The Good Life.(Barker Black)

Byline: Michael Hastings (Lauren Mack Hallee Berg Mark Starr)

Fashion: Formal But Funky

By Michael Hastings

Tucked away in a small shop in SoHo, Derrick Miller calmly explains a pair of $4,880 shoes. "These are our Lancer side lace, in chocolate brown crocodile leather," says the 33-year-old creative director of Barker Black Ltd. The detailing on each shoe is exquisite, from the vicious checkered leather, to the unique diagonal lacing, to its leather sole, where the company's

trademark skull-and-bones with a crown is imprinted with 139 tacks. The "chocolate crocs" are the most expensive shoes in Barker Black's luxury men's line--pairs start at $675--but they best represent the brand's style: "sophisticated, with a touch of subversiveness," as Miller puts it.

The company is at the forefront of a new trend in men's fashion--making formal style hip again, from slimmer suits to sportier dress shoes. Barker Black launched last year in New York, aimed at the man who is tired of the classic Brooks Brothers look but too tough for Prada. The label recently became available in Dubai and Tokyo, and will make its exclusive London debut at Harrods in May. "We're taking dresswear, once an uncomfortable necessity, and making it something guys want to wear," says Miller.

The ties, handmade in Italy from English silk, include a pink herringbone pattern with skulls in green spades (inspired by Miller's first skateboard) and a single-color piece with a bloody dagger at the tip ("You can't see it when your jacket is closed," says Miller). They are slightly narrower than standard ties, and run from $95 to $135. As for shoes, the most popular model is the two-tone Spectator ($775; barkerbrown.com ). But if the shoes on the rack don't jump out at you, try the made-to-order service, where you pick from more than 30 leathers and colors--then wait 16 weeks.