The Sartorialist

It’s my first time in Morocco, first time in Africa. The experience is more than a little overwhelming.  Until I’m able to better explain the story behind these sights, sounds, tastes, and emotions– sharing only the images will have to suffice.  Don’t expect too many though, shooting people in Morocco is much more difficult than anywhere I’ve ever visited.  Tomorrow I’ll post images from the blue and white fishing village of Essaouira, hopefully followed by those from Quarzazate and Marrakech.

I keep thinking it will finally be getting too cold for this type of look but it’s in the mid 60′s today, perfect for layers like this.

Well, we couldn’t let EVERYONE in…

I want to throw a big thank you to co-authors G. Bruce Boyer and Maria Cooper Janis, Wes Del Val of powerHouse Books, and Steven of Leffot for the fantastic book signing last night.  As you’ll see in the photographs over the next couple of days we had a wonderfully diverse crowd. Preps, Vintage, Tailored, Femme Fatales…it was exactly the kind of party I love to attend, let alone host!  Hopefully this only marks the beginning of a series of parties stretching into 2012 and beyond.

Tomorrow you will see a special series of portraits that I really enjoy, taken just outside the book signing. I hope this marks a new direction of photography at thesartorialist.com!

I love how casually chic the Ruffini family is.  The way they wear their clothes really exhibits their relaxed nature, it’s so inspiring.  The tailoring doesn’t appear too stiff or uptight, letting the cut and proportions hit it just right.

Look at the length of the green shirt Romeo is wearing (top), it’s relaxed, but not sloppy.  The sleeve lengths on Remo’s shirt and jacket (below) are just long enough to reflect sense of ease without looking careless…

If you remember, I first ran into the Ruffini clan back in January 2010.

I am hosting a book signing tonight for my long-time friend and Sartorialist contributor G. Bruce Boyer.

It’s been unseasonably warm in New York the past couple of days, requiring an entirely new strategy for getting dressed.  I love the idea of mixing the lightness of your favorite summer dress with a chunky cardigan sweater (above) or with your boyfriend’s tweedy jacket (below) for transitional weather. I had posted these photos a while back and think they’re a great example.

We’re going to create a new tag called ‘transitional dressing’ that I hope will inspire you on crazy days like this!!

You might remember I was in Tokyo in August; this week’s 8 pm posts will be images I shot for Brother Printer while there.

I don’t normally put commission work on the site, but I was given such freedom to shoot what I wanted (aside from two or three local celebrities – like this young lady )  that I wanted to share with you.  They also did a behind-the-scenes video which is pretty cool.

Alright, it’s too controversial.  I’m just going to spell Tokyo with a “y.”

The new series this week at 8 PM will be shots from my recent trip to Japan.

I love going out on my bike shooting.  Over the last year I’ve spent more and more time in every city (Milan, Paris, New York, Florence…) using one to get around.

Unfortunately, spending 4-5 hours on a bike most days is beginning to mess up my shoulders.  I need to find a new bike on which I’m able to sit more upright to take the stress off my shoulders.  What do you guys suggest?

– Kym C.

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If you missed my initial post, here are the instructions again.

- The subject line of the email should read “Vintage Photo”

- The photos will only be posted here on the blog, so the file size can be very small (no bigger than 700kb). I DO NOT need hi-res images, they take too long to download.

- Writing a little something about the image you send will make your entry much more interesting for all of us.

- Email your photos to: sartorialistvintagephotos@gmail.com

I love how Micol throws her body into a shot.  Watching her shoot is like watching a funky ballet.

To me, black is always more interesting when it’s texture on top of texture on top of texture.

When I was looking at this shot this morning, I remembered a shot I took back in September.

I guess there’s something in the air that smells like American Graffiti?

Steve McCurry launched a new book this summer with Phaidon, Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs Limited Edition.  It’s great, the images are huge and beautiful, and it comes with a print.  It’s a little expensive, but really incredible.

At the Phaidon website he is also doing a series of 1-minute masterclasses, which I think are excellent resources for any aspiring photographer.  I feel like it’s the advice I would have wanted and imagine I would give now.

And if you haven’t had a chance, check out his blog.  He is one of the photographers who was at the very core of my inspiration when I started The Sartorialist.

I love that moment in the day when people are going to the gym from work or to home from the gym.  The reality of switching between such different environments and the combinations it creates can often be as inspiring as a runway show.

This is a subgenre of the style world I will be keeping a close eye on for the next few winter months.

 The other day I posted this image before I had a chance to write the idea behind it.  Well, better late than never.

People often say that “style is in the details.”  That might be true, but if you’re looking for inspiration – like I am when I’m shooting – the first impression a look offers can often be more important than the factual details of button size or skirt length.

When I spotted this gentleman I loved the contrast of the long, somber, Edgar Allen Poe silhouette topped off by a cheerful, bright knit cap.  However, I was on my bike and he was on his skateboard, the sun was almost completely gone and the hopes of a focused image were pretty slim.  I took a few frames and quickly saw that this wasn’t going to work but when I considered what was actually important to me about the look I realized that those elements were still perfectly intact (and maybe even more pronounced?) without the factual distraction of the surroundings.  

At the end of the day this image isn’t about anything other than to remind me to focus/capture what is important to me in any given moment and look.  To let the details slide when it is the “impression” of the look that I want to hold onto!

We’ve had such a great response to this series, I couldn’t help but keep going.

Last week I met with long-time friend and Sartorialist contributor G. Bruce Boyer.