TRAIPSING THROUGH TRADE SHOWS: Picks For Fall 1013 From Project & Capsule

This week, New York once again saw the seasonal arrival of the big menswear trade shows. Think of it as a prelude to Fashion Week of sorts, since New York still combines its Men's runway show schedule with its women's. The Shophound went to Project and Capsule, and we have to admit that we breezed through faster than usual. Now that are familiar with these shows, a lot of the vendors are starting to look, well, familiar. That's not to say there aren't great things to be seen and bought by stores, but they can be overwhelming, so we breezed through looking for our favorite brands and anything else that caught our eyes. Let's not waste any time.

Can we take one more heritage/designer collaboration?  Following the pattern set by Gant, Florsheim, Converse and any number of other beloved heritage labels, CHAMPION has finally found the designer to elevate it into luxury stores with up and comer TODD SNYDER (pictured above). His Fall line for the popular sweatshirt and athletic gear maker was previewed at Project with a prime display of selected pieces. Are we weary of such high/low mash-ups? We could be if this weren't such a perfect match. There may be no designer better than Snyder to give the sweats that Champion is known for just enough vintage zing to give them that coveted upscale appeal. Besides the obvious cotton fleece items there was a sweet suede bomber that gave the line some extra luxury.

Speaking of bombers and luxury, our favorite emerging designer IAN VELARDI featured a particularly fine one in icy grey shearling (at right). Velardi seems to win a new award every time we see him at one of these things, and this time is was a much deserved Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation prize. Aside from that tempting jacket, his collection featured the newest color palette of the season: a subtle mix of blues and greys that worked beautifully with his elegant yet sporty aesthetic. We saw the color scheme echoed in many brands including GANT's Rugger and Michael Bastian labels which hit the trade shows for the first time this season.

As a counterpoint to all those subtle blues and grays, we saw plenty of shoes and accessories in what we can now call Go-To-Hell colors. There's still plenty of camouflage out there, but the newest accent was bold, saturated color. The king of jarring mash-ups, MARK McNAIRY made his presence known in no less than three booths including his own. McNairy is notably averse to pictures at such events, but he had shelves full of his much copied colorful shoes and his apparel collection was as wildly patterned as ever. He could care less about trends, even if they are one he has started. His freshest footwear featured bright metallics, so get ready for those. If a classic derby boot in shining gold is too much for you, then take a look at some loden suede bucks with a gold saddle. Luckily, we can show them to you because musician/designer Pharrell was photographed in them last month (above left). Not everyone can wear them, but the ones who can will look awesome. And speaking of Pharrell, his new BEE LINE collection showed off another McNairy collaboration with a brightly colored take on preppy workwear, and then there is a new McNairy eyewear collection for GARRETT LEIGHT, with pamphlets packaged in demure pink envelopes elegantly emblazoned with the designer's favorite vulgar expletive.

We always look to FLORSHEIM by DUCKIE BROWN for daring shoes, and after seasons of elaborate brogues and boots, the newest looks here came in the form of classic double soled bluchers in shiny patent leather colors (above). There were plenty of metallics here too, but the sleek shiny shoes had a refreshingly non-nostalgic appeal.

Other accessories got the color treatment as well. PARABELLUM (at right), whose rich bison-skin line has made inroads at luxury retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Fivestory, played both sides of the color fence, remaking its classic pieces in elegant shades of gray and navy as well as intense violet and cobalt blue.

We can't forget those heritage brands. At times they have threatened to overwhelm these shows with lumberjack and railroad worker looks, but the savviest ones have managed to evolve beyond nostalgia. EASTLAND (yet another McNairy Collaborator) has done well with its classic Made in Maine collection of handsewn moccasin style footwear, but now they are broadening their offerings with more traditionally structured brogues and boots. The turn towards dressier looks suits the label, and we can say that a cap-toe ankle boot in green Horween leather (at left) easily makes our list of items to look for next Fall.

