Born in London of an Irish mother and an Asian father, Jean-Pierre Braganza attended the prestigious St. Martin’s School. Upon graduating, he got the chance to work alongside Roland Mouret, from whom he learned the art of ultra feminine cuts.

On the calendar of London Fashion Week since 2004, he presents men’s and women’s collections that always capture the imagination of international buyers and media. Chosen by Mr. Lagerfeld for The Protégé Project, he explores the potential of Australian Merino Wool through his distinctly structured style.

Jean-Pierre Braganza’s collection for “The Protégé Project”. A tribute to the female form celebrated through a keen use of sartorial geometry. Braganza takes a complex route in fashioning his designs, rethinking the body through unprecedented proportions, luscious layers, an interplay of Merino wool fabrics and wool crêpe inserts giving extra depth to the clothes. On hour - glass dresses and suits, grey and black hues intersect, meet warm notes of bordeaux. The collection, which also includes some items for men, is an exquisitely elegant synthesis of the ideal wardrobe.

A few basic pieces contemporary of cut, classic of inspiration, where mixes follow precise rules and all variations
capture the idea of a modern uniform.

Entire collection is available at Flickr.

Popularity: 1% [?]

A graduate of St. Martin’s School, Ioannis Cholidis is a Greek menswear designer who inflects fine tailoring with active and sportswear accents. In 2006, he designed a line of Puma sneakers presented during London Fashion Week. In the same year he worked with Stella McCartney creating clothes for the English band Coldplay.

Thanks to his eclectic approach to fashion and his inventive take on colour for men, he’s the one Sir Paul Smith - the best loved of English designers - chose in 2007 to find a new way for men to enjoy Merino wool. Frame by frame, Ioannis Cholidis’s collection depicts the everyday life of a stylish young man who shifts easily between business and casual looks.

Voluminous pants and shorts contrast nicely with slimfit shirts, pullovers, twinsets. Pants make quite a fashion statement, as in the wool denims for leisure occasions, or the sleeker models with exclusive detailing like copper hardware and the lastest in padding and fringe. The colour spectrum ranges from the softest pastels to deep anthracite grey and navy blue hues. Strongpoint of the Cholidis collection is a flair for reinventing the all-time classics of men’s casuals (usually denims or leathers) in Australian Merino Wool. The result: soft five-pocket jeans, peacoat, bomber and biker jacket all in a wool fabric offering innovative ease and surprising tech performance.

Entire collection available at Flickr.

Popularity: 4% [?]

A young Julian Louie left California to study architecture at Cooper Union University in New York. Two years later he discovered a passion for fashion, which he believed had the same imaginative force as architecture in defining the contexts of modern living. In 2005, with an internship at Imitation of Christ, Julian got to enter the field firsthand. Subsequently, the young architect - now in love with fashion - joined the Calvin Klein style office headed by Francisco Costa. This makes the latter’s choice of Julian as his protégé for the ambitious Australian Merino Wool initiative all the more significant.

Characterized by contrasts, the collection Julian Louie designed for The Protégé Project merges opulence and austerity, full forms and clean lines, structured silhouettes and lavish details. The mood is young, audacious and sophisticated. Proportions capture a new concept in volume: darts, puffs, pleats, gatherings redesign the figure. Perfectly offset by rich embroideries inspired by Robert Motherwell and Gustav Klimt paintings. The palette presents variations on metallic grey, from pewter to graphite, lead to silver. Adding warmth to these tones is an intense shade of gold, as well as inserts and applications in primary colours (red, yellow, blue) interspersed with white. Exalting Merino wool’s versatility, Julian Louie constructs precious balloon dresses, preppie-style pants cut off at ankles, coats and jackets in ultra simple lines. For a New York style interpretation, at once bold and elegant, of the Australian fiber.

Entire collection available at Flickr.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Culminating in a fashion show event in Florence the vision of five young designers comes to life. They are the five new names chosen for “The Protégé Project”: a special initiative that the Australian Wool Innovation, the largest association of Australian Merino woolgrowers, devotes to emerging talents in the fashion world.

Against the evocative backdrop of Palazzo Corsini, the young designers - Kristian Aadnevik, Sandra Backlund, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Ioannis Cholidis, Julian Louie - will present their creations inspired by a fascinating challenge. To reveal the potential of Australian Merino Wool in the realm of men’s and women’s fashion. Launched in June of 2007, The Protégé Project applies the Renaissance model of patronage to the fashion system of today. Thus five internationally prominent figures - Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, Paul Smith, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Franca Sozzani of the Italian Vogue - were invited to serve as mentors and select respective protégés.

This exceptional role translated for the five young designers into a precious opportunity, the chance for each to express his or her own talent through prestigious Australian Merino wool fabrics and yarns, gaining international visibility in the process.

Australian Wool Innovation involved in the project some of the world’s most illustrious textile manufacturers, namely: Cerruti, Ermenegildo Zegna, Loro Piana, Carlo Barbera, Botto Poala, Reda, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Chiavazza, Zegna Baruffa, Tollegno, Lora e Festa. They agreed to supply fabrics and yarns in the finest Australian Merino Wool for the protégés’ collections.

In an exciting couture twist, Australian Merino Wool conquers the scene and celebrates an important anniversary: the bicentennial of the shipping of the first bale of Merino wool to Europe. Two hundred years of quality, luxury and innovation.

To find out more about The Project Protégé or the designers go to awiprotegeproject.com. Check out all the photos on Flickr.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Byblos, an Italian fashion line around since 1973, has never looked better. The super edgy, almost space age line, is surprisingly wearable and totally awesome. The Spring/Summer ‘08 Womens Collection is a mix of bubble sleeved dresses, sky-high hemline mini skirts, crop jackets and fitted pants. The sophisticated, muted colors and slit detailing, not to mention wrap around platforms, make for a fresh and sexy new approach. Everything is made to enhance the shape and curves of the body and bare just enough skin to deal with what is supposed to be the hottest summer in decades.

However my personal favorite details from the collection include the rope belts, knotted into bows, which adorned the shorts, pants and skirts.

Looking for something a little more fun? Blu Byblos, is a much younger, sportier collection with bright colors, stripes and denim pieces, still maintains the basic identity of Byblos. Both Byblos and Blu Byblos have equally hot men’s collections, as well as shoe and accessory lines.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Caravan is unloading Vivienne Westwood coats for $200, Erotokritos grecian dresses for $100, and men’s Blue Marlin hoodies for $40 at the winter sale. 2 Great Jones St., nr. Broadway (212-260-8189) and 128 E. 91st St., nr. Lexington Ave. (212-722-7282); 1/21–1/31 (call for store hours).

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Now all the mexx stores will be featuring not only hugo boss, but the latest offerings in gucci as well as hurley.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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What Market Said: The ’90s revivial is on and popping! At the Number (N)ine show in Paris yesterday, designer Takahiro Miyashita paid homage to Kurt Cobain with a collection that was full-on grunge. Called My Own Private Portland, Miyashita gave us layers of mismatched flannels, thrift store sweaters, Elmer Fudd hats, plaid shirts, shabby knits, busted shoes, and even moccasins that took us waaay back. We’ve got pics after the jump.]

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What Saynt Says: While it was inevitable that the 90’s would eventually come back to haunt us, I feel the most noteworthy aspect of this collection are the high-water pants that each of the models wore. It seems that the Thomster has had a bit of a rippling effect on the industry, and the look is translating into more everyday looks which is refreshing cause know one wants to see the ankles of pasty business types, no one.

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 (photos:men.style.com)

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Popularity: 3% [?]