Shopping in Amsterdam? Visit the OntFront Store!

Dutch menswear label OntFront opens their first brand store in Amsterdam at Haarlemmerdijk 121.

OntFront is contemporary designer brand for men, founded by the passionate entrepreneurs Tomas Overtoom and Liza Koifman. They’ve been creating collections since 2007 for the style conscious man with a rebellious touch—the bad boy and the gentleman. After fashion shows in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Shanghai and several pop up stores, the time has come for the official opening of the first OntFront brand store.

The interior of the store reflects the character of OntFront perfectly: smart with a rugged twist. Espresso brown walls give a warm yet manly feel. The golden clothing racks (designed by architect ADA design) float above the collections as crowns of kings.

At the entrance, a large picture of a Zazou is portrayed: a dandy rebel from Paris in 1944. The Zazous were an infamous subculture during the Second World War. These youngsters showed their identity and vision on life through clothing and slick hairdos. It was the time of bebop and swing jazz. The Zazou represents everything that OntFront stands for: style, music, originality, vision and creativity.

Next to the collections of OntFront, accessories, shoes and perfume are being sold from labels like Spyker, United Nude, Van Well, Filling Pieces, Gourmet, Fromanteel, Von Eusersdorff and Pasotti Ombrelli. You can also find a classic bebop hat, tie, or bow tie. All must-haves to go through life as a modern Zazou.

See more shots of the store here.



Photos & text Copyright OntFront.

Bodega x Lacoste Legends

An inspirational new footwear design project, LACOSTE Legends brings together 12 legendary collaborators from the worlds of music, media, design and retail, to create an exclusive collection comprising 12 shoes.

Sharing the Lacoste values of tenacity, authenticity, modernity and effortless style, together the 12 contributors are the LACOSTE Legends.

For Legends, cult sneaker store Bodega have fashioned a masterful version of LACOSTE’s Broadwick—a court-inspired tennis cup shoe, and one of our most coveted styles.

On the uppers, the Bodega design features a sophisticated woolen pin stripe in deep navy.

Contrasting this rich tone, the tan leather trims around the heel tab, collar and lining give an overall feeling of refined styling and clean-cut elegance.

Bodega’s signature is embroidered on the heel.

Founder of cult Boston sneaker store Bodega, Jay Gordon, talks about his design for Lacoste Legends collaboration project and his love of the brand.

Photo & text Copyright Lacoste, Couresty Surgery PR.

Zebra Club Celebrates 25 Years

The story of how it all began...

Seattle’s favorite retail shop Zebra Club is recognized as a leader within the apparel industry because it continues to offer innovative, quality products and has the ability to adapt and remain nimble in an ever changing market.

Seattle, WA September 8, 2010- Fashion apparel store Zebra Club is celebrating its 25th year anniversary and is hosting a special reception at the flagship store in downtown Seattle on Friday, September 17, bringing ownership, past and current employees together for the very first time. Guests will commemorate the brand by honoring those who helped launch the unique Zebra Club platform and maintain its leadership role within the apparel industry.

In the early 80’s three brothers, Raj Shah, Amit Shah and Akhil Shah were the driving force behind the urban contemporary streetwear market and had much success with the International News and Shah Safari brands.

The Shah brothers, along with their late partner Mike Alesko, wanted to develop a new retail concept that would serve as a real time lab for other retailers. Specifically they wanted to sell various clothing brands in the same store, side-by-side, in order to inspire healthy competition and spur creativity among both designers and consumers. They also wanted to extend the clothing’s image and appeal outward, on to its physical retail space, by influencing physical and mental characteristics such as the music, interior design and sales associates. No one in the U.S. had introduced this concept before so they named it atmosphere retail. With the help of Alesko, the Shah brothers launched Zebra Club in 1985.

