Monday, May 31, 2010

THE STARTER:
STYLE. HISTORY. ICONS. PHOTOGRAPHY. TOYS. & READS.
June is here and it's no homage for weddings at THE EDGE.
This month, we pay tribute to icons and the makings of iconic men from the past, present and soon...the future.
From Manila's most stylish and recent hero, to a shoeless icon from Walt Disney, to the other King of Cool, to a twenty-year old Basketball style staple and a Korean fashion photographer, THE STARTER kicks up June with some cool masculinity.
Read on...
>>> The Philippines' JFK: Ninoy Aquino
Ninoy Aquino, who believes the Filipinos are worth dying for, had more things going for him than just being a man of legendary stature. He's a hero of democracy and of the Filipino people and also an icon of style. I had always liked how Ninoy Aquino looked fantastic wearing simple clothes. He looked impeccable in a barong and also looked too fit and perfect for a President in a classic suit and tie. He pretty much reminds me of JFK's easy, all-American elegance. But what's most iconic about Ninoy---and what separated him from JFK--- are his glasses. For the Tumblr generation (and for Filipinos who fit in that category) they've always thought that Wayfarers worn as glasses (instead of sunglasses) looked tres chic. In fact, it doesn't look passable any longer. For me, what looks tres chic and elegant and smart are glasses worn by Ninoy Aquino on the 500 peso bill: thin, gold-wired Aviators with prescription lenses. Only real men and men with brains and brawn could ever pull these glasses off. My grandfather had a pair and he was my hero. Somehow, glasses like these serve as tokens or medals of acknowledgment, for real intelligence, real masculinity and real style.
photo: Flickr



>>> The Seasonless Shirt
It's summer or probably snowing somewhere out there...Only nature could tell where she's shining and where she's raining. For those of us who's style is heavily punctuated by the weather, a seasonless shirt is mandatory.
The best ones are in cotton, short-sleeved and goes down for at least, five buttons.
Uniqlo's $19.00 shirt is not just a bargain but also perfect for all year-round fashion.
For summer, if you have the physique, you could wear this unbuttoned with linen shorts and canvas sneakers to the beach. For a slightly colder Spring, pair this with a smart cardigan, khakis, a brown belt, roll up the hems of your pants to reveal Sperry boat shoes.
Colder months like that of Fall and Winter would call for a heavy grey pull-over, a handsome trench coat in navy blue and wool trousers paired with quirky socks and smart oxfords or brouges. The options are endless and the trick is to keep the seasonless shirt in a color well-suited to at least 70% of your wardrobe and works perfectly with your skin color.
source: GQ



>>> STRETFSN's HyunBeom Nam

HyunBeom Nam is the talented 24 year old Korean photographer who's blog, STREETFSN, is on the rise to becoming the next JakandJil and The Sartorialist.
With an exclusive interview for THE EDGE, Nam shares with us what goes on behind the lenses of a sentimentalist like him and what makes his photographs tainted with some genius of emotion, feeling and style.
EDGE: What makes STEETFSN different from the other blogs we've already seen and followed?
Nam: I photograph people and their style. Not just pay attention to their fashion, but also try to capture self-expression and an emotional element about them. I take street fashion as a photographer, not as a fashion reporter.
EDGE: What stories do these photographs tell?
Nam: They're stories of the people in them.
EDGE: Which are your two favorite pictures so far? And why?

Nam: For the first one (left) I was really impressed by her style. It's effortless but incredibly gorgeous. She's a Russian model. This was in Barcelona and after a fashion show, she went out for the city looking as comfortable as can be...just like most tourists and people around during a sunny day. The second one (right) was in New York and what drew me in was a certain sadness about her. For some reason, I felt like she was sad and up to now, I could still remember how she looked, seemed and how it made me feel.

EDGE: Who would be your idols?
Nam: Definitely The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman and Steve McCurry. Scott Schuman, as we know is the best street fashion photographer out there and I admire him. With Steve McCurry---whose photos I always look at whenever I'm free---I was inspired by his ways of capturing emotion. And that's why I look up to him and try to do just that with my photographs.
EDGE: What makes a man stylish or interesting enough to earn a photo on STREETFSN?
Nam: I think there aren't any specific qualifications. I get inspired from a lot of aspects. Sometimes it could be about a great outfit, unique pieces or items, well-matched colors on a look or anything in that line. Or sometimes, it could be a smile, a mood, atmosphere or a wonderful background or a certain way of self-expression.
EDGE: You obviously travel a lot. What are these travels for?

Nam: The reason why I travel a lot is to search for inspiration from beyond South Korea. Everytime I visit cities, it's a different look, mood or inspiration and I want to share that with people.

EDGE: Would you visit Manila soon?

