This past summer, after several seasons of designing his menswear label, Grahame Fowler opened his first U.S store. The classic, slightly disheveled suits and shirting are all handmade in New York, with relaxed silhouettes and impeccable fit. They’re displayed amid vintage scooters and photos at Fowler’s West Village shop, which he converted from an old dry cleaner, where the décor perfectly blends casual and luxurious style. The store’s good looks are no coincidence: Before launching his label, Fowler was one half of a premier London design team, Timney Fowler, that worked with numerous fashion houses on fabrics, wallpapers, and interiors. We chatted with the British designer about the look of next spring’s suits, his love of street style, and the best accessories for both genders.

What is the look of the clothes you design?
It’s a mix of tailored/working/military/function-at-the-junction mélange.

What is the inspiration for your latest collection?
Spring/summer 2010 is all about acid-color shirts, sharp, crisp cotton twill suits, and tropical-wool pants. This is all fused with oversized plaid shirts and high-break double-breasted jackets that are unlined. Sharp Kool suits for the “Man about the Village.”

What is your favorite piece in the store right now?
A washed moleskin suit in navy, green, gray, and brown. It has a great fit — a well-cut, finished garment at a great price that is made here in NYC.

Tell me about the extra, special details on your pieces.
I include functional details, like straps to hold your newspaper inside the inside pocket of jackets, for example. Lots of these details come in response to years of traveling and having to utilize extra pockets for storage and secretion.

What type of man shops at the store?
A nice one …

What was the first designer item you bought or wore?
Not a designer item, but a pair of Levi’s 501 button-fly jeans. I had to travel all the way to London to buy them from the only shop that stocked them there.

Who were some of your favorite designers growing up? What about now?
My visual vocabulary was really referenced by other youth cultures and how they wore, or appropriated, street styles — mods, rockers, teddy boys, skinheads, suede heads, etc. Now I like small stores or designers who are left of center and doing their own gig, creating a look rather than dictating a look.

Who are your style icons?
Footballers like George Best, bands like the Who, the Kinks, the Small Faces, and obscure American soul bands like Voices of East Harlem. All those cats that made it happen.

Tell me about your personal style. What pieces or labels do you wear most?
On a daily basis I wear jeans, my T-shirts, and my shirts and jackets plus some vintage like favorite motorcycle jackets. In the evening, a hand-tailored suit and bench-made English shoes.

Where do you shop most for fashion items (other than your own store)?
Vintage stores, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, 45 RPM, military stores, and Costco for white tees.

Is there a fashion item you are currently coveting for yourself?
A Patek Philippe 5971P chronograph watch.

What trends are you into this season?
Being nice to all of my customers and trying to provide value for money.

Any trends you wish would just disappear?
No, I love them all; it’s what makes New York New York. Diversity is my university.

What’s something every man should have in his closet?
A really beautiful watch and a beautiful woman.

Every woman?
A drop-dead gorgeous diamond ring and a cool guy.

Finish this sentence: I never leave the house without …
The keys to my 1969 Lambretta scooter. Otherwise I can’t ride to work.

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Filed Under: tastemakers, grahame fowler

Now that boot weather is in full swing, socks need to be higher and heavier to keep feet warm and dry. Gap’s new knee-high versions are made from a soft, ribbed knit that covers the calf and stays comfortably in place thanks to added stretch. The socks, which come in four marled shades, get an added hit of color from their bright, striped trims. Along with their good looks and total comfort, these sturdy knee-highs will withstand several spin cycles, a good thing because we plan to wear them all winter long.

Marled knee-high socks, $9.50 at Gap, 680 Fifth Ave., nr. 54th St.; 212-977-7023 or Gap.com.

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Filed Under: best bets, gap, socks

When college friends Humberto Leon and Carol Lim decided to open Opening Ceremony in New York in 2002, they had no idea that just seven years later they’d have two more stores, in Los Angeles and Tokyo. The original Opening Ceremony on Howard Street is now better than ever, with several collaborations in the works and a focus on up-and-coming designers from around the world. After viewing his stellar spring 2010 collection, we sat down with co-owner Humberto Leon to discuss their Olympic inspiration, how every woman should own a million dresses, and an extensive list of designers who shaped his love for fashion.

Opening Ceremony features a visiting city each year. What’s up next?
We have featured a city or country every year since opening. This year, since we opened our store in Tokyo, we decided to celebrate a year of partnerships. We did collections with Chloë Sevigny, Pendleton, Betsey Johnson, Keds, Timberland, Where the Wild Things Are, Trash and Vaudeville, and others. This will continue until fall 2010.

The store’s name references the Olympics, so what were your favorite Olympic Games?
We always use the Olympics as a source of inspiration. The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles are the most memorable and epic to date.

How do you decide what to stock in the store?
Carol and I always think of occasions, because occasional dressing is the most fun. Whenever we pick anything, we think about the scenario for wearing it. The great thing is that we are on all buying appointments together, so we can always reference the collections we choose.