“I wrote the first story on Zebra Club and you can’t write its history without mentioning Mike Alesko. He understood what was cool and not in a pretentious way. Fashion, especially young fashion, is fickle, so the fact that Zebra Club is still relevant and remains a leader in the young fashion retail industry is just a remarkable achievement,” says Robert Spector, author and speaker on world-class customer service and former DNR reporter covering the young men’s fashion industry.

Zebra Club became a rage with consumers. The Shah brothers didn't quite expect the response, as the flagship store was located in downtown Seattle on 1st Avenue, which was a tough neighborhood at the time. They created Zebra Club logo products like sweatshirts and carried Swatch watches, which became a huge hit with high school and college students. Zebra Club was the first fashion retail store to put an espresso cart right outside of their store. The burger joint in the back and the DJ spinning records also appealed to its customers.

“When I was 17 I walked into the Zebra Club store and I thought, ‘Wow, this is the coolest place that any kid could ever work!’ Nobody had ever done anything like this before. If you were a part of Zebra Club, you knew you were part of the hottest thing going on in the country,” says Fashionpreneur and founder of Enyce & Parish Nation Tony Shellman.

In the first couple of years Zebra Club was open it attracted almost all the major retailers and their CEO'S who would fly in to see the concept. Some would even fly over in their private jets. The atmosphere retail concept was written up in over 100 magazines worldwide.

“We funded the atmosphere retail concept through Zebra Club as way of thanking the industry for its support over the years, but also following our belief that being successful in the apparel industry requires a company to invest in new ideas and continuously evolve,” says CEO of Shah Safari and owner of Zebra Club Raj Shah.”

The Shah brothers provide their management team with the passion, vision and creative freedom to bring into being the Zebra Club brand as it’s seen today. Their leadership style is a lot like the products in the store: quick paced and always evolving. It’s durable, optimistic and full of hope. Today, Zebra Club continues to be a favorite for designers and new brands that are looking to launch new products.

After 25 years the Zebra Club business model has an entrepreneurship feeling because there’s a certain pride that comes along with the brand. The renowned Z logo carries a legacy and it’s something employees respect. Current sales associates don’t follow trends, but rather anticipate them by focusing on a customer’s individual style and personal narrative. Zebra Club is more than just a store, but supports identities and as a result, customers feel emotionally connected. The store is about celebrating authenticity.

“The Shah brothers understand that it’s all about change. In order to be an innovator you’re constantly trying to reinvent and that’s why Zebra Club has stayed relevant. Today it’s still one of the hippest, coolest stores,” says Shellman.

The in-store VIP reception will take place on Friday, Sept. 17 2010 from 6-9:30 p.m. with music by DJ Mary Mar of Lost Boyz and an after party at Seattle’s See Sound Lounge.

About Zebra Club
Zebra Club is a cutting-edge retail store offering fashionable clothing and accessories for today’s men and women. Launched in 1985 under International News, Inc., it was the first store in the U.S. to introduce the concept of atmosphere retail within the fashion industry.

Photos & text Copyright Zebra Club.

The Annex: the New Frontier in Aussie Menswear

A monochromatic color palette, an eye-catching graffiti back wall, a minimalist appearance...

Recently Mother and Father PR introduced me to a new frontier in the best of Australian menswear—a store called the Annex, which carries many of the brands that I feature on this site.

Located in the heart of Bond Beach in Sydney, the Annex is owned by Stephanie Reeve and Glen Vilo who offer a variety of styles but strictly for the fashion-forward male.

If you can’t get your Aussie fashion fix by going to Australia, click onto the Annex online store and shop for your favoring Australian brands, ranging from sunglasses to footwear.

But be careful to convert the prices into your local currency!

Photos Copyright the Annex.

Support Your Favorite Team at the World Cup!

Did you know that the first international football (soccer) match was held 1872 in Glasgow, Scotland, while the first World Cup by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was held 1930 in Uruguay?

This month, the World Cup is being held in South Africa. With 204 qualifying teams, only 32 teams are competing for the title.