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Have A First Look At The Complete ODIN At Target Lookbook

Yesterday evening, The Shophound was invited down to ODIN's Lafayette Street flagship for "Guys Night" which included snacks, a game of Plinko with Target gift card prizes (below, right), all kinds of booze and a long awaited look at the retailer's upcoming collaboration collection for The Shops at Target. If you are wondering if Target can put together a collection that can respectably hang in a boutique famous for selling labels like Rag & Bone, Common Projects, Burkman Bros. and Thom Browne, then wonder no longer. The collection was so well conceived that we didn't immediately realize that, instead of Odin's usual fare, the mannequin display above was entirely dressed in the Target line right down to the sweet pair of white-soled, suede desert boots that Odin owners Paul Birardi and Eddy Chai created for the giant chain. The clothes capture the store's signature, moody character with plenty of dark plaids and patterned knits in an earthy color palette, but they still maintain an accessible feeling that should easily appeal to Target customers unfamiliar with the exclusive mini-chain of downtown boutiques. Unfortunately, we only managed to score a $25 gift card from our misbegotten game of Plinko, but we did get an advance piece of the collection for ourself as we left, along with plenty of media information including the complete lookbook for the line which you can see below. This round of The Shops at Target, including lines from Kirna Zabête, Patch NYC and The Curiousity Shoppe as well as Odin, will drop in Target Stores in just about a month on September 9th, and, just in case they can't make it up to Harlem or out to the other boroughs, lucky Manhattanites will be able to purchase the respective collections at Odin and Kirna Zabête as well. Odin's line will range in price from $14.99 to $99.99, so have a look below and make your list. We don't think it will last too long in stores.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Here's A Preview Of The Final UU Uniqlo Undercover Collection Arriving In One Month

The good news is that the Fall 2012 UU Uniqlo Undercover collection, the collaboration between the huge Japanese retailer and designer Jun Takahashi, will be arriving in the chain's U.S. stores on August 31st. The bad news is that it will be the last one. What was initially implied to be an ongoing collection will be ending earlier than we would have expected. While the line is more casual and sporty than its sleek predecessor, the +J label designed by Jil Sander, it is a bit broader based and has returned children's clothes to Uniqlo's New York stores. Customers found lots of clever and functional details in the Spring deliveries, and that should continue in the upcoming Fall collection which will include Takahashi's take on Uniqlo mainstays such as Heat-Tech and Ultra Light Down outerwear as well as an N-3B arctic military coat. This season also brings another whimsical advertising campaign featuring giant, benevolent bugs. Uniqlo has posted more detailed looks and product shots on a Pinterest page rather than on its own website, so you can click over there and do whatever it is people do on Pinterest, or have a look at a preview slideshow below. While we are waiting for the first Fall delivery to arrive in the chain's three New York stores, we can ponder who will be the next designer to team up with the chain.

UU Uniqlo Undercover (Official Site)
 UU Uniqlo Undercover on Pinterest
Previously:
UU Uniqlo Undercover To Hit Stores On March 16

 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 

TRAIPSING THROUGH THE TRADE SHOWS: Picks for Spring 2013 From Project & Capsule Part II: Shoes!

Whenever The Shophound goes to these trade shows, we always find ourselves with lots of pictures of shoes. Partly that's because they are easy to display and photograph, and partly becasue we love shoes. This season, the industry is experiencing the McNairy Effect which is to say that designer Mark McNairy and his colorful, irreverent take on classic footwear looks is having a pervasive influence on shoe designers and brands. That means that next Spring there will be an abundance of acid yellow and cobalt blue rubber soles on everything from sneakers to longwing brogues along with colorful laces, grommets and even painted, contrasting storm welts. There animal prints and, of course lots and lots of camo print. The notoriously temperamental McNairy, for his part, was not keen on having his collection photographed this season, but no matter. His work was all over everyone else's. Here's what stood out to us (no pun intended):

MOST DRAMATIC LINE EXPANSION: DEL TORO
A couple of seasons ago, there was a humble little booth from the brand Del Toro (pictured above) featuring wittily decorated evening slippers in great materials. For next Spring, the brand has expanded its offerings "ex-po-nentially" as one of the reps described. There is still a huge array of the clever slippers, but suddenly, there are sneakers, boots, fully structured dress shoes, handsewns and any and every other kind of shoe. Everything still had the brand's irreverent touch, we just hope it isn't too much too fast. Expect to see much more Del Toro very soon.

