Models Ferns Francois and Joel Sanchez Launch Modern Advocates to Boost Boston Fashion

           There's a void in Boston's fashion community. Talent is plenty and the passion is strong, but very few have come together to make the industry bigger. After TheTents at Boston Fashion Week collapsed this year, two male models decided they needed to rally the city's fashion people.

            Ferns Francois and Joel Sanchez just launched a fashion production and networking community called Modern Advocates. Their goal is to exhilarate Boston's fashion industry by bringing designers, models, stylists, buyers, media, actors, and the like together at weekly mixers.

             I met up with Francois and Sanchez to find out exactly what Modern Advocates does and what they hope to accomplish. From revitalizing Boston Fashion Week, to getting more menswear designers in Boston, here's what they had to say.

             Their kickoff event, LA x Tokyo, took place last Tuesday at Naga in Cambridge. Tomorrow will be their last event of the month until their relaunch in January. Starting at 10pm, fashionable Bostonians can connect, drink and dance while making strides for the industry. So go to Naga tomorrow night, meet new people and start a new future for Boston fashion!

To get all the details on tomorrow's event, go to the Facebook page HERE.  

And make sure you check out Modern Advocates on Facebook, Twitter (@ModernAdvocates) and Instagram (@modernadvocates). 

Brooks Brothers Collaborates with The Great Gatsby Film

      As I listen to The Great Gatsby soundtrack for the third time, I'm beginning to warm up to the tracks. It isn't as completely awesome as I expected it to be. I totally thought "No Church in the Wild" would be on there, along with a really great song from Jay Z, but his song "$100 Bill" is sub par. However, my favorites Florence and the Machine, Sia, and The xx make up a few stellar tracks. I don't always like all of Lana Del Rey's music but her song "Young and Beautiful" is surprisingly catchy.

     Regardless of the soundtrack, I am still very excited to see the movie. My film major boyfriend keeps telling me it's going to be terrible, but I have faith in Baz Luhrmann. His movies Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge are among my favorites. He has a very extravagant, theatrical style that's almost always entertaining...I can't say I was thrilled by Australia though. Of course, the most exciting part for me is the costume design. I find 20s fashion endlessly inspiring and a massive amount of creative costumes is guaranteed to be in this movie. Luhrmann's wife, Catherine Martin did extensive research to recreate styles from the Roaring Twenties. She won an Oscar for her costumes in Moulin Rouge and I fully expect her to get another for this film, even if Luhrmann doesn't receive one.

      Martin's research led her to a collaboration with Brooks Brothers. While every fashion magazine has been focusing on the women's clothing from this era, it's refreshing to see someone including menswear in this  trend craze. I was walking down Newbury Street one night and stopped immediately when I saw the Brooks Brothers window displays of Gatsby inspired suits and separates.

      According to the Brooks Brothers' website, their clothing was a staple in Fitzgerald's wardrobe. Martin thought it was only appropriate to incorporate their clothes into the movie. She researched their archives to ensure her interpretations were accurate. Brooks Brothers then collaborated with Martin to create an exclusive menswear collection.

      The pieces are timeless versions of the company's old styles. From full suits and cardigans, to white wingtips and onyx cuff links, men can achieve Gatsby style in many different ways. With all these options, a guy can go head to toe 20s or just add a touch of it with one piece.

      Check out this behind the scenes video below to see Catherine Martin explain more about her designing process and the Brooks Brothers collaboration.

Visit the Brooks Brothers' website here to shop the collection. 

Boston Fashion Week SS 2012 - Jeff Lahens

     The Jeff Lahens show was a compilation of looks from Uniform Boston, Ball and Buck, Drinkwater's Cambridge, and Bobby from Boston. It was all about a man's original style and gave males the spotlight in a female dominated fashion week. Looks ranged from lumber jack to dapper businessman and touched upon everything in between. One of the most memorable pieces was a sportswear jacket with the Boston Bruins logo, earning a wild stream of applause. Not only did the clothing impress, but the models were hot too! They worked the runway with attitude, charm, and...good looks of course! Watch out Boston! We may see a menswear exclusive fashion week in the near future!