Author Archives: Nivara Xaykao


What Are You Wearing UNDER There?

Marketing men's luxury underwear is tricky business, but lately we've been seeing some outstanding examples. Ones that strike the right notes of masculinity, aesthetics and innovation. London-based Under Limited is one such brand. The contemporary label just launched at Selfridges, the Holy Grail of retail for forward new brands. In perusing their line, we can see why the influential UK retailer ...
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Relique: Cool as Ice

One of the most exciting new brands we came across at the New York trade shows was Relique, the brainchild of college friends Chelsea Carson and Kaitlyn Vasquez. The inspiration behind their latest collection – fiery volcanoes amidst the snowy landscape of Iceland – serves as a larger metaphor for the brand's incendiary aesthetic. One built on compelling juxtapositions of ...
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De Montfort University Triumphs: The Future of Lingerie Design

For being such stalwarts in the lingerie industry, Triumph International also has an impressive reputation for innovation. Perhaps nothing exemplifies their spirit of creativity more than the Triumph Inspiration Award, an international design competition that showcases the brightest young talent in lingerie design. In this fifth edition of the hallmark competition, the prize was awarded to Sian Whitefoot of De ...
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Ask Men About Hair, and They Will Tell

From James Dean's carefree quiff to George Clooney's salt-and-pepper caesar, perhaps nothing says more about a man ("I'm a rebel without a cause" and "I'm a playboy doctor", respectively) than his hair. Stylesight has traced the evolution of the grooming category at length, and now, here comes AskMen's definitive guide to men's hair, titled, simply, The Hair Manual. After analyzing site ...
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Runway: Louis Vuitton in Intimate Detail

Paris: The runways are a unique place where pants and shirts are optional and lingerie roams free, fluttering in the perfumed wake of a model's strut. Cold outside? Just throw on a fur chubby or a mannish overcoat. That's the solution Marc Jacobs offered in his latest for Louis Vuitton on this last day of Paris Fashion Week. An appropriate ...
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And the Legs? Diamond.

We've been fawning and swooning over Raf Simon's latest collection for Dior all morning and slowly uncovering its myriad layers. The collection is littered with intimates influences, from floaty chiffon frocks to robe-like coats. Surreal illustrated ornaments appear throughout – roses climbing up a hem, a shoe tossed against a white expanse, an eye grazing the hip – meandering down ...
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Parker Barker for Lime Ricki

How do you make a "modest" swimsuit sexy and stylish? That was the challenge Hayley Parker-Barker (of childrenswear label Culdesac) was tasked with in designing a capsule collection for Lime Ricki, a swim brand known for its sleek covered-up suits. First, Parker-Barker looked to the poolside glamour of 60s Hollywood to craft one-piece suits and tankinis full along the neckline and ...
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Hanro of Switzerland Comes to New York

We credit Hanro of Switzerland for initiating the lingerie-as-loungewear movement a mere 129 years ago. Along with its neutrality, banking system and cheese, Switzerland is renown for its fine craftsmanship and exquisite textiles. Nowhere is that more evident in intimate apparel than at Hanro. In addition to a presence at fine retailers like Barneys and Neiman Marcus, the brand just opened ...
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Ooh Mama, More Pajamas!

The delayed and much-anticipated Marc Jacobs show closed out New York Fashion Week last night, delivering this final word: pajamas rule. Jacobs was seduced by the bedroom for F/W 2013, filling out his collection with boyish pajama tops, piped pants and high-waisted briefs. The famed designer even took his bow on the catwalk in a debonair foulard number – paired ...
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Philosophy by Natalie Ratabesi -

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS New York: One of the trappings of technology is that it often comes off looking a bit cold – perhaps, a little too precise and slick. In the latest from Alberta Ferretti's diffusion line, new designer Natalie Ratabesi managed to restore a more human element to all the innovation. To go back to the roots of rusticism, the modest silhouettes ...
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Bibhu Mohapatra -

THE MUSES OF MAN RAY New York: Bibhu Mohapatra hooked his upscale, glam aesthetic on the Surrealist portraits of Man Ray this season. Fashion plates from his 20s and 30s portfolio, in particular, were a natural fit for Mohapatra's core base of evening dresses and fur coats, influencing the sinuous yet relaxed movement of gowns and dramatic volumes in the outerwear. ...
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Steven Alan -

TOUS LES GARÇONS ET LES FILLES New York: While many who show at Lincoln Center try to match the big stage with bold, flashy clothing, Steven Alan opted to keep the mood refreshingly normal for his first appearance at the esteemed venue. The post-pop musicians of the 60s were his muses, in particular, the French chanteuse Françoise Hardy. Like Hardy's inimitable ...
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Jil Sander Navy -

PERFECT SIMPLICITY New York: The end of Uniqlo's partnership with Jil Sander just over a year ago left a void in the marketplace for affordable, well-tailored wardrobe classics. Now, with Jil Sander back at the helm of her namesake lines, Navy is the label to watch for accessible minimalism. One perfectly made suit with boyish straight-legged pants and a jacket coquettishly ...
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Tory Burch -

ANGELS AND INSECTS New York: Tory Burch was in a macabre mood for Fall, finding fascination in all things insects. Granted, the four-legged creatures were illustrated on romantic silk blouses and incorporated into elegant Art Nouveau motifs, they did manage to bring some girlish mischief to Burch's tweed-suited sophisticate. Gustav Klimt was another touch point, his gilded artworks translating well to ...
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The Row -

EDWARDIAN EASE New York: It is safe to say the twin sisters behind The Row have officially shed their "child star" reputations and become serious heavy hitters in the fashion industry. Again, the designers brought a cutting elegance to New York Fashion Week – a refined sensibility befitting of the Upper East Side home that staged the collection, yet one forward ...
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