Treasured Items... Hugo Lavin

As Susie dozed in the reclined seat adjacent to me, Varón Magazine was my ever alert and engaging companion for the duration of my flight to Los Angeles. As the rest of the cabin daydreamed of Hollywood, I was engrossed in the monochrome mastery contained within volume six of the handsome title. Simply meaning male in Spanish and only seen through a filter of grayscale, Varón is a complex publication. With editorials that strive for a certain timeless and effortless aesthetic alongside text that encourages the reader to think. With Daniel Whitmore's cover gaze provoking intrigue on the shelves, we asked Varón Magazine's Fashion Director Hugo Lavin to share the tale of his most cherished wardrobe item. Here, the Spanish born, London based fashion spins the yarns behind his favourite sweater. It might not (thankfully, see below) have won him a party prize but it's nevertheless a worthy wool winner...

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Hugo Lavin and the unknown sailor sweater

"I stumbled across this sailor sweater at a charity shop as I searched for a potential prize winning entry for a party themed as 'The ugliest sweater party'. When I saw it it seemed to whisper my name. I instantly fell for its charms and couldn't resist it for three pounds. Obviously I didn't win the ugliest sweater award, as it was the best one on show.

It doesn't have any identifiable branding. It's made of very thick wool and reminds me the of the city where I come from: Santander. Sailor men arrive every morning to the port with this chunky sweatesr and their rain-coat. As a child I developed an obsession with the sea. Also, it reminds me that my adopted city of London and the North of Spain are very similar, so I feel at home.

The sweater itself is quite small but I love this kind of feeling that a garment it's getting small because you're growing up (back in the days to my childhood). This tiny, deep blue sailor wool sweater has probably been alive for a long time but will be continue with its new life with me for many years to come. Here's to a long life for the unknown sailor sweater." Hugo Lavin

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Treasured items... Dan Thawley

Whilst so many publications concern themselves with fleeting scenes from the conveyor belt of fashion,  A Magazine Curated By pauses before prospecting a creative's personality, propelling their whims and fancies. It is a course of clear, cultivated curation. Each issue is a collaboration between its editor and a talent that we long to hear from. The debut issue was curated by that intriguing enigma Martin Margiela back in 2004, the latest by Stephen Jones and we've explored the mind's of Yohji Yamamoto, Haider Ackermann, Kris Van Assche and the Mulleavy sisters to name just an inspiring handful. When you open its pages, time stops and explorations begins. As each is full of moments to treasure we couldn't resist asking its editor Dan Thawley to reveal his own cherished item in a spot of show and tell. Here, the currently Paris based Australian nomad averts his gaze from scanning all manner of cultural realm, focuses on his wrist watch and narrates its tale.

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Dan Thawley and the ticking memory

"It's my pa's Omega Seamaster Quartz watch. He'd wear it sitting listening to the radio in his den, sipping a beer with his two dogs at his feet. He died before I was 10 years old, and I was given it just after the funeral with an engraving on the underside dedicated to me. Wearing a watch can seem a little superfluous in today's digital society - but I try to wear it a few times a week - particularly at night. It's a very slim, sleek watch and I like the size of the band - it falls down the wrist just enough. I think it's the most masculine jewellery one can wear." Dan Thawley

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Reading... Buttoned-Up

Fantastic Man's Buttoned-Up book... 

inside a shirt by Patrik Ervell and t-shirt by Christopher Shannon.

"The simple act of fastening a shirt's highest button and the plainness of the look it creates belies a variety of intricate and complex intentions," Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom declare in unison to begin Fantastic Man's exploration of the buttoned-up shirt. To mark one hundred and fifty years of the London Underground, Penguin have released twelve books to celebrate each line and our favourite men's fashion biannual trundles along the East London Line and notices that few shirt buttons are left undone. Encompassing music, street style, fashion, portraits, an examination of an examination of collar shapes and archive images, the reader is taken on an enthralling expedition. 

Having enjoyed the journey from Paul Flynn's schoolboy rebellion to admiring Jop van Bennekom's close ups of construction, eavesdropping on Gert Jonker's conversation with Neil Tennant to stalking the style of today's East London boys, it is Alexander Fury's essay that has left the lasting impression. In his entry, Alexander Fury asks and duly answers an interesting question. "So how much significance can we ascribe to the buttoning and unbuttoning of a collar? In fashion circles, it's the equivalent to a tectonic shift: it may seem small, but it often ricochets off the Richter scale." It certainly is. The tinkering of button undoing by Tom Ford at Gucci has long been felt whilst the precision of the lean precision of Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme still reverberates today. From Ford's sexualisation to Prada's seedier experiments and Simons' continued exertion of youthful control to Ossendrijver's blurring of formal and casual, the effects of button fastening ripple long after the shirt has been tossed in to the laundry basket. 

A visual statement. A revelment of sartorial (dis)comfort. An act of social rebellion. A historical mark. A celebration of a subculture. A mark of territory. Over its one hundred and twelve pages, the paperback demonstrates that just how the seemingly simple act of button fastening has all manner of repercussions. Ultimately it is a celebration of a detail, a quirk of individual and collective style. Are you buttoned-up? What does your shirt styling say about you?

Weekend Reading... Fourth & Main Issue 2

At the start of the year we were introduced to the creative world of Fourth & Main. The brainchild of Nikhil Adwalpalkar and James Wright, the brand entered the market as a capsule menswear collection and a bi-annual arts and culture publication. The debut issue of its Journal read alongside the considered collection of wardrobe staples was a fine introduction. Now, as the brand settles into its Newburgh Street home, we are treated to the second issue and an AW12 collection that extends their philosophy of fine tailoring with a contemporary twist. 

Sanguinely sidestepping sophomore album syndrome, the creative team closely followed the common thread that bound together their featured artists and their subjects. With a cupped hand held behind the collective ear, they have sought out a spectrum of creatives who march to the beat of their own drum. Whether actors, artists, directors, musicians or writers, the second issue is a celebration of those who tell the stories that are largely untold and help turn our imagination on to a world we crave to know. We hear from Ben Whishaw - one of the most sensitive and gifted artists of his generation, look closely at the work of director Steve James, marvel at Turkish Photographer Pinar Yolacan's latest series and get a little closer to the enigmatic talent of Money...

A few pages that caught my eye.

Picking up where the debut issue left us, issue two of Fourth & Main's Journal is a considered curation of the voices that should be heard, ideas that should be explored and tales that are all too easy to get lost it.

Reading... encens

Encens is a publication to get utterly lost in. More object than book, each well crafted issue collates and articulates convincing, fruitful points of view that transcend time or trend. It is an exploration of its two editors and publishers, Samuel Drira and Sybille Walter, aesthetics and something of a manifesto against disposable fashion. Stylist Drira and photographer Walter share a passion for the drape and fall of clothing, a subtle tailoring and a softness of finish and form. Throughout this weighty hardback, there is an incessant delivery of their vision as opposed to a summation of the trends or season based investigations that we have come to expect from style magazines. Neither Dirra nor Walter are obsessed with clothes of the moment. For them, the best fashion has three common denominators - simplicity and style but also a sense of timelessness, the capacity to either be or become a classic. Effortlessly moving back and forth between the present and the past, encens moulds an enchanting world that has its reader desperate to discover. Issue twenty nine focusses on a topic ever close to our thoughts, a personal uniform.


I have always been fascinated by the idea of uniform. No, I'm not admitting to a long held fetish for the attire worn by french maids, schoolgirl or even nurses but rather an interest in what individuals regularly turn to for comfort and confidence, the sartorial habits of the everyday. The latest issue of encens shares this interest and examines it closely. With content from the likes of Dior by Hedi Slimane, Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, Damir Doma, Issey Miyake, Chanel from Coco to Karl, Michel Schreiber and so many more, it is an absorbing delight. I've been lost in it all morning. Despite the temptation to share every single page with you, I've decided to pick out a few highlights. Let the images inspire...

I'll leave you with how this issue compelling issue began, an exchange between Mary McFadden and Calvin Klein from 1978. Here the pair discuss the merits and problems of uniform. The simplicity and ease of them versus the potential loss of individuality and enjoyment of dressing...

'Mary McFadden: What about the uniform? I think it's the easiest thing in the world to put on, atleast every four weeks, the same thing to feel comfortable in and to have no decisions to make every morning. You do that Calvin, I do it,  My Grandfather had one hundred grey suits and one hundred of the same tie and never made a decision. I mean, I think it's a fascinating other way of looking at dressing; you're comfortable and you don't think about it. I wear more or less the same dress every day. I have absolutely no problem.

Calvin Klein: I think comfort is really important - because everyone is so busy doing things, working or moving or accomplishing something that comfort related in fashion to all of that. But I don't know about uniforms. That word scares me. That sounds like computers and numbers. I don't have the time for either; but I still have a sense of myself; and I don't like things packaged for me. I don't want to call a store and say send me a room of furniture. And I don't want to ear the same clothes that everyone else wears because I just need something on my back. I still have a sense of individuality.'

Weekend Reading: Fantastic Man and the gentlewoman

I woke up in a delicate state this morning and before I could wipe the sleep from my eyes I was greeted with a percussion of throbbing head and gentle tap of rain against the window. Ignoring the desire to pull the duvet over my head, I quickly reached out for the latest issues of Fantastic Man and the gentlewoman. Sandwiched between the contents of the Oliver Sim and Angela Lansbury covered publications, my weary brain soon felt invigorated. A ménage à trois for the mind (possibly nightmares if you really think about it).

