Hello September.

In the last couple of weeks I saw a pair of look books that really caught my eye. Coincidentally, they are both from England with Hostem in London, and Oi Polloi in Manchester.

Hostem’s dark brooding photos, styled by one of my favorite stylist/bloggers Stephen Mann, show a healthy blend of street meets goth, Japanese fashion boutique buyer meets post apocalyptic bum. Outfits exemplified by beautiful boots, shortened pants, leather and wool. The hodge podge group of designers the shop carries are represented in the photos fairly well too (here they are listed on their website): 3.1 Philip Lim, Adam Kimmel, Anachronorm, Agatha, Ann Demeulemeester, Augusta, Boris Bijan, Saberi, Casely Hayford, Creep by Hiroshi Awai, Damir Doma, Dr. Romanelli, The Elder Statesman, Geoffrey B Small, Incarnation, Individual Sentiments, Julius, MA+, Mastermind Japan, Odyn Vovk, Rick Owens, S.N.S Herning, Stussy, The Viridi-Anne

To the stark contrary, you have Oi Polloi– obviously they represent a bit of a different side of the market, but I enjoyed these looks too. Simple, solid brands, and great employment of color. I found myself trying on a pair of green DQM pants after seeing this. Oi Polloi stocks a million brands that have enjoyed a considerable amount of success since the rise of heritage/heritage-wanabe brands like Barbour, Fjallraven, Engineered Garments, Yuketen, Quoddy, Penfield, Woolrich Woolen Mills, Our Legacy, etc.