Author Archives: Jacob Kamara

Introduction – I Have A Problem Let me set the scene for you. It’s a Friday evening and I’m in Topman Oxford Street, gossiping with Terry the Topman stylist. As much as I’m trying to focus and enjoy some good banter, my gaze keeps wondering over to the pair of TOMS displayed a stones throw to my left. Now if you’ve ever read my writing before you’ll understand I have the biggest shoe fetish around, I mean I would literally cut my toes off to get into a tight pair…

When Art and Fashion Collide The boundaries between art and fashion can sometimes be a million miles apart, however in some cases, these very same boundaries can disappear entirely. Whilst the ‘Non-Fashpack’ are fumbling through immense bargain bins, overflowing with 100% polyester and stocking up on Asda (WalMart) ?2.99, stone wash denim bootlegs and marvelling over the practicality of an all-in-one shirt, jumper, tie combo. You know the kind. At the same time as cash registers at cheap, mass-produced outlets are filling up on dirty coins, zealous fashionistas are expressing…

Sarah Burton’s First Menswear collection at McQueen It’s officially here and it’s scorching. That exciting time of the year when us Brits moan at the fatiguing humidity, revel in the mid-day heat only to complain of the skin destroying effects and wish for torrential rain, until to our dismay it finally arrives. Whilst most of us are worrying about what’s hot for right now, fabulous fashionista’s flock to Milan for Menswear fashion week S/S11. Don’t panic this is not a tedious re-type of the Milan fashion week article, this piece…

After trying to squeeze my pheasant tail-feather brooch into a packed out Central line tube, I arrived at Earls Court for the Graduate Fashion week Gala show and awards. Avoiding an embarrassing walk down the ‘Pink’ carpet we were bustled through into a Champagne reception. The bubbles were flowing and the Fash-Pack were in full swing. Members of the party included Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud (looking incredibly pale but intimidatingly beautiful), Amelle Berrabah (the cockney one from Sugababes), Bonny Wright from Harry Potter, Kanya King Founder of the MOBO…

Meggings Early last week I took a visit to the London College of Fashion and I have to admit, I felt incredibly inferior on arrival. After all, these young, avant-garde and incredibly tall creatures are the next generation of the fashion industry. If that’s not enough intimidation to cause your senses to collapse into a puddle of gibbering goo, there’s always the fact that some of the student-fashionistas make Lady Gaga look like another high-street window shopper. The major trend I spotted circulating amongst the boys was meggings or man-leggings…

High-Top/Gladiator Footwear Hybrid I’m a sucker for a new pair of treads. Rarely a week will pass by when the temptation to buy yet another pair of shiny, Italian leather necessities doesn’t engross me uncontrollably to the point where my head no longer has control over my wallet. Due to this bitter sweet predicament, I have decided recently to put a ban on my footwear fixation, limiting myself to one pair (if that) per month. And I thought quitting the fags was hard! Unfortunately my shoe cravings aren’t easily subdued…

1940’s Rockabilly Early last year the two main street style trends I noticed were the messenger-boy cyclist look, and the 1940’s vintage silhouette. During the end of last year I noticed that the two styles were starting to combine creating this new era rockabilly which I’ve been seeing more and more of lately. The original rockabilly trend started back in the late 1940’s and was influenced by the clash of Rock and Roll and country music of that era. The majority of the trend began to fizzle out towards the…

Transparency I can remember reading my first fashion magazine many years ago. The one thing that still stands out in my mind is a picture of a man wearing a plastic, transparent trench. I know, I know… a half naked man wearing a see-through coat, it’s going to stand out in anyone’s mind. The spread was a piece on the year 2000 and how the world would explode and we would all turn into futuristic aliens wearing see through clothes. Unfortunately nothing really happened when we hit 01/01/00, apart from…

Editor Note: Today is a two part report on what is going on within the world of men’s high fashion. Now I know these will definitely not appeal to everyone who comes here to read this site, but there are masses of males all across the world who wear avant garde and high fashion garments on a daily basis. If you love fashion as much as I do, then you should still enjoy seeing everything that is happening within it, whether you agree with it or not. We live in…

