The first episode of The Bear features Carmen Berzatto, who is miserable and in serious debt. He inherited the restaurant that his brother left to him before taking his own life. With the restaurant came hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills and loans that must be repaid, and not a single helpful hint from his brother on how to locate the money to save his mess of a sandwich shop. So, Carmy does what anyone in his situation would do—he goes home, opens his oven, and takes out a few pairs of the really rare, antique denim items he's been keeping there. (There are even more in his closet; the oven only serves as a storage space for extra goods.) Then, he organises an impromptu meeting in a parking lot and sells them.
We see Carmy's first journey into the realm of menswear ten minutes into the popular FX series, and it won't be his last. After The Bear premiered in 2022, all anyone could talk about was the show's fashion—and for a show about the art of making and serving food, that's kind of a big deal. The costume design in The Bear isn't as outrageously over-the-top as it is in Sex and the City or Emily in Paris, where the scene changes constantly. It isn't even Succession, where, for the last few seasons, catching moments of stealth wealth and unbranded luxury goods turned into a Sunday night sport. It's a show about family, trauma, chefs, cuisine, and forgiving, and among it all, fashion is the main character, the common denominator that threads it all together.
The outfits on The Bear might not look like anything overtly ostentatious—but for the niche menswear fanatics, isn't that the best way to go? It's about everyday, real-world fashion—a streetwear brand here, a designer item acquired on the spur of the moment there. Carmy's attire is understated, yet if you have a keen eye, you can see he obviously knows his stuff. He's rarely seen not wearing a white shirt and black pants—a classic combo, sure, but also a meticulous one consisting of a perfect (yet niche) tee and just the right fit of pants for a character that is obsessive and habitual and appreciates craftsmanship and history.
"Chefs have a particular eye for detail and what looks good—quality, cut, colour, which I think has come through with Carmy, with Syd, and with Marcus," says Courtney Wheeler, the show's costume designer. Carmy, the quintessential workwear king, is wearing a 75-euro German-made tee, Dickies, and Birkenstocks to represent the current gods of fashion. Everyone's favourite sous-chef, Sydney, has more unique vintage items on her person than the eye can see. Marcus, the beloved pastry-chef, who is rarely seen without a streetwear (or streetwear-adjacent) logo, whether it be Carhartt or Jordan or Fear of God. It's all done with intention and months of sourcing, plotting, bidding, and buying. Everything from the custom Thom Browne chef coat Carmy gifts Sydney to the USD2,500 waistband of the 1950s Levi's Carmy wears around his kitchen comes from Wheeler and her team diving into the characters' histories, their arcs, their thought processes, and the basements of every store in Chicago.
Wheeler discusses everything from the most significant events in season two to the final red Carhartt beanie in existence.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Before we even get into talking about The Bear itself, I’m so curious to know what your reaction is to seeing everybody on the Internet freak out about the style of the show and the hype around the fashion.
It's really surprising. What we thought was going to be a very niche show, well-loved by the restaurant industry, turned out to be this bigger thing, which we're all stoked about. I think it happened to be a style show just because chefs, if you get to know them, have their own personal and unique style. So we definitely wanted to put that in the show and to put a point of view of real people who are in the world and have an interest in clothes.
I think that [The Bear] is true to that, in that I think chefs have a particular eye for detail and what looks good—quality, cut, colour, which I think has come through with Carmy, with Syd, and with Marcus. It's been really cool to see the reaction, it's really awesome that people appreciate the clothes. Even on set and in our personal lives, the cast and crew are all constantly looking at each other like, "Where'd you get that? What are you wearing?" We're constantly going back and forth. I do think we are a cast and crew that like clothing.
Did you go to restaurants and draw inspiration from the teams there for the show or was this something you noticed before even working on The Bear?
You'll always see someone and you'll make a note of that person looking good, but you don't really truly connect the dots until you start working on a show like this. And especially as a costume designer, you're always looking at people like, oh, that's great. But especially since The Bear started, I will never walk into a restaurant the same way. It was definitely a moment of always looking over the counter, always seeing what front of house is wearing, what back of house is wearing, asking them questions, like, "Why these? What pants are you wearing? Why? Tell me your decision-making process."
I have friends who are chefs who have great style, but I never really connected it to the industry until I started doing The Bear. Even within their uniforms, there's a way it hangs on their body and how they want to wear it. I love that. Especially the first season, we had the constraints of a uniform, but we get to bring people's personalities forward, in a way.
What was your process like in curating each character’s wardrobe?
When we first did the pilot, Cristina [Spiridakis and I] came in with a blueprint for the characters, and she came in with mood boards. As you go into fittings and as you start talking to the actors, you have to flow a little bit more, and you lean into what's working and what's not working. Especially with that first pilot, we had just seen everyone in uniform. That was all we had to go on for months about what was going to inform their personality. But even then, if you notice, Marcus is wearing a red beanie in the pilot, with these black work boots. And when I went back to shoot the rest of the season, I had a conversation with Lionel [Boyce], and he was like, "I've been training, when I went to Copenhagen I've been wearing this beanie and these Infared Jordans." He's like, "Can I bring them to the show? Do you think that Marcus would wear these?" And I'm like, "I think that makes total sense."
So Marcus wears the same beanie that Lionel was wearing. We took his inspiration. It's funny, because this beanie has come back to haunt my department. We usually have alts for everything, and alts for everyone's kitchen shoes. Every time you see them in the kitchen actively cooking, we have at least three versions of those, because we change them out. But with Marcus and this beanie [after the pilot], we could not find the [green] colour. We could not find the Carhartt beanie...Marcus must have literally gotten the last one in stock. We reached out to Carhartt, we were in Copenhagen looking for it, we could not find the exact colour match. It's kind of haunting us and we'll address it in later seasons in my mind, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Your sourcing process sounds wild. There are three characters whose style I find so different, but so distinct, and those are Carmy, Richie, and Sydney, who cumulatively wear everything from vintage pieces to Adidas trackies to plain white tees. Where did you find their pieces?
Oh, man, literally everywhere. Me and my assistant and our shopper—we are leaving no stone unturned, especially when it comes to shopping in Chicago. The first thing I do when I arrive is hit the streets. Even if we're not buying anything right away, we're in the shops. We're talking to our vintage sellers in Chicago, we're seeing what they have. We're going to the independent stores, and there's so many great local shops in Chicago. We're making those connections and seeing what's out there. We're in basements. Carlos from Knee Deep in Chicago is one of my friends now, because we're literally like, hey, we're looking for this and this. He goes: Go in the basement. Here's some seltzer water, knock yourself out. And we're doing that, digging through [bags of vintage] trash. We're doing that all over town.
So when I tell you it comes from Chicago, it comes from the thrift shops out there, it comes from eBay, it comes from Etsy. We have people in New York. When I tell you it comes from everywhere, it truly comes from everywhere. Even Ebon [Moss-Bachrach], who plays Richie, loves eBay. That's his source for where he shops in his personal life. There’s this one shirt that we didn’t get to use this season that, trust, next season it’ll be on the top of the list. Ebon found it, and said, "Can Richie have this? Can you purchase it?" I’m like, bet. So I'm in eBay bidding war, making sure I get this item. I won it, which I’m proud of.
Oh my god, I can't wait to see next season what shirt that might be.
With Richie, his stuff is a mix of vintage and store bought. Even with his store bought stuff, sometimes we have to change the colour slightly and over-dye it, just in case it's a little too bright. Sometimes the accent colours pop too much, we have a wonderful dyer who will go in and hand-paint it for us. We’ve gotten Richie’s stuff from Adidas and Lacoste, but also, thrift stores and vintage markets. Some of his T-shirts are deadstock vintage. He’s a mix and Syd is a mix. Carmy, actually, we got one pair of vintage Levi’s for. I don’t think we see more than the waistband of them. Accounting will kill me—they know, they saw the receipt. It’s a pair of USD2500 vintage 1950s Levi’s that were beautiful, they’re gorgeous, Jeremy was obsessed with them because they fit him perfectly. We didn’t have to do anything to alter them, they were just perfect.
When you source things like those Levi’s for Carmy, are we as the audience supposed to read that as Carmy going and hunting down this really rare, expensive pair of jeans for himself? Or is it more like “if you know, you know,” but if you don’t catch it, then it’s just Carmy in some random pair of jeans?
Oh, that's such a good question. With Carmy, I will say he knows what it is. He collects denim, he probably has someone who he goes to, a source that he trusts where he’s getting these pieces from, because most of the people who collect denim do. So if he’s wearing that, he knows what it is. People were asking if Sydney would be wearing this Million Women March T-shirt she has knowing what it is, and I’m like, yeah! Sydney wearing a Million Women March T-shirt is not her buying it from Round Two or eBay like we did. She got that from her mom. That’s something that her mom wore that she’s holding on to. That Bulls T-shirt, she’s probably found in her dad’s closet and kept wearing it.
For characters like that, they're just picking up whatever. Someone who would be a little different would be Marcus, who’s wearing a Black Ivy T-Shirt. He knows what it is, he knows what it means. He knows what his T-shirts stand for. He's wearing it because he's like, oh, I don't wear this out anymore, I'll just wear them to the shop.
What was your thought process when curating Carmy’s wardrobe?
Carmy is a creature of habit. When we established him at the beginning of the season, for the pilot, we already knew he was going to wear the Merz B. Schwanen shirt. And then he was wearing the Carhartt Work In Progress pants, and then he had Dickies. He would flip between those brands, but he also had a couple different workwear pants. Also, for season one, he wore Whitesville T-shirts and he wore a Supreme T-shirt. But as it went on, especially for the second season, Jeremy and I streamlined him a little bit more. He truly only really wears the Merz white T-shirt, and he has a bunch of the Carhartts. Sometimes he'll wear his Dickies, but we wanted him to be focused more.
He knows what he wants, so he just buys more of that. He already has honed his style. Especially for this season, we're kind of playing with the idea that he's moving in now. So instead of the one blue sweater, you’ll see him in the grey one. Maybe he has another sweater. He'll start playing with it more, just because he probably unpacked, but unless you see him in flashbacks, he’s pretty focused and established in what works for him.
Of all the plain white T-shirts in the world, why did you settle on Merz B. Schwanen?
That was established in the pilot. By the way, fun fact: Right now, we shoot in a big studio out in Chicago. But for the pilot, our offices were across the street from Mr. Beef, which is what The Beef is based off of, but it was a defunct restaurant called Brunch. So we're sitting in the middle of this defunct restaurant, facing each other, being like, "What's a good T-shirt?" Kind of screaming to each other across the way. But Chris Storer loves the Supreme x Hanes, so we got some Supreme x Hanes in there. Then we got regular Hanes. We got some ALD T-shirts. When I tell you we got T-shirts from literally everywhere, I think we had about a dozen different brands. Jeremy walked into the fitting and it's literally just white T-shirts and black work pants and Birkenstocks. He looks at us, like, "This is what I’m doing?" We said, yeah, this is what you’re doing, and he said, “Okay, great.”
The Merz just fit him so well. And it's such a great cut. The white T-shirt is perfect. Merz has a perfect cut, it truly is a great T-shirt.
I saw a report that searches for “The Bear sweater” spiked on Google after season two came out, referring, obviously, to that grey sweater of Carmy’s. Can you tell me about that piece?
I think that’s so funny. I’m like, "You go, men of the world, finding things!" So that sweater is J.Crew men. I was always a J.Crew fan. It's just so classic, and their menswear has always been pretty strong, and lately it’s been even more so. With Carmy, we go where the classics are. Whatever is well made, whatever has a great cut. He's not a fussy guy. Yes, he has a thing with denim, but I think it’s different. He likes the history behind the denim, he likes how it’s made, and he’s someone who appreciates the craftsmanship.
I think for his everyday wear, he just looks for pieces that have great quality and cuts. If he just blindly picked a top and bottom up off of his floor or in his closet, they would go with each other at all times. It doesn't matter what he has chosen. Everything is just—he wants it to look good, but he does not want to think about it. And I feel like that sweater is just a natural progression of that. He can appreciate the sweater, the knitwear is there, and we just wanted to play with a new colour for Carmy.
Okay, we need to talk about that custom Thom Browne moment in the penultimate episode of season two. What’s the story behind that, and why Thom Browne?
This is such a good story because it really means a lot for the show and means a lot for Chris Storer. But also, it was just a full circle moment. Syd’s pilot episode shirt is this beautiful Thom Browne embroidered shirt from Dover Street Market. Me and Cristina were shopping at Dover before we left for Chicago, and she came from one end of the store, and I came from the other end, but we were both homing in on that shirt.
Chris was stoked about it, and it also reads so beautifully. In real life, if you look at it, it might be too precious for the kitchen, but on TV, it just added so much depth and it looks so good. So that was Syd’s pilot shirt, but then she also wore the classic Thom Browne button-front for a lot of season one as well. The Thom Browne of it all comes from Chris kind of paying homage to his sister, who wore a lot of Thom Browne shirting when she cooked.
I love that suit on him. I think it's such a great character moment. And if you notice in that episode, he does go from what we're used to seeing him in—The Beef T-shirt, a pair of sweats, his Members Only jacket, which was another vintage find—to what he’s wearing in the restaurant. He has on a dark-coloured Ralph Lauren chino with black Timberland boots, and it’s like, yeah, that’s what he would wear. He also wore those boots for his date scene last season. That’s what he would put together for himself to say: This is me trying. And for him to go from that to borrowing the blazer from the restaurant—which, by the way, restaurants like that really do have a stock of shirts and blazers and ties in the back. But to go from that to the next episode where we see him in his suit, he’s thinking, "This is what makes me feel good. This is what makes me feel good about myself. This is how I'm going to dress for the day." It’s a form of using clothing as armour, clothing as a tool to help you. I’m so glad we got to to that for him.
Where was his suit from?
The suit is Boss. We played with different ones, in terms of process. We did a suit which was Boss, which was, say, between $700 and $800. Then we had suits for the fitting that were at a $500 price point, slightly lower. And then we did a really high-end suit that was about $2,000 or $3,000. It was about finding a middle ground, and that happened to be the middle price point we did. With Ebon, how it fit and how he felt in it was really important. The brand is not supposed to be important at all for his storyline, but I honestly do think it’s believable that Richie said, I’m going to go out and buy this suit. It’s recognisable, it’s what a guy wears who knows his stuff.
Do you personally have a favourite character or episode to costume design for?
That’s like picking your favourite child. I do love dressing Richie. It's so much fun. I mean, all of them are great, honestly. Even characters like Ebra, a lot of his shirts we have to build just because we shoot in the wintertime and I have a very particular way that I want his shirts to look, and it’s really hard to find those patterns in those tones in winter. Marcus this season was so much fun to dress. Syd is obviously great. They all bring me so much joy for so many different reasons, because they all have this one thing that I'm obsessed with looking for for them.
Sydney, it’s good vintage. Fak, it’s T-shirts and hats. The workwear that Fak wears is actually Matty Matheson’s own workwear line, Rosa Rugosa. It wasn’t out the first season, so we basically asked them to make things for us, but this season, it’s available and we used it for the staff at The Beef. They all have particular things that I like to home in on and look for for them. With Richie, it’s his track pants. With Tina, it’s her accessories. Liza [Colón-Zayas] is so funny, she’ll be like, “Tina needs a bag. She needs a backpack, just in case she has to run.” I’m like, okay.
You know who was really fun to dress, even though we only got to see him for about two seconds? Chester, Marcus’s roommate and friend. We put him in a lot of vintage suits, a lot of Drake’s, a lot of Brooks Brothers. He’s stealthily one of my favourites.
My favourite episode this season, just because of how crazy it was, is definitely “Fishes.” It was three weeks of madness to do all of those fittings and shop for all of those clothes, I'm glad I have such a strong team. It was all hands on deck. My tailors, my dyer, my coordinator, my PA. We went to L.A. and had to do a fitting there for 36 hours, it was so involved. But we got to do such specific characters in one episode, and it was so great. All the guest stars were so collaborative and so down with what we were doing. It was crazy, but so satisfying.
I felt like all those characters had such distinctive personalities, and you can see that in their style, but then Mikey just wearing a T-shirt at this formal family event. What was the reasoning behind that?
Mikey is one of those guys where if he's wearing an Under Armour shirt and clean jeans and a sneaker, he's like, "Yeah, this is me." I also don’t think he’s in the mind state to try. He’s just waking up every morning and surviving, at that point. It is what it is. We did play around in the fitting and see if we should do a nicer sweater, but for where he is in his mental state and who he is, it felt like that was where he was at.
Can you share some of your favourite style Easter eggs from this season?
This isn’t an Easter egg, but me and Jeremy just got a kick out of it. His jeans for “Fishes” are the A.P.C. classic jeans. We were like, of course Carmy, in his hunt to hone his style years ago, landed on the gateway to liking denim. Of course he’d be wearing that jean. I would say his whole look from that episode—he’s wearing a Palace x Polo Ralph Lauren collaboration rugby shirt, it’s just so specific to that time. He would definitely be like, “Yeah, this is what I’m wearing now,” coming back from his travels.
There’s so much that we put into it, and we are appreciative that people are noticing it. We did try to add a lot more kitchen workwear, even for people who are back of house and in the kitchen. Connor is wearing this white kitchen workwear jacket, we started putting people in Blundstone because that’s what the kitchen world is wearing now. There are little things that we tried to incorporate for the characters to make it true to the world.
Originally published on Esquire US
Walk into the Hermès flagship store in New York and you’ll think you’ve gate-crashed a Supermarket Sweep for millionaires. The well-turned-out shoppers seem primed to drag an arm across a shelf, gathering as many pieces as possible from one of luxury’s oldest brand names. Naturally, there are more restraints—and significantly fewer shopping carts—in this 20,000 square foot temple of tastefulness, which opened on the Upper East Side last October.
“The store is really a masterpiece,” says Véronique Nichanian, artistic director of the Hermès men’s universe since 2008. “For a big store, it feels really intimate.” it is a means to highlight Hermès' superb menswear, which Nichanian has been overseeing for a staggering 35 years, beginning in 1988 when she was appointed artistic director of men's ready-to-wear. In any industry, longevity like that is unusual. She is a unicorn in terms of style. Hermès men's has evolved under her leadership from the bougie bon chic, bon genre style of the late 1980s—all blazers, suits, and patterned city-boy ties—to relaxed, contemporary apparel and accessories fit for a hangout session that just so happens to take place on a private jet.
“For me, more and more, it’s about simplicity,” Nichanian says. “I’ve always loved working with materials, with cloth. I like simple shapes. But I find that men have really changed, too; they are more and more into clothing that is relaxed. Wearing a suit and a tie is no longer by obligation; now it’s a choice, a pleasure. So men are broadening and investing in their casual wardrobes like never before.”
It’s easy to believe, with a grand old name like Hermès—with its silk scarves and Birkin bags and iconic orange packaging—that you’re buying into a vision of permanent Frenchness here, something stuffy even. Not so. “I never really liked that traditional bourgeois view at all,” Nichanian explains. “I think it’s vital to move, inject colour, play, twist things to surprise people. We always do things at Hermès with a sense of humour, lightness, and charm.”
The men's summer 2023 collection, which was revealed in Paris in June, is a confirmation of the air of sophisticated, contemporary elegance that permeates Hermès under Nichanian's direction. The company, which is getting close to its bicentennial, sees itself as a conduit to modern excellent taste rather than fighting change. It is not trendy, but it is unquestionably in style.
Much of the appeal comes from the makeup of the clothes. For summer, there’s near-weightless construction, unimpeachable quality, and colours rarely associated with men’s fashion. Nichanian uses the word légèreté, or lightness, frequently in our conversation, which jumps between French and English. The concept matters just as much emotionally as physically. “I really wanted to give the collection a real sense of lightness, a feeling of escape,” she says. “The world feels heavy at the moment; I think men need summer clothes that feel less urban. There was a lot of inspiration in David Hockney’s art for me—all that California light, those swimming pools, things seen refracted through water—that provided a sense of fluidity, even a sense of humor.”
That playfulness is discreet. You may see an understated H embossed on a leather bag or a belt here and there. But that’s pretty much it. “We’ve been doing things a certain way for nearly two hundred years. We don’t need to put big logos on everything,” Nichanian says. “People talk about Hermès with a real sense of reverence but also with a real fondness—a certain joie de vivre—compared to many other big brands, which I think personally take themselves far too seriously. Of course, business is business, and brands are like people at the end of the day—each to his own, you know. For us, Hermès is all about its personality.”
Photography by Jason Kibbler
Styling by Nick Sullivan
Grooming by Kevin Ryan for Ludlow Blunt salon
Model: Hamid Onifade for DNA Model Management
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2023 issue of ESQUIRE magazine
Originally published on Esquire US
By now, you're probably aware of an impending battle happening this week: Barbie vs Oppenheimer. The two blockbuster behemoths in their own right are scheduled for wide release on the very same day. Of course, there's nothing remotely similar about the two films—it's Barbie and Ken against a biographical thriller about the development of nuclear weapons—apart from sharing overwhelmingly positive first reactions.
The contrast in tones of the two films has also been reflected in how the two male leads (specifically Ryan Gosling and Cillian Murphy) have been dressing while promoting their respective films. True to the nature of Barbie, Gosling had been appearing in just about every spectrum of bright pastels imaginable; Murphy opted for the exact opposite.
Now, Murphy has hardly ever been one to gravitate towards a colourful fit. But the man is not opposed to it, based on several instances on the red carpet as well as in between the pages of Esquire US. His main style repertoire however, favours clean and minimalist lines with a penchant for elevated staples.
He's been taking it up a few notches for Oppenheimer's press tour. And if you think quiet luxury (or at least semblances of it) is on its slow death, Murphy's saying otherwise.
It's been said since the beginning of fashion annals: an all-black fit does no wrong. Murphy gets it down pat every time. But it's all in the brilliant styling choice for this particular look—a tie rakishly worn askew for a brilliant addition of dimension to an otherwise safe outfit.
The tie may be experiencing some sort of a resurgence on the menswear runway shows, but in everyday fashion, not so much. Murphy's Prada ensemble suggests that it could very well work for that special dinner date coming up. Again, it's the smart choice of opting for a tie in the same colour as the shirt. Here, it's a specific nod to the military aspect of the film with khaki as the star colour.
Honestly, we're running to get ourselves a well-made cardigan after this. There's nothing heavily overdone (or under) with this, but it perfectly underscores how the right kind of wardrobe staples (Murphy's cardigan is by Studio Nicholson) are all one needs to be stylish.
We definitely weren't expecting this sheer Saint Laurent fit for the London premiere of Oppenheimer. It definitely still keeps within Murphy's style leanings, all while venturing into something out of left field. But then again, who ever said being a minimalist meant being predictable?
It takes skill and taste for someone to take something as unanimously ugly—I'm not even going to bother sugar-coating this—as Crocs, and turn it into a design that's contemporary and at the same time, shifts one's perception of the item. Yes, I caved. The Salehe Bembury-designed Crocs are the only ones that deserve to be bought—at least, until another designer aesthetically reinvents it.
The American designer has quickly risen up the ranks as one of the footwear designers to watch. While Crocs may have afforded him global recognition, his career already includes time at Yeezy and Versace as well as partnerships with brands the likes of New Balance, Vans, and Clarks. Which is why when Moncler Genius announced its 2023 lineup during London Fashion Week earlier this year (although Bembury teased the partnership sometime in November 2022), this style director was especially elated.
Moncler x Salehe Bembury—also titled, 'Moncler ēquipements'—is a landmark collection for both Moncler and Bembury. Not only is the collection the first collaboration between the two, it is also Bembury's first foray into ready-to-wear. "'Moncler ēquipements' is an exploration of palette, shape, and utility. From extensive time spent in the wilderness, I have developed a deep appreciation for nature and the elements that come with it," Bembury says. The avid hiker opted for an outdoor-ready collection inspired by Moncler's mountaineering line from its '50s archive.
There's no doubt that Bembury definitely put his stamp throughout the collection. His signature 'grain' thumbprint has been reinterpreted as part of Moncler's quilting and are apparent on the collection's range of padded outerwear, vests and a number of lighter layers. It also makes its appearance on Bembury's known expertise: footwear. For Moncler x Salehe Bembury, the Trailgrip sneaker features the motif done in a combination of treatments and textures while retaining the sneaker's functionality.
