There are lots of reasons to stay away from the L.A. denim world—for one, we just plain don’t like distressed clothes—but if you get past any lingering style reservations, it can be a pretty fascinating scene. Particularly if you’ve got a camera handy.

Sundance recently took a trek into the dark heart of Ed Hardy-ness and came away with Dirty Denim, a 15-minute series of web shorts that convince us it’s worse than we ever imagined. Small labels scramble over distressing techniques, play hardball with buyers, and try to keep their styles safe from the eight other labels they share a washhouse with—and just about everyone’s scrapping.

Of course, the real horror is what they do to the jeans. Potassium sprays, paint splatters and rotary grinders are all turned against defenseless raw denim with little to no remorse. The rest isn’t too different from the mind-boggling hustle of the rest of Hollywood—but it should give pause to anyone who’s day-dreamed about starting up their own denim line.

See the show»

Stop everything. Are you sitting down? Good.

Remember all those orange-colored socks and plates and credenzas you ordered last year, in celebration of Mimosa’s 2009 reign? Well, 2009’s over, so get rid of them. This is turquoise’s year.

We’re not thrilled to be honest—this new shade seems a bit too subdued to make much of an impact—and all that talk of it being “a color of deep compassion and healing” isn’t helping. But maybe we’ll like it better when we see it in the background of an Esquire cover.

Plus, by then we’ll have new socks.

Scott Sternberg has always been good for a quote or two. Case in point: Last time the Band of Outsiders honcho checked in for a serious interview, he ended up dropping gems like, “Style fills the gap between how you see yourself and how you want other people to see you.” (Seriously, marinate on it.) So we’re always happy to listen in…

Most recently, he popped up as part of the Sundance Channel’s Full Frontal Fashion video series, comparing himself to more established icons like Ralph Lauren, J. Press, and Brooks Brothers: “We’re all drawing from the same well. But the filter through which we put it out there, and our personal quirks make it all quite different.” In Sternberg’s case, the preppy lineage comes by way of Jean-Pierre Léaud (he confesses a mild obsession in a separate clip), but Léaud’s not that far off from rugby players and businessmen—or at least not in Sternberg’s eyes.

But for variety’s sake, we’re hoping he doesn’t take up polo.

The dandy is a dying breed, and there’s one less today than there was a week ago. This morning’s New York Times brings word that Mr. Richard Merkin—an artist and a bon vivant, has passed away.

Of course, we have great respect for anyone who can pull off the bifecta of the bowler and boutonniere, but there’s plenty behind the outfits too. Merkin pulled off the rare, enviable trick of making a career out of a personal fixation—in his case, the more dapper corners of 20s and 30s style. It’s a subculture that’s still alive and well, and anyone with a trad streak would do well to leaf through Mr. Merkin’s catalog.

It looks like Yoko Devereaux has fallen prey to shaky financiers, so they’re closing up shop starting today. That means a liquidation sale with $10 polos (like this one), $20 dress shirts and a Baracuta-esque striped jacket for just $40 at their online shop…and you’d better get it while you can.

Yoko Devereaux never made the most wearable items on the shelf, but they were one of the best sources for low-slung cardigans and high-cropped pants—both of which can be extremely potent in the right hands. Now, we’ll have to get them somewhere else. This should be a reminder: It’s hard out there for a boutique label.

Ever since Hart Schaffner Marx filed for Chapter 11, we’ve been waiting to hear what’s in store for subsidiary marques like hickey and Hickey Freeman. And while we wouldn’t advise giving up your stockpile of pot-logo’d polos just yet, we’re detecting a noticeable light at the end of the tunnel.

The latest report from WWD details the three main bidders for HSM, and their various priorities. It’s a safe bet that one of the private equity firms will come down with ownership, but the question is whether they’ll decide hickey’s worth more dead than alive. Naturally, we prefer the latter.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Department stores put up a good front, but we’ve always assumed there was enough chaos behind the scenes to start a small riot. And it looks like we’ll get a chance to see it firsthand.

Santa Monica’s Fred Segal is getting its very own reality show focusing on the commission-crazed sales staff. We predict a healthy amount of back-stabbing, but as with any latter-day reality show, the real surprise is what the cast can do with a confession booth.

We’re assuming they’re not there to make friends.

John Varvatos has been drawing on music-industry cool for long enough, it was only a matter of time before he made the connection official. But we were hoping it wouldn’t be quite so much like a reality show.

It’s called Free the Noise, and to be fair, it’s closer to the more credible custom known as the Battle of the Bands. Aspiring bands upload clips of their act onto the website, finalists are chosen to face off at JV’s Bowery location (former home of CBGBs, if you recall), and the winner walks away with a development deal from Island records and a series of spots in Varvatos’ Star USA ads.

