Yep! Michael Kors has made magic again. The iconic designer created and showed an impeccable line for this fall and winter last spring – did you get that?
Well…Fall is finally here!
Last spring, Michael took some of the most basic colors, used them on incredibly tasteful materials and created a line that will make this fall and winter hard to forget. Fashion wise, what you do with your time is your business. Bright classic red in plaid prints and cable knit sweaters are perfectly paired with solid black for a bold, loud look but yet sophisticated, elegant, and effortless.
An oversized tweed print in a classic grey makes blazers and jackets look over the top expensive, polished and masculine, while the neutral browns and khakis add a sporty and casual sense to the overall chic line.
Michael Kors, yet again, dresses up Fall the best way possible – classically chic, making us incredibly excited that cold weather is finally here!
People constantly ask us where we get our style inspiration. It’s really pretty easy to answer. We’re inspired by music, youth, comfort and what makes us feel insanely sexy. Isn’t that what everyone wants when they slip into something and design their own style aesthetic??? The reality is, no one is wrong about style because style is dependent upon your own personal perspective. Therefore, we might love some Hip Hop street clothes, but we only pick those pieces we feel inspired by to include in our own personal closet. Everyone should do the same.
Style is personal.
So what kinds of things do the boys of raannt like stylistically, we’re often asked. Well, Alex definitely falls towards high end brands while mixing it with Latino cultural accessories of leather bracelets and rosaries. He is obsessed with wingtips. We both are. Alex is definitely a child of today and the future while Peter falls towards yesteryear, obsessed with vintage shopping, western shirts, tattoos and finds his style more reminiscent of rock stars from the 70’s, walking a lonely path in the deserted Southwest.
One thing we both have in common…we’re obsessed with Gold and glam. We can’t get enough of it, as you’ll see in our style picks for this week. Below we’ve gathered several images we’re adding to our own style closets: tight cuffed jeans, tattoos, thin suspenders, high gloss and gold wingtips(especially the Prada Spazzolato Derby Wingtip), Cole Haan wingtip sneakers(we promise to never mention wingtips again), vintage concert tanks, digital gold watches, latex shirts and cute, innocent socks. Who can resist a guy in a cute pair of socks?
You don’t think about him much anymore; hardly ever. So it surprises you how emotional you get when, while looking for Halloween decorations in the basement, you come along Grandpa’s old Red Wing Boots he wore all over town. They’re scuffed and worn, but they still remind you of him, laced up for fall and winter, a parka and scarf wrapped around him tight as he’d go off into the fall and winter nights to deliver a child on the other side of town.
You grab one of the boots and instantly notice the sound of something rattling inside. It’s your Grandpa’s old Longines watch, the one he’d take off and lay on top of the tv every night when he came in from his office. You slip the watch around your wrist and notice that it’s a little too large. Your grandpa was a big man. Bigger than you remember. It will be hard to fill his shoes.
You step into the boots to find they are exactly a perfect fit. You walk around for a few minutes while the dogs chase the dancing untied laces skating on the floor and find yourself very proud of your new discoveries. Fashion without a story is boring. Fashion with history, well…that’s almost too good to be true.
We believe this fall and winter will represent an appreciation for the past and a story in every piece of work. Vintage pieces will be mixed with new styles and designs, but the staples; shoes, watches, etc, might be founded in the traditional. For a great look, pair it with tighter, cuffed, dark denim jeans, a cool flannel and some dark sunglasses. See a great example HERE on this AMAZING fashion blog we found Angel’s Point of View, about fashion photographer Angel Verde!
Check Ebay for vintage Redwing and Doc Martin boots as well as Longine, Elgin and other men’s and women’s vintage watch brands.
Be Yourself. Be Fearless. Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!
Nothing says style more than a perfect chunky watch. First of all, they go with everything! Yes…Everything! Throw on a leather jacket, some shades, a pair of jeans, your favorite shoes and a chunky watch and you go from looking average to incredibly stylish and “expensive”. Really, the magic of a good watch is that it adds style and funk to your personality and an all-around edge. Michael Kors has mastered the artistry of fashion and style with his watches at an extremely reasonable price. For this fall, and for any season really, pick up one of Michael Kors signature watches and show the world you’re ready for… whatever!
The success of last week’s Fashion’s Night Out/Indianapolis events can personally be described as revolutionary. The night was filled with fashion related events throughout the evening and allowed fashion lovers to really express themselves. The magical minds behind Pattern Indyand SocialClub19 put a team together to jump from hot spot to hot spot to experience the evening as a whole, witness each highlight of the night’s events and share with the world what Indianapolis has to offer with its very first official Fashion’s Night Out.
We started the night at the Indianapolis Artsgarden in downtown Indy for a pre -reception where we were introduced to many fashion bloggers, photographers, venders, sponsors, and designers eager to showcase their work and style. Pattern Indy couldn’t have picked a better place for the start of the night. The energy, fueled by the commotion of the city, really set the vibe for the night.
