(capsule) NY: Camo

One of the best things about doing the trade show circuit, at least as a enthusiast, is finding new brands who haven't blown up stateside yet.  Such was the case with Italian brand Camo.  Stefano Ughetti, Camo's designer, was extremely personable and excited to be showing his clothes to an American audience.  The construction and fabrics (many of which are sourced in Biella) were so well done as were the details, like buttoned flap hacking pockets on the pants.  There weren't many pleats and creases at (capsule) NY so it was refreshing to see a brand devoted to structure and super clean lines.  I'll be sure to scan the lookbook for you guys as soon as possible because to say this stuff was fresh would not be doing it justice.

-L.A.S

(capsule) NY: Monitaly S/S 2011

If you're someone, like myself, who geeks out over details (and I assume you are because you are reading a blog about men's clothing) Monitaly should be one of your favorite brands.  It's the little things that make clothing great anyway and when you don't skimp on them, as in Monitaly's case, you often end up with incredible pieces.  Vintage buttons and tiny tweaks abound in the new S/S 2011 stuff at Monitaly's booth, highlighted by their incredible double breasted linen blazers and various parkas.  On top of all that they develop a ton of their own fabrics so the patterns are straight bonkers.  If that wasn't enough, Mino might be the nicest dude at (capsule) NY - straight up. Any questions?

-L.A.S

(capsule) NY: Perfecto Brand by Schott N.Y.C.

Greg Chapman, who you may recognize from his Jake Davis Test Shot, is a badass - there's no way around it.  When I heard Greg had been named Creative Director of Schott N.Y.C.'s new brand, Perfecto, I was pumped for obvious reasons.  Dude's pedigree is unrivaled as is his passion for Americana.  Perfecto may be a new brand, but thanks to the effort put in by the good people over at Schott and their own history, it feels like a brand that's been hitting it's stride for ages.  When you think of S/S you don't normally think of leather goods and outerwear, but Perfecto has put forth an incredible collection.  Waxed canvas jackets in some of Schott's iconic silhouettes plus some new additions made up one of the best booths at (capsule) NY this year.  It's tough to accommodate both hertiage and next level ideas, but Greg and his team seem to have it on lockdown.  To say I was blown away would be an understatement.

-L.A.S

(capsule) NY: Mark McNairy

I know you probably think you've seen every McNairy shoe under the sun by this point, but Mark came to (capsule) NY with a ton of new styles from both his New Amsterdam and Bass Weejuns line.  Despite all the press and all the collaborations Mark always impresses me with his ability to keep coming up with the craziest, most radical shit.  Like, how about raw denim (Cone Denim) red brick sole chukkas guaranteed to bleed all over your crispy white jeans?  As Mark so eloquently put it, "the only acceptable denim shoe ever."  I should also mention that Mark has transitioned away from using EVA soles in favor of both Dainite and Ridgeway soles.  That means even better durability for shoes that you can't help but want to rock on the reg.  The new made in the U.S.A. Weejun styles were probably the highlight of everything presented.  It's quite possible that with enough support (i.e. press, buys) Bass may come to their senses on all the Weejun nonsense that's been floating around as of late.  Mark is also branching out with a ton of new outerwear, all of which was super technical and military inspired.  If you know anything about this blog you know that Mark McNairy is a personal favorite who never fails to deliver in my eyes.

-L.A.S

(capsule) NY: Riviera Club S/S 2011

Riviera Club is all about easy living via the left coast, but for S/S 2011 they are taking things south of the border.  Based around "the golden age of Baja" the collection keeps things light and features gear that would be perfect for any heat wave.  I was particularly fond of the pullover/poncho numbers and white jeans complete with orange self edges.  Riviera Club's insanely comfortable jersey cotton lined shorts even got a terry cloth liner upgrade.  There's no way around it so I'll just put it out there - going "commando" is encouraged.

-L.A.S