Sounds like a good deal, but a record deal isn’t what it used to be. And doesn’t the whole thing seem a bit rockist?

Not that there’s anything wrong with that»

We have a sentimental weakness for factory tours here at Kempt. And when combined with our sentimental weakness for trail moccasins, it’s just about irresistible.

All Plaidout (via Hypebeast) just posted an indepth tour of Quoddy’s Lewiston, ME headquarters, giving us a secondhand peek at exactly what hand-stitching entails.

The biggest surprise is the tiny device they use to measure the gauge of each stitch. Of course, you’ve got to keep that kind of detail in check…but who knew they used a mini-ruler?

Naturally, if you happen to be in Portland (Oregon, that is), we know where you could pick up a pair.

Take a look around»

The economy isn’t all bad news; it looks like the craft sector is taking off in spite of everything.

Online craft shop Etsy cleared $12 million in sales last month (up 18% from February), and they’re poised to become the go-to source for trinkets of all kinds. We wouldn’t want to build a wardrobe from it, but it definitely has its charms.

Our guide to Etsy»

Bad news today for lovers of apparel and basic human hygiene: it looks like sales of men’s underwear have taken a downward turn.

You might think of underwear as one of the more basic purchases in the world of style, but Americans are on track to spend more $110 million fewer on undergarments this year than last. Boxers are hit hardest, with a 3.5% decline from last year, but briefs shed their share of sales as well.

It’s puzzling, since the two styles tend to balance each other—briefs do better as boxers do worse, and vice versa. Clearly the economy’s playing a role, but we wonder if there’s another force at work.

Could the union suit be staging a comeback?

If this polo shirt looks familiar, it should. You’ve probably seen the American Apparel version on at least a dozen skinny hipsters by now…you just haven’t seen it in this size.

Don’t look for it in stores, though. This one comes from Colossal Clothing, a new brand that deals in American Apparel styles and fabrics recut for less emaciated frames. Every tron jacket and henley is still made in Dov’s own factories, but the cuts are brand new and the shape is unlike anything you’ll see on a billboard.

The story behind Colossal Clothing»

Playboy.com has needed a polish for some time now, so it’s only natural that they roll out a redesign on the heels of their archive’s recent online move. And ad units don’t grow on dead trees…

The stated goal of the new site is to get viewers to stick around for upwards of half an hour, but we’re not so sure. There certainly is a lot of new stuff to look at: style, nightlife, a full-scale culture section and a decent catchall section for Playboy’s typical idiosyncratic humor. But there’s still something missing.

Where are all the listicles? Where are the pointlessly provocative screeds? We looked for something making fun of Kanye—for more than half an hour, in fact—but we couldn’t find one. All we got was a centerfold jigsaw puzzle and a flash cartoon about a monkey on a road trip.

Hef’s got a lot to learn about the internet.

Branding can be a shifty enterprise. It deals in abstracts, and it can take decades to unravel whether something was a brilliant idea or just a brilliant pitch—and for the most part, no one can tell the difference.

All of which goes a long way towards explaining someone like Peter Arnell.

He’s been behind some of the more iconic images in recent memory—DKNY’s Houston St mural, ConEdison’s redesigned trucks, and the curvy new Pepsi logo—along with some of the biggest tantrums in the business, but after a disastrous Tropicana redesign, the sharks are circling. And suddenly, people are using the word “huckster” an awful lot…

We examine Mr. Arnell indepth»

The exodus of Earnest Sewn’s braintrust continues…

Our friends at UrbanDaddy just let us know about a new coffee shop/general store called The Smile and masterminded by Carlos Quirarte, one of the brains behind Earnest Sewn’s rugged store design. His new project looks intriguing—especially the Ronnybrook Ice Cream—but we can’t help but notice how all of ES’s bright minds are jumping ship lately. It’s enough to make a denim man nervous.

At least we have our straight-legs to remember them by.

A small fashion line takes years of nurturing and planning before they sell their first cardigan, so when the original creative forces leave, it tends to be more like a divorce than a career move.

Scott Morrison and Eleanor Ylvisaker founded Earnest Sewn in 2004 and built up the brand in the five years since through clever collaborations, solid craftsmanship and all around sturdy jeans, but as of today they’re both leaving the company for greener pastures. We’re not sure what would drive the two people most tied to the brand to leave it at the same time, but we’re betting it’s something pretty major, and we doubt the economy is making things any easier.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the brand without its braintrust—hopefully whoever’s running it is smart enough to keep things on more or less the same course—but we’ll be even more interested to see what Morrison’s next step is. Having built up designer cred as an old-school denim man, there should be more than a few companies itching to bring him on.

This bit of raw denim got us thinking. As with most high-end jeans, the main selling point here is the material: the finest Japanese denim, guaranteed keep getting better for decades to come.

