Hasta La Ideas

Dezeenwire: Alasdhair Willis has resigned as chief executive of British design brand Established & Sons. See his letter below.

Dear friends and colleagues,

As you may have heard already, after successfully launching Established & Sons in April 2005 and acting as its Chief Executive for that period, I have taken the decision to resign from the business. I will play no further role in the direction and operation but will retain equity in the company. I have taken this decision in order to focus my time and energy on my growing creative consultancy ‘Announcement’ which I launched in 2003. My clients include the likes of Adidas, Estee Lauder and more recently David Beckham.

I have had the most incredible time with Established & Sons and feel immensely proud of all that has been achieved with the brand. Starting a business like this from nothing is an achievement in itself but for it to become so internationally respected and established within such a short period of time is pretty unique. It seems fitting that in Milan this year, which was my last major event in charge, Established & Sons exhibited an edited selection of all the major and iconic designs created by the company since its launch. It was seen by all as our most impressive show so far and was also our biggest commercial success to date. I therefore leave the brand in a strong position and wish it continued success in the future and thank my team for their great work and support.

I would like to take this opportunity to also thank you all for your support and express how much I have enjoyed working with you throughout my time with the company. I hope and am sure, our paths will cross in the future.

Best
Alasdhair

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London’s latest retail space for the well-dressed male

by Barnaby Slater

Flawlessly merging a unique interior aesthetic with an eclectic menswear collection, Hostem is what the red-blooded gentlemen of East London have been waiting for.

Owner James Brown cut the ribbon three months ago, yearning for “a space in which I could support the brands I really believed in.” Once inside this emporium of reclaimed antiquity, James’ ethos shapes your entire retail experience, bringing together an inventive mix of luxe streetwear and exclusive handmade tailoring from unfathomably talented designers such as Casely Hayford, Visvim, Dr Romanelli, Ann Demeulemeester and Damir Doma.

Hostem houses two main rooms realized by celebrated interior design duo Jamesplumb, who engineered each space to appeal to the different requirements of a modern man’s wardrobe. The first attends to casual desires with snazzy sneakers tempting from their concrete plinths, while classic cottons and comfy cashmeres hang from bespoke, hand-bent metal rails.

Room two concentrates on the niche, with hand-painted hessian wall panels and a more visionary array of clothing, allowing shoppers to lose themselves in the luxury of every tiny detail— from the cut of a Geoffrey B. Small trouser to the feel of the re-claimed church pew you perch on to decide whether you can justify an acquisition from the impressive jewelry and fragrance selections too.

More than just another East London menswear boutique, Hostem is a visceral experience where exceptional, unrivaled collections meet wondrous hand-crafted design, leaving you feeling like you’ve discovered something that no-one else knows about. Best of all—you can wear that feeling home.

See how fashion’s finest decorate their opulent abodes

While most of the interiors-obsessed turn to The Selby these days to sneak glimpses of the intriguing abodes of creative types, Assouline’s new book “American Fashion Designers at Home” proves that nothing quite beats the appeal of thumbing through pages of full-bleed photos to see their sources of inspiration and an unbuttoned look at how they live. Presenting the residences of over 100 of the most revered fashion designers (all members of the book’s collaborator Council of Fashion Designers), it includes Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch, Betsy Johnson’s NYC apartment, Oscar de la Renta’s Connecticut estate and more.

Often, signature elements—particular colors, shapes, and especially attitude—are immediately identifiable in their private quarters. Take Carolina Herrera’s Louis XV-influenced New York apartment; the classic elegance of her fashion collections is immediately recognizable. Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa’s two-bedroom, New York apartment embodies the cool minimalism and tranquil color schemes (including four shades of gray) that are undeniably part of the Calvin Klein aesthetic.

An avid gardener, de la Renta brings his love of nature inside with living and dining rooms covered in several layers of floral fabrics. Not surprisingly Betsey Johnson painter her 1,800-square-foot loft in varying shades of pink, but her balanced mix of flea market finds and opulent antiques shows her more toned-down, sophisticated side. Johnson’s advice on interior design is to “Fill your house with stuff you love, because I believe they all go together if you personally love them.”

Like on the runway, the book shows off plenty of unattainable yet covetable items and ideas. The Azria’s L.A. home (designed by architect Paul Williams who also created Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball’s homes) once belonged to writer Sidney Sheldon—the creator of “I Dream of Jeanie”—and boasts a greenhouse and gardens, a 6,000-square-foot movie theater, an enclosed tennis court and a pool inlaid with 14-karat gold.

Elie Tahari’s chocolate factory turned triplex penthouse (previously owned by Rupert Murdoch) is flanked with two decks, each offering 360-degree views of Lower Manhattan. The Zen-inspired, eco-friendly villa in the Turks and Caicos belonging to Donna Karen features a main house, yoga hut, two guesthouses, a pavilion, and a spa house with steam bath—all as gracefully confident as a Donna Karan collection.

Ultimately, what shines through are the designers’ impressive aesthetic acumens. Johnson continues, “You want to be creative and courageous in your dress and the same is true of your home. When you’re designing clothing, you really only have one point of focus and that’s the body. But home is fabrics and furniture and floors and natural light. If fashion is a planet, home is more like a universe.”

“American Fashion Designers at Home” sells from Assouline for $65.

A wonderful body of work to look at and listen to.

Kelly Meador and Daniel Elwing comprise this impressive duo. They’re well versed in film production, design, animation, music, and fine art. Below I’ve embedded my favorites, in no particular order. Plenty more on their vimeo page or website.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.