Those of you who have been reading this column already know about my obsession with Michael Bastian.  Just last month I called his clothes "the epitome of cool".  I mean, what's not to love about this former Men's Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman who launched his eponymous line in 2006?  Prior to his five years at Bergdorf's, he worked at Tiffany & Co, Sotheby's and Ralph Lauren.  He's a fan of JFK Jr. and counts his dad as his biggest influence.  He reads Walt Whitman and listens to Flock of Seagulls and The Dandy Warhols. 

Every item that Michael designs- which for Spring/Summer 2009 include Fair Isle full-zip cardigans, hand-distressed jeans (see below), chambray "James Dean" jackets - is a perfect example of how he likes to "knock the edge off perfection". 



Add to the above that Michael is dashingly handsome and naturally charming - so, you can only imagine, dear readers, how excited I was to ask him the following questions for my inaugural Style Guyde Interview for Instinct online.


What is your favorite piece from your Spring/Summer 2009 collection?
My favorite piece is the 70's down vest.  I'd been wanting one of those for a long time, and I always thought down vests are particularly foxy when worn with shorts, like we showed it (see below).



What do you love most about designing menswear?
I know it sounds a little sentimental, but what I love most about designing menswear is that hopefully I'm making guys feel a little more confident and better about themselves every day.

Describe "the Michael Bastian man".
The Michael Bastian man is really a guy who is basically traditional in his dressing, but also appreciates a modern fit, a little humor, and all of the luxury details usually found only in more classically tailored lines.  I also think he's a little more introspective than most - all of the secrets are kept on the inside.

What are the 5 items every man should own?
The five items every man should own are: 1) a perfect fitting pair of gray flannel trousers 2) a good pair of jeans 3) a navy cashmere crew neck sweater 4) a pink oxford button-down shirt and 5) a good rain coat with a removable lining.

What is the biggest mistake men making when getting dressed?
The biggest mistake men make when getting dressed is not taking the time to get all of their clothes properly tailored. It's a drag to have to wait for tailoring after you buy something, but when things fit you perfectly, you always look and feel better. And it makes it really easy to get dressed in the morning when everything in your closet is ready to go.



Who are your style icons?
Right now, I'm thinking a lot about how perfect JFK Jr. always looked - he always mixed up tailored stuff with sports and military elements, really unexpected accessories and then kind of put it all together in his own way.  He's just really a good example of a man with strong personal style that somehow kept it very real and unaffected.

Who or what has been your biggest influence?
The biggest influence for me was my dad (who was a public school history teacher) and his friends in the 70's when I was growing up.  They all wore 5-pocket cords, loafers, flannel shirts and knit ties to work every day - just cool and masculine and approachable.  If it was cold (and it was always cold—I grew up in Rochester, NY), they'd throw on an old pea coat, a down vest or a navy blazer.  It's still kind of how I think men look best.

If you weren't a Fashion Designer, what would you be (besides Men's Fashion Director at Bergdorf Goodman!)?
If I wasn't a designer, I think I would have eventually ended up a teacher as well.  In addition to my dad, my brother, uncles and sister-in-law are all teachers—it's in my blood a little.

Let's talk favorites:
Movie?  Ordinary People— it's a painful movie, but it illustrates how no one is really what they seem to be on the outside - there's always much more underneath.
Book?  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - this book is still the most vivid, relevant and personal journals of what it means to be a man in America.
Vacation spot?  The Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona - it seems to be the only place I can really turn my brain off and relax.

What's the one extravagance you can't live without?
Regular professional massages.

What's on your current Playlist?
Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls
Up Against the Wall - Peter Bjorn and John
Lost - The Mary Onettes
Hey Now Now - The Cloud Room
The Last High - The Dandy Warhols
Can't Get Enough (Felix the House Cat remix) - Infadels

What astrological sign are you?
I'm a Libra.

What's next for you?
I really can't answer that—I try to keep myself open to the surprises the universe hands you.

For more information about Michael Bastian and to locate stores in your area that carry his clothes, check out michaelbastiannyc.com.

The first time I went to a fashion show in New York, I actually took a bus in from Boston (where I was in my junior year at Massachusetts College of Art).  My friend and I had met Nicole Miller when she was making a personal appearance at the Henri Bendel in Chestnut Hill (a tony suburb of Boston) and she kindly invited us to her show.  It was at the very gilded and marbled Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library.  Liz Tilberis, the much-loved Editor in Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, was there with her trademark white pixie haircut.  Backstage, I met Naomi Campbell (who was with her equally gorgeous mother), Christy Turlington and Elaine Irwin (before she was married to John Cougar Mellencamp).  I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

I’ve attended many fashion shows since then (now I take cabs instead of the bus, thankfully) and I still get as excited as I did that first time.  That excitement continued last month at the recent men’s shows for Spring 2009 in New York.  Keep reading for my personal highlights from the week – on top of hanging out with Julianne Moore at the Generra presentation (she actually likes to be called “Julie”!).

I watched the parade of “poetic tailoring” at Z Zegna sandwiched between my good buddy Sam Broekema from Vanity Fair and some hot Italian guy (unfortunately, I didn’t get his name).  What  struck me most about the collection was the sublime color palette of barely-there shades of grey, salmon and khaki.  Colors that the program notes said created a “sophisticated serenity”.  I also loved the outerwear pieces  – especially the hooded cotton thermo-taped jacket (below left) and the rubberized leather parka (you’ll have to trust me on that one!).  You probably already know that I’m a big fan of Z Zegna – that was one of their vests on Ronnie Kroell (from Make Me a Supermodel) on Instinct’s September cover.

