Male wellbeing.

Are you tired of carrying them too, the twin Petronas towers attached to your shoulder blades? 451.62 meter of solid steel and reinforced concrete slowly sinking your spirit down to hell’s piggy bank of dimishing souls. February is the month when reality hits shoppers who forgot about the lag time from when a credit card is swiped during the January sales to the day when the first rectangular letter containing a payment request slip into the mail box. The mood is further hammered by the increasing number of redundancies on the morning papers.

Toyota was riding on the high horse last year as they surpassed GM in production, taking the throne as the largest car manufacturer in the world. Sales were climbing to new heights by ever month, shining a bright beacon of promising future for what can be described as one of the main pillars of the Japanese economy. What the crystal ball failed to tell analysts was that the happily ever period would come to an abrupt end. The senior management at Toyota have predicted bad omens for 2009 and announced that fiscal year 2008 would end in the company’s first profit in over 50 years. Many other previously highly profitable corporations have presented the financial world with red numbers in their annual reports that were issued earlier this month. Downsizing is happening across the board, from normal mom and pop stores near bankruptcy to giant multinational firms with dented profits. Suddenly buying a gift to your boss on his/her names day might be the way of securing a future at the company when it’s time for a bird to be shoved out of the nest.

This cloud of tension calls for a pause, a moment of relief and energy regeneration. Regular workouts at the gym or 2 kilometre sprint at the crack of dawn aren’t activities that fit suit everyone’s lifestyles, but an occasional visit to a health club can achieve the same euphoric climax as a weekend in a countryside spa. Some 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill followed by 30-40min of weight lifting will temporarily clear any negative thoughts on the head. Jumping into a pool afterwards for some Michael Phelps action is an excellent way of pausing time by floating a couple lengths across the pool. Best way of topping the day off is spending time in Jacuzzi for a therapeutic body treatment. The effects of these activities will leave you with the sensation of rebirth and will last for several days.

Hands are generally overlooked by men unlike women who paint their nails and store a small emergency type of lotion in their purses. Soft hands leave a memorable impression since men tend to have rough palms. With use of a hand lotion any palms can be improved to be closer to the skin of a baby’s feet. Comrades shaking your hands will feel signal of safety rushing through their bloodstream as soft hands project an image good wellbeing. Top that with a non-pretentious wrist watch like a vintage Omega watch rather than a brash Breitling Chronometer, Think more Hong Kong and less Monaco.

Some mornings are alike of a fireman hearing the alarm siren in the middle of the night, you jump out of the bed and leave at light speed without having grooming the face. A thorough facial treatment is a necessity of a fresh appearance and cannot be compensated for by compiling a smart outfit. Equally as important is a herbal facial lotion that gives a feel-good-Hollywood-glow, because happiness must prevail and for that to happen we must make an attempt in looking healthy and project a positive spirit.

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Does sex still sell.

Bond Street, a long corridor of fine shopping with black Mercedes S-Classes lined up across the pavement reminiscent of stranded killer whales. Inside the beach coloured interiors of the cars are patient chauffeurs awaiting their employer to return with small bags containing goods the likes of Smythsson, TOD’s and Cartier.

Opposite the well renowned Cartier store is Ralph Lauren’s flagship store that brings warmth to the world luxury retail where an ordinary experience is hearing the echo of your shoes clapping against marble floors, while sales assistant with poor attitudes are visually scanning you in search of evidence that a potential customer is standing before their eyes. A slight hint wood and amber in the air soothes the mind as the mahogany walls and greenery indoors replicates the feel of a Berkeley Square town house. Even the security guards fit in thanks to sharp and dapper outfits different from the usual security guards wearing in near disposable £45 suit from Primemark. The store assistants need no introduction as their highly inviting outfits made up of Ralph Lauren’s own clothes, makes for a worthy source for inspiration.

A few footsteps around the corner of building is a peculiar clothing retailer in a gorgeous building, which interior suggest that it previously was a bank or a governmental building. The purity and simplicity of an official governmental building has preserved on the outside, where there is nothing to suggest that it’s worth while taking a step into the open doors revealing a very dim interior. Surviving solely on word-of-mouth discovering the store happen either through the retailers website or a mention from a stoked customers. It’s the same principle as a big black birthmark on the back, fully visible it is all out in the open but until someone points it out to you, you have no idea that it’s in fact a cancer tumour. The mystery retailer is Abercrombie & Fitch.

Without the support of local advertising A&F have managed to make a name for themselves by dazzling European shoppers with a unique experience not available elsewhere. And sure is the experience unique, as their London store is a terrific place to get your wallet drained in the most rouge. The irony is that the prices in store makes RL look like a bargain. Unlike in the US where Ralph Lauren is the more expensive brand, A&F have simply switched out Dollar sign for the Sterling Pound one on the price tags. An overwhelming majority of their clothes are therefore more expensive than similar products at Ralph Lauren. Sweaters priced at £250 certainly puts the brand in the same price spectrum as Armani Exchange. Astonishingly the severely inflated price tags don’t deter customers from shopping base as the shop is crowded with spending happy tourists during summer, some days with excruciatingly long queues inside.

The popularity is well called for, how can you not want to be in a store where female store assistants are all pretty wearing low cut jeans and greet you with a cute smile, it’s heaven in there. An Olympic is advised to bring along because the darkness is beyond imaginable. Don’t kid yourselves, this store is darker than any pub or bar on earth. The darkness is so deep that what might be a green polo might surprisingly turn out to be cyan when you get to inspect it in natural light. The thumping music is blasted loudly through speakers in all areas of the shop either makes you feel good or tear your eardrums into pieces. In other words it’s a club that sell clothes instead of pint glasses with coke and Jack Daniels.

The overwhelming percentage of blond female store assistants for eye candy do encourage shopping, at the cost of their own well being. Working in near darkness with loud rock and house music that might not even be of your liking, must be very distressing. Add the lack of windows and the unbearable noise level for having a discussion with a customer or co-worker, and the store must be hells pit for the staff unless they enjoy working in such atrocious conditions. The store manger could probably not ask for more as there were an unprecedented amount of eager shoppers lined up outside the store during the first days of the Christmas sale. In fact the queue stretched well into Savile Row that’s around the bend. No other retailer in London can rival such hysteria except for Louis Vuitton which had their inventory of women’s designer bags cleared out by hundreds of East Asian visitors who were unconsciously helping the struggling London retail sector. It’s now proven that sexy sales assistants make men with big wallets shell out money as even men in their 30s feel cool and proud walking around in a T-shirt with the letters A and F on the chest. Evidently the world is a better place if retailers wouldn’t replicate the same store concept as Abercrombie & Fitch. People should be hired on the basis of their personality and experience rather than getting called in for an interview thanks to a pretty Facebook profile picture or getting a job because the human resource manager love tight their bum looks in Miss Sixy jeans.

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I Luw Fashion will morph into a Pulishing corporation.

Hello ladies and gents. Gratitude to you all for sticking with this blog for the period that it has existed. Before this post begins sounding like bad news I can already assure you that I will not stop writing.

Life is a long journey with heights of joy and lows of challenges, and throughout this roller-coaster chapters close and new pages are turned. From crawling we move on to walking, riding a tricycle, sliding with a mountain bike and eventually get a ticket for speeding in a VW Golf. The blog has been a mind blowing project and has expanded my horizons while giving me a purpose in life. Unfortunately I was born with only two hands and two brains and have crippled capabilities in running a growing enterprise all by myself.

