'PROGRESS' OBLIGE- MUNK BOGBALLE OR THE NEW HIGH TECH ARISTOCRACY AND THEIR SIGNS OF BREEDING

My dear readers, your beloved Fashion Philosopher will try again to introduce you to new products yet in my usual manner of trying to find links where there should be no links. I will try to give you a piece of my thoughts. How I see aristocracy in a PC and how I link empress Catherine the Great with minimal modernism. I just do not want to give you a dry piece of information about a piece of design. Even when, like in this case, the design product really could speak for itself since it is so beautiful.

This time round I will leave the secure haven of fashion's craziness and will enter the realm of computing and high-tech which, you will not believe it, can also be combined with style and design too- but I'm not talking Apple. No, to be honest, I hate Apple-it is not a product anymore it is a fascist evil! If you want to show you are special you do not go to Burger King, do you- so why buy Apple products.

What I really want to talk about is a very exclusive company which  right now creates one of the most elegant computing products you can get your hands on- I'm talking about Munk Bogballe.

So what is the company- who created it ? Wait a minute! I was gonna explain how I got the idea for this post. Basically I'm trying to flee my poor stylist existence now and then by reading a lot about the good old aristocracy- being fascinated by their strict code of living and their refined tradition bred over hundreds of years till their lower lips were so big that they could not swallow and were constantly drooling on to their velvet and silk coats ( well this happens if you marry for generations your first cousins, or aunts or nephews like that was the case with the Spanish Habsburgs'  so that Charles II was so degenerated through incest that he physically was almost a monster and could not re-procreate and died without child). Despite the breeding gone astray now and then, the aristocracy still developed a heightened sense of beauty and an excellent eye for quality and the arts- that's why I'm fascinated with the world of aristocracy.

Charles II of Spain- don't be nervous, dear reader, the blog is still about beauty and style - but never-ever marry your aunt! 

Yes, so what?- you might think now? The other idea- part of this blog post development is the simple fact that I'm looking for a second laptop or a chic tablet since my girl friend Laura is working more on more on our laptop and we do not have a TV, so sometimes I can not watch my favorite series of the moment, 1970's Upstairs, Downstairs- yes, again the aristocracy - so that is a big-big problem. Therefore I was looking for PC or tablet which by no means should be an Apple product since I do not want to belong to these 'hipster Apple slaves' who think Steven Jobs is the new Messiah and should be at least become beatified if not even become a saint- although Apple is as much of a capitalist hardliner like Coca-Cola or McDonald's.

So if not Apple then how to get a stylish yet excellently capable PC for me and my girl friend and here again comes Munk Bogballe into my post.

There we go- Munk is actually David but still much more of a looker than Charles II and wait if you see the products he creates! 

David Munk Bogballe, lives in Berlin ( yes, one of my favorite places in the world) and he is undertaking a PHD in political philosophy ( yes, another philosopher- he is almost family, ha ha ha) but actually I get to mention him since he is also the founder of www.munkbogballe.com, a company who creates the most beautiful handcrafted personal computers made from the finest materials like aluminium, precious metal, wood and leather.

18 carat gold, mahogany and calf leather along with precious stones go into the designs- didn't we talk about 'aristocracy' in the beginning? In the 18th century owing a precious and delicate Chinese  porcelain vase, or a collection of them,  was a sign of taste, breeding and wealth...

... in the year 2013, in which a personal computer is part of every day lifestyle like a toothbrush or your mobile. Yet is it not time that his important gadget gets the attention it deserves, style wise?  People who are used to have the best will absolute appreciate this product. This is not a laptop this is 'pure taste'. This shows that you want  the essence of beauty and style in every aspect of your live!

The philosophy behind the company is based on three central factors. First the products must be functional, second they should be only of the very best quality, and last but not least they should be pleasing on the eye.

What I consider as 'aristocratic' above all other things is a over hundreds of years developed sense of elegance and style- always combined with a sense of tradition and a feeling of connectivity- being connected to the land, the  family and the king.

And here I would like to draw again comparison to  Munk Bogballe's  luxury laptop. His creations bring about a sense of elegance that is everlasting for the owner. This elegance  inspires the user of the computer over and over again.The organic textures of the wood combined with the luxury of the very best calf leather provide feelings of warmth and life. The smooth aluminum surfaces provide the user with a sense of calmness. Last but not least the gold or pearl on/off button incorporate almost like formerly elaborate cuff links a hint of traditional materials. All the use of these high quality natural material here, mirror again the connectivity to the world around us, the natural world. Although just a computer, thanks to the internet it also connects us very quickly to the people we love most our family!

