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VOL I A/W14 £4.50
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CONTENTS MAILBOX 5 - EDITOR’S LETTER
PRE
THE LATEST // PREVIEWS // NEWS 6 - SNEAKER JUNK-IES 9 - FOOD STUFF 10 - RAINMAN 11 - RUDEBOYS 12 - BIRTHDAY BOYS 14 - WEATHER GUYS 60 - WALL ART 62 - KICK FIXES
POST-ITs
THE FASHION MEMOS 16 - RAINWEAR 18 - PHOTOGRAPHY 39 - PHOTOGRAPHY 48 - TRENDING 57 - WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE 63 - 7 DAYS IN STYLE 67 - WHEELS
SIGNED BY
ON THE COVER CHRISTIAN ANDREW WEARS JUMPER BY TOPMAN AND STYLIST’S OWN OVERCOAT PHOTOGRAPHY - DAN GRAHAM FASHION EDITOR - GRACE COOK
THE SPECIALS // EMERGING ICONS 30 - AM 31 - JM 32 - JC 33 - DY 34 - JP
POST THE LAST
68 - POSTCARDS FROM 70 - SNAPSHOTS
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EDITOR’S LETTER It is with great joy that I introduce to you the
first issue of POST.edition magazine. This issue is a manifesto of hard work, creativity and individual style. It is also a testament to the resilience of the fashion industry. In a world where the future of print is constantly challenged, we are delighted to bring to you what we hope will be a timeless publication for you to enjoy time and time again. This is not a posthumous dedication to the printed word: it just has a new place in this digital era. Like many things in fashion, the meaning of ‘new’ can be interpreted in different ways. We are supposedly living in a post-postmodern age where every ‘new’ design has already been created. So is there ever anything that is truly new? Put simply, the answer is yes. Menswear is just beginning to thrive and so we think there are plenty of new things to discover. In this issue, we feature the next stars of this industry. We chat to Daniel Yuste, a new face on the menswear scene with his very ‘new’ take on sportswear, and to Adio Marchant who is carving out a ‘new’ place for himself as a solo artist after his group disbanded. And we chat to James Page, the rising star in the making, who is forever captivating us with his ‘new’ and inventive ways of recording music videos, the first one being filmed in an MRI machine - something that was very much a first. POST.edition magazine draws inspiration from this post world. ‘New’ fashion trends and collections are centered around the pre-fall collections, but it is what comes after this that excites us. What comes after the apocalypse? What is next? POST.edition, Volume I, will aim to champion those who are doing things differently, those who are looking ahead and those who will redefine the next era. Grace Elisabeth Cook | Editor-in-Chief
END. X SAUCONY SHADOW 5000 BURGER
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SNEAKER JUNK-IE END x Saucony Shadow 5000 Burger.
Aside from Jeremy Scott’s last Moschino womenswear
collection, which took its red and yellow concept from fast food giant McDonalds, fashion rarely takes its inspiration from junk food. And yet, those food junkies at high-end menswear boutique End. Hunting Co, based in Newcastle, have come up with a way of combining two of men’s great loves: sneakers and burgers. “The burger is one of the most customisable food formats out there”, says End. Stylist Samuel Monahan. “Fundamentally, a collaboration with a brand is a customisation of one of their silhouettes, so burgers seemed very fitting as a concept”. For this reason, the sneakers come with a selection of coloured laces, allowing you to style them however you like. And, in true fast food fashion style, the laces come packaged up in condiment sachets for added novelty value. “Cooking is becoming more like a design process”, adds Monahan. Before becoming End.’s stylist, he studied industrial design; skills that came in handy when designing and developing the Saucony collaboration. “I should have probably studied a more fashion-based course”, he admits, “however the breadth of industrial design, combined with a strong interest in fashion, accessories and footwear meant I could tailor the course and projects I did to the industry I wanted to be a part of ”. The concept for the burger theme was a joint venture thought up by himself and End.’s marketing manager Simon. “We felt the Shadow 5000 design worked best for the burgers because the panels and lines carry quite different angles and shapes, much like the ingredients of the burger”. The sneakers are crafted in luxurious materials to “make the 5000 look as premium as possible”, he says. Buttery suede with hints of supple leather and perforated panels, in shades usually associated with the burger, are utilised to give a “big nod to burger layers”. Far from being inspired by budget fast food like Scott however, the End. x Saucony collaboration references the Michelin burger creations, where ingredients include flakes of gold, foie gras and truffles as toppings for burgers, not the humble gherkin. “A lot of the time it’s the grand aesthetic of a gourmet burger that gives the feeling of having to eat it”, he says. “We want people to have 7
the same desire to wear this sneaker”. And in such a saturated market, with new sneaker collaborations being announced frequently, what is it that sets the End. x Saucony Shadow 5000 apart? “For the collaboration we designed a custom box that pays homage to very early fast food packaging, using simple bold graphics. For us it was important to provide customisable extras, such as the laces, as we believe this creates a complete package that cements a collaboration and its concept”. Playful nods to the classic American burger are what makes this sneaker really special: the details, from the packaging and the laces, really set it apart. The unique colour combination also makes what is essentially a fun concept a very appealing footwear choice, with hamburger tags flys high on the tongue. More than other sneaker collaboration out there, the End. x Saucony Shadow 5000 Burger is original. It has a clear concept and has followed that through to the finest details. “These extras can separate one [collaboration] from the next”, says Monahan, who believes that fashion will continue to be inspired by food. And so, where next? Hot dog anyone?
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GOOD GRUB
Inspired by the Saucony sneaker, we asked END. Stylist Samuel Monahan to tell us his favourite burger joints for that much-needed junk food hit. HONEST BURGER, UK
“Their menu and focus on British produce is amazing. There’s not a huge selection - 3 beef, 3 chicken and 3 vege, but the quality more than makes up for it. Their specials menu is great and offers something a little different to their standard menu: last time I had a Cajun blackened beef patty with bloody Mary ketchup, which was unbelievable”
ALMOST FAMOUS, MANCHESTER
HOLYROOD 9A, EDINBURGH PATTY & BUN, LONDON
“Patty & Bun is well worth a visit, but be prepared to queue for a couple of hours for a table - it’s that good. They’ve got a great selection, and their staff take the time to talk you through their burger options they’re real foodies themselves so it really shows in the service. The Ari Gold is the menu highlight; its soft bun and secret sauce always leaves you wanting more”
“Their Butter Blood and Blue burger is something else. It’s a double cheeseburger with a flatiron steak, topped with chorizo and chillies. Definitely not for the faint hearted, but the meat is so tender and succulent which is offset really well by the blue cheese. There’s often huge queues at weekends so try and visit during the day or later on”
“They have a great variety of meats here - they have over 20 burgers on the menu made from everything: beef to venison and of course, being in Scotland, even haggis burgers. Their beer menu is extensive as well - this is literally bloke paradise”
THE FAT HIPPO, NEWCASTLE
“The best burger joint in Newcastle without a doubt - all the burgers are made with Northumberland meat so they really pay attention to good quality ingredients. Their selection is great, they put everything from sour cream to peanut butter on a burger, but it always works. The Captain Cook is like something from Man v Food - it has something crazy like 24oz beef in it” 9
BLAME IT ON THE WEATHERMAN RAINMANJAPAN.COM
Dressing for the weather is a habitual dilemma in rainy Britain. Heritage brands have the outerwear market covered: the market is awash with fantastic raincoat choices, from Barbour to Burberry and Aquascutum. But when it comes to footwear, it appears we have left ourselves short. After all, Hunter wellingtons aren’t exactly office attire. It seems almost ironic that the solution to the wet British weather should come from the Asian continent. Emerging Japanese footwear brand Rain Man have discovered and filled a true gap in the menswear market with their range of entirely wearable waterproof shoes. Founded in 2013, the brand’s collection is based around classic British styles, from the Derby to the brogue boot. Crafted from a leather-look upper and sealed throughout, they are completely watertight while maintaining the elegance of a traditional shoe. Available in three styles and three colour variations with a choice of soles, they give the option of fail-safe style no matter the weather.
RETURN OF THE RUDEBOY “In conservative culture that feels like punk never happened, the time is right for Return of the Rudeboy”. Speaking of Somerset House’s latest exhibition, Don Letts, the DJ and director credited for colliding the sounds of punk and reggae, has hit the nail on the head. Notable subscultures in fashion are almost a rarity among menswear in the modern world, and the rise of the Jamaican-inspired rudeboy is a subculture worth documenting. Curated by photographer and filmmaker Dan Chalkley and stylist Harris Elliot, the exhibition documents this sartorial subculture through a series of portraits, set pieces and instillations alongside DJs, merchandising and a pop-up barbers. Interestingly, the portraits were actually shot in the UK, highlighting how this trend has permeated culture transatlantically. Showing exactly what it means to be a 21st century rudeboy, the exhibition explores the style and attitudes of this emerging urban movement. Originating in the 1950s, the term was given to male fashion rebels who’s fashion choices included mohair suits, pork pie hats and the skinny tie. Return of the Rudeboy is at Somerset House for a limited time only. Buy merchandise. Get a haircut. Be inspired.
