Saturday, October 25, 2008

Aristocrat: Sean Combs

Sean John has made a career out of clever branding and marketing. Starting off as a producer for the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., Sean Combs had an eye and ear for recognizing talent and star potential. Even for his own musical career, Combs was credited more with skillful "sampling" than his own inherent rap abilities. Combs was able to successfully take sounds and beats from music's past and package and brand it in such a way that he became a commercial success. Combs continues this trend in music, reality television, and fashion. He is a trendsetter, uber mogul, and he coined the term that defines the "it" factor -- swagger. He is an aristocratic style icon.

Th above are shots taken from the Sean John Fall 2008 Men's collection. Combs launched SeanJ John in 1998 and was the first to broadcast a televised fashion show in the U.S. with his Fall 2001 Men's collection. That line earned him awards and accolades from the fashion community as a legitimate fashion designer. He was able to merge urban wear and hip hop into the mainstream fashion conscience. His Fall 2008 collection featured new lines and shapes, with European inspirations. More refined than his 2001 show, this collection is heavy on the tailoring with shapes fitted more closely to the body. This is a departure from the traditional heavy and baggy looks.

I have to say, I had mixed opinons about this collection. There were some items that I did not like at all. I tried to post the looks I appreciated the most. He did have some suits and sportcoats that were cut high on the hip or cropped at the torso. I wasn't a fan of that so much. However, I can respect the orginality and European inspirations. They definately aren't going to appease everyone's taste, but the showmanship, presentation, and execution was on par with Combs' more seasoned competition.




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