Recent posts by menswear blogger, Gabriel Rafael, from Melbourne Australia. The Latest blog posts on menswear, men’s style, men’s grooming, lifestyle, technology & much more.
Celebrating with a two-part soiree, G-Star RAW hosted its grand opening for its first Houston location last Thursday May 15th, 2014. Beginning the nights festivities was the first event at the brand new store, located inside of the Houston Galleria; the in-store VIP event opened its doors to many of Houston's fashion forward crowd as an in-house tailor helped everyone create and customize their own pair of G-Star denim at the RAW workstation. Everything from the fit, buttons, and the metal details on the jeans were hand-picked and selected by every attendee in conjunction with the tailor, making everyone's jeans completely unique. I personally can not wait to wear mine soon! There were so many customizable options it was hard to pick what colors and combinations to choose from. Having heard of G-Star RAW from before and shopped at their locations worldwide, I was eager to have my own Its Gab Raf customized pair of G-Star denim. While sipping on champagne and Dutch beer, we were all able to check out the store and mingle amongst one another while getting to experience and see first hand the craftsmanship of G-Star RAW.
Following the in-store event, guests were invited to the after-party at Silver-Street Gallery. From the second you walked into the art space, it was easy to see that G-Star created the most unique party I've yet to attend for a retailer. G-Star RAW's clothes was brought to life in many forms that night, from mannequins lining the wall donning the apparel, to models mingling amongst the crowd bringing movement to the clothes and allowing us to see first hand how the clothes look when worn. The night was a blast, drinking craft cocktails by Leslie Ross from Triniti, and dancing to DJ Baby Jae, everyone in attendance was truly enjoying themselves. It is easy to see why G-Star RAW has been a sensation worldwide with their attention to details from not only their clothes but to the experience of this Dutch based company.
What a busy and hectic last few weeks it's been! With Rodeo Houston getting better each day and planning for my getaway to Austin for SXSW this weekend, I've almost had no time to update the blog and share with you guys such a fun event I was able to attend this past weekend. Bravo's 'Courtney Loves Dallas' Tori Gonzales along with her sister and jewelry brand partner Desiree Gonzales, threw their first trunk show for their hand-stamped jewelry line, All the Wire, at Houston's Pomp and Circumstance boutique this last Saturday with much anticipation. To add to an already exciting event, the night before Tori announced that her BFF and fellow co-star, Courtney Kerr, would be in attendance, nothing is better than having a best friend at your side for moral support! With specialty drinks by Deep Eddy Vodka, Texas inspired macarons from MACARON by Patisse, the night had kicked off on an excellent note with the RSVP list at capacity! Tori, Desiree and Courtney took the time to take pictures with every single person in attendance. Their laid-back and easy-to-talk-to personalities filled the room with an exciting energy that was infectious. The unique jewelry from All The Wire quickly sold out and the line to place orders was out the door! Check out All The Wire's website for some great pieces, like their signature hand-stamped necklaces & bracelets and my personal favorite item from their line, the Bite the Bullet necklace. Best part of the night, taking a selfie that even Ellen would be jealous of, at El Tiempo Cantina after the event with Tori, Desiree and co.
Last night Houston and women's clothing store, Tootsies, celebrated some of Houston's most philanthropic couples. Benefitting the Dec My Room charity, Houston's most fashionable guests lined the runway all while raising money for a great cause. The Dec My Room charity organization was created in 2007 by mother-daughter duo Susan Plank and Kendall Plank, who set on a mission to transform the cold and dull hospital rooms of children who sometimes have to stay weeks at a time, into a personalized and welcoming space to stay while being treated.
After the runway show featuring notable Houston couples, former A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel made a special surprise walk alongside six-year-old cancer survivor Charlie Dina. Flying in from San Diego, Manziel came to support Dina, as the two have developed a long standing friendship, with Manziel even sporting a 'Charlie's Angels' yellow bracelet throughout his college football career. The touching moment closed out an amazing night benefitting a great cause.
With Jordan Newman and Mishelle Echeverria
Johnny Manziel and Charlie Dina (photo courtesy of Issa Chou)
Fashion Houston kicked off last night at the Wortham Center with the doors opening at 6:30 with the red carpet packed full of Houston's fashionistas.
Beginning the nights festivities was Neal Hamil with a brief introduction to the night with a shout-out to Houston talent and how Fashion Houston has become an 'incubator' for upcoming local designers. The show kicked off with Marios Schwab, followed by Catherine Deane, Viet Kent Nguyen, Amir Taghi, Jo'se Reyes and closing the show Talbot Runhof.
