So nice: a very classic Côte d’Azur look of crisp blue shirt, white jeans and tan loafers – all by BERLUTI. The linen shirt has a fascinating, paper-y tactility. The neatly ironed jeans are somewhat old-fashioned and dull, with a high waist and contrasting stitching details. The loafers are typically BERLUTI: slightly pointy, with a multi-coloured patina, and rendered in the most amazing soft leather, so they fit like silk socks. The brown suede belt is made like a silk tie, with a strip of suede folded and stitched together. The garments are some the first examples of the menswear that BERLUTI will be making, now that conglomerate LVMH is bumping the shoemakers (since 1895) up to a super high-luxury menswear brand. It’s all very classic, but really of such luxuriousness and with such masculine simplicity – it’s exciting. Avid readers of the DAILY RECOMMENDATIONS may remember yesterday’s post, about BERLUTI soon taking over the amazing Parisian premises of ARNYS, the classic French tailor to the higher powers. While it’s a shame to see ARNYS go – or, according to new owner LVMH, “merge” with BERLUTI, who will make use of ARNYS bespoke expertise – at least it’s not ZARA taking over. And the first outings at BERLUTI look promising, as one would expect from a designer with such a nice last name: Mr. ALESSANDRO SARTORI.
THE DAILY RECOMMENDATION
BLUE SHIRT, WHITE JEANS, LOAFERS
TWENTY ONE JUNE, TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE
(Photography by Gert Jonkers. Model: Bas Beerts.)
BUTTONED UP
BOOK
What excitement! Out now is Buttoned-Up, a pocket book edited by Fantastic Man for the venerable house of Penguin. The paperback’s 112 pages explore the curious fashion phenomenon of young men in east London buttoning up their shirts all the way to the top. Is it a secret code? Or, perhaps, a rite of passage? The book contains essays, reportages, photographs and an entertaining interview with the notoriously buttoned-up NEIL TENNANT of the PET SHOP BOYS. The title is part of a series of 12 books celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, that practical public-transport system of great renown, and is available from all good bookshops and via Penguin’s website. Visitors to the latter can expect to receive a discount of 30 per cent on the already affordable cover price of £4.99. To make use of said discount, please enter the word “tube” upon checkout.
APP
THE DAILY RECOMMENDATION ON IPAD
Now available for immediate download is the FANTASTIC MAN APP. Rather than churning out a pdf-echo of the magazine’s appearance, FANTASTIC MAN has designed an app that, once installed, will deliver the DAILY RECOMMENDATION every weekday on that most wonderously advanced of devices, APPLE’s iPad. The FANTASTIC MAN APP is, of course, entirely free of charge and is available on APPLE’s iTunes store. Enjoy!
THE MAGAZINE
Magazine
NEW
SEVENTEEN
SPRING & SUMMER 2013
The 17th issue of Fantastic Man, for the Spring & Summer 2013 season, sees the popular artist Mr. JEREMY DELLER on the cover. The 46-year-old pop-culture enthusiast, who will represent the nation of Great Britain at the upcoming Venice Biennale, discusses his infatuation with the MANIC STREET PREACHERS and his genuine awe at being able to get away with what he does. JEREMY is, of course, joined by six equally spectacular men: the fabulously flexible ballet dancer Mr. ROBERTO BOLLE; the rigorous stylist Mr. JOE McKENNA; the sensible food activist Mr. MICHAEL POLLAN; the fashion designer and luxury specialist Mr. TOMAS MAIER; and Messrs. NACHO ALEGRE and OMAR SOSA, the Barcelona-based duo behind interiors magazine Apartamento. This issue of Fantastic Man also sees a trip to the streets of Tokyo where a fashionable mix of modernity with tradition is explored. It’s a fresh-faced issue filled with delightfully trifling ideas, sunny fashions and investigations into painfully relevant matters. Order now
FANTASTIC EVENTS
A REVISIT OF FABULOUS EVENINGS HOSTED BY FANTASTIC MAN
Periodically, FANTASTIC MAN hosts a marvellous dinner, proper cocktail or a full-out rumbling party. Please find below a small selection of past events that took place at rather exquisite locations around the globe.
Dinner at Selfridges, London 2013 Spring in September, Melbourne 2012 An Intimate Cocktail, New York 2011 Disco Dance Party, New York 2011 The Super Show, Berlin 2010 The Super Show, London 2010 Absolut Fantastic, London 2009 No Labels, Stockholm 2009 Fantastic Man Fragnance Launch, Paris 2009 Fantastic Man No. 8 Dinner, London 2008 The Gentleman’s Jeans Launch, Paris 2008 Fantastic Man No. 2, NYC 2005 Fantastic Man No. 2, Paris 2005
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CURRENT & BACK ISSUES
FANTASTIC MAN may be purchased conveniently online. Most recent issue No. 17 features Mr. JEREMY DELLER on the cover. A number of back issues are available, including issues No. 13, No. 12, and No. 10 and No. 9. All orders are handled by Bruil & van de Staaij and can be delivered worldwide. Order now
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SIMPLY THE BEST WAY TO OBTAIN FANTASTIC MAN
Subscriptions are available worldwide. A one year subscription of two issues will be €22 for Europe, $35 for the USA and $33 for the rest of the world (airmail). Please visit our subscription service BRUIL & VAN DE STAAIJ to get your subscription on-line, or e-mail to info@bruil.info for more information. For subscriptions in the USA, please visit EXPRESSMAG.
SHOPPING TIP
This seventh instalment of THE GENTLEWOMAN brings together a group of accomplished, dynamic and inspiring women: the friendly Parisian fashion designer ISABEL MARANT, the superbly outspoken actress SUSAN SARANDON, enterprising herb farmer JEKKA MCVICAR and, of course, the sensational cover star, the incandescent singer and performer BEYONCÉ KNOWLES-CARTER. For springtime glamour the magazine offers a plethora of handsome bags, splendid watches, pointed shoes and a portfolio of delicious clothes, for your visual delectation. A new perspective on the topic of manners is also introduced this season, and as always, insightful and charming conversations with some of the most fascinating women of today.
(All orders are handled by our distributor Bruil & van de Staaij)
COMMENTS
Charles:
Bah, who needs another “super-luxury” Italian menswear “brand”? Humbug.
Fantastic Man:
But Charles, despite the name BERLUTI is French.
Jakob:
It’s raining in all of Northern Europe dears, we don’t want to wear these shitty Berluti white pants.
Charles:
Ah, that is my ignorance. But it seesm we do not need more “super-luxury” in menswear, French, Italian, or otherwise. There is too much, already. (Not that we need more pseudo-Preppie casual things, either.) Why not well made, interesting clothes that are priced realistically, not things that are crazy-overpriced, even at 50% markdown?
Stephan:
The world is not for US anymore. LVMH and other big conglomerates are working for Russians, Arabs and Asians.
We remain the poor European bohemians…