NYFW FW18 | GRUNGY GENTLEMAN

Earlier tonight, we attended one of our favorite menswear lines, Grungy Gentleman FW18, founded by Jace Lipstein who is also the designer. During his show, he showcased  GG x Darrelle Revis (Kansas City Chiefs), GG x National Basketball Players Association collection and GG x Subway Tile Shirts. Looks were paired with Grungy Gentleman x Timberland footwear and a Grungy Gentleman x Chalk Line bomber jacket, along with footwear provided by Adidas. 

Prior to and after the show, DJ Juanyto of Hot 97 played a set while we enjoyed Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice and Hennessey. Hair and makeup was done by New York Institute of Beauty. NFL Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Darelle Revis opened the show along with Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor, NY Giants running back Wayne Gallman, and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Nolan Carrol, who modeled/walked in what was Grungy Gentleman’s 8th menswear runway show. 

AW17 CAMPAIGNS | DKNY

Obviously, we're all about the depth of style that athleisure provides whether you're heading to the gym, going to the office, running errands and beyond. DKNY's campaign features great pieces for men and women that are hitting stores which begs to be mixed and matched. Model and actress, Emily Ratajkowski models in this campaign.

AW17 CAMPAIGNS | MCM WORLDWIDE

It's that time of year again when fall campaigns begin emerging and MCM WorldWide is showcasing some of their key pieces this season for men and women in accessories, shoes and select apparel.

HIS SPRING EQUINOX

Obviously, the Spring has us all feeling a certain kind of way with changing temperatures, longer days and more. That's more time to take your workouts outside, run errands without worrying about the weather and eating outdoors. We sat down with menswear designer, Stan Cheung to talk about his line EYSOM, how he became a designer and how he will enjoy the upcoming Spring Equinox.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came to being a designer.

STAN CHEUNG: It wasn’t a conventional route. I began my career in Los Angeles, working in the executive buying program for May Department Store. Up till then, the experiences I had at the entertainment studios didn’t ignite my passions, so my mentor – who was the Dean of the Business School at USC – recommended that I pursue retail. He was right. It clicked. I fell in love with buying menswear. Back then there was a lot of autonomy in this role. You could take risks. You could be creative with buying assortments. But my experiences were cut short when Federated merged with May, and so my life took a turn and I moved to New York to work on private brands for Macys. 

New York City is where I really learned about the design world. My buying experiences in L.A. were a good fit for brand strategies in my new role. I quickly transitioned into product development after Macys saw my talent in this area. 

Working on multiple Macys’ brands led me to source factories all over the world, collaborate with them to create collections that resonated across Men’s, RTW and Children’s. I became fascinated in thinking, not only about fashion, but also about the white space and what would appeal to each brand’s end consumer.

Everyone knows New York is fast paced, which I loved. What I loved less were the long and weary winters. I longed for the L.A. sun. I came back to So Cal to take a role as creative director in the fast-fashion business. I led a design team that created collections for many of the largest U.S. retailers. In the business world of Juniors, you’re bound to create collections non-stop, and at some point you eventually burn out. That’s what happened to me. 

I took a short sabbatical to re-center. I spent a lot of time working on myself, both spiritually and physically, lots of meditation and workouts. Unable to find the right gym clothes, I decided to make them myself. With luck and good timing, I got a push through the Axe/Esquire Mentorship, and so EYSOM was born. 

AM: Tell us about EYSOM.

SC: EYSOM is truly a concept and collection that’s been brewing in my thoughts for over a decade. I’ve always been a workout fanatic. I take as much pride in my workout clothes as my “work” clothes. I found it so perplexing why it’s always so difficult to find great gym shorts. Men can find great jeans, fitted blazers, and the best dress shirts with much less effort. Why don’t the same rules apply to workout clothes?

EYSOM stands for “Exercise Your State of Mind”. The name itself is really about the journey to find balance between the body and the brain. In the logo, we used the M for Mind to reflect the sign of the heartbeat to show this connection as a symbol of feeling good — inside and out. Wellness today includes physical and spiritual wellness — we are much more conscious today of this wholeness feeling. We want integrity and totality in all that we do. 

The company really started from this emotion of wanting to offer men some thing better and different. I wanted to use really beautiful, yet technically functional fabrics. I wanted to create a line that was tailored, sporty and elegant at the same time. EYSOM is all about effortless designs that make you feel good when you put them on.
 

AM: How did it feel to have John Legend pick your brand to be included in the Axe Collective and what is the nature of this partnership?

SC: I was so honored. He’s such an amazing talent. In addition to being a style icon, he’s just an overall good guy. It was fantastic to have him be so into the brand. This encouragement gave me the extra energy to go after my vision. Had it not been for the Axe Collective, ESYOM would not have started when it did, and be where it is today.

AM: Presenting at NYFW Men’s must have been a great experience, tell us what it was like.

SC: It was such an amazing experience – it was so fast, but at that point in time, it was incredible to see the collection all come together. Now onto my third collection, it’s nice to see how the brand has evolved, but stayed true to that initial concept.

AM: You currently sell at Equinox, what's next for EYSOM?

