ManChic

Leopold Getting ready for Summer 2009

Melbourne-based menswear label coveted for its refreshing blend of the traditional with the contemporary. The brainchild of Shandor Gancs and Boyd Parry, Leopold has quickly established itself at the forefront of Australian menswear. The elegant style defines itself in luxurious fabrics, unexpected details, fine tailoring and bold colors.

Colored and sporty garments set the tone for the Leopold man this season, combined with vintage details from the 70s. Choosing geometric cotton knits, hooded sweatshirts or v-neck sweaters brightened with summer colors like cobolt blue and firey red. The Leopold boys have designed a new easywear look for Summer - mixing formal and sportswear looks. Loose cotton cardigans, waffle knit sweaters, metallic jackets, sports shorts, tailored shirting, dark denim and tuxedo jackets all work seamlessly - a new relaxed elegance. The color palette includes grey tones (from silver to charcoal), black, navy and cobolt blue with highlights of metallic black and Leopold's signature red.

Old Money by Yoko Devereaux

In these days of soaring gas prices, yelps of cash crunches and real estate depression, the last thing anyone would do is destroy money. Well, anyone but Yoko Devereaux that is!

Launching for spring/summer 2008, Old Money, is a collection of coins hand cut into works of art Yoko has attached to aged sterling silver necklaces. As Creative Director, Andy Salzer, explains, “It is about taking something that is so relevant in our society and then destroying it. Yet we're also transforming it into something truly unique.”

Don’t fret though Freedom Fighters, no U.S. coins have been used. The coins collected are from around the world including Canada, Croatia, England, Russia and The Czech Republic. Some rare coins will also be sold as limited editions.

The results are very masculine: Proud moose heads, stoic tall ships, mighty birds and regal profiles. Retails at $88 and available on www.yokod.com and select specialty retails.

 “When I was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old, I know it is” – Oscar Wilde

The Bossa Nova Restaurants - Los Angeles

Photography by Joshua Targownik

So I am not only a chef but I also love great food and there is not to many places you can lick your figers too when you eat great food. 15 years after their first restaurant open, the food at Bossa Nova restaurants chain is still amazing; still very tasting and great.

There are now 4 Bossa Nova restaurants and the 5th is on its way. Each restaurant is unique by there architecture and ambiance. My love affair with this wonderful food started when the flag ship on Robertson Blvd in the city of West Hollywood opened. I have met the two owners Aurelio and Francisco right when they have finished to building there wooden tables. Than I brought all my friends and we became a first group of supporters. To thank me they have created dessert plate on my name YORAM SPECIAL which became a hit on the menu. To this day we are still really excited each time we eat there.

Photography by Joshua Targownik

From the beginning William Paz is a part of the adventure and today he is the executive chef and together with chef owner Francisco he is one responsible of the menu. The ingredients are always fresh and food is cooked home made style. Big portion plates, autentic home made with the same consistency for all those years. Each time I eat there I sill get surprised.

The menu is huge and I only choose to mention a few items. Also in all Bossa Nova restaurant they have a pizza ovens, and the recipes are from Brazil. Robertson Blvd. location is the only one that does not have a pizza oven.

Photography by Joshua Targownik

On the Menu: Excelent choice of pastas with great variety of sauces. I love the Edgar Salad which is made of shrimps, lettuce, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, with a home made dressing. Most salads come with a choice of chicken or shrimps. Great lamb meet, stakes and fish, and a good selection of beer and wines. Amazing appetizers and desserts. On the wine list I picked the white Zinfandel and the Chardonnay Pino Noir by Close du bois, the collection of Merlots is very good too. Australian Ale brazilian beer and soft drinks are available too. You can get wines by the glass - average cost is between 7 to 12 dollars and the bottles are between 6 and 45 dollars.

Photography by Joshua Targownik

The flagship is Bossa Nova restaurant
685 robertson blvd.
tel +1 (310) 657-5070
also delivering from 11 am to 2 pm
public parking next door
all major cards accepted

Photographer Duo ALEK and STEPH Goes Cinema

Photos by ALEKandSTEPH

The most talked about photography duo ALEK and STEPH, recently did a photo shoot of rising hollywood start Jane Anne Thomas and gave us an exclusive preview here on ManChic. Aleksandar Tomovic and Stephane Marquet are masterminds behind the several fashion online publications and the most inventive photography couple of our days. They are internationally recognized and sought of photographers that we have already published several times here on ManChic online Magazine.

+ Official Site

Phillip Sparksby Steven Carver

Sometimes it takes an engaging idea to inspire a designer to conceive of a collection that will make wearers want to buy several pieces, if not all of them. For designer Philip Sparks, his concept of a chic petty thief is one that creates a lot of covetable items for Fall/Winter 2008.

Pieces can be interchanged and worn from morning to night. Whether it’s a cardigan or vest worn over a shirt with a collar with a twist, or a suit with sharp details, it’s all there.

Coats are luxurious in cashmere and wool. Both long and shorter styles were seen in greys and creams - perfect for any occasion, but ideal for those special nights out on the town.

Fabrics range from tweeds to leathers with a good dash of beaver fur mixed in to keep warm when the temperatures drop. Who doesn’t want a pair of fur gloves in winter?

With the tailoring leaning more towards the traditional, there are some contemporary frills seen in the cut of some of a tuxedo with braided trim, leaner jackets and fuller pants.

Overall, Sparks creates a style of a common criminal that a man won’t have to resort to robbing a bank in order to look just as good as the models on the catwalk.

It Looks Fast, But It's Fasterby Steven Carver

With a design influenced by the square lines and vents from the series of Gundam’s anime robots, the Nissan GT-R not only looks fast, but is fast.

A VR-series twin-turbocharged 3.8 litre V6 producing 480 hp and 430 lb/ft of torque takes this rocket from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds. The 6-speed, dual-clutch gearbox with three driver-selectable modes speeds to over 290 km/h (180 mph), while the Brembo brakes stops the car in its tracks.

Putting the muscle to the pavement is Nissan’s ATTESA ET-S All-Wheel Drive (AWD), Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC-R) with three driver-selectable settings, 4-wheel independent suspension with three driver-selectable modes, and exclusively developed nitrogen-filled Bridgestone® RE070A high-capacity run-flat summer tires.

The technology tour continues inside the leather-lined interior. Features include: 7-inch high-resolution color-LCD touch-screen monitor; HDD-based GPS navigation; digital Bose® audio system with AM/FM/in-dash 6-CD changer and 11 speakers including dual subwoofers; and Bluetooth® Hands-free phone system with voice recognition.

And, there are an abundance of safety systems to keeps its occupants protected: dual front, dual-stage air bags with seat belt sensors and occupant-classification sensor; driver and front-passenger side-impact supplemental and roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags; and front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Get in line because these cars will go disappear faster than they’re being built – Nissan will only produce 1,000 cars a month when sales start this summer.


(Photos courtesy of Nissan)

Velvety Smoothby Steven Carver

Known to be one of the most luxurious fabrics produced, velvet is a perfect material for winter clothing because it’s both lush and plush.

During the colder months, nothing looks better than a velvet jacket or coat. Short or long, a velvet topper can be dressed up with a dress pant and patent shoe, or dressed down with a crisp dress shirt and a pair of sporty shoes. It depends on the event.

Whether the colour is light or dark, make sure it’s well preserved and cleaned after each outing. To raise the pile, brush with a soft-bristle brush – the fabric will last longer, and the topper will be worn for years to come.

Salt Stains On Shoesby Steven Carver

(Photos of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes courtesy of Nordstrom)

Just like a man moisturizes the skin on his face, so too should he take care of his shoes to keep them from drying – especially in the winter.

If there are salt stains on your leather shoes or boots, mix one tablespoon of white vinegar in one cup of water. Dip a clean soft rag in the liquid, the wipe the salt stains. When dry, the shoes should be good as new.

If the footwear is suede (even though no one should wear suede in the winter), don’t use oil-based cleaners because they will stain the suede more than the salt. Try a mild blend of one teaspoon of dish washing detergent and fabric softener in 500 ml of lukewarm water.

First brush the suede with a shoe brush to loosen and remove any salt and dirt. Spray some of the solution on evenly over the suede and lightly brush it in. Wide off with a cloth dampened with clean water. When dry, rub the suede with light sand paper to recover the texture.

Finally, to keep the leather looking supple, apply a spray or cream protector in-between cleanings. Your shoes will thank you.

Shades of Grey for an early Springby Steven Carver

Grey is any colour between black and white, so it can be described as the third neutral. It’s sophisticated and urban, and a perfect addition to any wardrobe.

Most grey pigments have a cool or warm cast to them. Yellow, orange and red undertones will look 'warm,' while green, blue, or purple ones will look 'cool.'

Layering shades of grey adds a subtle impact – a charcoal overcoat with a dove-grey suit underneath, and a heather sweater or scarf to remain warm on colder days.

Grey is the perfect solution for those who are timid of colour, yet it allows the wearer to look calm, cool, and collected.

KLEINby Stefano Guerrini

In the 80s we wanted our MTV, in the 90s we wanted our Calvins…in 2008 we desire a lot of things, many of them related to the luxury market, but Calvin Klein is still deep in our hearts, linked with all the right fashion trends. How could you resist to be such a fashionable nerd with a pair of Calvin Klein glasses? At the same time it’s easy to imagine ourselves at the pool wearing a trendy pair of Calvin’ sunglasses…maybe drinking our glass of champagne and discretely spying the situation around!

For spring-summer 2008, Calvin Klein Collection Eyewear, produced by Marchon Eyewear, Inc., brings a combination of the quintessential modern shapes with contemporary technical styling. The 947 model, for example, has futuristic digital geometric pattern details and a cool optical mood, the metal frame with its modern rectangle shape is available in bold shades of shiny silver, sand and gunmetal. A contemporary and very confident style.