Faculty: Albert Hammond Jr.

A lot of people don't realize the extent to which Albert Hammond Jr. has influenced their "personal" style. The Strokes' guitarist was the mastermind behind the group's disheveled minimalism, which, according to CityFile, "redefined contemporary hipsterdom". Hammond's stylistic choices were also the driving force behind the Converse resurgence and the overwhelming success of Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, and the millions of kids who look like they woke up on a couch in the East Village have him to thank.
While his stylistic and musical contributions to The Strokes are continually overlooked, Hammond's solo work has been receiving high praise as of late. His 2006 solo album, Yours To Keep, stripped away some of the pretentious lo-fi fuzz that made his band famous, replacing it with earnest pop hooks that conjured images of a downtown Brian Wilson. The July 8th release of his second solo record, Como Te Llama?, brought about a diverse handful of new tracks that finally showcase the true depth of Hammond's talent. We'll see if it gets him the recognition he deserves. more

Music Theory: Paper Route

-I''ve got music A.D.D. I'm always looking for new, genre bending tunes. I flip through reviews in Filter, check Pitchfork, MySpace Music, and Purevolume at least once a week looking for bands to cure my voracious musical appetites. I get bored quickly, and I don't listen to something unless I love it, I can't listen to music that I am indifferent about.
-I usually don't throw up quick music recommendations on here, probably because I take the professionalism of this blog more seriously than I should, but today I stumbled upon a band I feel is worthy of dedicating a post to. They're called Paper Route.
-Those of you who know me may be surprised, I don't usually like tunes that could possibly be described as "sleepy." Maybe it's just today, but Paper Route is really appealing to me. Their genre is listed as indie/ambient/electronica, which doesn't do justice to the depth of their sound. It's folky, but not the kind of folky I usually detest - college hippie folky. It's big, the production is full, but in an unpretentious, understated way. Not big in a Coldplay, overstated/overproduced because we can sort of way; Each element seems both wisely chosen and necessary. I imagine Paper Route's sound as what might have happened if Thom Yorke had grown up in the Midwest and signed with Saddle-Creek. But anyway, the band's latest E.P. Are We All Forgotten is available now on iTunes.
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Econ101: The Warhol Economy

-After one remarkably shitty quarter as an Econ major, I promised to never think about the subject again. I was ultimately forced to go back on my ultimatum upon discovering Elizabeth Currid's book, The Warhol Economy. The book traces the economic roots of New York's downtown art scene all the way back to the days of Warhol and Basquiat, focusing on fashion, art, music and their respective and combined effect on the city's economy. Don't worry, the book is more about name dropping than it is about supply and demand. However, the economic aspect puts an interesting new spin on the downtown scene, and serves to remind young creative types that there really is a way to make money doing what you love.
-In related news, only two weeks remain until the first official Class Act Field Trip. I will be bringing the NW to NY for a few days, so if you know of any can't-miss shit that's going down, let me know in the comments section. For snaps, clothes, news and reviews straight from the Big Apple, stay tuned... more

Faculty Retirements: YSL x GC x TR x TS x Manik x WTF Class Act

-We'd already gotten a bit of shit for not posting about the death of revolutionary fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, and then we failed to comment on the passing of legendary comic George Carlin. Not to mention the untimely deaths of Tim Russert and Tony Snow, which, as journalism students, some of you may have expected us to note.
-Maybe we're just not good at dealing with deaths. Or maybe, as I'll make it seem with this post, we were just waiting for Northwest connections to aid us in offering pertinent posts.
-Seattle based premium skate brand Manik has helped us out this time by releasing this commemorative George Carlin "7 Last Words" tee. On the back of this shirt are Carlin's famous 7 words that prompted the Supreme Court decision that ruined public media for the rest of eternity. Available now at 5 & a Dime.
-We promise more timely death coverage in the future.
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Design Major: Paris Spring 09 Junya Watanabe (+more!)

-I know what you're thinking, "Didn't fashion week end like 2 weeks ago?" and "Didn't your half-assed coverage end like a week ago with V&R?" The answer?--Yes! Well kind of, but we have an excuse! My interweb has been really cool lately and like um, not working. And you know, it's not like I could expect my lazy ass co-editor to pick up the slack while my shit was down. But anyway, Junya was the last show I was going to cover, and here it is, and it's good. Also, Hypebeast has some JW news today, so it's all timely and what not.
-You know the drill (don't you?), photos and analysis of our favorite looks after the jump.


-Ditch those high socks and this is a great look. Notice that the air-tie has been in almost every single show. What I really like about this show, which I maybe should have probably touched on in the intro was the overall theme: Even though JW comes from the Comme des Garçons Japanese fashion empire, the show had a real American, western travel/work feel to it.

-Short pants like we've been seeing a lot.

-I don't really have a comment on this look accept that seersucker is and always will be a spring classic. What's really sick though is the heavy luggage, I'd love to see people rocking huge, unpractical square baggage.

-More takes on the rolled pants and confluence of modern elegance and classic blue collar.

-I really like that there are good jeans here. The runways shows don't usually have a lot of jeans, but JW knows that that's what people wear most often, even with their jackets now days. The recurring plaids keep changing in this show, really highlighting the versatility of the pattern as a either a focus or an accent.

-I've mentioned a few times how adding a synthetic piece to a look can really add to the effect of nonchalance.

-This one is cool because it's a bit of a take on 70s with the big collar, but the pant has a short break and a narrow cut to keep it modern.

-The plaid under the cuff of the jean is a great detail, I think we'll see various takes on that idea soon.

-This show has made me want to break out the vintage plaid jacket that I've never worn.

-Again the plaid lining of the jeans, great detail.

Overall, this was one of my favorite shows. It was maybe the most accessible of all the shows to a casual American dresser. A fitting end to our coverage. Word.
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PoliSci: WTO x EMO

Lately, most of the focus on our neighbors to the south has been based around immigration. However, infamous hipster rag Vice has devoted its latest issue to all things Mexican. They even found time to weigh in on the most horrific/depressing/comical riots in recent memory: Mexico City's Emo Wars. A few weeks back, 200 Emo kids and an equal number of police gathered to protest a recent spike in Punk-on-Emo violence. Various "lame subcultures", as Vice so eloquently portrays them, have apparently been fighting for control of the city for years. Bar up the Hot Topic windows, 'cause this could escalate into a full-scale siege reminiscent of the Battle in Seattle. At least ours had a decent soundtrack.

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PowerPoint: Layers on Railroad Ave.

-At first I wasn;t sure if I was going to use this photo but looking at it again I really like the calculated quirk. I'm always looking for innovative layering and I love how the headphone wire lifts the skirt to reveal the layers. Also, the hat, anklet and the headphones are great, colorful accessories. Click to enlarge for details.
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Design Major: Paris Spring 09 Viktor and Rolf

-I seem to be a minority in my appreciation for the Viktor and Rolf show. Every review I've read and every person I've talked to about it seems to detest the collection. I don't really know why but I liked quite a few pieces from this show. For a designing duo equally known for their work as installation artists as for their clothes, I think you've got to look at V&R through a different sort of lens than you would more conventional labels. The risks they take may be hated by many, but at least their not expected.
-As before, photos and analysis of our favorite looks after the jump.


-If you can't see the detail, this print is supposed to be some sort of bamboo motif. The whoel show was supposed to have a 50s vacation kind of feel. I don't necessarily love the print, but I love the idea of a printed or pattered trench, because their almost exclusively monotone.

-I like that the suit jacket here is replaced by a more field-jacket type, it makes the whole feel much younger. Really like the pin on the tie, great accessory.

-Forget the lei here and I really like the look. Patterned embroidery was big last year but I really like the martini print. I've got a martini printed tie from J.Crew that I love. Having a cohesive print on the pants and the shirt seems a little out there but it gives an almost suit-like feel, being that theres a share element throughout.

-Again, the lei is kind of ridiculous but I am really starting to dig that print. It would be much less effective, however, if the cut of the suit wren;t perfect.

-I've always loved designer takes on letterman's jackets. It's such a classic Americana form. I saw Pharrel in a custom P letterman one time and it blew my mind. I bought a vintage one in the same colorway as the Pharrel at Ray's Ragtime and it's one of my favorite jackets. Needless to say, I dig this one, especially the glasses patch.

-I would love this without the jacket. It looks a little bro, but just that glasses sweatshirt and the martini pants would be a fresh combo.

-I really love the combo here. The ultra-sheen of the pants and the tech jacket over a pretty bland top and a bit of tie peaking out. I think I mentioned in an earlier post about mixing synthetic fabrics (like the jacket) and more elegant pieces.

All photos by Peter Stiger via men.style.com
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