Coco and Breezy

occupation: accessory designers

“We are one person in two different bodies.” Coco and Breezy

Coco and Breezy, identical twins from Minneapolis, say that together they are one person, and have literally never spent a day apart. They have had the good fortune to have each other while fending off stares in their Grace Jones meets Star Trek style. The twins’ high voltage, over-the-top line of sunglasses began when they needed to block themselves from “taunting peers.” Every day counts both in their work ethic (they sleep three to four hours a night) and in their imaginative and highly assembled outfits. Everything is possible for creating the details that make a difference, like the broken glass off of the street from a bus window that adorns one shoulder of a leather jacket, and their kingsized and king-like rings that they made with materials from Home Depot (they have the power of Gladiator chic written all over them). Despite the fact that Coco and Breezy finish each others’ food, designs, and sentences, they love to learn from other people and everything around them. For me, this is a sign of their guaranteed success, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning of these futuristic rockers.

Check out Coco and Breezy’s blog here.

If you like Coco and Breezy, you might also enjoy RZA, BJ Panda Bear, Jermaine Jagger, or Tay Trong.

Cator Sparks

“[London] is such an amazing place. Period. I’ll never forget riding the subway one day when I saw a man in a bowler, a bow tie, a cane, and a wax mustache. He just looked at me and winked. And I just [thought], ‘This is it kids. This is what I want to do.’” Cator Sparks

occupation: writer, blogger, and dandy

Cator loves the Auntie Mame quote, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death,” because for him, you have to live it and breath it all in. And he does – this man is all passion. We recently emailed him to let him know that his post was coming up, and we received an automatic response saying, “Greetings! I am away for a wedding in the depths of Africa, therefore I have no internet access, only tribal drums and smoke signals.” Cator was inspired to become a writer on a trip to India in his late 20’s, but not a “yogacentric nirvana trip. It was a boozed out wild party with a bunch of English people,” where he met a renowned British journalist that recognized his vivid imagination, well-bred sophistication, and ability to put “pen to paper” or “fingers to keyboard.” Today, Cator is a leading authority on men’s fashion, an interest that stems from his aesthetically Anglo-infused childhood in Atlanta, surrounded by people like his grandfather (who was “a bit of a dandy”), his great-grandfather (who wore only “white suits in the summer and wool tweeds in the winter”), and his mother (who let him set the table with lavish place settings every year for Christmas dinner). It’s all about visuals for Cator, and you can see it from his red room (an ode to taste icon Diana Vreeland) to his impeccable three-piece Brooks Brothers suit with every detail intact down to the Etro shirt, Vivienne Westwood tie, and antique watch fob. (It’s absolutely wild to think of Cator in his rave days, with stickers on his face and glitter everywere.) Appearance is so imperative that Cator writes in an Egyptian dress and Turkish slippers in order for his genius to flow.

Be sure to check out Cator’s website and blog.

If you like Cator, you might also enjoy John Wellington, Andrew D’Angelo, or Michael Arenella.

Wilson Standish

occupation: music and fashion blogger and freelance writer for UR Chicago and Time Out Chicago

“[I am inspired by] historical strong men – not brute strength, rather mental vigor and confidence. Lincoln and James Dean come to mind, and 1950’s architects that all seemed to wear bow ties. My grandfather is a big inspiration. I got most of my classic suits, shoes, and ties from him, and I know if I’m wearing something he would be proud of, I’m doing something right. Art Deco is a big part of it and the ’60s modernist movement. Also classic American, from the Western Front to the beaches of East Hampton.” Wilson Standish

You would expect someone with the name Wilson Standish to be the governor of Plymouth Rock circa the late 18th century, looking very noble in a waist coat, breeches, cloak, and cravat. So it’s fitting that Wilson Standish, Chicago 2010, from a lineage of “WASPs”, is sporting Brooks Brothers indie style, in his bow ties with jeans, custom made three-piece suits with ’50s vintage neckwear and seersucker. It’s ironic that his mom, an art dealer, who’s very fashion-forward, embarrassed him as a kid. Because despite the fact that he rebelled against her by going towards his grandfather’s understated and classic genre, he maintained her penchant for standing alone, which today can simply mean attention to detail and taste. Wilson is serious about being singular in his wardrobe – he had his boat shoes made in Asia (the color schemes on the shoes are purposely mismatched) and he wears suits with one button open on the sleeve. “Old man style” is the new hip, in the world according to Wilson, where on his blog Boy Kings, he is making his mark in the Windy City in fashion and music.

