(June 2010)
Design
Take Cover: The Sleekest E-Reader Case
Kindles and iPads may solve many problems, but they also create at least one: How do you keep them shiny and safe? Austria's Hard Graft has the answer. The company's cases, handmade in wool and vegetable-tanned leather, are less uptight than their pleather peers and rely on equally low-key functionality: A simple stretch band holds your device in place. From $79, shop.hardgraft.com
Style News
Paris Report: Hermès Spring/Summer 2011
There are fashion brands and then there is Hermès. The French luxury house is the benchmark to beat when it comes to all things fine, tasteful and well-crafted. And it's Véronique Nichanian, the woman behind the Hermès guy, who has been turning out its covetable menswear for the past two decades. For spring she crafted an enticing, wearable collection, which had just enough details and finesse to make you feel a little bit better than the next guy. Yes, the cost of Hermès can be prohibitive, but if you have the money to spend, its clothes are always a worthwhile
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Style News
Paris Report: Dunhill Spring/Summer 2011
If you still think Dunhill is just the name of a brand of cigarettes, think again. The British menswear house has gone through a significant transformation in the last year and a half thanks to its new creative director Kim Jones. Jones, who, previously designed his own street wear line as well as a clothing collection for soccer brand Umbro, has given Dunhill's bread-and-butter—tailoring— a youthful spin. The spring collection was refined, but not fussy. In other words, it's for guys who want to look completely put together—but not put-out. Not all shorts have to be khaki or come with
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Style News
Paris Report: Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2011
Minimalism is such a nineties kind of trend. Today, it's more about simplicity and pared-down luxury. And there was no finer example in Paris than Dior Homme's strikingly sparse spring collection. Designer Kris Van Assche distilled the suit down to its essence—slim lapels, unlined construction—and in doing so showed how pure and modern tailoring can be. And while his sleeveless trench coats may not be for everyone, the rest of the collection, including the stuff found in the Dior Homme showroom, should appeal to all men who believe less is really more. Lightweight and unstructured, this is the kind of
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Design
Seating Arrangement: The High Chair vs. the Low Chair
High Chair When you're based in Solingen, Germany—home of Henckels and Wüsthof—designing knives is not the easiest way to get noticed, which is why the trio behind Supergrau recently abandoned the blade business in favor of more-daring housewares concepts: this seven-foot-tall chair (perfect for the corner of a loft), a handkerchief-inspired metal lamp, a leather-wrapped knife block built to handle years of abuse. No surprise: They all look sharp. Love 15 chair by Supergrau; $3,477, supergrau.de Low Chair After Venetian designer Luca Nichetto noticed that all his favorite old-school Italian watering holes had similar tastes in furniture—cheap metal-frame café
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Style News
Paris Report: Junya Watanabe Spring/Summer 2011
If you read Details regularly, you know we're pretty big fans of Junya Watanabe. The inventive Japanese designer is always able to energize men's clothes without ever crossing the borders of good taste. Each season he works with stalwart brands—Vanson Leathers, Brooks Brothers, and Levi's, among others—to create singular pieces from classic designs. For spring he added Saint Paul to his roster of collaborators. The French company is famous for its Breton stripe shirts and many incarnations of them turned up in the spring collection, which, according to Watanabe's people, was designed with one customer in mind: Watanabe. These are
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Style News
Paris Report: Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2011
Dries Van Noten is the kind of designer that flies under the radar. His clothes hover somewhere just above it. They're special and modern without trying to be special and modern. For spring, the Belgian designer said he channeled the streets of London, the salons of Paris, and weekends in New York City. Imagine a contemporary of Andy Warhol continent hopping and you'll start to get a feel for Van Noten's acid washed jean jackets, laid back khakis, and paint-splattered shirts, all of which would add just the right amount of youthful swagger to any wardrobe. And that's something all
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Style
The Missing Links: Porsche Monaco, Trailer Chic, and The Champagne of Beers
These oversize metal sculptures say, "Don't deny it. You love the brand name." What do you get when you mix Southern-bred gentleman with Manhattan insurance broker? The Trad. iPhone's latest app BarCards dares you to throw a bit of risk and (friendly) competition into your Saturday night. Whoever said, "It's what's on the inside that counts" didn't consider the new Miller High Life. Wedding season is upon us—don't embarrass yourself. What do women really want? Test your knowledge with these stats. The only thing more badass than being in the Porsche Club of America is owning the Monaco wristwatch
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Style News
Paris Report: Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2011
Every since the days of the leisure suit, men have been trying to find ways to be both stylish and comfortable. Most of the attempts, including the aforementioned poly-blend number, have failed miserably. Fortunately, Paul Helbers over at Louis Vuitton has made it his mission to create clothes that feel as good as they look. Helbers is the men's studio director under artistic director Marc Jacobs, which basically means he isn't top dog at the house, but he's your guy when it comes to menswear. He does a hell of a lot of work to create functional, modern clothing, and
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Design
Go Farmhouse-Modern: 3 Stores With Rustic Flair
Give your city habitat some rural flair with rustic finds from these design shops. Philadelphia Art in the Age Steven Grasse owns a farm in New Hampshire, and at this boutique he sells antiques he finds in the neighboring towns along with chambray pocket squares and Root, a house-made liquor. 116 N. 3rd St., 215-922-2600; artintheage.com Brooklyn Brook Farm General Store At this spot in Williamsburg (ground zero for down-home décor), everyday objects like bath mats and screwdrivers exude an antique air when made from materials like wicker, wood, and antlers. 75 S. 6th St., 718-388-8642; brook-farmgeneralstore.bigcartel.com Portland, Oregon
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The Daily Details Continues