This laptop must not only be looked at- the luxury about the product lies in  the feel of it!  The use of all these great materials from which the laptop has been created, speaks very strongly to the sense of touch and feel! 

This pic gives you an excellent impression of some the materials used in the labtops.

And, my dear reader, could I already seduce you to become part of Munk Bogballe's 'laptop aristocracy'? And have you told your 'countess' already that this years ten days stay on St Barts has been cancelled since you just fell in love with a PC.... no, OK, maybe you need one little push more into the right direction?

Aristocrats and the noble society have always been also famous for their excesses, haven't they? So after you have decided to spend more than 5K on a laptop now it's not the time to be stingy! What else do you need- of course- a bag to carry your ' wonder machine' in! Every prince needs also a Rolls Royce to go from one meeting to the other (or is it from one party to the other)?

Colours are a very important part in Munk Bogballe's design language adding life and individuality to  his highly simplistic- minimal  approach to beauty !

It is not rococo yet pure Scandinavian simplicity and minimalism- even autocrats would  go with the times of changing tastes and if Nicolas II of Russia would rule today we could see him going from one meeting to the next with this great bag setting a beautiful contrast to the interiors of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.....

Taste is changing with the times, above a beautifully opulent state staircase at the Winter Palace at St Petersburg and further above- contrasting with  Catherine the Great's grand interiors- Munk Bogballe's streamlined simplicity- for modern eyes as much a piece of pure luxury as all the gold and marble for the 18th century observer of the Czarist splendor, since ' beauty lies in the eye of the beholder', doesn't it? 

This colourful and elegant collection of laptop and document bags combine the traditional, quality-oriented craftsmanship of Berlin bag-makers and leather of the finest quality with Scandinavian functionality, elegance and simplicity in a unique and exclusive design. The beautiful and soft leather is carefully coloured and extremely durable so the bags will keep their shape and beauty throughout their long lifetime- and this product is mend to 'age' since leather just goes more beautiful and interesting the more worn it looks- the more life it shows!

Each bag is handmade individually made to order in an old leather workshop in the artistic 'Kreuzberg Kietz', a city quarter of Berlin famous for its creative lifestyle. The bags are crafted from world class South German leather and produced in accordance to strict environmental regulations.

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The elegant and streamlined bags come in six colours (black, brown, blue, grey, pink and win red) and have a main compartment with space for a Mac Book / laptop and documents along with a magazine or newspaper. Further, the bags are equipped with a pocket for an iPhone / smartphone, a pocket for an iPad / tablet and a pocket with zipper for wallet, make-up and keys. The bags come with an adjustable and removable shoulder strap and a soft and comfortable handle. One can thus carry one's essentials along to work, meetings, events, restaurants and around Berlin in style.

This medal is the difference between being a ' High Tech- High Luxury' modern aristocrat or not - like  showing off your your medals of some noble order 100 years ago- this medal shows today again you are part of something special- in this case it shows that you just want the best- that you try to reach above the average person- in design and technology! 

So even in Berlin, a city famous for their communist working class history, we should not forget that this place also used to be the city of the German Emperors. And even if the obvious reign of the aristocracy is part of the past- you still can show taste and breeding with products like Munk Bogballe's high-class labtops and his gorgeous leather bags. Just forget the 'Gotha' or ' Burke's Peerage' just head straight to www.munkbogballe.com and be part of the 'new' aristocracy- the high-tech aristocracy!

END OF THE CENTURY- NEW START AND MY LOVE FOR RUSSIAN DESIGNER GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY

The title of this post might be a little bit irritating, since as you all know, we sort of just started a new century even a new millennium. So why did I chose the title then? Yes, to be eccentric and strange of course! No, actually, I chose it since it fits into my live situation in London right now and it is the title of a brilliant fashion editorial shot by a Russian designer, Gosha Rubchinskiy, who I admire and wrote about two years ago on this blog already.  By fate I discovered yesterday, that you can buy a small collection of his designs in a shop and on the shop's website now.

This post is a bit of a resume of my life right now and also I want to re-establish my quirky roots for this blog which I recently have lost a bit. I want to ramble about my love all all things Russian especially, the Russian aristocracy and I want to show and remind you for Gosha's work again.

