by Wyatt Smith

The partnership between German brand and artist Kanye West has been nothing short of successful. Prior to signing a $10 million/year + royalties deal with the sportswear giant, West had collaborated with other clothing brands Louis Vuitton and, most publicly, Nike. 

Kanye's hyped Nike sneakers dubbed the "Nike Air Yeezy" drew more attention than any sneaker that's been released since the retro Jordans. Despite the success of the collaborative partnership, when West sought a more lucrative deal, Nike turned him down because he wasn't an athlete (which sounds ridiculous, especially after the success of multiple rappers and artists in the fashion world recently). 

Fast forward to 2014, and it was announced that West had finally reached a deal with Adidas. In early 2015, the fashion world erupted as pictures started to leak of the "Yeezy 750 boost". Soon after, the shoes were released to immediately be sold out, online and in-store. Since the inaugural release, the partnership has produced multiple 750 boost color ways, along with a shorter model, the "Yeezy 350 boost", also released in many color ways. All sold out immediately. 

Now fast forward to June 29th, 2016, and after the success of the footwear and YEEZY Season 1 apparel, Kanye West and Adidas have struck up another deal: to launch a brand extension entitled "adidas + Kanye West". Now you may ask questions such as "How is this different from the current partnership?" Well, there's actually a major difference.

The largest change in the new brand is that it will see its very own retail stores. No more Yeezy boost sneakers being sold for a limited time at various Adidas stores, but rather retail spaces solely dedicated to adidas + Kanye West. The collaboration has mostly been focused on lifestyle apparel and footwear to this point. Another gem coming from the announcement today was that West will transfer his talents to the sportswear world, as this new line will carry sports and lifestyle clothing and footwear, along with accessories.  

Adidas CMO Eric Liedtke had this to say about the transition, "Kanye is a true creator who has the ability to see things others don't... With adidas + KANYE WEST we are exploring new territories by opening up the sports world to Kanye's creativity."

Kanye himself added "This partnership illustrates that anyone with a dream can dream without limitations."

West had been advocating for his designs to reach a larger audience at more affordable prices, referencing GAP and H&M as his inspirations. Opening up retail stores dedicated to his clothing will most certainly accomplish this to some degree, along with receiving a dedicated team to run the operation from the companies' headquarters in Portland. 

As always, the hype surrounding Kanye is unreal. Expect teasers and leaks of Kanye's designs to make their way through the news cycle for this new collaboration, and even look for an adidas + Kanye West store to be located near you. 

by Wyatt Smith

I'm a pretty moderate guy when it comes to my style. Although those around me may disagree at times (I'm a straight male from Iowa who loves fashion, and as you may guess that's not very typical around here). But my idea of a solid outfit would be a pair of slim jeans, clean sneakers, a street t-shirt, and some type of quality topcoat or bomber. While I respect brands such as Rick Owens and Haider Ackermann, who's runway shows are much more thought-provoking and fashion forward, I don't necessarily have the swagger (or money) to wear their outfits. 

That said, I think my outfit featured above is, for lack of a better word, risky. A pair of Raf Simons tailored shorts that look like capris to the average bystander, paired with a purple overcoat and speckled dress shirt isn't your very typical outfit. But at the same time, when I wore that outfit around campus, I received more compliments and questions than I have from anything else I've worn. And they weren't solely from the students in my fashion classes either, but rather from people who just "loved the purple" of the jacket, or "dig the long shorts." I remember standing in my dorm room wondering if I should wear this outfit out (yes, I'm aware that I'm a loser who thinks too much about I wear). But strolling around campus in a lush purple coat and feeling the breeze on my bare shins was a refreshing feeling that I'll no doubt seek again. 

My advice on taking style risks is this: if it's something that you truly think looks good and represents you, then why not wear it? Sometimes putting yourself out there and doing so in a confident way can be exhilarating. Growing up I was surrounded by guys who had zero interest in what they were wearing, unless it was a cool snapback or some decent sneakers. And to each their own, but breaking away from that norm and devoting some effort and risk into my wardrobe has been a decision I'll never regret. 
Check out the pictures below and read my breakdown of the outfit. 