The ready-to-wear is certainly not to be overlooked. Practical utilitarian elements form the foundation of the collection. Pockets are aplenty and water-resistant GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ add further versatility and comfort to parkas. Teddy fleeces, leggings, caps and beanies complete the entire assortment made for the intrepid outdoor adventurer.
The Moncler x Salehe Bembury collection is now available.
Back during the Dior Men fall 2023 presentation—a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle set against the backdrop of the pyramids of Giza, Egypt—the house also previewed its collaboration for the season. It sits separate from the core Dior Men fall 2023 collection, but at the same time, serves as an extension.
Aptly named Dior Tears, the capsule collection sees artistic director Kim Jones coming together with longtime friend Tremaine Emory's Denim Tears brand. Emory is also Supreme's current creative director.
"I want to share that moment in time, that beautiful moment in time where Black writers and musicians and artists were coming from America, running from America, and finding some level of acceptance in certain European cities and being able to have their art respected and who they are respected," says Emory in the collection notes. "It wasn’t perfect but it was just a moment, a beautiful moment for Blacks to have the privilege and opportunity to escape from the terror, the horrors of America, a segregated Jim Crow America. Artists like Miles Davis and writers like James Baldwin found refuge in Paris."
It's a converging of ideas between New York and Paris. Much like the African-American experience that inspired Emory, Dior Tears takes stylistic references of Black jazz musicians from the '50s and '60s and mashes them with French savoir-faire. At the heart of it is a denim-rich collection (coincidentally, the material has its origins in France) that's then complimented by Dior Men's techniques and craft.
A constant technical conversation between France and America takes the form of the latter's homespun fabrications mixed in with French jacquards and precise tailoring. Dior Oblique motifs are of course, splattered sparingly throughout the Dior Tears capsule collection, while the colour palette sticks to a healthy dose of brights that are reminiscent of the African diaspora.
What's especially noteworthy—as with most Dior Men collaborations overseen by Jones—is that the Dior Tears capsule collection leans neither too heavily on either collaborators' aesthetics. There's a synergy and somewhat equal marriage of ideas—just like how a collaboration should be like.
The Dior Tears capsule collection is out now at Dior Men boutiques. View the full collection in the gallery below.
Taylor Okata grew up in Oahu and cut his teeth styling all around the fashion industry. “I thought leaving the islands, I had to pursue a very definable career, but I've always been interested in fashion since I can remember,” he explains. His past client list includes giants like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Reebok, and Puma. Currently, though, he’s focusing on his role as the creative director of personal care and grooming brand Hawthorne. He still works with the occasional client—fellow Hawaii kid Evan Mock is a notable example—but to make room for the day job, “I've been styling less and taking a step back from it,” he says.
Taylor has always impressed me with his distinct style—hard to describe, but always well-put-together. Below, Okata and I talk about his career in the fashion industry, how he incorporates elements of his Asian origin into his personal style, and a host of other subjects.
How did you make the transition from styling into creative direction for the self-care brand Hawthorne?
I studied photography in high school and studio arts in college, so I come from a background of more knowledge of graphic design and typography and colour theory and two-dimensional design than fashion. Fashion was always just something I enjoyed as a hobby. Even freelancing as a stylist, I'd be on set and I would make certain comments about lighting or about layouts of magazines and things like that. And then they understood, “Oh, this guy actually has a knowledge of design.”
Phil, who is one of the co-founders of Hawthorne, and an amazing designer as well, met me before he even launched the brand. He was designing for brands like Hood By Air. He created their logo. We've always talked design, more than just fashion. And so, when they wanted to do a brand refresh, he reached out and asked, "I don't know if this is something you're interested in." And it was, because to me, creative direction encompasses everything that I love.
Can you share some thoughts about Hawaii and how it's changed since you were a kid growing up there?
My family has been there for so many generations that we couldn't even trace a lot back on my mom's side. We became a state in 1959, so for me, growing up there was this weird push and pull of wanting what you saw on TV and kind of wanting to be Americanised, but the day-to-day culture was very unamerican. I didn't have internet in my house at the time. Growing up before social media, the exposure was very different. I never fully felt the Western idea of what it means to be American, even though technically we are. But it's a very special place. It's very complex because we were illegally occupied by the military, and it gets really dark.
When I moved to the States, I was exposed to a whole new country, and I was pushed to the side in a way that I wasn't used to. Hawaii, for the most part, is a very multicultural place. We're all multiracial and we're all very prideful of our culture. Then to move to the states and hear, “You're not Asian. You don't look Asian. You don't look Latino. You're obviously not Black. You don't really look white.” It was just so interesting that those were really the only four pillars that people could identify you as. That's when I really understood how special of a place Hawaii was. We speak a different dialect back home called Pidgin. At first, I had a really hard time trying to assimilate into American culture. When we greet people, for instance, we kiss on the cheek, and that was seen as weird. People in college said I sounded funny. So, I really tried to morph myself into this idea of what it means to be accepted in America. As I got older, I realised what makes my perspective so special is where I'm from and how I was raised—my culture, the food, the music, and the street culture I grew up with. Then I really started to own it, and once I did, and was prideful of where I was from, everything else just started to fall into place.
How do you tie your identity into your personal style?
I can never leave the house if it doesn't feel like me. I know that sounds like such a generic statement, but I truly have never gotten dressed for anyone else. Even if I know I'm going to be made fun of or people might not understand it, my style is what has gotten me to where I am. It's honestly saved my life. It's opened up doors for me, but it's also made me feel like I belong somewhere even if I don't feel like I belong—when I know inside that I belong because I get to present myself how I want to present myself. That really is tied to my culture, like my Japanese heritage and growing up with my dad's side of the family always being very well put-together. Even the island culture and surf and skate—all the things I grew up doing—influences my style. Sometimes I feel like it's a hodgepodge, but it's just my style. Something has to be thrown off. I can't be fully prepped. That's just not me. I love wearing ties or a dress shirt, but then I need to have my earrings or my Hawaiian jewelry on, or I need to have a baseball cap on—something to offset it that makes it feel like me. I can't just pick a genre and fit in. It'll never happen because again, my culture's such a huge part of my life. It's inescapable at this point, so that obviously translates to what I wear.
How much of that identity is tied into your styling and creative direction? How do you separate your personal style from work?
