WEEKEND OFFENDER

Weekend Offender stamped their mark on London town last week with a roadblock launch of their flagship store in Soho.

The proof of the pudding is always in the party, and this menswear brand sure made a tasty impression on all who came to play.

This might’ve been something to do with the free beer courtesy of Budweiser, delicious ribs and wings from Bodeans and electro beats to feast your ears on with no less than Ministry of Sound commanding the decks... either way this exclusive shop event soon overflowed into a winter street party, with hoards of London’s finest fashion eds, stylists, models and bloggers vying for a slice of the action.

As if the shop party wasn’t enough, at 9pm the guests (including 1Xtra favourite Mikill Pane, the beautiful Sunday Girl and pro skater and model Lucien Clarke), were swiftly moved round the corner with goody bags in tow ( and pretty darn good ones at that!) to Soho’s St. Moritz Club.

Well everyone loves an after party... somewhere between the understated glamour of an alpine chalet and the character of a Cornish pub, the dark, cavernous, underground of the St. Moritz proved its worth as a regular A-List haunt. And with the Bud still flowing along to performances from Mikill Pane and electro techno duo ‘Jo and Will Ask!, the party continued well into the early hours.

Born in the Welsh valleys less than two years ago, this latest store opening was a real landmark of how far the brand’s come in such a short time. Their latest collection exhibits real development in quality and maturity.

With limited editions and special collaborations as well as a free ‘short back and sides’ in-store with all purchases, now’s the time to check it.

Weekend Offender's Soho Store 

Weekend Offender X Kingston Kustoms



                               http://www.weekendoffender.com/

Surfdome SS12 Sneak Peak!

Last week I was lucky enough to preview a snippet of Surfdome's potential Spring/Summer 2012 offerings at Coffin On Cake PR's S/S '12 Press Day, held at the Vinyl Factory in Soho.

Being a mere week after Surfdome, the online department store, announced the launch of their FIVE HUNDREDTH brand, it was an exciting opportunity to for me to see firsthand what treats they had up their sleeves for next season.

Born out of a passion for surf, skate, wake and snowboarding, Surfdome is lauded as Europe's leading lifestyle department store, now stocking '500 of the world's best lifestyle, fashion, outdoor and sports brands'. As such, expectations were of course high. And even though their press day display was simply a taster of next year's collections (inevitable when you have 20,000 styles across 36 departments!), what I did get to see was really diverse, radiant and inspiring, especially at a time when we delve into the dark winter months. 

What particularly impressed me about Surfdome is that not only do they house the obvious surf/skate big guns such as Roxy, Vans and Volcom, but they've also invested a lot of time in recruiting more niche, independent fashion brands, such as One Teaspoon, Afends (both from Oz) and Danish brand Nümph.

Surfdome categorized their trend preview into three themes based on location, the first being IBIZA TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. This collection showcased party playsuits, bikinis and colours, through to more Bestival-inspired knits, tie-dye tees and denim shorts. Here are some of my key-piece snaps:

Cosmic Playsuit by Volcom

Zebra Bikini by Pistol Panties

Pink knit by Numph

Collection Two featured BRIGHTON TO BONDI. Plenty of seaside-inspiration, from deckchair stripes in candy -coloured pastels and 50s beach babe glamour, to surf girl string-bikinis and day-glow paisley prints.

Striped Dress by Animal

Pink bikini by Red or Dead

Floral holdall by Easpak

Bikini buyers guide

Being the biggest online retailer of bikinis and boardies, there was a key emphasis on their swimwear. With 846 bikini styles on offer, the store has produced a buyer’s guide, specialising in providing you with bikini styles according to your body shape. The specific mood board above featured some  key pieces for the more 'rectangular' figure.

The final inspiration came from ST. TROPEZ TO ST. IVES. Think nautical, preppy and heritage tailoring with a laid-back luxe; standout features of this collection's key pieces included simple stripes, rope detailing and discreet leather branding. 

Suede shoes by Gravis

Backpack from Hershel

To celebrate their 500-brand milestone, Surfdome are giving away a total of 500 prizes over a 20 day period (10 days left!) via their facebook page. Every day one lucky winner will get a bumper box packed with 25 prizes from a selection of Surfdome's awesome brands.