Firstly I want to remind you of the article I have done in February 2011 called - The Russian Revolution- Designer Gosha Rubchinskiy- you might just click on the link and read quickly  through it again. I just saw on TV yesterday a documentary about filthy rich Russia- not about the normal Russian people- just about the scary rich ones. Yes, they are scary, they have fucking no taste at all, everything is brash, cheaply- rich,  this expression is a contradiction on its own already, but the only way I can put it! The Russian killed of their aristocracy in the years of 1917-1945, and so killed a lot of their taste, culture and history.

Yet luckily, while the old nobles are recovering their ancestral awareness. There is a new aristocracy establishing themselves in today's Russia. I'm not talking about the 'New Money' counts and princes. No, there are loads of highly talented and creative designers and artists around in Russia, highly spirited, true to themselves. proud and not willing to break or be seduced by Gucci & Vuitton and the greed of the financial sector. These truly noble spirits re-invent current Russia with its communist past and tsarists history. They pick up on everything that surrounds them in such a impressive country. One of them is fashion designer/ photographer and all round artist Gosha Rubchinskiy. I want to show you his amazing fashion editorial he did for ANOTHER MAN- Issue 16 Spring Summer 2013 styled by 'ueber' stylist Robbie Spencer and photographed by the artist Rubchinskiy himself:

All pics above are photographed form Another Man Magazine, Issue 16 Spring / Summer 2013 Mens Fashion -  Fashion editorial photographed by Gosha Rubchinskiy and styled by Robbie Spencer 

Russia is a country which by its very own nature is very much trusting into fate or Heavenly Intervention. Being a Catholic myself I too have a very strong believe in that God will show me a way. Therefore I found it interesting that I'm right now reading a lot about the Russian Revolution, which mend for so many people a departure from their old way of living. Finding a fashion editorial called ' The End of the Century' done by a Russian designer, since I decided to quit London and to move to Austria after 16 years in the UK. There are many reasons for me to leave now especially after I just started to do my dream job, styling, and getting busy doing it! Some people think, I'm crazy swapping 'crazy' London for ' provincial' Graz but I think it is time for me to re-think the fact that London is not everything and there are so many other places which might even give me more time to work more creatively without all the enormous pressures one encounters in London. London is getting more and more unlivable- especially since there is less and less time to forget about money compared to other European cities. Everything has got to make money, there is no time for trying out new directions. to play around with your own creativity- to develop into an true artist. Everything in this city is based on your financial success. And that is really taking it's toll on me. I think that designer like Gosha show us that every country and every city can make you into an amazing designer, photographer or stylist. Moscow, St Petersburg and Russia helped Gosha to create his own special flair and thanks to the internet you can immediately be part of London and New York within seconds and mix all the flavors together into a mesmerizing piece of work! London is not everything- I want go back to my roots- with the old 'East' like Hungary, Poland and Czeck Republic around the corner. Countries which lay forgotten for almost 60 years yet have been for hundreds of years the middle of our great continent- Europe!

On top of all my thoughts,  yesterday, I found Gosha Rubchinskiy fashion on one of my favourite shopping sites namely LN- CC! Eventually you can buy his designs at your doorstop! I praise the internet! So even in Graz now I will be able to dress in Gosha Rubchinskiy! And the best is that compared to other designer's on LN-CC, he is actually quite affordable! Yeah, I just love my fate!!!!

All clothes above by Gosha Rubchinskiy can be bought on the LN-CC website 

I hope you enjoyed my intimate thoughts, my love for Russian designers and a great fashion editorial!

Your Fashion Philosopher:)

'TED' UP THE FASHION LADDER- TED BAKER A BRITISH FASHION SUCCESS STORY

As you might have read in ' About Me' on my blog, I do not only write about fashion but I also do styling- mostly for magazine editorials so far. Maybe based on taste or also on the style of the photographers I work with I very often deal with more Indie designer, young design graduates with loads of attitude and wildness in their fashion. Yet then I like to combine these 'outrages' pieces often with well designed items from the high street which fit every one and even more important which fit into an 'every- day- life- style' without being boring or too basic.
Here comes one label to my mind which I consider a stable for every wardrobe. Excellently made and designed clothes which speak to a lot of men and women. A label which serves to everyone without forgetting the 'fashion' on it's way  - the label is called Ted Baker.