SOMERSETHOUSE.ORG | RETURN OF THE RUDEBOY, UNTIL AUGUST 25
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“Nothing ever looks like a Pickett product, because Pickett products come in all shapes and sizes�
trevor pickett at home with his lurcher, chino. image courtesy of howtospendit
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BIRTHDAY BOY Trevor Pickett celebrates 25 years in the business.
The Trevor Pickett story is an interesting one. It is the story of a boy who,
at 16, rejected the lure of university and, driven by his love for product and people, headed for retail. At 17 he found himself a job at a small leather goods company with premises in London’s prestigious Burlington Arcade. Fast forward eight years, and the 25 year old Pickett bought out the company and rebranded as his own namesake. After the buyout, he maintained the existing business relationships with the craftsmen who had supplied The Unicorn Leather Company with their goods. And so even today, Pickett’s luxury and bespoke leather luggage is made by individual and expert craftsman up and down the country, from the old bloke cutting leather in his garden shed to the guy making the handbags in a field in Essex. His craftsmen comprise “one man bands in garden sheds and garages”, Pickett tells me. Fancy buying a rugged-looking briefcase? That’ll be Mike’s handiwork, who has a workshop in Wales and makes all of Pickett’s briefcases and document folios. Or how about a bespoke item? Then Peter in Rutland is your main man: he specialises in contemporary luggage. Each unique piece of luggage has travelled the length and breadth of the British isles before being shelved for sale, giving them an impressive travel passport without racking up international air miles: their biggest unit of craftsmen is “about 12 people”, he says. Today, the man, and the brand, are celebrating 25 years in the business. In line with the classic and simplistic brand identity, the celebration itself has gone almost unnoticed. Discretion is Pickett’s forte, both in terms of branding and his client list. Today, Pickett’s luggage collection offers a seamless blend between classic and contemporary, with many items fulfilling the cabin-size criteria making them the essential weekend getaway bag. With 42 varieties of leather from 32 different animals on offer, and with the option of bespoke colour (items can be ordered in any shade, of any spec, for anyone: this is the Dulux paint match of the leather world), the luggage options at Pickett are endless. “Nothing ever looks like a Pickett product”, he says, “because Pickett products come in all shapes and sizes. Our signature is on quality rather than look, and we don’t do any branding because our customer’s identity is more important than our identity”. His bespoke service will also try to make you whatever your heart desires: he recently converted a classic style holdall into a complete kit for whisky tasting. “Imagine how heavy bottles of whisky are”, he tells me. “We then needed to find a way of getting it on wheels. We turned it around in about 12 weeks”. The man himself is entirely personable, and upon meeting Trevor, it is clear that this is his natural calling. His passion for his product shines through in every aspect of his business, and his staff love working for him so much they keep returning. “They’re like homing pigeons”, he tells me. “We’re like Hotel California - the staff check in but they never check out”. He is possibly the last quintessential English eccentric, and a self-proclaimed one at that. If not for the leatherware on offer, a visit to the Burlington Arcade would be well worth it purely for a chance encounter with the man himself.
TREVOR PICKETT | 32-33 BURLINGTON ARCADE
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‘RAINING’ SUPREME FOR OVER A CENTURY John Emary must have been an interesting bloke. Clever guy that he was, he invented
the first ever waterproof cloth, thus changing the face of rainy day style forever. After founding his company Aquascutum in 1851, he struck up a business relationship with the British military, and supplied coats for the First and Second World Wars, after which the term ‘trench coat’ was coined. These days, the trench is about as synonymous with British heritage as the royal family.
Fashion is renowned for taking inspiration from military attire and, true to form, the trench coat became something of a wardrobe staple following the wars. Everyone from Winston Churchill to Hollywood icons like Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe wore them. Sherlock Holmes’ character was never without one. As such, the timeless staple has long been associated with British history, and the garmet has become almost the face of the company ever since. Today, the trench coat has become a cornerstone in 21st century wardrobes for both men and women: its classic style still having instant appeal. The trench is so much a classic that the design is continually replicated by other major design houses (Burberry and Mulberry to name a few). Even after a century, Aquascutum is still as relevant in the menswear market as ever, and looks set to reestablish its presence on the British high street.
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With the announcement of their new concept store, no longer will shopping be a dash-in-and-out experience. Instead, it promises to be a much more refined and enjoyable affair. Located on London’s Jermyn Street, the 1,268 sq ft store is designed with a gentleman’s club feel in mind. Kitted out with slick armchairs and low-level lighting, it will be a one-stop shopping destination carrying a range of classic outerwear, luxury tailoring and casual wear. Aquascutum’s A/W14 lookbook has some cracker key pieces for the coming season, making the store a must visit. Highlights include the tan suede bomber jacket with a shearling collar and the oxblood button-down overcoat. And of course, the classic trench.
AQUASCUTUM | 78/79 JERMYN STREET
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RAIN ON MY
PARADE
WET WEATHER PICKS Make getting rained upon a more appealable option with our picks of this season’s timeless rainwear that will last season after season, no matter the budget. Whether it’s a sharply-tailored trench or a slouchy parka, POST.ed has your outerwear needs covered.
BURBERRY £1084
BARBOUR LIFESTYLE £219 PAUL SMITH £402
ADIDAS X TOM DIXON £726
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SALVATORE FERRAGAMO £2281
ACNE STUDIOS £452
LANVIN £679
A.P.C £333
STUTTERHEIM £192 17 AQUASCUTUM £850
“IT’S A COLD WINTER Y’ALL... BETTER BUNDLE UP” HAVING RAPPED ALL ABOUT IT IN FREEWAY, JAY Z KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT COLD WEATHER DRESSING. BE INSPIRED THIS WINTER WITH OUR RUNDOWN OF A/W14 OUTERWEAR TRENDS FROM OUR SELECTION OF THE BEST FROM THE HIGH STREET.
PHOTOGRAPHER - DAN GRAHAM FASHION EDITOR - GRACE ELISABETH COOK HAIR - ROBYN WILSON @ WILSON BARBER CO
jumper selected homme, jacket topman, scarf burberry, trousers h&m, boots dr martens @ scorpio shoes
HERITAGE HOMME CAMEL RETURNS IN A BIG WAY IN A/W14, SEEN EVERYWHERE FROM DAKS TO E TAUTZ. A SHORT BUTTON-DOWN MAC, LIKE THIS TOPMAN VERSION, IS A GREAT TRANSITIONAL PIECE 19 THAT WILL LAST THROUGH TO SPRING
JUMPER ASOS, COAT RIVER ISLAND, TROUSERS H&M, BOOTS CLARKS ORIGINALS @ SCHUH
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BONDED DETAILS LEATHER BONDED LAPELS ADD A TOUGH EDGE TO OUTERWEAR. THIS RIVER ISLAND OVERCOAT GIVES A NOD TO MANY A/W14 TRENDS: THE MILITARY DOUBLE BREASTED CUT KEEPS IT CLASSIC, WHILE THE MUTED COLOUR PALETTE OF BLACK 20 TO BROWN OMBRE IS FRESHLY URBAN
IN A NOD TO CLASSIC MILITARY STYLE, THIS RIVER ISLAND NAVY OVERCOAT IS SIMPLE AND CLASSIC: THE VELVET COLLAR ADDING A MODERN TWIST. IT DESERVES TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERY MAN’S WARDROBE
SHIRT SCOTCH & SODA, JUMPER MODEL’S OWN, COAT ASOS COLLECTION
MILITARY MAN
FISHERMAN’S FRIEND
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JUMPER ASOS, COAT TOPMAN
THE A/W14 RUNWAYS WERE AWASH WITH GARMENTS THAT GAVE A NOD TO THE UNASHAMEDLY MASULINE FISHERMAN. THIS CLEANLINED RAIN MAC FROM TOPMAN IS JUST THE TICKET IN THIS KHAKI SHADE
JUMPER SELECTED HOMME, COAT TOPMAN
CHECK YOURSELF CHECKS WERE ONCE AGAIN PROMINENT ON THE MEN’S RUNWAYS FOR A/W14. A MASCULINE DARK AND NEUTRAL COLOUR PALETTE WORKS WELL WITH THIS TREND: THIS CASUAL GREY AND BLACK TOPMAN VERSION IS BANG ON THE MONEY
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CHECK YOURSELF
JUMPER ASOS,JEANS CHEAP MONDAY, COAT RIVER ISLAND,BROGUES ALL SAINTS
BLENDING THE BEST OF BOTH TRENDS, A CLASSIC HERITAGE CHECK OVERCOAT IS AN INSTANT HIT. THE OVERSIZED STYLE BRINGS IT UP TO DATE, AND THE EPAULETTES HIT THE MILITARY TREND ON THE HEAD. PERFECT
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OVERCOATING
JUMPER TOPMAN, JEANS CHEAP MONDAY, OVERCOAT STYLIST’S OWN
AN OVERSIZED DUSTER COAT IS THE COAT FOR A/W14. WITH DROPPED SHOULDERS AND AN ELONGATED LENGTH, A WOOLLEN VERSION WILL LAST ALL WINTER, WHERE A LIGHTWEIGHT ONE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH TO SPRING
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RIVER ISLAND
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RISING
STARS THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRY GREATS ARE SET TO BURST ON TO THE SCENE. EACH WITH THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL LOOK, THEY JOINED US FOR A CHAT ABOUT PERSONAL STYLE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM.
