Lately I've found myself listening to more hip hop tracks than usual. There is something so cool about the underdog. As I type this, I have blasted Say What's Real by Drake & it reminds me of that cool moment in the life of greats, when people see what you've been envisioning for years. You've officially proven yourself as not crazy. The way you dress, your love for your artistry, that gold watch that you've worn for years that may not have worked (but just looked too damn good to pass off). But truly, as I begin to ramble, I keep praying for my moment when [like these artists] everything comes together. Can I fucking be the fashion industry's Drake? Seriously. I've been dealing with this underground feeling forever and I'm just ready to deal with the heavy shit. Bring on the cuffed pants & the coolest handkerchiefs. Never want anything but to breathe this world. How can people not expect these kids not to be arrogant when they make it?

xx

Storytellers

Ive broken a million promises but by Spring you'll see the MM story

How to be immortal

glass walls have their purpose. no one can climb in. no one can climb out. people play small roles in your life. they build smokescreens, blurring clear lines. its always easy to fall into the role of small/simple. small worlds are made of mortals. to be immortal you have to be immune to the charm of the world of the simple. tease them but never let them really have you.

BLACK&GOLD&GUNLAMPS

That damn lamp man. I can never live my life. No really. You know how people want something to remind them where they've gotten in life. Some people have a car in mind or a watch or a house, or a pair of shoes. I have this lamp and a chow chow. I have profound respect for Sir Avery and this is just a reminder as to why. Freaking Philippe Starck

you are only as good as the person you are bringing home

I was raised with 4 brothers, as most people know. Nothing has prepared me to be the most easily aroused & non romantic person on earth. Yeah, I'm sure I'm not supposed to write this. It's not professional, especially if the MM diary is public. BUT, this is with great reason people. I promise. I'm the hardest person to convince on anything that isn't originally my idea. Go ahead and try to make me watch a rom com. It's just not going to happen. Recently I've grown to notice the power of partners. There is nothing more powerful than the leading role playing supportive. Same in reverse. Lead by supporting. A man is only as powerful as their partner. Homegirl can lead you to a drink as quickly as she can lead you to the highest office in your building. People tend to underestimate the power of the supporting role and their power in leading.

Find your confidant and only if they are worth it, see if they can play this role in making you the strongest " " you want to be. Just know that you are only as good as the person you are bringing home.

#truestory.

Homeland

 Listen people. If you aren't reading the Gospel According to Homeland than you are surely lost and in dire need of such Holiness. I say strongly, [ and I repeat on the internet] that Homeland by far, is the greatest show on television right now. period. Nothing on earth makes me live up to the stereotype of the brown female yelling at the screen. After nearly 45 minutes straight of sitting directly in front of my television with no allowed bathroom breaks and no conversations, there is nothing else for me to do  then jump about and give warm greetings to the credits with a very loud and abrasive, "What the Fuck!?" If you haven't watched it yet, call your girlfriend, wife, husband, kids (if you've got any) and tell them not to contact you and allow you about 10 minutes post Homeland to properly recuperate. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone yet so I'll start writing Monday nights my reactions on the MM Diary.

Lesson. It's okay to live up to stereotypes when watching the most epic show on television. it just is.

x

orientation has nothing to do with it. size...has nothing to do with it...money has nothing to do with it. and dare i say, style has nothing to do with it. presence, control, wisdom and character do. real men create chills. 

I've always mentioned to many including those who ready this diary of my obsession with bicycles. black bicycles in particular. I made the most 'bitch-like' sound when i saw this bicycle and decided [naturally] that I just had to have it. Like most big dreamers with balances that get a dent everytime you swipe, I've decided to gift it to myself for my 25th birthday. Shit! 25. I know I've freaked out in my head before but writing it out somehow makes it sound even worst. As I wrote that my shoulders completely dropped. Anyways, it's remarkable how time flies by and I'm more excited with the shit that has come with it. Let the riding begin, boys!

