Rembrandt—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Goldeneye”

“You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.” — Ian Fleming

As an intelligence officer at the British Naval Intelligence Division during World War II, the covert work of Ian Fleming provided the background for his spy novels, which featured the now infamous secret agent James Bond.

But it is Fleming’s retirement in the late 1950’s to Goldeneye, his estate in Saint Mary Parish Jamaica that provided the inspiration for the Summer 2010/11 collection from Rembrandt.

“Every person plans to run off to some tropical isle, but few do,” says Rembrandt designer Jonathan Hall. “Fleming had no limitations to making Jamaica his home; he purchased property, designed a house and set about doing paradise right,” he says. “The estate was like Fleming himself and everything I wanted this collection to be: simple, direct, filled with panache, character and elegance.”

Make a sartorial statement by choosing a lighter shade of suit in wool and silk, pure cotton or wool and mohair, many sourced from the finest Italian fabric mills. Slim silhouettes abound, completing the move from high fashion to mainstream menswear.

Ian Fleming lived a remarkably uncompromising life in a world full of compromises; in this same manner even starting price Rembrandt business shirts feature two-ply yarns and the seasons suiting cloths are largely Super 120’s quality and above.

Choose from a selection of elegant, sophisticated and innovative tailored jackets that run the gambit from modern to classic casual styles and prove that there is no need to sacrifice style and fit because you are dressing down. “The collection offers the perfect excuse for a man to wear a suit for pleasure instead of business,” says Hall.

For the first time, Rembrandt offers the waistcoat as a separate; dress it up with a Metropolis shirt and Kubrick trousers, or keep it relaxed with a Saddle shirt and Hoxton jeans. Compliment it all with Rembrandt’s range of leather goods and their new range of belts.

Casual classic belts are turned into sophisticated urban accessories, and like Fleming’s love of authentic detail feature oil lined or feathered-edge leather, solid Italian brass buckles, are made in New Zealand and come in a range of styles that every man should own.

All of this adds up to summer must haves essential for lounging in paradise, romancing women and chasing the sunset.

New Zealand 2010-11 Spring/Summer Series: (Remember, your winter may be Kiwi summer!)
Doosh—Spring/Summer 2010-11 in New Zealand: “Wild at Heart”
Elusiv—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Spirit”
Trix & Dandy —Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Dazed but Not Confused”
Wayward Heir—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “If I’m Alive, I’m Swinging”
21 Grams—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand: “Sicker than your Average Bear”
Silverdale—Spring/Summer 2010/11 in New Zealand

Photos 2010-11 s/s collection “Goldeneye” Courtesy Coco PR, Copyright Rembrandt.

"Portraits of Success" by Rembrandt

In 1968, filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-87) asserted, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”—a statement that Warhol continually rephrased over the decades.

The assertion, however, sprung from Warhol’s perception of how the media could make anyone famous for a moment, simply to dispose of the individual at will.

Surrounded by celebrities and superstars, Warhol could appreciate the fleeting nature of the 20th-century’s great icons and their capricious sense of styles.

Now, these images are echoed throughout the 2010 fall/winter collection of New Zealand label, Rembrandt, enabling every man to capture a moment of permanent success and project an enduring image of assurance, achievement, and confidence.



Photos & slideshow Copyright Rembrandt.

Rembrandt Repaints Palm Springs

Although already trading in the 1930’s, the Rembrandt menswear company was founded 1946 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Today, Rembrandt sells to over 400 retailers in New Zealand and Australia, producing four distinct lines: Rembrandt, Wayward Heir, César, and Kent & Lloyd.

The Rembrandt 2010 s/s collection was designed to revive the popularity of the mid-19th century architecture in Palm Springs, not only evoking images of art deco and Spanish-influenced styles but also recalling the “desert modernism” of Swiss-born architect Albert Frey and the modernist, airy structures of Austria-born architect Richard Neutra.

Palm Springs is enjoying a resurgence of popularity,” says Rembrandt designer Jonathan Hall, “attracting people keen to revel in the fantastic design, architecture, and attitude that made the town so popular in the middle of last century.”

The collection, entitled “Mirage,” adds space-age colors of chrome, titanium, and silver alloys to a palette of sun-faded colors and desert shades of sand and stone, all of which are punctuated by pastels that recall the splash period of British pop artist David Hockney.



Photo top right Albert Frey’s Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Copyright Lockley at Wikipedia.
Photo middle left Richard Neutra’s Miller House by Ilpo's Sojourn, Creative Commons Attribution at Wikipedia.
Photo 2009/10 s/s collection "Mirage" Copyright Rembrandt.