Street Trends

Street Trends - Women

Ribbens - The 'Denny' Jacket

Established in 2011 by Richard Deeney and Emily Naismith, with a collective view to produce quality menswear which is designed and produced in England, Ribbens launch their first collection with this 'Denny' jacket, inspired by Dennis Wilson, he of Beach Boys pot-clanging fame.
Ribbens say; "The Ribbens jackets has become a product from our daily influences that support and inspire the Ribbens ethos, from great music, artists, bands, actors, films, plays, books, wars, art, movements, all the things that surround and build Ribbens". So there you go, a jacket inspired by a surfing drummer, which looks to be about spot on..man. I'm looking forward to the next installment from this label. www.ribbens.co.uk

New Label - Duly Equipped

Recently bought to my attention is new label Duly Equipped from Toronto based menswear designer Yenting Chen. Mixing bold, modern touches with centuries old traditions of tailoring, Duly Equipped offer classic shapes with a rebellious edge to them..a bit like pink Levi 501's or something..maybe not. Inspired by the romance and traditions of London's Savile Row, Duly Equipped's first collection for autumn winter 2012 is all hand-tailored by Yen himself using fabrics sourced from Toronto and the UK and looks to be a great start for the label.

For more information contact them here or check them out here

Uniform Wares – Right Time, Right Place

 London’s East End is the hotbed of art and design in Britain – if not the world. But while much of the energy there is devoted to posing and posturing, two industrious designers blended form and function and came up with a solid success. Jamie Harrison from New European Economy reports on the timelessness of Uniform Wares watches.

There’s a certain irony in a British contemporary design company using the nation’s manufacturing golden age as its muse.  The paradox balloons when you figure that Uniform Wares birth came about during the recession providing the final nail in British manufacturers’ collective coffin.

Nevertheless, Uniform Wares 100 series watch, created a quiet storm on its release.

The uncluttered, straightforward design was inspired by the ‘simplicity and utilitarian functionality of mid-century factory wall clocks’ explain the duo behind the company, Patrick Bek and Oliver Fowles.  They are big fans of utilitarian British manufacturers like Smiths Sectric and Gent of Leicester.

“We have remained true to this simple, legible aesthetic but tried to introduce contemporary reinterpretations of some of the elements found in classic wristwatches,” says Fowles.

Books - Cycle Style by Horst A. Freidrichs

Like cycling? Like stylish stuff? Like coffee table books with beautiful stylish people in?
Well friends, here's something that will wet your whistle; A coffee table book full of beautiful stylish people and their bicycles called Cycle Style by photographer Horst A. Freidrichs.

Published by Prestel, the book is a collection of photographs documenting the various get ups, looks and styles of a cross section of London cyclists. Although there is a fair bit of tweed and Shoreditchness on show, this book is a must if you are remotely interested by bikes and clothing.

It's beautifully shot and there are some familiar faces amongst the sartorially conscious riders.

Icons #5

Joe Frazier

(source: Getty Images)

Joe Frazier was as hard as the hobs of hell. Injured while preparing for the Olympics when the speed ball he was using broke, a piece of shrapnel hitting him in his left eye leaving him with partial vision for the rest of his life, Frazier managed to pass dozens of boxing commission eye exams by memorizing eye charts and switching hands when he was asked to change eyes. So not only hard, but as cunning as a fox too. The man who fought Ali three times with only partial sight in one eye was also a snappy dresser; often sporting a fedora, these early shots of the great man are proof that if you are hard as nails, you can sometimes wear what you like (see trousers in the last shot for proof).

(source: Bettmann/Corbis)