Tuesday nights show kicked off the four night event held at the Wortham Center. This is the fourth year that Fashion Houston opens its doors to the sartorially savvy residents of Houston.
(Outfit: Calvin Klein White Shirt, Levi's Denim, H&M Jacket, Dior Patent Leather Black Lace-Ups, Hugo Boss Pocket-Square, Carolina Herrera Red Belt)
Sometimes our body just requires a little step back and a gentle nudge into rebooting itself into a healthier balanced state. juice cleanses have become the best alternative into kickstarting your system into detox mode using natural micronutrients found in our fruits and vegetables to our own benefit.
You've probably heard of celebrities going on 14 day long detoxes with the aid of home delivery services, but you no longer have to have your face on magazines to get such services delivered to your home. Home delivery companies have sprouted all around the country bringing the benefits of juice cleanses to your front door. So what exactly does it mean to juice? How long can you juice for? Is it worth the money?
If you're like me, then you've probably have spent the last few weeks during the holidays kicking your digestive system into overdrive with heavy foods like stuffing, turkey and plenty of baked goods. A juice cleanse allows our body to relax from the over digesting that you've probably put it through. Our fruits and vegetables we eat daily are jam packed with micronutrients that provide our bodies with benefits like a healthier digestive function, clearer skin and improved mood and energy levels. Juice cleanses are designed to flush your body full of natures own vitamins and minerals to make us healthier.
Houston premium juice brand, Crush Cleanse, was kind enough to let me check out their juice cleanse line offering cold-pressed, raw, vegan, unpasteurized, gluten-freeand dairy-free juices delivered right to my door. Each day is comprised of 6 juices (each 16oz) and their plans are for 3-5 or 10 days. What I liked most about Crush Cleanse was their juices tasted great! My favorite was the fourth juice of the day which was a Spicy Agave comprised of agave, lemon, cayenne and purified water. The flavorful kick to it was surprising as I had expected juice cleanses to be dull, but every Crush Cleanse juice was full of rich flavor while still being completely healthy for you without any added preservatives. Everyone always asked me if juice was enough to keep me energized throughout the day, he answer is YES. The fact is that every juice is packed with enough calories, protein and carbs too keep your body functioning throughout the day. I even felt more left throughout my day.
So if you're looking to start back on track post Christmas dinner, Crush Cleanse and a three day detox is great. Each juice is made specially for you so make sure you give them a 24 hour heads up. Check out their Facebook page or Twitter to get more information or shoot them an email at info@crushcleanse.com
International Style. Texas Hospitality. Those are the words that optimize Fashion Houston and its amazing designers this week. Last night I was lucky enough to attend the second night of Fashion Houston and experience it from a vantage point that really allowed me to get a closer look to all the intricate detailing by the designers last night.
After a brief opening speech by Neal Hamil, David Peck with his Crop by David Peck collection set the tone for the nights festivities. The floral and fish prints on form-fitting pieces which began the show were astonishing. Each piece flowed and definitely had almost a fun seaside style to them. The pieces that truly caught my eye were the very mod inspired colorblock pieces that rounded out the show. Peck definitely represented Houston well with his Parisian style dresses.
Next up was NYC based, Fotini. There definitely was a sense of NY style in this collection. With short shorts and flirty dresses, you can totally imagine these pieces on any fashionable New Yorker running uptown to meet up her friends for a drink. Not only did Fotini kill it with flirty style, but the sexy blazers paired with form-fitting dresses showed that a woman can be as sexy in business attire. One of the nights best moments was a dress that almost an effervescent flow down the catwalk to close out Fotini's show. The length paired with very well placed slits along the front created a magical moment for everyone at the show.
Tuesdays night at Fashion Houston was not all about the ladies though. The brother duo behind Bogosse brought some amazing menstyle to their Houston show. It was such a surprise to see menswear as a lot of the times the focus is on the womenswear designers at shows. Bogosse really payed attention to detailing on their shirts and blazers with interesting accents for their buttons and piping. The first half of their show featured khaki pants and dress shirts in a fresh new way by adding interesting prints and colors to make them unique, although my favorite part, partly because of the Texas heat, was the second part when shorts were the main focus. An interesting touch that I particularly enjoyed was the rope belts that were looped and tucked within themselves, had seen it in a couple of magazines and seeing it in person makes me want to imitate the look.