Time has come to escalate things to new levels in order to keep progression in motion. With insufficient time to accomplish the day to day tasks required to sustain the momentum the blog has gained lately, I see no other option then to convert the blog into a media/publishing corporation. I have some grand and highly innovative ideas I’m working on that I hope will please those who enjoy reading this blog. In fact, the successor of I Luw Fall is already in development stage as I’m scouting for talent that will be a part of my editorial team. Expect pleasurable video content such as car reviews, not to suspect that I’m planning on challenging BBC’s Top Gear. Lots more exciting content which I cannot disclose at this moment in time. The website will be the number one stop for saratorialist men and will be launched later this year, so bare with me as blog posting might not be as frequent while I’m working on the next big thing.

Many thanks

Editor in chief

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Mayor of New York Tailoring: Thom Browne.

What an eventful weekend it has been, sweaty and fearful nightmares on Friday the 13th and hours of snuggling and pillow talk on Valentine ’s Day. If ‘eternal failure of boredom’ are four words that perfectly describe your weekend, whining should end at this very moment since initiative and courage can end in mind blowing ejaculation of concepts and ideas.

Abstract tailor, Thom Browne must have “life is what you make it” written on his bathroom towels as he is increasing the pulse of tailor to exciting highs. Instead of presenting his Fall Winter 2009 collection on the runway, he chose to exhibit his latest designs with captivating military cues. Those of you who’ve served the army should mentally engage reverse gear and take a drive down memory lane to the tough days of spending 24 hours a day in a regiment with coloured tooth brush as the only way of distinguish oneself from the rest.

The sleek narrow ties and asphalt grey suits are derived from 1960s New York Wall Street trader. On top is a typical cadet jacket made out of cotton with no padding, making perfect weather protection for wearing over a suit. Due to terrorism threats, the stellar attach cases are in today’s society of atrociously strict airport security control a nightmare to travel with due to their suspect appearance. Scanning through the horde of models in the hall, it doesn’t take long to realise that they are all wearing the exact same outfit, but thanks to the multiplication Thome Browne has managed to make a memorable impression.

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Italian inventors.

The number one Italian fashion duo has lately been very playful thinking outside the box when creating their men’s fashion lines. SS09 daunted with suit pants held to the waist using strings, mimicking what men might wear at the gym, and that sport effect was highlighted even more as the eyes roll down to the bottom where there are legs are cuffed. Experimental clothing like that ought to score the bearer major kudos at high-end health clubs in Kensington where women spend more time getting tanned and applying make-up to their faces before arriving to the health clubs than exercising.

Trendy playboys around the world have a reason to launch a countdown for autumn as Dolce & Gabbana’s flagship piece in their FW09 is kilted blazers. A few slurps of Jack Daniels followed by 5 cartwheels won’t stop the mind from rejecting what can be described as atrociously bizarre creations. When one has passed the stages of denial and acceptance, the blazer start to look interesting and become worth taking a second look at. The full circus with trousers is a bit too much for the stomach to digest but as sports coats they blazers can actually work in real life. With some slight padding, a double breasted one wouldn’t be too crazy as a summer jacket. But as formal wear there is more desire since the kilt pattern result in a heavy-duty appearance preventing the blazers from looking right at a cocktail party where everyone is dressed in sleek and glamour figure shaped tuxedos.

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Keeping love locked down.

Valentine ’s Day is around the corner and a secret admirer has yet to send Cupid to shot you at while you’re a sleep then it’s time to tune in the frequency of love. Dedicate this weekend to the precious Mary Jane of your life, enlighten her with a romantic and quiet bath while her heart beat echo throughout the tailed bathroom creating water ripples that rock 101 rose pedals in the bathtub. If your heart is bleeding out of love incapable of keeping you strong in the jungle of Valentine shopping frenzy of plastic roses, overpriced cards and heartbreakingly childish Hello Kitty gifts, let this list guide you to the heart of the love of your life.

Jewellery.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend but can also be a girl’s worst kryptonite. In theory a ring with a diamond the size of Yao Ming’s right fist is the ultimate Valentine’s gift but it can be overwhelming if given to someone who love for you is equal to the size of a peanut. A customisable charm bracelet from Thomas Sabo is safe way of expressing the three magic words without going overboard.

Chocolate.

Never overlook the sense of taste. Chocolate is delicious but luxury chocolate is a threesome of intensity, flavour and pleasure. If you are in a love/hate relationship then eat the entire bottom layer before your partner has discovered that there is one.

Small items.

Marc Jacobs has publically displayed his unorthodox sexual orientation but has nonetheless managed to keep his head straight in the times of economic turbulence, and offered recession relief in the form of exceptionally well designed designer goods at humane prices. Jacobs by Marc Jacobs is the brand to look out for when shopping for affordable designer goods.

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The Oscars/Working Wardrobe.

Hopes of an early spring entry was shattered this Monday when angry heaven let heavy snow fall down on the UK which is already taken heavy punches in the rumble against the economic slowdown. Keeping the mood positive can’t be done by eating Cadbury’s chocolate, as adjustment of clocks for summer time isn’t scheduled until the end of March. Before then there is an important pit stop, the Academy awards.

The Oscar’s is the mount Everest of red carpet events with valleys or glamour, A-list stars and a mountain tip of goodie bags worth more than a luxury car. Leading up to award ceremony on the 22nd of February, the public is joining the circus by watching the nominated movies. Unexpectedly an overwhelming majority of the nominated pictures fall into the category of drama making an Oscar movies marathon a potentially life threatening downhill ride of boredom. IMDB has categorized Frost/Nixon as drama but in reality it is nothing alike slow paced “Revolutionary Road” that offer a melodramatic storyline curtsey of Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio who both put on powerful performances. Action movies don’t necessarily have to incorporate all the components of a Mission Impossible flick, the same way many find poker to be thrilling as American Football despite the absence of any body contact. Frost/Nixon deliver an enticing story evolving around the ego’s of two men and there’s exhilarating intellectual stimulus as seen in heist movie, that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Simplified to one sentence, it’s a man’s movie that will please those with an appetite for purposeful movie with 2 hours of 100% pleasure.

Hollywood movies are like a class trip originating from the mind of a 12 year old. Proceeding through the tunnel of approval the teacher has to give it green light before it reaches the headmaster who will require that trip is of an educational nature. Lastly there will be a parent and teachers meeting where all the grownups will get to add input and finally mould the activity to what’s “best for the children”. Sadly 12 year of Nicolas, his dream trip has been reduced to a museum visit in a city 3 hours away. Although different to some extent, most tinsel town flicks are similar in spirit and that is the reason why most movies fall short of astonishment against “Slumdog Millionaire”. The movie is a breath of fresh air in a world of over-fine tuned and constrained movies developed to entertain rather than simply tell a story. For that exact reason, some prefer reading books as they are storytelling in a pure form. Slumdog Millionaire is a captivating love story in like Romeo and Juliet packaged into a raw, simple and fee package. See it as your mother’s food that doesn’t sparkle as a meal at a top Michelin rated restaurant, but manage to accomplish the essence of food which is taste well and fill you up while maintaining high degree affordability. Try only eating out for an entire week and before you realise it, the scent of a home cooked meal smell like heaven.

Although the Slumdog Millionaire will continue to will millions of awards, Frost/Nixon is a movie to make note of as the costume design is utterly marvellous. David Frost brilliantly portrayed by Michael Sheen, presents what a brilliant work wardrobe should look like. Smart but punchy, almost every outfit worn by Frost is edgy while leaving out any pompous playboy appearance or “screw you I’m rich”-look worn by Michael Douglas in Wall Street.

Someone who’s profession demand constant wearing of shirts and suits should build up a wardrobe of 5-8 shirt. Priority number one is a pair of white shirts, one with French cuffs and the other with normal cuffs for occasions that require a comfortable or relaxed look. A light blue shirt is always a safe shirt when meeting clients and a white/blue striped shirt with white collar and cuffs is the heavy artillery to be used for demanding negotiations. The remaining shirts can be of various colours like yellow, white/green striped or even a polka dot shirt.