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ADIO MARCHANT BIO age: 29 from: MANCHESTER occupation: MUSICIAN
POST.ed HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
PERSONAL STYLE?
AM:“Tramp chic - as in it’s made up of a few vintage pieces but there’ll always be a high end designer thrown in there. I like floral scarves to be wrapped around things like my head or my arm. It all depends on my mood” POST.ed WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MENSWEAR
DESIGNERS?
AM: “Agi & Sam -I’ve got one of their long jackets from their summer collection, but for their winter show they did this black and white check long jacket which was pretty sick, I was really into that” POST.ed HOW ABOUT CELEBRITY STYLE? AM:“From a male perspective Rihanna has been killing it. But guys like A$AP Rocky and Kanye, what they do with the high end fashion style is cool” POST.ed DO YOU HAVE ANY FAILSAFE STYLE TIPS? AM:“My main rule is that I never mix prints - if I go patterned at the top I keep it plain at the bottom, or vice versa. I like to have one item that stands out - I’m not really into matching sets” POST.ed WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT MENSWEAR? AM:“New designers because they are just doing interesting stuff - they’re keeping the dark palette but know when to add some interesting colours, it’s really nice” POST.ed DO YOU THINK THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS AS
LINKED TO FASHION NOW AS IT ONCE WAS?
AM:“It’s just as important, it’s never left the industry musicians always want to be one step ahead with the fashion, and the designers will always want to be associated with musicians. It’s kind of part of the package”
POST.ed WHAT’S YOUR HANGOVER STYLE? AM:“Mainly the most comfortable pair of shorts and a loose, long t shirt that I can slob about in. I don’t even want to go anywhere when I’m hungover, I don’t face the world. I order food in and let that day just pass me by” POST.ed WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN/
WINTER STYLE?
AM:“It’s the comfort factor more than anything. Big jackets are just so warm; the winter look is better than the summer look as you can add more layers”
Orignally finding success with the now-disbanded Manchester band Kid British, Adio Marchant, aka Bipolar Sunshine, looks set to be one of the most exciting new music acts of 2014. After collaborating in the studio with Rudimental and playing the Park stage at Glastonbury festival, his headline tour is set to take place in October following the release of his debut album. His controversial lyrics, upbeat sound and colourful and quirky wardrobe ensures he has a style all his own.
JORDAN METCALFE BIO age: 28 from: HULL occupation: ACTOR
POST.ed WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT
MENSWEAR?
JM:“What excites me is just the whole bespoke thing. The disposability now of fashion is outrageous. I’ve always been influenced by older men’s style, and the guys who had the best style were those who had really nice crisp shirts made at Harvey and Hudson, and Levi’s 501 jeans that were tailored. I love fashion that lasts” POST.ed DO YOU THINK THE FILM INDUSTRY IS
AS LINKED TO FASHION AS IT COULD/SHOULD BE? JM: “It’s got so much further to go. The whole celebrity thing is just our new aristocracy. For James Bond Daniel Craig insists that Crockett and Jones makes his shoes. Why the fuck wouldn’t you insist on that?”
POST.ed HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
JM:“Probably like a 1940’s farmer from Yorkshire. I guess you’d probably say classic and preppy. I love layering. And shirts and chinos, deck shoes and brogues. Cashmere jumpers are my biggest indulgence” POST.ed WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE
MENSWEAR DESIGNERS?
JM:“Ralph Lauren, as it’s a style that’s happened over the years. His colours are really bold, and I like that it’s both American and English. It’s not posh English it’s posh American; it’s the Hamptons. And Barbour. They just make stuff that lasts - I’ve had a Barbour wax jacket for over 10 years”
Charles always dresses really well. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, God rest his soul, the guy seemed to have absolutely zero style, but he’d have a big scruffy pair of chinos on and a jumper, with trainers, but I always thought he looked cool - you can’t go wrong with that. People who are not stylish need to keep it simple” POST.ed DO YOU HAVE ANY FAILSAFE STYLE
TIPS?
JM:“If in doubt, chinos shirt and deck shoes” POST.ed WHAT’S YOUR HANGOVER STYLE? JM:“Comfort over style any day, but always bringing in a bit of colour - I’ve got a Ralph Lauren bright pink and bright green rugby shirt and I love it, it’s failsafe” POST.ed WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT
AUTUMN/WINTER STYLE?
JM:“Layering, and cashmere jumpers. I love winter colours, like navy and red. I’d love a dark navy Daks overcoat, that would be fucking great”
POST.ed HOW ABOUT CELEBRITY STYLE? JM:“Johnny Depp, because he’s got his own style. not that I could ever dress like Johnny Depp. Alan Bennett because he’s always in a great tweed suit. And Prince
Jordan Metcalfe first sprung to our attention in a tense episode of Misfits Season 2, where he played Brian - the murderer with superhuman lactose powers. This year, he’s back; starring in Hobson’s Choice at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and starring alongside Bill Nighy in new film Utopia that recently debuted at Cannes.
JAMIE CARSON BIO age: 24 from: CUMBRIA occupation: EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
POST.ed WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT MENSWEAR? JC:“It’s very hard to predict trends now: a lot of them come from bloggers and people buying into random items. Topman are selling loads of ‘90s inspired oversized t-shirts randomly: the biggest trends are often the accidental ones. Menswear is unpredictable, that’s what’s exciting” POST.ed WHERE DO YOU TAKE STYLE
INSPIRATION FROM?
JC: “I like 1930s fashion; I like suits and fedora hats. I go to a lot of vintage shops: programmes like Mad Men and Sherlock are great for style inspiration” POST.ed HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
PERSONAL STYLE?
JC: “I’ll always just dress up nicely for no reason. Even if I’m just going out for a coffee, I always make the effort to wear a shirt, tie and braces. I rarely dress down” POST.ed WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MENSWEAR
DESIGNERS?
JC: “At the minute I actually love a lot of stuff from Reiss - it’s not necessarily designer, but they have really good staples. It’s a stepping stone between high street and high end. Hedi Slimane is a really big influencer as well: his YSL collections are incredible. He can put a leather jacket over a suit and it looks great” POST.ed HOW ABOUT CELEBRITY STYLE? JC:”Pete Doherty - he’s always verged between dressing really badly and having a really good fashion sense. He’s a British icon. I love Ryan Gosling’s style as well. He doesn’t go over the top when he dresses; he knows what he likes and he wears it well. His style comes off as very effortless. And Nick Grimshaw dresses flamboyantly, but it’s not too flamboyant”
POST.ed DO YOU HAVE ANY FAILSAFE STYLE
TIPS?
JC:“Peter Worth monk strap shoes are my staples. A plain white shirt and a knitted tie are failsafe, you can’t go wrong with those. I like double breasted blazers with contrasting trousers. And wearing checks with paisley mixing and matching things that clash but that weirdly work” POST.ed WHAT’S YOUR HANGOVER STYLE? JC:“I always try and dress my best when I’m hungover because I always look like shit. After the Christmas parties I’ll go to work the next day in a three-piece suit” POST.ed WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN/
WINTER STYLE?
JC: “It’s impossible to dress properly in summer because you need one outfit for outdoors and another for the tube. I love winter style. I can’t wait to wear the drop shouldered, double-breasted baby blue overcoat from Topman, and I love a good chunky roll neck as well”
24-year-old Editorial Assistant Jamie Carson is quickly rising through the ranks at Topman. After starting his career as a Music Writer for Clash magazine, he joined Topman as their first ever Fashion Writer in December 2012. He is now Digital Editorial Assistant, handling all digital content. Perks of the job include attending the London Collections: Men shows and interviewing the likes of Andrew Scott and Freddie Highmore.
DANIEL YUSTE BIO age: 26 from: BARCELONA occupation: DESIGNER
POST.ed WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT MENSWEAR? DY: “I feel menswear is changing so much so it’s possible to be completely creative. It’s still a world to discover as not everything has been done before, and that excites me a lot” POST.ed DO YOU THINK MENSWEAR IS MOVING
TOWARDS A MORE CASUAL LOOK?
DY: “Definitely, but I think the high end of menswear has always been related to tailoring, and the fact that it is getting more casual just means that the menswear industry is getting bigger” POST.ed HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL
STYLE?
