Get the look - This is England, 86

Flammable tracksuits aside, This is England, 86 was a feast of Eighties sub culture fashion; Fred Perry, Dr.Martens and Baracuta, and that was just the girls!

The character 'Milky', pictured left, is the standout style, from the buttoned up gingham shirt and dark jacket of last night's episode to this red-on-red ensemble by Baracuta. Timeless.

Jacket - £125

T-Shirt - £55

www.baracuta-g9.com

This Week's Buttonhole - Globe Thistle

Make hay while the Sun shines (well kind of!). Another style statement courtesy of Mother Nature. This week it's a small globe thistle or Echinops. The metallic blue tones and geometric shape looked good with the dark blue Cashmere sweater and Velvet jacket. Received a few compliments on this and it lasts a long time.

See TheChicGeek's other buttonhole style statements - Click here

A Chat With Michael Bastian

American Designer Michael Bastian was at Selfridges today unveiling his new GANT by Michael Bastian collection. We managed to catch a few minutes to chat with him.

CC - For those guys in the UK who don't know 'Michael Bastian', how would describe your style?

MB - Classic American sportswear done at a luxury level. A cleaned up look with no logos. I would say my guy was once into hardcore fashion but hasn't graduated yet into the Loro Pianas or Brionis, he's somewhere in between.

CC - You used to work at Bergdorf Goodman in New York?

MB - Yes, I was men's buying director there. It's the last of its breed. Every luxury department store usually has a few duplicates, Bergdorf is only one. It is on the best corner of Park Avenue and only buys the best. It's like a local store.

CC - What did you know of GANT before you started to collaborate?

MB - GANT in the 70s and 80s was a popular, well known brand. Your mom would get you a new rugby shirt from there to go back to school. Then all of a sudden it seemed to disappear and become an outlet brand.

CC - You've chosen the sport of Lacrosse for this season, were you deliberately looking for a sport that nobody had done before?

MB - Most sports had been done, like rugby. This was a sport I didn't know much about it but I read a piece on it and thought this story had legs. The guys who play it are very cool. The native American tribe Iroquois were the first to play it. The losers died!

CC - Can you give us a preview of the theme behind the Spring '11 GANT by Michael Bastian collection?

MB - I started by looking at the film 'Niagara' and at the men in Marilyn Monroe's life like Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio and I imagined somebody half nerd/half sports guy, with the two smashed together. They go to Niagara Falls and it could be really chic. I imagined one guy and one girl and I wanted to design a few things for the girl to wear and that's where the new women's collection started from. The woman is fifties bombshell while the guy is nerdy dad on vacation.

CC - What is your favourite item of the new collection?

MB - I love the raincoat. It's perfect, you can throw it in the wash and everything. I feel like we really nailed the raincoat.

CC - What do you think of British fashion and the way men here dress?

MB - I'm a little bit obsessed by it. My mainline Fall '10 collection was inspired by this amazing programme on BBC America called 'Sex Change Soldier'. It was about this married guy in his 50s with kids who went from being Ian to Jan. British guys are really good at having a secret life; barrister by day, skinhead by night and that's what influenced the collection.

CC- - Will the Michael Bastian mainline be coming to the UK soon?

MB - We're in the process of a few changes. We're finishing our agreement with our Italian partner. Spring '11 is the last season, and buying our license back.

www.gantuk.com

www.michaelbastiannyc.com

Coming Soon - LN-CC

When Oki-ni.com had a change around we knew that creative energy would pop up somewhere. LN-CC is a new retail concept consisting of an online platform launching later this month followed by the opening of a physical space in October. The project is being headed up by John Skelton (formerly Creative Director of Oki-ni) with Dan Mitchell of Bad Passion and a team of specialists including art book dealer Conor Donlon, sound engineer Mickey Boyle and set designer Gary Card who will be working on the design of the physical space.
Product will include menswear and womenswear- both new and archive collections based around a concept of unisex styling, music, books, and limited worldwide releases. The concept space designed by Gary Card will initially be open on an appointment basis and will host a library, gallery space and a sophisticated sound system fitted by legendary sound engineer Mickey Boyle for private events. 
This project is more than a store, it's an evolving platform of curated ideas encompassing clothing, music and art in both a physical and digital environment.

Can't wait to see it. This will be one of the most exciting retail offerings of the season and will certainly give Dover Street market a run for their money.

www.LN-CC.com