Nightlights TV captured the action, not only at the Artsgarden, but throughout the whole night. We’ve included their videos to help capture the experience. (Special thanks to Jason Jolliff of Nightlights TV who made the night especially entertaining!)
Video From The Indianapolis Artsgarden:
From downtown we drove to the Fashion Mall in a stretch Hummer limo, courtesy of A Class Act Limo!
First we stopped at Saks Fifth Avenue, one of our personal faves, watched a fashion show, and chatted with blogger and Indy columnist Leslie Bailey who hosted a blogger/media lounge.
Next, we literally shuffled our butts down to the Nordstrom wing, where you could really feel the energy of people and vendors celebrating the night. Tiffany’s and Co. had a photobooth, a DJ and the chicest set up of the night! The beautiful people representing the new luxury development City Way taught us all about what’s new to come downtown, including shops, restaurants and The Alexander, A Dolce Hotel.
From the Fashion mall we went to our second to last stop; the international Indianapolis Airport. The idea of having a FNO event at the airport really peaked our interest. The airport relatively young, huge, open, modern, and in the past has hosted incredible parties. Needless to say we were excited to see what they had in store for us. Although it wasn’t what we were expecting, the efforts were definitely showcased. The problem, for us, was the size of the pop up shops they were showcasing. Although it was an interesting concept, we think it was probably lost in the planning. An ongoing fashion show would have been amazing and would have garnered more attention as some people walking by seemed rather confused about the gathering. It was also a long distance to drive to see several designers who’s work we’ve seen showcased several times before. But…they were extremely friendly and worked hard even late into the night!
The Video From the Airport:
The night wrapped at Blu, where we sat around with our fellow Fashion’s Night Out-ers for the official after party. We shared our thoughts, opinions, ideas, and future concepts for next years round of Fashion’s Night Out.
Video From the Blu After Party:
Wait…you didn’t REALLY think you were going to get off that easy were you…NOT from the boys of raannt! Hahahahaha…here’s our real thoughts!
Although they would never identify themselves as the real organizers of Fashion’s Night Out, it was obvious to us that Jeremiah Williams of Social Club 19 and photographer Polina Osherov of Patternobviously had tons to do with making this event a success. What impressed us most, was that we thanked them several times, and on every occasion they assured us Fashion’s Night Out was a collaborative effort to further the fashion industry in Indianapolis. Never once did they take full, or really any, ownership of the event. We found this extremely refreshing because it has been our experience in the past that ownership of fashion events has appeared very important to some people…just saying. Anyway, you both did an incredible job and deserve a round of applause!
We’d also like to extend a special thanks to our limo buddies who made the night a complete blast! In no particular order…you know who you are! Also, a special thanks to Indiana Vodka who made the end of the night in the limo a more than pleasant ride. As one young lady mentioned, as she passed the bottle after taking a swig, “It’s so smooth and pure. Where can we buy it?”…It was literally the perfect advertisement! Only classy bitches swig Indiana Vodka! All jokes aside, we made some great friends that night and look forward to many more nights with those folks! Special thanks go out toDedee Johnson of Forefront Indy! She was so completely endearing and genuine that we couldn’t help but find ourselves intrigued and delighted with her! She completely made our night! Hope you enjoyed your pajamas from Sweet Revenge! (By the way, the corsets designed by Sweet Revenge owner and designer Catherine Fritsch are so incredibly hot, if we were women, we’d wear them every day! Check them out HERE and Catherine..if you begin designing menswear, please let us know!)
And most importantly…who got Best Dressed in Indianapolis for Fashion’s Night Out??? Well, it didn’t take us long to come up with a name. While we were watching the fashion show we ran into our good friend Laura Greenspan of Louis Vuitton, who was leaving work and catching the tail end of the fashion show at Saks. She is also a friend of Reka from 100.9 RadioNOW, who was also in the limo with us, and she encouraged Laura to come along with us for the ride around town. When we stepped outside, we found Laura waiting for us, completely redressed from some clothes she found in her car. We were amazed! She always looks absolutely incredible, but this night especially, she looked like a columnist for Italian Vogue. Do you speak Italian Laura…Oh, well…congrats anyway! Definitely look for yourself on our Best of Indy List in December…NOT to mention our annual Sexy List! Reka and her friend Victoria also looked pretty badass…especially the shoes!
It was also great running into designer Ian Stikeleather, Zoe Renee Ashley Huse, Charles Letbetter, Leslie Bailey and Maggie Conner(of the Haute Hoosier) and her gorgeous sister! By the way Maggie, we totally agree with you on worst dressed: that boy band dressed in the white 1980’s Miami rejects was horrific! Who…would actually wear that crap???
Until next year
Be Yourself. Be Fearless. Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!
