Menswear.

Here are some videos of my favourite FashionShows that me and Mother went to and my views on what are the key trends for the seasons ahead, so you can incorporate these into your outfits should you wish. See the shows below.

Trends In Menswear. 

For Spring/Summer.

 Double-Breasted.

The Double-Breasted silhouette is timeless. The fit, colour, button size… every detail deserves a soliloquy at an arm’s length. I have the classic quartet of black, navy, cream and grey in my hanging closet. The clean sculpted lines, the waspish waist, and high armholes that are closely linked with the impeccable craftsmanship is what makes the Double-breasted suit perfect for every man, no matter is size or shape. Look to Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna and Lanvin for the best examples of this seasons take on the Double-Breasted suit. I usually slip into one of my suits if I have a State Event or a Charity Gala, a wedding or one even of the legendary Marley cocktail parties at their estate to attend. However, I feel I should make a pact to dress that little bit smarter every day, not to mention how much better you feel in yourself and how others treat you with more respect if you look more smart and clean-cut when you’re in a classic suit/shirt combo. Not to be reserved for evening, I wore my grey suit out for a lunch with some friends; rolled up my sleeves, unbuttoned the collar, lowered the tie and slung the jacket over my shoulders. Felt a million dollars; and because I did, others looked at me like I was. That’s a lesson we all should put into practice.

Luggage.

Whether I’m jetting to Paris on a buying trip, lounging in St. Barts or snow-boarding in the Swiss Alps; it is so important to have the appropriate luggage. There are many things to take into consideration: size, weight, colour, material, durability. If you have the wrong spec, the trip could be hindered. This is some of the luggage I have in my collection (and some I have my eye on), any of which have yet to fail me. The importance of the holdall is massively underestimated; if I have to go on a last minute weekend trip I just grab my faithful Mulberry, chuck in the essentials and go. I also have a couple of Paul Smith holdalls or weekenders with the colour-pop purple lining, always a treat for the eyes on a long trip. If you want to invest in a classic case I would recommend Valextra, the soft leather, the simple lines and curved corners mean these will last you a lifetime.

Colour.

No matter if you’ve went for the unapologetic brights of this season or invested in the darker, more classic colours that will become pieces of your “forever” wardrobe. A confident investment in colour this season is fundamental. Electric pastels, bold primary shades and saturated inky tones have revamped up the contrast levels for sportswear and tailoring alike. With colour everywhere there’s no excuse to be a dull Dick or dreary Danielle. Look to Jil Sander, Prada, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton for my favourite looks. A friend of mine is so into colour that when she went to the funeral she wore a bright blue Alexander McQueen kaleidoscope body-con dress saying: “This is as dark as I’m willing to go…look at my shoes, they’re black.” They were Christian Laboutin courts, black with a horse hair mane down the heel brushed with white, total unsuitable for the cobbles. What is she like? That is the kind of attitude we should all have towards life and colour in general.                       Ps. Don’t let the weather dull down your fashion chops, even when in northern Italy I still manage to look cool and ready to mingle with the Berlusconi’s.

Military.

I say this like it’s a new trend but this one has been around for a while. With military having a moment and the utilitarian vibe (studs, 3D pockets, buckles, sips …) influencing a number of fashion houses, it is important to remember that hard-wearing fabrics, iconic shapes and dusty desert neutrals which can fade easily into classic safari, with the crumpled techno materials and practical hardware of the traveller never far from the action. However, at Miharayasuhiro the military look has been captured perfectly with the uniform pieces that have a retro “actually would useful in a war” look to them. Remember try to look cooler than I did at that ill-advised boot camp in South Africa (dusty face + being charged at by a rhinoceros + sweaty red face caused by panic trying to escape the ferocious horn of aforementioned rhinoceros = not a good look). 

Watches.

You can never go wrong with a classic watch. Although I’m not really a watch wearer, I still feel they are an important part of any man’s wardrobe. I have a Gold Rolex passed down to me from my Grandfather and a Platinum Patek Philippe that was a gift from a friend but I don’t yet feel the need to wear them, maybe it’s because I don’t have meetings to attend every day and we all have the time on our phones, laptops, iPods, cars et al. When I feel I’ve grown up, maybe then, who knows…? Anyway here are some of the great watch designs for this season.

Sunglasses.