If I could live the rest of my life in only Michael Bastian’s clothes, I would do so without a second thought.  For me, they are the epitome of “cool” – preppy, sexy and always wearable.   This season’s inspiration came from The Lifeguard (the 1976 film starring Sam Elliot and Parker Stevenson) and to drive that point home, the show’s set even included a working shower under which the first model bathed in a pair of navy trunks (before slipping on a zip-front football sweater).  The show of 25 precisely-edited looks actually repeated five times in an hour and a half – of course, I had to stay to watch it for at least three of those five (I like to be thorough in my research!).  Plus, I just couldn’t get enough of Cory Bond (below right), one of my new favorite guys from Major Model Management (watch for more of him in an upcoming issue of Instinct!).

I’m not sure how they always get the models to smile at the Lacoste show – especially with its 10am on a Saturday timeslot.  The set, the music, and, of course, the clothes are all wonderful – and certainly reason enough to smile – but I know how hard it is to get models to actually do so! For spring, the collection was broken into three different themes - my favorite look (below left) came from the third group which Christophe Lemaire, Lacoste’s Creative Director, said was inspired by “The Prisoner” (the 1967 British sci-fi television series) and “aimed at a younger, fashion-alert customer”.  I can totally picture Justin Timberlake sporting this outfit at his Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas this month!

What’s not to love about being able to get up close and personal with a line-up of 18 different hot guys?  That’s how Simon Spurr chose to show his new collection (titled “Raw Elegance”) for Spurr – at an all-white gallery space in Nolita with the guys right at eye level.  Inspired by the city of London, the clothes were a commentary on the British Social classes – combining “the best of sartorial tailoring with the unrefined dress codes of street culture”.  That meant a guy in a perfect 3-piece suit next to a guy in a rigid denim jean with a u-neck sweater, albeit a turquoise cashmere one (below right).  Depending on your mood or the occasion, Spurr is offering something for all of our multiple personalities come spring.

Andrew Makay has been making some of the sexiest underwear and swimwear on the market since he launched the N2N Bodywear label out of Los Angeles back in 1997.  If you don’t own a pair already, here’s your chance.  Just don’t ask for the pair that Kyle wore (for Instinct's October fashion shoot, above)— those are already on their way to the Smithsonian.

To win, e-mail us here with your sexiest snapshot and "N2N Giveaway" in the subject line. The first 15 entries (that make us twitter) with a valid e-mail, home address and phone number will receive a surprise from Instinct thanks to N2N Bodywear.  Please make sure to specify your size preference – small, medium or large—as well.  Only one winner per household, please guys (don’t be greedy)!

For fashion-related questions or advice, email Sean at Instinct!

Hi, everyone!

I'm Sean Krebs and that’s me with Bryce and CJ on the beach in Montauk for our September fashion shoot.  Do I look happy?  That’s because I am!  Besides writing this monthly column, I am also Instinct’s new Fashion Director!

Hopefully you recognize Bryce and CJ from the “On Rugged Shores” layout in Instinct’s September issue.  If you don’t, then you better run out and get a copy fast!  (Or better yet, subscribe to Instinct right now by clicking here and never miss another issue!)  Bryce and CJ were real troopers that day.  You might think that we were somewhere in Ireland or off the coast of Maine with a cool, crisp breeze blowing – but in order to get those pictures into the magazine on time, we actually had to shoot them back in July on Long Island on one of the hottest days of the summer (it was well above 90 degrees!).

Hanging out with half-naked male models is definitely one of the major perks of the job.  Sitting in the front row at fashion shows is another (especially if it’s an underwear show!).  Plus I absolutely love clothes and I’m always excited to see new things before they’re in the stores (this month I’ll be previewing the spring 2009 collections even though we’ve only just begun fall 2008!).  That’s one of the things you’re going to see a lot of here — I’ll be bringing you all of the latest and greatest fashion, style and trend news each and every month.  On top of that, you’ll also find monthly giveaways from the brands you love (check out the FREE STUFF! section below — this month featuring Banana Republic).

Here’s a little more about my favorite subject other than fashion – that’d be me!  I grew up in small rural town in New Hampshire.  I had a crush on Brooke Shields (from her Calvin Klein ads) and my parents gave me my first subscription to Vogue when I was 10 years old (do you think they knew I was gay?).  I went to Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and received a degree in Fashion Design.  In school, I was always the one organizing the yearly fashion shows – scouting for the best models, picking out the venues, selecting the music and making sure that the fashion editors from the local newspapers attended.  At the time, I had no idea that what I was doing was actually a full-time job – a job as a fashion publicist.  So, when I finally came to New York in 1994, I started working in public relations.  Since then I’ve worked for many amazing brands including Fendi, Burberry, Missoni and Gap.  I’ve also appeared on The View (right next to Star Jones!) and Access Hollywood (talking about Britney Spears shopping at Gap on the day her divorce from K-Fed was finalized).  I’ve been quoted about style and trends in a few publications that you might have heard of — including The New York Times, People, Life & Style and InTouch (plus I’ve even been a boldface name in “Page Six” of The New York Post!).  My styling career began when a small idea that I pitched to a magazine turned into a 5-page fashion feature — after that, there was no stopping me!

If you want to know more about me (I have a dog named Ascot, my favorite color is white, my favorite movie is Two for the Road…), check out my Facebook profile .  And if you want to e-mail me (I’d love to hear from you!), you can at styleguyde@instinctmag.com.

Here’s to the beginning of a beautiful relationship!  See you next month!!