Philip Lim shop- provides effortlessly chic clothing to the fashion cognoscenti

Philip Lim, the renowned fashion designer is of Chinese ancestry and he is known to turn ordinary clothes on its head by simply tacking on a few embellishments tastefully. He launched 3:1, his label in 2005 and hasn’t looked back since then. He was awarded the Emerging Talent by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2007 for 3:1 but Philip Lim has not been resting on his laurels. Every season brings a fresh perspective of his fashion ideas and thus sometimes it is street elegance which dominates his collection and sometimes it is an amalgamation of clothes which do not try too hard to look fashionable. At times he shows a distinct flair for combining the dressy with the casual while at other times, the chic and the youthful make a playful appearance at the Philip Lim shop. 

While his first few seasons comprised of collections dedicated exclusively to women since that is what he knew best, menswear had always been in the anvil for Philip Lim. His men’s collection has opened to stupendous response and is extremely interesting. The men’s jackets and suits are roomy and with unexpected proportions. But, the tailoring is as impeccable as in his women’s collection and the drapes are fluid without being slouchy. The fabrics are cotton, poplins and blends of wool and polyester. These are used for making the suits and canvas coats which can be machine washed.  The colour palette is sombre and includes camel, indigo, gray and stone. His menswear is chic, easy and effortless. The secret behind Philip Lim’s success is that he keeps his products at a very contemporary price point. The Philip Lim shop provides the full package of superior quality clothes which are not boring and are very well-priced. His clothes are designer stuff but at competitive rates very much like the decently priced rick owensdrk shadow range of jeans. 

The menswear segment of Philip Lim has garnered tremendous respect from the fashion industry and like the older establishments of A.P.C. Man or Comme de garcon shirt shop or the Dries Van Noten shirt, his menswear is a hit with the consumers. The easy and non-fussy style has consumers coming in for more at Philip Lim stores and the brand has steadily built itself as a force to reckon with. The 3:1 label of Philip Lim has become a respected business model and the clothes are available in almost 50 countries in nearly 400 stores. There is a flagship Philip Lim shop in New York, Los Angeles as well as in Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong. 

In Philip Lim’s own words, his clothes are meant to refine instead of define and are classical but with a definite individual style which is effortless.

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LGR sunglasses- coveted by many but worn by few

Sunglasses automatically evoke images of sun kissed beaches and luxurious resorts with the sunglasses perched on glamorous looking women and men sipping their aperitifs! They somehow exude glamour although that is not the sole reason for sporting these stylish eyeglasses. Although sunglasses are available in a wide price range, for those whom money is not the criteria, there is nothing to beat LGR sunglasses. Like other luxury brands, for instance, porter accessories or a Dries Van Noten shirt, LGR sunglasses are much coveted and hankered after. All would love to wear them but only a few can afford them. The high price range is not due to some misguided sense of snobbery but because of the fact that these sunglasses are handmade and hand polished.

The founder of LGR sunglasses is an Italian, Luca GnecchiRuscone who stumbled upon his grandfather’s colonial style sunglasses frames and drew inspiration from their designs. Not only that, he set out to revive the hand crafted tradition and engaged artisans who had worked for his grandfather. He relied on the old methods and techniques for his production line and the end result was the very artisanal range of sunglasses. Lucca did this not only to preserve the heritage but also to introduce to the world the richness of handcrafted items. The artisans working on these sunglasses have reached that strata of excellence which cannot be duplicated by machines and each and every step is given meticulous attention. Years of experience and highly honed skills have given these artisans an eye for details and their craftsmanship is proof of the passion which they inject in their work.

The quiet confidence which Lucca has in his production is evident in the fact that his sunglasses unlike many contemporary luxury brands do not bear any external logo. The look, feel, touch and comfort of LGR sunglasses are enough for buyers to know that they are purchasing an exclusive piece. Ultra- resistant crystal makes up the lenses of the sunglasses and is also coated with an anti-reflex coating for total protection from UV rays. No paints, solvents are used in the hand polishing and these results in non-allergenic frames and a smooth finish. The frames are made of cellulose acetate which has the advantage of being manipulated without getting heated and this ensures that the wearer has a very comfortable experience with these sunglasses.

The way many luxury products like Histoire de Parfums, Silent DamirDomma or rick owensdrk shadow are stocked only in exclusive stores across the world, LGR sunglasses too are not to be found in any and every shop. Only very select stores have the privilege of stocking LGR sunglasses and rightly so, since these are the best which money can buy and they are the last word in elegance and style.

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Common Projects- minimalistic, classical shoes on offer

Common Projects is like a breath of fresh air in an increasingly over indulgent world where excesses rule aesthetics and simplicity bows down to inferiority. Common Projects, a shoe company was the result of collaboration between shoe designers Peter Poopat and FlavioGirolami and they first established their company in 2004. With clean lines, meticulous finish and usage of only the finest materials and techniques, the company soon made a name for itself in the luxury market. Similar to other understated luxury accessory brands like porter, LGR, Histoires des Parfums, Common Projects caters to the connoisseur who understands the worth of simplicity and prizes aesthetics above gaudiness and excesses. Every shoe is made in Italy and then shipped to America and although this appears like a huge international collaboration, in actual fact it still remains very much like a small Mom-and-Pop operation. Both partners are hands on and they are inspired by everyday simple objects. Although simplicity is the key in all their designs they use only the finest Italian leather and their meticulously finished products are very versatile. They can be easily worn with either jeans or formal suits and look good in both and both partners take immense pride in this fact.  