These shorts are made by the god himself, Raf Simons. One of my favorite designers, Simons usually produces clothing that's triple my budget. That's not to say that he's robbing customers of their money, as Simons' clothing is top quality and the shape and material is something you won't find anywhere else. I found these on Grailed for a reasonable price of $65. If you're looking for a pair of tailored shorts, long or short, I'd recommend hitting up grailed for used designer cuts, such as Raf and Rick Owens. If you're thinking of going the more cost-effective route, ASOS and Topman usually provide these cuts for a cheaper price. 

The shirt I wore in this outfit is from Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply. The Denim & Supply brand line extension from Ralph Lauren offers more contemporary styles and cuts, such as graphic tees, ripped denim, and flavored button-ups. This shirt goes well with the rest of my ensemble and the sleeves perfectly roll up over the end of my jacket. For more shirts like this Ralph Lauren is always a reliable place to check, along with the French essentials brand A.P.C. For cheaper dress shirts, Uniqlo offers a great selection, including collaborations with Lemaire and Pharell. 

Last but not least: the purple coat. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a jacket or overcoat, as the material is pretty thin and wouldn't keep me too warm in the winter but the length and cut feels like an overcoat. Regardless, it's a great piece to wear in the fall and spring times. To be completely honest, I found this coat thrifting with some friends. It may even be a women's coat for all I know. When I thrift I try to buy things that are 1 of 1, so unique and groovy (like this coat) that I won't run into anyone else wearing the same thing. Brands such as Haider Ackermann, whom I previously mentioned, and Acne Studios provide coats and jackets of a modern cut in pleasant colors such as this at top-notch quality. For a slightly cheaper option, London-based Oliver Spencer offers coats almost identical to this in multiple colors and sizes. (I may buy one of these on sale after I post this article) 

by Wyatt Smith

It's official: Every character in Bloodline is deceptive and immoral to their core. Okay maybe that's a little extreme, but it feels like that's what the show is headed towards. Even when you thought such innocent characters who were left in the dark in regards to the whole debacle of Danny's death, such as Marco and Sally, were innocent, think again.

The real theme of this second season is deception, and how it leaves haunting effects. Whether it's something as grand as murder or something much more minuscule, like deliberately keeping your son's child away from the family for years and paying his mother to do so (okay, maybe that's not so minuscule). Just about every drama series deals with lies, manipulation, etc. But Bloodline doesn't just deal with these character traits, it lives off of it. 

Marco is arguably the most in-the-dark character in the show. He's one of the few people who still revere the Rayburn name, and has been working along side John while ALSO trying to solve Danny's murder case, and has never even considered linking John to the crime. With all that said, Marco has a seriously murky past. 

When Gilbert came to Meg with the story of Sheriff Aguirre and his past of domestic abuse, Meg saw leaking the news to the press as immoral but essential for John's campaign against Aguirre. What she didn't know was that 10 years before, when Aguirre's wife called the police for help, that police officer that came to the home was Marco Diaz. After he chatted with Aguirre, Diaz never filed a report, and later that year he was hired by the recently appointed sheriff: Aguirre.

Another innocent character turned not-so-innocent is Sally Rayburn. She's clearly had the most trouble dealing with Danny's death despite being the least informed of what really happened. She doesn't have her husband there to help her through everything and run the inn, and her children have been more distant than ever. On top of everything, Nolan coming back into the family's life spells a great deal of trouble for her. 

Nolan's mother, Eve, decided to pick up Jane (John's daughter) from school and have a "girls afternoon." The two go shopping, and when Jane finds an expensive dress that she likes, Eve steals it for her. This parallels Eve's motives for pestering the Rayburn family; she has been living off of Robert's checks for years, and still thinks she's entitled to the family money despite her son almost being 18 years old. When Eve and Jane end up at a local diner, Eve spills the whole story of Sally's contempt toward Nolan and him tarnishing the Rayburn name.