MOST OBVIOUS COLLABORATION: TODD SNYDER AND SEAVEES
File this under the department of "How did this not happen before?" That up and coming menswear designer (and former J.Crew men's designer) Todd Snyder is making a few special styles with the all-American brand SeaVees that somehow seems inevitable. It's a perfectly harmonious collaboration that we expect to continue for a while (pictured right).

BEST BRAND EXTENSION: GRENSON BAGS
The revitalized British shoe brand Grenson has become a mainstay in recent seasons, so it's not at all surprising to see them expanding with a new collection of large bags and small leather goods that coordinate with their rugged brogues and boots. The initial offerings are decorated with an exploded brogue pattern in black or brown leather or leather and canvas that should delight faithful Grenson customers. Again, the expansion seems so natural, we were wondering why it took so long.

FAVORITE CAMO: EASTLAND MADE IN MAINE
The folks at venerable American brand Eastland has been getting ever more adventurous with their premium Made in Maine line, and while there is still a lot of camouflage around, we loved their classic handsewn blucher in a leafy hunting camouflage print with a white boating sole (at right). We love to see something we haven't quite seen before in exactly the same way.

MOST ELEGANT: KLAXON HOWL
Most of the shoes at Capsule and Project run to the sporty and casual side. It's not the place we would expect to see elegant, handmade dress shoes which is probably why the Canadian label Klaxon Howl's refined shoes stood out to us (at left). They are first offerings from a company friend who took up the handmade shoe trade in Italy, and while they seemed a bit dressier than Klaxon Howl's typical military/vintage inspired sportswear, they looked beautiful just on their own.

FAVORITE LACE-UPS: CAMINANDO'S LEOPARD PRINT
Japanese brand Caminando always has something to make us smile, and this time it was a classic, red-soled dirty buck oxford just like the ones a young Shophound used to wear in high school. This new version sports a saucy leopard print (as well as the obligatory camo at right) which would not have been at all welcome at our high school, let us tell you, and that makes us love them.

Previously:
Traipsing Through The Trade Shows: Picks For Spring 2013 From Project & Capsule

TRAIPSING THROUGH THE TRADE SHOWS: Picks For Spring 2013 From Project & Capsule

It's that trade show time of year again in New York. Since we don't have a separate Men's Fashion Week here (yet) lots of Men's designers and sportswear brands debut their lines at the trade shows around toen that just ended yesterday. The Shophound stopped by Project and Capsule just to see what jumped out as us as we breezed through. We found that camouflage is still happening, but it has whetted appetites for plenty of other prints like florals, geometrics and ever more animal prints. We found the most news in swimwear, actually, which is benefiting from new attention and detailing as men finally realize that exactly nobody looks good in sack shaped, calf grazing board shorts. be prepared to re-familiarize yourself with at least the lower half of your thighs next Summer. Here are some of the things that caught our eye:

RETURNING FAVORITE: IAN VELARDI'S ANIMAL-CAMO JACKET
He remains The Shophound's favorite new designer (and also one of GQ's and any number of Men's Editors'). Hardworking Ian Velardi's fourth collection has a more relaxed, laid back vibe with a new, signature spearhead motif (at left) and his usual laser-focused attention to detail. Along with sleek classics like a buttery-soft leather jacket or shirts with hand-picked sleeves, our favorite piece was the hooded jacket in a custom-camo print that, if you look closely, is created from the silhouettes of flamingos and other wild animals (pictured above). You will find his label in more stores this Fall, and the ever-charming designer was particularly excited about his capsule collection for the Gap that is dropping in late September as one of GQ's Best New Menswear Designers.

