I’m still enjoying the men’s fall/winter 2011-2012 collections and below is a brief take on Alexander McQueen, Moncler Gamme Bleu and Salvatore Ferragamo. Enjoy the videos!

Alexander McQueen, fall/winter 2011-2012

Sarah Burton creates a visually strong and self-assured men’s collection this season using the military and with Russian undertones as her source of inspiration. Double breasted jackets embellished with over-sized fur collars, not-so subtle hints of red and slim silhouettes in the collection’s suits are the elements which standout. It makes me wonder if this theme will resurface from seasons ago and carry over into the women line for spring 2012.

Moncler Gamme Bleu, fall/winter 2011-2012

Um... holy horses, there are live animals in Moncler Gamme Bleu’s runway presentation! Thom Browne uses equestrianism and the English hunt as the theme this season with models sporting plaid suits, leather jackets, riding breeches and knee-high boots in this arena setting – the beagles are also an irresistible touch.

Salvatore Ferragamo, fall/winter 2011-2012

I really enjoyed Salavatore Ferragamo’s fall/winter collections because it provides a smooth and fresh take on winter wear. Creative Director, Massimiliano Giornetti doesn’t wallow in the often depressing darkness of the cold, but uses beautiful winter white as the collection’s launch pad. Midway into the runway show richer hues of brown and maroon, coupled with velvet and leather gives the entire look and feel of the collection a sense of optimism that winter isn’t so bad after all.

The men’s fall/winter 2011-2012 collections have begun to show overseas and below I’ve included the videos from some of my favourite men’s collections from this season to date. Enjoy, I know I will (wink, wink)!

Giorgio Armani, fall/winter 2011-2012

Giorgio Armani’s fall/winter menswear collection is presented in a scaled back runway show that presents his suave and expertly tailored pieces. Hues of grey are predominantly used throughout adhering to the increasing popularity of this colour for the winter seasons. The layering of the shirts, cardigans, suits and jackets together really compliment the versatility of this collection – mixing and matching pieces or wearing them as standalone garments.

Burberry Prorsum, fall/winter 2011-2012

Burberry’s Prorsum’s collection leans heavily towards the pea coat design in various shades and materials. Overall, the first half of the collection is bright and vibrant, but by mid-point of the runway show the clothes take on a sombre mood – winter can be depressing after all and this culminates into a down pour of rain coupled with transparent raincoats to close the show.

Canali, fall/winter 2011-2012

Suits, suits and more suits! Canali’s fall/winter 2011-2012 collection addresses the dapper man with an ounce of preppiness in him. Grey is also dominant in the collection’s colour palette which is a nice change from traditional dark colours, such as black and navy blue. However, the bright pop of colour in the latter half of the collection is a nice surprise with yellows, greens and blues.

The menswear landscape in Toronto added another competitive player to the scene with the opening of the Oliver Spencer boutique at 962 Queen Street West, Toronto.

This is designer, Oliver Spencer’s third retail location – the others stores are in New York City and London, England – offering customers his fall 2010 collection which includes his signature shirts, accessories and shoes. In addition, the boutique carries merchandise from other select brands, such as Il Bussetto leather goods and Universal Works.

I really like the look and feel of the boutique, it has a quaint and welcoming atmosphere and from what I’ve been told Spencer flew in from England to “hand-pick the fixtures for the store.”

Here is a quick sample of Spencer’s clothes (prices in Canadian dollars):

• Chilt button down shirt, $175
• Heavy knit hat charcoal knit hat with yellow stripe, $70
• Bermondsey boot brown, $550
• Donkey jacket Melton navy, $580
• Conduit cardigan zig-zag, $450

During my visit to the store’s launch event, I had the opportunity to chat with Spencer who mentioned he will be opening a shoe store in 2011. This location will be situated across his boutique in London, England – so far, no plans for a Canadian store is in the works.

Oliver Spencer boutique, 962 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario

Hours of operations:

• Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
• Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
• For more information visit www.oliverspencer.co.uk or call 647-348-7673

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Oliver Spencer store front and interior photo by Lisa Logan

Information and off-figure images provided by Oliver Spencer

Africa is one of the many countries which are on my list of places to see and visit. Though I haven’t reached there yet I was, however, momentarily transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the continent while attending JUMA’s spring 2011 presentation.

For their latest collection the creators of JUMA, Jamil and Alia Juma, are inspired by the countries of Kenya and Zaire. They incorporate the untamed landscape and wildlife of these places into their collection through a multitude of prints designed on clothing such as dresses, jumpers and shirts.

As you take a closer look, each piece is its own pictorial collage telling a story about these countries. A flock of flamingos standing in a watering hole, tree branches extending its arms into the hot sun and zebra stripes acting as protective camouflage from predators – all are subtly woven into each piece retaining the label’s signature look of androgyny, progressive and understated designs.

