Un ique Luxu r y 9392 www.un iquees tates.com.au

PRADAMarketing 101 dictates that choosing a celebrity to endorse your product is a route to success as about infallible as boasting an argyle mine in your super-sized asset portfolio.

As with all investments of this nature there are of course key considerations to be taken into account – things such as ensuring you select the right personality to fit with your brand and that the character concerned is as genuine in their palpable praise for your product as you are in your desire not to flush your money down the toilet.

But if ever the decision was made to stage a Master class in choosing the right Hollywood partnerships then surely Prada would have to be the first pick.

Having recruited the crème de la crème of Hollywood’s top male talent for several years now (past faces include Ezra Miller, Michael Pitt and Christoph Waltz), Miuccia Prada’s cutting edge line up for this summer’s collections includes up-and-coming stars Miles Teller (from indie hit Whiplash), Ansel Elgort (The Fault In Our Stars), Jack O’Connell (Skins) and the uber cool Ethan Hawke of Boyhood fame.

Following the theme of “familiar things become less than familiar the more they’re looked at”, the brand’s ad campaign is shot by Craig McDean who has taken the collection’s core spring summer themes – muted blues, browns and oranges - and run with it in both colour and monochrome incarnations.

Prada’s decision to continue its dalliance with stars of the big screen, as with the savvy choice to open a new store in Frankfurt completely dedicated to its men’s collections, is sure to prove popular. Fashion

by Tracey Porter

MeN’s

The sun is shimmering, the sounds soft and the vibe chilled as Europe’s finest fashion houses do their best to get

us to kick back and indulge.

Spazzolato Sandals - $1,180Saffiano wallet - $590

Look 17A Sunglasses - $400

www.prada.comStockists: 02 9223 1688

LOUIS VUITTON

94 www.un iquees tates.com.au

Giorgio Armani The year was 1975 and after several

years as a freelancer in the design wilderness, a 40-year-old Italian

former window merchandiser and salesman by the name of Giorgio

Armani decided to roll the dice.

Confident in his own abilities yet tired of working under the name of others, Armani knew there had to be a better

way to get his unique aesthetic in front of an audience who mattered.

So he elected to take charge of his own fate and launched an

eponymous menswear label. It proved just the recipe the world had

been salivating for.

This year at a sprightly 80, Armani celebrates 40 years in the business.

But while his label has evolved to include an empire incorporating

clothing, accessories, cosmetics, furniture and hotels, he has never

made it look easier.

Armani says he has always believed in building a wardrobe that lasts and never was this more evident than in his men’s spring summer collection where his offering was touted as a celebration of effortless elegance.

Low key v-neck jersey tops and jackets dominated and came unlined

or in a supple knit with just a hint of colour while pleat front trousers also

arrived in a relaxed, roomy fit.

While those in the know are keeping tight lipped on 40th celebration plans until later in the year, it is comforting to know the master of re-invention is

still at the very top of his game.

Natural tan brown calf skin bag - $3,580Deer skin two way use bag - $2,430Calf skin Oxford shoes with rubber soles - $990

www.armani.comStockists: 02 8233 5858

Un ique Luxu r y 95

Un ique Luxu r y 97

LOUIS VUITTONExploration has always been a central theme for luxury brand Louis Vuitton whose very essence is built around the human desire to jump aboard the nearest train, plane or automobile and traverse new territory.

And this season’s summer collection is no exception.

Coming into his fifth year as Vuitton’s Men’s style director, Kim Jones clearly felt it was time to do some adventuring of his own as his mentor from London’s hallowed St Martins College encouraged him to realise his long held desire to head to India and breathe in the sights, sounds and colours of the second most populous country in the world.

The sojourn resulted in Jones producing a collection filled with military references but then fused with the timeless elegance that evokes the Rajasthan maharajas of the early 20th century.

Army shirts and shorts in suede made an appearance as too did military bomber jackets cut with reversible coloured satins, embellished flight suits with strategically placed buttons and zippers and chevron patterned shirts.