FAVORITE NON-FASHION ITEM: THE POKKET MIXER
Here's something you can buy right now at a few stores, and probably more by Christmas. The Pokket Mixer (at right) takes a couple of iPods and almost any speaker system to turn you into a genuine DJ. No extra power sources required. While there's no accounting for what you personal taste in tunes might be, almost anyone can now live out their DJ fantasy for real for just under $100. Right now you can find them at Atrium and Tekkies in Brooklyn, but we expect to see them everywhere soon, including The Shophound's hot little hands.

MADE IN THE U.S.A. IS ON THE RISE   
Thanks to Ralph Lauren and the Olympics, there is a new awareness of where everything is made, and there are more and more brands who are making a point of producing as much as possible if not everything in the United States. Young, L.A. based label WAAR makes a point of its domestic manufacturing, and they impressed us by making the humble cargo short (at left) look fresh to us in a deep red cotton twill with zip details.

BEST LINE EXPANSION: ORLEBAR BROWN
Men everywhere owe a debt to the British brand Orlebar Brown (at right) for shaking complacent male beachgoers out of their baggy, elastic waist bathing suit habit. The brand's trunks are so well tailored that it is now officially outfitting Daniel Craig for all his 007-related swimwear needs. For next Summer, they have added a Moroccan basketweave pattern and an officially licensed David Hicks geometric print, but the real news is an expanded array of polos, t-shirts and other sportswear that show the same attention to fit as their famous swimwear along with a soft new color palette for 2013. Start your crunches now for next Summer.

TIME FOR A REVIVAL: CLUB TIES
There is still a lingering focus on classic and vintage looks among many of the brands we saw, but we were most amused by READ WALL's clever club tie (at left). After repp stripes and a barrage of bulky, hard to tie cottons and tweeds in recent seasons, The Shophound is hoping that the witty club patterned tie is next in line for a revival, because it's time.

BEST EVENING MASH-UP: ANTONIO AZZUOLO'S PLEATED SMOKING
The Project Show seemed particularly more casual and denim driven this season, so luxury designers like recent CFDA Swarovski Award nominee Antonio Azzuolo stood out even more. The Shophound was fascinated by his dinner jacket (at right) which took the pleats of a formal shirt, morphed them with the jacket's lapels and added a gleaming slice of silver metallic leather to the under-collar —all hand tailored in New York. We know this isn't for everyone, or even for us, but it was too clever and elegant to ignore. We are sure that there are a few rock stars out there whose lives will not be complete until they have this jacket.

THIS SEASON'S START-UP: NORMAN RUSSELL
There are no shortage of jeans lines out there, but something about the new denim brand Norman Russell caught our eye. Actually, it wasn't the jeans, but a sweet, simple tan suede motorcycle jacket (at left). We were told by Norman Russell founder and occasional catalog model Kortney Hastin that the jackets would be made in a limited edition because the guy in L.A. who makes them by hand can only work so fast. Along with jeans there were chunky handknits and smart pull-over chambray shirts. Keep an eye out for those, too. Pull-over shirts are happening any minute.

HERITAGE SURVIVOR: DICKIES 1922
It looks like the relentless menswear obsession with Heritage brands is waning a bit, which is kind of a relief, making room for newer ideas. That is not to say that the labels that have been revitalized don't still have worthwhile goods. One of our favorites remains Dickies 1922, Texas based workwear brand that keeps things simple. The still compact collection includes a few colorful collaboration pieces done with The Hill-Side along with a perfect pair of painters' pants in indigo twill (at right). The Shophound loves painters' pants, especially these.

TOMORROW: SHOES!

THE PREVIEW CIRCUIT: Camper Hits Grand Central For A Look At Fall

The Spanish shoe brand CAMPER calls its Fall 2012 "Traveling Winter" so it's only fitting that it would choose Grand Central Station to show the press its latest offerings. Actually, JFK Airport is a little out of the way, and Penn Station is a disgusting pit, but Grand Central has the elegant Campbell Apartment which is where The Shophound found ourself yesterday. It's probably fair to say that a lot of people still think of Camper as a source for winsome, round-toed shoe/sneaker hybrid footwear. There were certainly plenty of those signature styles to be seen, but if you haven't checked in on them in a while, you might be surprised at the current breadth of their line. Most exciting is a continuing series of designer collaborations called TO&ETHER including high-style mini-collections with Belgian designer Veronique Branquinho, Bernhard Willhelm and Mugler creative director, Romain Kremer. Also new was a special group of the brand's asymmetrical "Twins" shoes from the Berlin-based design duo known as C.NEEON, as well as a great group of shoes designed for city cyclists called "LINK" which included reflective patches and cleverly designed ankle straps to gather your trouser hem in so it doesn't get caught in the cogs. We took plenty of pictures, but Camper was kind enough to provide us with photos of the entire collection, so have a look at some of the most interesting pieces in the slideshow below (All product shots courtesy of Camper).

CAMPER (Official Site)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

THE PREVIEW CIRCUIT: A Closer Look At Fall From Burkman Bros, Caputo & Co., and Dockers

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last week, The Shophound hit a few more of the Fall Collection Previews that are put on by brands who either don't participate in Fashion Week or want to give press a chance to see their wares in a more informal way. Sometimes it's a lot easier to get a handle on a collection this way rather than squeezing it in during the chaos and crush of Fashion Week. Also, sometimes there's food (and swag)

On Friday, we made our way to the Meatpacking District showroom of Caputo & Co. where we got a close look at designer Alex Caputo's leathergoods and accessories as well as his pals, the Burkman Bros apparel collections for Fall (both pictured above). In a sense, it's fitting that the two lines should be shown together as they are both inspired by their designers' travels. While we were familiar with Doug and Ben Burkman's burgeoning label from seeing it in ever more stores, we gained a new appreciation for it by being walked through the line and having all of the details pointed out to us from custom woven jacquard fabrics and intricately patterned knits inspired this season by a trip to Iceland.

As you can see in the photo, Caputo's two-year-old line of cleverly designed bags coordinate effortlessly with the Burkmans' line despite taking their inspiration from half a world away. The Venezuelan-born designer took his cues from Laguna de Atitlàn, a volcanic lake in the mountains of Guatemala whose name translates from Mayan as "where nature gets its color". Caputo works subtle shades of blue and green in with traditional brown leathers and custom handwoven South American textiles in classic totes and duffels with colorblock details and deceptive hidden features like reversibility and convertible straps. To fill them, there was an array of smaller leather goods including iPad cases and leather and waxed cotton bracelets offering bright pops of color. He manages to walk the fine line in Men's Accessories between the kind of practicality men demand and making things interesting without being too flashy or overdesigned. For his efforts, Caputo has garnered some impressive clients in his few seasons on his own, including Bloomingdale's, Scoop, Barneys Co-op and Unionmade in California. All of these previews typically make us want to run out and shop, an urge that was helpfully tamped down when, as we were on our way out, we were handed one of Caputo's striped cotton totes that contained, along with the usual press materials, one of his handwoven leather bracelets, an ikat-striped woven shirt from the Burkman Bros Hawaiian-inspired Spring collection and a few of their signature woven bracelets.

The night before, we went up to the Levi's showroom near Times Square for a look at the continuing repositioning project that is the Dockers brand. The label that once stood for boxy, pedestrian khakis is now sufficiently cool enough to attract the likes of menswear icon Nick Wooster, who appeared to be sporting the camo-print chinos that caused such a stir at last season's Docker's preview. Fall brings a utilitarian point of view to what is now a full sportswear line, with workwear and military touches and lots of plaid shirts. Have the ideas been filtered through a legion of stylebloggers? Probably, but an upscale but well-priced line could certainly do worse, and the line looked appealing as we perused it on mannequins throughout the showroom. As is expected at a Levi's brand event, there was plenty of food and drink, this time focusing on picnic style classics with mini sliders and fried chicken wrapped with bacon on a stick. We really had to get out of there before we gorged ourself on those, but also because of the unseasonably warm weather which made the office, like many others around the city, swelter a lot more than anyone would have predicted given the time of year. Sadly, we couldn't wait around for the custom monogram to be finished on the complimentary pair of khakis each guest received, so they promised to send them to us. Seriously, we were about ready to melt, but between the two events, we have at least one Spring outfit marked off our list.