Ted Baker Spring/Summer Show 2013 

A British institution meanwhile Ted Baker started off with mainly selling contemporary men's shirts in 1988 from its Glasgow shop founded by Ray Kelvin. Opening it's first London shop in 1990's it quickly developed into a world wide success story selling clothes for both, women and men, everywhere from New York to Paris an from Jakarta to Beijing. Ted Baker is a true success story, exporting it's special British style into the world. Always adding new products like shoe wear and beach wear and now even  a Barber service to it's ever expanding product range to their loyal yet also ever expanding fan base of customers worldwide.

Ted Baker 's Spring/ Summer 13 ad campaign- can we just not wait for the summer-even if it is just the famous wet 'British Summer' but with these clothes and the obligatory stylish umbrella- who cares! 

Ted Baker offers you a very wide range of styles from quality basic pieces. As I said they are brilliant high street clothes for mixing them with more outrages designer pieces for an individual yet relaxed look. But do not under estimate their design pieces- British quirkiness might meet elegance or classic cuts are being elevated by the unexpected use of colors- Ted Baker is always there to stun and surprise you!

I found a couple of great pieces showing you exactly what I meant above. Have a look at this brilliant e-retailer, Box-Clothing.co.uk, actually founded as an independent boutique store in the 1990's, now additionally operating as an brilliant on-line shop offering you the possibility of buying an excellent edit of clothes, shoes and accessories from the convenience of your home.
To help you a bit with your choices, I used my ' stylist eye' to scan the Ted Baker SS13  collection from Box-Clothing.co.uk and I chose three that really grabbed my attention. Since I really love Ted Baker and used them for my shoots I made an exception to my men only rule on my blog and also show you a ladies item which I adore!

1. Ted Baker- Women Sarine Baroque Deco Printed Silk Blouse

An attention grabbing piece- very trendy with the beautiful baroque pattern !

2. Ted Baker- Men's Flamingo Navy Blue Polo Shirt

What else o you need but a classic Polo shirt with pink flamingos embroideries- quirky an classic- a Ted Baker specialty! Take it with humor and style this summer!

3. Ted Baker- Sandrio Navy Blue Oxford Shirt

Here you see with what Ted Baker managed to build an empire on- superbly cut men's shirt's which fit almost like custom made. The cotton is of the highest quality- a basic yet oozing with style- not many labels  manage to carry this off! 

I really hope you like my choice for you. please have a look at the whole Ted Baker range at Box-Clothing.co.uk. They offer also many other well know brands at great prices! And as I said you can stroll through the site from home with, very British, a hot cuppa of tea and some yummy home made cookies!

AS TIME GOES BY- WATCHES ARE THE WINNERS

My mobile just broke down and I was in a hurry and had a train to catch and I could not watch the time... . I realized how accustomed I got to have my watch together with my mobile. I haven't had a watch since the late 90's as mobiles came into being. Before that I always had a wrist watch. I remember the first watch I bought when I was 12 years old. A dark blue one from from SWATCH ( a must-have for the fashionable teenager in the early 90's) when I grew older I preferred the once that had a more vintage look to them- a rectangular dial and some fake-crocodile leather straps.  And then mobiles came and my watch broke and I got used to have my wrists free for anything else then watches.

This is the style I would love to wear if I had the right pocket money-  vintage 1930 Art Deco  watch 

Becoming sentimental yet also curious I was looking around- being of course more interested in a modern time piece than a mobile I found a great website: The Watch Warehouse. Founded 1939 with a great shop on Edgeware Road, London. They have an amazing variety of watches from luxury brands like Raymond Weil to TechnoMarine,  fashion brands from Givenchy to Versace and many more. They cater for every taste: sporty, fashionable, classic and luxury.

Elegant wrist watches are cool again- even if styled with a hoody jumper- musician John Mayer

Here now a small selection of the pieces that grabbed my attention from The Watch Warehouse:

1. Victorinox Swiss Army 241 480 Mens Watch

This is just a wonderful classic wrist watch which can be worn for years to come

Victorinox, founded 1884 in Switzterland is world famous for its Original Swiss Army Knives yet branched out into time high quality time pieces. Each product is an expression of Swiss quality and Swiss pioneering spirit.

This Victorinox Swiss Army Mens Alliance chronograph watch has a round silver dial, a stainless steel case and a brown leather strap.






2. Raymond Weil Tango 4881-STC- 000209 Mens Watch

Very elegant and stunning- a watch  which can be passed on to the next generation
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The brand Raymond Weil brings together all the elements of exellence of the Swiss luxury watch making. Precision, quality, reliability, nobility and technical nature of the material are many standards of this Geneva-based watch maker.