To learn more about Wilson, go to the detailed captions page.

If you like Wilson, you might also enjoy Raymond Chu, Dylan Trevelen, or Michael Arenella.

BJ Panda Bear

occupation: socialite and blogger by day, host and party boy by night

“[My favorite thing about fashion is] how insulting you can be to the norms of society, yet spark visions of unknown subcultures.” BJ Panda Bear

I love that BJ has decided to study sociology because of the fact that people’s differences are respected. BJ thrives on opposition – he dresses in what he refers to as an “explosion” of variety as a way to bring to the surface people’s prejudices and need for conformity. It’s unexpected, but in such a refreshing way, to walk into his apartment in back of his very manicured childhood home in Beverly Hills, where the “expected” uniform in school was a button-up, baggy jeans, and anything Von Dutch. BJ dreads any norms and as a result, his wardrobe is hanging on every surface, like a laboratory, ready for the next personification. The possibilities of combinations are boundless and indescribable in their artistry, from his Gaultier jacket (worn in his unique way) to his reconstructed Raf Simons t-shirt to his leather vest turned fanny pack/skirt. He says that the need to carve himself out from the crowd began with low self-esteem, but to me, anyone that can be so honest and fearless is anything less than admirably brave. BJ’s love of irony is especially obvious when he laughs at himself kissing his “narcissism wall,” which is a mural of himself in all of his multiple, fantastic incarnations. A true naricissist cannot reflect and laugh at themselves, let alone exude his warmth, passion and willingness to stand alone in his effort to promote individuality.

To learn more about BJ, go to the captions on the detailed page.

Be sure to check out BJ’s blog here.

If you like BJ, you might also enjoy Ladyfag, Jen Chia, Michael Calloway, or Jermaine Jagger.

Zana Bayne

occupation: blogger, accessories designer, and works in retail

“If I don’t leave the house feeling a bit ridiculous, then there’s something wrong.” Zana Bayne

Zana says that when she shops, she waits for something to blow her mind, but at the same time, she would rather make it her own than wait for something to happen. People like Zana, with their innovative and free-thinking internet presence, represent the future of fashion where interpreting it for yourself is so much more inspiring and empowering than following trends blindly. No more designer head to toe and here’s this month’s bag to have and who cares what season it was from! Zana’s wears her beloved boots into the ground, her Margiela doctor’s bag is all the more chic from being a staple for years and she makes a version of Ann Demeulemeester’s corset belt that works for her. Blogging since the age of 13, she is a tastemaker, both in her avant garde purchases and designs. In mostly black and neutrals, she’s into the sophistication of being monochromatic, a long way from the many colors she used to look “pretty” in growing up (while her mom was in “yuck” black, as she used to think). Zana favors designers like Haider Ackermann for “the way he combines materials to look heavy and soft.” And her experimental eye makes public how expressive and fun a Margiela trompe l’oeil top (that makes her look as if she is only wearing a bra) can be as opposed to another button-down blouse. When it all gets too generic and predictable, Zana finds a way to push the boundary and does it in a way that is accessible. Instead of just another belt, she is making futuristic/medieval-inspired harnesses that can turn the simplest trench from 20th century to 21st. And rather than just have another pair of pumps or boots, why not add a winged boot strap (catch the video of them on her blog) or tons of studs and spikes. What’s so special is that while dramatic, she’s never overdone. Her leather and metal accents can give her classic-turned-state-of-the-art Marni sack dress or Jil Sander pumps the accent they need, but either way, she is a head-turner.

Check out Zana’s blog, Garbage Dress

If you like Zana, you might also enjoy Antino Crowley, Edmundo Desnoes and Felicia Rosshandler, Marika Wilson, or James Gillespie.