TAXI!

The Established Man touched down finally after the NY jaunt, expect a splash of transatlantic features on the way detailing our favorite NYC hangouts and establishments. We also nipped over to Philadelphia for a while so expect a little guide to what to do there as well. Our packed flight touched down to a misty and murky London on Tuesday morning in the midst of rush hour madness and with a list of to do's the length of the bible to get through we were quietly dreading how long it would take to return to HQ and due to our gluttonous quantities of baggage the tube was not even a flicker of thought. No, a car was needed. We ditched the Addison Lee account a long time ago, what with rude staff, expensive fares and generally a steaming pile of you know what to sum up their service. We've an equal distaste for London Cabbies, it seems a black cab gives one the immediate right to break every rule in the Highway Code and treat other road users, cyclists and those on foot as second class citizens so we've not taken a cab in a long time as a protest to their outlandish attitude to London driving.

The options are wearing thin as you've probably guessed but thankfully ClimateCars came along and we've been hooked ever since. This eco-friendly car service consists of leather upholstered Prius's that roam around London filled with the days papers and a shed load of glossies for one to flick through, as well as carbon neutral mineral water to sip on whilst negotiating the M4 or any other swift little shortcut your friendly driver will have up his sleeve and they're by far one of the cheapest car services around. We're big fans and long may they continue! Regularly booked up so get in there quick!

www.climatecars.com

T 0207 350 5960

The G-Wiz is dead!

"Things are gonna turn nasty" was the unanimous reaction in The Established Man office to the newly and very eco-friendly Mini E hitting the streets of London any time soon. We can already see the residents of Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Hampstead and every other bourgeoisie part of London trading in their has-been G-Wiz's and old-hat Toyota Prius's for what must be one of the chicest Eco-mobiles to hit the roads. With Mini Cooper S styling paired with some very weird yellow motifs, don't ask us what that is about, and an interior the colour of a small bird your Auntie Mildred might keep in a cage at her flat in Torquay, expect this car to be noticed in the right way unlike like your Foxtons Mini which normally donates a f***wit is driving it.

The only snag; you can't actually buy one. Trust us we've looked into this! It'll hit the streets of LA LA land and NYC first and then arrive in London town on a leasing arrangement, perhaps in time for bonus-stripped bankers to trade in their Porsche 911's for a wholly friendlier form of motoring. With an estimated mileage of 150 miles on a full charge and equally as impressive performance figures we're tempted to join that waiting list which must be almost as bad as a membership to some of London's most exclusive private clubs...the cost of moral motoring.

The Great Winter Boot Debacle

Now without sounding like the male equivalents of The Devil Wears Prada or Sex in the City we at The Established Man do take pride in our appearance. So with wet weather in London and a chilling wind whipping off the Atlantic in NYC it's clear that our bedraggled collection of tatty Converse and even tattier Plimsolls that cost a fiver in Brick Lane were not going to cut it in terms of both cutting a stylish dash but also avoiding trench-foot. It was time for those winter boots to emerge from our closets, yet this one staple item appears rather underrepresented in The Established Man shoe cupboard. 

We thought it would be a simple task but after schlepping around every department store, boutique and online store it appeared that a good pair of boots for a relatively affordable price was out of the question. How we lusted after those Maison Martin Margiela distressed boots that would have a required one's own personal army to get them off, or the fisherman's boots that we're sure people use to muck out stables or gut fish whilst wearing them but they were non-starters either on price or comfort.

Our office relocation to New York for two weeks meant that we arrived here with a pair of B-store brown Oxfords which did not survived the journey well, worse than a piece of rare porcelain shipped off to Aunt Sally in Florida, they have bummed as the locals here would say. But after a lengthy walk around Central Park on Monday to escape the madness of Manhattan that shining beacon of male retail therapy should come into eye shot, yes, we had chanced upon Barney's, Ta da! Boy did Barney's do us proud, a pair of Fiorentini+Baker boots later, reduced as well, we are now suitably soled for the coming cold season. Their boots are wonderfully comfortable and come looking a little pre-distressed, meaning we won't have to spend hours rubbing them against abrasive surfaces to look like they've spent one too many nights in Camden.

www.fiorentini+baker.com

I'm dreaming of a bright Christmas

Those clever folks over at Topshop know how to create a stir and we're not surprised to see them at it again..damn their savvy-snappy-ness. To launch Christmas over at the newly opened monstrous Westfield Shopping Centre in White City they've commissioned British Fashion Boy of the moment, Gareth Pugh to design them a Christmas tree and in true Pugh style don't expect a Silver Fir or a Norwegian Spruce felled from the forests of Scandinavia and lightly dusted with snow. 