What is the aesthetic you’re striving for?
Fun, special, unique, classic, forever, nerdy, cool, dressy, functional, and multipurpose.

You’ve done some amazing collaborations. Anything coming up that we can look forward to?
There are some fun ones coming up, but Robert Clergerie is the only one I can talk about.

Inside Opening Ceremony.Photo: Melissa Hom

Describe your favorite piece, or pieces, in stock right now.
My favorite pieces are a Pendleton meets Opening Ceremony patchwork shirt and the Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Bass loafers.

What was the first designer item you bought or wore?
Some fond memories include a white Wilsons leather jacket, a Forenza sweater, Zodiac buckle shoes with an elastic strap that I wore to prom, and Doc Martens. My first expensive pair of shoes came from Miu Miu’s first men’s collection. They were square-toe shoes with a Velcro strap and futuristic soles.

Who are some of your favorite designers, then and now?
Growing up, my favorite designers were Levi’s, JimmyZ, Maui and Sons, Mossimo, Chess King, Esprit, Gap, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Benetton, Club Monaco, Ralph Lauren, JNCO, Peanuts, UFO, Final Home, Vexed Generation, Walter Van Beirendonck, Agnès b., A.P.C., Helmut Lang, Stussy, Calvin Klein, Prada, Miu Miu, Burberry, Raf Simons, Dries Van Noten, Cloak, Patrik Ervell, Band of Outsiders, N.Hollywood, Lad Musician, Barbour, and Supreme.

What pieces or labels do you wear most?
I always revolve around the same ideas of mixing functional outdoor clothing with dressier suiting-type pieces. I’ve been heavily influenced in style by the late-nineties successful Internet guy — the guy who wore New Balance sneakers with anything he wanted.

Where do you shop most in NYC, other than your own store?
I love shopping at other stores, as well as my own. I shop at Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Atelier, Seven, and Tokio7.

What are you coveting these days?
I want a Lanvin coat and a Margiela suit.

What trends are you into this season?
I don’t really believe in trends, but I’m into baggier trousers for guys. I’m also really getting into corduroy. I think it is the most appropriate all-season fabric.

Any trends you wish would just disappear?
Jeans worn low to show your underwear and silk-screened T-shirts with tattoo prints.

What should every man stock in his closet?
A perfect suit, a perfect shirt, a perfect pair of shoes, great, hole-free socks, underwear that feels good, T-shirts from your childhood (even if they are ironic), a Pendleton flannel, gray slacks, great khakis, jeans that make you look good, a Barbour coat, New Balance sneakers, Rod Lavers, a Supreme hat, and too many others to name.

Every woman?
A million dresses for all different occasions: short, long, tight, and full. A great oversize cardigan, the perfect silk blouse, killer heels, awesome flats, comfortable tops, Alaïa skirts, and anything Balenciaga.

Finish this sentence: I never leave the house without …
My carabiner of keys, my BlackBerry, my wallet, and my Brookstone windproof umbrella.

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Filed Under: tastemakers, humberto leon, opening ceremony

Ralph Lauren sequin jeans, $7,500; Rock & Republic “Crazy B#@!h” jeans, $345.

The ripped-jeans look is not just in for spring — it’s getting a fancy makeover. The shredded denim we’ve been seeing the past couple of seasons is loaded up with a slew of embellishments, from lace to studs. Balmain and Rock & Republic added a tougher vibe with chains and studs that showed through tears in place of bare skin, while Blue Notch and Ralph Lauren added sequins and shine to their denim for a more sparkly, dressed-up look. These four styles of torn-up, embellished jeans hit stores beginning this winter, with deliveries from January through April, ranging in price from $190 for Blue Notch’s gray style all the way up to $7,500 for Ralph Lauren’s encrusted pair. Of course, you could always bedazzle your old ripped tried-and-true favorites and save yourself a pretty penny.

Blue Notch gray sequin jeans, approx. $190; Balmain chain mail distressed jeans, approx. $1,810 Photo: Courtesy of Blue Notch; Imaxtree

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Filed Under: trend alert, balmain, blue notch, jeans, ralph lauren, rock and republic

We all love Banana Republic’s timeless basics and stylish seasonal collections, and this Wednesday, the Soho flagship store reopened after a major revamp. All of the 18,000 square feet have been overhauled to make shopping easier and much more fun, with large sections devoted to special collections and accessories, and strings of lights casting a glow on the space. The circular front section of the store is dedicated to Monogram, the limited-edition collection, where we found several chic dresses, tops, and bombers. Toward the back of the store, next to the classic Heritage collection’s washed scarves and denim, is a large corner devoted to the company’s jewelry line. The sparkly rhinestone pieces and stacks of bangles are displayed on vintage books in a cozy boutique setting. Up the grand open concrete staircase, on the second floor, lays menswear, where areas of shoes, sunglasses, and tables of apparel overlook Broadway through large glass windows. We stopped by the beautiful, well-stocked new Banana Republic store on opening day to pick out our favorite items.

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Filed Under: banana republic, buyers guide, shopping, slideshow