Seasoned from the success of her SS08 diffusion line at Topman, Carolyn Massey makes a return to Lens with a distinctive aesthetic that continues to venerate, but in a bolder fashion, the romanticism and gothic charm that filters through 18th and 19th century English fashion.

Massey injects an old English familiarity of neutral hues—black, white, grey—with the occasional bright colour to harken us back to a sartorial code that is part moody, part romantic, but part avant-garde.

Winged-collar and bib front shirts pop up throughout the collection as does an all-too unconventional Sherlock Holmes-esque cape. Despite Massey’s reverence for age-old fashion, a twinge of modernity is thrown into the mix by virtue of her silhouettes. One gets a timeless feel to the collection—the cape’s simplified lines and capacious qualities makes it an enviable winter coat—that ultimately renders a contemporary portrait to these antique items.

Come September, be on the lookout for Carolyn Massey’s AW08 collection in the Lens area at Topman Oxford Circus, Laforet Harajuku (in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, Japan) and online as well at the Topman debut in New York.

We promised you voluminous scarves, we promised you top-notch tailoring, and we promised you dainty knitwear and H&M aptly delivered. Several looks from the H&M Men’s Fall/Winter 2008 collection have become available and the ideas are refreshing. The lines are very clean, the colors muted and the jackets provide a more structured fit making the collection fit for the boardroom and beyond.

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BePositve, the new shoe brand from renowned Italian footwear outfit, Slam Jam have released their autumn/winter 08 collection which is in stores now. The aesthetic is classic meets athletic (thus pleasing in more ways than one) as a leather Oxford lace-up is rounded off with a sporty white rubber sole.

The admixture creates an added dimension to the slightly amped-up but casual styles that are highly sought after. The Oxford Leather (pictured above) and College Leather (see images below) are the first two styles to hit the ground running and are available in three different colours.

Be Positive AW08 is currently available at Tokishirazu (more retailers are expected!).

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Fashion connoisseur Tim Blanks summed up Prada’s a/w 2008 menswear show with: “male vulnerability wrapped up in a shirt.”

I’m not one to deny my adoration for Prada’s mind and designs because it was this collection, shown in mid-January, that foretold the hoards of androgyny spilling from the sartorial pores of Europe in June for the Spring 2009 menswear collections. That’s the power of a visionary. Much like Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga is in womenswear.

Even with Miuccia Prada’s fall 2008 castration collection, her array of astonishing menswear accessories stood out.

Dangling a fabulous Prada tote bag with simulated animal print in front of a serious fashionista is almost as malicious as waving a dollar, sandwich and cigarette combo within arm’s reach of a New York City homme sans abri.

The man-bag/murse trend was not only picked up by Prada. Dozens of runways took the bland nylon messenger bag (which may have previously sufficed as vehicle for transporting daily necessities) and added surreal fabulousness in the form of prints, luxurious leather, monograms and even a knits. Take a peek at what you can expect fashionable men to tote this coming a/w season.

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