For me, it is JUMA’s silk scarves which are the highlight pieces. During the debut of the collection, they were hung from the ceiling swaying effortlessly above everyone’s heads. The colours are vibrant and patterns complex, I was sorely tempted to reach up and take one home.

When a fashion designer makes a new venture into clothing it’s often met with a mixture of emotions; anticipation, hesitation and a high level of interest. What will it look like? How much will it cost? And most importantly, will it look good?

This season menswear designer, Philip Sparks premiered his long awaited womenswear line turning his eyes to the female form.

Now branding his clothing creations under the name Philip Sparks Tailored Goods Inc., Sparks presented his latest designs to a packed crowd in the Burroughs Building and showed not one but two collections – menswear and womenswear.

On the runway

I wasn’t expecting to see any menswear at Spark’s spring 2011 presentation, but it was a welcomed treat and makes complete sense; there’s no reason why he shouldn’t show his tailoring talents for both sexes simultaneously. In total there were 21 looks “inspired by early spring rain” which comes through in a “watery colour palette” of earth tones and layered pieces.

The womenswear line evokes a feeling of quiet spring time in the woods, early in the morning away from the craziness of city life. Cherry blossom photo prints imprinted on a blouse and jumper, and a turquoise plaid shirtdress are visual stand out pieces. While Sparks’s cigarette pants, high waisted jeans and turquoise cotton blazer are wardrobe staples.

The menswear collection is classic Sparks – strong and outdoorsy with a vintage feel as seen in a plaid trench coat and oxford shirt, and pin cord blazer.

The clothing up close and personal

Information provided by Philip Sparks Tailored Goods Inc.

The Bay’s flagship store on Queen Street West, Toronto, recently had the official launch of its newly renovated menswear department, the West End Shop, located on the building’s second level.

To mark the occasion a big event was held and the headliners for the evening was Canadian sports caster, Brian Williams – who was the master of ceremony; Olympic gold medalist, Alexandre Bilodeau; and former NHL player and current Vice President and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steve Yzerman.

Normally at a fashion event you wouldn’t typically see a lot of men present, but Yzerman’s name was a strong draw and the males in the crowd were giddy with excitement to meet a hockey legend and get their picture taken with him. The ladies on the other hand just stared at Yzerman’s dashing figure as he rocked a beautiful Hugo Boss suit.

The West End Shop currently carries a wealth of fall 2010 menswear designs such as Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren Polo, Armani Jeans and Vicomte.

Last week I posted some of my favourite women’s fall coats and jackets. Not one to completely abandon my male readers below is several fall coats and jackets which catch my attention. Enjoy!

Belstaff, baribal man jacket

Danier, bomber jacket

Homme by Michele Rossi, military style jacket

Mackage, grey wool plaid 'Neil' shawl collar coat

Patrik Ervell, railroad jacket

Topman, green outdoor field jacket

Images from Belstaff, Bluefly, Danier, Farfetch.com and Topman

American designer, Thom Browne made his Paris debut a few days ago presenting his spring/summer 2011 menswear collection. Browne’s designs referenced the 1960s but in a manner which mocks the seriousness, straight laced and picturesque ideals of that decade. Male models paraded onto the set dressed as American astronauts and then took off their space suits to reveal Bermuda shorts, shrunken suit jackets and knee socks underneath. The amusing details of this collection were Browne’s patterned suits with multi-plaid strips, sharks and fishes – something I’d like to see take off in menswear next season.

There are only a few more days until the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With Argentina and Paraguay out of the running, it’ll be interesting to watch this afternoon’s semi-finals match between Uruguay and the Netherlands, and Thursday’s game between Germany and Spain.

Taking part in the World Cup craze, the Bay created a clothing installation in its menswear department on Queen Street featuring the latest Calvin Klein underwear line Calvin Klein X. 

The pictures of the installation captures only a fraction of the impact this setup makes as you walk through the menswear department – it caught me completely off guard and made me stop and stare at the rows of mannequins clothed in nothing but their skivvies... let your imagination go wild here (wink, wink).

Images courtesy of the Bay

The Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2011 menswear collection headed by Creative Director, Sarah Burton has a sombre look and feel – not surprisingly his staff and associates would still be feeling the effects of his death just four months prior.

The presentation of this collection is low key and minimalistic in its tendencies, many well tailored suits with slim silhouettes cutting close to the body.

This menswear line keeps bringing my thoughts back to McQueen’s spring/summer 2010 collection, the last one the designer himself created just prior to his death. The colour palette and the embroidery seen in pieces, such as the black and gold embroidered cut away jacket are echoes of his influence and vision.