The shoes from Common Projects are hand stitched to the sole instead of being vulcanized and are extremely durable. Most of the sneakers offered in markets today are made in China or Vietnam and the difference between those mass-produced ones and the hand stitched Common Projects sneakers is there for everyone to see. With basic clean lines and fine aesthetics, these sneakers get better with usage and that is the reason why their first design, the Achilles still remains one of their best sellers. The sneakers are unassuming and do not boast of a hundred and one things featuring in them but offers the wearer basic, classic footwear which are equally good with both casual and formal wear. 

There are no unnecessary combinations or complications which only add bulk without adding style, no technical gimmickry and no gaudy colour combinations. The footwear is universally appealing and has an understated style. The Desert or Chukka boots from the company go very well with both denims and chinos. The Achilles looks great with even formal wear while the Captoe shoes are sportier. For those who insist on slotting shoes in particular categories like dress shoes, Common Projects has Oxfords in sleek leather which looks stylish and not smarmy. From skater crews to octogenarians, the Common Projects shoes are popular with all. The reason behind their success is best summed up in their own words; ‘We’re sort of the cobbler down the street that only has one thing and we don’t push it on anyone.’

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Silent DamirDomma- a tribute to the state of being Zen

Silent DamirDomma is an organic collection by Parisian designer DamirDomma who was born in Croatia but whose formative years were spent in Germany. In Germany he took fashion courses and won the award for ‘best student of the year’. After having worked under some big names in fashion like Raf Simons and Dirk Schoenberger he launched his own line in 2006. Silent, launched in 2009 is the designer’s casual collection but with fine aesthetics and graceful silhouettes. In this collection DamirDomma is inspired by the purity of simple lines, subtle detailing and a subdued colour palette. There are no excessive embellishments or decorative elements and the garments exude a feeling of calmness and peace which the designer has set out to achieve. There are no distracting elements, no over-the-top decorations and the end product is almost Zen-like in its simplicity and fluidity.

With Silent, DamirDomma wants to remain as true as possible to the original design concepts while retaining the fabric’s rawness and organic forms. The Silent collection also marks his first step in women’s wear and the silhouettes are drapy, fluid and graceful. Silent DamirDomma was also launched to complement the designer’s mainline while offering basic products with a definitive fashion edge. Although the end results are lux, the products are all very well-priced like at the A.P.C. shop or the Philip Lim shop.

DamirDomma concentrates on giving his customers superior quality, impeccably finished luxury clothing at affordable rates and his clothes are stylish, classical yet contemporary. Fashionistas, celebrities, stylist are all loyal followers of DamirDomma. Bruce Springsteen, RobertPattinson, Lenny Kravitz, Rozario Dawson are some of the celebrities who faithfully wear his clothes. His collection encompasses all, right from hoodies, sweaters, tops, dresses, shorts, denims and jackets. Jackets, dresses and tops have soft shapes and drape very well and his clothes are marked out with clever cutting and impeccable fits. The Silent collection has voluminous yet graceful silhouettes and move very well with the body. Shapes are not rigid; rather they are fluid and lend themselves to the body shape of the wearer.

DamirDomma has also dabbled in accessories and the backpacks from his Silent collection are very popular. His accessories can be compared to other great accessory houses like LGR or porter and the footwear too is very wearable and good-looking. Although even here the designer prefers classical designs, he gives them a contemporary look by adding chunky zippers to backpacks and using distressed leather for footwear.

Silent DamirDomma epitomizes the designer’s philosophy of existing in a state of calmness where the mind is free from distractions and noise; for it is only in silence can we discover ourselves and can see things which would otherwise remain overlooked.

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Commes des Garcons Play line of t-shirts targets the youth

In French, Commes des Garcons, means ‘like the boys’ and this fashion brand was launched in 1973 in Japan byReiKawakubo who happened to be one of the most visionary fashion designers of her time. Without any formal training, she turned the fashion world upside down on its head with her controversial aesthetics and design sensibilities and carved out a distinctive niche for the brand. Beginning with menswear featuring arresting, sharp outfits, Comme des Garcons made it clear that its clothes were not to be bandied around or partied in since they were certainly not casual. But, with their new Commes des Garcons Play line, the fashion label has taken a radical step into the world of youth by producing colourful, bright and accessible clothes which definitely will not look out of place on a dance floor.

The Commes des Garcon Play line comprising of t-shirts was a result of collaboration with FilipPagowski who is a New York based artist. He combined New York street art with Soviet print art to come up with a product which is uniquely styled and highly attractive to the young. The clothes retain all the sharpness of the brand’s signature style but with fewer affectations. Fashion designers across the world have realized the potential of providing for the youth without comprising on their designing styles and from Silent DamirDomma to rick owensdrk shadow, the young are having a lot to choose from. 

The Commes des Garcons Play t-shirts have a heart logo on them which by itself is an interesting element. It is bold yet simple and is emblazoned in a messy style which is deliberate. It may have originated from some Communist brochure or from the New York street scene but once on the t-shirt it has assumed its own identity and looks right at home on it. Like all good logos, the heart logo on a Garcon t-shirt is immediately recognizable. 

The Play T-shirts from Commes des Garcons are very versatile as they can be worn over casual jeans or under a light jacket or a cardigan. An oversized shirt too can be casually thrown over the t-shirt and it looks cool provided the much-vaunted logo does not get concealed. Trainers are the most appropriate footwear to go with these t-shirts. The greatest virtue of the Play line of t-shirts lies in the fact that they can be worn with equal ease on dance floors or just down the street without looking odd in either place. So, whether it is the happening night out or just a casual stroll down to the pub, Commes des Garcons Play t-shirts lend themselves to the occasion in the right manner.

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