At the next family dinner, sparks fly as Kevin announces the sex of his expecting child (male), but is over-shadowed by Jane and Sally's argument over her manipulation of the situation with Nolan. Growing more and more frustrated, Sally lashes out and slaps her granddaughter. As one might expect, this doesn't sit well with the family and drama spills over into the next episode without getting resolved.

Yet another Rayburn is in distress, and his name is Kevin. After recently being pulled over for a DUI and cocaine possession, Kevin is forced to attend AA meetings as part of his deal. While consistently attending these supposedly helpful meetings, Kevin can't help himself from desperately taking swigs of alcohol and combining it with pills (most likely painkillers). In the 7th episode, Kevin decides to speak at an AA meeting for the first time. As Kevin's talking, he admits aloud for the first time that he's an alcoholic, and goes on to also admit that he's not ready for fatherhood. His reason is that he's not the man who he thought he was, and that his family isn't who he thought they were, and this overwhelming deception is causing him to question himself.

There's a few more things that occurred in these episodes that weren't necessarily worth writing about due to their lack of conclusion or minor consequences. One thing worth mentioning is John finally confronting Ozzy, Danny's old associate. He beats the shit out of him at the Red Reef Motel, the same place Danny almost got murdered at in the first season. This scene in symbolic of John's acceptance of his inner evils. He seems to have come to terms with his immoral decisions, and in the following episodes I expect John to develop a mean streak. His wife put all of the pieces together and finally figured out that he murdered Danny. She confronts him about it, and says that she wants no part of his eventual punishment and that what he's done "could destroy us." 

That quote "could destroy us", is important. Many lives has been destroyed down in the Florida Keys in Bloodline, especially those of the Rayburn family. But that doesn't allow them sympathy. The second season has been a seven episode examination of how the Rayburn's have created their own troubles, dating all the way back to Robert's acquisition of the inn. When talking with Gilbert, Meg finds out that her superiorly moral father wasn't so superiorly moral. Gilbert points out that Robert was a poor kid just out of the Navy, but he somehow managed to buy ocean-front property in Florida. He explains that "Your father was principled, but he was also determined.”

Determination will decide the fate of these Rayburns. Robert used deception to his own advantage and built a wildly successful inn and name for himself. Now it's time to see if the rest of his family will let their lies will control and ultimately destroy them, or if they can redirect the lies into personal gain. 

by Wyatt Smith

With the last round of men's spring collection being shown at Paris Fashion Week, this is an exciting time for men's fashion. I currently have atleast 20 tabs opened from Vogue Runway of Menswear collections to go through and aspire to one day afford. With that said, lets look at Lemaire's 2017 collection. 

Christophe Lemaire is a French designer who has been around in the high fashion scene. He was the artistic director of Lacoste for 8 years before assuming the position of Creative Director at Hermes. While at Hermes, Lemaire put his eponymous label on hold due to the overwhelming responsibility. Hermes enjoyed both commercial success and high praise from critics during his tenure. But just this last year, Lemaire decided to part ways with the leather goods brands and focus solely on his own label. Lemaire was quoted saying that the experience at Hermes was essential to re-focusing his time and recently acquired skills to his own brand, which he has turned into a roaring success. In 2013 his brand made $1.8 million, and in 2015 that number ballooned to $6.2 million (via Business of Fashion). 

Lemaire traditionally follows a minimalistic approach using a slightly over-sized silhouette and lengths. This collection follows suit as flowing topcoats are draped overtop thin mesh t-shirts. The track pants and trousers possess similar qualities in material and a baggier, almost wavy aesthetic. The color used is simple yet stunning, with very muted and tonal colors incorporated into the garments with a few splashes of yellow and bright white. Lemaire increases the complexity and function of various coats and jackets but adding multiple pockets, sometimes even extending the silhouette and greatly enhancing the utility of the garments.  

Almost all of the pieces in this collection are "wearable", even by an average guy's standard. The pants may be a little on the fashion forward side with the loose fit, but the jackets and poplin shirts could be easily incorporated into anybody wardrobe. This collection won't blow anyone away creatively, but will most likely sell to Lemaire's usual customer. 

by Wyatt Smith

Raf Simons premiered his Spring 2017 Menswear Collection on Thursday in Florence during the Pitti Uomo shows. The collection was in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, as many of the shirts featured artwork and photographs created by the artist Mapplethorpe while he was still alive. But that wasn't the only collaboration debuted yesterday.

