Under the Argentine Sky

While the rest of the fashion-world is recuperating from the rambunctiousness of New York Fashion Week, possibly en route to London for the city's shows, allow me to direct your attention southward, to South America---Argentina, in particular, from where my dear friend Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea hails, and from which she sources the most exceptional artisanal pieces for her new e-boutique Under Our Sky. Let me share with you the little chat I had with Sofia about style, and love, an obsession with a certain accessory and designer crushes, and the allure of her home country, Argentina.

Sofia at the salt lakes in Argentina

Tell me about your store, Under Our Sky.

Under Our Sky is the place where my sisters and I share what we like the most from Argentina. Here, we carefully select and commission different products and make them available to the rest of the world.

These sterling silver cufflinks by Marcelo Toledo, my favorites out of everything in the boutique, were inspired by the Argentine national flower, the Ceibo. They will definitely add that dark-sexy-earthy touch to this suit that Mr. Margiela is sure to send to me after reading this little blurb!

What made you start an e-boutique?

This project started when I was dazzled by my friend Celina Saubidet's jewelry (Cabinet Oseo). Her unique and stunning designs made me crazy and right away I started wearing them every single day.

This Cabinet Oseo gold-plated bones bracelet would look stunning worn over a black cashmere sweater with fitted sleeves.

Her pieces were so strong, that people all over New York would stop me to ask where they could get the pieces, but the answer was "A friend makes them in Argentina, sorry, but you can't get them here". This had been happening to me forever, always with Argentinian pieces, I would always get compliments about them!

Cabinet Oseo phalanx rings look particularly exceptional worn on each segment of the finger.

Even though I have a creative background, I've always felt a big interest in business and marketing so soon after I decided to start my own store where I would proudly promote and sell Argentinian Design (officially, as I had always naturally done it).

I've always found you to be charmingly offbeat, yet still very chic. Tell me about your aesthetic. What inspires you? Who are your favorite designers, fashion and non-fashion?

Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea by Cameron Krone for The New York Times

My aesthetic is a mix of classic and rock, always with a personal touch, either it's a vintage piece from my grandmother or flea market, or a one-of-a-kind necklace made by an unknown designer. I normally fall for a designer and wear it non-stop for a certain period and then mutate into something else but always keeping something from my last crush. For example, when I was in high school I was obsessed with scarves, even for insanely warm days, I wouldn't take them off. My teachers would threaten to not let me sit for an exam if I didn't take my scarf off (they thought I would faint otherwise), but I always managed to keep my scarf on, even to go to the beach. I'm not that crazy about them nowadays, but I can't help but spending hours going through the vintage collection of scarves from the lovely Chinese lady in the Chelsea Garage's Flea Market. Every time I come by she says, "Sofia! Look what I have for you today!"

I get inspired by people, I always feel attracted to talented and creative minds, so I try to surround myself with very smart and interesting people so that I always challenge myself to know more, explore different worlds, and try harder.

My favorite designers are mostly graphic designers and typography designers: Peter Saville, Milton Glaser, Alejandro Ros, Paula Scher, Juan Gatti, Stephan Sagmeister.

Fashion-wise, I like everything from Elio Fiorucci to Carolina Herrera, it all depends on the day. Rodarte, Nicholas Kirkwood, Jason Wu, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Alaïa...

Tell me about Argentina, I've never been. What are your favorite things to see, do, eat?

Well, it's amazing!!! It has the perfect mix of nature and culture, which I love. The Theater scene is evolving into very interesting scenarios. Every time I go I ask my genius friend Agustin Pruzzo (writer/actor/director) what's new and he always surprises me with the most unexpected plays.

When it comes to eating I have my all time favorites: Dulce de Leche La Salamandra (milk caramel) and Asados (Argentinian barbecues).

Argentinian asado (via The Daily Omnivore)

If I had to carry a knife around with me, this would be it. sterling silver asado knife with black leather sleeve by Marcelo Toledo

Meat there is delicious, it's taste is pure and naturally flavored, we never add any spices, as just a tiny bit of salt is all you need. A typical Bodegón is my favorite destination to enjoy a good piece of meat with friends, 'Los Amigos' or 'El Obrero' are among my top choices.

the menu at El Obrero Buenos Aires (via All Points Buenos Aires)

What are stylish people like in Argentina? What influences them? How do people dress on the street? To go out?

There's a funny saying about Porteños (people from Buenos Aires -people of the port) which I think portrays us quite accurately:

"A porteño is an Italian that speaks Spanish, dresses like a French and thinks is an English Lord."