Colour was everywhere with fuchsia and orange seamlessly worked in alongside khaki, beige, navy and sage green.

The pieces are sure to work well with the new leather goods collection introduced by the esteemed fashion house. Dubbed V Line, the leather featured in the collection, which includes carryalls, backpacks and totes, is completely water-resistant and highlights the new V signature taken from the House archive.

96 www.un iquees tates.com.au

Runaway Sneakers in calf leather - $1,160Smart MM leather bag - $4,150

Satchel bag in Taurillion leather - $6,500

www.louisvuitton.comStockists: 1300 883 880

98 www.un iquees tates.com.au Un ique Luxu r y 99

PAUL SMITHMost celebrated designers have interests that extend beyond the

world of fashion – more often than not it is in the creative fields where

photography or art appear as a logical extension of their core talent.

But popular British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith’s interests extend beyond the usual realm with the

menswear icon always eager to take a break from the studio and take to

the roads – on pushbike.

In 2007 Smith’s dreams came true when asked to design that year’s London Tour de France Prologue

shirt while in 2013 he was invited to design the leader’s jerseys for the

Giro d’Italia, an annual cycle race that begins in Naples and ends in Brescia.

Earlier this year his worlds again collided when he was engaged by two wheel clothing manufacturer

Castelli to design looks for the 2015 Dubai Tour road cycle event.

Forced to innovate in his fabric selection (a key demand for the

design in the Middle Eastern project was to keep the riders cool), Smith

used a breathable fabric on the front, inserted a full zip that can be opened if the wearer needs to cool down and

incorporated a back that boasted a UV filter fabric.

In his Fall Winter 2009 range Smith managed to incorporate some cycle

tops paired with suits. Disappointingly among the modern suit jackets,

botanical-look prints and silk shorts there was nothing to suggest cycling

was a consideration when he released his latest summer offering

into the market. Those that share his admiration for the sport remain

hopeful his two great loves will again be reunited in future work.

Oxblood Calf Leather Fishing Tote Bag, 100% Leather - $1805Rainbow Scarf, 100% Silk - $200‘Rick’ Fabric Shoes, 100% Fabric Upper - $799

www.paulsmith.co.ukStockists: 02 9331 8222

Un ique Luxu r y 101

DIOR HOMMEYou don’t get to be one of the world’s most revered apparel brands without an insane amount of hard work, a heap of obsessive compulsion, a talented team of tailors and a few time-honoured rituals.

Which may go some of the way to explaining why Christian Dior’s menswear offering Dior Homme has stood the test of time.

Just after releasing its latest spring summer range, the brand revealed the ceremonial manner in which each Dior Homme collection is put together with nothing left to chance.

The first step sees Kris Van Assche, the line’s creative director, design the collection’s looks in a sketch that encompasses four elements: the Dior Homme spirit; rigorous tailoring and urban ease; a play on form and colour and a revisit of menswear classics. Once interpreted by the design studio, the suit’s structure, hang and style are clarified in a technical drawing. To ensure the line is impeccable, fabric choice is of utmost importance whereby the hang and weight of the fabric are just as important as the look and feel.

In keeping with the purest form, the outlines of each pattern piece, placed on lengths of fabric held in place by weights, are chalked out before being cut by hand. The tailor then marks out the stress lines together with the outline of the lapel, the jut of the shoulder and volume of the chest. A layer of canvas, tacked to the fabric by hand, gives life to the suit. From there the collar is added, sleeves sewn and buttons and embellishments stitched. After being presented to Van Assche for any final adjustments, the suit is then sent to the production ateliers where it is produced in limited runs and from where it will eventually clothe men of distinction the world over.

100 www.un iquees tates.com.au

Dior Composit sunglasses with flat silver mirrored lenses - $720Duffle Bag in black grained calfskin leather - $5,900

Black multilaces calfskin derby - $1,800

www.dior.com.auStockists: (02) 9229 4600