THE STARTER:

What's for October gents that's worth 31 days of your pure satisfaction? Definitely not just Halloween. There's Eugene O' Neill, Paul Smith, the new fresh scent to drown in and whole lots more.
Here's everything you need to start your October with.


Gentlemen, welcome to THE EDGE's STARTER!

>>> ICON: Eugene O'Neill

Eugene O'Neill: playwright, Libra and a legend I share my birthday with.

THE ICON: A Long Day's Journey into Night by the master playwright, Eugene O'Neill is a timely read indeed: Think of fathers hooked on alcohol, brothers at war, a mother high on something and just the tiring cycle of everyday, family life. It's tragic, we know, but it's brilliant. It's brilliant because it captures the harsh picture of relationships and what love and family could go through. 

One of the finest realist writers of our time, Eugene O'Neill was born on the 16th of October, an honor I hold dear. Sharing a birthday with a man such as him is inspiring.

Others may view reading as an escape from life when in fact, life is where great literature comes from. And that's exactly what Eugene O'Neill does: write the real on paper and while it may dishearten, it teaches you a lesson that reality is here and the best thing to do is just deal with it. 

Get down with the real and grab your copy for some heavy reading of his four act play A Long Day's Journey into Night published with a sleek cover design by Yale University Press.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.

>>> GET NOW: New Balance 574

Ready for the Olympics? Get kicking now with these ones. @HighSnobiety

To start up the exciting Olympic games for 2012 in London, New Balance balances out design with functionality with these special editions. The NB 574 "The Road To London" come in delicious colors such as a soft gray with white laces and a heavy sea green both fitted with a special "The Road To London" tags on their tongues. It's a perfect steal not just cause they celebrate the 2012 London Olympics, but because these kinds of sneakers are having a good moment now: NBs, jeans, a plain shirt and a blazer, the designer look of the season, believe me. 

>>> THE SCENT: Chandler Burr's Vetiver Essentials

The way GQ puts this one, might sound unappealing, but it sure does look
spectacular. This plus more vetiver scents

Yeah, my question exactly. What the hell is Vetiver? Vetiver is basically Indian grass that has that notably awesome flexibility of smelling either warm (like tobacco or a glorified version of a dead cigarette) or cool (like fresh cut grass or a zesty lemon), and on the skin, bottled by the world's finest perfumeries, it's fresh, handsome and surely masculine. Check out GQ's scent specialist, Chandler Burr on his knowledge of vetiver and why we should wear it now plus his nine vetiver selections that you'd better try. 

>>> STYLE NOW: Paul Smith Fall 2011

THE LOOK: Remember my love for Paul Smith for Fall 2011? Now's the best time to try it. It's a watered-down version of the rugged Americana we all are so high on married to the quintessential Paul Smith dandy his name and clothes wear. The result? A chambray-driven collection highlighted by camels, brick reds, mustards and a one-time teal that's most memorable despite its minute showing. Coats are relaxed and are in an abundance of awesome textures, colors and lengths. Trousers are wrinkly, almost silky even and are suited fine with high-cut leather shoes. Bags, oversized and thrown behind you. It's a good, upbeat mood that Paul Smith delivers without the over-studied element to it something fitting for this month and for many more to come.

>>> THE READ: Frank Lloyd Wright Designs

the designer's dream book, coming this October @Selectism

Frank Lloyd Write sounds important, doesn't he? That's cause he is. Rizzoli brings to art, architecture & history enthusiasts, all important and beautiful sketches, designs and mock ups from the Frank Lloyd Wright studios. This is a celebration of the legendary architect and visionaire's work and influence to architecture and art. The cover alone makes it incredibly interesting, so imagine what other treasures this thick one holds? 

>>> THE STORY: Finer Points 

SCMP Style magazine's editorial @ The Fashionisto

When Ryan Kennedy, Seijo Imazaki and Vladimir Ivanov (accompanied by two beautiful ladies), come together for a story, mostly shot in black in white, the end does get SCMP Style magazine lots of fine points. Featuring the season's strongest tributes to the 40s, everything here looks spot-on: from Vladimir Ivanov's tilted hat, to Ryan Kennedy's heavy-knitted sweater to Seijo Imazaki's polka dot pocket square. Aside from the good styling, the photos are cinematic in quality...Brilliant. If only it wasn't not painful to rip out the photos and have them framed....


>>> WEAR NOW: Grundens Fishing Parka

One, among the many you should buy @Selectism

Alright, maybe I'm overdoing the parkas. But who could resist something as simple and full-of-possibilities as this one? So it's built for Ernest Hemingway-esque trips to the sea, like you're from the famous novel The Old Man and the Sea (or you may choose Herman Melville's Moby Dick), but with dangerous weather like ours in the Philippines, it may be pretentious no more to sport a parka. Grundens Parka's burnt orange looks sporty and cool and far from the annoying bright yellow raincoats I usually see 'round here. A stylish upgrade  I tell you.


>>> THE NEWS: Kanye West, Spring 2012

Mr. West's debut as designer...For WOMENSWEAR @Style

I've big respect for Kanye West and his musical career. But as a designer? Well, I've long discarded my attempts at fully understanding womenswear, but when news came that Kanye West was to design for the ladies, I had to pay attention. My verdict (and if it matters at all) is that Kanye's Spring 2012 collection is a good start. Sure, not the finest collection out there, but you see his taste here which he makes clear through chest-baring dresses, leg-showing slits and numbers with hulking fur pieces. It's a 50/50 for me. It may work....Want to try your womenswear expertise? Head out to Style.com and check out Mr. West's collection yourself.

>>> GEAR: Stop It Right Now "Celine Print" Skateboard Decks

You might run out. They only have a hundred @HighSnobiety

When Kanye (again) wore the famous Celine Spring 2011 blouse for Coachella, the fashion world had a grin on their faces. For they knew something was starting...Something interesting and cool, but they weren't so sure what it was. They just couldn't put a finger on how massive an influence Kanye West is having over them and the rest...And now you could measure it clearly. Stop It Right Now offers 100 skateboards done up in the famous Celine prints, that Kanye famously rocked. I'd buy one just for display, and I'm incredibly happy it's a pretentious decision, cause these babies look super chic. For those who actually skate, God bless you time to get one of these. And hurry. Kanye just might buy all 100 pieces.

- Gerard