Tyson Beckford for Michael Bastian

“This season I was really inspired by a very particular kind of New York guy we’re calling ‘The Extra Man’. This phrase actually came from an old article in the New York Times from 1974 talking about the guys in the city that hostesses always kept on file for when they needed a charming, well dressed single man to round out their dinner parties. These guys were always so pulled together and interesting that anyone would be happy to be seated next to them in a dinner party. They also really had strong personal style and thought nothing of getting all dressed up at a minutes notice. So their dressed-up New York style really influenced this season for me.” – Michael Bastian

Michael Bastian’s Fall 2012 collection was nothing short of spectacular, the crisp fitted suits and colors utilized were classy and intellectually profound. It’s refreshing to see classic male looks that maintained a sense of masculinity with a hint of modernity. I personally have been wearing lots of blacks and grays the past few months, but thanks to Bastian, I see color in my fall wardrobe for sure.

The collection explored a vintage 1970′s color palette, which is a change for Bastin. Colors such as rust, lavender, teal, bronze, soft peach, gold and even red–as well as traditional masculine colors such as navy, gray, olive, and beige–were all put together quite pleasantly, if you ask me. The key fabrics for this season were cotton, velvet, corduroy, moleskin, compact canvas, traditional English suiting patterns like pinstripes and glen plaids, authentic shetland wools, cashmere and cashmere blends, shaggy mohair and special double-sided shearlings.

All these elements created a collection suited for a very polished, luxurious and classy man. It was also cool to see Tyson Beckford with a French Bull Dog on the runway. #thelittlethings

Check out the collection for yourself and let us know what you think.

About Michael Bastian:

Designer: Michael Bastian
Owned By: Private
Founded: 2006, New York
History: Michael Bastian served as men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman before launching his own label in 2006.
The Look: The weathered American man. “His clothes show a little bit of wear,” Bastian says. Striped polo shirts fit snugly; blazers are cut narrow; and slim button-downs have concealed shoulder vents so you can actually move your arms.
Recent Awards: Named the 2011 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, and has been nominated for this award for the past 4 years.

NYFW Fall 2012 | Michael Bastin – Images by Project Captured

Michael Bastian Fall / Winter 2012 Collection from Eugenia Gonzalez on Vimeo.

Can this be true? Is the infamous Rock & Republic logo now on the shelves at Kohl’s Department Stores?

I remember purchasing my first (and only) pair of “R&R” jeans for nearly $200.00. This is mind blowing to think about after finding out that Rock & Republic’s rock and roll style can now be bought at a local department store for roughly $80.00. This sounds unreal, but maybe that is because I am cringing at the fact that I once paid such a high price for the brand. In early February, Rock & Republic put on an excellent show in New York City, while on February 10th, Kohl’s celebrated the launch of Rock & Republic’s placement on store shelves. The line still holds a hardcore rocker edge, with studded seams and slick jeans, but will this new positioning and placement of the product change the way Rock & Republic fans view the brand? It looks like we will have to wait and see.

Check out the new videos Kohl’s and Rock & Republic released!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kohl’s new advertisement:

Click here to view the embedded video.

GrandBar Chicago - 1600 W. Grand Ave.

GrandBar couldn’t be a better name for the soon to be popular gem of Chicago’s Near West Side. The bar is literally bringing a new “spin” to Chicago’s Near West Side, with acts and DJs such as GrandBar’s current in-house resident, DJ Crisp E. GrandBar is sure to soon make waves throughout the Chicagoland area and add to the rich history the Near West Side has already established.

GrandBar sits at the corner of Grand Avenue and Ashland Avenue, placing it right at the Corner of Chicago’s West Loop. With Chicago’s West and Near West Side quickly growing, GrandBar is sure to soon rise in the ranks of the Near West Side’s entertainment frontrunners. The bar itself is quickly adapting and making a name for itself in the electronic music scene. DJ Crisp E himself has made GrandBar his home for most of the weekend, due to his “crisp” remixes and style, hence the name. Crisp E even ventures out internationally to locations such as Mexico, spreading the good word of the many bass heavy electronic genres. His style rivals the big names we hear at music festivals today – including Chicago’s very own North Coast Music Festival (which is right down the street from the bar). With an ear infecting mixture of every electronic genre around, he keeps everyone on the feet until the bar closes at 4:00 in the morning. Crisp E does not stop here though, he keeps the crowds eyes’ peeled with an astonishing video DJ display that surges across GrandBar’s multiple flat screen monitors.

The energetic atmosphere GrandBar provides stretches beyond the music as well. The bar brings together elements of your local town bar with the classiness of the downtown nightlife. A jukebox alongside the DJ booth keeps an old school feel, while the bottle service provides a dashing touch of elegance.

Check out the pictures courtesy of GrandBar and see for yourself. The website also has all of the info you could need, like specials Monday through Thursday! – GRANDBAR.

Muga Dinner Menu for 2/20/12

Even with Restaurant Week in full swing, remember not to lose sight of other enjoyable food offerings intertwined amongst these days. On Monday night, join prestigious winemaker Juan Muga of Muga Winery, for an extensive Spanish wine and dinner spread at D.O.C. Wine Bar Chicago.

Five of Muga’s most distinguished wines will highlight four gourmet courses. In-between each course Juan Muga will take you on a journey through your night of wine and the winery’s 75 plus years in winemaking. Not bad for a little Presidents’ Day “trip” prior to the end of a holiday nightcap.

