Tools of the tade... Duffy Jewellery

"As a kid I was obsessed with comics and wanted to be an illustrator but then I spent ten years working with an antiques dealer and it changed my outlook. Whilst working in restoration and being around such precious objects, I was inspired," explains jewellery designer Duffy as he sits in the heart of his workshop in East London. Surrounded by the tools of his trade and with drawings scattered across the bench, his passion for the craftsmanship of fine jewellery is infectious. "I think I've always been drawn to the idea of someone having a skill to produce something, a craft. Today as modern technology plays such a huge part in so many things, I really like the idea that their are still a handful of people who can make something from start to finish with their own hands and it is wholly their's."

In a culture of mass production, Duffy Jewellery stands apart. Working with locally sourced materials, each handmade design evolves from doodle to finished treasure all in his Sunbury Worskshop unit. Unsurprisingly, his work bench is littered with all manner of tools. From the specialist to the customised, Duffy talks us through a few of his most used and much loved pieces of kit...

A close look at Duffy's workbench

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Spirit Lamp

"This Spirit lamp has a wick that burns using traditionally meths but I use clear lamp oil as it provides a better flame for melting wax and meeting wax carving tools."

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Three wax carving tools

"Each wax carving tool has been customised to create a more comfortable grip and shape of implement. One is an old dentist tool that has a new life dedicated to wax."

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Piercing Saw 

"This is used for cutting metal in various ways. As its name suggests it can pierce shapes. The blades can be changed and various size of blade used for different levels of intricacy."

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Rawhide Mallet

"The hammer head itself made from a strip of hide that has then been allowed to dry and harden but remains with enough give so as not to dent the metal when forming it."

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Victorian ring sizer 

"This must be the oldest and most sentimental tool in the collection as it was used by my great grandfather. A number of the rings are long lost and I don't tend to use it all that much but it's a beautiful object."

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Mandrel and Ring Size

"The mandrel is used for forming metal around (most commonly with the rawhide mallet) and the ring sizer is to check the size of a ring either whilst forming the metal or to check an existing rings measurement."

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Bench Peg  

"It might not look like a tool because it is part of the jewellery bench but the peg itself is where most work takes place. It allows the jeweller to hold material or jewellery securely whilst filing and sawing can take place. They take on differing shapes over the years as they are worn and filed and drilled on and usually the way in which a jeweller works will effect how it wares down." Duffy.

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Treasured Items... Brandon Acton-Bond

As I currently find myself casually covering New York Fashion Week I couldn't resist stepping off the fashion conveyor belt in search of a change of pace. I found friend of the blog and adopted New Yorker Brandon Acton-Bond and asked him to take part in our 'Treasured Items' series. Thankfully he agreed.

Now, as we lurked in the sartorial shadows last year we revealed that Brandon is a man who knows how to use colour and play with textures to make truly wonderful, multi faceted, layered outfits. He is someone who knows how to balance vintage, high street and a mix of labels (although, he is a self confessed Issey and Comme addict) in such a way that the admiring observer has absolutely no idea where he shops. Unsurprisingly, his cherished show and tell demonstrates all of these facets...

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Brandon Acton-Bond and the everyday cuffs

"I wear these two cuffs everyday. To me jewellery is the hardware of style and as such it should, for me at least, be as symbolic and meaningful as a tattoo. It also represents more long term thoughts and ideas on the way I see life. It has to stand the test of time and take the hard knocks and so do the ideas.

The silver Navajo cuff was given to me by my best friend Amber Doe. It's a shame that in NYC it's tough to see the people you love on a regular basis so this keeps us together. We share almost the same birthday (23rd and 24th march) and two years ago we exchanged cuffs which we have both worn everyday since. I guess it's a glorified friendship bracelet but it means so much to me.

The lapis cuff is from Afghanistan and was made in the 80s. Whenever I start a new job I always reward myself by purchasing something I've wanted for a long time. I had seen it in a random Asian Tchotchke shop in my neighbourhood for a few months but couldn't bring myself to, as they say, "treat yo self". It stands for my commitment to keep learning everyday and to always be inquisitive. I was always the kid in class who asked too many questions and I realise how important it is to keep on asking questions. I just love the size of the stone and the crappy white metal has this texture that just gets better with tarnishing.

I like to wear a bandanna or silk scarf underneath them for comfort and contrast. It seems to frame the two cuffs in such a lovely way. My right wrist is a simple cross section of how I try to dress as a whole. Every piece I buy means something to me. Here in New York, whilst we are limited economically to what we can buy, space is even more a constraint. I decided that as my rolling rack takes up half my room I wanted it to be full of old friends. As with all closets it's a constant work in progress but if I believe dressing is an art form, and these are the tools in our paintbox, then they should be a well curated and useful selection." Brandon Acton-Bond

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Treasured Items... John Holt

As soon as I picked up the first issue John Holt's Law magazine (on the recommendation of Goodhood's very own Kyle Stewart) I knew that I had discovered a title with a refreshing point of view. For its editor Holt, style is everywhere - all you have to do is keep your eyes open. Law is a bi-annual magazine that revels in revealing what others miss and serves to document the ups and downs of the beautiful everyday. Unsurprisingly his 'Treasured Items' pick demonstrates that treasure can be found anywhere. From a market stall bargain, Holt has added his own personality in a similar fashion to how he has approached the print world. Here the editor shares its story...

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John Holt and his lucky charms...

"It’s my pride and joy, always close to my heart. I got the gold chain for £10 from a stall on the old Open Market in Brighton. I didn’t know how much it was worth at the time and fortunately neither did the man who was manning the stand for his wife. I was studying fashion and was therefore skint and used to spending a couple of quid on makeshift chains out of the glass cabinets in charity shops. They never lasted long and I missed the feeling of something round my neck, as those who wear a chain or a watch or a ring will know, you get used to each other. After much deliberation we did the deal and I’m pleased to say we did. Since then I’ve taken it to one of those ‘WE BUY GOLD’ kiosks and lets just say I don’t think he would have been too popular with the wife that night. All I know is it hasn’t turned to silver like the others.

My mum gave me the horseshoe that her best friend gave to her for a 21st birthday present. Some people say you shouldn’t turn horseshoes upside down because you will lose all your luck, I say it showers me with every step. The crown is from Edinburgh castle, which my pal and I visited whilst on a trip round the coast of Scotland in his Transit. I can’t speak highly enough of that country, the locals and the scenery. I guess you could also say the crown is a symbol of my love for our queen, she’s inside the back page of the magazine. I thought if she’s ever going to be in an issue then in this diamond jubilee it must be. The shell is a fossilised unicorns horn, which I found on a beach in Wales and from the acorn a mighty magazine, will grow.

Two times too many I’ve come close to losing this chain and its charms. Once after a scuffle in town and twice climbing up the old Astoria in Brighton to paste up LAW posters at night. On both occasions I’ve managed to get it back but getting away with it by the skin of my teeth like that has led me to think about stopping wearing it, because I can’t bear to go through the heart sinking feeling of losing it again. Perhaps that is the mark of a truly treasured item, too rare to find another too treasured to wear." John Holt

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Wallpaper* Handmade... Sebastian Tarek

From the promising talent of Tariq Mahmoud explored below we turn our attentions to one of his teachers, Sebastian Tarek. Ever since we encountered the bespoke shoemaker's beautiful, bespoke and handmade men’s shoes in the eclectic surroundings of the NEWGEN MEN and Fashion East Installations AW11 we have kept a captivated eye on the craftsmen. Given his own excitement by the challenge of fusing his traditional skills as a maker of a timeless artisanal product with a more contemporary and relevant aesthetic, it should come as little surprise that he RCA MA tutor was so enamoured with the work of Mahmoud. Tarek has worked on the MA course for some time now and admits that "at times I get jealous of watching the students create in complete freedom, designing when only the sky is the limit." Thankfully for us, Tarek has recently been given such an opportunity through Wallpaper* Handmade. The release of the Handmade Issue signals the culmination of the the design and style publication's annual celebration of creative talent and the story can now be told. 

Each year the project starts with ideas being thrown at master craftsmen, innovative manufacturers and free to dream designers. creative connections are made, problems are solved and wishes fulfilled. Editor in Chief of Wallpaper explains, "Handmade is a testimony to great design, talent and ideas, and the determination to achieve the extraordinary. We are once again celebrating beautiful new friendships and beautiful new things." It is a celebration of new friendships and beautiful new things. 

The Handmade logo that inspired key elements of both of Tarek's shoes, the Handmade issue and a quick look at Tarek's contribution alongside the Stash bag.

Alongside Lernert and Sander putting Brioni on film, Aldo Bakker laying some skin on the ‘Valet’ chair and Paul Cocksedge making a marble bookmark, Sebastian Tarek was invited to contribute stunningly crafted shoes. An extension of his bespoke shoemaking business and approach to design, the project allowed Tarek to push both himself and his peers to create something wonderfully unique. We caught up with the craftsmen at his East London workshop to learn more about the project and to take a closer look at the result of the collaboration...

"The handmade project for someone like me is just gold dust, an incredible platform and the very idea of it being commissioned fits well with what I do as a bespoke shoemaker. I've never considered myself as someone who designs but rather I make items to people's request. Wallpaper originally asked me what I'd like to do and I went away and thought hard about it. I gave them a few ideas and the most suitable was collaborating with two people that I know personally, have worked with previously and whose work I think fit very much within the same ethos and same position, they are peers. Duffy and Claire Barrett are both London based and work within beautifully British styles and techniques."

The two designs.

By recruiting two likeminded craftsmen who marry traditional skills with contemporary design, the results are quite breathtaking. Using the handmade logo (shown above), embroidery designer extraordinaire Claire Barrett applied it to a neat creeper lace up whilst one of Tarek's good friends and master jeweller Duffy embossed it on a buckle to help create a truly special monkstrap.

The first person I worked with was Claire Barrett who runs a company called Hathawne & Heaney and has worked for a number of designers in the past and previously she was creative director of Hand & Lock who are the embroidery firm who deal with most of Savile Row's requirements. Amazing stuff. She spoke to me a while ago about working together and the Handmade project was just the ideal opportunity to do so. I got in touch, explained the project and she mentioned that she'd love to do something with blacked out gold work, the embroidery style that are more common on large military pieces. To tie it in with Wallpaper specifically we experimented with elements of the Handmade logo, deconstruct it and take portions from it. When it came back I was blown away."

"For the overall construction, I had this idea bouncing in my head for some time to make an entirely handmade creeper. I've never been hugely trend led or derivative but you do see brothel creepers everywhere and it is very much one of those shoes that is comes from the post-industrialisation age. They've never been a handmade object, benchmade to a degree but they came in to existence when manufacturing came in to place. I liked the idea of trying to make it a handmade object. It is entirely made out of leather and essentially a welted shoe  with a cork footbent which is wrapped and fixed to the welt with leather and then channelled horizontally to make the ridges."

Have you encountered a finer creeper? Barrett's delicate embroidery work and Tarek's masterful construction embody the real spirit of Wallpaper* Handmade.

The creative coming together with Claire Barrett was a first for Tarek but he has worked with his other collaborator, Duffy, previously. The result is just as special though. Thanks to Duffy's fine metal work and Tarek's touch with leather, the pair have helped reimagine the monkstrap...

"In many ways the idea evolved from an initial conversation with one of my regular collaborators, Duffy. I'm not a massive fan of the monk shoe, it is neither a real classic yet still feels a little stuffy and odd. We wanted to make it feel more contemporary and modern. I know for a fact that there are only about three buckles in circulation across British footwear manufacturing that are used for monk shoes, just another indicator of the demise of the industry. I just couldn't use one of them. Given the relative simplicity of the shoe itself we wanted to make it really decorative. Duffy took the banding that goes around the logo and reimagined the cross hatching on the buckle, there's a sense of movement throughout which I love."

The fruits of Tarek's collaboration with Duffy.

Examining the fruits of the collaborations and listening to Sebastian Tarek talk about the Wallpaper* Handmade project in general it is easy to see that the shoemaker enjoyed the creative freedom and working with like minded specialist craftsmen. Each were given the freedom to really express themselves. The resulting cocktail of traditional skills and true innovation ultimately delivers objects of great beauty. I'll leave you with Ignore This Film's documentation of Tarek making the shoes...

The Bunney and Derek Ridgers hop in to DSM

As I rode the design wave of the final Menswear Day back in February, crashing from show to installation to presentation, a rare moment of considered calm was found and cherished at Bunney's installation. As ever, each carefully crafted object celebrates the personal and the special but alongside his cabinet of treasures, Bunney presented a selection of works by Derek Ridgers and a newspaper that celebrated the photographer's iconic work. Seeing them side by side, the synergy between the London based jewellery brand and photographers work was obvious. Building on the success of the paper and installation, the presentation continues with the unveiling of an exhibition in the basement of Dover Street Market. 

