REMEMBERING THE KING OF POP!

Happy birthday, Michael Jackson! Remembering the King of Pop on his 55th birthday!

STREET STYLE: STRAIGHT FROM STOCKHOLM SPRING '14 FW!

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THE WORLD IS GOING UP IN FLAMES!

Say hello yo my main man, Mr Charles Bradley! Have a peaceful weekend!

FOR SALE: HOT PROPERTIES!

A man's home is his castle, and whether that castle is a penthouse in the city or an escape in the country, its style and appointment speak volumes about its owner. Sure, you have the right wardrobe, the watch and the car, but the final piece of the jigsaw doesn't fall into place until you've found the perfect home, regardless of whether your lifestyle entails hosting lavish soirees for 40 people or lying around in a Turnbull & Asser cashmere robe eating Ben & Jerry's straight from the tub. In case you're in need of some property inspiration, or have a serious wad of cash to burn, we've rounded up 10 of the most extraordinary residences in the world that are currently for sale. Check the gallery, below, to discover more. 

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BESPOKE SHOEMAKER: GEORGE CLEVERLEY!

While tailoring aficionados are often to be found vigorously debating the relative merits of Savile Row suits vis-à-vis Neapolitan suits and Parisian suits, it's uncontroversial to say that the best men's shoes are made in England. Among the British brands there remains a handful of bespoke shoemakers still producing handmade shoes in the traditional manner. Of these firms, it's George Cleverley that stands pre-eminent, and MR PORTER & us are proud to present a selection of the firm's bench-made shoes. 

More than 90 years ago, the late Mr George Cleverley dedicated himself to the creation of the finest shoes in the world, and he continued to work until his death at the age of 92. He had spent his childhood selling bootlaces and shoe polish before working in a British Army boot factory during WWI. In 1920 he joined Tuczek, a famous Mayfair shoemaker, before setting up on his own as a bespoke maker in 1958. In the same year Mr Cleverley's nephew, Mr Anthony Cleverley, also left Tuczek and separately set up on his own as a bespoke shoemaker.

After the death of Mr George Cleverley in 1991, Mr George Glasgow and last maker Mr John Carnera, who had been working alongside Mr Cleverley since 1978, were asked to carry on the business. Mr Glasgow has been the managing director ever since, and he opened the current shop in London's Royal Arcade on Old Bond Street. When Mr Anthony Cleverley died, his niece asked Mr Glasgow and Mr Carnera to take on his mantle and combine the designs and history of these two great shoemakers. Our selection, above, is taken from styles by both Mr George Cleverley and Mr Anthony Cleverley. 

"George [Cleverley] told me that his nephew was a wonderful shoemaker, but that he couldn't get on with him at all, so they never spoke," explains Mr Glasgow. As a result, the two Mr Cleverleys worked in parallel, but separately; Mr George Cleverley was a society shoemaker with a shop in Mayfair, and his nephew worked from home in north London's Edmonton area for a small, but very exclusive, group of clients. 

According to Mr Glasgow, Mr Anthony Cleverley only accepted new customers if they were introduced by an existing customer, a policy that produced a list of names including Baron Alexis de Redé, Mr Mark Birley, a few Rothschilds and a Forte or two. To that illustrious group, Mr George Cleverley added Mr Rudolph Valentino, Mr Gary Cooper, Mr Clark Gable, a couple of English dukes and a member of the British royal family. Today the author Mr Tom Wolfe and Rolling Stone Mr Charlie Watts are devoted customers - in case you're wondering, Mr Watts' latest order is for a pair of unusual ghillie brogues. 

The classic style of George Cleverley shoes reflects the company's extraordinary roll call of clients, past and present. The company makes elegant but masculine English shoes designed for strolling across the pavements of Mayfair, the polished floors of gentleman's clubs (White's for the seniors, 5 Hertford Street for younger customers) and the antique rugs of country houses. Of course they're also to be found on New York's Upper East Side, and in Tokyo's better restaurants. The dress shoes are made to be worn with beautifully tailored suits, English shirts and hand-stitched silk ties - although the brown suede shoes, inspired by the casual nature of British country life, work just as well with cords and blue jeans. The shoes represent a sophisticated expression of Britain's traditionally understated approach to style. 

George Cleverley continues to produce bespoke shoes in its Mayfair shop for a select clientele, but with a production that only intermittently achieves 10 pairs a week, it also creates bench-made shoes for men reluctant to wait the year that it takes between first fitting and delivery. "I had one customer recently," recalls Mr Glasgow, "who ordered a pair of shoes when his wife was newly pregnant. When I next saw him for a fitting, he said, 'She's had the baby, but when am I going to get the shoes?'" The company's bench-made shoes are an opportunity for men to become well heeled rather more quickly than that. 

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TOP DRAWER FURNITURE!

