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What do you get when you cross one of the nicest guys in fashion and a cult British cold water surf brand? The new designer collab. from Finisterre.

Left - CR X Finisterre Scarf - £45

Debuted at London Fashion Week in January 2018, the collection is based upon a shared ethos and rooted in sustainability. Finisterre and Christopher Raeburn have used performance fabrics, sealed seams and recycled insulation throughout the collection, from the Insulated Waterproof Coat to the Albatross Crew Sweater.

Right - CR X Finisterre Intarsia Albatross Jumper - £160

The 20-piece collection features outerwear, knitwear and accessories.

“The inspiration for the collection was the sea and, specifically, immersion  in the harshest of conditions. On a more personal level, it’s also about my  trip down to Cornwall and to Finisterre HQ where I got to meet Tom Kay  and embrace cold water surfing with the team. It really allowed me to  ‘immerse’ myself in the world of Finisterre, and the unity was born.” says Christopher.

I particularly like the made in Portugal knits with the albatross silhouettes. I think these are going to soar away very quickly! Soz.

Left - CR X Finisterre Insulated Cocoon Coat - £325

I popped into Selfridges last week to have a look at their new eyewear department - more of that later - and thought I’d have a look at the new deliveries on the menswear floor. This is the best time of year: all the collections are box fresh, straight out of the cellophane and you get a visual reminder of all the great things you saw from the shows in January. It’s like being a stylish kid in a sweet shop.

I was drawn to the Dries van Noten collection. Full of all the swirling and beautiful marbling which was central to the collection - see more in TheChicGeek AW18 Trends here - It was reminded of a beautiful collection of silk shirts and printed coats that had caught my eye at the beginning of the year.

The new Dries collection is fine. The marbling and swirls put his artistic touch on some of the best distinctive menswear around. This is what you buy him for. The standout was this satin and unstructured evening jacket with a Big Brother like eye on the back. It's kind of Hugh Hefner in his hippie days and is perfect for the current relaxed formal type of dressing. Forget Big Brother, TheChicGeek is watching you!

Left  & Below - Dries van Noten - Swirl-Print Satin Wrap Shirt - £630.36 from Barneys New York

Tom Ford is a designer and brand who does his/its own thing. It knows its customer and it services their needs and wants for items of clothing that are expensive, luxurious and suits their lifestyles. He doesn’t usually chase trends, but you know he always has one eye on them.

He knows exactly how to update a classic to make it relevant.

This is his version of the classic Gucci snaffle loafer. A style of shoe he knows well after spending all those years in charge. The chain adds an element of bad taste which is so prevalent in fashion, today. This type of chain loafer appeared on the SS19 catwalk at Martine Rose and I also saw them in the G.H. Bass SS19 collection recently in Berlin.

These are luxury chav loafers and you need to team them with sportswear or other items of bad taste. If you really want to max the trend get them in coloured snakeskin - if you can afford them!

Left & Below - Tom Ford - York Chain Loafers - £590 from Harrods

The French give good summer shoe and one of my favourite brands is Rivieras. Specialising in espadrille-type slip-ons, they have a standout modernity, quality and playfulness with their colours and finishes.

Seeing the full stand at the recent Pitti Uomo show was a reminder how nice these shoes are. It’s only when it finally gets hot that you can picture yourself wearing these shoes. I particularly like this ‘Napoles Pablo’ style with its delicate woven mesh and tricolour effect. The quality Spanish construction includes Terrycloth lining and sheepskin inner sole. Wear with chinos and a camp collar shirt.

Left & Below - Rivieras - Napoles Pablo - €110

Trousers with a go-faster stripe aren’t even fashionable anymore. What???! What I mean is, they’ve become a standard trouser style and they still look good. 

It’s a simple and sporty touch to a classic pair of trousers. For work or smarter attire, they just say you know what you’re doing and you can add fashion into a professional and conservative environment.

I noticed this pair in Burton's SS18 collection, they've also got some other really nice bits this season - I wasn't paid to say this! - but, this pair with a delicate red stripe with a zip pocket is what stuck in my memory and at a great price.

I would team them with a plain camp collar shirt and loafers or sandals. 

Left & Below - Burton - Side Stripped Trouser - £30

The velvet evening slipper, in fashion terms at least, is taking a break, but, when one this good comes along, it can’t pass you by. 

American slipper brand Stubbs & Wootton has teamed up with British illustrator & designer du jour, Luke Edward Hall. Grass green Sea Island cotton-velvet uppers with a turquoise blue grosgrain trim features Hall’s classical illustrations on the front. Putting the ionic into iconic!

Left & Below - Stubbs & Wootton - Vitruvius (LEH) Men Slipper - $600

Denim is having a bit of downtime while it decides where it wants to go after skinny. But, just because denim maybe having a rest, it doesn’t mean leather is. 

I saw this a few months ago and at first glance, it’s a classic blue denim shirt, but, on touching and closer inspection, it’s printed leather. Admittedly, that bumps the price up massively - it’s quite an investment - but who else do you know who will be wearing a leather denim shirt?

This is the ultimate in luxury casual.

Left & Below - Tod’s - Leather Shirt - £2650

Snaffle loafers are one of the rare fashion items that can, legitimately, be called ‘timeless’. They bob along on the waves of shoe trends and come in and out when the time suits. They’re definitely something you should never throw away.

The most famous are Gucci, obvs, but it’s actually cooler and less basic to sniff out a cheaper alternative. Read more here

Russell & Bromley has this pair called ‘Mercury’. I really like the brown, orange and beige webbing underneath the snaffle. It gives them a vintage/70s edge. Made from calf leather in Tuscany, these aren’t the cheapest, but they’ll certainly authentically Italian. 

You can wear these with anything, just don’t smother the shoe with trouser. Keep your ankles visible both socked and unsocked.

Left & Below - Russell & Bromley - Mercury - £235

Sliders are here to stay and while the design stays pretty much the same, for many, it’s all about the branding. The majority of brands make it all about them, but these, from Isabel Marant’s first men’s collection, are the footwear equivalent of a conversation pit. Think Joe Colombo furniture and Space Odyssey.

While pricey, they are made from leather and I love the homage to some of the footwear greats of the 20th century. Here's also a mini footwear history lesson too.

Left & Right - Isabel Marant - Hellea Quilted Tri-Colour Leather Slides - £305 from matchesfashion.com

Left - 1938 Cork-layered sole and heel covered in multi-colored suede. This style was designed for the London department store Fortnum & Mason and was a variation of the model that Ferragamo created for Judy Garland.

Left - Mid 1970s Terry De Havilland Sima 1 is pure glam rock. The tiered cork wedge is an outlandish and timeless classic. 

See a top inspired by Memphis

I haven’t seen McDonald’s Hamburglar for years, maybe he’s been keeping a low profile, anyway, he’s the inspo. for this season’s shades. 

Left & Below - Illesteva - Vinyl - £195

These thick, oval 'Vinyl' frames from Illesteva - the name is a take on the hip-hop expression 'Illest evuh' - are the perfect stylish disguise. Today’s sunglasses are all about making you feel like a character and orange

lenses not only brighten your day, they also add a retro, mysterious touch to your look.

Right - McDonald's Hamburglar - Where has he been?

Founded by designers Daniel Silberman and Jus Ske in 2010, Illesteva is grounded in their backgrounds of music, fashion and photography. New York-based, their eyewear is crafted in premium materials like titanium, buffalo horn and bamboo.

These are firmly on TheChicGeek's down-low SS18 Hot List.

See another character inspiring TheChicGeek this season The Beetlejuice Striped Suit

More eyewear inspo? The Chemistry Teacher Shades