DY: “Clean and minimal. I normally wear sporty trousers in black cotton or knitted nylon. I like jackets too - bombers, leather perfecto jackets and also parkas” POST.ed WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MENSWEAR
DESIGNERS?
DY: “Raf Simons and Helmut Lang because they always say a lot with not too much, they’re very less is more” POST.ed HOW ABOUT CELEBRITY STYLE? DY: “James Dean. His style is so natural, laid down and never forced” POST.ed DO YOU HAVE ANY FAILSAFE STYLE TIPS? DY: “You can never go wrong with a basic t-shirt” POST.ed WHAT’S YOUR HANGOVER STYLE? DY: “Haha, that question is so funny! Sometimes I think I dress better when I’m hungover actually... At least I do care less, and sometimes that gives you the confidence to wear a more bold and ‘exclusive’ look” POST.ed WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN/WINTER
STYLE?
DY: “I think winter allows you to combine a lot of pieces and layers, and that can make the outfit much more interesting in terms of shapes and colours. You can play with the different pieces, and that makes it more fun”
London College of Fashion graduate Daniel Yuste is our ‘one to watch’ in menswear. His MA collection, titled insectivore, was shown during London Fashion Week earlier this year and has since been featured everywhere from Vogue online to ID magazine. Exaggerated neoprene sweaters were shown with tailored trousers and turtle necks in a monochromatic and electric blue, colour palette, creating a unique hybrid between sports luxe and casual tailoring. Very current, very now, very fresh.
JAMES PAGE:
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Musician. Singer. Storyteller. Sivu is the star who cites Elvis and Johnny Cash as his musical influences, and who has “a thing for crazy cowboy outfits”. More importantly, he’s the star who is about to explode.
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n a rainy Wednesday in London, a crowd gathers at Camden’s Roundhouse theatre for a sell-out gig. It’s 4th June, the beginning of British summertime and England have just played their first world cup friendly. Camden itself is buzzing; with blokes yelling obscenities at TV screens in the surrounding pubs, with women dressed in sequinned trousers about to roll back the years; with innumerable touts standing outside the Roundhouse trying to exploit the general public by making a quick buck on last minute ticket sales. Away from the vast queues at the Roundhouse entrance is a small wooden door. Guarded by a single burly security guard, it’s a secret passage into an altogether more ambient space. With a nod of approval, we’re quickly ushered inside. No fuss. No queues. No three-hour wait for the bar. The darkened room buzzes excitedly while the crowd waits for the appearance of the man whose tickets they’ve purchased. Suddenly the lights dim, the stage lights spring into action, and he appears amidst a flurry of cheers and a weighty round of applause. With the opening note of ‘Love Lives in this House’, the crowd falls silent, transfixed by his heavenly falsetto. No, this is not Prince, who just so happens to be playing the venue’s main space tonight. This is Sivu.
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The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for 26-year-old James Page. After signing to Atlantic Records in October last year, he has since supported the award-winning London Grammar and Stornoway, played at SxSW and Glastonbury festivals and recorded acoustic sessions for British brand Burberry. Pegged as ‘one to watch’ this year by NME and Time Out, Sivu was named as The Sunday Times’ breaking act of 2014 after quickly garnering attention with his beautiful vocals and enigmatic music videos. Not bad when you consider he’s only been playing under the Sivu moniker for a mere 18 months, even more so that his debut album won’t be released until October: an artist so fresh he’s yet to gain a Wikipedia page. Time practically stops when Page opens his mouth and belts out a note. His voice caresses the audience along from one distinctive C chord to another like the lapping waves of the tide. One minute vulnerable, the next deep and low: the perfect balance to compliment those gorgeous falsetto notes. His stage presence is beautiful. The gig passes over in this tide-like motion while he treats the audience to renditions of his debut release ‘Better Man Than He’ and an acoustic version of ‘Family Tree’, the latter a personal highlight and, judging by the raucous cheers at the end of it, a crowd favourite as well. Prince might have been upstairs, but there is no mistaking that this is exactly where they wanted to be that evening.
know the lyrics to every song: a telling sign that Sivu captures and maintains his audience far beyond a threeminute music video or a 45 minute performance slot. They make the effort to listen to the B sides because he makes a lasting impression. What is also apparent is that James Page is just a really fucking nice guy. He’s friendly and approachable, and more than grateful to be treated to a two quid bottle of Orangina. Having slogged his guts out for years in a whole host of shit jobs that’s seen him work alongside bailiffs and in call centres, he’s appreciative that people are paying to see him, finally. There is no single artist more deserving of success than he. Yet he doesn’t feel entitled to anything. Page is understandably hungry for the next stage in his career and has an enormous desire to continually push and challenge himself. His music videos to date have gone over and beyond that of a normal video: you’d never catch him just “sitting there with a guitar” because it contributes nothing to the story of the track.
“Oh my God. People were singing along. It was fucking crazy”
We meet south of the water a couple of days later in a small, independent Brixton caf ’ that sells “unreal chocolate brownies”, he tells me. It’s bright and airy, filled with a handful of wooden tables and rickety stools and a classical soundtrack on repeat. He greets me not with a handshake, but with a bear hug, like an old friend. He’s in washed black slim-cut jeans, a marl crew neck tee with rolled cuffs and a pair of nicely-battered brogues. With a quick ruffle of his hair, which seems to be an endearing habit of his, he begins to put into words his emotions post-tour. What’s apparent from the off is that he’s mildly overwhelmed at its success. After celebrating by getting “absolutely smashed” and spending the following day hungover, he’s had just enough time to start reflecting on his experience. “Oh my God”, he begins. “I couldn’t really believe it. Everyone was really up for it which was really nice. People were singing along. It was fucking crazy”. So far he’s released four EPs, not including his collaborative track I Hold with Marika Hackman. Despite still being relatively undiscovered on the main music scene, Sivu has something of a dedicated following already. The audience
Instead, each official release has been accompanied by what could almost be described as a short, three-minute film. His last track, ‘I Lost Myself ’, adopts a Fear and Loathingesque theme. “The song was about when I first moved to London, and I was a bit lost really”, he says. “We wanted to capture that idea, we wanted it to have that kind of breakdown feel to it”. Filmed all over California in five days, its quick flipping between monochromatic, night vision and neon slides produce an almost-hallucinogenic effect. It cleverly blends surrealism with the grittiness of real-life to produce something that alone acts as an ambassador for the lyrics. “We hired a car, drove around and went to loads of really horrible places. We went to this place called Slab
above: still taken from ‘i lost myself’ video, courtesy of sivu
IMAGE COURTESY OF BURBERRY
City - it’s basically where loads of people live in the Nevada desert and they’re all really dodgy”, he says, after adding that two people that appeared in the video “used to be meth addicts”. Together, the lyrics and the video prove that it’s possible to feel as lost and isolated in the densely populated areas of London and Las Vegas as in the sparse expanse of the Nevada desert. Page is a storyteller. Every word, every line, every lyric he writes is imbedded with symbolic meaning. After writing under his own namesake for a couple of years, and “not really getting anywhere”, he stopped telling his own stories. Inspired by the tale behind his friend Simon’s St Christopher necklace, his lyrics have since been laced with Old Testament Biblical allusions. “Everyone knows these stories whether you’re religious or not, and I found using those stories really inspiring”, he says. Notable references include Noah’s Ark in ‘Bodies’ (Cause I watch the animals walk in two by two) and to religion itself in ‘Better Man’ (We’ll find faith in the most magical of places). Despite his dyslexia, which makes it “really hard writing lyrics and songs down”, Page is very gifted with words. It seems fitting that writing is the part of the creative process he enjoys the most. “You’re on your own and you’re just kind of writing for yourself really”, he says. It becomes obvious that Page is searching for his own version of the truth, and there is meaning in everything he does. I ask him if he believes in God. He’s not sure. “I’ve never known. That’s kind of where I’m at at the moment,
I don’t really know”, he says. “The next single Miracle is kind of about that exact thing. I don’t know where I stand, I don’t know what I think and I don’t know why I think - that question of why are we here and feeling a bit lost sometimes, it’s something I think about”. Life throws many a curveball, and it’s in those instances that we look for meaning. Although, “people find it a bit weird when they find out I’m not God Squad” he jokes. His tattoo; sitting at the top of his forearm, pays homage to his former band, the letters STN emblazoned across; a relic and token of past times and shared experiences. Despite his self-deprecating confession that it’s “so embarrassing” because it’s “really badly done, actually”, it has a story. After his trailblazer friend Kev branded himself with the inking, he and his former bandmates also got the stamp. “We kind of grew up together in that band. It’s kind of more about what we did, it was where we came from”. Were they any good? “No, not at all, we were rubbish, really bad. No-one liked us”, he says, deadpan. Having played together for seven years, the band “never really split up, we kind of just stopped playing” after the singer, Adam Powell, who now produces Page’s music videos, moved to LA. It was with Powell that he collaborated with for the Better Man video. With no money to shoot, they got inventive. For the bargain price of 250 quid, they shot the video in an MRI machine at Barts hospital in London. After dealing with the somewhat startling realisation that his scans would have to be sent away to be checked for anything untoward, Page