With this I mean, Argentinians are very Classic in their style, and even though they might be up to date with international fashion trends, they don't really follow them. I also see Buenos Aires's fashion very much influenced by Rock and Roll, there's a big devotion for bands from the 70's to 90's which shows in many aspects of society.

When I think of Argentina, I think cow. These weekend bags by Catalina MZ make use of the hide in a way that is both chic and sophisticated, yet raw and rugged at the same time.

What is the fashion industry like in Argentina? Who are your favorite Argentinian designers?

I see in Argentina a vibrating design world growing bigger and stronger every day. There's a lot of talent and some designers really stand out and make honor to the word "Design" (which are the ones I select and sell on my site). Handmade products are my favorites, which makes it all much more interesting. Nowadays, I feel like people are not just seeking for safe and standardized products, but for stronger one of a kind extraordinary ones. My favorite designers/brands are Cabinet Oseo, Tramando, Federico de Alzaga for Aracano, Pablo Ramirez, Lucia Sanchez, Perez Sanz, Trosman.

This tribal chisel cuff by Marcelo Toledo combines forging, embossing and chiseling techniques.

What do you see in the future for Argentinian fashion, and for Latin American fashion in general?

I feel globalization will eventually guide us back to our roots and origins (hopefully!), and just like we will seek refuge in nature, we will want to dress with unique and special pieces, not something mass-produced of which there's ten million pieces of. I think Argentina might benefit from this.

sterling silver marine cufflinks by my favorite Under Our Sky designer, Marcelo Toledo

I know there's lots to look forward to in terms of the future of your very recently launched e-boutique, but what are the new things coming up that you're particularly excited about?

We are adding designers every day, mixing all sorts of products! What really excites me is when I have the chance of collaborating with designers and combine our ideas.

There's also another side to this project which really inspires me and fulfills me. We are soon going to start with our workshops season, where our designers will be teaching underprivileged young people in Argentina, design techniques and how to conceive design projects. A few months later they will develop their own project and present it to us. The best ones will be sponsored by us and their designs will be sold at UnderOurSky.com.

Also, Opening Ceremony is launching the year of Argentinian Designers this month and a lot of very talented designers will be having the opportunity to get worldwide recognition for it. I've contributed with this project in a few different ways for which I'm very excited to see the results!

Sofia, in jewelry by Aracano

photographs (unless stated otherwise) courtesy of Under Our Sky

Cold Picnic at Pool Supplies

Fellow Boston-to-New-York transplants, and two of my favorite fledgling designers Phoebe Sung and Peter Buer showcased Cold Picnic's new goods at Pool Supplies in Brooklyn, an outdoor pop-up marketplace featuring emerging, independent clothing, jewelry, and accessories designers from the area.

Teepee charm bracelets and teepee charm rings. I purchased one of the mobile rings, and have been wearing it nonstop.

The duo seems to have been inspired by knots and tangles as of late.

This braided brass ring was forged out of a mold that was made with rope braided and twisted to this form.

The new macrame necklaces: Phoebe wears one in the background, as a soft accent to her white dress.

Cold Picnic's online shop

'Bunds and Bondage

Rajo Laurel, one of Manila’s most successful womenswear designers, has recently launched a men’s line with some interesting pieces that are distinct and striking, but still very masculine. Here are my favorites:

silk cotton shirt with grosgrain detail

This silk cotton shirt with satin detail reminds me very much of a shirt my friend BJ DIYed and wore to fashion week ages ago.

I would love to have this lattice cummerbund in black to wear with a tuxedo shirt and loose tailored shorts in ivory for a convoluted summer black-tie look.

images via House of Laurel

Smitten by Britten

I'm not one to gush about every other new designer that debuts a collection. Though I try my best to support emerging designers by finding a piece or two that I like and using this to bring attention to their line in my own way, exceptional talent is still such a rarity. So when a new collection takes my breath away, from turtleneck scarf to the sanded tippy toes on oxford brogues, I will wax lyrical.

From Britten Fall 2011

From Britten is a menswear line by Melbourne-based brothers Tim and Alex Britten. Their Fall 2011 collection was an exploration of classic utilitarian men's clothing---they stripped the iconic men's pieces: the shirt, the trench, the jumpsuit, and cleverly reworked them, the entire time challenging the purpose of each component and imagining ways of how they can be improved. Expertly executed, the result is something fresh and farthest from being gimmicky, with the pieces transcending an array of men of different persuasions. I could see the jackets and shirts looking just as good on my straight-laced clean-cut banker friends as they would on crazy old fashion blogger me. Who knew such great menswear was taking shape way down under?

the transcendental simplicity of a narrow-collar raglan-sleeve white dress shirt

I had the honor of having a conversation with the duo, which I'm delighted to share with you now:

In the lookbook, you narrated the inspiration for the collection by way of an ambiguous short story. Could you tell us in a few words what the collection is about?