Nam: I will, definitely. :D

(interview edited and conducted by Gerard Gotladera)




>>> A 20 year old Basketball Icon
Nike Air Trainer SC was made famous by Bo Jackson, some 20 years ago. Now, it's back in a heroic colorway and fashioned from materials ready for some heavy style and beating: nylon suede, perforated leather and leather.
It's a rare occassion for me to fall mad about basketball shoes but this pair is pretty damn good-looking. It sure does look from the 80s what with the chunky body and the slight thick heel. But what I love about this is how it opens up so much style possibilities even with colors like this. I could see them worn with khakis, black jeans, navy blue sweat pants, even drop-crotch trousers. With a suit, of course, that would be a violation, but with other style items, this would be an interesting pair to wear with.
Also, it's my age. I was a baby when these were worn and now it's back. That's pretty cool.
source: High Snobiety




>>> Living on the edge with Steve McQueen
Sure it's all about James Dean with the thick, pushed back hair and that famous red jacket and plain white shirt on Rebel without a Cause. Then, there's also Steve McQueen on a big bike, a grey sweatshirt, straight-leg khakis and boots on The Great Escape.
In a biography by Michael Munn Living on the Edge, so much about the movie and style icon is revealed.
Steve McQueen is the first man to have ever booked a cover for Harper's Bazaar a women's fashion magazine in February 1962. McQueen also lost his virginity at the age of 13 to a girl two years his senior. And how did he pay for the experience? He gave her cake cause apparently, it made her more attractive and sexually appealing, according to Munn's biography. At 13, he took off, ran away from home to stay in a hobo camp. He was a real-life hero too, saving a girl from being raped when he was a marine.
Dubbed as The King of Cool, like Dean, this icon (unlike Dean), died at 50, 26 years older than Dean's 24. He did predict his own death, saying that he'd pass away at 50 and in 1980 he died of cancer...at the age of 50.
There are more incredibly interesting things about the man that nobody really knew, except Michael Munn.
source: GQ UK
photo: Fashion Frolic





>>> The Shoeless Icon
Mickey Mouse is definitely the most popular cartoon character of all time. And for 8 decades, he's never walked around shoeless. Or in this case, this liberated looking.
Medicom presents a vinyl figurine of Mickey shoeless, clutching his trademark yellow pair in some sort of joy or relief.
It's pretty cool actually, to finally see what his feet look like without those chunky shoes.
It's art, really, cause it's a different version of Mickey and it's somewhat too fascinating to not buy...or at least stare at.
Sold at select stockists in the US, I hope they ship some over in the Philippines. And if they could, do something new to Donald Duck as well (for me, one of the most stylish cartoons ever. Also my favorite).
source: Hypebeast






>>> BANG!
If you've seen the ad and seen the bottle, it could go either way: you'd be humored about it, or if you don't like Marc Jacobs that much you'd frown.
But I have to say, this men's cologne by Marc Jacobs is some product of brilliant advertising.
The bottle is sleek and cool and it would look perfect in outer space, somewhere with Kryptonite.
The ad, shows a naked Marc Jacobs, lying on tons of foil with this huge version of Bang's bottle covering his privates. And what's so brilliant about it is how the bottle (left) looks somewhat right on Jacobs parts.
That's just me being amused by small things. No sexual pun intended.
But you do agree that the bottle itself is very attractive right?
Concocted by Ann Gottlieb, the crazy punched-in bottle of Bang was designed with a scent for men with young spirits. The contemporary man would enjoy kicks of black, white and pink pepper with a heart of masculine woody notes, and a base of elemi resin, aromatic benzoin, vetiver, white moss and patchouli. Wait for it's worldwide release on September of this year. I'm actually quite excited about this. Especially the bottle. It's just the coolest thing I've ever seen.
source: Fragrantica







>>> The Talented, Mr. Noah Mills
Starring as Samantha Jones' love interest in the sequel of Sex and the City, one of the world's most sought-after faces and bodies in the male model universe, Noah Mills shifts to the big screen and shares with DETAILS some interesting things about shooting on set with the biggest stars of SATC and about watching the series and the movie.
DETAILS: How was being on a movie set different than being on a photo shoot?
Noah: A photo shoot is a big production, but it doesn't compare to the scale and size of a movie. There are so many departments and just a lot of chaos. When Sarah Jessica Parker or Chris Noth would walk on set, everything would stop for 15 seconds and then it was back to chaos.
DETAILS: Sex and the City is the ultimate chick flick. Do you think it's something men have any interest in seeing, outside of going to make their girlfriends happy?
Noah: Well, I would definitely never say, "Hey guys let's get together and go see SATC." Honestly though, I saw the series and the first movie and I have to say, it's entertaining-for female and male audiences.

-Gerard

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