acknowledges it as “the video that has done everything for me”. Upon release, it garnered over half a million YouTube hits in quick succession: no mean feat for an emerging artist’s debut track. And the successes have kept on coming. After playing what he describes as a “disastrous” acoustic set at last year’s Glastonbury (“the sound guy was smashed”), he was then invited to record a live session of I Lost Myself for Burberry Acoustic. The video has over 100k hits to date. “It’s quite cool that they support young artists, they’ve been so good to me”, he says. “They really help”. He then played an acoustic session outside the their A/W14 menswear show at Kensington Gardens - Burberry filmed a 15-second video that, when posted on their Instagram page, got over 11.5k likes. “They gave me some clothes to wear for that and I got to keep them as well”, he says. I beg for details. “They gave me a really nice jacket and a really nice coat, some jumpers and some shirts and things”, he adds. He plays down the details, which more than anything gives off a real sense of modesty - something of a rarity in musicians of today. The music industry is overloaded with enormous egos and a sense of entitlement: Page is the opposite. He’s learnt his craft and more than paid his dues. He can appreciate it when his gigs are sold out. “I’m really glad I don’t take that for granted”, he says. Now is Page’s time. He’s teetering on the cusp of his success. And he really fucking deserves it. There were times after he moved to London, and before he was signed, that he thought
about giving it all up. “I was coming to terms with the fact that I probably wasn’t going to play any more”, he confides. At that point, he couldn’t catch a break. After meeting Charlie Andrew, the Mercury-award winning producer who has worked with the likes of Alt J, they recorded some tracks together. “I’d kind of stopped caring at that point, so it was actually quite refreshing to just do something for fun”, he adds. Is he ready for the fame game? “Do you know what, success, like, I don’t have a dream of being famous”. Will he cope when it comes calling? I can only hope so: a musician as grounded and modest as he is should, I imagine, take it in his stride. “When you’re purely doing something just for the love of it, that’s the best way to do anything”, he adds. “Just to be able to still be making records is just what I want to do. Just making music, that’s the dream”. Granted, with his next headline shows, set to take place towards the end of this year after the album release in October, he might not have the opportunity of sharing the venue with Prince. He might never again have the opportunity of glimpsing “the top of his hair through a crack in the door”. I doubt he’s bothered. Prince is a superstar, yes. But Sivu represents a new kind of superstar; a star that is low-maintenance and modest. James Page is as regular as you and I, the only difference being this unbelievable talent; that haunting voice; those beautiful lyrics. And for that reason alone I know he’s going to go the distance. SIVU’S DEBUT ALBUM IS OUT IN OCTOBER SIVUSIVU.CO.UK @SIVUSIGNALS
37 STILL TAKEN FROM ‘BETTER MAN THAN HE’ VIDEO, COURTESY OF SIVU
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FIX UP LOOK SHARP
PHOTOGRAPHER - DAN GRAHAM FASHION EDITOR - GRACE ELISABETH COOK HAIR - ROBYN WILSON @ WILSON BARBER CO BACKSTAGE PHOTOGRAPHER - STEPH WILSON FASHION ASSISTANTS - TIFFANY HALL, SCOTT GALLEY
FROM BOLD SHADES TO EXPLOSIONS OF PRINT, TAILORING HAS BEEN REINVENTED39
JUMPER ASOS, SUIT ASOS COLLECTION, SHOES (SHOWN ON COVER) DR MARTENS @ SCORPIO SHOES
NECK WARMERS
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WHETHER CHUNKY KNIT OR FINE CASHMERE, A TURTLENECK IS THE NECKLINE OF CHOICE 40 FOR A/W14, SEEN AT TOPMAN AND AGI & SAM
MOODY BLOOMS
SUIT PRETTY GREEN, SHIRT H&M, SOCKS FAKLE, BROGUES DR MARTENS @ SCORPIO SHOES
AFTER A SUMMER OF FLORALS SEEN AT PRADA AND DRIES VAN NOTEN, FLORALS HAVE RETURNED THIS SEASON IN A DARKER COLOUR PALETTE THAN BEFORE
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SUIT YOURSELF
SUIT ASOS COLLECTION, SHIRT ALL SAINTS, TIE ALL SAINTS, WATCH VINTAGE
A CLASSIC THREE PIECE SUIT WILL NEVER BE OUT OF STYLE. THIS SEASON’S OFFERINGS WERE SHARPLY TAILORED, SEEN AT DOLCE & GABBANA AND DIOR
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS A MONK STRAP SHOE TEAMED WITH A TAILORED TROUSER IS A SHARP ALTERNATIVE TO A LACE UP SUIT AS BEFORE SHOES TOPMAN
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SHOES ALL DR MARTENS @ SCORPIO SHOES
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PRINT EXPLOSION
TOP ASOS, SUIT TOPMAN, SOCKS FALKE, SHOES DR MARTENS @ SCORPIO SHOES
KALEIDOSCOPIC PRINTS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE SARTORIALLY BRAVE, AS SEEN AT KIT NEALE AND PAUL SMITH
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SHIRT TOPMAN, BOW TIE TOPMAN, BLAZER TOPMAN
HOUNDSTOOTH UPDATE YOUR BLACK TIE WINTER WARDROBE WITH THIS SEASON’S HERITAGE PRINT, HOUNDSTOOTH
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BOWLED OVER BY THE OVERCOAT
Designers are creating bold new variations on a trusted staple. From slouchy shapes to brilliant fabrics, the overcoat has been reinvigorated.
BACKSTAGE AT AGI & SAM A/W14. IMAGE SHOT BY UGUTZ FALZES
One garment in particular dominated the menswear runways for autumn/winter 2014. Swooshing fabrics in elongated
lengths billowed down the runways of everyone from Agi & Sam to E Tautz to completely reinvent a classic.
With a distinctly monochrome palette, this season’s staples came in a whole host of cuts and prints to bring this traditional style up to date. Plaids and stripes dominated at Agi and Sam, with a brilliant oversized Masai check version undoubtedly the highlight of the collection. E Tautz offered geometric takes on a check print, with the proportions bravely blown up. Dolce & Gabbana’s shearling-lined oversized versions would keep even the polar bears warm, while Balenciaga’s all-black palette offered overcoats in a range of styles, from slouchy parkas to sharply-tailored double-breasted mourning coats.
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What is apparent is that even the formal styles, with the exception of the aforementioned mourning coat, are taking inspiration from more casual and slouchy designs At Agi & Sam, coats were collarless or with rounded shawl lapels that fastened high on the neck. They came with asymmetrical fastenings and enlarged hoods with toggle fastenings. More structured offerings had shorter sleeve lengths and were finished with reflective bands around the cuffs that gave a nod to Western workwear, making even their more formal designs all the more casual. Styling their designs with cropped trousers and elongated tops gave a casually-slouched edge to even their most formal designs. E Tautz, renowned for their sharp tailoring, brought their overcoats up to date with their enormously enlarged proportions. Their woollen versions were heavily structured, but structured with such curved shapes that they were far from tailored. Their biker-jacket collar fastenings also took the formality down a notch. When speaking about Fendi’s collection, Style.com’s Tim Blanks noted that “even the most tailored pieces had a casual slouch”. Edging closer towards actual streetwear were the puffa jacket versions, seen at Agi & Sam, Balenciaga and Dries Van Noten. Again in monochromatic shades, these came rendered in techy nylon; a fabric usually reserved for actual performance wear. Like Agi & Sam, Van Noten opted for reflective stripes.; their double-ended zips and hoods making them both stylish and practical. The billowing ribbons, attached on to Van Noten’s designs, almost gave a nod to 90s combat trousers; very fitting and in-line with the supposed ‘tackiness’ of his synthetic materials. And yet the effect is really quite chic: just brilliant. Almost as surprising as the use of techy nylon was designers’ decisions to craft oversized outerwear from leather. Dolce & Gabbana, Chris Kane and Fendi all put oversized black leather coats on their runways. But do L-R: AGI & SAM, E TAUTZ, CHRIS KANE. IMAGES COURTESY OF STYLE.COM
they work? Absolutely. Kane’s offering maintained his signature style of what he calls his “super-boyishness”, it came crafted from deeply-grained leather, with enormous pockets and a heavy metal zipper; its hood reinforcing his very urban, streetwear aesthetic. And yet, despite the bold prints and perhaps questionable fabric choices, the reinvented overcoat is actually one of the most wearable items of the season. The dropped shoulders and elongated lengths create a slouchy silhouette, meaning they are immediately more casual, regardless of the fabrics. Van Noten’s versions might verge on sportswear, but they were styled on his runway with suits showing that actually, they are incredibly wearable. Agi & Sam’s sharp-shouldered, billowing designs are able to pull off such bold prints because the shape of the cut is so simple. The trend first appeared in acid-bright shades during the spring/summer collections. Fendi showed them in shades of fire red and desert yellow, and Van Noten’s were an explosion of brightly-coloured floral prints.Winter’s muted colour palette makes them all the more wearable. “The overcoat is going to be huge”, says Jamie Carson, Editorial Assistant for Topman. “They’re very fashion forward, but still classic: the average guy can wear one with a t-shirt”. Fashionable without being too fashionable? Surely a failsafe winter purchase. 49
ORANGE IS THE
NEW BLACK
Say goodbye to pared-down winter palettes this season with menswear’s most exciting colour injection yet: blood orange.