Bristol Fashion Week OK, so Bristol Fashion Week. Not exactly cutting edge, however there was free champagne. Joking aside fashion can be a scary and intimidating world, full of pursed lips and huge black sunglasses, so it was nice to see a family-orientated show, full of fun and bubbles (bloody champagne again). As Brad Palmer and I took our FROW seats (front row) alongside the girls and guys from M&S, John Lewis and other press peoples, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. After a short while the lights dimmed,…

I was delving through my wardrobe the other morning and was feeling, ‘let’s say’ less than inspired. Although men’s fashion for this season has been given the step up, it’s still difficult to buy high-end, less mainstream threads without spending an arm ‘n’ a leg. Because the majority of men do not want to let go of the standard jeans and T-shirt combination, a lot of high street stores aren’t buying the more avant-garde garments. Due to this predicament I decided to check out the vintage scene again. However, I’m…

So, I’m going to do the debate thing again, only because I love a bit of controversy. This time the unsuspecting victim is the men’s playsuit. Now when I first saw the man playsuit I felt my top lip curl involuntarily. However after some careful deliberating and styling to see what could be done with this all-in-one, I’ve decided I actually quite like it. If worn well it can be effortlessly cool. None-the-less this garm doesn’t come without it’s hang ups. First of all, steer well clear if you’re a…

Accessories are a fantastic way to liven up a plain (boring) outfit. With summer coming and hopefully a bit of heat (however doubtful that seems), the ability to layer and add things like scarves etc to perk up an outfit goes out the window. This is where the accessory comes in to play. I wear brooches a lot, mostly because they’re so easy – pin it on and off you go. The best part of using a brooch to accessorise your threads is that you can make them yourself. I…

Fashion week around the world is a place where fashionistas can spread their avant-garde, fashion wings. London Fashion Week AW10 was no exception. LFW saw men take on skirts, fur, even heels, in fact this year the male of the species was definitely not fading into the background. Imagine a beautiful, country manor house surrounded by peacocks; that would be the best way to describe Somerset House on Menswear day. There were times when I just sat, drank coffee, (*ahem*, Champagne) and watched people strut around in their killer heels,…

Editor Introduction Quite a few of our beloved writing team attended London Fashion Week and all of them came back with different interpretations of the runway shows, what they think was going to be big for the year and what they liked/disliked. Over the coming weeks you will find some of the team writing about key pieces and trends that are going to be big this year and in more detail. Jacob happens to be our lovely high fashion expert so he has kindly wrote a quick round-up as to…

This article is not going to be as happy and dry humoured as my previous ones. I just received a txt message saying I can’t believe what’s happened. “What are you talking about?” was my reply. Then the news feeds started to pour through the web… Alexander McQueen has been said to have committed suicide, (however it is yet to be confirmed) I think this is the first time in my life I have ever been stuck for words. For me this man was the king of fashion, and not…

Once again fashion is causing a stir for people who have no intention in following it. As the man skirt gets more and more popular, and we’re not talking traditional native kilts here, it is certainly causing a controversial debate not only among fashionistas but Liberal human rights organisations. I am not yet sure if I am a fan of the Man Skirt from a fashion point of view, none-the-less I am a supporter of sexual liberation in clothing, and the man skirt seems to have taken this to a…

Right guys, there are so many D.I.Y fashion articles and blogs circulating the glossies and the web but most are aimed at the girls, with not much information for the boys. So I have decided it’s a good time to get one out there especially as most of us can’t afford to run out and buy a whole new wardrobe each season and I am sure, like me you have drawers full of clothes that you don’t wear anymore but haven’t quite got the heart to chuck out. If you…

Most of us style conscious men already have a man bag, however there’s still a huge number of guys out there that are stuck in the (medieval) frame of mind that a bag is a purse, and a purse is for a women. Big FAT no no! Me without a bag would be like Lady Godiva having a buzz cut: as edgy as she may look it would just be wrong. I have a bag rack that fits 10 large bags, consequently this is not nearly enough. I have bags…

Guys, it’s about time we all started dropping that ridiculously tight (and lets admit not exactly comfortable) crotch we have all been donning this 2009. Let the skinny legged acid washed denims take a well earned break. I am still feeling the bare ankle look that I’ve seen so many of you brave lot still donning (even in these sub-zero temperatures), none-the-less your freezing ankles will look great sporting a pair of tailored, drop crotch trousers! There has been a lot of fashion debate and deliberation into whether the drop…