With styling, specifically celebrity styling, people come to me because of how I personally dress. That's great because they know what they're going to get from me. I never really got as heavy into commercials and TV and film… It's a very specific outline where I don't really get to express my talents and my capabilities. With Hawthorne, for instance, or when a client brings me on to do full image—they want their client to have a new hairstyle and new outfits—that's where I really thrive. I'm like, "You're coming to me exactly for what I can give you, and I can really art direct this image." I think that's why I've been styling less; I just have too many interests and I think of too many other factors. I can't just think about the clothes anymore. I look at the hair or I look at the casting or I look at the lighting or I look at the set design. I can't just worry about the clothes.
What are some brands or designers that are exciting you currently?
It's so funny that you asked the prior question about my culture and my heritage tying into my personal style because I realise that a lot of what I've worn or brands, even if they're mainstream, like Comme des Garçons or Issey Miyake or Yohji—who I owe so much to—they're all Japanese designers. I'm just really drawn to that aesthetic. But currently, of the brands that I'm really drawn to, some are still AAPI, like Commission and Luu Dan. Not only do I see myself in the designers, but I think that the perspective that they're designing from fits how I like to present myself to the world. It just makes sense that way. For instance, with Luu Dan, I'm short and he makes great clothes for short guys. Even though it's so oversized some way, it still looks great on me. Like Peter Do, who just got announced as creative director of Helmet Lang, they're really bringing something that I identify with. There’s also Raul who does Luar. His eye is so special and it speaks to me so much, not only as a queer boy living in New York City—he's a born and raised in New York and I'm not—but just the soul where he's designing from resonates so much in me that I'm so drawn to what he does.
If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it consist of?
That would be where I thrive the most, which is in Hawaii, and I think about what I wear there, and it's obviously hot as hell. A cream V-neck sleeveless vest of some sort, baggy denim shorts, fresh white socks, and a lug-sole, lace-up, derby-loafer situation, because I always like feeling dressed. I can't feel too casual. And all my jewelry. I can't live without my earrings and my Hawaiian jewelry and Oakleys.
Originally published on Esquire US
As the cape is to the superhero, the navy double-breasted blazer is to the man. Put it on and, boom, you’re transformed. But instead of flight, your superpower is to fit in anywhere and stand out as the best-dressed guy. Wear it to impress your partner’s parents, score an upgrade, attend any and every party. You will never feel over- or underdressed. The double-breasted blazer is the low-effort, high-reward piece that your summer wardrobe simply should not go without.
Hold on. Summer? Damn right. If you get the proper jacket—easy, breezy, and lighter than air—you can wear it when the sun’s high and the mercury is even higher. Enter Canali’s Kei collection, which is all about stripping tailoring down to the absolute essentials. The jacket is entirely unlined and unstructured, so it breathes beautifully. And thanks to Canali’s masterful cut and craftsmanship, it fits as well as something weighed down by padding and lining and all that other stuff. It goes with everything, and it’ll take you everywhere—even if you have to fly commercial to get there. Canali Blazer in Navy Blue Cotton
Originally published on Esquire US
How long does it take for a collaboration to manifest? Six months? A year? If you're like Sole Superior and Saint Barkley, the road to the end product can take up to four years. But it's worth the wait as the union borne out of mutual admiration for each other yields these limited-edition kicks.
Limited to 500 pairs, this collaboration caused quite a kerfuffle back in 2022. A sample pair was first introduced at Sole Superior last November and then at the Jakarta Sneaker Day in February 2023. It was during the latter when the samples were absconded from its display case.
But when life gives you lemons, you turn it into a marketing opportunity—Saint Barkley and Sole Superior offered a reward to anyone who turn in the stolen samples. In an IG post, Saint Barkley and Sole Superior extoll the sneaker thief for their "terrific taste" and chided their "terrible ethics". The samples were never recovered.
But what is it about the Sole Superior x Saint Barkley sneakers that made it so seductive that theft was its only recourse?
Well, taking inspiration from the 'Scratch N Sniff' stickers of the 1980s, the shoes sport bubblegum-scented tongues. These releases that contraband scent when your foot comes in contact with it. The upper is a peach /suede with light-reflective stitching. Adorned with Saint Barkley's signature volt green sole, the white vulcanised rubber midsole looks striking from the contrast. ensuring your sneakers and surroundings smell as fresh as they look. To top it all off, the sneakers come in a special clear window shoebox. Each purchase of the shoes will also get you three exclusive Saint Barkley x Sole Superior air fresheners.
Not only do you have a sneaker release, there's also the limited apparel capsule collection. A t-shirt, cap, and coach jacket—these items complement your new kicks. These are available in limited quantities as well.
Saint Barkley x Sole Superior limited kicks retails for SGD66. The collection drops today at Saint Barkley's physical store in Indonesia or if you're not based over there, you can purchase them online.
Kim Jones' futuristic endeavours were ever-present throughout the collection, from the innovative construction of the garment to the avant-garde accessories. The construction of a jacket from one continuous piece of fabric is testament to the maison’s impeccable savior-faire.
The Dior Men fall 2023 collection came to light amid the vast, boundless Egyptian desert plains. The majestic peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza painted the backdrop as Kim Jones’ parade of men emerged from a sea of sand in the dark of night to the command of booming techno beats. Jones may have taken the fall 2023 presentation to the grounds where the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World stood, but his vision for the collection was far from the timeworn. Instead, it carried a distinct futuristic quality that, on many occasions, called to mind Frank Herbert’s dystopian universe, Dune. The otherworldly landscape aside, a palpable Martian sensibility was rife across the 75-men strong crusade. Jones’ army sported futuristic sunglasses topped off with protective face shields, chest guards over knitwear and underneath jackets, and utilitarian combat footwear. Their uniforms, mostly a subdued colour palette of neutrals and varying hues of grey, were occasionally punctuated by pops of bright yellow and zesty orange.
As Jones took to space for inspiration, he naturally had his eyes set on the stars, just as founder Christian Dior and the ancient Egyptians had in the past. The result: a series of astral prints conceived alongside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), fittingly transposed onto jackets reminiscent of astronaut suits.
It was clear: Jones had little interest in being overtly referential to the history books of ancient Egypt. Instead, he had his nose buried deep in the archives of the Maison—the storied past of its womenswear realm, in particular. By now, Jones’ affinity for drawing from the feminine to inform his menswear outings is an enduring fixture in his modus operandi at Dior Men.
