Versace is everything Armani is not. This legendary, Italian fashion designer was known for his bright colors, gold accents, silky fabric, and vulgar cuts. He designed plenty of clothes and stage costumes for people such as Madonna and Tina Turner. Versace was a favorite designer of the late Princess Diana as well. Versace was an innovator for fashion marketing. In 1994 he spent $25 billion on promotion. He also incorporated fine art as well as great photography in his fashion ads. 

When you first look at a garment made by Versace, you notice the vibrant colors. The second glance will let your mind digest the high quality fabric. The last glance will make you see how sexy the cut of the material is against the person’s body. He was clever to make the Medusa the logo of the Versace fashion house. Versace was definitely ahead of the curve in the fashion industry. Before Versace, there were no supermodels, no celebrities at shows and in advertising, no screaming fans. Fashion was not entertainment, it was merely clothes. Versace understood the importance of marketing. He loved celebrities and knew that they not only attracted the attention of the press, but they also helped to set trends. His fashion empire acquired a net worth of $807 million in less then a decade. He had a vision of making fashion into a form of art. 

Elizabeth Hurley in the “Greatest Dress Design of All Time” by Versace

Besides clothes, Versace had a great vision of home decor. His love of gold made his decor extremely elegant and classy. After visiting his Miami Beach home, celebrities wanted to have the Versace touch in their own homes. With the Palazzo Versace Luxury Hotels, people can experience the exuberance of Versace’s soul. Also, the exclusive Versace Lamborghini Murceilago displays the same class and elegance. 

This is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. The tag team duo that consisted of Sonny and Rico, played by, Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas. These two undercover Metro-Dade County police officers, were in my opinion, the epitome of “cool TV cops” . They had the cars, clothes, guns, boats, women, homes, oh and lets not forget about the tropical weather. With all those distractions, they still managed to fight crime and overthrow drug lords before dinner was served.  

James “Sonny” Crockett was my favorite out of the two. He usually drove behind the wheel of either a white Ferrari Testarossa, or a black Ferrari Daytona 365 GTS/4. This show alone gave more popularity to Ferrari than any other Ferrari promotion in the 1980s. The boats that debuted on the show were just as dope. Crockett piloted a 39 foot Chris Craft Stinger 390 in the first season, and a Wellcraft 38 Scarab KV for the remainder of the show. The Scarab 38 KV was a 28-hued, twin 440-hp boat that sold for $130,000 in 1986. The popularity of the Scarab went through the roof when the show aired. The Scarab Company decided to design the “Don Johnson Series” because Johnson was an avid boat racer. Johnson’s signature series were designed with twin 650-hp Lamborghini V-12 engines. The boats retailed at about $300k.

Besides the toys, these men pretty much invented the “T-Shirt under the Armani jacket” style. They also made the 5 o’clock shadow look cool. Their bright wardrobe consisted of designers such as Gianni Versace and Hugo Boss. The fashion style behind the show was a representation of the Art-Deco architecture you see around South Beach, Miami, Florida. With that sunny weather, Crockett boosted the popularity of Ray-Ban Wayfarers in 1980s, while Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs kept it cool in his Alpina aviators that are designed by BMW. These men were so popular that they had their own “Miami Vice” section in Macy’s that included, shiny, bright suits and Kenneth Cole loafers. Their fashion presence still lives on today, especially in the summer, in Miami. 

Marc Jacobs might be one of the most influential figures in American fashion culture. This American fashion designer was ranked top 100 in Time Magazine’s “Time 100” in 2010. He’s won Accessory Designer of Year Award four times, 1998,1999,2003,&2005, Womenswear Designer of the Year three times, 1992,1997,2010. Along with Mens Designer of the Year, 2002, and his most recent, and prestigious award thus far in his career, The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, 2011.

Marc Jacobs is the Creative Director for the fashion power house Louis Vuitton. Jacobs has been with Louis Vuitton since 1997. He was the first designer for the high-end company to create a “ready-to-wear” clothing line. Jacob has been rumored to be leaving Louis Vuitton, and taking his talents to Dior in the near future. His famous collaborations with countless artists such as, Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami, and even rapper Kayne West has helped given him a great reputation today. Jacobs has well over 5 different clothing lines that he creates for besides Louis Vuitton.

Jacobs is known for his sense of humor as well as his sense of fashion. His carefree attitude makes him accepted by many. He ranked 12th on Out Magazine’s 2011 list of “50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America”. Jacob doesn’t care about showing up at a Red Carpet event, or fashion show in a kilt or tattooing a random SpongeBob Squarepants on his body. This guy is cool, bottom line. The Marc Jacob reign is nowhere near over, so embrace it.

This post is going to be short and to the point. 

Every guy needs a nice travelers duffle bag for those short trips when visiting someone over the weekend. I’m not talking about a nylon Nike duffle bag, or a Adidas gym bag, something that has style and character. This type of bag is called a weekender. 

Guys, don’t think of it as a purse, think of it as a nice piece of luggage. It’s convient because it’s carry-on size, and it’ll turn heads when you’re walking to your gate in the airport. I suggest buying a leather weekender if you’re a constant traveler, but those who don’t do as much traveling, a nice cloth weekender should suffice to your life style. Owning a weekender has prolonged me from buying a full luggage set. (Those can be really pricey) And honestly, I really don’t need a full set. A large roller suitcase and weekender can hold a lot of things if packed right.

When I bought my weekender a few years ago, I never would’ve thought I would have used it as much as I do. I spent about $130 on it, and it’s made by Tommy Hilfiger. It’s like my partner in crime when I’m traveling. I even attached a fox tail to it to add a little uniqueness. Just remember, its luggage, not a purse.