Model Madness: Pablo Morais

For this week's Model Madness, we've scored a dazzling newcomer from Brazil, Pablo Morais. The new addition to Red Models NYC is definitely a testament to the overwhelming beauty that is the Brazilian mystique. He's been splashed along the pages of Ohlala Mag, Queerty, The Fashion Spot, and he keeps on coming back for more, making his way to the pages of Fashion Inc. Style Society. Standing at 5'11 with sea-green eyes to match, you might want to wear your sunglasses for this one, folks. Looks like it's going to be a South American scorcher. Enjoy.

SEE: Mr. Bathing Ape Summer 2011 Lookbook

The mind behind the massive Japanese brand A Bathing Ape, Nigo has unveiled his newest lookbook for his Mr. Bathing Ape collection. The Mr. Bathing Ape collection exists as an upscale, professional alternative to the avant-garde and artistic aesthetic of the main BAPE collection yet the various infusions of the Japanese street fashion and American influences that gave birth to the BAPE brand is still apparent in the camoflauge-colored ties, thick gold chains, and graphic tees that complement the tailored pinstriped three-piece suits, sophisticated oxford shoes, and clean pocket squares that populate the collection. Mr. Bathing Ape also has a collection of denim and t-shirts which gives a casual edge to the otherwise refined image. The collection is sold exclusively at United Arrows, the famous Harajuku retailer in Tokyo. Check out photos.

WEAR: Bell & Ross BR 01 Red Radar

Heavy-duty watchmaker brand Bell & Ross have unveiled their newest creation, the BR 01 Red Radar watch. Bell & Ross's reputation of creating watches for fighter pilots, bomb disposal experts, and astronauts has certainly made Bell & Ross knowledgeable of the needs of the man whose life involves heavy risks. The company's professional-grade military watches designed for the most extreme of conditions gets a touch of luxury with the new Red Radar. Its black, sleek square frame and durable band complement the high contrast red dial face that resembles a sonar screen. The watch keeps time with a sweeping movement and possesses high-tech aesthetic. The watch is priced at $5500 and only 999 units will be made available at exclusive stores. So even if you're not James Bond and you're looking for ultimate in timekeeping gadgetry, you'd better have a bank account like his.

Model Madness: Brandon Espy

Ah, the power of Google. Who knew such technology could be used to find out som much about beautiful people? Well we certainly snagged a big one this time and he comes by the name of Brandon Espy. A rising star who prefers to selectively solicit his beauty rather than settle for overexposure, he strikes your eyes with that "Where have you been all this time?" thought. Also, through my Google exploits, our model of the week, a native of Diamond Bar, California, played football for the University of San Diego in 2005 to 2007 where he majored in Communications. He was a three-sport high school performer in football, basketball, and track, hence the impeccable Spartan physique. It's interesting how Brandon's history has led him to the world of fashion modeling but he's definitely smart enough to know he's got the looks. Check out why he's out model of the week and you'll see why we're mad for him.

Guerre de Style

If fashion really is everywhere, as Coco Chanel once said, then Karl-Edwin Guerre, creator of the men's fashion blog Swagger 360, can find it. His site's slogan, "Where Lifestyle and Attitude Connect", sums it up perfectly; fashion isn't just made up of what we wear or where we wear it, it's made of how we live and how we think. His reputation for maintaining a Wildean-crisp style has earned him attention from many fashion watchers especially his impecable impresario skills. It's especially pleasing to me to see so many images of men of color, for these are oft scarce in other blogs. It's wonderful to see a culture of stylish, ambitious, and refined men using their creativity and showcasing their style. Check out Swagger 360 here.

The Eyes of a Dandy

I love scouring the web looking for people who love fashion as passionately as I do and who have found ingenious ways of expressing their creativity. When I came upon DapperLou, the blog of notoriously stylish urban dandy Ludget Delcy, I knew I had found my style soul brother. His effortless classical American style and his eye for catching it is what attracts me most to his blog. He could certainly have composed a blog just on his own personal style but Ludget chooses to use his erudite taste to feature gentlemen both young and old who are mastering the art of dressing the man. I first noticed Ludget's style on LookBook.nu, my favorite haunt for fashion inspiration but I had no idea the man had such an impressive portfolio of street personalities. I also noticed his blogroll is quite short, especially when many fashion bloggers including myself tend to prefer to give their readers a great deal of places to find other great content. But then again, Ludget understands that too many cooks spoil the broth. Most of all Ludget gives me what I want: pure, unadulterated sharp-dressed people. See all about Ludget Delcy and his site here.

Model Madness: Hidetoshi Nakata

This week's model comes in the form of a Japanese footballer whose career led him into the world of modeling. Hidetoshi Nakata has been hailed as one of Japan's greatest soccer players. But his lens has moved from the field in recent years to the runways. His avid interest in fashion has always been apparent and his statuesque physique makes him a perfect candidate for the modeling world. He's hit the US previously with his appearance in GQ's 2007 fall fashion issue and he is currently holding down a spot in Calvin Klein's notorious underwear line while simultaneously serving as the editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, a global culture magazine. Check out more photos of Hidetoshi after the jump.