Raf Simons has a history of collaborating with German sportswear giant Adidas, dating back to 2013 when the first pair of Ozweegos were released from the two. Since then, Simons has followed the first silhouette with the Ozweego 2 and multiple takes on the classic Stan Smiths. 

Last night, Simons stepped out in his infamous painted blue shirt and black jeans, while donning what may be the next collaboration between himself and Adidas. 

Looking closely, you see that on the outside of the midsole is a trefoil logo in red bottomed with a red line on the sole of the shoe. And then, the damning evidence, the inside of the mid-sole on the left shoe features an "R-S" logo, aka Raf Simons. 

I'm not privy to which Adidas model this is, but it has been awhile since Simons' took his designs onto a new sneaker. If these truly are the next release from these two fashion behemoths, stay locked into Clickege for more updates on the surely to be coveted shoes. In the meanwhile, takes a look below at a closer view of the sneakers. 

UPDATE
After Four Pins quoted my tweet about these new sneakers (and said they "high key suck", which I can't disagree with), they provided another tweet featuring more RAF Simons x Adidas sneakers. Check out the other versions here and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

By Logan Drake

When trying to list the most important developments and inventions in human history, there is an interesting test I like to apply: Try to picture the world without it.

Without cities, our species would certainly have ended up going down a wildly different developmental path, but we can still take reasonable stabs at guessing what such a world would look like.

What about language? What if humans had never developed any form of symbolic language? We could still warn each other of oncoming dangers by shouting and making noises, but we couldn't say "hey, there's a lion" or "don't step on that tile, Indiana Jones, or else poison darts will fly out of the walls" or "I love you." What would such a world look like? How would humans have evolved, what would society, if such a thing even existed, look like today?

We can picture not being able to talk, but can you imagine not being able to talk to yourself? Not being able to think in complete sentences, not being able to associate commonly understood words with objects?

It's difficult to imagine a world in which you have absolutely no concept of language. This thought experiment, in my mind, goes to show the relative level of importance of each of these developments. Electricity and agriculture have had huge, nearly incalculable impacts on the evolution of human society, but language itself is even more important and fundamental. We can't even picture a world without it! 

Now, what would a world without science look like? If we, as a species, never made any scientific discoveries or advancements, it's easy enough to say that our world would look a lot like the world without agriculture from earlier. No cities, no medicine, no space travel, just traveling groups of people managing to get by on whatever they find.

You pose a question, conduct an experiment, collect data, draw a conclusion, share the results, and repeat. The exact phrasing and order can change a bit from textbook to textbook, but the basic idea is the same and universal: You come up with an idea, test it, and see if your idea holds true. If it doesn't, repeat until you get an idea that holds up.

If you're at all like me and every single person in every single science class I have ever taken, you roll your eyes a bit every time another teacher begins to explain the scientific method. Yes, it is a powerful tool, but it's also obvious! What, are you going to come up with an idea and not test it? You can't just say something and assume it's true without some sort of test. 

My point in all of this (and yes, I am finally getting to it), is that we tend to under-appreciate the scientific method. It's a truly revolutionary idea that changed not only the entire course of history (most people do not live in nomadic tribes, for example. Also, we have been to the moon.), but has also changed our very thought processes.

Today we have classrooms full of middle schoolers rolling their eyes at the idea of believing something (at least in science) without testing it. If you tell them a brick painted blue will float towards the sky because the sky is the natural home for blue-ness, most students would simply laugh, the true scientists would perform a simple experiment to quickly disprove the hypothesis.

The basic idea of the scientific method, the idea of testing claims to verify their truth-value, is so ingrained into many modern cultures that we have small children complaining about getting taught something so simple over and over again. But it is taught again and again because of it's incredibly revolutionary nature.

If you look at most of the scientific ideas presented by the ancient philosophers (who were by most measures and accounts, incredibly smart people), they sort of make a little sense, but seem a bit wacky, especially compared to our current understanding of the world. 

It was thought that human vision worked because the eyes emitted beams of light. And that change could only happen on Earth, that the cosmos were perfectly ordered and eternally unchanging. And that things made of earth fell to the ground because that was their natural place, and fire rose to the air because fire's natural place was above the earth.

It's pretty simple to think of an experiment to disprove all of these. We now have the means to measure the emission of light and see that, in fact, the eyes aren't shooting out beams a la Superman. We can view the cosmos with a telescope and see that things do in fact change up there (bodies collide, stars explode). We can put a piece of earth in space and see that it floats aimlessly without trying to return to the ground.

Now, to be fair, it would have been difficult if not impossible to disprove most of these theories with the technology around at the time they were created. Aristotle didn't have any easy way to conduct an experiment in space, after all. But it is worth noting that, for the most part, it didn't really occur to anyone to test their claims.

If a theory conceptually made sense, and if no clear exceptions could be thought of, then the theory seemed to work and was generally accepted. The ancient philosophers were incredibly smart, reasonable people who made remarkably significant contributions to humankind's knowledge, but they didn't think to do what seems obvious to today's middle schoolers: test their theories.

Going back to our original thought experiment: can you imagine what it would be like to not even think of testing a theory or idea before accepting it? It's a strange idea, experimentation and testing are so deeply ingrained into the very way we think that it seems stupid to not think to test an idea. But there was a time when that thought simply didn't exist. It was more difficult to test many ideas, and we lacked a standardized system for testing and experimenting. We lacked the scientific method.

It's easy to roll our eyes at how often we ask our students to go over the scientific method. But we should appreciate how truly revolutionary the idea once was, and have a respect for what it's done. It's taken something that didn't occur to some of history's greatest minds, and made it into something obvious even to snotty middle schoolers.

by Wyatt Smith

Hello internet. I've written for Clickege before (mostly in our style section), so if you want to know a little more about my taste and personality, you should head over here. It may seem strange that I'm making such an introduction so far after my first article, but don't worry, this post is quite different from the others.

Clickege is two guys (myself and Logan), writing and posting content that we find interesting and sharing for others to see. This series, Wyatt's Style Guide, is my attempt at fashion blogging. I'm not sure if I want the style section to become my own personal blog (like this post), articles I write about fashion (all of my previous posts), or a mixture of the two (what I'm leaning towards.) I have some really cool garments and clothing pieces that I'd like to style and show off on Clickege. You may be asking yourself "Isn't there enough fashion bloggers in the world" or "Why is Wyatt doing this." I don't totally know the answer to either of those questions, but I'm majoring in Fashion Merchandising at my University and would like to put my talents to use. I'm planning on showcasing a variety of styles and price ranges here on my fashion guide. Hopefully this is the first of many posts like this, so cut a novice like myself some lack and enjoy. 
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Summer is the season for the least amount of clothing possible. But, there are those days when the sky is overcast and the temperature is below 65 degrees (Fahrenheit). Personally, these are my favorite days of the year. It's easy to enjoy activities outside and not sweat profusely. Below is going to be an outfit that's my go-to on these cooler days during the summer.

Palace. My favorite brand to wear. The London skate brand produces quality streetwear that combines awesome style and a comfortable fit. Trying to up your style can be difficult in the summer as it's much harder to layer and think about the complexities of your outfit. A nice, laid-back look such as this is very easy to put together and shows that you give thought to how you present yourself.  Look below for a dissection of the outfit and where you can buy the look. 

Adidas' Stan Smiths. By far my favorite sneaker for under $100, and one of my favorite shoes to wear regardless of price. It's quality is dependable and very comfortable, and the clean classic look provides endless outfit options to pair them with. Buy them here if you're interested. 

One of my recommendations when it comes to jeans is that you don't need an over-abundance. Only a couple of quality pairs and cuts in different colors should do the job. A pair of light blue denim jeans is essential because of its versatility and social acceptance (yes, you can wear them to family parties without receiving judgmental looks and questions). Shop cheaper options here at Zara and higher quality options here at Acne Studios. 

