For an imminent report we’re interested to hear your suggestions for GREAT shops, anywhere on earth. ■ What qualifies as GREAT in the Fantastic Man universe, you wonder? We like a rare gem (say, that shop in Tokyo that sells only white T-shirts; or the classic hardware store MAISON EMPEREUR in Marseille that feels like the epitome of modernity; or magazine store 0FR. in Paris). We love a proper good multibrand fashion store too, like Paris used to have COLETTE or PHM (stocking good sneakers, SUNSPEL, and ACNE STUDIOS if I remember well). ■ Last month in Milan, I did stroll into ANTONIA, which I kind of like, and ANTONIOLI, which has has a huge range of contemporary fashion even if it verges a little too much on the droopy, gothic side (IMHO). I do miss the men’s floor at EXCELSIOR, the short-lived Milanese department store that nailed just the right mix of top fashion, new brands, and exactly the right pick from NIKE or THE NORTH FACE. ■ Anyway, if you know of one or two of such go-to shops anywhere in the world that we should know about – a true RECOMMENDATION, a TOP TIP – do email us via the ‘reply’ button. As always, we’re curious to hear from you. 

Over coffee in that amazing Tokyo bookshop DAIKANYAMA T-SITE (a shop tip in itself) a representative from outdoor label GOLDWIN once shared a useful rule of thumb for combining athletic brands. ■ In sportswear, it’s considered “correct” to wear a single brand – NIKE with NIKE, or ASICS with ASICS. Pick your camp and stick to it. Whereas for outdoor activities such as hiking and climbing, the opposite applies, and wearing one brand head-to-toe is uncool. ■ The idea is to find the BEST product for each specific need, and so it’ll be highly unlikely that your shoes, socks, shell, flask, gloves or sunglasses all come from the same place. Good tip! ■ Meanwhile GOLDWIN has opened its first London store at 35 Broadwick Street (right behind LIBERTY, a great shop in itself, albeit so vast it could use an edit).

In other exciting shoppable news, here’s a first hint at our upcoming collaboration with an as-of-yet undisclosed brand – a series of Fantastic Man garments we’re all excited to wear this summer. We shot the images for it at our printers’ (above) and the collection comes out in April. More soon, of course…