Model Madness: Darren Taylor

There's nothing I love more than a great story about working your way from the top. Sure it's great to finally "get there" but I'm an appreciator of the journey rather than the destination. And someone else who is enjoying their journey to fame is our Model Madness spotlight this week Darren Taylor. A native Texan, not only is everything bigger there but apparently more beautiful as well.

Maverick Monday: Introducing Rashad Benton

Few men around are adept at the subtle art of style like this week's man-about-town Rashad Benton. A student at Florida A&M University, Rashad's creativity and his erudite eye for style have placed him in our spotlight. From first sight you'd never notice the taciturn and res Fem a very quiet person, low-key type. I keep to myself a lot. I honestly don’t enjoy being rved nature that lies under Benton's refined exterior.

Model Madness: BJ Williams

This week's male model BJ Williams hails from Las Vegas, Nevada and is one of the recent newcomers to Red Models, an agency that is currently leading the modeling industry in producing top-performing minority male models. Though his time at Red has not been very long, his portfolio says quite the opposite. Williams has worked with Levi's in their Fall 2008 campaign, Akademiks' Spring 2009 campaign, Sean John's Fall 2009 campaign, and Williams has appeared in Ebony Magazine, GQ Magazine, as well as GQ Britain. BJ stands at 6'1 and is definitely charming designers as well as musicians such as Cassie who cast him in her video. Check out the photos of this rising star.

LookBook.nu Guys Roundup 12.6.10

Bleu Magazine's Shoot Turns The Heat Down

Bleu Magazine's newest fashion spread featured an array of attractive fall and winter fashions worn by two even more attractive male models. However, the spread was horribly undermined by its title and description as well as the underwhelming backdrops of the shoot. Although Bleu Magazine hasn't necessarily always been at the forefront for its fashion photography, it does hold its own very well among other independent fashion magazines/  "It's Getting Cold" simply just didn't do it for me. I immediately became disinterested when I read the first sentence; "Don’t forget you coat!” Now haven’t we all heard that line numerous times for our mothers" Really? This sentence does absolutely nothing to detail the fashions or open the photographic story a spread should tell.

The shoot features many pieces from H&M, including jeans, blazers, and shirts as well as sweaters from G-Star. The shots aren't terribly stylish; the lighting levels don't change in any of the photos, even when the models are in different poses that might have required more play with values. The shots show too much sky, detracting from the seasonal aspect of the spread that would have looked better with a gray sky. The models pose well and effectively show the clothes but the settings they're placed in add no value to the form and focus too much on function. Check out the full spread on Bleu Magazine's site here.

Street Etiquette x Stacy Adams

Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs have teamed up with the illustrious and timeless footwear brand Stacy Adams to produce a video talking about what makes an accessory or garment a classic. Kissi and Gumbs are the founders of the men's fashion blog, Street Etiquette and are curators of classic men's fashion. Their blog has been featured extensively in GQ magazine, Vogue Paris' Blog of the Moment, Refinery 29's Best Men's Fashion Blogs, and in the London Times' 40 Bloggers Who Really Count. We covered them earlier in the fall when they premiered their exceptionally designed and produced film The Black Ivy, an homage to the historically Black colleges and universities of America and more importantly on the distinct sartorial style that emerged from their students. The oxymoronic title "Street Etiquette" is a clever and accurate summary of what Kissi and Gumbs blog is all about; it's an artistic melange of the thesis of classical style with antithetical elements of street fashion and creating a synthesis of innovative style that possesses the same refinement and staying power as the classics. Check out the video after the jump.

LookBook.nu Guys Roundup 11.22.10

Model Madness: Eryck Laframboise

Drake Makes GQ's Men of The Year

Drake, the supernova-by-night rapper that's been making his way into the ears of the fellas and the hearts of the ladies has become GQ magazine's Breakout of The Year in its annual Men of the Year issue. The man behind supremely styled songs like "Successful", "We Like Her", "Find Your Love", and "Fancy" has been producing chart-topping hits most which weren't even included on an actual EP. But fans who know the real Drake know him from his days on the after-school special Degrassi in which he played Jimmy, a basketball player who after being shot by a student, became wheelchair bound. But in the spring of 2009, audiences began to see a newer, more creative and edgy side of Graham after he was discovered by rapper Lil' Wayne. Since, his style and swagger has gained him much attention, making his appearance on this month's GQ his second cover in 2010. Fans hope to see more from the urban upstart with the release of his album So Far Ahead. Check out more pictures of Drake from the spread after the jump.

The Snobiety Pages

The Titel Media group, the minds responsible for fashion sites such as Selecticism, Curated, and Rad Collector boast another blog dedicated to men's fashion, High Snobiety. High Snobiety focuses on the newest in exclusive accessories and fashions for men, shunning the overused and overpromoted mainstream brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Independent brands such as 10.Deep, House of Billiam, and Alife are the spotlighted brands known only by the most savvy of underground style conoisseurs and only afforded by them as well, hence the name High Snobiety. Overall, Snobiety's design isn't especially eye-catching, taking the road less traveled with the static outer wrapper image and extremely few ads.

LookBook.nu Guys Roundup 11.4.10

Model Madness - Christian Ragin

Bleu Picks This Month's BleuBerry Jason Coles