This is a lumberjack-free Christmas Tree. For this time around Christmas appears to be influenced by the conceptual artists of the last century so think Dan Flavin and a hint to Minimalism as you peruse those bright white fluorescent bulbs configured in the shape of a 'Nightmare at Christmas' tree. Ray Bans at the ready then.

Tour De France

Gosh that Zaha Hadid is a busy lady, and as first lady of architecture she is in demand as a hot chocolate and cheese fondue on the mountains of Gstaad. We loved her project for BMW a few years ago which saw the factory merge with the office spaces as well as the recent nomination in the RIBA Stirling Architecture Prize 2008 for her Nordpark Cable Railway which saw Hadid collaborate with railway engineers in creating a new mountain railway to connect mountain villages with the city of Innsbruck. Her sensuous glass canopies, individual in their shape at each of the four stations, made us want to go up the mountain right away.

But now Hadid has been collaborating not with prestigious car makers or the railway man but with the French fashion house Chanel and its head honcho Karl Lagerfeld in creating a pavillion that will travel the world with a show entitled 'Mobile Art' in which 15 contemporary art superstars such as Daniel Buren and Sophie Calle have been asked to create a piece that is inspired by Chanel. So cue an enormous quilted pink Chanel bag that will have Park Avenue Princesses lusting after one for their uptown apartments amongst the other artworks on show.

This is Hadid's first ever work in New York, and despite it's transient tendencies, for the pavilion will move on to London and Paris soon, its fresh in from the East after resting in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Hadid rather likes the fact that this white folly full of Chanel inspired artworks creates a buzz and then moves on to pastures new. Catch it in London next year.

New York until tomorrow

London, May 2009

Moscow, October 2009

Paris, February 2010

www.chanel-mobileart.com

The perfect fit

Finding the perfect fitting tee-shirt has become something of an obsession here at The Established Man towers, from the very expensive to the ridiculously affordable we've pounded the pavements, or in this instance, sidewalks, over and over again in hunt of simple tee's, the colour usually black, white or grey, hey it's a basic item after all but the way it fits is of paramount importance. 

An afternoon of gallery overload checking out the shows in Chelsea yesterday meant that we happened to chance upon an American Apparel on the way home, not difficult in this city as they have become as commonplace as a Duane Reade. But it seemed the ideal opportunity to just check what basics were in and if we might chance upon some sterling buys. What with it about to get cold soon here the rails were jam-packed with jersey and fleece and heavier fabric for those chilly times ahead but we just stocked up on a very basic grey and white v-neck tee, simple and fits like a glove. The ombre 'sunset' t-shirt might be added to our luggage too for the return to London town.

What American Apparel do right is to offer such amazing choice in its range of colours and fit, if we'd wanted to we could have gone for a deep v-neck tee shirt in a vibrant purple or a hooded top with spots on....actually we've got that already. Oooops.

www.americanapparel.net

Gig Pig

We've been long time fans of the band The Kills since 2004 when they played Frieze Music, an outpost of the Frieze Art Fair. That night saw they took to the stage before the Kaiser Chiefs debuted, this being at a time when the majority of people knew little as to whom all these bands were. 

This resulted in us being hooked and ordering their album No Wow immediately and following their path to being as celebrated as they are today. Back then it was more rocky and raw, today that rawness is still very much there when Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart take to the stage. Their most recent album Midnight Boom has been on repeat in our vintage Bang & Olufsen deck for quite some time now and it never wears thin the moment we listen to it. This is one of the most talented duo's the UK music scene has to offer and the last time we caught them live in Oxford they have lost none of what they displayed in 2004, just a few more new songs and a fantastic energy.