BACKSTAGE AT TOPMAN DESIGN A/W14, IMAGE SHOT BY JOSHUA WOODS
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fter a brief fling with fashion a few years ago, orange is back, set to be the only shock of colour winter wardrobes will need for the coming season. From tangerine tints to brushes of brick red, it came in every variety available: from chunky-knit jumpers to trousers and oversized overcoats. First appearing on the A/W11 runways, the trend has gotten a whole lot bolder and braver in the last four years. Last time, the palette was more terracotta than fluro, and was included as accent or statement feature as opposed to the whole head-to-toe look shown this year. Menswear is definitely getting braver season by season, and A/W14 shows us that bright and exciting shades are something to be embraced, not feared.
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What’s most interesting about this trend is the fact that it draws its reference from northern England. Topman Design’s collection was heavily influenced by images of fisherman and locations involving “gloomy shipyards, stormy northern skies and maritime paraphernalia”, said Topman’s Editorial Assistant Jamie Carson. Their theatrical and inventive show was perhaps one of the highlights of the entire men’s collections: models charged down the runway amidst a classic British rainstorm, brightened up somewhat by the flurry of pumpkin orange turtle necks. Chris Kane’s collection was inspired somewhat by the protective clothing worn in hospitals. And Christopher Shannon, winner of the coveted 2014 BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, sent models down his runway in shiny, synthetic tracksuits in shades of hamzat orange. Shannon, a Liverpudlian, was inspired by scouse scallies on local council estates in the 70s. “I kept thinking of footballers waling home in the rain and picking up a pint of milk”, he told Dazed’s Isabella Burley: a concept completed with dripping wet hair. Clearly, there is something in the northern air that’s making designers head for fluro shades, perhaps in an attempt to brighten up the industrial landscape. Chunky knitwear reigned supreme in this colour trend: from Kane’s mohair aran knits to Topman Design’s cropped fisherman jumpers. The simple styling of Kane’s fluro orange jumper, paired with slim-cut trousers, highlights how easy it is to incorporate statement pieces into winter wardrobes. Topman’s bold head-to-toe looks admittedly might not be one that necessarily catches on, but as separates they are fantastic. Do they anticipate the orange pieces selling? “I think people will really want to buy them because they’re so
L-R: CHRIS KANE, TOPMAN DESIGN, CHRISTOPHER SHANNON. IMAGES COURTESY OF STYLE.COM
bold”, said Carson. Their orange-red overcoat hits two winter trends on the head to cement its status as a true winter staple garment. Christopher Shannon’s inventive collection shows how fantastic a designer is, well worthy of his DFF award. He has managed to completely redesign the tacky tracksuit into something that is really desirable, and wearable. It blends fashion with streetwear perfectly: the slim-cut, cropped and cuffed trousers have a casual-luxe appeal as they are essentially tailored tracksuits. While his runway closely resembled a Sunday league football match, his colour palette and design shapes rendered his collection very fresh. The zip-up, turtle neck jackets are no doubt an everyday staple. Suddenly, tacky fabrics have a luxury appeal; an effect reciprocated by Kane’s techy nylon offerings. With so many striking varieties to choose from this season, orange is set to become the shade of 2014. We doubt the industry will be going back to black any time soon.
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ANIMAL MAGNETISM Noah’s Ark exploded on the A/W14 runways after designers reinterpreted the meaning of animalistic inspiration.
BACKSTAGE AT KIT NEALE A/W14, IMAGE COURTESY OF KITNEALE.COM
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he animals came in more than two by two on this season’s runways. Bringing a whole new meaning to animal print, the autumn/winter collections were awash with vertebrae motifs. From the humble rodent to the polar bear, winter’s prints just got a whole lot more exciting. Providing a stark contrast to the somewhat predictable offerings seen of late (camoflage, florals, checks), the bright and colourful designs seen at Kit Neale and the understated references shown at Christopher Raeburn are sure to provide an alternative to leopard print for every palette. “People are so over camoflage and classic print”, says Topman’s Editorial Assistant Jamie Carson. “What’s next?”
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With the brightest colour palette of the trend, NEWGEN MEN recipient Kit Neale’s collection maintained his signature illustrations and graphic prints. Neale is often inspired by his surroundings, and continuing the theme from his spring/summer collection, which referenced his native Peckham, the autumn/ winter offering drew inspiration from Elephant and Castle. In a typically-ironic Neale style, the collection offsets silhouettes of rodents with luxurious fabrics: bomber jackets crafted from woven jacquard and screen printed fabrics. Neale’s prints breathe new life into the run-down London location, which is, he says, “largely preoccupied by a huge roundabout and dated shopping mall”. The mascot of the collection is undoubtedly the print of the elephant with a castle on its back. What’s so great about Neale’s collection is the fact that it is just so wearable. The designs are a either flurry of colour or monochrome, but the shapes are staples. Bomber and button-up denim style jackets create the outerwear; bobble hats and backpacks the accessories, the latter finished with a furry rodent for that added Neale irony. Trousers are slim legged or else cropped, styled with sweaters and button-down shirts. So while the prints may be very fashion forward, in true south London style, the basic shapes keep it real. Both of Christopher Raeburn’s men’s and women’s A/W14 collections took inspiration from the arctic circle, with utilitarian shapes drawing reference from Ragnar Axelsson’s exhibition Last Days of the Arctic. The photographs captured arctic explorers in Iceland; from this, Raeburn gave us practical trousers with utility details and bombers emblazoned with polar bear motifs. Parka style jackets with enormous synthetic fur hoods paid homage to eskimos, while luxurious faux shearling referenced the animal skins the original explorers would have worn. Again, the latter came in bomber and double-breasted styles. Chunky hiking boots, woollen hats and padded mittens provided the details: Raeburn at his most practical. Favouring a more neutral colour palette than Neale, L-R: CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN, BOBBY ABLEY, KIT NEALE,COURTESY OF KITNEALE.COM AND STYLE.COM
his collection alludes to the sparse expanse of the arctic continent: shades of cream and white were mixed with khaki and navy to give a real ‘salt of the earth’ sense. On a more ‘out there’ spectrum was Bobby Abley’s collection, inspired by Disney. Putting a nightmare spin on the classic fairytales, he showed Mickey Mouse caps alongside t-shirts embroidered with baby blue bird and teddy bear motifs. A cool barbedwire print, featured throughout on outerwear, was reworked to include images of trapped crows that gave off a great streetwear aesthetic. Again, his shapes were simple: long sleeved, crew necked t-shirts worn with bomber jackets and backpacks. These fresh new designs have redefined the meaning of animal print. While the graphics are definitely bold, with the exception of Raeburn’s, there is no mistaking their practical and commercial appeal. Wardrobes are set to be much more playful this winter, because if you can’t channel Noah’s Ark in arctic conditions when can you? 53
LOOKING SLICK, BOY
From sharply parted combovers to hair so soaked it stuck to foreheads, the wet look is in this season.
BACKSTAGE AT JONATHAN SAUNDERS, SHOT BY JOE RIDOUT
Sleek, slicked and minimal: hair has been given an understated make-under for A/W14. In a far cry from the heavily-
fringed bowl cut that dominated the spring/summer collections, seen at Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Kane and Topman Design, grooming is set to be a whole lot easier come winter. Sharp side partings were seen at Jonathan Saunders and Dries Van Noten, with hair slicked over with wet-look product to create a new take on the combover. Richard Nicoll’s partings were less severe than those seen at Saunders and Van Noten and hair still maintained a little volume, making it a style that is perhaps slightly easier to pull of. Topman Design gave a new take on summer’s bowl cut: shaggy and textured with product to recreate that caught-in-the-rain look. No matter the style however, one thing is certain: being clean shaven is a must.
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L-R: DRIES VAN NOTEN SHOT BY LEA COLUMBO, TOPMAN DESIGN BY NEIL THORNTON, RICHARD NICOLL BY LEA COLUMBO, CALVIN KLEIN BY PAOLO SIMI
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WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE In sneaker culture, it’s a world of X times X. But why?
RICCARDO TISCI X NIKE 2014 AIR FORCE 1 COLLABORATION
“This is for the kids”, said Riccardo Tisci of his 2014 collaboration with Nike. “The ones who love Nike and the
ones who love my style”. Today, sneakers have something of a cult following. Upon the announcement of a new collaboration or a new design, lengthy queues that snake around street corners are guaranteed while sneakerheads wait in line to buy themselves a pair. Often, those that do manage to bag some end up flogging them on eBay to make a quick buck. But what’s with all the hype? And, on that subject, what’s with all the collaborations? New associations are released on a monthly basis: it’s a regular occurrence. But why? Tisci makes an interesting point about the target audience of his partnership with Nike. In some ways, youth culture is wrapped up with the heritage of these sportswear brands. Sneakers have such a dedicated following that something of a community has developed around them, with many websites, stores and events dedicated to the cause. Fashion designers often collaborate with high street brands: Versace for H&M, Stella McCartney and Astrid 57
audience. “The story translates into the Evening Standard’s style pages or Time Out or whatever: it’s something that crosses over to the mass populus”, says Kash.
RAF SIMONS X ADIDAS 2014
Anderson for Topman and Joseph Turvey for River Island; the list goes on. More frequently though, high end fashion designers are teaming up with sportswear brands to design a limited edition range of sneakers instead of producing a capsule clothing collection for a retail outlet. Undoubtedly, the formula works: successful collaborations sell out almost instantly. But what is the appeal? Tisci perhaps sums up the lure of such joint ventures with his references to ‘the kids’: they are aimed at a younger and fresher audience; an audience as tuned into fashion as they are to sportswear. The fact is, sneakers are cool, and they lend themselves well in a fashionable context. “It’s sort of become the fabric of youth culture”, says Kish Kash, ambassador for Sneakerpedia and self-confessed sneaker addict. “It’s the fabric of fashion, and when it comes down to it sneakers just look wicked”. Kash owns over 2000 pairs of kicks: for him, they are collectable. And he is just one of many trainer-obsessives out there. For this reason, designers are frequently recognising that this youthful, more urban market is worth tapping into. As of May this year, Nike was worth $65.87bn, and was ranked 24th in Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable brands. The value of these sportswear brands, and their instant appeal to a vast demographic, is something that designer brands just cannot compete with. As Tisci himself mentioned at the time of the Nike x RT release, Nike has been in “operation [for] 41 years, which is almost my exact age”. Tisci himself has grown up with Nike from his days playing basketball as a child, and has been “wearing Air Force 1’s for 15 years”, highlighting how widereaching Nike’s appeal is. Plus, Nike is affordable. Tisci’s Givenchy designs, with their high price point, are reserved for those that can afford such luxuries. Collaborating with the likes of Nike enables Tisci to sell his designs to a wider
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“Designers are trying to be cool right?” Kash continues. “Fashion designers might be cool in their high fashion world but they want to have this street appeal”. The benefits for fashion houses is clear, but Nike is one of the world’s most powerful brands (with Adidas not to far behind ranking in at number 64), why do they need these collaborations when they are already hitting their target demographic? It was Nike that approached Tisci for the collaboration, not the other way around. Clearly, there is some appeal for them. But what? “It gives the [sneaker] brand something their competitors don’t have”, says Dan Freebairn, sneaker enthusiast and illustrator. “People love to see their favourite brands and designers coming together to create something fresh and unique” by merging their creative ideas. Adidas might have many designer collaborations happening at once, but one thing is certain: Jeremy Scott and Raf Simons won’t be collaborating with any of Adidas’ rivals this year. Securing a designer’s only sneaker partnership is definitely a triumph for the sportswear brand. “The sports brands look cool by collaborating with these hip designers, and the designers look cool collaborating with these sports brands that’s had success during the Olympics or whatever”, says Kash. “Nike doesn’t have to collaborate with anyone. There are more fans of the sportswear brand than there are of the [designer or celebrity]”, continues Kash. “Nike has less to gain than say Kanye by that association. [They] don’t have to collaborate with Riccardo Tisci, but they choose to because it’s something interesting for the brand”. Endorsing sports stars like Michael Jordan and Stan Smith drive most of their product sales. The Adidas x Stan Smith sneaker is their greatest selling shoe of all time: so successful that it was listed in the Guinness World Records in 1988 having at that point sold 22 million pairs worldwide. That design alone also generated more than $65m in revenue in 2008. And with the Stan Smith’s rerelease this year, there is no doubt that those figures are going to keep on climbing. What’s interesting though is that Adidas’ 2014 association with Raf Simons redesigns the Stan Smith: a sports star endorsed sneaker reinvented by a fashion designer. Its desirability is huge. What really matters to the sportswear brands is keeping their product as fresh and as ‘in’ as possible. New sneaker designs therefore aren’t enough to keep up this desirability: they have to do something more creative. This is where such associations benefit the brand: the designers can offer 58
a new take on a classic. As Tisci said of his Nike collaboration, “they gave me an iconic shoe and basically gave me a white sheet of paper to do [with it] what I wanted”. This clean slate is really appealing the sneaker community. “It’s just great to see different interpretations and see how people utilise the canvases”, says Kash. As a recipe, it works. Marketing for the sportswear brands can cook up stories about this latest collection’s rarity, increased tenfold by the fact they are always limited edition. “The reason they’re so desirable is because they’re so limited”, says Barry White, Brand Manager for Office Shoes. Kash agrees, noting that “everyone wants what they can’t get”. The hype around limited edition sneaker collections is enormous. The Tisci Air Force 1’s dropped amidst chaos at the Nike flagship in New York. The NYPD stepped in to ensure the queues were kept orderly after there was outrage over people cutting in-line. It was sneaker pandemonium. The fact these designs are limited works on multiple levels for the sports brand. Aside from the hype it creates, their limited run means there’s also less to lose financially if the collaboration isn’t successful. In order for an association to be desirable however, the ingredients have to be right. The designer and the sports brand have to make sense as a pairing: a reason sports brands have to be careful when considering celebrity endorsements. “The designer collaborations do better as a whole”, says White. “I can only think of the Kanye collaboration that’s done amazingly well [celebritywise]. Jay Z and 50 Cent worked with Reebok and it failed. It has to be a collaboration of two brands that people actually want. They failed because Reebok wasn’t doing well and who likes Lil Wayne?” he asks, only half-jokingly. With more celebrity-endorsed products within the fashion industry than ever (Cara Delevingne for Mulberry, Rita Ora for Adidas Originals), it’s so important for the brand to establish a good match. It’s almost a testament to the time we are in that celebrity collaborations on the whole achieve more press, yet they have no apparent qualifications to take on the task other than their celebrity status. Celebrities have a more obvious status in today’s world: mention Kanye or Pharrell and people know who they are. Riccardo and Raf perhaps don’t have this same effect: designers need surname references. The importance of the celebrity name is huge for sports brands. The designer collaborations will no doubt always have prestige, because it is them who can really take on a blank canvas and create something entirely new. Even Pharrell is aware of this. “I’m not on the level of these people, who are real designers and do this for a living”, he says. “I’m more of a student”. Nevertheless, people will want Pharrell’s collection: he is cool and fresh and current. And the sportswear brand can tap into his fan base, just like Adidas will be able to do with Kanye’s collaboration when that launches later this year: their executives spoke to Kanye’s ability to “cross the boundaries of music and fashion like no other”. For them, the appeal is tenable. Moving forwards, the trend for celebrity collaborations will continue to develop. In terms of designer associations, both
JEREMY SCOTT X ADIDAS ORIGINALS 2014
designer and sports brand appear to have created the perfect balance: the designer house perhaps benefits more by having its name validated by these heritage sports brands, but the sports brands also need the designer to keep the brand’s story fresh. Adidas and Nike need to be seen to respond to the climate and the fashion industry of the time, and this is a failsafe route to success, providing the collaboration is right. Tom Kalenderian, executive vice president for menswear at Barneys commented to the NY Times’ Alex Williams that sneaker culture was “explosive, to put it in one word. It’s happening from Converse to couture”. But would it have such a dedicated community had Hedi Slimane not put kicks on the Dior runway in 2004? Williams notes that “the sneaker community would not have gained its new-found respectability without a major push by the fashion industry”. And so perhaps the benefits of the X times X culture aren’t so one sided after all. If Slimane had styled his 2004 suits with dress shoes instead of trainers, then the whole resurgence of sneakers could have potentially been limited. Of the 2004 collection, Chris Kyvetos, creative director of Sneakerboy, told Williams he “remember[ed] thinking ‘the rules have just been broken’”. Just like fashion, sportswear brands continually need to reinvent themselves and create something wholly ‘new’ to survive. Demand from consumers shows no signs of slowing down, so designer and celebrity collaborations enable these brands to launch head on into today’s fashion industry. A recipe for success if there ever was one.
WALL OBSESSIONS Excuse the pun, but Kickposters are kicking up a storm in
the wall art world, with countless sneaker fans migrating to its online store to get their hands on limited edition illustrations. Created by freelance graphic designer Dan Freebairn, 23, Kickposters was launched early in 2014 after Freebairn decided to add another string to his creative bow. With a background in fine art and graphics, up until Kickposters was launched Freebairn’s freelance work was mainly reserved for business to business design. His sneaker illustrations have very much launched him head on into the consumer market. A selfconfessed kick lover himself, Freebairn, based in Manchester, “put his two loves together” to develop a unique concept, he tells me. “I created my own sneaker art, and people said they would look good as posters so I created a store and released a few designs”, he says. After what can only be described as a whirlwind romance with the ecommerce market, Freebairn’s designs had been featured on a number of trainer-related websites such as nicekicks.com. His own personal love for footwear “started off just having something fresh on your feet to compliment the rest of your outfit”, he says. “As my obsession grew, I loved learning the history and the design inspiration behind some shoes. For me as a designer, I find that really interesting”. Addressing the issue of collectability, he is very much aware that many kicklovers will buy the same shoe in various colourways. “There’s always something new to get your hands on, and once you get one colourway nine times out of 10 you’re going to want the next”, he says. His illustrations cater for this growing trend, with many of his designs showcasing the varieties of a single style. For Nike’s 27th anniversary of the Air Max, Fairbairn created a ‘History of Air Max’ poster, illustrating the 10 iconic silhouettes released during this period. With a limited print run of 27 (of course), the prints sold out almost instantly, having been released for sale in line with the celebration. He also teamed up with High Snobiety’s Gary Warnett to illustrate 25 of Warnett’s favourite silhouettes from Nike’s All Conditions Gear line.
“That person will receive a one of one print custom for them”, he says. This is not a firstcome-first-serve service when it comes to the sneaker designs, however. If a style has already been commissioned, there are endless ways for Fairbairn to create something unique for every customer. “If someone asks me for a shoe that I have already planned to release on the site, I will still send that person a unique design. For example I had someone ask me for a single kick design of the Adidas Flux “Multicolour Prisms” - this is an awesome shoe and I wanted to launch it via the store, so I created the double shoe version and made that one available to buy”. There is such a multitude of sneaker brands, and within those there’s “different shoes then different colourways”, so the illustrative opportunities for Kickposters is endless, especially when it comes to commissioning. Kickposters is the devil of temptation when it comes to sneaker fetishes. Indulge, we dare you.
As well as drawing iconic designs, Fairbairn’s prints include limited edition sneakers, such as the Riccardo Tisci x Nike and End. x Saucony collaborations among others. Not only that, he also offers a bespoke service where, if a certain print or design isn’t available, he will create it as a one-off illustration.
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KICKPOSTERS.COM STORE - KICKPOSTERS.BIGCARTEL.COM @KICKPOSTERS
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KICK FIXES A self-confessed addict, Barry White, Brand Manager for Office Shoes, knows a thing or two about sneaker shopping. We asked him to give us the rundown on the best stores to pick up sneakers worldwide. POST.ed brings you his top five.
4) SNEAKERSTUFF,
END. NEWCASTLE, UK 1)
SHOREDITCH, UK “Sneakerstuff is a Swedish company which has just opened a store in Shoreditch. They have amazing releases and their website is brilliant”
“END. in Newcastle is one of the best. They always have every major release and they also do excellent collaborations with brand, such as Saucony”
COLETTE PARIS, FRANCE 2)
TITOLO BERN, SWITZERLAND 3)
“Colette is one of the coolest shops you’ll ever walk into and their staff are the nicest people. It’s not unusual to see random celebrities like Pharell in there. They actually had Stan Smith on the cash desk signing shoes the day they released the new colourways of the Adidas Stan Smiths”
“Titolo have an excellent website which is quite unknown so not a lot of people use it. The bonus is that if you forget to get some kicks on release day the chances are, they have it”
adidas x raf simons stan smiths, a/w14
PATTA, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS 5)
“Patta is great. They’ve done a few collaborations with Nike that people always go insane for. The Nike x Patta x Parra is one of my favourite sneaker designs ever created”
7 DAYS IN STYLE WITH
French born, LA based twins Jalan and Jibril Durimel are the slick, fresh male bloggers that have taken the fashion industry by storm. After appearing in MGMT’s forthcoming music video, shooting lookbook campaigns with American Apparel and collaborating with Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim, they’ve been featured in many magazine editorials including GQ Korea and Vogue Hommes Japan to name a few. With over 12,000 Instagram followers, their style is colourful and playful while maintaining a naturally sartorial edge. POST.ed brings you their 7 Days in Style, showcasing their individuality and unique styling concepts. Be inspired.
“Ever since we moved to LA our main
source of transportation has been biking around Hollywood on two beach cruisers, [so] a nice and spacious backpack has become essential to our everyday lives. The coolest thing about the [backpack] is how it keeps its functionality while still having an amazing structure�
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65 ALL IMAGES BY AND COURTESY OF JALAN AND JIBRIL DURIMEL
WHEELS THEY KEEP ON TURNIN’ Inspired by Jalan and Jibril’s mode of LA transportation, we decided to give you a rundown of the most stylish cycling gear around. FOR THE COMMUTE
Crafted in breathable and waterproof fabrics, there’s a whole host of sophisticated cycle wear on the market. Outlier’s button-down cycling shirts are all you need to take you right through your 9-5 and back home again: its Nano-Tex treatment keeps it odour and stain free, while PEdAL ED’s denim jacket will keep you visible with its reflective elements.
DR MARTENS, £165
BERN, £50
outlier, £65
PEdAL ED, £500
PEdAL ED, £200 MARTONE CYCLING CO. £800
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FOR THE LEISURELY CYCLE
Bike rides don’t always have to involve spandex. Fred Perry’s collaboration with Bradley Wiggins offers cycling gear that is classic and wearable, while Japanese brand PEdAL ED have footwear covered: they’re specially adapted to fit into pedals yet still manage to look great.
DAKINE, £65
fred perry x bradley wiggins, £75
universal works, £150
PEdAL ED, £250
MARTONE CYCLING CO. £800
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POSTCARDS FROM... In this issue we take ourselves off to Antwerp to find the hidden gems so you don’t have to. POST.ed guides you through this incredible European city and all it has to offer for a winter break this season.
image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
STAY: Hotel BANKS www.hotelbanks.be
With a clean, minimal design, hotel banks is one of the most fashionable hotels in the district. Each room is kitted out with bespoke furniture, each one different from the last. TOP TIP: “The location is also amazing - it’s only a two minute walk to the city centre and to the fashion museum” JVP, Fashion Writer
SHOP: COPYRIGHT
www.copyrightbookshop.be
Trawling old bookshops is one of the best things about European city breaks, and Copyright is no exception. They have the most amazing selection of coffee tables books on a whole host of topics such as art, architecture and Belgian fashion. TOP TIP: “Copyright is located next to the Fashion Museum - be sure to stop by here after your museum trip” - JVP
RELAX: RAVISTA
Revista is too cool to have a website - this hipster caf ’ would blend in well in Shoreditch. Attracting all sorts of creative types, it’s a hive of activity with young professionals - everyone congregates there to work on laptops or read their great selection of in-house magazines. TOP TIP: “In summer, it has an amazing terrace next to the Royal Museum of Fine Art and it overlooks the other cozy bars and restaurants across the square, so it’s perfect for sitting outside with a coffee just watching the world go by” JVP
SHOP: CLINIC
www.clinicstores.be
Clinic sells a crazy collection of fashion, music and gadgets from brands such as Happiness Is A $10 Tee and Silent Theory. It has a very industrial look with brick walls and open spaces. TOP TIP: “Make sure you have a free afternoon to spend here. The store is so well laid-out I always spend 2-3 hours there” - JVP
DINE: APPELMANS BRASSERIE www.brasserieappelmans.be Appelmans has 3 floors offering fine French and Belgium cuisine, with a rustic outdoor area for al fresco dining. TOP TIP: “Go for the cocktails, their choice is amazing - there’s over 100 on the menu” - JVP
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snapshots
THE LAST POST.
As we close the first ever issue of POST. edition, a tribute should be paid to all the hard work put in to our issue by the next generation of industry greats. In this ‘post postmodern world’, it is refreshing to have the opportunity to work with new photographers, designers, musicians, actors, make-up artists, hair stylists and models. These are the people who will define the next era of creativity, who will set new agendas and will constantly force our industry to challenge itself. We bring you a selection of our candid behind-the-scenes images, shot by the fantastic photographer Steph Wilson, as a means of documenting this. It is with thanks to all of the above that this issue has been possible. And thanks to you, our reader, for reading.
Until next time...
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POST.edition would like to give thanks to:
Glenn Waldron, Alison Taylor, Dan Graham, Robyn Wilson, Steph wilson, James Page, Jordan Metcalfe, Daniel Yuste, Adio Marchant, Durimel, Trevor Pickett, Samuel Monahan, Barry White, Kish Kash, Dan Freebairn, Jasper Vanpouke, Christian Andrew Ball, Matt Smith, Steven Carter, Scott Galley, Tiffany Hall.
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be inspired