Closing out the night was Zac Posen. This collection may be the best collection of his career. The tone was set with some amazing music choice comprised of strings that built up as the show progressed. I would have to say that the color palate of this collection definitely was inspired by a sanguine tone of red. Different iterations of the color kept popping up throughout the collection. The collection began with almost a very 1940s inspired dresses with some amazing detailing on how it would hug a woman's body. The silhouette that Posen creates is truly astonishing and makes him the king in my book of making the lines of a woman's body work for them. There was as much attention to detailing on the lines and stitching along the front of the dress as well as the back. A lot of pieces began with almost an intricate pleating in the front which continued with lines towards the back of the dress releasing in the train. I found myself fixated on how much attention was given to the back of the dresses. There was an amazing Jessica Rabbit moment that truly made the room ring with applause. The floor length gown was definitely a show stopper. Closing out the show though was the dress of the night. A floor length ball gown with a corset bodice almost engulfed the width of the runway, everyone's eyes were immediately fixated. The deep intensity of the red in the dress was once again proof that Zac Posen knows womenswear. Posen got a well deserved standing ovation at the end as he walked out, wearing a red suit in line with the palate of his collection, Houston definitely showed lowed to Posen.
The night overall was truly magical and it was great to witness such amazing pieces from the end of the runway. As this is Fashion Houston's third year putting on their show I definitely look forward to more nights this week and hopefully return again next year.
The 50 year career and life of Diana Vreeland was celebrated last night at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, closing out the Houston Cinema Arts Festival. The film, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, spanned Vreeland’s career as an editor at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue as well as her time at the Metropolitan Museum in her later years in life.
The film highlighted Vreeland’s strong sense of style as well as her magnificent editorial eye. Vreeland is attributed to shifting the focus of women’s magazines from homemaking into a more whimsical world of high fashion and eye-catching stories playing out on the magazine pages. Twiggy, Barbara Streisand and Veruschka von Lehndorff all can attribute their success to Vreeland, who loved to celebrate and accentuate what faults a woman had and made them beautiful.
The film’s director, Lisa Immordino, answered questions after the film in an open Q&A led by Houston Fashion Icon Lynn Wyatt. Immordino spent three years working on the film as well as interviewing family members. Immordino is married into the Vreeland family through Vreeland’s grandson. Expect to see the DVD released next February to coincide with New York Fashion Week.
Closing out the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, this film was an excellent way to pass on the baton to Fashion Houston, which kicks off November 12th and ends November 15th. As Diane would have said “it is DIVINE.”
No longer do you need to fly to LA or NYC to get the latest trends or fulfill your sartorial needs. The best menswear items are now at your own backyard. Three Houston based retailers have set the bar high and curated the best picks of all menswear and lifestyle items. After a year-long search of non-traditional retail shops, mostly boutiques, I've quickly fallen in love with these three stores, finding everything from well-tailored dress shirts to even items to decorate my space.
Settlement Goods & Design isn't just a boutique with great style, it is also a retailer that provides the best of the best in regards of American made brands and designers. A quick look throughout the store and you will see amazing quality and assortment of merchandise. Settlement doesn't only focus on menswear, they have a women's section as well as a home and jewelry. The philosophy that Settlement stands behind, and why they chose only to focus on American brands is simple, "what’s made close to home is better for you." The brands that Settlement Goods has in stock is impressive, a few of my personal favorites like Raven Denimand Gitman Bros. keep me coming back for more.
If you're looking for a more menswear focused store, then Mortar on Westheimer is a great spot to check out as well. When I think of Mortar, I think of a store that has perfected the indie-vibed style that seems to be everywhere, all while still having a touch of style with brands like Hamilton and Saturdays NYC(one of my favorite brand as of late). Mortar is great in that while they still are a privately owned boutique, they still offer an online service to shop for items from the comfort of your home - even if it's in a different state.
To fulfill any home and lifestyle needs, Kuhl - Linscomb is the place to go. There are so many sections to this store, all in different buildings in the large complex that Kuhl - Lindscomb calls home, that if you had to pick one word to describe this store, it would be 'lifestyle.' I quickly knew that this store was perfect when I saw many of the things I loved all under one roof, Thom Browne sunglasses, Arquistefragrances, Jeff Koonz inspired replicas and amazing furniture. With over 70,000 square feet of space, consisted of five different showrooms, Kuhl - Lindscomb is the largest privately owned lifestyle store in Texas. It will nearly be impossible to not find something you already loved and something new when shopping in this store.