What women are good at is to never be satisfied. Regardless if they returned home on a Friday evening with shopping bags, they will somehow still managed to fall in love with some other new items the next week. Men don’t have the genetic love for shopping like women do, and thus they a very comfortable not buying new clothes for months if they are content with what’s in the closet. It’s not unusual to see a man wearing the same outfit for two days straight while a women who loves clothes more than husband, will rarely be seen wearing the exact same outfit two days in a row. Variety in daily attire evokes curiosity and Victoria Beckham damn sure knows a thing or two about that. A wardrobe should be like a fruit basket, every spoon put in the mouth should have a different combination of fruits compared with the previous one. First some pineapple and grape or how about banana together with papaya and strawberry, that’s delicious right?

Although most men don’t like the idea of pro-actively browsing the store for hours for something to buy for no reason at all, ties are great impulse purchases. They are affordable, easy to combine with what you existing shirts and suits but best of all ties are fun to show off. People do make note of them and the same applies to pocket squares.

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The nearly dead: Gucci & Dior Homme.

Dior Homme FW09

Kris Van Accshe has just recently completed his fourth collection for Dior Homme, which calls for a situation analysis of where the brand stands. One can’t down play the immense challenges and expectations a designer face when they take on the commanding role in a fashion house. With a martyr for a predecessor like Hedi Slimane, acceptance was Van Acche’s biggest obstacle as by default, everything that would bear his name would be scrutinised while Slimane received cheers and standing ovations by fans adoring his designs, photography, soul and existence.

While hustling under his own name trying to get his line off the ground the last thing Van Assche needed was another chief designer role. Only the most confident and experienced designer would successfully be able to lead two fashion houses. At a relatively young age of 32, Van Assche is quite some years short of Karl Lagerfeld’s majestic 75 years of age that have built a bank of fashion knowledge, enabling him to run his own line as well as cater to board members of Channel.

The high sophistication of his debut collection, Spring summer 2008, promised a new dawn with Dior Homme joining Dior for women on the front line of avant-garde glamour. Inexperience struck Van Assche’s spinal cord as the collections that came after, have been a big pot of insecurity, lack of creativity and Slimane heritage. Swinging between formal and punk rock appearance, it has been highly unclear in what direction Van Assche is trying to steer DH. Most eye piercing has been the sight of him casting the same models of both his own line and DH as well as featuring highly similar clothing like parachute pants for both lines. The inability to distinguish DH from his own line has been the biggest weakness which begs the questions what the CEO’s at Dior are feeling as they most likely can’t be too happy about Van Assche’s cannibalism. Fall/Winter 2009 is the most coherent DH collection in a few years which better mark a turning point as DH as the line on the EKG indicate that death is imminent.

Grade 5.5/10: Better than expected but not 100% convincing.

Gucci FW 2009

If you fancy clothes sold at ASOS, Ben Sherman or Topman then you are who Gucci’s chief designer Frida Giannini is unintentionally targeting. Her inconsistency is laughably painful with only one appealing men’s collection making its way out of her office every two years. A sexist and lazy man who can’t work the stove can probably make past meals most consistent than Giannini’s collections for men. When every she presents her male audience with an appealing collection it’s always the same old nouvéau Russian Tsar inspired designs with models wearing black eye shadow, over flimsy accessories and messy hair.

The usual dish served by her is now days are unimaginative designs that don’t speak the language of Italian high fashion. Uncoordinated colours with high familiar clothes one can find in any off the rack men’s shop. Originality is a big issue as the clothes lack originality when seen in the shops and can very easily be mistaken for clothes made by brand with zero run way presence. There is nothing Gucci about what she designs for men and will probably do a better job solely focusing on women’s wear.

Grade 2.7/10: Overly predictable mainstream designs at overly inflated price.

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