P.S. Of course I'd already be planning next Spring/Summer when winter hasn't really yet hit.

x

WM

CURSE

I've had this conversation over and over with my greatest confidant on this planet. The defining distinction between working hard vs 'work ethic', passion versus 'a love for.'Julian Assange, the man that redefines the phrase 'Don't kill the messenger,'reignites this discussion. With an actual war against nations, I become overwhelmed with fascination with this person, this character, his mission and end goal. Still I argue that Assange should have received 'Person of the Year' title over Zuckerberg although to Assange it may have meant nothing. With a story that sounds like the making of a novel, attending 37 different schools, hacking as a teenage informant I come to wonder what drives the WikiLeaks founder. What if drive or passion isn't the case? Passion indicates that there is a separation between an individual and what they enjoy.

There is a step outside of passion. There is a step further than 'loving' what you do. It is the becoming of what one does. This is their identity...their DNA. Like a disease, rather than complimenting what one has, it permeates then takes over. There is greed in the heart of every disease. It's the curse that blurs the lines of what is good/bad. The end goal is all that matters. It is in this understanding that Julian Assange is brought up. With this man comes the epic story of the re-movement of one's self from a life other than that devoted to the end goal.

There is no risk management. No payoff greater than the completion of a task. It's a curse, an addiction. A curse that every great has from designer Alexander McQueen to Mr. West: the torment to create, respond.

Hearts of Diamond

src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/7093165249_7fdd3a7117.jpg" alt="86747-800w by MICHELMEN MICHEL MEN" />
86747-800w, a photo by MICHELMEN MICHEL MEN on Flickr.

I can almost say that i've never been happier in my life. two nights in a row i've woken up at 2am, 5am very excited, anxious. Not really sure what it means but being well aligned. I'm sure anyone who has ever felt like they've followed their spirit, can understand the feeling of a universal "yes"---an approval, an okay to go forth---reassurance.

i'll admit that i've stalled. i've lied to myself. i've fallen dormant but have also fallen in love with allowing things to naturally happen, unforced. i've learned to treat this like a relationship, gradually allowing things to happen to me naturally---absorbing all that i can grab in one big dive. i sound high but i assure you that i'm not high off of anything other than certainty---certainty that my heart is the best compass. i'm now 24 and can say that my heart of diamonds has brought on the unimaginable. in the words of the strokes and whomever came with it first: you only live once....let the journey continue---bring it on, i'm more ready than i've ever been :) xx

MONSTER IN THE MIRROR

I've seen this video a million times and can never get enough of it. An adrenaline raising video. A glimpse into the lives of thinkers, creatives while they give all that they have. Seriously...where would the world be without it. There grew a desire to watch interviews to understand individuals better. i, truly, believe that in order to create, lead or take any sort of risks---it takes a level of removal from fear and exposure. You jump in on a high and hope everyone understands. Greats like McQueen, Tisci and Christopher Nolan understand how to connect with their audiences, the people to whom they've made a promise. As I posted in a video earlier with Charlie Siem---you get an understanding of what sort of vow these men make to the people watching and they deliver. I can only hope that i can deliver what has been brewing in my mind and not shy away from it as it gets bigger.

x

An Ode to Perfection

i've always felt a connection to the male gender, the male psyche, male ambition & masculinity. It's the only language i've ever spoken and have ever wanted to perfect. So it doesn't hurt when you surround yourself w/ the boys, from work to music. If you've read this blog or have browsed posts since it's inception in 2008, then you know this far too well. Every step I take stems from the desire to make the brand stronger and bring what i've found regarding this man to light in menswear as no designer has. It pains me to wait longer as you can imagine the responses i've received regarding this 'MM story'. so in the meantime, before exposing anything further...i'll celebrate the greats who make this journey all the less painful...

as an ode to perfecting the MM story.....to love and ambition and the shit in between <3

I'M A F'IN ARTIST

LADY-GAGA, a photo by MICHELMEN MICHEL MEN on Flickr.