Since the fabric warps to fit your body, there isn’t much point in bragging about the cut or the skills of the designer. What you’re buying is the fabric; everything else is secondary. It’s an attention to material you don’t see much outside of bespoke houses, but by now it’s second nature to the streetwear crowd.

Why raw denim still matters»

As many have noted, the internet’s a pretty rough place. Celebrity tends to attract more abuse than glamour, especially when there’s a hint of success alongside it. And now, if this startup has its way, all that abuse will have a home.

PersonRatings is billing itself as “Yelp for people”—it’s the first site to offer quantitative approach to web celebrity—but giving people an open forum to say things about Julia Allison is a dangerous game, and the nastier it gets, the higher their traffic numbers will go.

On some level, it’s brilliant…we just hope we never see our name on their list.

Establishing a national identity can be tough these days, but Brazil has it pretty good. Their chief resources—as far as we can tell—are amazing weather, thousands of miles of beaches, and some of the most beautiful people in the world.

So maybe a swimsuit line or two isn’t such a bad call.

As it happens, Rio de Janiero is turning its attentions to the swimsuits in a big way, starting with a new beachwear fashion week and a general uptick in tropically minded bikinis. It hasn’t made its way around to menswear yet, and we’re not sure we want it too, but don’t be surprised if you see a lot more brightly-colored two-pieces on the beach this summer.

You’ll hear no complaints from us.

Media isn’t the most profitable business these days, but there’s a reason billionaires are always emptying their pockets into magazine and television ventures. There are some things only staggeringly large amounts of money can buy.

Take, for instance, the lovely Ms. Lydia Hearst. Being an heiress is enough to get you onto the gossip pages, but getting into fashion spreads takes the kind of clout only a few families in the world have. But having the same last name as a publishing group usually helps…

Learn about Lydia’s new gig»

After Monocle used their brand to launch a shop, a newsstand and a half-dozen brilliant collabs, it was only a matter of time before more pubs got in on the action.

The first to catch on is Fantastic Man, a boutique European biannual best known for favoring designers over models for their cover shot. But apparently two issues a year leaves them a little free time for other pursuits like perfumery, because they’re debuting the magazine’s signature cologne next Monday. They’ll follow it up with a candle collaboration with Acne, but we’re still waiting for a bit of apparel to creep into the mix.

Get our take on the impromptu scent»

Now that the overstimulated fever dream that is Fashion Week has drawn to a close, it’s time to sort the whole mess out through a period of meditative reflection. Our favorites were rag & bone, Simon Spurr, Antonio Azzuolo, General Idea, and Band of Outsiders, but there was plenty more to see that got lost in the shuffle.

Luckily, our friends at Valet Mag have put together a comprehensive but manageable guide to all the menswear to come out of New York Fashion Week, via a little bit of well-applied Flash programming and a whole lot of legwork. Let the browsing begin.

Men.Style’s Material Interest alerted us to WWD’s latest poll ranking cities on menswear spending and the results are a little staggering. Perennially hip, Austin comes in first, closely followed by the loose thread that is Las Vegas. Southern California takes up the next three spots, while the New York area barely makes the list.

Best of all is Salt Lake City in the #7 spot, confirming our long-held theory about Mormon style. Sadly, neither of the Portlands made the cut.

See the top 10 for yourself»

It’s awards season again, and the menswear group is getting ready for its turn.

We’re talking about the GQ/CFDA awards, an annual August bash that names the menswear designer of the year. The list of nominees just landed in our inbox and, while it’s a little short on Toms, we’re excited to see all the names in one place.

Hear about this year’s nominees»

As we mentioned before, we’re on the cusp of an epochal trip to Las Vegas’ own Consumer Electronics Show, with the help of our trusty sponsor Energi to Go. But since the show is roughly the size of Nevada, we thought we’d appeal to our beneficent readership for a few pointers on what you’d like to see.

Anyone yearning for news on the latest Blackberry? Want to see how flat the flatscreens get these days? If so, drop us a line.

The world isn’t all work boots and cardigans, so as of next Wednesday, we’re heading off to Vegas’ own Consumer Electronics Show to scout out a few new gadgets for the new year.

As for how we’re getting there, we’ve found a brand new gadget to pay our way. Say hello to Energi To Go, an egg-shaped trinket powerful enough to charge your phone or blackberry for nine hours or send your favorite blogger to the adult entertainment capital of the world. It runs on two AA batteries, and contains more than 130 square miles of gambling, vice, and generally raucous revelry.

Clearly, we’re very excited.

The New York department stores seem to be taking a page from stockbrokers—the page marked “frenzied panic.”

It was only a few weeks ago that Barneys and Bloomingdale’s announced a simultaneous across the board 40% markdown, but it looks there’s no bottom. Barneys has since raised the number to 60%, with Bergdorf and Saks offering up to 70%. It’s a feeding frenzy, and it has very little to do with Christmas.

