Displaying items by tag: Jared Leto

Nobody came as a row of tents or Christmas, but the ‘Camp’ theme, to go along with the New York museum’s new exhibition, isn’t exactly new to the Met Gala. The Met Gala is Fashion Christmas and is definitely not for those who don’t want to stand out.

The more you think about camp, the most confusing and harder it is to define. But, we’ll probably all agree, it’s about colour, print and bigger-is-best outlandishness and there was plenty of competition for the craziest and most attention seeking outfits. Here are TheChicGeek takeaways from the men on the pink carpet:

The Boy With The Pearl Earring 

With Gucci the main sponsor, their poster boy, Harry Styles, was the Co-Chair along with their Creative Director, Alessandro Michele. Harry’s become known for his bold Gucci looks and this didn’t really take it up a notch on the night. It was pretty standard Gucci uniform. But, it was the drop pearl earring that left a lasting impression. Vermeer in his ear, Harry’s pearly earring is a romantic renaissance addition to your jewellery box.

Left - Harry Styles in Gucci

Camp Shoes 

For those a little nervous to embrace the full Liberace campness, it was all down to the shoes. Go for something striking in glitter, studs or sequins.

Right - Ezra Miller in Burberry, Far Right - Rami Malek in Saint Laurent

Still Obsessed With Pink

Pink has become the beige of our era, but it still looks fun and fresh. Especially when it perfectly matches the carpet.

Left - Anderson Paak in Gucci

The Winner 

This idea is straight from the Gucci catwalk, but to have your own version of a Madame Tussauds head tucked under your arm is really something. Jared Leto going out for a pint of milk is pretty camp, at the best of the times, but this stepped it up and added some Adams Family spookiness. 

Right - Jared Leto in Gucci

The Mind Fuck

This make-up reminds me of the creepy Chemical Brothers video, Let Forever Be. While the outfit is meh, the artistry of this is full face look is technically brilliant. Look into my eyes…

Left - Ezra Miller in Burberry

The WTF

All camp roads lead to Gucci and the king is Alessandro Michele, but this feels more sloppy Studio 54 reject than emperor of camp. 

Right - Alessandro Michele in Gucci

The Party Poopers

Move over Normcore, this is Bore-core. I’m sure if you sliced these two in half they’d be a rainbow inside.

From Left - Frank Ocean in Prada, Kanye West in Dickies 

The bum bag or fanny pack, call it what you will, has been on the cusp of style acceptance recently. Teetering on the brink, it finally came thru this season. YAS! Now, it feels right. It could be all the 90s sportswear or its practicality, but from designer to high-street to online we’re seeing the renaissance of this hands free solution.

Left - Jared Leto Guccifying his bum bag

It's perfect for festivals or when you want some extra security. You can wear it two ways: the classic around the waist or, like the kids, across the body. 

Left - Louis Vuitton - Géronimos - £775

Below - Streetstyle cross body inspiration 

Left - Weekday - Nylon Bumbag - £20 from ASOS

Left - Herschel - Khaki Orange Cross Body Bag - £45 from Topman

Far Left - Eastpak - Springer Bonded Blue - £22

Left - Jack Russell - £305

Below - Supreme X Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton AW17

Happy New Year, Chic Geeks. What a year. Fashion years are a bit like dog years, so much happens and so much is forgotten about, while other things, unpredictably, have such an impact and filter out into the mainstream. Here's what I can remember from 2016. Tweet me your thoughts on #TheChicGeekAwards 

Best Label of 2016 - Loewe

There weren’t many labels to rival Gucci this year, and while I (still) love it, I wanted to recognise something else. J W Anderson creates ‘fashion’ which is becoming harder and harder to find these days. Being the head of the Spanish label, Loewe, pronounced Loo-wavay, it has allowed his ideas to be polished with their skills in leather goods and skins.

He has created a clean high-fashion label out of Loewe, it’s almost like a male Celine, but with touches of humour and seasonal difference which gives it life without being too gimmicky and themed. If only we could afford it. He’s done such a good job here it wouldn’t be a surprise if he got the top job at Louis Vuitton, eventually. 

Best New Label of 2016 - Gosha Rubchinskiy

‘Designing’ since 2008, this Russian designer is part of the non-fashion, sportswear trend that infiltrated the po-faced - read East London - side of fashion, this year. While he didn’t create anything new, he subverted like a professional and hit the sweet spot when it came to pricing the designer market. There’s a real market for affordable designer clothes and the Comme backed Gosha is cleaning up with his sweatshirts and skater style pieces. We’re spending more time in the gym and this is being reflected in our clothes and this is where it meets high-fashion with a side order of 80s charity shop.

Best High Street of 2016 - ASOS

With annual sales now standing at £1.4bn, ASOS is the ‘high-street’ giant of the internet. It’s obviously doing something right and it wins TheChicGeek Award for best high-street for its pure experimentation and ridiculousness. From Yeezy inspired Mad Max looking outfits to Gucci pussy-bow shirts, ASOS has the depth of choice at a price everybody can afford. 

Where once the high-street copied designers, now, due to the sheer volume of product needed, they come up with their own ideas and run with it. Just don’t buy the ‘Super Skinny Fit’. Sequinned trousers, anybody?

Best Grooming Product 2016 - Boldking Razor

The razor market is dominated by the big players who out discount each other to monopolise the supermarket and pharmacy. They do innovate, but slowly, so it was nice to hear of a small player thinking differently. 

The big difference here is the blades are further apart to prevent clogging, which, if you have thick, coarse hair, will happen a lot. Plus the razor comes with a suction cup to put on your mirror or sink, out of the way. Simply yet effective.

