Nick Clements is a professional fashion photographer and filmmaker and current editorial contributor to Men’s File magazine. Since 1990 Nick’s fashion images have appeared in most significant men’s fashion magazines in the UK, Europe and the US, including: Arena, Esquire, Flaunt, GQ (UK, Italy, Spain, USA), L’Uomo Vogue and L’Officiel Hommes. Nick’s photographic language borrows heavily from subcultural style, acknowledging the debt much men’s fashion has to the symbols of refusal and resistance apparent in subcultures of the 1950s and 60s. Using fashion photography as a method of cultural investigation, his research at the RCA attempts, simultaneously, to explore contemporary revival subcultures and their influence on current men’s fashion and fashion photography.

Order the G-Shock Leatherback by Men’s File

Oliver Spencer is a man and a fashion brand. Oli, the man, is a designer, a self-taught tailor, a switched-on, hands-on creative. The brand is an expression of modern man; his tastes, his touch, his style. Oli founded the label in 2002. He wanted a collection that mirrored his own wardrobe: a bridge between popular streetwear and traditional tailoring. Quality fabrics. Modern fits. Old-school construction. Characteristic details. Exquisite craftsmanship. The recipe abides. The result is wearable, interesting, elegant clothes that are brilliantly put together. Oli’s passion is there in every piece. It’s his name above the door: he’s striving for quality, out there sourcing the fabrics and the buttons and overseeing how it’s all sewn. It’s why even one Oliver Spencer garment can refresh a wardrobe, make you smile and set you apart.

SHOP OLIVER SPENCER SALE

This months edition of Creative Review turned us onto these beautiful pieces of innovative packaging design.
You can’t download these on iTunes.

Martin Kvamme of Snøhetta Design is the designer of this nature-inspired packaging for Mike Patton’s film score for
Saverio Costanzo’s film adaption of La Solitudine Dei Numberi Primi (The Solitude of Prime Numbers).

Also designed by Kvamme is this beautiful white limtited edition boxed version of the latest album by Norweigen
musician Magnet, entitled Ferrofluid.

Here’s the double vinyl release of Tycho’s new album, Dive, released on Ghostly International last month. Printed on
matt card the landscapes featured in the artwork have an extra-terrestrial feel. As well as producing the music,
Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) also designed the sleeve of the record. See more of his design work at blog.iso50.com

SHOP THE SALE

First came Punk, spawned by the creative minds that flourished in the tough, uncompromising, yet beautiful Bowery, a true slice of original New York, famed for its notoriety and inner city mettle. Following the pinnacle of Punk came Disco, born from clubs such as the loft and the gallery, finding place among the gay black community and eventually becoming one of the most celebrated eras in the cities history, and finally from the Bronx emerged Hip Hop, woven from block parties and the influence of the Disco scene.

Three different musical flagships, each carrying its own community, each breeding its own figureheads, fashions and attitudes, all born from the streets of New York City. This thought provoking, eye opening documentary captures the rise of each of these scenes respectively, documenting aspects of New York life never seen before in original footage. The story is perfectly told, the scene is set, this is the story of the creative zest of the most awe inspiring city in the world, Once upon a time in New York.

Italy is often regarded as a stylish country, a passionate country and a culturally rich country, little attention is paid towards the hardships it went through from the time of the Second World War and throughout the following decades. The scene of a political war fought at street level, between those with right wing, fascist ideas and those who believed in a communist way of life is afforded little attention by those who regard it as the so called fashion capital of the world, however it was from such issues that a new generation of young Italians decided to abscond from the political strife, the threat and fear of terrorism and adopt a new attitude and outlook towards life.

During the early 1980s a noticeable clique was forming in Milan whose origins were formulated from this new generation of wealthy and fashion obsessed youngsters for whom displaying their social standing through the guise of their sartorial vigour held most importance. However, the cat walk was not the sleek and high end landing strip of a glinted warehouse during fashion week; it was the sandwich bars of Milan’s city centre. This self made, naturally occurring culture was called Paninaro and those that followed it were christened the Paninari after the original sandwich bar Al Paninos that the scene originated from in the Via Agnello district of Milan.