Our take on the madness»

It’s been a bit of a blue year…but soon that will all be behind us.

Pantone has just named Mimosa as the 2009 Color of the Year, replacing last year’s more muted Blue Iris. After all that time on post-it notes, we have to admit Mimosa’s earned it.

But while we’re not against a little sunshine (especially this time of year), it may get a bit old by the time June rolls around. No one wants sunshine all the time—at least not outside of Alaska.

We were all set to write about Kendi—the ties look good right?—only to discover that in the few months since we heard about them, their website has reverted to a zombie site plugging GoDaddy.com. In case you forgot, it’s rough out there, and a dearth of interesting ties is the least of our worries.

If anyone has any news on the fall of Kendi, drop us a line. Otherwise, we’ll just wait for the leftovers to show up on eBay.

Business may be slowing down lately, but the menswear business is doing just fine according to the Bloomingdale’s CEO. Of course, he probably wouldn’t mention it if he were hocking the family jewels, but it’s nice to know we’re out-consuming the fairer sex.

Our theory: It’s all those desert boots.

Being a famous musician must be great. Your work is intensely personal and fulfilling, you’re surrounded by adoring women, and you get to do pretty much whatever you want all day, every day, for as long as you want. In other words, it’s the complete opposite of being a magazine intern.

Which makes Ryan Adams’ most recent career move particularly puzzling.

The folksy troubadour—and self-proclaimed Huey Lewis of alt-country—has taken up an intern post at BlackBook in what is presumably either a tribute to Sean Avery or part of an extended research process for his upcoming concept album about the downtrodden media underclass. (We’re hoping it’s the second one.) Either way, we don’t see him going the distance.

On the bright side, we guess this means they don’t drug test?

It’s been a rough road for Men’s Vogue, but it looks like they’re nearing the end of it. Word came down today that the awkward little brother of the men’s mag business is being downgraded from a bimonthly stand-alone mag to a semi-annual supplement to Vogue. In other words, it’s getting the ax.

Men’s Vogue (or Mogue for short) was always a bit confused, jumping from the usual profile fodder and high-end trad-wear to longform journalism pieces culled from the New Yorker’s reject pile, but it was never less than interesting. And we always figured Avery would be able to straighten things out.

Fare thee well, Men’s Vogue.

Like any business, show business has a lot of inner workings that they would prefer you didn’t see. Unfortunately, thanks to some loose branding, the celebrity endorsement racket is getting a very public airing.

The lovely Charlize Theron has been appearing in ads for Raymond Weil for a while now, but apparently she had a little trouble keeping her brands in order and accidentally showed up at a film festival wearing a Christian Dior watch. That bit of brand treason may end up costing Theron $20 mil if Weil’s lawyers get their way. Oops.

More on the hectic world of celebrity endorsement»

Brit music and style icon Bryan Ferry, one of the world’s best-dressed men, wants to try his hand at designing clothes—and why the hell not? Surely being such a lifelong sartorial savant qualifies him more than most. As the man himself tells the London Times, “If P. Diddy can do it, why can’t I?” A private label is “something I would really like to do,” Ferry says, noting, “I should have done it years ago.”

After all, last year’s Burberry men’s collection was basically an homage to the Roxy Music frontman’s signature haute-lounge lizard look, and he did once collaborate on a collection for Brit retailer Topman. So what would a Bryan Ferry collection look like? Well, he’s partial to bespoke dress shirts from Dunhill these days and suits from Richard Anderson of Savile Row, so that might give you an idea.

A while back we told you about Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia, the latest in a line of rock star offspring to try her hand at modeling. Now comes news from across the pond that rock’n’roll prince of darkness Nick Cave’s son Jethro is following suit.

Young Jethro, 18, who lives in his dad’s native Australia and bears a striking similarity to the Bad Seed, has apparently ditched his legal (and perfectly fine last name of Lazenby in favor of Cave. He has so far appeared in UK hipster rags i-D and Dazed & Confused, and was recently flown to Paris to meet with French fashion house Balenciaga. Of course, what he really wants to do is produce (music).

Who is that guy? Was he in that boxing movie? With the guns?

That’s right, it’s Mickey Rourke. And by the time February rolls around, you may be seeing him on the cover of a lot of magazines that weren’t returning his calls a scant few years ago.

His latest, The Wrestler just took home the top prize from Cannes (with a little help from indie auteur Darren Aronofsky), and its latest distribution deal guarantees him an Oscar campaign and a few months in the media spotlight. In other words, the folks at GQ are on the phone with his publicist right now—if he still has a publicist—and the early reports indicate he’s a hell of an interview. Hopefully, he can pull off a suit too.