The sixteenth issue of Fantastic Man (where does the time go?) is a delightfully substantial one weighing in at two hundred and ninety four pages. Initial flick through highlights include Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Holly Johnson embarking on a fashion odyssey, a beautiful instructional manual for the noble pursuit of ironing and Jonathan Saunders working up a sweat. As always it is difficult to put down but with the adored legend of stage and screen that is Angela Lansbury cheekily smiling on the cover of its sister publication, I had to. Lansbury leads a cast of some of the most remarkable and captivating women who are all profiled in this edition of the gentlewoman. From intrepid shopkeeper Leila McAlister to incomparable artist Tauba Auerbach, retail powerhouse Alannah Weston to the xx’s charming Romy Madley Croft, it is a treat to discover. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to bed.

Reading... B-Mag and Port

I'm in a fog as I write this. To be honest, I've been wandering a little dazed and confused ever since I landed back from my Far East jaunt and fear that this state of flux won't lift in time for my flight to New York tomorrow. This morning as I struggled to transcribe an interview I gave up, sleep walked my way to the local coffee shop and returned with both hands full and my focus set on the more leisurely goal of feasting on the latest issues of two of my favourite publications; B-Mag and Port. With a hearty dose of caffeine to push start my tired mind followed by a quick one two of thought provoking features and pulse racing editorials, I'll surely be back to my old self in no time.    

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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Magazines in the spotlight... LAW

Regular readers will know that I'm always on the hunt for challenging, exciting and inspiring publications. As incessant whispers of 'print is dying' echo around the libraries and bookstores of our minds, there are countless examples that should be cherished and flaunted in the faces of the prophets of doom. John Holt's LAW is one example. As soon as I picked up the first issue at Goodhood (on the recommendation of the store'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 look. This limited edition bi-annual magazine revels in revealing what others miss as it serves to document the ups and downs of the beautiful everyday. In its accomplished debut, it paused to shine the spotlight on a patchwork of everyday eye catchers including passionate shop owners, matchmakers, tailors, brand devotees, dilapidated funparks and cursed football kits. Weighing in at just fifty three pages it managed to navigate my past and present with skill. My head was not the only one turned by its charms. The issue ended up being stocked in an enviable assortment of stores from Brighton to London and then on to Paris and Hong Kong. Building on this success the title returns with a pulse quickening sophomore issue.

"The magazine will always tell the adventure of the search to describe what LAW looks like," explains Holt in its Introduction. "Perhaps we may never find the perfect image but in this issue I believe we have sailed very close." Holt and his team revel in uncovering forgotten objects, styles and individuals that are overlooked and documenting how they hold a certain special something. In their second issue they bounce from British nightlife, shopkeepers, Fifa, forgotten flags, Happy Shopper Hair Gel and a Suede Head. For me, LAW is a window to the world of the past, the current and undercurrent. It is a cross section of people, places and objects that may first appear disparate but combine to form one aesthetic. The bi-annual shines the spotlight on facets of Britain and localised symbols that would ordinarily not be known outside of these shores. Lets press our noses to the glass of this issue and see... 

John Holt meets photographer Stuart Griffiths and talks about his time in Madchester, Northern Ireland and Brighton.

A collection of our misspent youth. Fifa 1995-12. How many of you have played them all?

A visit to Edgware Road's R. Aguis Scooters

An editorial with the twelve year old (Arsenal fan) cover star, Fred Grant wearing Brutus Trimfit, Christopher Shannon and Sadie Williams.

Jake in a patchwork bomber by Christopher Shannon.

Sparkling jumper by Sadie Williams.

My favourite feature. Jack Cassidy meets property developer David Rosen and discuss the Suedehead look and share a few pieces from his archive. From Dr. Martens to classic Bass Weejun loafers, the look became softer over time.

Beauty in the everyday right through to the back page. LAW's pebble dash print of the debut issue is replaced with a confetti bush.
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"Our vow to you is to make this and every issue as beautiful and thought provoking as possible," Holt declares in the issue. It is and it does. It is its ability to archive real characters and document a cacophony of British traces as they shift, evolve and disappear from our surroundings which makes this title special. For me, LAW is destined to be treasured on book shelves.

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...

Weekend Reading... Port

From the moment Port first hit the shelves with its debut issue back in March of last year, the self-styled "intelligent magazine for men" has filled a long neglected gap in the somewhat confused, unoriginal and uninspiring market. It has since blossomed in to the publication that I long to read each quarter. The sixth issue is a feast for the the eyes, mind, wardrobe and belly. It is not surprising to hear (one of) its accomplished creative director Matt Willey describe it as "the best issue of any magazine I've ever been involved in." Guest edited by Fergus Henderson (founder of the St. John restaurants in London and great exponent of the nose to tail eating philosophy), the issue is a mouth watering banquet of delights. The table almost buckles under the editorial weight of the generous servings. With contributions from Mario Batali and Bloomfield, the beauty found beneath the waves thanks to stunning photography by Giles Revell, Nigella Lawson shot by Juergen Teller, David Chang on fermentation and a light lunch of sartorial table ware thanks to styling by David St. John-James. As my Dad always says when we're sat around the table, 'eat up!"