Design Miami/ describes itself as a global forum for design. It is a platform for both historically important and contemporary pieces. Last month, galleries from across the globe assembled for the design show's sister event in Basel to display their precious wares in the brand-new Herzog & de Meuron-designed halls of the Messe Basel

Jetting in to view what was on offer - which included Maison des Jours Meilleurs, a 1956 prefabricated house by Mr Jean Prouvé (restored, shipped and then assembled inside the fairgrounds by Galerie Patrick Seguin) that sold within minutes - were collectors, industry chiefs, designers, architects and enthusiasts. Notable attendees included Mr Leonardo DiCaprio, Mr Peter Brant, Ms Stephanie Seymour, Mr Roman Abramovich and Mr Kanye West. The latter, well known to be a fashion, architect and design buff, provided an impromptu "listening party" for his new album Yeezus, complete with chairs by Mr Rick Owens, whose limited-edition design work was shown by Salon 94. 

The galleries that make up the fair fall into two camps: those that deal in historical design - mainly 20th-century work from the likes of Messrs Prouvé, Jean Royère, Carlo Mollino, Alvar Aalto, Jean-Michel Frank, Mr Giò Ponti and Ms Eileen Gray - and those that "edit" works from contemporary talent and produce limited-edition collections usually comprising no more than 12 pieces. 

Design Miami/, which runs alongside the Art Basel fair, also provides satellite exhibitions, special commissions and exposure opportunities for young talent. It is peppered with talks, tours and openings in and around the city - and plenty of dinners and parties. This year's even included a fire station's 20th birthday celebration. Yes, a fire station, albeit one of the first completed buildings by architect Ms Zaha Hadid, just minutes over the border in Germany at Vitra Campus. 

Check the slides, below, to see eight designs that really caught our attention. 

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ONE TO WATCH: MR ROBERT SHEEHAN!

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THE NEW CUBA!

Adventurer and journalist Simon Reeve heads to Cuba to find a communist country in the middle of a capitalist revolution. Two years ago Cuba announced the most sweeping and radical economic reforms the country has seen in decades. From ending state rationing to cutting one million public-sector jobs, one of the last communist bastions in the world has begun rolling back the state on an unprecedented scale. Simon Reeve meets ordinary Cubans whose lives are being transformed, from the owners of fledgling businesses to the newly rich estate agents selling properties worth up to 750,000 pounds. 

In this hour-long documentary for the BBC's award-winning This World strand, Simon gets under the skin of a colourful and vibrant country famous for its hospitality and humour and asks if this new economic openness could lead to political liberalisation in a totalitarian country with a poor human rights record. Will Cuba be able to maintain the positive aspects of its long isolation under socialism - low crime, top-notch education and one of the best health systems in the world - while embracing what certainly looks like capitalism? Is this the last chance to see Cuba before it becomes just like any other country?

THE BLUE STONES - ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES!

Morning!

MILTON GLASER: TEN THINGS I HAVE LEARNED!

Milton Glaser (born 1929, in New York City) is an American graphic designer, best known for the I ♥ NY logo, his Bob Dylan poster, the DC bullet logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005, and the Brooklyn Brewery logo. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968. Glaser's work is displayed in the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Glaser is the subject of the 2009 documentary film To Inform and Delight: The World of Milton Glaser.

In 2004, Glaser won a National Design Award Lifetime Achievement from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In 2009, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.

Milton Glaser has formulated ten great rules for someone who want’s to be able to think outside of the box and create outstanding things! Read them below and more about Glaser on www.miltonglaser.com!

Ten Things I Have Learned: Milton Glaser (Part of AIGA Talk in London)

1. 
YOU CAN ONLY WORK FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU LIKE.

This is a curious rule and it took me a long time to learn because in fact at the beginning of my practice I felt the opposite. Professionalism required that you didn’t particularly like the people that you worked for or at least maintained an arms length relationship to them, which meant that I never had lunch with a client or saw them socially. Then some years ago I realised that the opposite was true. I discovered that all the work I had done that was meaningful and significant came out of an affectionate relationship with a client. And I am not talking about professionalism; I am talking about affection. I am talking about a client and you sharing some common ground. That in fact your view of life is someway congruent with the client, otherwise it is a bitter and hopeless struggle.

2. 
IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE NEVER HAVE A JOB.

One night I was sitting in my car outside Columbia University where my wife Shirley was studying Anthropology. While I was waiting I was listening to the radio and heard an interviewer ask ‘Now that you have reached 75 have you any advice for our audience about how to prepare for your old age?’ An irritated voice said ‘Why is everyone asking me about old age these days?’ I recognised the voice as John Cage. I am sure that many of you know who he was – the composer and philosopher who influenced people like Jasper Johns and Merce Cunningham as well as the music world in general. I knew him slightly and admired his contribution to our times. ‘You know, I do know how to prepare for old age’ he said. ‘Never have a job, because if you have a job someday someone will take it away from you and then you will be unprepared for your old age. For me, it has always been the same every since the age of 12. I wake up in the morning and I try to figure out how am I going to put bread on the table today? It is the same at 75, I wake up every morning and I think how am I going to put bread on the table today? I am exceedingly well prepared for my old age’ he said.

