September is a month when you want to squeeze out the last rays of sunshine. Whether that’s a late holiday, or the hope of an Indian Summer, we’re not quite ready yet to pack away all our warm weather gear.

Left - Marrakshi Life - Pinstriped Cotton-Blend Shirt - £260 from matchesfashion.com

One brand which specialises in a floaty, 40 degree fantasy of Summer is Marrakshi Life. They were invited to the recent Barcelona Fashion Week and the use of colour and oversized shapes piqued my interest.

Launched in 2013 by New York photographer Randall Bachner, Marrakshi Life uses the local skills of Moroccans to give us that romantic Getty fantasy of North Africa.

The brand says they are “using the skill of traditional Morrocan weaving practices and a desire to take this sartorial heritage forward, Marrakshi Life uses ancient techniques to create clothing that is authentic yet with a fashion-forward urban twist.” 

Bachner is committed to supporting responsible manufacturing via sustainable, low impact production methods. He describes his atelier in Marrakech as a community rather than a factory. Visitors to Marrakshi Life can experience the family feel whilst viewing the whole process from textile creation to finished design. 

Right - Marrakshi Life - French X-Long Cuff Shirt - $323

Always wanted to visit Marrakech? See what happened when TheChicGeek visited the YSL museum there - here

Good knitwear is catnip to any stylish man and quality, fine knitwear is the most versatile in your wardrobe: taking you from winter through to the beginning of summer and back again.

A new brand on TheChicGeek’s radar is MG Rivers. Set up by Juliette Sherwood, who has a background in design and fashion, her mission was to shake-up men's knitwear. She pulled in her good friend Natasha Whitelock, who has a background in events and fashion wholesale and previously worked at Holland Cooper, to launch this new men's brand. The brand name is a conflation of names and initials important to them and was chosen because it conjures up a vision of a traditional British man.

The brand has launched with a selection of brightly hued extrafine merino and silk blend V-necks inspired by the classic cricket jumper. Cuffs, necks and waistbands are embellished with distinctive signature merino and silk ribbon trims, inspired by the ribbons of military decorations and each mixing one bright tone with two heritage colours to distinctive effect. The jumpers are made from the very highest quality Italian yarn and made in Europe.

Tank-tops and bomber-jacket style cardigans are in the pipeline from the brand.

Above & Right - MG Rivers - Extrafine Merino V Neck Jumpers - £185 -www.mgrivers.com

It was while at the Copenhagen fashion trade show, CIFF, previewing the forthcoming SS19 collections, when I noticed Phipps International. It was a print featuring extinct animals and the quirky and current twist on Americana and the great outdoors that made me stop and take note.

Left - Phipps International - Cotton-terry track top- £620 from Matchesfashion.com

I soon discovered that the previous collection, AW18, had been bought by matchesfashion.com and is available now.

Phipps International was established in 2017 by Spencer Phipps. Born and raised in San Francisco, he studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City graduating in 2008 with a nomination as “designer of the year” for his final year collection - an initial exploration of sustainable fashion.

He started his career at Marc Jacobs as part of the menswear design team and after, relocated to Antwerp to work with Dries Van Noten. 

Currently based in Paris, Phipps, was founded on the principles of respect and curiosity for the natural world. 

“We are exploring the concept of sustainability and environmental responsibility in the realm of style. Our goal is to change the way we as a culture consume by creating products that are made with respect for the environment, that can educate and enhance lives. We are always striving to improve our practice as we move forward and, as a modern fashion company, we are simply trying to do the right thing,” says Phipps.

Right - Phipps International SS19 - The extinct species print shirt that caught me eye at CIFF

What started as a small T-shirt project between friends has rapidly grown to become a modern, globally conscious fashion brand focused on building a like-minded community with the goal of re-connecting consumers to nature and the world around them. 

The products are said to be made with integrity and are created with consideration for the environment using sustainable manufacturing practices and eco-friendly materials. Many of its producers are certified by GOTS or other environmental certification organisations which help to ensure that our products are made ethically. 

In addition, most of their garments are made in Portugal which, as a country, is a global leader in the development of sustainable practices. All of their manufacturers there are required by law to recycle their waste appropriately, re-use treatable water, use alternative energy as much as possible, and follow fair trade labour practices. 

Left - One of the jackets of the season SS19

One certainty is the trainer/sneaker/casual shoe juggernaut shows no sign of slowing down. Young men are now the biggest purchasers of footwear - Read more #ChicGeekComment The Mass Male Sneakerheads - and trainers are driving this addiction.

A new trainer label to know is Oliver Cabell. Founded in England, but now based in the US, Oliver Cabell was started in 2016 by Scott Gabrielson, who left his job at a non-profit and moved to England to start a business. With no fashion, retail, or start-up experience, Scott relied on his passion for balanced design and quality products to launch Oliver Cabell. 

Left - Oliver Cabell - Ash - £145

In 2015 Gabrielson came across a news story from the 1970s highlighting a heavy night out for actors Oliver Reed and Steve McQueen. He had long been inspired by the rebellious duo, who spurred a generation to take the road less travelled. In the 1960s Reed and McQueen played the characters Oliver Twist and Martin Cabell, and he combined the two and came up with "Oliver Cabell". 

As for the night out? It turns out even the “King of Cool”, Steve McQueen, proved no match for the Oliver Reed life force. The story goes that McQueen flew to London to discuss a project. Putting business aside, for a bit, the duo went on a marathon pub crawl, which resulted in Reed losing his lunch on McQueen. The project was never finished.

Right - Oliver Cabell - Amazon - £145

All Oliver Cabell footwear is made in Spain using Italian materials, and for every piece they create, they reveal their costs and tell the story of the people behind it. (This is part of the new trend of brand “Pricing Transparency” - Read more about it here ChicGeekComment Pricing Transparency)

Doing the intelligent thing of releasing new styles gradually, Oliver Cabell are launching, in two new colourways, Amazon and Ash, in their Rennes retro looking trainer. Made with 3oz suede, full-grain leather, and rubber shore A outsoles, all are sourced directly from the Tuscan region of Italy.