While it is possible to support your favorite team by wearing the official t-shirt, you can also purchase fun Bumpy Pitch tees from the Five Four online store.

Bumpy Pitch is a cultural movement that encompasses a clothing company and an online magazine (theoriginalwinger) with the objective of showcasing and building the culture and lifestyle that soccer inspires.

So, what team are you cheering for?

Whomever you support, do it in style! Soccer style!



Photos Courtesy & Copyright Five Four.

A Shop Called Wood

If you are like me, then you always love learning about a new store for menswear, even if it is located half way around the globe. So, here is another one for you!

Situated on Oldham Street in the heart of Manchester, England, A Shop Called Wood is a unique store that sells cutting-edge clothing and footwear from around the world.

A Shop Called Wood first opened its doors 6 years ago in reaction to mass consumerism and an over-saturated bazaar of menswear stores, which the owners deemed as clones of one another with little imagination.

Since its humble beginnings, A Shop Called Wood has opened a second store in Huddersfield, as well as an online store. So now, whether by click or brick, we can all visit Wood!

This year, A Shop Called Wood intends to launch its own line called Cyrus Wood in an attempt to bridge the gap between tailoring and streetwear.

To those at A Shop Called Wood, Cyrus Wood not only represents a brand but also an idea, a belief, and a faith.

So dress with pride, shop Wood!

Photos Copyright A Shop Called Wood.

Corporate Killing Fields & the Death of Small Businesses

In many developed areas, gone is the day of the mom and pop shop. Almost nonexistent are the corner green grocers or the family-run bread shops, especially in suburbia where malls, chain restaurants, and department stores have paved the landscape.

Maybe my ideas about the past are a bit romantic, but this corporate scenario strikes me as sterile, bland, and boring. It seems like—more and more—everywhere I go, I encounter the same stores, the same restaurants, the same ole same old…

We’ve all seen it happen over and over: a major chain moves in and out goes the little shopkeeper. Some main streets have even folded up in the process. But there is good news too: small businesses are still purported to be the backbone of many industrial societies, creating 97% of all new jobs!

Just this week, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev declared the promotion of small businesses crucial to the modernization of Russia and social stability. Also, much debate this week surrounded small business in the US as concerns the stimulus package, health care, and the policies of president Obama.

I have no bone to pick with large chains that source cheap clothing; as long as they adhere to stringent ethical guidelines, that is. I’m fully aware that not all men have the buying power or the interest to wear the brands of emerging designers.

Nor am I against big department stores that source the same brand names with the same look, year in and year out, because I understand how some men resist change and prefer dressing alike to blend in with the crowd.

What I do oppose, however, is any callous attempt of large chain stores to make men and women who desire individuality, innovative looks, and unique designs appear irresponsible for not buying their cheap homogeneous labels.

I’m referring to a TV commercial of a major retail chain that I saw recently in the US. In the ad, a woman was shopping in a small boutique when her girlfriends walked in and, in their exchange of words, implied that she should never return.

The sad fact is that these specific types of independent clothing stores are the major promoters of emerging designers. Besides, to paraphrase Time Magazine’s words, small enterprises are incubators of innovation.

So, why are some large retail chains intent on attacking small boutiques? I will leave you to answer that question, while I respond briefly to the attacks.

Instead of assailing the risk-taking boldness of small boutique owners, it would be refreshing to see large retailers aggressively stimulate creativity by promoting emerging designers.

As for small boutiques, times are not easy. But small guys can compete successfully and survive by identifying their core strengths and communicating them clearly to the public.

You see, the TV commercial that I mentioned merely distorted the truth about independent boutiques. Prices are higher, but often for valid reasons: they provide superior quality and unique itemss that have not been mass produced.

We are fortunate when we are able to choose where we will shop. But what kind of a world would it be if we all had to shop in the isles of that one chain retailer?

Photo top left Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.
Free photo bottom right from stock.xchng.