I have a fare few pairs of sunglasses, most of which are the classic aviator style from Prada, Chanel, Ray Bans (fathers, before they became so over worn by... everyone, of course) and Tom Ford. But over the weekend, on a shopping trip to Belgium, I spotted a number of locals with sunglasses of the oddest styles on that didn’t match their outfit, yet, matched and they look damn good in them. A strangely private bunch, all of whom refused point-blank to be photographed... weird, right.  But luckily this season is awash with wacky styles that say “Hey, look! A real funny bugger is under here”. Only wear ironically; if they are worn serious in a, “I’m so quirky and such a unique and individual… individual”, all I can say is: Prepare for dirty looks. Yes I am to talking to you Leah, for those of you not in the know, Leah is an old classmate from school who was into “alternative” music and loved unknown bands but discarded them when they were discovered (there is a reason it’s called pop music, its popular because people other than you like it. Copper Boom!). She also loved to comment on how everyone but her had “sold out” by buying Lady Gaga’s CD or watching The X Factor but, answer me this, if one spreads ones interest between different genres of music, surely that is not to sell out, rather than her, who focused all her purchases in the metal and “alternative” genre. Surely that is what the definition of “selling out” should be. Sorry about the rant, here are some of the eye-catching *chuckle* styles that are out now.

Floral.

Not usually one for the menswear trends, unless in a slightly odd shirt worn by a try-hard colleague or worse by your Dad on holiday in the Bahamas. However, we have moved away from the wallpaper print and went for a more cutting-edge, digital perspective of the flower power. Even a hand painted floral is a fresher look at an old favourite and this will kill two birds with one stone as paint splatter appears to be making somewhat of a splash on the scene. Style Note – mix different textures, materials, sizes and methods of floral into one outfit, if you dare to be so on trend someone may keel over and go into shock over your style savvy; although having said that I would limit it to one or two pieces at any one time, if you feel the need to layer up your prints try it with a stipe (the natural shape of the flowers contrast with the sharp/clean stripe and make you stand out in the sea of grey and black out there).

Paint Splatter.

Go for an actual paint splattered piece rather than a print to keep it individual, there is nothing worse than repetition of a random pattern. Oxymoron much? Think thick, Pollock style strokes, 3D splatters that are interesting to the touch, like my work clothes when I worked on the refitting of Balmoral. Artwork with the potential to be chaotic but with precise control and carefully edited is where you want to be at. At Kris Van Assche the detail was focused on certain areas such as the shoulder or the hip. This trend was shown on t-shirts, trench coats and even chinos. At Wooyoungmi, an ink-splashed shirt collar or cuff peered out from under a sharp blazer proving just how effective the “less is more” mantra is. A monochrome look was favoured at Jean Paul Gaultier, who covered leather biker jackets, tailoring and knits in hefty splashing of white paint. Also see Dries Van Noten, Wooyoungmi and James Long. 

Psychedelic.

Bursts of colour and swirling prints are back… really?... yes really. When broken down to its component parts, the psychedelic trend is surprisingly transferable to your everyday wardrobe. For example; tie-dye, pastel colours, crochet panels and screen printing, all of them together may be too overbearing but putting elements of the trend into your work wardrobe can be surprisingly easy and can also make your suit pop and look more up to date than the minimalist look favoured of late. My favourite examples of this 70s characteristic are from the James Long, JW Anderson, Paul Smith and Just Cavalli shows. “Whoa! I’m soooo on trend, it’s unreal, man.” Remember: try not to look like you were actually high and in a psychedelic place when you chose the outfit, not a good look on anyone. So can you be stylish and psychedelic, if you take inspiration from these looks below.

Check, Polka-Dot and Stripe.

With perennial pattern directions like check and stripes, it’s the modern updates that keep things exciting. This season, audacious tweaks have seen mere shirting staples having a graphic impact over formalwear as a whole; exaggerated scale and canny reworkings of traditional themes highlight a subversive take on tailoring. I have so many striped jumpers, plaid shirts and a couple of blazers of the striped /check /tweed nature, that before I would have kept separate but have now mixed them together and really rocked the “geography teacher chic” look.  Have a look at the Italo Zucchelli, Calvin Klein, Kenzo, Tom Brown and Hilfiger shows for a modern look at the patterns of the moment, geography teacher with a touch of Americana (or an American geography teacher) look is the way forward. Pass the map and compass...

Double Breasted Suit. 

Luggage. 

Colour. 

Military. 

Watches.

Sunglasses. 

Floral.

Paint Splatter. 

Psychedelic. 

Check, Polka-Dot And Stripes. 

Film&Music.

Film has a great influence on what we see on the catwalk, films such as "BlackSwan" have caused a surge in ballet style garments being sent down the runway and Kiera Knightly in "Atonement" caused a interest in green silk evening dresses.  In Music, the pop star of today is an icon: Lady Gaga has redefined what a pop star is, with her made-up look 24/7 and her bizarre fashions, she has also changed the face of music with her music videos... scratch that, her music films. I will also update live as I discover new bands and soloists.