I'll spare you from another rant about my love for Palace, but in short this t-shirt is amazingly comfortable and stylish, plus it's a nice compliment-getter. Look for new releases at palaceskateboards.com and shop here at Grailed for second-hand Palace t-shirts and gear. 

Beanies aren't essential for the summertime, but are still acceptable to wear on cooler days. Investing in a dope beanie in the colder months is a major key because it's something that you could wear every day. Palace still has this beanie and others on sale for $36, so go take advantage of that and keep your head warm in the coming months. 

by Wyatt Smith

Oliver Spencer is a British menswear designer who designs for his own eponymous brand entitled, as you may have guessed, Oliver Spencer. The London Collections: Men kicked off this week and Spencer was one of the first brands to show. 

Oliver Spencer started his own brand back in 2002, and its grown to sell in 151 stores worldwide along with 4 stand-alone stores of its own. Spencer draws inspiration from art, architecture, and London's ever-changing culture. This is clearly reflected in the clothing, as classic shapes and silhouettes receive modern tailoring and materials. This brand is for the fashion-conscious man who appreciates simple style and doesn't want to over-extend himself.

This collection draws inspiration from the landscape of Souther Italy according to WWD, with Spencer adding "I had the blue from the sea, while the villa is pink and yet red and changes and gets orange. And all of the greens came from the trees, so it was as simple as that."

​It seems as though half of the collection is for the London man on the go. Dark, modern colors mixed into sharp, clean suits, billowing over-coats, loose but tailored pants, and anoraks made of waterproof materials. The other half suits a man on vacation in Italy, consisting of lightweight shorts and shirts in bright pastel colors and even sport coats that could be worn on a cooler summer day.

This collection feels slight inconsistent and not very cohesive as a whole. The colors range from dark indigo and black to pastel colors such as bright blue and yellow over top off-white, and then all the way to a harsh maroon red. There are definitely pieces in here worth buying, and most of the garments on their own can be easily assimilated into your wardrobe. But it feels as if half of Spencer's head was in London while designing, and the other half in Italy, and it would've been more satisfying if he stayed in only one of those places for this collection. 

by Wyatt Smith

A$AP Rocky has long been considered one of the most stylish men in the world. Having graced numerous magazine covers and being named GQ's second most stylish man of the year in 2015, Rocky hasn't been wrong when he regularly refers to himself as "that pretty mother fucker." 

When Rocky debuted his mixtape/album "Live Love A$AP" in 2011, he immediately emerged as a star in the hip-hop and fashion world simultaneously. Proclaiming on his breakout single Peso "Raf Simons, Rick Owens usually what I'm dressed in." This came at a time when rappers were still rocking embarrassingly over-sized jumpsuits and baggy jeans. Rocky, along with his fellow A$AP Mob members, were constantly being taunted and called "gay" for wearing skinny jeans, high fashion, and over-sized t-shirts (which is hilarious to think about now as every #streetstyle post on Instagram consists of layered, over-sized tops and skinny pants). Rocky has always been ahead of his time with his style, and this profile will analyze his most successful looks and pieces over the past few years.


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Bomber Jackets may not seem the most fashion-forward garments anymore, but A$AP Rocky was, per usual, ahead of the curve. One of the first artists to don said style of jacket, Rocky was essential in bringing forward hip hop culture to embrace the militaristic and rebellious nature of this garment and style it correctly. 

Wearing this Balenciaga bomber as early as 2013 in his "Wild For The Night" Music video, Rocky started to style this piece with his signature skinny jeans and longer t-shirts. What I've really observed from Rocky's styling over the years is his versatility. He may wear a Dries Van Noten bomber over top a graphic t shirt and look very casual, or dress up and wear a Dior bomber to more formal events (as seen below in the tan bomber jacket). 

The idea of rappers dressing formally outside of award shows was considered preposterous even 10 years ago. But Rocky has elevated the term "hip hop style" with his ability to incorporate high-fashion suit and tie wear into a street aesthetic. 