Grab your seat before it’s too late! $70 (excluding tip and tax).

Call (773) 883-5101 for reservations.

D.O.C. Wine Bar
2602 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60686
Website | Facebook | Mailing List

There’s a lot of controversy surrounding 22 year old, Chris Brown, but there is no denying he is one very talented artist, possessing a brilliant voice and amazing dance skills, both displayed very well in he’s latest music video “Turn up”. This electrifying music video was directed by Chris Brown himself and Godfrey Taberez, and is the first video and first single on his upcoming ablum “Fortune”, due out on March 16th.

“We wanted to make sure that people when they watch this, they feel they are in this video, we wanted to give it personality, make it fun and wanted everybody to see this and wish they were there”, says G. Tabarez. I dont know about you guy’s but I definitely think they accomplished that with this video for sure.

Fused by some Micheal Jackson inspired dance moves and fashion, along with 10 back up dancers for Chris Brown’s untouchable dance moves, and a rave of “Party Animals”, Chris Brown, Goddfrey and Reviting entertainment did an amazing job creating this music Video.

Check it out here:

Huge congrats to Chris Brown on his upcoming album, and recent grammy award.

The versatility of the collection impressed me. I have always had a one-sided point of view on the Levi’s brand…classic denim to go along with their work-wear look. Although the classic denim is still a major part of their collection, the added pieces are what gives the brand a flair. The common trends for the women’s line included the comeback of the bootcut jeans and an introduction to an All-American collection beyond denim which took me back to the 1970′s. Jumpsuits, skirts, printed leggings, overalls and dresses offered a variety of looks to include in a fall wardrobe. For menswear, we saw tapered pants rule the runway as well as tailored classic pieces. There was more color incorporated into the menswear look which made it appear stronger than the women’s line. Besides denim-chambray, wool, twill, and suede were all incorporated. It’s a hip collection. That is the best way to describe it. We even overheard Nigel Barker comment: “It looks like half of Williamsburg is up there”. There is nothing wrong with that but it does show that Levi’s is attempting to appeal to a more youthful and fashion concious audience.

What added to the appeal of the Levi’s collection was the production of the show. The runway represented everyday life. Props were situated down the runway to give off that feel. Not only did a model ride a bike down the runway, models even dressed and undressed as other models continued down the runway. What I enjoyed most was the music selection-Nine Inch Nails, The Cure and toss in classic Hip-Hop. The show ended with a live Banjo-player on the runway. A versatile music collection to go with a versatile collection.

NYFW Fall 2012 | Levi – Images by Project Captured

Zang Toi's finale kiss

Zang Toi showed to a packed house, with many adoring fans clamoring to get inside and patiently awaiting outside. As soon as the lights went off you knew the show was packed with love. The show started off with Adele’s soulful voice filling the room with her heart wrenching love stories, a down tempo beat that set the stage for Toi’s strong winter whites. Fox collars ruled the runway as well as white wool suiting for both men and women. Several of his pieces have French lace overlaid on wool suiting and cashmere wool blend dresses.

Zang Toi brought his looks from early morning business meetings to eveningwear, showing strong variations in his offerings this season. Double lapels appeared on several of Toi’s suiting pieces, a wonderful sharp touch to professional wear.

The velvet zebra mini coat was the pivotal look that transitioned into Toi’s evening wear. He finished the show with a couple brilliant brush strokes: silk satin gowns with intricate black crystal shoulders and back adornments.

Toi made an appearance at the finale of the show during which his models showered him with kisses and the audience gave him a standing ovation.

Mercedes-Benz NYFW | Zang Toi Fall 2012 – Images by Project Captured

Invicta

There’s no way other way of saying this- Hit The Lights’ new album Invicta is, well… different. But different is good. In this case, different is very good. Anyone familiar with the Lima, Ohio “pop-punk” band’s former sound will be confused upon first listen to Invicta.

Produced by The Machine (Four Year Strong) and Mike Sapone (Brand New), HTL leave the sugar-coated electro-tinged pop punk behind. Well, for the most part. Even when the band is at the their poppiest, it all still sounds fresh and exciting. “Gravity”, the song closest to that old HTL sound, is the catchiest and most energetic song on the album. Songs like “Earthquake” and “Get To You” follow closely in those footsteps, but nothing on this album feels contrived. The band sound more comfortable with who they are as musicians and songwriters. “Should’ve Known” is the biggest departure from HTL’s pop-punk roots, but is one of the best songs on the album. Credit producer Mike Sapone for capturing an element of the band that is more akin to Thrice than All Time Low.

Invicta loses some energy towards the last 2 or 3 songs, but this stumble is redeemed by the overall sense of rebirth these guys from Bumble-fuck Ohio have showcased on the album. Overall, I would give this album a 3.5 out of 5.

The music video itself is provocative; which I’m hoping was intentional given the concept of the song. The bulk of the video is footage of their “Watch the Throne” tour, notorious for its amazing lights and dazzling effects. Then the mirror effect is applied throughout — which reminded me of a 1980′s style music video. There are also random scenes of Paris, tigers, and a Will Ferrell cameo.

I felt an epileptic seizure coming on just watching it. Although I shouldn’t be too surprised, there’s always a good chance the shock factor will be sky-high whenever Kanye is involved. Proceed with caution and see it for yourself below.

NYFW Fall 2012 | Tadashi Shoji – Images by Christopher Free