SC: Equinox has been such a natural and organic fit. They’ve been hugely supportive of EYSOM. It has been an amazing way to expose their clients to the brand. Next for EYSOM, we are looking to organically expand in markets where there’s most interest – Europe and Asia. 

Also, I am starting to explore categories that people have been asking for. We have been asked since day one to add swimwear, including by Esquire Fashion Director Nick Sullivan. During the time the product has been in Equinox, we’ve also had a lot of requests to create a women’s line.

AM: What are the trends in menswear for this spring/summer that we can find in your line?

SC: EYSOM is always about being effortless and stylish all day, and year-round. You’ll notice our introduction into camouflage, which is a trend across all activewear, but we’ve taken a much more designer approach by playing with our signature print in a range of more sophisticated colors including sage green, brilliant navy, and red.

With the activewear trend, we also have our assortment of joggers and sweatshirts. 

AM: What are your favorite pieces in the EYSOM collection and where would we find you wearing them?

SC: Living in LA, you’ll find me wearing EYSOM about 90% of my life! I love the training shorts, because they have a tailored elegant feel that allows me to wear them in and out of the gym. I’m obsessed with the tops – usually in black, because the fabric is amazingly soft and you kind of don’t want to ever take it off.

AM: Where do you workout and what are your three favorite places to eat in NYC?

SC: I work out at Equinox obviously, but I’m also a regular at Barry’s Bootcamp because I love running. When I’m in NYC, I prefer running outdoors on the WSH or Central Park and just zoning out for miles at a time. 

I am a big food lover, especially in NYC. I think the right balance of a great workout is that you can enjoy and indulge in some great meals. My consistent go-to places would be Morimoto for sushi and Balthazar after working out in Soho. Indochine is my classic staple.

AM: With the Spring Equinox and having 12 hours of sun, how are you going to take advantage of the day?

SC: I’m obsessed with being outdoors, so I always take advantage of the LA sunshine. Hiking Runyon Canyon in the morning, enjoying the beaches of Malibu and Laguna, and of course, dining al fresco whenever I can. My favorite is The Beverly Hills Hotel or the garden at Pailhouse.

AM: What Axe Collection items are a part of your rotation?

SC: The Axe Gold Signature dry spray and skin hydrator body wash. 

Axe Gold Signature Dry Spray

Axe Gold Skin Hydrator Body Wash

Read more from the March Issue and read His Spring Equinox in mag.

NYFW FW17 | LACOSTE

And just like that NYFW FW17 is over but of course, this week we'll share a number of our favorite shows from this past season. Although LACOSTE will be showing in Paris starting with their SS18 collections they shared their FW17 line here in NYC. A number of men's and women's looks in earthy tones with a sci-fi flair and plaid a la 90's Kurt Cobain's Nirvana.

PHOTOS COURTESY Umberto Fratini / indigital.tv

PARIS 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | DIOR

Earlier today, we saw some of our favorite looks from Dior's Paris Mens Fall Collection for 2017. A number of suiting, athleisure style and great accessories hit the runway today for an easy, well traveled look. You can see all looks from today's runway show.

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTIONS | ROSSIGNOL

During Fashion Week, we can never pass up a runway show; however, we do love a presentation. It allows you to see the line at your own pace whether it is on models or hung up exhibition style. Rossignol showcased their outerwear which is the perfect mix of form and function. These layered jackets have details from the iconic rooster to fur that ensure that whoever wears it, sticks out this upcoming FW17 see the full line here.

PHOTO CREDITS Andrea Delbo

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTION | FENDI

Fendi hits the runway at Milan Fashion Week for its Men's Collection presenting fall. The iconic brand took notes from the way that we like to dress in comfort, style, and of course infused with luxury. Check out some of our favorite looks from the show and you can see the full collection here.

Photo Credits Davide Maestri

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTIONS | PLEIN SPORT

When you can't find a luxury alternative to Nike, you create your own line - which Philipp Plein created with his new line, Philipp Sport. His runway show honored an array of sports including Cross Fit, boxing and more in a two floor gym entertaining presentation. You can see more pictures from the show here.

PHOTO CREDITS Giovanni Giannoni

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | MONCLER GAMME BLEU

The FW17 runway for Moncler, created by Thome Brown was filled with his signature red, white, and blue as well as athleisure wear. Whether it included garments that one would wear to hit the slopes or fun blazers that could also be worn in a transitional way - the feeling of

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | ALBERTA FERRETTI

Remember when many of us were growing up, we used to have underwear that was for each day of the week. There was something about starting the day off in the right way! Yesterday in Milan, Alberta Ferretti included within its show, soft and cozy sweaters that let you promote your favorite day of the week. This is definitely in our sweet spot of luxe athleisure style. This capsule collection is called "Rainbow Week" which is for men and women. These cashmere-wool blend sweaters are not only the first capsule collection for the line and is available right now on the website which is a part of the growing trend of see now, buy now. You can see more the the Pre-Fall 17 collection here.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY Alberta Feretti

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTION | PORTS 1961

FW17 collections have begun and will continue throughout the next few weeks. Ports 1961 presents a line that is perfect for athleisure, jetsetting and just running errands to keep it easy. You can see more from the Ports 1961 collection here.

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni