Nom de Guerre Denim Shorts
A good go-to pair of shorts for the summer can be hard to find but these Nom de Guerre jean shorts are looking more and more solid every time I see them. I know a lot of people are anti-denim (not to be confused with anti-dentite) when it comes to their shorts but I think you can easily look past that when considering this version of the ‘jort’. Probably because the khaki colour of them makes them look like your average chino short at first glance. And aside from the colour being great, the fit and quality are really good as with all Nom de Guerre pieces. They’re slim but not too slim and the hem is innocuous unlike a lot of other denim shorts. Made from high quality Japanese selvedge denim, they’re much sturdier than cotton chinos. A solid purchase that’ll last for a lot longer than just this summer.
THE collection by (y) | Nom de Guerre
Now that we are down to our last seven shirts, Tres Bien and Roden Gray have sold out and Present still won’t be open for a few more weeks, Nom de Guerre is the only place you can pick up any of the red oxfords by Gitman for h(y)r collective. They have some smalls and mediums as well as a duffle bag or two now in store. Nom de Guerre was our first choice for our New York retailer when we started the concept. Although the shop mainly focuses on their own collection, we always felt they brought something very special to retail in a landscape where everything has been done. The merchandising and actual space is really cool, very clean and represents an aesthetic we’ve fallen in love with. The military influence and difficult to find location made sense too as people who generally are buying our products, know just what they are looking for. Nom de Guerre’s brand choice is extremely selective as well so we feel honored to sit alongsidede some of our favorite labels, in the house of one of our favorite brands. Make sure you head down and check them out, and pick up a shirt and/or duffle if you feel like it.
640 Broadway
New York, NY
+1 212 253 2891
Reminder | THE collection by (y) Launch
By now, the whole world knows about our Gitman for h(y)r collective oxford shirts and our duffle bags by Tannis Hegan. They will finally be available for purchase tomorrow at Roden Gray in Vancouver. It’s all working on a first come first serve basis, and although we are planning to launch our online store within the next week, we can’t say for sure that shirts or bags will be around that long. I am advising anybody who wants to make sure they get what that want to call or email Roden Gray or info@hyrcollective.com tomorrow morning. The online store will launch shortly, and our other retailers should have the products by the end of next week. To confirm our stockists are; Nom de Guerre, Tres Bien, Roden Gray and Present which is a great shop that is opening in London next month. Numbers are limited of course and I want to thank everybody for the support. All emailers, pre-orders, blog commenters, magazine readers - thank you very much for the support. Please come out to the party at Roden Gray tomorrow and say hi if you can, if not, you know where to find us online.
Retail prices have had to be slightly adjusted due to exchange rates, low minimums and and shipping issues. I hope everyone doesn’t mind, we are trying to offer the best value we can. Thanks for your support and understanding.
Oxford shirts are $150 USD or $185 CAN | Duffle bags are $300 USD or $350 CAN
Tannis Hegan for THE collection by (y)
It’s just about time, so I thought we should let you know one piece at a time what we’ve been working on. Our h(y)r collective products are going to be coming in small capsule lots when the products are all ready for the market. Lot #001 consists of two products, one of them being our ideal duffle bag. We teamed up with Tannis Hegan to design a duffle bag very much inspired from her own collection and the classic aesthetic we’ve grown to love ourselves. The navy 10 oz canvas, buttery soft whiskey colored leather, subtle brass hardware and functional pocketing make up our perfect daily duffle bag. I won’t get into too much detail with the bag, as it will be featured in our upcoming issue set to drop next week. We are aiming to release Lot #001 on May 22nd in very select retailers; Roden Gray, Nomad, Nom de Guerre and Tres Bien. The duffle will retail for about $290 US depending on the shipping, duties etc of where they are sold and bought. I am really excited about the bag will be using mine regularly after I pick them up today. All of the bags were handmade by Tannis Hegan in her studio in Vancouver, while almost all of the materials were sourced in Vancouver as well. It’s been a fun, long process and we think the result is pretty damn nice, hopefully you do too. There will be more photos coming soon in the new issue, so this is all you get for now.
A.P.C. Washed Standards
Nomad give us a long awaited update with some really great looking new products in their Toronto locations. Nom de Guerre, Fillipa K, Surface 2 Air, CDG and A.P.C. are now fully stocked and ready for you to come and get em. Straight away I was excited to see the washed New Standard and Petit Standard in the update. A.P.C. have a knack for doing good things with denim, and their wash is no different. Much like Our Legacy’s washed blue, A.P.C. have managed to get the color and wash just right for a natural, great looking pair of jeans. I have a pair that’s a couple years old in the New Standard that are now this color and I really love them. I would say these are probably the easiest and best jean you could buy right now. Also noted are A.P.C.’s military shirts, Surface 2 Air’s V neck sweater and Nom de Guerre’s utility denim.
Nom de Guerre Spring Items
Nom de Guerre continues to be one of my favorite young brands, although I can’t credit a lot of that to this spring season. I loved last fall, and I am very excited for next fall, but some of the pieces seemed a bit different this spring. That’s understandable as any brand has to try new things and they aren’t always for everyone. Of course there are a number of items I still quite like and Tres Bien received a couple of them. I don’t usually get too excited about graphic tees, but I actually quite like Nom de Guerre’s spring offering, more than any other. And of course their 2/3 sleeve utility shirt is pretty good looking. I would mix up having the sleeves up and down, and try to get as much wear out of it as possible. The color, fit and material is spot on with this shirt. Don’t forget about that lovely VAT tax at Tres Bien as well, makes the pieces that much more tempting.
Acne Guy Chinos
These lightweight chinos by Acne have been my only pick up in LA so far, aside from some Monocle back issues and Newwork Magazine’s latest offering. It was my first time checking out Opening Ceremony in LA, and I was actually pretty impressed. The space(s) was pretty large, and although a bit of a maze, I have never had a retail experience like it, which was kind of refreshing. Once I found my up to the top floor and through the Nom de Guerre room, the Acne room was my favorite area of the masion. The Acne Jeans collection is full of great button downs and a number of chino options, both in colors and cuts. The Guy chinos were my top choice, although I did go with the navy blue instead of this lavender color. The chinos have a nice flap pocket detail in the back, great buttons and a very ideal summer weight. This will definitely be getting a lot of wear in the next five months. With no changing room in sight, I managed to find the upstairs bathroom and worked it out.
Issue 11 / h(y)r collective magazine
Finally. Issue 11 is now up and live for your viewing and reading pleasure. With some last minute changes and additions the issue came together pretty nicely. I’m pretty excited about the interview with Angelo Baque from Supreme, Alexander Olch and Dana Lee. We also take an in depth look at Nom de Guerre’s Fall 09 collection, which is one of my favorites. Ransom’s fall collection, Spring Essentials and an interesting look at one of New York’s premiere show rooms, The NEWS, round out the issue. There are a few more gems in there, but you’ll have to go looking to find them.
As I mentioned in the editor’s note, we be moving to a slightly different format of offering new issues every 2 months now, more information on that coming soon. Our next issues, our 1 year anniversary issue, will be released in May. It’s going to be something special, so definitely stay tuned, and in the mean time enjoy issue 11.
Nom de Guerre Utility Pants
Nom de Guerre’s spring collection definitely has a stern, rigid feel, unsurprisingly similar to that of the German military it references. There are again some really beautiful pieces in the collection, that do come with really high price points. I’ve been looking at these utility pants for a week or so now on Context’s website. I think I would like them a bit more if the model pulled them down a little bit, although this morning I got past it. I really do like the details of the extra buttons for suspenders and cinch in the back. The color of these pants is also a highlight, and does indeed look good with some brown boots. I could really see these pants looking great with a couple seasons of wear in them, the tone and material nicely broken it, and again, worn just a bit lower on the hips.
Nom de Guerre Fishtail Parka
Nom de Guerre’s spring collection has been releasing slowly at a few shops but between the look book and what we’ve seen so far I haven’t seen any real outstanding pieces. The officer shirts are great, but we already knew NDG had perfected those. Finally some of the outerwear has shown up at Oi Polloi including this really great looking fishtail parka. I really like the fishtail cut and teamed up with Nom de Guerre’s high quality and slim fit, you’ve got a winner. The parka is fully water proof with all taped seams yet breathable and still made in Japan. The interesting feature on the jacket is that the bottom section actually zips off and provides an option or a stripped down field parka looking piece. While I’ve never been a huge fan of the 2 jackets in one idea, I think it actually works quite nicely here, although I would probably keep the whole thing together the majority of the time.
Nom de Guerre Anti Exposure Coat
As Nom de Guerre’s spring items start showing up in select retailers, we can get more of an idea of what each item can bring to the table, or your wardrobe. The collection definitely has a lighter feel this spring with a different use of patterns and black and white stripes. The pieces I’m personally more drawn to are the monochromatic outerwear, knits and shirts. This short jacket looks really nice, probably technically sound, and I’m sure it can handle more than just spring weather. The main visible feature would have to be the button down front overtop of the zipper. It’s been extended tastefully and with e nice sized button, the jacket has a very subtle, but different look. The military shirt is now a staple in the Nom de Guerre collection and the light blue color looks great with the sleeves rolled up. Definitely an easy wear for seasons to come.
Favorite Piece: Patrik Ervell Coat
This is my favorite item I have seen for fall 09 so far. There have been some great collections and pieces from all of the brands I mentioned quite regularly here. Nobody has disappointed me yet which is a great sign of things moving forward and becoming even more refined. Nom de Guerre, Common Projects, Engineered Garments and Our Legacy are definitely among my top picks. However Patrik Ervell keeps coming up with items that I really like. This button up coat in a speckled wool in both a blue and a camel color is my favorite piece I’ve seen so far. The big pockets, the buttons and the great collar combined with a really subtle and casual silhouette and perfect colors are putting it on top of the list. I haven’t really seen a lot of jackets with the same shape that have en executed so well. Definitely one of the things I’m already looking forward to, and trying to get somebody to order for me…
Opening Ceremony Showroom
I had the pleasure of visiting the Opening Ceremony show room for the first time today, and quite enjoyed it. I was there to see Nom de Guerre’s fall collection which to no surprise looks beautiful. The colors, the knits, the outerwear and even a pretty exciting collaboration with another brand we are quite fans of. More to come on that of course, but also in the show room was some specialty items for Opening Ceremony by a great footwear brand, including some loafers, and a classic work wear, pattern maker. I don’t know if I am suppose to disclose details, but I probably will in a further post. Anyways, besides Nom de Guerre, Patrik Ervell’s fall 09 collection was really, really nice. There is one particular coat I will buy 100% this fall and a whole lot more I could easily live in. The cuts, materials and colors were really beautiful. Very warm, more camel, warm blues and a really interesting footwear collaboration to top if off. I am very exciting about the fall season already and had to remind myself that stealing is wrong on a couple occasions…
Pics to come…I’m stuck in a hotel in Toronto
New York, New York
As some of you readers might have picked up on, I am in New York for a short, but productive trip. First off I have to apologize for any lull in blog posts but I am trying to keep up. I spent the day walking around a lot of the Soho and West Village enjoying the delightful feeling of a frozen face. At least the ground was dry, I guess. It was nice to check out the new editions to the city such as Rag & Bone but I have to still track down the J Crew and Thom Brown shop in the next couple days. I have some pretty exciting meetings in the next couple of days which will help determine and direct the next few months of h(y)r collective. I am excited to report back the progress as well as a couple Capsule updates starting Monday so stay tuned for some previews of whats to come for fall. In the meantime, everything in this city is 50-80% off. It’s crazy. Nom de Guerre, Odin, Rag & Bone and Union all have notable sales with some great items. I didn’t have a ton of luck finding my size in a lot of things I wanted but the search will continue and I doubt I’ll leave empty handed.
Nom de Guerre Indigo Utility Shirt
A good chunk of Nom de Guerre’s spring collection is now available online at Oki-ni and along with it a couple pretty good items as expected. My top pick in the first drop is the indigo utility shirt. The simply treated indigo is complimented nicely by the white buttons, classic rounded chest pockets and an overall good fit. Nom de Guerre’s items definitely fit my body better than most brands on the market and for a collar that doesn’t button down I quite like the signature NDG collar. A couple other pieces look interesting and I’m looking forward to checking the collection next week in New York.
