Remember When?: GQ covers, Part III: 2005 - 2007.

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon, let's pound out three more years.  These three were particularly weak, with only three or four legitimate choices peppering the collection each year.  At least 2006 and 2007 demonstrated a temporary departure from pushing the 'half-naked covergirl' strategy so hard.  And we see a glimpse of the good ol' days on the cover of GQ's 50th Anniversary issue in October 2007.

If you're behind, check out Parts I and II here.

Interesting Shit that I'm Too Lazy to Write Anything About: April 29, 2011.

Today I'm starting a new column whose title should be pretty self-explanatory.  In the spirit of said new column, that will be the extent of it's intro.  Enjoy.

Arrogant Male Photograph of the Day: April 29, 2011: Miles above the competition.

Arrogant Male Quote of the Day: April 29, 2011.

"I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people...

There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. 

I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone."

  ~ Daniel Day Lewis in There Will be Blood, 

by Paul Thomas Anderson

Combining Fashion and Finance: Hugo Boss shares hit all-time high as Q1 2011 sales up 21%.

Hugo Boss shares hit 66.41 euros today as the German company reported a strong first quarter.  Their Q1 sales were 539 million euros, as opposed to an average estimate of 531 million, and net income was 83.5 million euros for the quarter versus estimates of just over 70 million.  These numbers represented a quarter-over-quarter increase of 21% and 43%, respectively.  Net income rose 48%.  Boss forecast 2011 sales and profit to be up at least 12 and 15 percent, respectively, resulting primarily from growth in China and the U.S.  

Shit Worth Checking Out: Pics from the Ralph Lauren car collection exhibition launch dinner..

Last week I posted a clip promoting the Musée des Arts Décoratifs exhibition The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection.  This past Wednesday, Madame Hélène David-Weill and Ralph Lauren hosted a private dinner in Paris to celebrate the opening of this exhibit.  While the pics are primarily posed, which makes them much less interesting than if they were taken naturally, it's still worth a quick look (if only to see Jean Reno, who was in attendance).  Check them out below the cut.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Great article in the New York Times on the state of the shoe industry in the United States.

The New York Times published an interesting article the other day profiling the decline and moderate resurgence of American-made shoes.  Titled At Their Feet, Crafted by Hand, the article notes that only 1% of shoes bought in the United States last year were produced in America, and focuses on homegrown brands like Allen Edmonds, Alden, and Florsheim. 

Arrogant Male Photograph of the Day: April 28, 2011.

Arrogant Male Quote of the Day: April 28, 2011.

"What good fortune for governments that the people do not think."
~ Adolf Hitler

Combining Fashion and Finance: The dangers of rebranding.

WWD.com posted an interesting article the other day called The Pros and Cons of Rebranding, looking at different fashion labels and their quest to reinvent themselves by changing their logo.  Trying to change the public's image of what a brand represents is a dangerous proposition, as we saw last year when GAP attempted a logo change and was forced to revert back to the original after everyone freaked out about it.  The article focuses on lower-tiered brands, which, being arrogant, I am generally less interested in, but I think the article raises some industry-wide points (and of course, the fact that it's the lower-tiered brands that feel the need to rebrand perhaps says something about their more luxurious competitors...).  Anyways, check it out here.

Shit You Should Be Aspiring To: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

 

Lamborghini has launched its campaign for its newest beast, the Aventador LP700-4.  The '700' stands for 700HP.  Check out the debut commercial below.  It's awesome in every way (except perhaps the car's colour...)

Arrogant Male Photograph of the Day: April 27, 2011

Arrogant Male Quote of the Day: April 27, 2011

"One should forgive one's enemies, but not before they are hanged."

~ Heinrich Heine

Arrogant Male Photograph of the Day: April 26, 2011

Arrogant Male Quote of the Day: April 26, 2011

"I'm always looking for meaningful one night stands."

~ Dudley Moore

Shit Worth Checking Out: WSJ article Man Shops Net

The Wall Street Journal published an article the other day on the rise of online shopping sites for men.  What was initially very much a female-driven market has recently seen huge growth in male shoppers, and this has lead to the success of sites such as Mr. Porter and GiltMan.  While I can't relate to the author's portrayal of men as shopping-averse, it's an interesting read.  Check it out here.

Remember When?: GQ covers, Part II: 2008 and 2009.

Getting right on with it, Part II to our Remember When?: GQ covers series will take a look at 2008 and 2009, where we see the emergence of a trend towards catering to teeny boppers and the "let's put half naked women on the cover in a desperate attempt to raise sales while giving no regard to our integrity" syndrome.  Some of these must have sold quite well, because as we saw in Part I, there are a fair number of repeats in a short period of time (see: Tatum, LBJ, LaBeouf, Franco...all dudes who appeal to young people...coincidence?).  Enjoy.

Happy Easter from The Arrogant Male.