Hey Man:

What do Bowie (circa Ziggy Stardust) and Glasgow designer James Millar have in common? They both emulate glam rock and consider boys and girls clothing as one in the same. Millar has been in the business for quite some time, working with Dazed and Confused magazine and Jonathon Saunders, but he's a new fashion face to me. Yet the moment I read that Ziggy was one of his inspirations for his designs I became curious.

With a wide range of influences, from dancewear to Art deco, Millar’s collection is bound to be full of juxtaposing textures and patterns, and it delivers. Not to be mistaken for the typical overkill of colors and clashing designs, the clothes are far from just a hodge-podge of color blocks. The colors never venture into neon, but rather he uses an interesting palette of muted, darker saturated tones, with a splash of pastel for lightness. The use of metallics (even as a subtle sheen on black) serve as the solid color throughout the collection while still keeping an interesting texture. As I click through the collection, nothing ever seems flat or static, and all the pieces have textures and prints that emit a playful but not childish appeal. And though you won’t find a kids section on Millar’s website, don’t expect to find a women’s or a men’s section either. All of James Millar’s clothing is unisex. So if you’re short on cash (because you just spent $60.00 on gas) and hurting for some new duds, try and get your hands on a Millar piece and split it with your best gal/guy friend. I say ‘try’ because Millar’s collection has a limited availability. And by limited, I mean Japan. But with his impressive design background and a promising collection, I have high hopes for future collections and appearances on U.S. soil, so keep your eyes on this young talent.

melanie