A few of our favorite passages»

It looks like our Mr. Avery is turning into a jack of all trades. After a quick spell blogging for Men’s Vogue, the man flirted with the idea of starting a celebrity styling outpost in New York. Unfortunately, it seems to have gone the way of disco.

Of course, not one to rest on his blades, Avery is already showing up on bus shelters throughout the nation as one of Gap’s new faces, alongside famous lensman Ryan McGinley and sartorialist Scott Schuman.

Playing for the Dallas Stars seems like such a step down.

Though we haven’t reviewed the mag in its entirety, the outlook is good for the Style Guy’s first fully revamped issue of Interview (September), which is about to hit newsstands. We should have known Ye Olde O’Brien would make things a lot more interesting.

In lieu of the endless fawning profiles of Elton John that cluttered up the pages under the previous regime, we now have full frontal nudes of Kate Moss. The snap here, by fashion photog duo Mert and Marcus, accompanies an interview penned by—you guessed it—Glenn O’Brien.

Because what’s the good of being editor if you can’t grab all the plum assignments for yourself?

Considering how seriously nouveau 007 Daniel Craig takes his suits, we were not surprised to see that he made the grade in Vanity Fair’s 2008 International Best-Dressed List.

However, knowing how into Tom Ford Craig is—as we noted before, he refused to wear anything else for his GQ cover shoot, and went through 40+ Ford suits while filming the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace—we were somewhat taken aback to see him pictured in the mag wearing nothing but Dolce & Gabbana. Looks to us like someone at VF went out of their way to favor the Italian duo over the MOTH king—and it also looks like Tommy needs to buy a lot more ad space.

The other day in our post about Peter Beard, we noted that the legendary lensman is still going strong while his swashbuckling contemporaries have all bitten the dust.

If anyone required further proof, Beard just finished shooting the 2009 Pirelli Calendar, the Italian tire company’s coveted and highly flammable annual promo full of naked supermodels given away to select VIPs (the kind who own fleets of Pirelli-shod Ferraris). Beard spent 10 days in the wilds of Botswana with a flock of world-class hotties including Kemptress Isabeli Fontana, The Gisele, Malgosia Bela, Daria Werbowy, Raquel Zimmermann and not a lot of clothes.

Here, the ever-adventurous photographer sets up a shot of a couple of the gals frolicking topless with Cathy the elephant.

All in a day’s work for our man Pete.

We’ve never been overly fond of Miami Beach—the “badly-dressed epicenter of the Northern Hemisphere”, as we once put it—a place where even the normally natty seems to lose their sartorial senses.

We’re seriously reconsidering that position however since the advent of a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week offshoot dedicated to swimwear, which wrapped up yesterday. In New York there’d be the usual parade of starving waifs stumbling down the runway, but this being Miami the catwalk was packed with stacked stunners eye-popping enough for us to ignore how hideous most of the designs were.

Never mind that GQ recently declared that fake tits are as outré in the current economic climate as gas-guzzling SUVs.

The news apparently never reached Miami, and therein lies its charm.

It seems that Burberry’s “just us blokes” creative director Christopher Bailey was as impressed with Anton Corbijn’s Ian Curtis biopic Control as we were.

He’s hired Sam Riley, who played the Joy Division frontman, to star in Burberry’s new Fall/Winter 2008-09 ad campaign shot by Mario Testino — in black-and-white like the movie.

More on Burberry’s new campaign»

It looks like the NHL’s biggest eccentric is continuing his winning streak.

Sean Avery, the New York Ranger and occasional MOTH is making the most of his tenure at Vogue. He’s had a very respectable run of posts at the blog, covering sneaker shops, shabu shabu and, of course, sports bars.

Avery’s more contemplative moments can be found here, in an essay discussing his time at the magazine. We’ll say this for him: he pulls off a plaid short-suit with uncommon conviction.

Following the passing of its gentlemanly founder last year, the House of Gianfranco Ferre seems to be intent on sexing up its image after abruptly parting ways with new designer Lars Nilsson a few months ago.

Just take a gander at this image from Ferre’s brand new Fall/Winter ‘08-‘09 ad campaign shot by Steven Meisel, which features this well-suited gent frolicking with frequently topless babes. Probably not the sort of thing the buttoned-up, unfailingly elegant Mr. Ferre would have greenlighted himself before he went to the great couture house in the sky, but we like it fine.

Meanwhile, the Ferre men’s presentation (staged in lieu of a real runway show) in Milan the other day was something of a mixed bag, but the shades were pretty slick at least.

Apparently the recently-departed Nau isn’t quite so departed anymore. The Portland-based ecowear marque has gotten a much-needed and much-deserved second chance from Santa Barbara’s own Horny Toad. The Toad favors more casual (and somewhat unremarkable) button-ups, making it a somewhat unlikely brand marriage, but we’re too grateful to hold a grudge.

