manshion.

Ikiré Jones, a collection from blogger, friend, and a real-life (like, offline!) Esquire’s “Best Dressed Real [see!] Man in America” finalist, Wale Oyejide launched yesterday. The inaugural collection consists of fine sportcoats and pocket squares, aka the foundation of your burgeoning ballertastic wardrobe. Everything is made here in the US of A (Brooklyn, to be exact) with great attention to detail. The trim on the jackets (prominent in the photos of Wale himself modeling his wares) is really something to behold in person. The West African inspired print underlying Ikiré Jones jacket lapels, a risky detail to incorporate in a line of high-end, business-ready sportscoats, is executed with a pitch perfect balance of flair and sophistication.  

After catching up with Wale at a recent #menswear meetup in Philly, I can tell you the construction, fabrics, and fit of these jackets are the real deal. You’re not buying an off-the-rack, marked-up gimmick here. No—Ikiré Jones jackets are made to order, entirely by hand, by expert tailors seasoned in bespoke suiting. The pocket squares, also channeling West African designs, feature hand-rolled edges, a true sign of quality. While these handkerchiefs add personality to your breast pocket like any traditional paisley or floral design, rather than pump out the same European influenced fare, Ikiré Jones put their own spin on things to come up with something truly unlike anything else on the market.

Do yourself a favor and stop by the online store today. Just browsing the site alone is a free lesson in branding and creating an immersive online retail experience. Lastly, I’d just like to wish the best to Wale in this new venture. I thank him personally for inspiring me to reevaluate the trade-off of quelling my creative aspirations daily for a reliable paycheck as a stagnant desk-jockey. I invite you to evaluate the same for yourself.

Read Wall FW13 - I like how the looks have grown up so much in just a year. I will definitely be keeping an eye on them as their aesthetic seems to be aligning with my own. It was a pleasure meeting Read himself at Capsule back in January ‘12. At the time, Read’s Clothing Project had laid the foundation with great fabrics and made in US shirts and ties. Just months later, the full Read Wall line was on the scene with a cohesive collection that was equal parts youthful and well-crafted. I’m very impressed with the exponential progress made by this DC native’s brand and really look forward to getting hands on with the new product.