Amid all this talk of gender-bending (brought on by Andrej Pejic's bridal walk for Jean-Paul Gaultier) style I have to admit that today, I'd like to be a man. Why? Let me see, the navy double breasted pants suit at Dries Van Noten, driving gloves at Hermès and Alexander McQueen overcoats trimmed with fur and leather are all good reasons but it also has a lot to with today's launch of Mr Porter, the latest men's online store launched by the Net-A-Porter group. Not just a source for acquiring John Lobb loafers at the click of the button, the site, which offers a selection of over 80 brands from Lanvin to A.P.C., promises to be a one-stop style destination for men. Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Langmead says the idea is about filling gap in the market and providing t a dedicated online men's store that can be a source of information and advice.
"At the moment, shopping online for men means entering a unisex environment and finding a little tab for menswear at the top left of a homepage. We don't want that. It's the online equivalent of having to walk through the beauty hall of a department store in order to find the men's suits," he says.
"Mr Porter is designed, created and curated to make it a totally guy-friendly shopping experience."
Formerly editor at Esquire magazine, Langmead came on board because "Natalie (Massenet, founder of Net-A-Porter) is very hard to say no to". He says the site is about helping men make informed decisions and allowing them to buy straight from the page. "All men want information; and many want advice. Men will ask a lot of questions before buying something. However, if you give them the right answers they will spend.
"Men are dressing up more now, becoming a lot more knowledgeable about brands and style, but as they become more knowledgeable, they less feel the necessity, or urge, to have to brave the bricks and mortar stores. They want to be able to shop more conveniently from the office or home."
The site offers a style directory, wardrobe manager and weekly magazine, all with the simple aim to make shopping for men easy.
"You will be able to access realms of information about style generally, and each product, have the items you choose delivered to your home, try it on with stuff you already own, check if your partner likes it, and keep if it works or, if not, let us know and we will pick it back up from you," says Langmead.
"We will make it easier for those looking to buy for their men in their lives, whether it's through the advice online, the detail we go into with size and fit, or the fact that we will have style advisors at hand to help via phone or email."
With this inspiration for my masculine obsession; Annie Hall, here I come.