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Ridgers' work, from the mid seventies through to the late eighties, Ridgers captured some of the most significant movements in British youth culture history by aiming his lens at often nameless, always authentic individuals who made up those scenes. As As Jason Jules noted in the introduction to his utterly absorbing conversation with the London based photographer in the first Bunney paper, "through his body of work, Ridgers captures the potential of expression through style, the potential of individuals to communicate powerful statements using the body - clothes, hair, tattoos, as the medium. It's a language that goes beyond fashion and beyond trend." It is the same language that Bunney himself speaks fluently. As the man himself noted about his own line, "With my work I want to create products that are precious, sometimes things that aren't typically seen that way but pieces that can always endure. While I design with a use in mind, I would love to see people interpret or wear in ways that I have never thought of. UK style has often been about reappropriation, and I think what males people find that so exciting is that the wearer really dictates how something can be worn."

Produced by Rupert Smyth Studio the exhibition features limited edition prints of selected work by Derek Ridgers alongside a few of the newest additions to the treasure chest of Bunney's jewels and the odd special item. They don't come much more special creative coming together between Bunney and Lewis Leathers. The craftsmen of both brands have reimagined the iconic Dominator Jacket in sheepskin, tweaked details including the lightning zip and added specially hallmarked studs. Stunning.

The exhibition runs until 21st June and greets you the moment that you make it down in to DSM's basement but if, for whatever reason, you can't see in person then take my hand and lets go on a pictorial whiz around the space... 

From the selected work of Ridgers to the exclusive jewels by Bunney and that special jacket, nothing is out of place.

Treasured Items... Raimund Berthold

Raimund Berthold's philosophy is simple; to design interesting, well made and inspirational clothing for everyday wear. With collections characterised by a utilitarian sense of colour and a silhouette that is free from defined shape in nylon, neoprene and synthetic fabrics cut against natural wool and cotton, Berthold is confident, sophisticated and refined. His are bold clothes, crafted for men led by inventive design and fit – not by the whims and fancies of fashion. Few designers are so considered. Safe in this knowledge, we were keen to ask the design talent to reveal his most cherished of possessions. Here, the Austrian born Central Saint Martins alumnus tells the tale of two very different items...

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Raimund Berthold and the airport security puzzling bracelet

"This bracelet is by artist and illusionist Marijke de Goey. I first discovered her work at a selling exhibition at Sotheby's a few years ago. I saw a wall that she had transformed with her cubic pieces and I was just drawn to the beauty of it. A couple of weeks later I saw an article about her in The Sunday Times which was accompanied by a picture. I just felt that she was fascinating. Time passed and I had almost forgotten all about it but then at another event I encountered more of her installations and instantly recognised her sitting at a piano, singing along and almost pushing the pianist off of the stool. Completely crazy but so intriguing. I went up to her. Introduced myself and told her how fantastic I thought she was and that I would love to own some of her work. I gave her my card before leaving the party but I didn't think she would even remember the meeting. The next morning which happened to be a Sunday, the phone rang at 9am and it was her. We met and then she created a small piece for our flat. We became friends and on my wedding day she made this stainless steel bracelet. 

I just love it and wear it often. It is my aesthetic. It's big and unusual. In fact, I almost got arrested at Heathrow Airport because the security guard just didn't believe that it was a bracelet. It took some persuading but I had to fight for it."
Raimund Berthold

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...and the memory triggering pac-a-mac

"Shortly after graduating, I packed my bags and flew over to New York for my first design position. It was quite emotional experience. I was tired from the flight but my new employers picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to the studio. I met the team and the creative director said to me, "Right, we have a special project for you because we think you have a mind that will be suited to the task… we would like you to make a pac-a-mac. We want you to design a coat that goes in to a bag but nothing like you have ever seen before, it needs to be completely new." At first I thought he was kidding but I agreed. I went to the hotel, couldn't sleep despite being exhausted and keen to impress, I started sketching. From that point on, I spent two months working on pac-a-macs. That was my introduction to New York. When I moved back to London about two years later, I thought it would be nice to start my own line with what I started my design career with. This series then evolved in to the collaboration I did with b Store. This was the very first jacket I created for them and the very first item I worked on for my own label. An oversized kimono sleeved raincoat that transforms in to a backpack. Now, I don't wear this one that much but it has huge sentimental value. It reminds me of New York and how Berthold began."

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Details... Familiar Tokyo

In many of the sporadic moments that find me away from partaking in bashing my bank balance or stuffing my face, I've been indulging in street style scouting (mainly as a trusty sidekick to Mr Street Peeper). From well over a thousand yards on a bustling street in Harajuku I spotted a guy awash in print and colour colour, sporting a familiar sight in Agi&Sam's smiley trousers from AW11. It was a delight to see an emerging London designer being worn almost six thousand miles away from home. We couldn't really understand one another but we nodded in agreement at our shared love.