This season, Jones’ points of womenswear reference centred around three archival dresses—the “Junon”, “Bonne Fortune”,and “Caramba”. While the “Junon”, and “Bonne Fortune” dresses were rehashed as meticulously embroidered tank tops and pleated demi-kilts respectively, the “Caramba” dress informed the distinctive cord-stiffened detailing employed in the construction of the collection’s modern wool tracksuits.
The jackets were a tip of the hat to space suits worn by astronauts. Led by expert workmanship, the nuances of the collection were hidden in plain sight. Jones’ vision for the uniform of the future is replete with juxtapositions of experimental accessories against updated menswear classics.
The past and the present, steered by Jones’ vision for the future effortlessly came together where old world techniques were adopted in tandem with cutting-edge technology. These nuances, peppered across the collection, were hidden in plain sight. Astral-printed jackets were purposefully cut to reflect light at precise angles to replicate the shining effect of a star; desert boots featured 3-D printed foot-guards; and demi-kilts were handcrafted with an ingeniuos trompe l'oeil of pleats.
Jones’ work at Dior Men is a wardrobe proposition for men ahead of their time. If not as far a head into a dystopian future as the show presentation might have you believe, the fall 2023 collection offered an ultra-modern sartorial update to quintessential wardrobe pieces. The tailored suits, knitwear separates and tactical jackets would fit into everyday life just as easily as they did in the utopian terrains of Cairo—sans the avant-garde head gear and billowing scarfs.
We're still in somewhat of a limbo with Louis Vuitton's menswear division. Pharrell Williams' first collection as creative director already made its debut during this past Paris Fashion Week Men's. But the collection will only be available in boutiques for the spring/summer 2024 season.
Of course, Louis Vuitton isn't halting any semblance of newness while that happens.
The Taurillon Monogram and Monogram Macassar collections—both featuring the maison's Monogram pattern—have been refreshed with colours that reflect the sense of vibrant energy typical of the season. Icons the likes of the Christopher backpack, Sac Plat mini as well as the Keepall 25 take on new iterations while retaining the unbridled spirit of travel that's at the heart of Louis Vuitton.
The all-leather Taurillon Monogram gets an electric blue makeover (referred to as Racing Blue) with a more muted colourway in the form of Mineral Gray. The hardware on each are done in contrasting tones with the Racing Blue iterations fitted with matte black hardware, while the latter features palladium silver hardware. The treatment is available on a slew of bags and small accessories; it's exceptionally stunning on the collection's bigger pieces such as the Horizon rolling luggage.
The Monogram Macassar on the other hand, keeps things a bit more traditional. Pops of Radiant Sun yellow leather add bold freshness, complementing the Monogram canvas base. On a number of accessories, they appear on handles as well as trims along the sides; on pieces like the Christopher backpack, they act as accents on straps and such.
What's interesting is that these new iterations of the Taurillon Monogram and the Monogram Macassar could very well be part of Williams' debut collection. Aesthetically, there's already the vibrant hues that were a big part of the runway show (and its Rihanna-fronted campaign) and done in such a way that stays true to the classic Louis Vuitton Monogram. And you can never go wrong with the staple Monogram anyway.
The latest variations of the Taurillon Monogram and Monogram Macassar are now available in Louis Vuitton boutiques as well as online.
That concludes fashion month, I suppose. Buyers, stylists, models, and celebrities have been traveling between fashion capitals over the past few weeks to learn how the world's best-dressed men will be dressing for next summer.
So, what's the verdict? Are we all going to be dressed like highlighter pens, or will neutral shades reign supreme once again? Will the silhouettes be baggy or Meet Me in the Bathroom-level skinny? Will our wardrobes be even more gorpcore-y or Y2K or... neither? Without further ado, here's our trend breakdown.
Showing at Fendi’s leather goods factory, Silvia Venturini Fendi presented a collection that played tribute to the callous-thumbed artisans that fill her team. Suits came with stitches for fitting alterations and shirts were printed with toolkits, but it was in the accessories where you could see a direct connection to workers’ uniforms. Models walked with F-monogrammed coffee cups (some in holders, some in hand), documents, measuring tape and name tags as if they were just clocking in for another day.
This trend for accessorising everyday items and elevating the supposedly mundane continued into Paris Fashion Week. Louis Vuitton also had a fellow caffeine addict walk their runway, this time with a straw poking out of the coffee cup lid, as well a model who sported a leather version of the LV shopping bag.
It’s natural for summer collections to be a bit on the brighter side, but no one was expecting the sheer amount of clothes that were imbued with a satsuma-esque shade of orange. While the colour can be intimidating for even the most extroverted dresser, designers made it look as effortless as an Easy Peeler: Dries Van Noten paired pumpkin shorts with a tucked-in double-breasted blazer, while Etro’s more brazen take—a tinsel tank and hoody combo—is for the risk takers. For a contemporary take on suiting, Zegna’s pastel pieces shouldn’t be ignored, and should prove to be a go-to for wedding attire next year, but for casual, everyday-wear, Bianca Saunders’ graphic tees are a must.
Recently, the baseball cap has had a comeback, and it appears that the sporting fervor will continue into next summer as well. Fendi, Martine Rose and Saul Nash all had their own takes, varying from Italian leather to acid-wash denim. But there was more outré headwear, too. Kim Jones had his models wear colourful beanies (at an askew angle) while at Kenzo, Nigo showed wide-brim sun hats and printed berets.
The rules of smart-casual dressing have always included a time-tested formula: pair a nice shirt with some more relaxed bottoms and... there you have it. Foolproof, which is why it featured heavily across the spring/summer ’24 shows. But for this season, you should expect shirt designs that are brasher and a lot more eye-catching. Dior, for example, bejewelled a work shirt with a load of blue crystals, while Ami and Dries Van Noten both had heavily sequinned button-downs within their collections. Prada even stuck on 3D florals and some fringing onto theirs. The message is clear: the bolder the better.
This season also saw brands embrace a concept that has been embraced in womenswear for decades: the going out top. Fendi had a halterneck shirt where the arms drape behind, and Loewe presented a metallic blouse that sparkled like a disco ball. And for more retro takes, Saint Laurent had sleeveless pussybows and sheer blouses aplenty.
