Written by Craig Landale in Essentials on the 20th April 2020

I hope you’re all safe and sound gentlemen. With hot sunny days and no sign of April showers, it feels like summer has arrived already. Whilst in self isolation I’ve still been keeping in touch with my favourite brands and can bring you a handful of the coolest wares to drop this month. We have laptop sleeves made from truck tarpaulin, cycling helmets made from recyclable materials, and threads inspired by the 80s Californian climbing scene. So, following on from my March roundup, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite products and releases for the month of April 2020 – enjoy.

Shinola The Duck Watch 

Surf-rated at 20 ATM, the Duck is a highly capable, adventure-proof watch that looks as good out of the water as it does in it. It’s built for whatever life throws at you - whether that’s international pond-hopping or commuting across town. The Duck features a stainless-steel case with a screw-down crown, unidirectional bezel, super thick blue glow SuperLumi-Nova on the dial and hands, and the same expandable rubber strap as our popular Monster series. Best of all, the Duck is surfacing in three colourways and a gift set. Named for the surfing technique that takes dedication to perfect, Shinla designed the Duck to be the all-purpose, up-for-anything adventure watch that carries on regardless of the elements. 

shinola.com

The North Face Retro Climb Drop 2 

Welcome to the second drop of the new Retro Climb collection from The North Face. With fresh silhouettes and bright colours, the latest drop is inspired by the bold Californian climbing scene of the 80s and reimagined for the everyday. The legendary era for climbing was defined not only by the ground-breaking ascents of big walls, but the big personalities that achieved them. Convention and caution were thrown to the wind, with a new style taking center stage. The latest men’s only drop brings back that style, making new fabrics to a truly classic time of climbing culture. Standout pieces including the headpoint jacket and pink crew jumper join iconic items such as the Lhotse jacket and trail escape shoes to complete a full head to toe look. 

thenorthface.co.uk

Luca Faloni Spring Essentials 

The latest mid-season styles from Luca Faloni encompass their utmost attention to detail, from sourcing the very best fabrics through to working alongside and supporting their manufacturing partners in Italy. Now, fresh new Spring Essentials, they have an edit that adapts with ease to any distinguished wardrobe for the lighter, warmer months, unveiling key timeless garments that fit perfectly with everyday wearability and with longevity at the core. Crafted by trusted Italian artisans the fine silk-cashmere long-sleeve polo in Ice Grey or Mustard is joined by a Desert Rose pure cashmere V-neck, which can both be worn with the Camel Beige or Elephant Grey Cortina cotton chinos. With an in-built charm and non ‘try-hard’ aesthetic, the oatmeal and navy blue silk-cashmere zip-up features alongside shirting with adaptability from day to night via the Midnight Blue Portofino linen shirt as well as Payne’s Grey and Striped Versilia shirt in the same fabric. 

lucafaloni.com

Dashel Re-Cycle Helmets 

Dashel’s new Re-Cycle helmet has a distinctive urban feel and is made from recyclable materials – ensuring that they are low impact at the point of manufacture and produce very little waste at the end of life. The new Re-Cycle helmet will be ground down into new helmets at the UK factory when it is finished with. The helmet is ventilated, lightweight and super stylish. It’s available in a range of colours; choose from black, blue, sage green and red, and each helmet is sold packaged inside a handy rucksack that means there is no superfluous packaging. Dashel’s aims to be at the forefront of the circular economy by reducing waste during manufacture, designing and creating products that can be kept in use for as long as possible. 

dashel.co.uk

FREITAG Laptop Sleeves 

When you make unique items like FREITAG, you can never afford to forget diversity. Not even when it comes to laptops. They’re not only getting more and more powerful but also change in size: sometimes a little bit smaller or larger, sometimes a little slimmer, or even wider and thicker. But different as they are, they have one thing in common: they’re all fragile and need protecting. And that’s why FREITAG’s team of market observers and averages experts get together every year to work out a magic formula for their laptop sleeves. The three new sleeves offer padded lining, tough truck tarp cover and doubly secured Velcro and thread flap. Each model is available in countless differently colours that have aged differently and are even more distinctive thanks to their multicolour designs. 

freitag.ch

Universal Works x Sebago Collection 

Sebago with Universal Works are back with a new capsule collection for spring/summer 2020: three boating shoes inspired by traditional American designs combining artisanship, a contemporary feel, creative simplicity and comfort. After revisiting the Campsides label with new models presented last year, British brand Universal Works and Sebago are now focusing on the Docksides label, creating Portland boat shoes in three different colour schemes – straw yellow, grey/white and brown – by matching different textures and shades of the same coloured hides to create a ‘beautiful mistake'. Made in suede leather, these shoes feature removable fringes at the base of the tongue and thick visible stitching. 

universalworks.co.uk

Maurice Lacroix Limited Edition AIKON Quartz Chronograph 

Maurice Lacroix has created a new AIKON model, limited to just 500 pieces, which is perfectly in tune with an active lifestyle. This overtly sporty chronograph has a black sun brushed dial incorporating three snailed counters. It delivers chronometric precision, courtesy of its quartz movement, and features a cutting carbon-effect leather strap. The watch is ideally suited for those competitive individuals who like to lead from the front. Housed in a stainless steel black PVD case, measuring 44mm in diameter, it exhibits a stealthy appearance and an overtly sporty character. 

mauricelacroix.com

We feature The North Face Retro Climb Drop 2, Luca Faloni Spring Essentials, and FREITAG Laptop Sleeves in this guide to April 2020’s Coolest Stuff.