Most stylish New Yorkers: Jonathan Love and BPro Elektro
Two bandmates and party promoters show us the breadth of their wide-ranging wardrobe.
Wed Feb 8 2012
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
The college buddies turned bandmates met while attending the University of Iowa. Jonathan, who styles the band, says their onstage aesthetic is theatrical and allows their individuality to shine.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
BPro wears his Iowa Hawkeye hoodie over an Urban Outfitters (locations throughout the city; visit urbanoutfitters.com) button-up shirt. He pairs it with a black Uniqlo (locations throughout the city; visit uniqlo.com) coat, Marc Jacobs trousers (marcjacobs.com) and Urshuz sneakers (urshuz.com). A brightly patterned hat adds a pop of color.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
These sweats by Jeremy Scott for Adidas are reminiscent of early '90s Hammer pants. Love continues the retro vibe with a stonewashed vintage jean jacket from No Relation (204 First Ave between 12th and 13th Sts; 212-228-5201, norelationvintage.com), and glossy black Y3 sneakers (y-3store.com).
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Love stands out in a crowd with this printed shirt from Beacon's Closet and spiked necklace from Topshop (478 Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-966-9555, topshop.com).
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"This is one of the few jackets I have that is a print," says BPro of his KR3W (kr3wdenim.com) outerwear. "I love to wear it with bright colors." He layers it over a purple Versace sweater, adding more prints to the mix with polka-dot socks from H&M and checkerboard Vans sneakers.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
A black Heritage 1981 by Forever 21 (locations throughout the city; visit forever21.com) men's leather jacket, black vintage boots and black Yankees cap balance out the bright mismatching prints of Love's Coogi (shopcoogi.com) sweater and Tripp NYC pants from Trash and Vaudeville (4 St. Marks Pl between Second and Third Aves; 212-982-3590, trashandvaudeville.com).
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
The stylist accessorizes his outfit with some DIY bling sourced from a fabric store near Denver. In New York, he often finds materials in Chinatown and the Garment District, including at iTrim (224 W 38 St between Seventh and Eighth Aves; 212-704-0111 itrim38.com).
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
The bandmates' overlapping tastes mean they sometimes share certain items: "Our styles have many similar pieces or ideas, but [they're] worn different ways," says BPro.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
BPro describes his style as "'50s newsboy meets futuristic dandy." He builds this dapper look around a maroon velvet YSL blazer and checkered shirt from Rag & Bone (locations throughout the city; visit rag-bone.com). He adds a skinny tie from Band of Outsiders (bandofoutsiders.com).
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
These vintage sunglasses from Beacon's Closet are BPro's go-to pair and a wardrobe mainstay. He tops off his ensemble with a retro flatcap from Union Thrift in Boulder, CO.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"These are definitely my most loved pair of boots right now. I wear them everywhere, with everything," says BPro of his Aldo (locations throughout the city; visit aldoshoes.com) lace-ups.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"Sometimes we get a bit more dressed up onstage with blazers and ties," says Love. "I experiment with menswear now and then, but always with a casual edge." He creates this polished look with a Polo by Ralph Lauren button-up shirt and vest, Rag & Bone lightweight denim jacket and well-tailored Marc Jacobs trousers.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
BPro demonstrates his ability to mix high-end brands with thrift-store finds. He pairs a Moschino patterned button-up shirt with a Rag & Bone coat, McQueen for Puma kicks and Cheap Monday jeans. His sunglasses are from a St. Marks street vendor. "In New York, you can find the best accessories right on the sidewalk---it's great," he explains.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"I love this beanie," says BPro of his vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon headgear. "It reminds me of all the cheap PBR specials at my favorite local hangouts!"
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Jonathan customized his vintage Mickey sweatshirt---a gift from a friend---by replacing the old, stained gray trim at the neck, and increasing the length. He pairs the quirky top with a demure Comme des Garons trench, Topman jeans and thrift-store shades that he picked up "maybe somwhere in Soho" when he first moved to New York.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"It's a little frightening, but I always get compliments on the eye ring," confides Jonathan of his Topshop jewel. His other baubles are from Buffalo Exchange and Beacon's Closet, or were gifts from friends.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Jonathan had his sneakers customized at East Village Shoe Repair (1 St. Marks Pl between Second and Third Aves; 212-529-8339). "I really wanted a hybrid of my two favorite shoes: Adidas because they are comfortable, and platform creepers for the London street appeal."
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
The duo says the main difference in their styles is that Jonathan's is slightly more adventurous, while BPro's tends toward a more structured look.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
"These boots go with everything," says BPro of his Steve Madden footwear. "The zipper even rattles a little when I walk---that's so badass." He enhances the rock & roll aesthetic with a vintage leather jacket, printed tee from Topman, vintage Bud Berma plaid shirt and H&M khakis.