While he mostly sticks to his go-to streetwear garb as every day style, Rocky has been successful when defying stereotypes at events such as the Met Gala and various awards shows. I guess running in fashion-savvy circles and consistently getting invited to fashion shows and cruises rubs off on a person. Rocky's been dressed mostly in Dior when doing interviews or attending events, which makes sense due to his affection towards Kris Van Asche and Raf Simons, who was previously the creative director at Dior.
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Back in the day, Rocky would wear extravagant Jeremy Scott sneakers and abstract Raf Simons shoes, but throughout most of his career the Harlem-based rapper has stuck to more subtle footwear that compliments his entire ensemble rather than steal the attention away from it. 

Some of his favorites- Adidas' Stan Smiths, Alexander Wang combat boots, and Rick Owens boots- offer a minimal color palette. Rocky has even slipped away from the sneakerhead scene to rock more formal footwear such as Dior Oxfords or Raf Simons x Adidas Stan Smith collaborative shoes . That said, Rocky still isn't afraid to remind everyone where he came from and sport a pair of Retro Jordan 4's. Not to mention that the artist collaborated on his own sneaker with Jeremy Scott with a blacked-out edition of the previously mentioned Winged Adidas Sneakers. 

When everyone zigs, Rocky zags. And when it seemed everyone in the mens fashion scene was obsessing over sneaker culture, Rocky decided to tone down his footwear and rev up the rest of his wardrobe. As I mentioned in my Five Summer Style Tips for Men, simple footwear is the way to go for a more polished look, and of course Rocky is all about that. 

Denim has long been a part of American culture, and A$AP Rocky seems to have ample appreciation for it. In a time where athleisure such as joggers and hoodies are taking the industry by storm, Rocky has stuck to his slim denim jeans and various denim jackets. 

Embracing the movement further, Rocky collaborated with denim brand Guess Jeans this past spring on a capsule collection entitled 'GUE$$, consisting of denim bombers, jeans, and varsity jackets, among other garments. Rocky has also been very familiar with the current Gucci movement of Alessandro Michele and embroidered denim, rocking as he put it "All new Gucci runway" at this years Grammy's. 

Denim isn't anything new in mens fashion. But the way Rocky styles and embraces innovative silhouettes and materials parallels his forward-thinking vision on fashion. 

As you can see, Rocky possesses heavy influence over the current state of fashion. For the purpose of not writing way too long of an article (and trust me I could on this man), I wasn't able to cover every facet of Rocky's notable fashion powers. 

On a personal note, I'm currently studying Fashion Merchandising in college, and Rocky is a big part of why I made this decision. As ridiculous as that sounds considering I've never met the man, he, along with Kanye, made fashion "cool" for guys to care about. Finding inspiration in these guys' style and the way they carry themselves snowballed into myself studying fashion and one day securing a career in the field. So if anyone tries to say that Rocky only dresses cool and doesn't really do much fashion-wise, he's influenced my life more than enough to dismiss that line of thinking. 

by Wyatt Smith

Ronnie Fieg has been a busy man lately. The creative director of KITH released Part 1 of his Summer '16 collection a few weeks ago and dropped part 2 this week. Clearly onto the next venture, Fieg took to his Instagram to preview a few looks with the mysterious caption "Kith x Colette week coming soon".

In this collaborative collection, rapper Fabolous models with splashes of luxury in his rings and wrist wear (which sadly, doesn't come with the clothing). The pieces stay in Fieg's wheelhouse with joggers, sweatshirts, and hats that fit the trending athleisure movement he has helped push forward. The blue and white color way used through stays true to Colette's brand, and logos of both Kith and Colette are printed onto many of the garments. On another note, it looks as though the sneakers will be in collaboration with Puma as well. If you're losing track of all the contributors, don't worry there's only one more brand involved: Beats by Dre. With Fabolous listening to a pair of Powerbeats and holding a Beats Pill donning the Kith and Colette logos, we can expect the audio behemoth to be a part of the release as well.

With so many unique pieces being previewed here, stay with us for more news regarding this collection's release and pricing.