I FEEL...I WANT...I HURT...I WANT TO SHOW & TELL. DON'T KNOW WHO I'D BE WITHOUT MY ART

YOU CAN'T APOLOGIZE FOR WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, AND WHO YOU WANT TO BE...there should be a vow to never stint your own growth. i

STORY OF AN OBSESSION

I'VE NEVER WANTED ANYTHING AS MUCH AS MM IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT IT BECOMES 3-DIMENSIONAL THAT I CAN BE STUCK IN IT? LIKE NOTHING ELSE WILL EVER MATTER. SERIOUSLY, THERE WILL BE THE MOST REMARKABLE DAMAGE DONE WHEN THIS VISION GOES PUBLIC. NOTHING CAN EVER MATCH OBSESSION, PASSION AND DRIVE. (GRUNT)

THE IDEAL

there's nothing ever more important than becoming your best self. I may sound like Oprah now but it's true. My friend who is a fashion designer, soon to be for Dior, said this earlier this evening: 'become your dream'

Seriously, it's time to bring on the pressure. Thank God that I a draw or I dont know how else i'd express my ambition.

the promises we make to ourselves hahahah

THE BEST BRAIN ever: Morten Lund

I find the world of creation fascinating. There are brilliant minds in this world who contribute [to the world] on a greater level than any philanthropist or politician. One in particular is Morten Lund and one word to describe him is Brilliant. If you don't know of the guy, then you may be a little bit behind. His investment portfolio alone sounds like a James Cameron and Christopher Nolan film mixed into one. If there is one thing i could ask for in life is to contribute as Morten Lund has contributed to a world. I'm in this industry that I believe hasn't tapped into that mindblowing element of surprise. People are too modest here [fashion industry] to feel like Gordon Gekko or Ron Conway. Men like Morten inspire this movement: the men above all of the rest in intellect, ambition and influence. Seriously, God Bless this brain of Morten Lund.

Just wait until i get a flight and a camera crew to meet these men just before every menswear collection. Forget what the industry looks as muses---these men are real, you can find them in more than just books.

Rethink.

I will by no means get political. There is something extremely remarkable about the ability to reinvent something. With a generation of designers rethinking fashion, men rethinking roles, technology rethinking the user experience and politics rethinking the means to reaching objectives---you are easily capable of looking within yourself to rethink everything. With this said and after watching an incredibly remarkable State of the Union address from President Obama, I've come to realize that we happen to be in one of the most progressive times in Global History. To continue with this tradition of growing and remaining a part of the growth we must rethink and innovate. Age of Enlightenment anyone? Thank God I was fed a healthy diet of TED, Gladwell, Napoleon Hill and Godin during my late High School years...if not, i have no idea where MICHEL MEN would be.

hard work makes magic.

I have to say with everything going on with MICHEL MEN, there is much to be excited about. With that, the brand may be about the vanity that the MICHEL MEN may have but it's all rooted from hard work, culture and some good ole magic. I grabbed this photo, as I do about 30 a day. That happens to be my addiction---grabbing photos for my archive and Mac. It's inspiring and most of all, represented behind the magic of hard work and vision. I may sound crazy but im always onto something...

then and now

Work from my senior thesis and now........

BEST OF TWO WORLDS

I'VE ALWAYS COME FROM TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS. I WAS RAISED PLAYING KILLER INSTINCT, WATCHING THE DIE HARD TRILOGIES, QUOTING MICHAEL CORLEONE AND HAPPENED TO GROW INTO FASHION, ART AND THE AMERICAN DREAM. YOU'LL ALWAYS GET AN AMAZING BALANCE OF THAT STRONG MASCULINE BACKGROUND WITH THAT STRONG CREATIVITY THAT YOU FIND IN WOMENSWEAR. NOTHING IS AS ENTERTAINING.