The Tango Mens Watch has a rectangular black roman numeral dial, set in a stainless steel case fastened with a luxurious black leather strap. 



3. Rotary Pocket MP00713/01 Mens Watch

This is the watch for the  real classic gentlemen or a fashion hippster

Rotary Watches Limited is an award- winning worldwide brand of classic timepieces. The firm has been producing beautiful watches with a timeless elegance since 1895. Still in the hands of the family who found the company it is the oldes family owned and run Swiss watchmaker company.

Mens Rotary pocket watch with gold PVD case and a white skeleton dial. This classic includes a gold plated watch chain.

I hope you like my little selection but The Watch Warhouse has, honestly, hundreds of other great watches and jewelry. Right now there is also an amazing sale going on. So do not hesitate and have a look!

THE BROGUE SHOE IS DEAD- LONG LIVE THE BROGUE SHOE!

Having returned eagerly to London. After a month break at my Grandparents country estate close to Munich/ Germany, I really enjoyed the newly created London Collections: Men, an excellent showcasing of the British men's fashion. Ever since Beau Brummel created the 'modern' men fashion in the early 19th century, London has been the epicenter of men's dressing and style. While the ladies flocked to Paris to buy the latest couture, the gentlemen have always gone to 'their' London tailors, with Savile Row as its pulsing heart and the rest of Mayfair as its arteries.

For the true gentleman during the Victorian and Edwardian period, dressing was almost considered as a profession.  Women as well as men changed up to 6 times a day. So if you went to a shooting party at one of the famous Great English Country Houses, you had to change for hunting, tennis, walking,  biking which just came into fashion during this period, riding, polo, cricket and of course, in the evening into your 'tails'' for dinner were 'de rigeur' in polite society during the 19th century until after WWII. To keep the order in a gentlemen's wardrobe and helping dressing in an age without zippers,spandex and jeans,  a valet was as much of a 'must' as a watch and a cigarette.....

The ' Modern' Savile Row- an ongoing problem in the pinnacle of mens' fashion is  how to combine  century old sartorial traditions with the modern customers wishes and needs. Like The Monarchy- Savile Row and its tailors have been
pronounced dead as many times as the House of Lords.

Beau Brummel- the grand father of men's fashion. He introduced  a lot of rules  and innovations like the wearing of darker shades of material, the classic colour palette of beige, black, dark blue, camel, cream and white and an elegant simplicity. Yet on the other hand, he was very fussy about the cut of jackets and trousers, he was crazy for expensive cloth and absolute mad about his cravat which took him hours to arrange.

Therefore you should not be surprised that many ideas and expressions in men's fashion are British or better said from 'The Island' since the traditional wardrobe of a true gentleman or dandy derives from clothing items worn from Wales to Scotland from Ireland to Shropshire etc. Men's fashion has mainly been influenced by the sports and the army. Always with an emphasize of being able to move easily in ones clothes without loosing an air of elegance and since colour got more and more reduced all the excellence of a heroes wardrobe lay in the cut to the clothes in which British tailors excelled over the years.

And do not forget the accessories and of course the shoes. Next to the riding boots three main types of men shoes developed during the second half of the 19th century: The Derby Shoe, The Oxford Shoe and The Brogue shoe. The latter I would love this time to concentrate on since the Brogue has again for at least the last 5 years has been rediscovered by the hip crowd of Shoreditch and Hackney-and surprisingly also as the favorite foot gear for the girls!

What an example- everything I wanted convey can be found in this photograph- a cute trendy couple,  London skyline, and of course they both wear a pair of brogues- do you understand what I'm trying to be getting at? Yes, Brogues are true fashionable classics again! 

Today's brogues trace there origins to the rudimentary shoe originally invented by the Scots and Irish. The shoe was constructed in a way that the leather used had perforations that allowed water and damp to drain from shoes when the shoes were worn for crossing wet areas like a bog. And the word 'brogues' naturally comes from a late 16th century expression for 'leg covering'. Yet the word as I mentioned before is not yet British but a derivation of the Irish and Scots Gaelic word 'bróg'- going even further back to the Old Norse word ' brók'.  

The common use of the word brogue for this kind of shoe style came firstly at the very early of the 20th century into us.  During the time the brogues was used an outdoor country walking shoe traditionally worn by men. The brogue was not considered 'appropriate' for any other occasions, socially or professionally except for the use mentioned above. Yet we can see how fashions are changing even for men. The brogue nowadays is the basic stable shoe for every men and therefore offered in a multitude of styles as laced ankle boots, made from canvas, as a leather sneaker hybrid with rubber soles and also love by women a classic shoe or as high heeled women's shoe, thanks to the androgynous stars of the 20's and 30's like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. 

Yet enough of fashion history. My  readers who regularly follow my posts know that after an interesting introduction of an item your Fashion Philosopher is interested in, usually I introduce you to some interesting boutique which sells items which I was more or less 'philosophical' about-the Brogue shoe.

Back to my second hobby 'consuming', I found this great independent shop selling very well edited men's and women clothes in picturesque Durham City since 1996: Van Mildert.
This icon of independent clothes shop was the first shop outside of London selling brands like Dries Van Noten, Comme de Gracons and Helmut Lang in the 90's. Today it still stays at the top of bringing ubercool lables like Marc by Marc Jacobs, By Malene Birger, DVF Diane Von Furstenberg  to smaller cities  and it actually won three Drapers Awards in one year, in 2009! So we are not surprised that they are even expanding during our difficult times. Have a look at the merchandise and you know why!

Van Mildert's most southernly outpost : Meadowhall

On purpose I was looking for a boutique with 'character' and Van Mildert has a lot of it, selling its live style and taste from a 17th century Goal and successfully expanding, counting meanwhile six stores without loosing its forwarding thinking ways with great brands, a pinch of traditions yet going with the times by offering luxury brands together with young high street labels like Vero Moda, Almost Famous and G-Star therefore opening their doors also for the younger ones.

The first lifestyle boutique in Durham City, close to the famous cathedral-  here you can find this 'temple of beauty''.

At Van Mildert I struck luck with a great selections of brogues in an excellent price range and if you are lucky you can get them even in sale now. So let's start with my brogue hot list, shall we?

1.Although naturally I'm not a traditionalist in terms of fashion. Yet I consider it a 'must' to have at least one pair of classic brogues in your wardrobe, combined with a pair of great skinny jeans and flea market knit jumper and an Acne sport cap, I would defiantly go for the Clasto Black Brogue Shoes by the German luxury brand Boss Black.

Classic luxury for your feet- Clasto Black Brogue Shoes by Boss Black 

The Clasto Brogue is also available in  brown .

These pair of shoe are considered 'Full Brogues' also known ( especially in the USA) as 'wingtips'. Full Brogues must have a pointed toe cap with extensions ( wings) running along each sides of the toe, ending close to the ball of the feet. If you view the shoe from the top, perforation creates a 'W'-shaped pattern which some 'fashionisto intellectual' ( like me- ha, ha ,ha...) thought look like a bird with extend wings- therefore the expression.'wingtips'.


2. This pair of contrast colored brogues I chose since they have beautiful little details like an embossed logo to the side, the red contrast leather lining and a diamond pattern to the heel. Jeffrey West's Bilba College Black& College Gray Brogues I would consider as a true 'contemporary luxe' addition for you wardrobe.

Sleek& Chic- Jeffrey West's  Bilba College Black & College Gray Brogues           

The diamond shaped cut detail 

Here is a good example why Van Mildert is going from strength to strength  Their men's buyers just know what the successful gentleman of today wants- classic styles mixed with a urbane vibe and details which make the difference. By the way in regards to the red leather lining- in the 17th and 18th century only the king was allowed to wear red shoes or red heels....

3. Last but not least I fell in love with the suede leather brogue. For me, this style connects with the country life- the 'squire shoe' par excellence going back to the historical roots of the brogue as a shoe for outdoor country walking. My favorite 'country house brogue' at Van Mildert must be Paolo Vandini's Redress Camel Beige Brogue.

Paolo Vandini's Redross Came Beige Brogue- the modern country house style brogue 

I love the tartan textile lining in red- white

A very light shoe thanks to the rubber sole- and here again we find little details to elevate the classic brogue to a modern piece of footwear with a focus on style. Yet if you still want to keep your Barbour jacket and Mum's self knitted jumper- to add a bit of Hackney cool, roll up your jeans or cord trouser legs, like the Teds did in the 50's with their Levi's jeans, and be brave and go for a really unusual pair of socks. Lucky you, Van Mildert is also an ace in regards to accessories and stocks one of the most innovative and quirky sock labels around at the moment: Happy Socks. With them you will find lurid colours, block stripes, neon colours, animal prints etc. So if you feel brave enough at least to go 'eccentric-fashionable' with your socks you can bring a complete new flair to your country style.

By the way Van Mildert offers also a great range of jackets, trousers, jeans, jumpers etc etc from luxury to high street. With Van Mildert emphasize on sourcing and buying their brands with trend and innovation on their buyer's mind, it is really worth it to bookmark the internet shop http://www.vanmildert.com in your personalized shopping pages!

I hope you enjoyed this rather extensive post- I did- and also I learned a lot about tradition, style and even language- and a lot about brogues of course! 

AN OASIS FOR THE REFINED MASCULINITY- ALFRED DUNHILL LUXURY MENS RETAILER

Today I realized that Christmas is less than 5 weeks away and I'm sure many of you, my readers, are already in panic in what to buy for our male relatives. Yes, finding the right present for grand dad, your father or your loved brother does not seem always the obvious choice. Living in London, the birth place of high class men's fashion I thought I would like to introduce you this time to one of the great gentlemen's heritage labels this beautiful city which has even a whole street dedicated to men's luxury fashion has created- Dunhill.

Like so many great companies Alfted Dunhill Ltd developed around 1900 ( to be precise 1893) by Alfred Dunhill who took over his father's saddlery business and seeing the the time of the horse was approaching his end he developed a line of accessories called 'Dunhill's Motorities'. The first collection included car horns and lamps, leather over coats, goggles, picnic sets and timepieces.

From this beginning there was no stopping for the company. Dunhill created a series of retail emporiums for men.

Dunhill AW 12 add campaign- Dunhill Voice- featuring real men of different ages and backgrounds. On the Dunhill website you can here each distinguished men talking and wearing Dunhill AW12 

Dunhill look book AW12- Dunhill is one of the few luxury companies left who exclusively just sell products for men! 

The Homes of Dunhill aim to represent the experience of luxury, allowing the customer to live, feel and breath the brand. This special retail space is separated in a range of services- which include bespoke tailoring, barber's shop, fine wine cellars, bar or restaurant, screening room and spa. The homes are in London, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

The London home of Dunhill- Bourdon House in Mayfair- is situated in a beautifully elegant Georgian mansion. The retail space is disguised as a gentleman's town house yet is a consummate retreat for men- the finest Dunhill collections surrounded by such services as Barber, Spa, Screening Room, Bar Lounge, Humidor and bespoke leather & menswear.

Bourdon House- formerly the town house of the Duke of Westminster- now on of Alfred Dunhill's Homes- a retail heaven for the refined masculinity 

A heaven of elegance- Dunhill's Bourdon House

The ground floor- here you can find the traditional Dunhill off-the-beg and tailored ranges including leather goods like holdalls and tote bags.

One way to get the inimitable Dunhill luxury into your everyday live or the live of other men is acquiring the wonderful pens and lighters made famous by none the less but James Bond. But a more affordable way to taste the gentlemen's live is by getting or giving away a Dunhill fragrance. This is still the most affordable way off adding an exclusive touch to a men's outfit. Dunhill perfumes was founded 1995 and right now offers  very successful fragrances to the modern stylish man. Three of them I would like to introduce to you as an inspiration to spoil yourself or your loved ones:

First you can discover the brand through Dunhill London: the signature fragrance:

dunhill London- a charismatic modern fragrance 

dunhill London stands for the sophisticated masculine British attitude of London. It is a powerful, masculine, luxurious fragrance and has that fruity scent that will keep you fresh all time. 

As second choice for you is dunhill Pursuit: the fragrance of adventure 

dunhill Pursuit- a fragrance that inspires adventure 

dunhill Pursuit delivers and uncompromising masculinity and re-creates images of wild unknown landscapes and great adventures. It is a peppery scent with citrus and warm spices- sensual and seductive.

And as a third option you can find dunhill Black: the fragrance for the gentleman 

dunhill Black-  an unashamedly masculine fragrance 

dunhill Black plays with sensual and emotional contrasts. It is elegant yet rugged- soft yet strong. It is a woody aromatic fragrance yet interspersed with nettle which gives it a refreshing and up-lifting note.

Alfred Dunhill is just the company which caters for all the satorial needs and more the modern gentleman expects from a true global and modern yet traditional luxury brand