Womenswear designer Marcia Patmos is the latest contributor to take part in our online series about “Things That Never Go Out of Style.” We named our magazine Corduroy based on the idea that a corduroy jacket never goes out of style. And in the same way, we’ve asked some of our favourite artists, musicians, designers and all-around friends to tell us what’s on their list of classic, timeless items.

For Patmos, whose M.Patmos line was recently named one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in Fashion for 2012 (alongside names like Ralph Lauren, Levi’s, Uniqlo and Kenzo), fashion is even more beautiful when it’s sustainable. With that in mind, Patmos is dedicated to socially conscious and eco-friendly production methods, and is involved with artisan communities and craftsmanship around the world. The resulting pieces in the M.Patmos collection are beautiful, understated and elegant looks that fit effortlessly into any modern woman’s wardrobe, while also respecting the production process and environment around us. It’s something women everywhere will want to wear because – like Patmos herself – it’s trendy, forward-thinking, and beautiful inside and out!

Get to know Marcia Patmos and her collection at www.mpatmos.com. And check out her top ten list of “Things That Never Go Out of Style” after the jump…

1. Coffee
2. Led Zeppelin
3. Aviator Sunglasses
4. String Bikinis (especially when they come in great colors like the one below left)

5. Breton Stripes. You can never go wrong with stripes, especially when they come in fresh colors too! These featherweight, scoop neck cotton striped tees (above middle) are from the M.Patmos Spring ’12 collection and available for purchase HERE.
6. Thank You notes – I love these simple ones from Smythson (above right)
7. The Classics – “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway is a particular favorite
8. Sunsets
9. Picasso – I love the style and the art
10. Corn on the cob

The M.Patmos by Marcia Patmos collection is available at Barneys New York, Kirna Zabete, Le Bon Marche, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Browns in London, and other high-end specialty boutiques around the world.

M.Patmos is also continuing an eco-footwear collaboration this spring with luxury shoe company Manolo Blahnik, using vegetable tanned leather. And Patmos is adding a sustainable jewelry collaboration with New York-based jewelry designers David Rees and Ron Anderson of 10,000 Things, in which a 300-year-old pine, salvaged from a demolished warehouse in Brooklyn, served as the main focal point for the eco-inspired collection. For all the details, check out www.mpatmos.com.

When we attended Lauren Moffatt’s fall/winer 2012 presentation in February, we weren’t too sure what to expect. With a fine art degree, a former graphic design job and a love of art and modern design (not to mention a sailboat docked on New York’s Hudson River that she once converted into a makeshift studio to sew pieces for her first two collections), Moffatt’s inspirations certainly run the gamut of style and substance. We arrived with eager anticipation, anxious to see what the Philadelphia-born designer would do with her latest collection. And we weren’t disappointed.

Moffatt’s Fall 2012 collection was inspired by the ‘innocent and classically undone style of a schoolgirl.” Think button ups with Peter Pan collars, paired with preppy skirts and collegiate, retro-inspired prints in muted earthy tones and quiet bursts of color. We left the presentation knowing that Moffatt’s pieces would be must-haves on our fall shopping lists! And we knew we had to include her in our recurring online series about “Things That Never Go Out of Style.”

We named our magazine Corduroy based on the idea that a corduroy jacket never goes out of style. It’s something you can wear season after season, year after year. With that in mind, we wanted to extend this idea to some of our favorite artists and designers, to see what was on their list of classic, timeless items. Moffatt’s list is as eclectic as her designs.

Here is what she chose for her “Top Ten” list of “Things That Never Go Out of Style”…

1. vintage leather bags

2. sharpies

3. cream silk dresses

4. peter pan collars

5. bikinis

6. mutts

7. classic coats

8. tea

9. bmw 2002′s

10. leonard cohen

11. water towers

Lauren Moffatt’s collection is available online and in select boutiques worldwide. Check out laurenmoffatt.com for more information.

(Photo credits: images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 – lauren moffatt / images 3 & 7 – daymion mardel)

We named our magazine Corduroy based on the idea that a corduroy jacket never goes out of style. It’s a classic and effortless item of clothing. In the same way, we wanted our magazine to not be overtly trendy, but rather focus on timeless people, artists and good design.