It’s lucky that the Y2K low-rise trend has barely entered the menswear-sphere, despite having dominated womenswear for seasons now. In fact, brands are rebelling against it. Waistlines were well above the belly button at Loewe and Prada in both trousers and shorts form respectively, while the use of cummerbunds at D&G and Wales Bonner gave the visual illusion of longer legs and shorter torsos.
Hemlines have also started retreating north, despite seasons of the long and slouchy silhouette. All of the longer-length bottoms at Dior were cropped just above the ankle, and at Hermès the hems were turned up to give full view of the models' fisherman sandals. Waistbands and hemlines are moving on up.
Perennial plants have been blooming in menswear for the last few years, and seeing them blooming in this season’s collections isn’t all that unusual. However, they were blown up to larger and slightly darker sizes as opposed to the more twee prints we had previously seen. As mentioned earlier, Prada had 3D lilies stitched onto shirts, but also positioned them alongside prints of slightly gloomier (potentially underwatered) styles. Emporio Armani centred their black-heavy collection around a ginkgo leaf, where it featured as cut-outs on peak lapel blazers and woven onto lattice-like tops. Valentino had singular roses, an enlarged poppy motif and peonies as part of its sartorial garden, and Kenzo had rose heads printed and stitched onto its denim pieces.
While pairing a linen suit with sandals isn’t exactly a revolutionary move, the catwalks this year were particularly... toe-heavy. Expect wedding wardrobes to follow suit, for better or worse. Dries Van Noten paired a waist-hugging black suit with leather flip flops, and the toe-dividing footwear was also seen at Wales Bonner, where it was styled with a structured linen two-piece. If you have an aversion to seeing your tootsies outside of beach locations, follow Hermès’ lead by sticking to a fisherman sandal. Suited and booted? No, it’s about being suited and sandaled.
The sheer volume of suits and tailoring on the spring/summer '24 runways proved that, despite the pandemic's best efforts to the contrary, they are still in demand. Still, it was clear that there was one cut that reigned supreme for the season: the double breasted suit. They opened the show at Givenchy, worn with hands in pockets at Loewe, paired with contrasting trousers at Ami, as part of a three-piece suit at Paul Smith and in a horse-bit check print at Gucci.
Originally published on Esquire UK
It’s kind of baffling to think that Tom Holland has only just turned 27. The British actor got his big break on the West End stage as Billy Elliott in the heady days of 2008, and the well-received film and TV roles that followed were enough to convince Marvel to take a chance on him as their new Spider-Man. That was nine years ago, and he’s been (quite literally) hanging around our screens ever since, in some of the highest-grossing movies of the past decade. Not too shabby, and that’s without mentioning a certain Lip Sync Battle…
It's a formidable rise, and one that’s reflected in the evolution of his ever-impressive wardrobe. Over the past few years, Holland has increasingly found himself at the centre of a fashion multiverse. You might have heard that he’s in a relationship with Euphoria actor Zendaya, and that the couple once shared a stylist: retired fashion behemoth Law Roach. Over the years, Roach became the right-hand man to Z as well as the mastermind behind looks worn by Lewis Hamilton and fellow Spider-Man, Shameik Moore. Roach’s assistant Crystalle Cox has travelled everywhere from Italy to LA alongside the self-styled “image maker” and after a number of years getting to know Holland along the way, it seemed the perfect time for Cox to take on the mantle of overseeing Holland’s outfits.
The actor’s looks, of late, have straddled contemporary menswear and vintage classics: 50s rockabilly meets cool, calm 70s tailoring, with a dash of minimal modernity for good measure. Easy, breezy pieces imbued with personality and a well-fitted silhouette were what both Cox and Holland aligned with in his press run wardrobe for Apple TV’s latest release The Crowded Room, a true crime drama inspired by Daniel Keyes’ 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan, in which he plays a man accused of a gruesome crime.
The 10-episode drama takes place during the summer of 1979, and Cox was significantly inspired by the stars and styles of the era for the show’s press run. She tells me that “off-duty Steve McQueen, Robert Redford’s tailored looks, and even John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever suit” were big points of reference. Disregarding a buttoned-up shirt and tie look for formal engagements, collars were left open and suiting, courtesy of Prada for The Crowded Room premiere’s red carpet, came in a retro-inspired forest green (which, during the fitting at his home, both Cox and Holland noticed the shade mirrored that of his kitchen-come-dressing room).
The actor became the face of Prada after being snapped by David Sims for their SS22 campaign, so approaching the Italian fashion house for Holland’s custom looks was a no-brainer. The process, according to Cox, was seamless: “Tom is incredibly easy to work with and the Prada team were so forthcoming and collaborative. They went to lengths to create a look that felt elevated for Tom, but still in-keeping with his personal style”.
Cox delved into the Prada archive, selecting standout looks from seasons old and new and approached the Prada team with preferences: look 28 and 31 from their AW23 men’s collection. “Tom gravitated towards the slick straight leg of the trousers and I liked the boxy shape of the top,” says Cox. Striking middle ground, Prada added a zip to the top, modifying the runway look into an effortlessly everyday jacket for Holland.
But it’s not just Prada you’ve seen Holland wear. For the Monaco Grand Prix, an AMI shirt – in his favourite emerald shade – was slung over a vest and finished with crisp Zegna trainers. In New York on his birthday, a striped knit from British menswear label King & Tuckfield was combined with Percival and good ol’ G.H.Bass loafers. Refreshingly, his press wardrobe is peppered with affordable and approachable menswear, meaning that fans don’t have to save up for a piece of Raf and Miuccia to nail a superhero’s style.
Which is to say, you don't need to be a movie star to replicate Holland’s look. “Our approach is uncomplicated really: it’s trend lead of course, but also relies on those foolproof classics,” Cox tells me. “The key really is keeping it fresh and elevated with simple but slick pieces, whilst considering comfort and wearability – particularly on those long junket days”.
Speaking of the publicity trail, Holland has temporarily hung up his Spider-Man latex in favour of dancing shoes, confirming he’ll be part of a Fred Astaire biopic that begins filming early next year. If Cox’s styling hasn't convinced you to invest in a perfectly tailored wardrobe this summer, just wait until that press tour rolls around.