The Kills tour began a few days ago and finishes on 21st November, if you're after one of the most intense gigs to be had then this is one ticket for you. 

www.thekills.tv

Frequent Flyer

The glamour of flying was brushed of air stewardesses uniforms a while ago.It now sadly resembles a journey similar to that of a farm animal off to market but as frequent flyers that we are here at The Established Man there is only one airline of choice for our frequent to-ing and fro-ing across the Atlantic to New York and LA. British Airways was the usual staff travel choice but with Terminal 5's disastrous opening, less then friendly staff and a rather dated image Virgin has toppled their reign in our frequent flyer mileage total. 

Why? It's very simple, Virgin works...most of the time...if you have money to splurge on Upper Class it offers far more benefits than that of BA with a cheaper price tag and even in the back Premium Economy and Economy is a better bet. One is constantly well fed and watered and the staff have a cheer that BA staff lost a while ago. On every flight The Established Man team seem to get moved forward into areas of vast legroom, yesterday it was as if Wembley Stadium had appeared in front of our feet as we out splayed our limbs!

We're still not convinced by the host of business class only carriers...dwindling by the day as they cease trading... it seems Virgin is the only way to go when heading West...East is another story.

www.virgin-atlantic.com

Nothing like a collaboration

There's 9 days to go until the latest collaboration between those savvy Swedes at H&M and Comme des Garcons hit the rails and we're wondering if there will be quite the madness that ensues the moment one of these collections hits the stores, it's become an annual event for hundreds of wailing consumers, predominantly female one must hasten to add, to barricade the doors of their nearest H&M and max out their credit cards but this is not their usual style. Its a more intelligent and less brazen sense of dressing.

It seems a very clever move to collaborate with Comme Des Garcons during these times of a supposed recession. Here is a designer label that is not flashy and unbuttoned to the waist like Mr. Cavalli and Mr's Dolce & Gabbana. It has a loyal following of creatives who certainly do not bare all and just go about their business, albeit in a highly sophisticated means. The Established Man was overflowing with joy when we heard the news that  Rei Kawakubo will design a collection for women and men to debut on November 13th. Accessories too will grace many and H&M and even a unisex fragrance. Its the full Comme des Garcons experience and is sure to be a winner.

We've had a sneak preview of the collection already and have a our list carefully placed in our lapel pocket. Looking at the suits and shirts is appears the cut if very much on the bias. The shirts, always a star seller, feature the iconic patchwork technique used by the label as well as polka dots. A classic belted trench and little black jacket are sure to be whipped off the rails in no time at all. Those dots appear to have run a riot and are splashed on tee shirts which we certainly want a few of.

Start writing your list now

H&M & Comme des Garcons in stores on 13th November

www.hm.com

Go Obama

US election fever has grasped us all here since way back, many an evening was spent by the TV and on CNN.com when Hilary and Obama were going it head to head. Our loathing of Sarah Palin has gradually grown to the point where the mere mention of her name instigates shivers down our spines.

The Established Man has not yet touched down in the US of A but our man on the ground in NY tells us that is is Obamaville there and to expect an Obama victory this week. We'll be watching closely and will be in the thick of it as soon as we land on Wednesday night. Here's hoping what should happen does happen..the thought of a President worse than George Bush..who'd have thought...sends the fear of god into us all.

Get out and VOTE 

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Burrrrrrrrrr, its freezing. We're rather chilly and have been all weekend; not helped by a bout of manflu in The Established Man offices. So as well as being plied with copious amounts of Vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea and consuming enough lemon & ginger tea to make a new age follower start seeing citrus trees in their sleep we need to wear the right clothes. No segment of bare flesh must be touched by the bitterness that appears to have swept the British Isles. So it was time to binge out of cashmere this morning, gloves, hats, scarves, socks....you name it, we're wearing it today. Our icon is the humble Yettie

So it was off to Marc Jacobs for a some of the most reasonably priced designer cashmere seen, we loaded up on socks, hats and gloves there in a range of suitably wintery colours..think navy, burgundy, dark green. There was a splurge on a Navy cashmere zip-up hooded top but this is true cashmere heaven.

On the scarf front Burberry have a discount store way out East so we schlepped over there and bought an over sized plaid scarf...very on trend and as cosy as a country cottage. For sweaters our Lady underneath the Westway on Portabello Road every Friday supplies us with jumpers in all manner of states and colours for a tenner and the holes just add a rather dishevelled touch.

The item of lust has to be A.P.C's Union Suit.....a winning winter warmer.

www.apc.fr

www.marcjacobs.com