THE PREVIEW CIRCUIT: Looking At Spring 2012 From ASOS and Oakley

We are almost ready to start the Holiday Season, but we are still finishing up with previewing next Spring. This week, The Shophound got a chance to take a look at upcoming collections from the UK's largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer, ASOS.

Unfamiliar? Well you couldn't be faulted too much for that. The company only started its U.S. site a little over a year ago. While ASOS offers a multitude of well known brands, we got a look at its private label offerings for women and men which, running from fast-fashion to contemporary price ranges for premium items, are not unimpressive.

In a manner similar to Topshop, the design teams at ASOS impressively translate Europe's more adventurous trends into more accessible looks for a broader market at great prices. There was a touch of Balenciaga here and McQueen there for example, but well synthesized. The fun thing about the brand is that it is not afraid of straying from the middle of the road. Their collections had various different design themes, but mostly reflected a serious look back at the 1980s, and, get ready to feel old, a nostalgic look at the 90s. One special collection is inspired by and manufactured in Africa, while another premium line incorporates exclusive prints for more daring eveningwear. For men, there was an impressive group inspired by contemporary Japanese design, but from there, inspiration tended to run more in line with American designers with a preppy group echoed labels like Gant Rugger and Burkman Brothers and an appealing tailored collection that owed a debt to Thom Brown and Band of Outsiders. A British-made shoe line (below) featured interesting combinations and red rubber soles which easily reminded us of a certain Mr. McNairy. Overall, however, ASOS is great for giving us a hint about what kind of English and European trends will be making their way over here soon, and a wall of colorful backpacks suggests that totes and messenger bags will be giving way to the schoolkid's favorite bookbag in the coming months.

Later that evening, The Shophound stopped by Oakley's SoHo showroom for a less elaborate presentation with a highly enthusiastic staff eager to show off their updated womens collections for next Spring. A new design team has lightened up the women's fitness offerings to shake off the brand's image as a more rugged men's label. Being Oakley, there was an abundance of eyewear cleverly designed with fashion and fitness in mind featuring special details like nose pads that won't slip when you sweat and won't catch your hair when they get pushed over the forehead (Imagine what a improvement those features can make). Other highlights included swimwear featuring pieces specially designed for Olympic volleyball champ and Oakley spokesperson Kerri Walsh. As the first official Olympic eyewear sponsor, the brand also showcased a well designed collection designed for the 2012 games next August featuring clever technical details and just enough red, white and blue to be patriotic without looking like the 4th of July every day. These style will start appearing in Oakley's SoHo and new Times Square location early next year, and they certainly made us think of Oakley in a new light.

THE PREVIEW CIRCUIT: A Look At Spring From CAMPER & Forever 21

The Spring Previews keep coming. This week, The Shophound took ourselves downtown to the Exhale Spa in the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District to get a look at what Camper has in store for us next season. The popular Spanish footwear brand keeps moving ahead. This season they are showcasing the "Ocean Race Collection" (above) developed for the sailing team Camper is sharing with Emirates Team New Zealand in the Volvo Ocean Race which is going on right now.

The treatment pools in the spa gave the scene a pleasantly muggy summery atmosphere. Other highlights include fresh collaboration collections from Jasper Morrison, Mugler designer Romain Kremer and a continuing team-up with Bernhard Willhelm. Other new developments include the casual brand's first actual high heel women's shoe that combines the continuing demand for chunky, high heels with Camper's reputation for comfort. for our trouble, We left with a big, red Camper beach towel and as much breakfast as we could scarf down.

Later that evening, we went back downtown to the Ramscale apartment in the West Village for Forever 21's preview. It always surprises us a bit to get invited by a company that we have written less than charitably about in the past, but who are we to turn down an open bar? The presentation though highly edited, was not unlike a visit to Forever 21, kind of random and trend-ish, with offerings divided into  four categories. There was the Asian inspired "Tea Room", grungy "Rebel Yell", 20s and 30s "Retro Revival and "Sixties Sorbet". Most of the people there were busy trying on the jewelry samples that were on abundant display. We were busy trying get more of the tiny bacon cheeseburgers being offered by the willowy waitresses who, as it turned out, were also doubling as models. They sure are thrifty over there at F21, and we'll just leave it at that. We left with a pearl-beaded evening clutch ($17.80) which we later realized contained a gift card of as yet undetermined value. We're not exactly sure what to do with either, but it would be beyond unseemly for The Shophound to complain about insufficient swag.

