Hasta La Ideas

by Miriam Brafman

Modern soles with a vintage aesthetic help Rokin Footwear successfully blend traditional European craftsmanship with urban appeal for a stylishly simple and wholly versatile shoe.

Christoffer Brattin—the man behind the Gothenburg, Sweden-based company—launched the first collection of men’s shoes in the fall of 2007. “I started Rokin because I thought there was a need for quality shoes at a nice price for the young urban man. I wanted to do a broad collection of both sports, casual and dressy shoes” says Brattin, a former Tommy Hilfiger Europe footwear designer.

Choosing to work only with suppliers steeped in history, Rokin prides itself on delivering high-quality shoes made from natural materials. Design attributes such as the odor-preventing breathable foot beds bring function to sustainability.

The utilitarian and timeless air of each style is evident in the current Spring/Summer 2010 collection—an assortment of 66 designs spanning pink suede derby loafers to lace-up leather boots as well as sandals to sneakers.

A small selection of the shoes are available online at Ssense and Urbana.

The first shoe in Keds’ Century Collection celebrating the decades, the “Champion Take Flight” tackles the 1910s with a look that’s equal parts dapper menswear and ladylike detailing. Washed sateen lends an unexpected touch of shine, while a cap toe, other leather details and a striped lining speak to a classic early 20th century feel. We can imagine Amelia Earhart sporting the gum soled-footwear, though Keds cites “America’s coming of age during Industrial Revolution” as its inspiration.

As a partner with Keds on their Original Sneaker campaign (Keds introduced the first sneaker in 1916), we’re excited to have the exclusive on this premier sneaker in a series of 10 limited-edition releases that Keds will be debuting monthly—stay tuned for more! The edition of 200 sells online only from the Keds site for $50.

While Steven Alan lays claim to the ultimate travel bag, globetrotters looking for the ideal briefcase would be hard pressed to beat this Belgian company’s first offering. Focused squarely on frequent-flier-mile-collectors, the TravelTeq smartly designed their Trash briefcase to combat the nuisances of airports in a handsome package.

Individually handmade in Italy with Florentine Vachette leather, the Trash comes with water-resistant nylon lining in a trio of primarily colors, as well as in a stealthy, jet-black Panther model.

Eight different compartments account for everything from the now-requisite padded laptop sleeve to a mobile phone holder and external pocket for easily presenting your ticket. They’ve even included a pen slot that doubles as a cigar holder for unwinding post flight. And the bag’s other side has a branded external band meant for linking with rolling suitcase handles—which we’re sure will pair well with the trolley case TravelTeq promises to unveil later this month.

The bag is currently sells exclusively from the TravelTeq online store for about $540.

Made from the remnants of Australian cricket balls, Bowling Arm leather bracelets are a colorful wrist accessory that nicely utilize an otherwise purposeless scrap of material. Each one-of-a-kind piece builds character with wear.

The brainchild of Australian industrial designer and fine artist Simone LeAmon, as director of studio O.S. Initiative, LeAmon focuses on creating engaging and sustainably-minded products whose process has a story to tell.

The bracelets come in red, yellow or white and sell online for AUD $44.

With acclaimed Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki at the helm, the Diesel Black Gold Autumn/Winter 2010 collection maintains its defining rock ‘n’ roll attitude but updates it with the newly-appointed designer’s characteristically intricate details.

To set its pieces apart from their world-renowned denim, the Italian label’s high-end line uses better fabrics and elaborate embellishments, like this season’s metal embroidery. Kokosalaki seemed to embrace a heavy Americana streak for her debut collection, with a Harley-inspired vibe ironically lending clothes a look that would fit right in at a county fair in the early ’90s. This knit quilted motorcycle jacket featured impressive technical specs, while denim and leather jackets boasted airbrushed graphics on the back.

For the denim itself, Kokosalaki explained how she treated the denim as if it were yarn. Her technique involves such elaborate approaches as combining three layers of yarn to achieve a true vintage effect and spending nearly six months developing one type of denim.

Extremely slim silhouettes cater to a set that likely doesn’t share body types with the bikers they emulate, and feminine components—such as lace outlining denim hot pants, sheer tulle over denim jumpsuits, crystal studded belts cinching mono-shoulder leather mini-dresses, and soft mohair tops layered over black leather shorts—add another twist to the concept.

Wanting to “keep the Black Gold DNA” an obvious element, Kokosalaki successfully integrated her own elegant aesthetic without taking away from the label’s edgy nature for a cohesive collection.