later had five sons (Sebastián, Miguel, Pascual, Julio and Luis) and a daughter (Rocio). Today the entire third

generation of Blancos occupy key positions at Magnanni. Pascual, the third son of Pascual and Rocio, is in charge of distribution in the U.S. and Asia, and reveals that although his father is technically retired, “the company is like another son to him. In my opinion, my father is the best shoemaker in Spain, and we still learn from him every day.” When asked about the difficulty of working alongside five siblings, Pascual laughs. “When we discuss business, it’s usually informal… and loud! Sometimes we get on each other’s nerves, but then we go out afterwards and have a beer. We’re a very close family.” Still based in Almansa, Magnanni continues to construct all its footwear by hand. The highest quality European leathers are hand chosen by the Blancos to ensure that only the best materials available are used. Magnanni is known for its use of the complicated, labor-intensive Bologna construction. But the end result—a foot wrapped 360 degrees with leather, as a glove to a hand— is worth it, giving each shoe exceptional flexibility and comfort. “We make the shoe so the lining wraps around your entire foot,” explains Pascual. “Some brands use a hard insole, but we have soft molded leather. It conforms to your foot faster so there’s never a long breaking-in period.” The last is another vital part of any shoe, and Magnanni’s are all carefully constructed in house to ensure quality and consistency. “People don’t notice or compliment the last, but even if they don’t know it, it’s the first thing they feel when they try a shoe on,” Pascual says. “We’ve found a successful fit, but we’re always testing and developing it to make it better.” The company also hand paints all of its leathers with exclusive dyes, natural creams and polishing rags, imparting each pair with a one-of-a-kind finish and a deep, rich coloration. The perfect final touch on the shoes you’ll wear for a lifetime.

interiors

RISK MANAGEMENT

Kelly Wearstler lays it all on the line to make a grand statement on style. By William Kissel hen Mies van der Rohe uttered his famous words “God is in the details” to an admirer of his design work, the German-American architect might just as easily have been speaking about the work of Kelly Wearstler, the entrepreneurial designer whose thought-provoking and detail-driven designs for boutique hotels and opulent homes have redefined the concept of modern glamour. Whether designing the decadent black, white and daffodil yellow interiors of Palm Desert’s Viceroy Hotel (one of the many Viceroys she’s designed from California to the Caribbean), putting the finishing touches on her recently launched women’s fashion label, or drafting pieces for her new line of furniture and wall coverings debuting this spring, Wearstler—a former Playboy centerfold turned style-bending interior designer—is a self-described risk-taker who finds

genius in the most off-beat places. “I can find inspiration in vintage books and fashion, or spend hours in a button store and see one that inspires a pillow,” says the Australian-born designer, who shares her Los Angeles home with her husband, real estate developer Brad Korzen, and their two young sons, Oliver and Elliott. “The smallest things in everyday life—colors, prints, patterns—all fascinate me,” she says. Those everyday musings have been turned into magical pieces for the home, office or wardrobe: everything from bedding and draperies to jackets and day dresses. Wearstler and her signature studio, KWID, have quickly become one of the world’s most sought-after design firms, primarily because her work transcends style and place without appearing too studied or overly trendy. To that end, Wearstler is not afraid to combine elements of Hollywood Regency, Rococo, Streamlined Modern and Chinoiserie in the

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RESERVATIONS

same room, nor is she averse to mixing textures and materials such as velvet, gold leaf, tortoise shell, buffalo horn, stainless steel and glass, among others, resulting in her own decorative anarchy. “All of my interiors are fun, yet still sophisticated and elegant; they are spirited and soulful and full of elements that are raw and refined,” says Wearstler, whose stamp is on countless boutique hotels and residential estates as well as Bergdorf Goodman’s signature restaurant, BG, in New York. “To me there is no place for rigidity in design,” reveals Wearstler, who is fond of what she calls ‘unexpected style.’ “Unexpected style is mixing different periods together, or creating tension in a room with different pieces of furniture and color. Mixing 10 different woods and four different fabrics creates something truly unexpected. But if you know what you’re doing, it can look very seamless and pleasing to the eye,” she maintains. The daughter of an engineer and a wannabe interior designer, Wearstler grew up surrounded by beautiful and unusual objects, textures and colors. “My home was always in a state of flux; I’d come home from school and the living room would be an entirely different color,” she says, referring to this constant evolution of style as a rhapsody, coincidentally also the name of her new book for Rizzoli. “Rhapsody is about a bunch of things, different periods, scales and textures, coming together to create a beautiful space,” she explains. “I’ve always wanted to inspire people to take risks and to create environments that feel spirited.”

SHE’S GOT THE LOOK Kelly Wearstler’s first foray into apparel was a signature women’s wear collection in the spring of 2011. But the designer says it took her more than four years of trial and error before introducing the brand. “Designing ready-towear clothing was one of the hardest things I’ve ever attempted,” she told the L.A. Times at the time. “Learning fashion is like speaking another language,” she insists. Nevertheless, Wearstler’s eponymous fashion label, now in its third season, has evolved into the sort of amalgam of textures and styles one might expect from the quintessential risk-taker. “Fashion is just another form of art and design. Both forms fuel each other,” she says, adding that fashion has long influenced her interiors so the transition seemed only natural. “Having access to fashion fabrics—like hightech materials that look like something you might see in scuba gear—has given me new ideas for window coverings,” she says. “I’ve used spikes and studs made for biker jackets to decorate furniture. I incorporate fashion techniques, like ruching,

into upholstery and have made amazing leather chairs.” Wearstler believes her clothing label is equally unique because it incorporates many of the style points and materials she uses in her interior work. “Looking at an antique or a piece of furniture I created will give me ideas for the shape of a

dress or a jewelry design,” she explains. Will the audacious designer apply her venerable talents to a line of menswear one day? “Funny you ask, because my son just asked me the same thing this morning,” says Wearstler, insisting the answer is a resounding “no!” But we’d urge her to reconsider.

profile

David and Kelly Hamilton have expanded the family business.

BESPOKEN FOR

A young Texas twosome reinvigorates their family’s great American shirt business. By William Kissel WE DO IT ALL—

When fourth-generation shirt makers David and Kelly Hamilton decided to extend the reach of their family’s custom shirts outside their Houston-based store, the siblings knew they would have to keep a close eye on their distribution. “In our experience, [the product is] only as good as the salesperson on the floor. So we wanted to limit ourselves to only the best specialty stores in the country who know their products and their customers as well as we know ours,” says David. Hence, Hamilton’s signature shirts can only be found in fewer than 30 of the top retailers nationwide. Indeed, each Hamilton shirt—whether custom, made-to-measure or a product of the firm’s relatively new Hamilton 1883 ready-made collection—is a carefully constructed work of art made from the finest Italian and Swiss fabrics (more than 500 varieties in stock and an additional 700 on demand). They are hand-cut and hand-crafted entirely in America. Unlike other shirt makers, nearly 80 percent of the 130-yearold Hamilton brand’s operation is still dedicated to the lost art of bespoke, made-to-order shirt making, a process that allows the customer to choose his own fabric, cut, button, collar and cuff style, among other sartorial details. Moreover, the firm still cuts its shirts from a customer’s own signature paper pattern and produces a prototype garment to allow for alterations and client approval before completing every order. What’s most unique about the Hamilton experience

is that the client never feels overFROM MEASURING whelmed by the myriad options. AND HELPING CLIENTS “It’s like a menu in a restaurant,” SELECT THE DETAILS says David. “There are infinite OF THEIR SHIRTS options, but we don’t present it that TO FASHIONING THE way. We think it’s best to make sugFINISHED PRODUCT. gestions, so the client still controls every design aspect but without the burden of making every decision.” Hamilton might be unknown to most who’ve never ventured inside the company’s original Texas shop, but the brand actually has deep roots. It began in 1883 (hence the signature on its ready-made shirts) when brothers Edward and J. Brooke established Hamilton Brothers as a clothier producing everything from custom-made suits to hats. Shirts became the family’s primary focus after World War II, and over the years the business passed from generation to generation. Under Kelly and David’s stewardship, which began in 2006, the label has expanded nationally and introduced a new collection of softly styled sport shirts with a slightly slimmer fit to reach a younger demographic. “The softer collar gives it a more contemporary feel, and the tail is shorter so it can be worn in or out. But we still use the highest quality fabrics that appeal to a more classic customer,” says David. Shirts range in price from roughly $225 (readymade) to $325 (full bespoke).

RELAX. WE MAKE LOOKING GREAT EASY.

world scene GARDEN VARIETY

his spring and summer, you could plant a few geraniums… or create your own private paradise. A simple patch at a small house in London, a garden featuring an Italian cascade in California, extravagant parks on great estates in France and Belgium: French landscape artist and garden designer Francois Goffinet develops the concepts and personally oversees the realization of his projects all over the world. Aficionados who prefer to do it themselves can still have a touch of the master with pieces from Monsieur Goffinet’s recently introduced classical garden furniture collection, which includes a wood chair, armchair, footstool, stone table, tent and planters. He also offers advice: “Take care of the site and the genius loci.”

Experience life’s little luxuries. By Donald Charles Richardson

VINO DA CANTARE

few miles from Florence near the small village of Lajatico is the Bocelli vineyard, which has belonged to the family of world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli for generations. (Andrea’s sister-in-law Cinzia and brother Alberto manage the azienda and greet guests; Mama Bocelli can often be found hand-tying vines in the fields.) Next time you’re touring the Tuscany region of Italy, you might spend a charming afternoon visiting with the Bocellis and tasting their wines, then stop for dinner at Ristorante La Vallata just a short distance away. This restored farmhouse has several Bocelli wines in the cellar, or you can choose a favorite at the vineyard and bring it with you. Settle on the terrace surrounded by cypress and olive trees dating back to the 1700s and dine on entrées the chef creates to pair with the Bocelli wines.

RIVER WORLD

osa River Cruises sail along historically fascinating waterways. There’s the Blue Danube cruise that meanders up this romantic river to Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia. The cruise along the Rhine docks at castles, cities (including Mozart’s birthplace) and the mysterious Black Forest (both ships offer travelers private tours of museums and great châteaux). On board, local, often rare wines are served. There’s a spa with one-way glass walls (so guests can view the passing scene while having a treatment), gym, lounge with a dance floor, sun deck, swimming pool, putting green, whirlpool and shuffleboard court. The restaurant features regional dishes; if you’re too entranced by the view to go inside to eat, the chef will arrange to have your dinner served on deck.

spirits

BESPOKE BOOZE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAMPLING FINE AND RARE WHISKIES (OR STORING YOUR OWN COLLECTION), ARE INCREASINGLY POPULAR. BUT THEY DON’T ALWAYS COME CHEAP.

Single malt fans have more options than ever to customize their drinking. By Robert Haynes-Peterson It’s an excellent time for connoisseurs of single malt Scotch whisky. Distilleries are expanding, production is up, with more iterations of fine and rare releases than ever before. For those seeking even more unusual drinking options, a cottage industry of whisky clubs and concierge services has arisen to assist in customizing your whisky experience like never before.

1494 Club: A New Yorkbased whisky club directly targeting high earners, 1494 honors the private social clubs of the 19th century. Founder David Clelland has secured an undisclosed townhouse in Manhattan where members can convene for tastings and curate their personal collections. Founding Members ($175,000) gain access to Scotland distillery and golf course trips via private jet, while Collector memberships ($25,000 and up) also boast many perks. “I wanted to offer an experience, and a lifetime commitment for collectors,” says Clelland.

The Whisky Dog: Founder Nicholas Pollacchi is an affable, stylish young Scotsman who has worked all angles of the whisky trade. What he felt was missing were private tasting events customized to meet a company’s or individual's needs. Meet The Whisky Dog. “We’re all about sitting down with the client and creating the kind of experience they want to create. Is it focused on high-end, rare product, or is it a one-to-one Scotch 101 seminar with younger executives?” asks Pollacchi. In addition to offering a large range of specialty whiskies, Pollacchi can customize events to include extras like fine cigars, a bespoke tailor, food pairings and musical entertainment.

Branded Whisky Clubs: Groups like the Glenlivet Guardians, 1801 Chivas Brotherhood and the Custodians of The Dalmore provide extra perks for your favorite brands. Sign up online and gain access to early releases of new expressions, private tasting events and more. The Glenlivet Guardians, for example, have sole access to the Guardian Single Cask Edition (about $300), and to a three-day "Whisky School" at the Speyside distillery, including the opportunity to bottle your own whisky.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America: This branch of the popular Edinburgh-based Society allows members the opportunity to sample and buy rare single-cask expressions, custom-made for SMWS. Bottles are identified by number (i.e. Cask No 106.18) rather than distillery, to allow the whisky to speak for itself. The date of distillation, number of bottles and tasting notes are printed on each bottle. Membership is $229 (which includes a kit with four sample whiskies), and an annual renewal fee of $60. Members also get discounted admission to tasting events.

HUGO BOSS FASHIONS INC.

MARIO’S FORUM SPRING 2013