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
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Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
The stylist found his signature necklace at Buffalo Exchange in Denver, while working as a clothing buyer. "Everything about it was perfect," he remembers. "It was the right size, and the chain was long enough that I could put it over my head and it would lay right on the middle of my chest." He wears it over a Fred Perry (133 Wooster St at Prince St; 212-260-4770, fredperry.com) polo shirt.
Jonathan Love, "forever young," party promoter, singer for Jonathan and BPro (jonathanandbpro.com), and stylist; Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and BPro Elektro, "forever young," party promoter, producer, and keyboardist for Jonathan and BPro; Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Love's personal style: "Punk rock meets preppy. It's evolved so much since I've been onstage in NYC. Playing music here really makes you want to look your best."
BPro's personal style: "[It's] very structured, but with a fun edge. I love a good shoulder pad or oversized collar."
Love's inspirations: "My friends that have similar style teach me a lot. We all play with ideas so much it's hard to keep up."
BPro's inspirations: "I'm really inspired by musicians. Jared Leto is the first to come to mind, he seems to have the most personality in his style both onstage and off. He's had so many drastically different [looks] and pulled them all off really well."
Love's favorite stores: "Brooklyn Industries (locations throughout the city; visit brooklynindustries.com) and Second Time Around (locations throughout the city; visit secondtimearound.net), because I like finding things. You have to go in with an open mind and a willingness to look, otherwise it can be overwhelming. I also alter or customize most almost everything I buy."
BPro's favorite stores: "Some of my favorites are Scotch & Soda (273 Lafayette St at Prince St; 212-966-3300, scotch-soda.com), which has a relaxed, dressed-for-any-occasion approach to menswear. J.Crew Men's Shop (484 Broadway at Broome St; 212-343-1227, jcrew.com) has a great look to the store, I find styling ideas in there as well as actual pieces. I also like random thrift shops. Honestly, I will go into any resale store I see. I love finding things that are truly unique and pairing them up with whatever's happening in my closet at the time. I especially love larger stores like Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg (88 North 11th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave; 718-486-0816, beaconscloset.com) or Urban Jungle Vintage in Bushwick (118 Knickerbocker St between Flushing Ave and Thames St; urbanjunglevintage.wordpress.com). There's always something interesting you can find in a store that big, I will most certainly get lost in them for hours."
Love's signature item: "I wear my cross necklace almost every day."
BPro's signature item: "I've usually got a pair of sunglasses on, even if it's cloudy out. I just love the way the entire look translates; they take everything up a notch. It's also a great way to add more shape and dimension."
Love's favorite local designer: "Zana Bayne (zanabayne.com), although I don't own one of her pieces yet. Her [aesthetic] is a cool interpretation of San Francisco leather culture meets high fashion. Check out her pentagram harness. It changes what the idea of wearable art is."
BPro's favorite local designer: "I definitely admire Marc Jacobs for his continued success in the industry. I think it shows versatility. And I'm very drawn to his jackets and blazers."
Love's favorite New York style icon: "I love New Yorkers and their everyday style. But if I had to choose one, I would pick Stephen Sprouse."
BPro's favorite New York style icon: "I've always loved Andy Warhol's looks with the round sunglasses and either the tie-blazer combo or the leather jacket. It's the very-organized-but-with-sarcasm appeal that I'm drawn to."
How Love's style has evolved: "I went from wearing baggy jeans in the late '90s to wearing fitted pants over the last five years, and now I'm getting back into looser fits."
How BPro's style has evolved: "When I was a kid, I loved color and print. Then I went to business school and worked in the nine-to-five world. I guess I'm just a product of those two periods of my life—structured and put together but not without some fun and sarcasm."
Love's stylist: "I'm a hair stylist's nightmare because I do a lot of it on my own. I use Manic Panic (manicpanic.com) for dyeing because it comes out really easily. I get bored often, so I want my hair color to be temporary."
BPro's stylist: "For the longest time, I was growing [my hair] long, past my collarbone. Just this past summer, I decided to cut it shorter. I don't use anyone specific now, however my friend Taylor McFadden at Lotus Salon (34 North Moore St between Hudson and Varick Sts; 212-219-3539, lotussalonny.com) helped out a ton with trimming and shaping when I was growing it, as well as when I decided to chop it all off."
How Love's style is influenced by his profession: "Fashion is about having fun and expressing yourself depending on how you feel or what's going on that day. My style is a little bit more subdued at work but [has] the same shapes and pieces arranged a little bit differently. The outfit is definitely based on black but with some color pop somewhere. Everything changes from day to night, though. Especially if we're playing a show."
How BPro's style is influenced by his profession: "When it comes to producing music, I always love to add a throwback element or some sort of mash-up of two things you wouldn't expect to fit together."
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