The story, I guess is an insight to our process of design... It’s truer than you’d imagine! However, for this collection we took inspiration from the idea of the future from the past. We looked at the futurist work of Umberto Boccioni, and movies like Gattaca and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, which was fundamental in creating our silhouette for this season. We focused on the industrial and engineering characteristics of these works, which, like the sophisticated styling in Gattaca, has a uniformed cohesion and is clone like. We also referenced the intricate attention to detail, rough gritty textures and strong shapes present in the film Metropolis as a starting point for our fabric combinations. We wanted to subtly capture the essence of the work wear they may have worn in those times, so the fit was a little boxy and slightly oversized.

the smartly boxy Zeppelin blazer

close-up of the collar on the Ludwig shirt and the fabric on the jacket

What is menswear in Australia like? What are men in Australia like?

A very interesting question! Australia is a very active and lifestyle led country. Historically, our menswear has needed to be very practical and our climate and environment dictates this. However, in Melbourne (Home of From Britten P/L) it is very different to the rest of the country. We have a small but strong fashion scene and is the hub for the rest of the country. We’re a multi-cultural place, with a very European influence, and because we’re so far away we’re quite resourceful.

I noticed a lot of bondage in the Fall 2011 collection, but done in a soft way, e.g. bondage straps in soft leather, buckled closures softly knotted instead of fastened through the buckle, or soft leather "belts" built into the sides of trousers. What was the reason behind this sort of gentle restriction?

soft leather straps on the engineer's coat

The use of leather straps was to do with function - in a luxurious way, like beautiful luggage or watch straps - soft yet strong. It was looking at how the protective wear was fastened in those earlier times, like the cobblers apron for example. Then applying that idea to the garments and creating the desired look.

leather straps help tighten the waistband of pleated trousers

In saying that, our aesthetic and approach is “Sans the Superfluous”. What we design and feature in our design is there for a reason. Utility is a fascination of ours and a defining element of menswear. Of course all this philosophy isn’t any good if it doesn’t look good as well! It’s classic with character.

Everything tastes better with ____ on it.

Humour.

The fake turtleneck has been the highlight of many a comedy show holiday joke, but the Britten brothers somehow manage to make their turtleneck scarf worldly and masculine. Here it is under a shirt with a bunched-up high collar.

and here more scarf-like with a shirt with top button undone

On one of the detail shots of the shoes, a piece of the brogues seems to be made of sanded leather. Are you as obsessed with sanded leather as I am?

Yes the boot and brogue is a combination of leather and brushed leather and we do love it! It was perfect for creating that “sooty” look you might find after a day in the old industrial factory. We played with tone and texture, which followed throughout the collection right down to the shoes.

the multi-textural brogues

What is your take on the current workwear/heritage Americana trend?

There are a lot of parallels between Australian and American historical brands that have been around for 80 odd years. Those brands that created functional products to serve a purpose where the emphasis was on quality that would last, because it wasn’t trend or fashion based. It’s “timeless”. The work-wear trend is not so much a ‘trend’ for us, but Utility in our designs and menswear in particular, is always relevant and something we hold as a strong part of our philosophy. What we look at when we design is the history of the piece. Why is there a collar? Why do men button left side over right? Why are there shoulder flaps on the trench? Why do we call it a blazer? We take this “question everything” approach with all our designs. We subtract, add, and playfully adapt the original ideas, whilst respecting the tradition of where things came from. What may be there is just as important and why it is there. So whilst the look is trendy, it’s always around in one way or another, which is testament to those brands, which have been around so long.

hidden details: blueprint-print lining on a seemingly plain gray jacket

Do you read any blogs, and if so, which do you read? How do these blogs play into the whole scheme of your business?

Blogs are an endless resource for all creatives, and us especially when you need that hit of inspiration! The speed in which things happen, it’s imperative to be up to date with what’s going on. We’ve finally taken the plunge and got twitter, once you start it never ends! We constantly refer to The Dandy Project, Continuous Lean, Archival Clothing, and all the usual suspects. Having said that though, there’s still nothing quite like a magazine.

I have a weakness for all things jumpsuit, and this bomber jumpsuit-suit is high, high up on my list.

What do you like to wear?