The branding is really good. Gone are the muscles and steamed up mirrors: replaced by cute graphics and chatty instructions. This feels modern, it feels like there’s no pressure to be a certain type of man, it’s simply about shaving and doing a good job. Time to start shaving again. Hello, Boldking. More here

Best Grooming Brand 2016 - Buly

Parisian brand, Buly, takes you back to a fantasy time of apothecaries and Renaissance snake oil salesmen where there’s a tortoiseshell comb for every part of your body. Where things have more meaning than is obvious, at first, and time-honoured traditions are bottled and squeezed into metal tubes and glass jars. This brand is all about the packaging which is always a big thing when it comes to grooming and beauty products.

I’ve tried the toothpaste - orange, clove and ginger - and the shaving cream - read more here

They add a difference and excitement to the grooming routine and the products work. They’re not cheap, but they’re special and feel like a historical treat. 

Fragrance of the Year 2016 - Dunhill Icon Absolute

2016 was a bit of a disappointment from mainstream fragrance brands. The power of the fashion brand has waned and their offerings don’t feel as special or as premium as they once did. People are moving towards niche and specialised fragrance houses which offer something of quality, but at a higher price, usually.

Fashion brands and their licensees are too quick to release and they don’t commit to the fragrances they produce and thus fall by the wayside very quickly. I wanted to choose something more mainstream. Technically, this came out in 2015, but I only discovered it, this year. Even though Dunhill Icon won TheChicGeek Award last year, this Absolute version is completely different in a good way.

The top notes are bergamot and black pepper, middle notes are saffron, black rose and jasmine and base notes are agarwood (oud), tobacco leaf and leather. It smells really exotic and rich and warm and keeps you coming back for more. It doesn’t really last, but that’s okay, it’s not ridiculously expensive. I’ve smelt this on a few people over the year and it’s instantly recognisable. This really is rather good if you like something rich and intoxicating.

Most Stylish Programme 2016 - Deutschland ‘83

Forget the shoulder pads and power dressing, Deutschland ’83, was a lesson in Eastern European sportswear and military dressing. It was the great pop soundtrack of 80s classics that got us channelling our East Berlin realness and Vetements irony that made us want to stay firmly behind the wall. 

Best Menswear Collaboration 2016 - Craig Green X Bjorn Borg

Affordability seems to be the word of 2016. Collaborations needs to tap a new market or appeal to those priced out. That’s why H&M always seem to do so well. Craig Green teamed up with Bjorn Borg this year to produce a collection that didn’t meet in the middle, it just gave the great unwashed Craig Green at a price they could afford. His samurai favourites were here in a capsule collection of unisex pieces. Doubles your market, natch!

Special ChicGeek Award 2016 - Dover Street Market

While the world tipped towards online, and the high-street continued to try to pile it high and sell it cheap, Dover Street Market moved.

It became what it should have always been. It got a proper retail space and had a flow and order to it. It’s dedication to designers and their visions will make Dover Street Market the hardcore venue and destination for devotees of the catwalk and its silliness. This is serious fashion for those who can’t see the humour in it all, but mock what you will, it’s nice that a Dover Street Market as good as this one exists in London.

Most Stylish Man of 2016 - Jared Leto

If you’re going to be a ‘style icon’ you need to take risks. We can all do a Thom Sweeney three piece suit with a horseshoe waistcoat and look the part, but it’s those little touches and breaking-out-of-the-mould outfits that gets TheChicGeek nod. 

I’ve never been a fan of Jared Leto, not really sure why, but since he became Alessandro Michele’s dress-up doll, he’s really committed, with both GG logoed feet, to the Gucci renaissance. Some have been hits, other misses, but it’s definitely not safe and hats off to him.

Turkey of 2016

We got a lesson in how not to launch a website this year with Condé Nast’s style.com. The much delayed and anticipated site was supposed to use their expertise and kudos in the luxury market to rival Net-a-Porter and matchesfashion.com by using the power of their magazine brands and offering a new take on curated commerce. What we got was a quiet launch of something that didn’t have much content, was a shopping portal and didn’t offer anything new in a saturated luxury market. It will be interesting to see whether they further commit to this or quietly shelve it and put it down to experience. Read more here

What are your thoughts? #TheChicGeekAwards

This isn't flower-power in the traditional hippie sense. This is flower-power in the Jared-Leto-at-the-Oscars way. Oversized corsages worn with confidence and a modern masculinity. We've got the all new singing and dancing Gucci to thank for these floral flourishes. For SS16, things are bold and colourful. These are perfect for something different for a prom or an evening wear look. Wear where a bow-tie or neck tie would be, or add in your button hole. Who said menswear wasn't fun?!

Left - Jared Leto in Gucci at the 2016 Oscars

Left - The peacock male, Gucci's SS16 advertising campaign

Below - The corsage on the Gucci SS16 catwalk

How to make your own flower-power corsage:

1. Look for a large silk headed flower. I found some good ones in the local pound shop. Go for a dark colour, if you want masculine, or bright, fuchsia pink, if you really want to stand out.

2. Use pliers to snip off the flower head from the wire stem.

3. Find a piece of ribbon, long enough to tie around your neck. Use a ribbon from a carrier bag, if you can find one, or buy a small length.

4. Snip, using a pair of scissors, a small hole in the middle of the ribbon.

5. Push the stem of the flower through and, using a glue gun, generously secure the end to the ribbon.

Voila! You're red carpet ready!

Left - One TheChicGeek made earlier!

See how TheChicGeek styles his here

Left - dunhill SS16

Right - Bally SS16