THE PREVIEW CIRCUIT: Looking At Spring From Levi's, Dockers & A Mambo Launch With Jason Stackhouse Ryan Kwanten

Spring Previews are still coming fast and furious from brands that don't need to be bothered with the New York Fashion Week circus. In the past couple weeks, The Shophound checked out Levi's and its newly revitalized little brother Dockers as well as a new Australian line you won't find in New York City.

Last week, we headed over to West Chelsea, ground zero for these sorts of events, to se what was going on with Dockers. In all honesty, had this been a couple of years ago, we would only have been lured there by the promise of an open bar, free hor d'oeuvres and a lively DJ set from The Roots' ?uestlove, but suddenly, the brand credited for the shapeless chinos that gave Casual Fridays a bad name is doing collaborations with Steven Alan and GQ's Best New American Designers, a group that includes winner, T by Alexander Wang, and runners-up Patrik Ervell, Gant by Michael Bastian, Miller's Oath, Warriors of Radness, and Riviera Club. Suddenly, Dockers is kind of a cool brand, or at the very least vastly improved on the style front. Last week's preview was focused and well edited, highlighting slim, tapered khakis that gave a lift to the classic sportswear looks. There were reversible shorts, updated fitted shirts, and even the cargo shorts looked trimmed down and sleek. We're guessing that those camouflage printed khakis (pictured right) will sell out fast, so put in your orders early. For taking the trouble to go out on a stormy night, we were presented with a pair of Dockers' new slimmed down Alpha Khakis.

This week, we headed over to Stage 37 to see what Levi's has in store for us for Spring. This season, the legendary denim brand ramped up its presentation production values in the cavernous studio. Models casually moved around between ever more elaborate vignette installations (pictured at the top) including a small house built to present the women's CurveID line. Levi's has been very skillful in mining its vast archives to take advantage of the endless trend for vintage looks. For spring, they are reviving their sixties-era Sta-Prest wrinkle-free brand as a counterpoint to the rumpled thrift-shop-hipster look. New technology has not been abandoned, however, as they are continuing their high-tech Commuter line (pictured left) for cyclists and remain committed to the Water<Less program to produce denim jeans with a minimum amount of water usage. A well received collaboration with American brand Filson will continue as part of a Made In USA program for Levi's premium lines, and there will be more selvedge denim next season for those who worry over that inner side seam on their jeans. The whole time we scarfed down some superior deviled eggs from chefs Jeremy Fox & Charlie Parker and listened to string quartet Cello Street reinterpret the music of Lady GaGa and other pop stars. Sadly, since some special ingredients were late to arrive, we missed some special Patron tequila cocktails, but we had to move on.

Next up was Chelsea's Drive-In studios where the Australian beachwear line Mambo was being launched through an exclusive arrangement with Bon-Ton stores which is also home to John Bartlett's exclusive men's labels. With skaters flipping over a half-pipe in one corner and custom t-shirts being made in another over earsplitting music, The Shophound's drinking companion remarked that the whole scene looked a lot like Entertainment 720 from Parks & Recreation. While the cacophony was a little forced, there were sexy models in bathing suits hanging around (below), and who doesn't like that? It all looked like an easy sell for Bob-Ton's mostly midwestern stores. There was also Jason Stackhouse, as True Blood star Ryan Kwanten, looking appropriately scruffy and Stackhouse-like, was pressed into service to promote the brand from his homeland. Luckily, there were no missing ingredients at the bar, and there were plenty of little tacos, tiny meat pies and spicy shrimp (with no barbie in sight). Before we took off with our free t-shirts, we even tried a tiny vegemite sandwich, which didn't taste nearly as gross as we thought it would.