Think Within the Square

What sets you apart as a man of savoir faire and style? Where would Gary Cooper and Bogart be without that one small detail to their wardrobes that you too can adopt?

A pocket square’s subtle presence speaks volumes about a man and makes a powerful statement about your personal style. Whether they are plain white linen, bold checks or the finest of silks, these modest additions come in an endless variety of colours, fabrics and patterns, which can add just the right amount of panache to you and your outfit.

For the last couple of decades men around the world have hardly given the breast pocket on their suits or sports jackets any attention at all. To the modern man it has always an extra place to store sunglasses or business cards and some men have just never even bothered to undo the stitching in the pocket when they have purchased a new suit.

However, men are once again rediscovering the art of sporting a pocket square.

The origin of the pocket square goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks. Wealthy Greeks carried around perfumed handkerchiefs as early as 500 B.C. English and French noblemen carried perfumed and embroidered handkerchiefs in order to cover their noses from the stench of the streets and other people.

In the early 1900′s, a dapper gentleman would never leave the house without a pocket square tucked neatly into his suit’s breast pocket. Yet by the latter half of that century, the pocket square began to go the way of the hat. No it is nice to see younger men adopting this as an integral part of their wardrobes.

When wearing a pocket square, remember that it must add just the right amount of contrast but should not be so bold as to clash. From suits to sport jackets, they are a stylish accessory.

Practically anything is the go, however don’t go too matchy matchy as it looks as if you are trying too hard.

Those Friendly Finns!

Needless to say, on our recent jaunt around the Baltic, we just could not get over how friendly the Finns were!

Except for the girl at Marimekko who told me to stop taking photos (Ok, so I didn't ask permission, when I should have).

Helsinki was one of our favourite cities!

Have a friendly weekend all!

Savoir Faire with Stella

Beer has never been one of those products that one usually associates with Savoir Faire, except when it comes to Stella Artois! The Belgian beer maker has consistently come up with memorable marketing campaigns that promote their product as one full of Savoir Faire.

One of the more memorable and stylish print campaigns of this year are the 60’s inspired ads that take us to the jet set lifestyle of the French Riviera of the 60’s.

Initially, when I first saw these I had a hard time deciding whether they were actual vintage ads from the 60’s or a newer incarnation of vintage ads, updated for a 21st Century audience. Why do they look so authentic?

It is because they are! They are illustrated by paperback and movie poster illustrator Robert McGinnis. McGinnis' portfolio is seemingly endless and includes cover art for all of the Bond books and pin up art that has come to represent an iconic 60s and 70s aesthetic. McGinnis was persuaded to come out of retirement to do this campaign.

The ads (true to form) feature a Bond-like character and his slinky female companion enjoying the good life in what appears to be St. Tropez. However uncharacteristic of the Bond we know, our hero is drinking a beer!

I have always admired the graphic stylized content of 60’s style drawn advertisements and these do not disappoint!

Rebel on the Row

While the women of the swinging sixties in London were decked head to toe in Biba, the men were wearing Tommy Nutter.

Nutter was the avant-garde Saville Row Tailor (who originally started off studying plumbing and architecture), who in the sixties single-handily reconciled the centuries old traditions of Saville Row tailoring with the so-called “peacock revolution” sweeping men’s fashion at the time. Nutter and the men he dressed were the new dandies of the twentieth century.

His initial business took London and the preconceived notions of how men should dress by storm. Tommy Nutter produced lively, contemporary tailoring whose roots were deeply embedded in the craftsmanship and knowledge of Saville Row. He designed for the Hardy Amies range, and then for the man himself. His clients included his investors, plus Sir Roy Strong, Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger and Elton John.

Nutter’s clients apart from the rich and famous also included the aspiring dandies from London’s East End who aspired to nothing more than owning a suit from Tommy Nutter.

Nutter also applied his craft to dressing female icons of swinging London society at the time, including Cilla Black, a close friend, and Bianca Jagger, who was much photographed at the time in a white dinner jacket with white satin facings. Nutter also made a red velvet suit for Twiggy which became a celebrated and much-copied look when she was photographed wearing it in the early Seventies.

In 1971 he was elected to the Best-Dressed List in the United States, along with the Earl of Snowdon and Hardy Amies. At the time, American Menswear magazine said of Nutter that he was 'tradition spiced with daring'.

'He never got things wrong about clothes,' said the restaurateur and bookshop-owner Stuart Grimshaw, who was a client of Tommy Nutter's from the late Sixties. 'He really knew what he was talking about. One would go in and say, 'What do I wear to go on safari in Kenya?' and Tommy would make one an absolutely correct safari suit, a proper one with all the pockets in exactly the right place’

Channelling Newton for Lanvin

I am loving the current Lanvin campaign shot by Steven Meisel. And the reason why?

It seems that Mr. Meisel has been channelling some Helmut Newton to come up with the inspiration for this.

These are highly provocative, erotically charged photographs, bringing back the disco hey day of the seventies. This is one glamourous cat fight!

Haute Culture in Toronto

As it is a long weekend here in Canada, one of our plans is to visit a new exhibition that will be opening tomorrow at the Art GAllery of Ontario.

Haute Culture features a selection of 300 works produced by the Toronto-based collective of Jorge Zontal (1944-1994), Felix Partz (1945-1994) and AA Bronson (born 1946).



Curated by Paris-based independent curator Frédéric Bonnet, Haute Culture: General Idea is the first comprehensive retrospective devoted to the collective. The exhibition is organized around five themes, each central to the trio’s production: “the artist, glamour and the creative process”; “mass culture”; “architects/archaeologists”; “sex and reality”; and “AIDS.”




Featuring rarely seen large-scale installations as well as paintings, sculpture, videos and magazines, inviting visitors to explore the Canadian artist collectives legacy a legacy that continues to inspire many contemporary artists working today.

On Target With Missoni

I must admit that I am a bit slow off the mark with this one, but here goes! The next big brand that Target is partnering with to bring a bit of savoir faire to the masses is the Italian stalwart, Missoni!

I have always been a fan of Missoni’s bright colours, their swirls, zigzags and near hallucinogenic florals. Instantly recognizable as Missoni, the brand ranks up there with Pucci, for individual patterns and designs which are highly evocative of the glamorous jet-set.

The line will debut September 13, 2011. The Missoni for Target collection will include over 400 pieces of men's, women's, and children's clothing, not to mention home décor even a bicycle.

“It’s been a fantastic experience, “says Angela Missoni, “one we are eager to share with families across the United States.”

"Quality has always been one of the key aspects of Missoni, along with knitwear, pattern, and color," Margherita Missoni explains. "It's this artisanal quality that was so important to my grandparents."

While waiting with baited breath and kicking myself that we do not have a Target here yet in Canada I can only wonder if the average Target Shopper in middle America will know who or what Missoni is?