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue! Maybe a quality watch (or two) and don’t forget the perfect shoe.

photos via From Britten

Metallics in Manila

Rajo Laurel, one of the Philippines' most successful fashion designers, collaborated with Wharton, a local brand of business wear, and produced quite an interesting and affordable menswear line. I was at the designer’s atelier earlier today and had a little chit-chat with him about his collection "W by Rajo", the Manila scene, and our favorite reality shows.

metallics in Manila: Rajo Laurel for Wharton

According to Rajo, the collection was inspired by the 60's. He has a pet name for it that I identify with at certain levels: "psycho nerd".

Rajo in a passionate fashion-talk

speed sketching: the designer at work

Manila's chicest matrons (my dear mother included) continue to be enthralled by Rajo's creations.

his forte: clean lines that flatter the figure, rendered in rich colors

Ever the enterprising designer, Laurel also makes maternity wear and his own menswear line.

The designer's atelier also serves as an adoptive home to young Filipino talent.

Pictured above is an Emi Jorge metal and raffia minaudiere that reminds me of an eerie sea creature that just emerged from the dark waters of the Celebes Sea.

psychedelic fuchsia-lined bells hanging from the stringent lime ceiling

I was particularly fascinated by the W by Rajo pieces in laminated linen, a special treatment of the fabric that has the same punch as metallic leather, but is light enough to wear in the tropics where it is summer year-round.

W by Rajo laminated linen jackets in light gold and silver

I really liked this blouson in an almost distressed, soft light gold. It gently shimmered instead of garishly mirroring the light, and the relaxed, almost grandfatherly cut of the jacket balanced the shine.

Number (N)ine glasses, W by Rajo light gold jacket, American Apparel tank top, Ann Demeulemeester belt, tailor-made trousers, Number (N)ine shoes

whipstitch and mixing metals: Ann Demeulemeester black and white whipstitched belt and vintage cuff from Amsterdam

the same jacket in silver

W by Rajo silver blazer that I would love to wear oversized and with the cuffs folded up

W by Rajo is available at SM department stores all over the Philippines.

Wharton's Facebook page

Rajo's blog

DIY: The Rorschach Inkblot Jacket

Home for the holidays and then some, I was leafing through clothes I had left in Manila in search of something salvageable. When I found this plain white denim jacket that I had not once worn, I set out to make something beautiful out of it.

white denim jacket by Topman

When the photos from the Dries Van Noten Spring 2011 show came out, I knew those Rorschach-esque ink-blotchy shirts dear old Dries sent down the runway were fairly feasibly DIY-able.

Dries Van Noten Spring 2011 (via GQ.com)

But for this project, I wanted a more literal interpretation of this inkblot test psychologists use to detect underlying thought disorders, so I pulled up photos of Rorschach's original tests for inspiration.

card no. 2 from "Rorschach Test – Psychodiagnostic Plates" (via Wikipedia)

I wanted to do something symmetrical like Rorschach's cards, but not quite. As for the color palette, I was subliminally inspired by the Rajo Laurel dress my mother wore on New Year's Eve, which featured mixed black-and-white prints contrasted with color blocks of bright green:

color inspiration: mixed-print jersey dress by top Filipino designer Rajo Laurel

Here's how I did it:

I drew up a rough sketch of where I wanted to plant the blotches.

I then lined the entire jacket, torso and sleeves, thick with newspaper to prevent the ink from blotting through to the back.

I took a couple of shades of marker refill ink, the strongest ink available in the office supplies store,

and went to town with the ink in a medicine dropper: dropping ink-bombs from about two feet above, and painting graceful ink-blobs on contact. I then heat-set the stains with a hair dryer (not pictured).

But the blots were not as sharp as I had hoped for them to be, and the green ink was a little on the lifeless side, so I decided to accentuate the print with dabs of zesty grass green acrylic.

I squeezed a bit on a paper plate, and added a few highlights with the best paint applicator: my fingers.

The paint dried a deeper, richer color and here's what came out of the jacket:

DIY Rorschach inkblot jacket. (Look closely and tell me what you see.)

And here it is worn:

DIY inkblot jacket, Gap shirt, gray pearl necklace, Louis Vuitton belt, tailor-made trousers, Number (N)ine shoes

Details:

The necklace is a long strand of gray Philippine pearls, the belt is my brother's, now bestowed upon me, and the watch is a Cartier Roadster on navy alligator.

Though they took many a painful and frigid weekend in New York to break in, these Number (N)ine monk-strap flat creepers have become my current favorites. The pair in ever-versatile beige suede seem to bring that much-needed dark Japanese-ness to every outfit.

my wearable psych-test-cum-painting up close

When our family chauffeur saw the jacket and remarked that the pattern seemed to have a meaning he couldn't figure out, I knew my job was done.