3. 
SOME PEOPLE ARE TOXIC AVOID THEM.

This is a subtext of number one. There was in the sixties a man named Fritz Perls who was a gestalt therapist. Gestalt therapy derives from art history, it proposes you must understand the ‘whole’ before you can understand the details. What you have to look at is the entire culture, the entire family and community and so on. Perls proposed that in all relationships people could be either toxic or nourishing towards one another. It is not necessarily true that the same person will be toxic or nourishing in every relationship, but the combination of any two people in a relationship produces toxic or nourishing consequences. And the important thing that I can tell you is that there is a test to determine whether someone is toxic or nourishing in your relationship with them. Here is the test: You have spent some time with this person, either you have a drink or go for dinner or you go to a ball game. It doesn’t matter very much but at the end of that time you observe whether you are more energised or less energised. Whether you are tired or whether you are exhilarated. If you are more tired then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy you have been nourished. The test is almost infallible and I suggest that you use it for the rest of your life.

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OFFICE ETIQUETTE: STYLE BEGINS AT HOME!

A little taste of the office do's and don'ts MR PORTER likes to abide by in global HQ.

BORN LUCKY: CARA, PHARRELL & BAILEY!

Pharrell Williams is the music producer with the midas touch; Cara Delevingne is fashion's golden girl. 
When Vogue brings them together, the couple are utterly dazzling. 
By Violet Henderson. Styled by Kate Phelan. Photographed by David Bailey.

Download the digital edition of September Vogue here.

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BLACK ROCK DESERT: BURNING MAN FESTIVAL!

BLACK ROCK CITY, NV (CNN) – Burning Man is back! 

The annual festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert started on Monday. Organizers expect nearly 50,000 people to attend the week-long event, creating a temporary "Black Rock City". 

Described as an "experimental community," the event focuses largely on art and expression. It often incorporates themes and costumes, but organizers stress it's mostly up to participants to decide what Burning Man is. The biggest tradition comes at the end of the week, when participants set fire to a giant wooden "man," thus the name.

O-GENIO: RAY CHARLES LIVE IN SÃO PAOLO!

Ray Charles' First Show! Enjoy & Have a nice weekend!

OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2014: 12 YEARS A SLAVE!

12 Years a Slave is an upcoming historical drama film based on the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States,. The film is directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley.

Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti

THE COUNSELLOR (2013)!

A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.

Stars: Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz & Javier Bardem

JAZZ MAESTRI!

Lester Young with Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker & Miles Davis! 

Have a jazzy Friday night!

OFF-DUTY ELEGANCE: OUT OF OFFICE NEEDN'T MEAN OUT OF STYLE!

Any fool can look sharp in a suit. However, as politicians the world over discover every summer, dressing down successfully is far harder than dressing up. In 1971 President Richard Nixon, keen to co-opt some of the late President John F Kennedy's youthful appeal, posed for some photographs on the San Clemente shore in California. The result was that he was widely mocked for wearing suit trousers and dress shoes on the beach. In the end his awkward appearance contrasted so unfavourably with JFK's exemplary off-duty style that the stunt did nothing but accentuate the differences between the two men. 

The reason for this is that relaxation is the key to the success of any holiday, and so the ideal vacation wardrobe should look and feel relaxed. Aside from underwear nothing that a man sports in the workplace deserves a space in your suitcase. Because we spend our days in an air-conditioned office we need to be reminded of what works on holiday, so we've dug out these old photographs to conjure up a mood of off-duty elegance. The images remind us that it's vital to get the fabric and fit of clothes right. Substantial natural fabrics (we're talking cotton and linen here) are the key, not only because they "breathe" but also because they wear well and can be thrown into the washing machine when dirty. It's hard to be relaxed around sun cream, sand and melting ice creams if everything you're wearing has to be dry-cleaned.

 As far as fit goes we believe that slightly looser clothes work best in the heat. They allow the air to circulate, and the way that they feel is conducive to relaxation. So save your slimmest trousers and close-fitting shirts for the city, and take a leaf out of Mr Gregory Peck's book and wear clothes that can move with the breeze. Colour is the final part of this puzzle, and strong light provides a great opportunity to wear brighter colours than usual. Whether that means a lavender-coloured pair of J.Crew's Stanton shorts, or a Burberry Prorsum shirt with a bold print, is down to taste. But either way the summer is the time to turn up the brightness, although if you have very pale skin it's best to wait until you've caught a tan before going for the boldest shades of orange, red and yellow. Check the gallery, below, to see seven men whose off-duty style was exemplary. 