The fashions adhered to by the confident and cosmopolitan disciples of Paninaro culture encompassed expensive, continental labels that were worn in neat and sometimes unconventional styles. Displaying a nationalist awareness and an appreciation of home grown labels, Armani and Fiorucci were two of the most evident names associated with the movement although Best Company was the must-have label in any self conscious Paninari wardrobe. Moncler, Trusardi and a little later down the line, the Massimo Osti productions of Stone Island and CP Company also become much revered staples of the style. A love of classic Americana and American items was also in abundance with Timberland deck shoes being one of the most cherished aspects of the whole Paninari look together with classic Vans deck trainers.

It’s important to note that although Paninaro largely held its ethos from a social outlook and fashion background there were other elements that were an integral part of the scene as a whole. The link with Italian made Lambretta and Vespa scooters was always a noticeable one, with the shop fronts of Sandwich and café bars always fronted by an array of Paninari owned motorcycles.

Unlike a lot of youth movements that deter the attentions of the media in view of keeping their scene underground and exclusive, the Paninari embraced the fact that they were part of the main stream. The exclusivity element of the clothing they wore was enough for them, they chose not to be a mysterious hybrid for whom people who were not involved didn’t know who or what they were, they celebrated the fact they were part of Italian culture and various magazines dedicated to the lifestyle were published, bought and read in abundance, documenting the whole culture along with it’s fashions and ethics. Incidentally, in 1986 The Pet Shop Boys released a record celebrating the whole culture, aptly named ‘Paninaro’.

Although Paninaro culture was the sole creation of the Milanese youth, the look was exported to the UK during the mid 1980s with labels such Burlington socks, Paul and Shark, Pop 84, Best Company and most notably, the Armani Eagle became synonymous with a certain fraternity within the casual scene.

Although the Paninari had largely faded away towards the late 1980s and early 90s, the labels that were most cherished by those involved with the scene have lived on and in some cases flourished, being adopted by others. It’s perhaps quite fitting to note that many traces of Paninaro style have yet again crossed over her to the UK and are being worn, intentionally or not, by many who revert to the look that is currently most popular in London and other main cities.

The most notable trend is the wearing of denim rolled to the ankle – something that has been adapted and done for the past few years and is now an accepted way to wear jeans in general. This trend was one of the key components and noticeable hallmarks of the Paninari, who rolled their Armani jeans to display their Burlington socks for all to see. Stone Island and CP Company, although worn religiously throughout the proceeding years by football going lads, has also seen big resurgence in popularity along with the deck shoe in summer and other aspects of the Paninaro look such as bright coloured back-packs and the like.

With Italian fashion often perceived as being a pretentious and hollow entity best left to fantastical billboards with airbrushed models and snooty, flamboyant characters whose demeanour is entirely fake, that original and home-grown culture that spawned from the sandwich bars of Milan should not be forgotten. Let’s dismiss the cat walks flanked by celebrities and the flashes from the cameras of Vogues photographers for a minute and pay a little bit of homage to one Italia’s finest exports and contributions of modern cultural heritage, one that is often over looked as being one of the key influences on current modern styles today, that of the Paninaro.

Having amassed such a one off collection of unique and to the point images, PYMCA is recognised as one of the forerunners in modern culture photography, capturing the essence of youth, tribal disputes, fashion, music and attitude perfectly. With Mods, Skinheads, Rockers, Casuals and Rave culture all covered in detail, this is certainly worth a look for those who hold an inclination towards our true cultural heritage and the way things were before the influx of the internet. Originality and individuality are both in abundance, which makes for eye opening and romantic viewing.

Take a look at their website here

Shop YMC

Shop Diemme