A truly brilliant and haunting psychological thriller with an Oscar winning performance from Natalie Portman. Expect to see a number of ballet inspired trends appearing on the catwalk over the coming seasons. Also great acting from Mila Kunis (who is Meg Griffin from "Family Guy", no it's not a joke, look it up.) 

 Adele is having somewhat of a moment. Sound-tracking all the coolest catwalk shows - fashion has chosen it's new poster girl. The live performance at the BRITs, in my opinion is superior to the recorded version as it is so pretty. We have to meet our daily quota of three listenings of Someone like you. > "Someone like yuuuuuoooo......."; nailed it!

You know how people say "Not just a pretty face" Well, the case with, Karl Lagerfeld muse Baptiste Giabiconi is that he his just a pretty face because, let's be honest, there is nothing going on between those ears. Named as the male Gisele (or just a "Blue steel-punting cheese ball" - according to Style magazine), he isn't even that pretty a face; so there is no excuse for having to endure this four minute two second vanity project. In fact, pause it right now, play Adele instead (we need to reach that quota...) because this is truly awful. 

Actually... why do I have it on here?

This is "Take over the world" by The Courteeners. A truly great song, and a very good one to listen to when looking at our photo-shoot. Because the photo-shoot starts in London and ends in New York City, you really get the feeling of us taking over the world (of fashion). And, yes, it is the song from the Visa adverts. The strong euphoric vibe of the chorus makes for an escape every time you listen to the song. And I defy you to listen to this and not be singing along by the second line of the first chorus. 

#"I think it's time for me and yoouuu..., to take over the wooorld..."#

Boy, can I hit those notes!

Photography.

I dabble in Photography, well... since Mother treated me to a new camera so this is just a small collection of my personal photographs. Also this is some of the Artwork from my past, present and... well obviously not the future as that would be impossible.

In Search Of Eustace. 

Scottish photographer David Eustace is a siesmograph - his portraits have a way of exposing what lies beneath the surface.

On what would become a life-changing experiance for both, David and his daughter Rachael set out on a road trip accross America to find a town in Texas caled Eustace. Hence the name "In Search Of Eustace".

For those of you who were paying attention, this is the Rcahael who is a contributing editor of this website. Watch the video below for an intimate viewing of the experiance, that both will remember forever.

Illustration.

Illustration is a passion of mine as well as fashion design,I'm happy that I can show you a selection of my sketches that I've created or adapted, that embody how I see the AF girl and her attitude and style. Usually these are only privy to those who are invited to the gallery showings or see them while visiting the manor but a few of my peers suggested I let the public view them.                      

so here they are...

Illustration By Adam French. "Cover Girl".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Veronica".

  Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow With Signature Mask".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow With Signature Mask".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Daphne Guinness".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Anime Girl".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Barbra Streisand".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffanys".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Veronica Lake; The Origional Blonde Bombshell".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow (With Adam French Tattoo...Of Course)".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Barbra Streisand; My Name Is...".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Marilyn Monroe Over The Steam Grate".

 Illustration By Adam French."Marlene Dietrich".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow In My Hat".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Katherine Hepburn".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow Wearing THAT Hat".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Ingrid Bergman".

Illustration By Adam French. "Sophia Loren".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Girl In Jumper".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Daphne Guinness".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Mae West". 

 Illustration By Adam French. "Scarlett O'Hara".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Marilyn Monroe".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Audrey Hepburn, Photograph By Richard Avedon".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Isabella Blow Wearing Chinatown Hat".

 Illustration By Adam French. "Mae West".

Below are some of my illustrations that i have adapted using Photoshop, just to make them take on a different angle. I hope you agree that they look pretty cool. 

TableBooks.

While lounging in the manor library or in a hotel lobby, I love nothing more than reading or just flicking through a great coffee table hardback. I have come across a great few lately, and these are some of the TableBooks that I purchased and now read in the drawing room.

Illustration.

With Royal Wedding fever that took over the nation (nee.... the world) I was in the mood to design a few wedding dresses myself. Not that Princess William of Wales or Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge didn't look beautiful, she would look equally beautiful in any of these. Put on dress, complete with crown: Catherine's motto (well, not really, but it should be). 

Words By Adam French.

 Illustrations by Adam French © AdamFrench.Ltd.

Photography by Adam French © AdamFrench.Ltd. 

StylishIndividuals Photographs From "The Urban Gentleman".

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