We wanted to extend this idea to some of our favorite artists and designers, to see what was on their list of classic, timeless items. This month, we got to know designers Emily and SJ from New York-based handbag and accessories line, Emily Cho. Emily was a contemporary buyer for Intermix and SJ is from Korea and studied Oriental Painting before they teamed up to create this unique and beautiful collection of bags. For spring 2012, expect to see elaborate printed skins and flower prints. “We have hints of drastic brights like fuschia and lemon yellow,” Emily tells us, “but we were also inspired by a soft pastel color pallete including seafoam and salmon tones.” (Check out the pic above to see a sneak peek of Emily holding an oversized folded clutch in a printed python from the spring line, while SJ is carrying a folded multi-metallic croco clutch from their fall ’11 collection). In the meantime, here are Emily and SJ’s “top ten” lists of things that never go out of style…

EMILY:
1.Oversized Clutch (Emily Cho of course)
2. Ripped Jeans
3. Cropped Black Leather Jacket
4. Capri & Florence, Italy
5. Home made Pasta & Pizza
6. The Highline Park on the West Side Highway
7. Christian Louboutin Leopard Calf Hair Booties
8. White T-shirts
9. Manicures
10. Summer Nights

SJ:
1. Oversized Clutch (Emily Cho OfCourse)
2. White T-shirt
3. Raw Japanese Denim
4. Cashmere Sweaters
5. Madonna
6. Vincent Van Gogh
7.  Tibetan Book of the Dead
8. Coca Cola (Regular not Diet!)
9. French Fries
10. St John in the Caribbean

The handbags are now available for purchase at www.emily-cho.com and will be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and California.

We got a chance to catch up with designer Philip Sparks last week at his studio in downtown Toronto, while also taking a peek at his new spring 2011 mens and womenswear collection. The collection, inspired by “Canadian rain,” is a fresh take on classic pieces, and will be unveiled in two deliveries next year. The first batch features a darker palette and a heavier, more substantial weighting to the pieces, perfect for warming up the post-Holiday blues. Think blazers and jackets in a just-right plaid gauze, and cozy blue-flecked chambray shirts, available for the first time for both men and women.

Sparks’ debut womenswear collection is also highlighted by pieces that feature a delicate cherry blossom print — a particular favorite of editors and buyers alike. But this print — like many of Sparks’ pieces — has a personal touch, sourced not from fabric shops, but rather taken from a photograph that Sparks snapped himself. Blown up and slightly blown out, the photo became the starting point for both a cropped blouse and a cotton voile jumper — pieces that set the tone for Sparks’ colorful and lightweight second spring delivery, out in March. The overall look and feel is charming and romantic, with a strength rooted in fine tailoring and execution. It’s something that Sparks hopes people will be wearing this season, and for seasons to come.

As for the “rainy” inspiration, Sparks says it’s not to be taken too literally. “I love that moment after it goes from a torrential downpour to a light rain,” he told us. “The sun is out but the grass is still wet and there’s just something really beautiful about it all.”

Before we wrapped up our studio visit, we asked Sparks to take part in our exclusive online series about “things that never go out of style” (sort of like a corduroy jacket!) Read on to find out what items made his “top ten” list…

1. A good pair of jeans, unwashed in a dark indigo
2. A navy peacoat
3. A white, button-down shirt
4. A grey, v-neck cashmere sweater
5. Light brown brogues
6. A brown tweed newsboy cap (Make sure you’re wearing it frontwards and not sidewards or backwards!)
7. A pair of rubber boots
8. A barbershop haircut
9. A slow-cooked pot roast (a.k.a. “Mom’s Sunday dinner”)
10. A khaki trenchcoat

Philip Sparks mens and womenswear collections are available in select boutiques across Canada and online at philipsparks.com.

(photos by Jenna Marie Wakani)

We’ll never forget the first time we found out about the hip, unisex Seoul-based, New York-inspired label, Democracy of Nevermind. We were invited to a press preview on the rooftop of a nondescript warehouse-type building in New York’s Fashion District, and maybe it was the loose drinks flowing, or the fact that we could picture every piece in the collection occupying space in our various friends’ closets, but we immediately knew we had come across something special.

Born out of necessity as much as passion, Democracy of Nevermind (or “D.o.N” for short) was founded in 2008 by a group of music-pumping young designers based in Seoul. Their goal was to create a brand of well-priced basics and novelty pieces that could be “remixed,” like music, into every individual’s wardrobe. With a strict focus on garment construction and quality materials, D.o.N showcases the results that can be achieved when music, style and cultures collide.

We asked the label’s head designer Mr. Noh (as he prefers to be called) to take part in our exclusive online series about “Ten Things That Never Go Out of Style.” Here is what made his (color-coordinated) list:

1. blue-jeans
2. white-shirt
3. grey-cardigan
4. green-soccer
5. silver-Tiffany
6. red-Ferrari
7. beige-trench
8. khaki-military
9. blond-Marilyn Monroe
10. black-Chanel

Democracy of Nevermind is available worldwide in stores like Bloomingdale’s and Selfridges and in select boutiques and online retailers. For more information, check out www.democracyofnevermind.com.

(above photo of Mr. Noh and partner Nara Chun)