More on resurrecting raingear»

Jennifer Livingston for Details

The globe-trotters over at Details just put up a few backstage snaps from the Fall ’08 shows in Milan and Paris, and we were a little surprised at how many up-collar leather jackets and tough fabrics there were. From Calvin Klein’s woven take on the biker jacket to Louis Vuitton’s helmeted models, motorcycle fashion seemed to be the order of the season.

More on the European biker look»

Apparently the death of the tie is a pretty touchy subject for some. A Continuous Lean got their own little bit of Olch-related blowback, but apparently MR Magazine got it a fair bit worse. That’s trade papers for you: everyone’s an insider.

As a response to this blog post, the trade paper received no less than three angry letters from heads of neckwear companies, bemoaning the decline of their once-fruitful cravats.

Dispatches from the front line»

The tie is having a rough year, and if thing keep up this way, the double-windsor may soon go the way of the cummerbund.

Last week saw the end of the Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, a trade group that took on the Lorax-like task of speaking for the tiemakers of America. Unfortunately for the MDFA, men aren’t wearing ties that much anymore, even to work. The Wall Street Journal points to a gallup poll citing a record low of 6% of men wearing ties to work, compared to 10% six years ago. The highlight of the article is the description of an annual luncheon where many MDFA members went tieless. There isn’t usually a dress code for a tie association gathering, but they probably could have figured that one out»

It’s not all wine and roses in the fashion industry. With the r-word in full swing, a lot of worthy labels are closing up shop.

The latest casualty is Nau, an environmentally-minded activewear outfit that juggled technology and style better than most. Check out their website for a full message, but the gist of it is this: the jig is up.

More on Nau»

Thanks to our friends at GQ, we managed to get our hands on the five-page profile of Marc Jacobs from the May issue, hitting newsstands next Tuesday.

The piece takes a closer look at Jacobs’ transformation from mop-headed shut-in to flamboyant tabloid fodder, as well as his rise to power as creative director of Louis Vuitton. Apparently his secret is ulcerative colitis, a disease that forced him into a restricted diet and ruthless exercise regimen. The piece’s best line is this bon mot: “If Ralph Lauren is a lifestyle, Marc Jacobs is an ethos.” Does that make Tom Ford a nightclub?

More on Mr. Jacobs»

The Tom Ford/Thom Browne divide has been deepening for some time, but it seems like DNR wants to turn it into a full-fledged national conflict.

Mr. Ford’s British tendencies have been well-documented (think Get Carter not Pete Doherty), and apparently his fall collection is full of the large checks and cutaway collars that more fashionable Britons have been donning for some time.

More on the coming turmoil»

Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami’s long-discussed Louis Vuitton Monogramouflage pattern was unveiled at Thursday’s gala exhibit opening and, as you might have expected from the impish Murakami, it takes the logo to some very new places.

Messrs. Jacobs and Murakami keep LV’s geometric symbols, but switch up the regal purple-and-gold pattern for a squiggly pop-art camo that’s more suited to comic books than oil paintings. It’s more in line with Murakami’s aesthetic than Jacobs’ or Louis Vuitton’s, and it raises more than a few questions about where Jacobs plans to take the brand»

After the recent turbulence, we’re struggling to adjust to a post-Maybach world. The early signs suggest it’s going to be pretty trill.

My Fashion Life is reporting a 243% jump in jewelry listings on eBay as the price of gold climbs past $1000 an ounce.

In other words, that chain just got 32% gaudier»

Those sweaters aren’t going to tailor themselves.

To that end, Uniqlo has enlisted Tim Hamilton to stitch up a microcollection, on the heels of Loden Dager’s work for them earlier this year. Hamilton got a CFDA nod last year and made a strong showing at this year’s fashion week, which we’re sure has something to do with his recent success.

More pics after the jump»

There’s nothing like a little competition to stir the blood.

The nominations for the CFDA Awards were announced today, with Kempt favorites Thom Browne and Tom Ford picking up menswear nods, along with Michael Bastian. Due respect to Mr. Bastian, but we’re more excited about seeing the two T(h)oms face off. We like to think of it as bare chest vs. bare ankle. Mr. Browne took the prize last year, but we wouldn’t put it past him to bring it home again.

Having said that, our heart is with Mr. Ford.

Department-store staple Joseph Abboud has been spending some time in court lately, and not for the usual industry shenanigans. Abboud’s misstep this time was, of all things, designing clothes.

Back in 2000, Abboud netted a very respectable $65.5 million by selling the rights to his name to JA Apparel. But it seems his heart, and possibly also his name, was not entirely in the deal. In April of ’07 he made a few innocent-looking “loans” to Alden Shirt Company, only to emerge, after a few more intermediaries, with a new company, Jaz, completely separate from JA Apparel.

More on the unfortunate saga»

Shipley and Halmos

At this point, we’re almost hungover from the hangover. As the our impressions of Fashion Week drift slowly into what remains of our long-term memory, we arrive at the best of the best. Nervous?

2. Band of Outsiders:

Since visiting Scott Sternburg’s presentation early in Fashion Week, we’ve been hearing mixed reviews. More than likely, though, these returns were based more on Band of Outsider’s trend targeting than the quality of the clothes. The hunting motifs, plaids and English references on display were almost tired by this point. Sternburg’s narrow evening jackets, tartan pants and corduroy cargo pants (yes, you read that right) were spot on, however, even if they were riding the tail end of a bell curve. The blue-plaid hunting jacket and a double-breasted vest will most likely stand the test of fad. [Men.Style]

And the winner is…

As we head towards the top (or bottom) of our list, sportswear slowly falls away and the cream rises.

4. Tie — Gilded Age and John Varvatos:

Two more different collections would be hard to find. For the Kempt man, however, Gilded Age and John Varvatos represent a perfect balance of casual and formal. Yes, Gilded Age (pictured) upped the ante this year with a new capsule line of fine, history-inspired wool suits and bowler hats. Still, the best things here stressed comfort and ease—hearty outdoor ware for more active hours. Varvatos, on the other hand, has pushed himself closer to European territory. His shimmering gray collection lies closer to the boundaries of fashion than almost any of his previous work (perhaps toiling for Converse has compelled him to whip up these chancy new lapels and such.) It’s heady stuff, but just as slick and masculine as ever. Grab a little from each of these lines, and you’re set till 2010. [links above]

And #3 is…»

Continuing with our top-ten New York Fashion Week countdown, we’ve got to tip you in on who we left out. Adam Kimmel was at Pitto Uomo, like so many of the best New York designers. For Kimmel, though, the tradeshow became a personal graduation party, so this year he looses his city privileges this season. Ralph transcends lists, Obedient Sons (love ‘em as we do) took a turn for the slouchy, and Mr. Thom Browne, well, he’s in a class by himself. On with the list…

6. DKNY:

You were still playing Contra when Donna Karen was a growing concern. Retired and now renewed, Karen is still a considerable name and her DKNY (see above) remains a good source for office-proof, stylish essentials. The black cardigan, slate blazer and raincoat are subtly sly and everything else manages to stay within the lines of trend and classic elegance without attracting too much attention. For those of you who tread lightly and carry big sticks. [Men.Style]

And #5 is…»

With blisters on our feet and a thousand-yard stare in our eyes, we have returned from the trenches of New York Fashion Week with a mix of expected news and intriguing surprises. Kicking away the dull, the fey and the Sean Jean, we’ve complied a week-long mini countdown of the top ten collections for the Kempt man (hint: that’s you).

10. Tim Hamilton:

We’d never want to give you the impression that Tim Hamilton is anything less than the genuine article—a young talent with a true, original voice. That said, the Kempt man had best tread lightly through this collection of organza shorts, Autobahn-inspired jumpers and suits with sweatpant ankles. There’s a lot to pick and choose here, but much of it is best viewed on others. It’s inspiring stuff, but a risk to buy. [Men.Style]

And #9 is…»

As the equestrian movement starts to hit its stride, it’s useful to remember just how much energy goes into chasing down trends, sartorial and otherwise. Helped along by some well-placed press, it’s now a full-fledged wing of the consulting industry, with its titans, its upstarts and apparently its detractors as well.

Piers Fawkes, trend-watcher and blogosphere compatriot at PSFK, has posted a 1500 word analysis of what’s wrong with the trends business, singling out offenders like WSGN and IGN’s Cassandra Report. The critique is pretty straightforward—more money, more authority, less oversight, fewer good ideas—but it’s still a young industry’s first j’accuse, and may be relevant for far longer than Fawkes imagines.

Above, we see two recent pictures of the lovely and talented Isabella Rossellini. On the left, she is the alluring face of the Italian fashion industry. On the right, she is mounting a housefly.

Perhaps further explanation is required »

Sooner or later it had to happen: the rest of the world is discovering Moss Lipow, the brilliant, eccentric eyewear designer/historian who’s been a closely-guarded secret of the cognoscenti for years. The New York-based, self-taught fashionista (he attended film school at NYU) is a darling of high-end design aficionados for his one-of-a-kind creations, such as the sci-fi-style metal specs pictured here, made for a Vogue China shoot. He also produced the most expensive sunglasses ever, crafted of alligator and ostrich skin with a $3,800 pricetag.

But it’s his more down-to-earth men’s designs, with their impressive layers of sophisticated stylistic references, that appeal to us »

Hot off of Pitto Uomo, the fashion cognoscenti hustled over the Apennines, landing in Italy’s fashion capitol, Milan. As always, there’s far too much to report on, even from our remote Manhattan perch.

Nonetheless, enjoy these links and highlights after the jump »

Pitti Uomo 2008 Adam Kimmel dinner

So for those of you who aren’t caught up in the seemingly endless world tour of fashion weeks and marketing conferences (and who is), the past week’s Pitti Uomo—a mostly menswear exhibition in Florence-represents what is perhaps some of them best in male dress.

Alas, we have too many sartorial obligations on the homefront, so instead of enjoying our breathless coverage from the cobblestone streets of Firenze, you’ll have to make due with this list of links and wrap ups »

Back in—what?—November, we told you that we expected Valentino to wait a couple of seasons before picking a full-time designer.

Well, turns out we were wrong… ish.

Rarely do the newswires provide quality analysis of men’s style (usually they’re busy with trivial things like war.) Thus, our eyebrows were raised when this valuable Associated Press primer on the men’s market was franchised in multiple local papers. Casting masculine style as a workingman’s game of inches and following issues of lapel length and the new, “rebellious” role of the tie, it imports the conversation to far-flung fashion outposts like Denver and Seattle.

Men’s Fashion for 2008 Is In the Details—AP (Via Seattle Post Intelligencer)

As if you hadn’t already gathered from your osmotic relationship to the penumbra of trend that envelops us all, Blue Iris is the Pantone Color of the Year for 2008.

Following in the esteemed tradition of 2007 winner Chili Pepper (#19-1557), Iris (#18-3943) will be spending the year visiting children’s hospitals, casino openings and runways everywhere. Grab yourself an Iris colored polo and, come spring, you can say you knew him back when he was just a baby blue. You know, before he got all full of himself.

Pantone Online

One of our favorite lingerie purveyors just celebrated its 50th anniversary in high style, and we feel it would be a gross dereliction of duty not to show you this picture of theirs in commemoration. La Perla ushered in its sixth decade of gloriously under-dressing women of taste worldwide the other night with a festive fete at their Madison Avenue boutique.

The evening featured tableaux vivant of models »

Master of the narrow silhouette, Hedi Slimane, who traipsed out of Dior’s door to pursue photography and greener pastures, is appearently in talks with Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH (Dior’s parent company), to start his own fashion house. Even though the label Slimane rode to success, Dior Homme, remains strong under the hand of new designer Kris Van Assche, the market misses Hedi’s unique touch. Let’s hope those kids work it out. [DNRNews]

Bonjour, Monsieur: Yon these last 50 years, GQ has served American men dutifully. Now, after successful launches in England, Italy and Russia (‚Äì‚Ć‚Äì√¶‚Äî√Ö‚Äî√Ö‚Äì‚àè‚Äî√®, ‚Ä쬕‚Ä쬙‚Äî√® ‚Äî√Ñ‚Ä쬵‚Äì‚àû‚Ä쬙‚Äî√•‚Ä쌩‚Äì√¶‚Äì‚â•‚Äì√¶?) the title formerly known as Gentleman’s Quarterly will be issuing a French edition. While we wonder if the famously particular French will allow a magazine of Western pedigree to influence their dress or take up space in on their newsstands, we know that as long as these labor strikes keep coming in bunches, the Parisians will have plenty of time to read it. Bonne chance, nos amis.

[Fashion Fox]

Apropos of this weekend’s light dusting, we’ve been hearing quite a lot about the influence of the weather on the higher-end lines lately. A few weeks back, Weatherproof backed up its moniker by taking out a policy on Mother Nature and, just this Sunday, the Times followed the trend from Claiborne to Target.

Pushing back the industry speak and the meteorological bet-hedging, what does all this mean for the Kempt man? Not all that much really, as you already know that layering, an alpaca driver’s coat and a scarf are closet must haves. Afterall, as the Times notes only a few gray pages away from its exploration of retail and snow, even Blake Lively is impressed by how Gothamites brave whatever AccuWeather can dish out.

Photography: Danny Clinch

Good, old Gentleman’s Quarterly made the right call when they dubbed John Varvatos the “Designer of the Year”—the title fits him like one of his blazers. As the paisley-clad Simon Doonan of Barney’s notes in GQ’s panegyric on Varvatos, “John’s rustic outfits make guys look even more butch rather than less so.”

Indeed, Varvatos doesn’t design to please the refined palettes of editors and critics…

The ink flies again as even more brands and designers become new pals. As you were metabolizing turkey, Italian denim domo Diesel shook hands with Germany’s Adidas, American institution Levi’s partnered with Nike’s Jordan line and H+M survivors Viktor + Rolf teamed up with luggage maker Samsonite. According to our calculations, this latest round of cross-market collaborations means we’ll only have to wait a year or so before there’s a Marc Jacobs section in every Uniqlo, a Starbucks in every Herm‚àö¬Æs and a Crazy Robertson in every Foot Locker.