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THE KNOWLEDGE: SUMMER READS!

A contemporary summer reading list could easily be comprised of selections from Mr George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, Ms Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and perhaps some Ms Nora Ephron books for good measure. And it's not just because I have a thing for archery, or that I spend my weekends designing sigils and words for House Ortved. It's because those books represent a great deal of what we love about summer reading. Summertime gives us the luxury to fantasise. It's a time to get away, a time when we can carve space out of our lives to leave our offices, stake out long chairs, sip drinks with lemon and truly disappear into other worlds of pleasure, adventure, sex and mystery. It is in the summertime that we have the clearest view of Hosseini's kite races, the most open mind for Gilbert's prayers, the longest laughs for Sedaris' twisted family, and the direst hopes for Mantel's Cromwell. On these long, languid summer days, time is on our side; Egan's goon squad cannot catch us. 

But our summer reading list is not fodder for your conditional - in this case seasonal - susceptibility (which any airport bookshop can do). Instead, it includes books that will enrich and not merely enrapt; works that will involve you and not merely provide an escape. Just because the summer is the right time for fantasy, that doesn't mean you need to waste it. 

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ONE TO WATCH: MR SAM PALLADIO!

Actor, musician, actor-musician - whatever Mr Palladio's doing, it seems to be working. Nashville has been lauded by the critics, and a second series has been commissioned, while he'll soon be appearing alongside Mr Justin Timberlake in the upcoming thriller Runner, Runner, in which he plays an online gambling hotshot from London. "It was nice to be back in an English accent," he says of his time on set. But it's just a hiatus - he'll be returning to that familiar southern drawl for his most exciting project yet, the first collaboration between Disney and Lucasfilm since their 2012 merger. "It's called Primrose, and it's from the same studio and team that won the Oscar for Brave," he says. "Of course, I was a massive Star Wars fan as a kid, so when I heard about the announcement of the new movies I set myself a seven-year goal, and told myself that I had to be in them. And hey! - now I've got a job with the same company." 

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FASHIONSPAM RECOMMENDS: JOHN MAYER'S PARADISE VALLEY (2013)!

Paradise Valley is the sixth studio album by musician John Mayer. It was officially released today. The album’s title is derived from a major river valley of the Yellowstone River with the same name, located in southwestern Montana. Read more about the album on rollingstone.com

Shop on iTunes & Amazon!

PAY WITH A KISS!

Romance is back!

Metro St James café in Sydney, Australia has a romantic marketing proposition: For the entire month of June, your coffee is free if you kiss the person you came with. 

What kind of kiss? Apparently, air-kissing won’t suffice here. “It has to be a real kiss…a true kiss. I can see if it is a fake kiss. I am kind of a specialist,” one French waiter at the three-month old Metro St James teases a middle-aged couple in the video shown here. 

Apparently the food’s not bad, either. According to Time Out Sydney, which gave the Hyde Park bistro a four-star rating, “if you only eat one thing here, make it the chocolate and berry pudding. It’s a sort of French take on bread and butter pudding, made from pressed croissants all bound with chilled crème anglaise.” 

PEREZ PRADO, MAMBO!

Dámaso Pérez Prado (1916 - 1989) was a Cuban bandleader, musician (singer, organist and pianist), and composer. He is often referred to as the King of the Mambo. Pérez was his surname, thus Dámaso Pérez, his true name, became known by the paternal and maternal surnames Pérez Prado. His orchestra was the most popular in mambo.

His son, Pérez Prado, Jr., continues to direct the Pérez Prado Orchestra in Mexico City to this day.

Music Source: mauricemunteanu.tumblr.com

FASHION WEEK TRAVEL ESSENTIALS!

From Mr Samuel L Jackson to Sir Paul Smith, MR PORTER asked those attending the spring / summer 2014 

runway shows to share their travel essentials.

'It's just clothes..It's fashion, but it's clothes. Everything is replaceable!'

ON SARTORIALIST'S STREET! Pt.4

Buon Ferragosto & Happy (St. Mary) Name Day!

Enjoy Bank Holiday if you're lucky enough.

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BANK HOLIDAY RECOMMENDATION: SWING KIDS (1993)!

The story of a close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany who listen to banned swing music from the US. 
Soon dancing and fun leads to more difficult choices as the Nazis begin.

Stars: Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, Frank Whaley.

JOHN FRUSCIANTE - UNREACHABLE!

Have a peaceful Tuesday!

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT'S DON JON (2013)!

A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from 

watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.

Written, Directed & Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Also Stars: Scarlett Johansson & Julianne Moore

STREET STYLE INSPIRATIONAL MIX!

“Oh, never mind the fashion. When one has a style of one's own, it is always 20 times better.” ― Margaret Oliphant

MORE PICS AFTER THE BREAK!!!