Adding an edgy touch to a Fall Wardrobe is easy just by wearing the right jacket.




Adding an edgy touch to a Fall Wardrobe is easy just by wearing the right jacket.
At the recent press events I attended, noticing the fashion tribe I wondered. Why do they wear everything but the frying pan? Many were gussied up wearing all the labels from their shelves popping in and out of offices and showrooms. I wondered if there had been a looting at a luxury department store. The pride of being kitsch while not understand the meaning of the word scares me.
Chanel’s quote is, “The last thing you put on, take off.” This has been lost on the Kill for TikTok crowd. When at one time anyone with an eye could see quality and style, in today’s social media driven world standing out as if you were the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile at a 4th of July Parade means everything.
It is sad to look dated after only two hours. A great style is eternal. Jackie O never wore a brand emblazoned on her chest. Before Covid, around 2018, many fashion houses redesigned logos to take advantage of the camera phone ratio in an attempt to attract younger buyers. Monogramed mania took over the fashion industry. Every piece had to display a name.
The world had been hit with a name brand sledgehammer. The influencers, TikTokers wear everything all at once. This embellishment veers to pathological bad taste. Imagine stuck in a room with a person who has a big Louis Vuitton bag, Chanel glasses, oversized Balenciaga sneakers and a shinning Gucci jacket. I needed a certified CPA degree to track all the names. How many of these items were fake? No clue!
The shift to subtle fashion has taken place, however I do not think it has made its way to the younger crowd. “Bling” is still a way of life, showing off for the camera. Thankfully, kitchen items do not have a YSL monogram on the side.
The theme for MET GALA is Black Dandy. Superfine: Tapping into Black Style will be front and center on the Mega Red Carpet May 5th 2025 in New York City.
These Black Dandies came from our Pitti Uomo collection.
Streetwear fashion label BruceGlen has an expressive take on streetwear. The Los Angeles based brand goes for vivid looks. I met twin brothers Bruce and Glen Proctor at the Milan Fashion Week Hub while the duo were showing some of the expressive pieces. Are these pieces a person would wear everyday? Who cares! As they said, “It’s about fun.”
“Luxury bags make your life more pleasant, make you dream, give you confidence, and show your neighbors you’re doing well.” Largerfeld.
As the luxury handbag bubble pops due to working condition and mark-up scandals and over, there are alternatives to big brands. The labels I listed below are small, not mass produced, but more importantly, unique. A person carrying one of these pieces will get a lot of compliments.
While in Milan, walking by Up You To Anthology on my way to a Fashion Week appointment, I decided to go in. After speaking to the curator, he told me each bag is designed by artists with a limited production run.
During Pitti Uomo I always pass by the Sentiero Florence store. Looking in the window I decided to go in and see. The sales lady told me about the family owned label still producing handbags in Tuscany.
I am recommending this brand because the online review have been good for this Madrid’s La Portegna. Spanish producers are known for quality leather goods.
I met the Bonastre team at Pitti Uomo. As a small luxury brand the designer and staff have close relationship all aspects of the Paris based label from design to the final product.
The history of denim was displayed in Berlin. While walking around a trade fair I came across a stall with vintage jean pieces. The Jeans Museum located in Zurich Switzerland contains over 14,000 pairs of jeans and jackets. Curator Ruedi Karrer is a walking encyclopedia on the textile subject.
The Jeans Museum is on Kochlistr 25. Zurich
contact-reudi@jeansmuseum.org
Fashion designer Brett Johnson talks about creativity in this Before Tacky Brief.
Check out the entire podcast here:
Black and Paper participated in the London editorial fashion production with designer Alan Scott featuring his eponymous label featured in “Cutting Edge” issue of High Volt Magazine. Actress, model Eugenia Kuzmina and photographer filmmaker Darren Vukasinovic captured the atmosphere of the dockside in the capital city.
The iconic fashion designer gets his own bio-series on Disney+. Karl Lagerfeld was nothing if not a flamboyant mega-talent. The German born figure took no prisoners in his larger than life voyage to the top of the fashion world.
Daniel Bruhl stars in Becoming Lagerfeld, available today.
Today, I got back my repaired Nudie Jeans. That was fast, the hole got repaired. Better than going out buying a new pair. Here is hoping these last a few more years with a lot of wear.
To buy a pair of jeans or use the free repair service, the Nudie Jeans store is located at Memhardstrasse 7, Berlin.