Our favorite brand, Prada, has released a new cologne, Luna Rossa, just in time for the fall season. The name of this new cologne is a dedication to the sailboat and sailing team, Red Moon, or Luna Rossa, who participate in the American Cup sailing competition every year.
One of our favorite elements of this new scent is in the bottle, which is designed to represent a sailing vessel, adding to the authenticity and excellence, always in Prada style.
The distinct smell is being presented as a Fall/Winter smell but definitely is more reminiscent of Spring/ Summer tones. Nonetheless, it’s spicy, citrusy smell, with a hint of lavender, has made us instant fans!
We’ve included several of Prada’s new marketing strategies behind Luna Rossa. Please check them out below:
Preppy or rugged are the words we can come up with when describing the styles for fall… anything else is a moderation of these two principals. The comfort of a classic sweater is what dresses us over the chilly autumn nights of 2012 but the updated version by some of our favorite designers and stores will gifts us with an updated version of this classic piece.
Part turtle neck and part V-neck, the shawl collar sweater has the ability to polish or shake up any look. Prep it up with a button down plaid shirt and chinos or make it rugged with some jeans, a tee and a pair of old work boots. Not only has the sweater become a principal of fall essentials but with its new update, it has become a staple for every man this fall.
American Eagle, J. Crew, mrproper.com, Nordstrom, Express for Men, Saks Fifth Ave, Urban Out Fitters, and Farfetch.com offer these sweaters and more. Check these places out for items that will compliment your closet!
Be Yourself. Be Fearless. Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!
If you Google search “Color Blocking”, you’ll come up with tons of articles advising women on the art of color blocking which is currently trendy in fashion and style. But why do women get to have all of the fun??? Here are some quick tips to color blocking that can be used by men or women. (We’re equal opportunity fashion folks!)
The idea of color blocking isn’t really hard to grasp. You pick a couple of items of clothing you like in bright or current colors and you pair them together. Keep away from prints as they work against color blocking, unless you’re using it in a whole – example a shirt that has huge blocks of colors or a scarf, but these items are color blocking so it all circles back.
With fall just around the corner, keep your colors current, so put away the pastels unless you’re pairing them with a burnt color or a deep gray. The great thing about fall is that you get to layer comfortably and as freely as you like.
Burgundy pants really go with everything, but match them with a nude or dark beige sweater and you have a playful contrast. Throw on a scarf of strong neutral color, like grey, for the crispy fall weather.
Jewel colors are excellent for fall. They add a sense of color while staying season appropriate. Match these strong colors with soft neutrals and you’ve got yourself a casual day at the office or the park.
A good pair of yellow pants is hard to come by, so when you find one make sure you wear it well. The colors that go best with this bright hue are deep blues and burnt greys. If you put all of these together you’ll have an ideal date look or strong statement at the next office meeting.
The classic cardigan and chinos look will always be a fall favorite. Pair these items with strong colors that complement each other. A bright color will always go well with a strong neutral.
A safe player is always a good player, but if you’re going to keep your color blocking conservative at least play with textures. A chunky sweater attracts attention, almost as if you want people to feel the softness of the sweater – it’s a good way to flirt!
Check out Farfetch.com, Nordstrom and Nordstrom rack, mrproper.com, Gilt, Urban Outfitters, Gap, and American Apparel for items that are perfect for this fall color scheme.
Be Yourself. Be Fearless. Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!
Tomorrow marks the first official Indianapolis Fashion’s Night Out, brought to our city by Pattern Indy – a young fashion magazine with experienced minds and incredible taste. The one night fashion extravaganza will have related events throughout the city and will allow fashion lovers to experience and express fashion in all forms.
Follow the hash tags #FNO and #FNOindy on twitter and all your social media outlets to check out what we, @theboysofraannt, will be up to. Rely on us to be your source of social sexiness, style, and fashion by fashion moments as we’ll experience the top 4 events of the night!
You can also be part of the fun! First if your city is hosting a Fashion’s Night Out make sure you attend and support the events. Hash tag your pictures and tweets with #FNO so that everyone can see them and RT all the ones you like… Don’t forget to have your camera flash on and RT the Tweets and Tweetpics you like the most from us @theboysofraannt. (Please follow us individually: Alex at @alxprp and Peter at @mrpemo for more hilarious Tweets!)
Thank you Pattern Indy and SocialClub19 for putting together a great night! Indy get ready…because fashion is coming your way!
Be Yourself. Be Fearless. Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!
Airlines and airports have taken the magic out of traveling. All of the lines, over booking flights, crying babies and incredibly, embarrassing checkups to just board the plane!
Thanks to the extravagant world of Prada, traveling can be done, not just in style, but with class, elegance, and joy…Even with the screaming child sitting next to you or back in coach!
When you’re ready to invest in travel essentials, remember that there’s no losing in Prada. Our must have choices from the incredible line:
