men of fashion

if men want to be fashionable, the best place to start is to learn from fashionable men. the three men that i have selected are not only fashionable themselves. their names are their brands, brands that not only men should know but brands that women have come to be very familiar with. let's see what the buzz is all about.

1) marc jacobs

The Brand

marc jacobs is an american fashion designer. he is the head designer for marc jacobs, as well as marc by marc jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than two hundred retail stores in eighty countries. he has been the creative director of the french design house louis vuitton since 1997. jacobs is on time magazine's '2010 time 100' list of the 100 most influential people in the world and ranked 14th on out magazine's 2012 list of '50 most powerful gay men and women in america'. 

The Man

over the years, marc jacobs' personal style has evolved and changed - from the early days of his career through to his butterfly-like transformation into the gym-honed body that appeared naked in his bang fragrance campaign; from a penchant for somewhat geeky ensembles to the kilts and sharp suits that we expect from him now. as creative director of louis vuitton and designer of two eponymous lines, he is also a style icon in his own right. 

The Empire

jacobs is famous for his sense of humour, which has been known to colour his catwalk creations and he's not afraid of a fancy dress opportunity: he wore head-to-toe stephen sprouse neons by vuitton and donned a blonde wig for Halloween one year, once dyed his hair blue in tribute to japanese artist takashi murakami and dressed as a 'camel toe' for his arabian nights-themed holiday party. here is a man who counts sofia coppola, dakota fanning and even miss piggy as muses.

2) jimmy choo

Jimmy Choo

jimmy choo, born choo yeang keat, is a malaysian chinese fashion designer based in london, united kingdom. he is best known for founding jimmy choo ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes. he made his first shoe when he was eleven years old. he is perhaps the most notable of students of cordwainers technical college in hackney, england, from which he graduated in 1983. jimmy choo traced his beginnings back to his workshop in hackney, north london, which he opened in 1986 by renting an old hospital building. his craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed and he came to the verge of international notability when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of vogue. patronage from diana, princess of wales, from 1990 further boosted his image. in 1996, he co-founded jimmy choo ltd with british vogue magazine accessories editor tamara mellon.

Princess Diana with sons, William and Harry

in april 2001, choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. he has since concentrated his work on the exclusive jimmy choo couture line produced under license from jimmy choo ltd. when you buy a pair of jimmy choo shoes at a store like bergdorf goodman or neiman marcus, they may be gorgeous and they may bear the 'jimmy choo' label but the ready-to-wear shoes are not designed by jimmy choo. 

Jimmy Choo Couture

today if you want shoes that actually have anything to do with jimmy choo himself, you'll have to purchase them from jimmy choo couture. available by appointment only at 18 connaught street in paddington, london, england.

3) calvin klein

Calvin Klein

calvin richard klein is an american fashion designer of hungarian origin who launched the company that would later become calvin klein Inc. klein was born in the bronx to jewish-hungarian immigrants. he did his apprenticeship in 1962 at an oldline cloak-and-suit manufacturer, dan millstein and spent five years designing at other new york shops. in 1968, he launched his first company with a childhood friend, barry k. schwartz. 

Spring / Summer 2012 featuring Lara Stone

klein became a protégé of baron de gunzburg, through whose introductions he became the toast of the new york elite fashion scene even before he had his first mainstream success with the launch of his first jeans line. klein was immediately recognized for his talent after his first major showing at new york fashion week. Klein was hailed as the new yves saint-laurent and was noted for his clean lines.

2010 campaign featuring 2PM

klein's design philosophy is rooted in minimalism (extreme simplicity) and is known for his 'casual chic' clothing, stylish but casual designs created for active women. he typically uses neutral colors or earth tones (browns) and designs separates (articles of clothing designed to be worn interchangeably with others to form various combinations) that work in many different ensembles, from day to night and season to season. at the same time his advertising for jeans and fragrances was being criticized, calvin klein clothing was receiving critical acclaim for its clean, modern lines. time magazine named klein one of the twenty-five most influential americans in 1996. klein won the prestigious coty award three times in a row (1973–1975), becoming the youngest designer to ever have that honor. in 1982, 1983, and 1986 he also captured the council of fashion designers of america award. klein is undoubtedly one of the most successful american clothing designers today.

fash'on... BAM!