John Smedley's Tailoring

Towards the end of last week I visited John Smedley's newly designed flagship store on Brook Street and I'm so pleased that I did because I found out some pleasing news. The still family owned brand have added another dimension to the labels fine knitwear offering by launching their first tailored menswear collection. I was able to inspect each piece and the collection has a luxurious, yet robust texture making it perfect for the dark, cold months ahead. Having just returned from the Kent coast, I think those days will come around sooner rather later because that cold North wind left my teeth chattering! Ever since I visited their base deep in the Derbyshire Dales I've not looked at their knitwear in the same way. This brand may have been churning out quality knitwear for two hundred and twenty five years, but it has lost none of its passion, sense of craft and desire to innovate.

The tailored capsule collection features shirting, waistcoats and trousers all designed to enhance the colours and textures of their much loved knitwear pieces. Traditional work-a-day trousers and fitted waistcoats made from fine English cloths are as hard wearing as they are stylish and give this collection its foundation. Manufactured in the West Midlands, and produced by tailors known for their bespoke pieces, the new tailored collection of classic trouser, brace trouser and a style with Long John features are as expected with this brand, of course individually hand finished. The shirts benefit from a four piece yoke used to provide a superior fit and updated with rounded cleric collars designed to sit perfectly with John Smedley knitwear. Every detail of this capsule line is extremely well thought out and sits seamlessly together. I have an eye on both the fittedwaistcost and brace trousers as I look to integrate some workwear inspired pieces in to my every day style without appearing as if I'm in costume, I might just have to take another look at the Long John inspired trousers as well because the idea of them is very intriguing.

Countdown to the 23rd: Gordon Richardson and Tim Soar

Fashion's Big Night Out certainly whetted our appetite for London Fashion Week and we are chomping at the bit to see the menswear showcase. Our countdown to the 23rd continues with two design heavyweights who have become regular fixtures at LFW in recent years, Topman Design's very own Gordon Richardson and Tim Soar.

Tim Blanks commented that “MAN has created a whole new momentum in the London menswear scene. It's growing in profile and importance every season" and for once we agree with him. MAN was set up in a partnership between Topman and Fashion East to support exciting and up and coming menswear design talent. A few years ago there were limited opportunities for budding menswear designers but for the past eight seasons MAN has helped put menswear on the schedule and supported some great talent. A key fixture of the show is of course Topman Design. Headed up by Design Director Gordon Richardson and launched in AW05 the collection is an exclusive range of more individual, design-led pieces for the fashion conscious high street customer.

SS: What were your inspirations for the collection?
Gordon Richardson: A real mixture this time as as a team we have been inspired by quite disparate things. We are really feeling strongly for print and have been influenced by Dune and the recent Radiohead lightshow for colour and dynamics. The collection itself is a mix of the discipline and rigour of early Helmut Lang with a bit of Depeche Mode and an early punk and Buffalo aesthetic thrown in.

SS: What are you most looking forward to showing on the 23rd September?
Gordon Richardson: I guess it would have to be some of the new prints, but I've just seen a bonded raw edge leather mac that looks stunning. It is the first of the jackets to come back from our suppliers which bodes well for the other designs.

SS: Have you got any anecdotes of making the collection that you can share?
Gordon Richardson: Ours is very much a team effort but in terms of advice I'd say things like once you've established the direction of the collection allow enough space to find its soul. Anecdotes wise, a lot of what we like as a team design wise often doesn't make it into the show as its failed to turn up in time from the suppliers.

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
Gordon Richardson: I'm disappointed that men aren't taking the opportunity to be more elegantly and sartorially dressed. We somehow seem to have lost that along the way with the explosion of sport and casual wear dominating the way men dress. It is somehow more courageous and different to dress more formally. There's so much well cut clothing around particularity this autumn with the likes of coats and blazers. I'd encourage every man who has lived in jeans to build a new wardrobe around a smarter trouser or slim chino and invest in some great updated contemporary pieces to go with them. You can always offset that with something personal in the way of a tee .

SS: Aside from your own, which collections are you looking forward to seeing?
Gordon Richardson: What I'm particularly excited about is more about the whole Menswear day itself than any one particular designer. However bstore, Tim Soar, James Long and Carolyn Massey's collections should all be good and it will be exciting to see what Katie Eary produces for her inaugural MAN show.

With every Tim Soar collection you are guaranteed to be treated to well-made menswear which mixes minimalism, sportswear, tailoring and unusual fabrications. Trendland recently offered a preview of the Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The collection entitled ‘Folding Diagrams for a Spread Squash’ looks to have pushed Soar's silhouettes even further and we are looking forward to seeing it on the catwalk.

SS: What were your inspirations for the collection?
Tim Soar: I do not work by having a 'theme' for my collections. There are always somethings from previous collections that I want to evolve. I spend a lot of time thinking about silhouette and fabrics. Then I will do a lot small toiles of details. The main thing that came out of the process this season was an origami folded/angular feel to may of the pieces.

SS: What are you most looking forward to showing on the 23rd September?
Tim Soar: It being finished, having a glass of Champagne in my hand and having that beautiful brief lull before one has to start thinking about next season.

SS: Have you got any anecdotes of making the collection that you can share?
Tim Soar: So far, its been reasonably uneventful... there are still a couple of weeks to go, though.

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
Tim Soar: Anything by TIM SOAR

SS: Aside from your own, which collections are you looking forward to seeing?
Tim Soar: I am really looking forwards to seeing all the UK men's shows - mainly in photographic form unfortunately. Of course, I am competitive but that does not mean I do like seeing what everyone else is up to. We are all rivals, but friendly ones.

Fashion's big night out: Dover Street Market

I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who has enjoyed a little late night shopping tonight. I say shopping but it was more of a casual perusal than an evening of consumerism for me. More than two hundred central London stores came together in a heady mix of special offers, one-off designs, in-store activities and extended opening hours. There was just so much to choose from and there was a definite buzz and ringing of tills throughout town. I chose to spend my evening at Dover Street Market because it was celebrating its fifth anniversary and had lots of in store goodies.

The main attraction for me was to toast the launch of Casely-Hayford's Special Tailoring service.
I was fortunate enough to meet Joe for the first time and to chat with Charlie about the new service and what the pair have coming up. Of course I gushed once again about how much I love their AW09 collection but I managed to compose myself partly enough to take in the ins and outs of the latest offering. Having evolved a signature slim-fit British Silhouette, Casely-Hayford plan to apply the highest Savile Row methods through their Special Tailoring Service for their made-to-measure suits and jackets. For the newly launched Special Tailoring Service the sartorial proposal ranges from half hand-made to fully hand-made suits and includes signature house details such as the half-penny curved cuffs, shaped military sleeve with prominent sleevehead, moulded one-piece collar, high underarm point, shaped out breast welt pocket and a fully canvassed front.

The whole experience sounds like the perfect way to spend an afternoon. The customer will be presented with a sample set of gauge jackets and trousers. From these signature blocks he will be able to select a jacket or suit, finished to his preferred specifications from the options offered within the range of cloths, linings, features, and trim details. Orders will then be crafted through their specialist tailoring work rooms in Japan. I want to experience the Special Tailoring Service!

A recent shot of the Stingrays by a pond. Worn with grey socks and purple jeans, both by Uniqlo.

While chatting to the Casely-Hayford's I bumped in to Mr. Hare. It was a chance for my Stingray Orwells to meet their maker once again. I looked down hoping to see him wearing the Stingrays as well but instead he was sporting the Millers whilst looking very dapper indeed. It gave me the opportunity to recount my day of shoe love at the office today which I mentioned on twitter. I was stopped three times throughout the course of my day by people who wanted to stroke them. Of course I let them, I'm not used to being asked such a thing but I felt like a walking Aquarium afterwards... a little dirty even but in a good way. How did you all fare during fashion's big night?

Countdown to the 23rd: Massey and Dalton

After a lengthy wait, the British Fashion Council finally announced the schedule for menswear day a few weeks back and since then we have struggled to contain our excitement but have kept ourselves busy. On Wednesday 23rd September 2009, we will be treated to a showcase of twenty five designers, encompassing a diverse mix spanning emerging talent through to established names, whilst incorporating catwalk shows, presentations and installations. To mark the countdown to the big day we have caught up with as many of the designers as possible and will post our mini interviews throughout the next two weeks. First up, Carolyn Massey and Lou Dalton...

Carolyn Massey

Along with James Long, Carolyn Massey will be opening the shows at Somerset House and what better way to start they day than with two of the most talented menswear designers around. Both designers are recipients of the BFC's first NEWGEN MEN talent support scheme sponsored by TOPMAN and it is richly deserved on both counts. Steve got a chance to see elements of the collection up close in July but we can't wait to see it all come together on the catwalk.

SS: What were your inspirations for the collection?
Carolyn Massey: A friend suggested that I watch The Heroes of Telemark, a film about heavy water sabotage in WW2 starring a rather tanned Kirk Douglas. I loved the imagery of the outerwear and skiing/mountaineering and all the accessories. At the same time I went camping for a long weekend in Dungeness. I'm dyspraxic, so was really effected by the spacial oddity that is Dungeness, with its moon like shingle with random abandoned fishing huts. There are 2 lighthouses, one of them a modern one which rings out an electronic beep every few seconds. It was a bit like being in a film.

SS: What are you most looking forward to showing on the 23rd September?
Carolyn Massey: Ive done a outerwear piece that has a lot going on- it comes with a matching bag, which is detachable to the coat. Its a bit bonkers! A few buyers have mentioned it looks like modern Barbour, which is a bit of a compliment.

SS: Have you got any anecdotes of making the collection that you can share?
Carolyn Massey: The normal pains and pleasures - we have expanded the collection into accessories and seeing those come out so well has been really exciting.

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
Carolyn Massey: Good shoes. I'm sorry chaps, but you can't get away with it. As a wise man once said to me "Only a rich man can afford to buy cheap shoes"

SS: Aside from your own, which collections are you looking forward to seeing?
Carolyn Massey: The line up is looking so good for the day- I'm actually quite pleased I'm on at 10am so I can get to see everything. One of my oldest friends works with Jsen at Wintle- so it will be good to see this. Otherwise, I'll get to see a peek of James Long's collection backstage, B Store and Tim, and then Ebru and Thom with New Power Studio. I also love what Katy Eary is doing - It will be great to see this on the catwalk.

Lou Dalton, portrait by Ben Beonliel

Lou Dalton was launched in 2005 and has since steadily developed a reputation and gained recognition for it's rebellious 'English' sportswear. Lou designs for the same man every season but each collection sees him in a different scenario and we can't wait to see her salon style show in The Portlico Rooms.

SS: What were your inspirations for the collection?
Lou Dalton: Patrick O'Brian novel's, Napolionic Refrences....

SS: What are you most looking forward to showing on the 23rd September?
Lou Dalton: The beautiful prints that I have been working on with Ricardo Fumanel.

SS: Have you got any anecdotes of making the collection that you can share?
Lou Dalton: Blood, sweat & tears.....

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
Lou Dalton: A Belt, I cannot stand seeing a gent with his trousers around his ankles.......

SS: Aside from your own, which collections are you looking forward to seeing?
Lou Dalton: Katy Eary and James Long.

The Beatles close up and private

Earlier this month we were contacted by Sergei Sviatchenko who alerted us to his on-going style project, Close up and private. We love how it celebrates classic details alongside contemporary looks through a unique form of photographic documentary. The real beauty of menswear is in the details and this style project celebrates them. With this is mind Sergei has sent through his latest spread of images, an homage to the Beatles...

Fans of The Beatles will know that their back catalogue has finally been digitally remastered and is due for release today along with Beatles: The Rock Band. To celebrate this fact, Sergei sent through his pictorial homage to the band. Although we are fans of the fab four's music (who isn't?) we've never really appreciated their style. This series of images forces us to readdress this point and might make you look at the mop top and mod style a little differently. So why not sit back with your favourite Beatles' track (Steve's is Blackbird from The White Album and EJ's changes constantly but is currently 'Michelle' from the Rubber Soul album) and let the images wash over you...

From the very beginning, The Beatles recognised the importance of style and were constantly reinventing their look along with their music. Dark suits soon gave way to lighter, Edwardian style, collarless ones. When The Beatles took to the world stage in the 1960s, they sported an unusual mix of smart suits and shaggy, moptop hair. At a press conference at the Plaza Hotel in New York, shortly after the Beatles' arrival in the United States, Harrison was asked by a reporter, "What do you call your hairstyle?" He replied "Arthur." A suitable name for it, don't you think?

The band's mod suits were among the defining looks of the 1960s and have been coming back in to fashion ever since. The Beatles' in-house tailor was a Londoner called Dougie Millings, who made many of their early stage suits. Millings apparently took the idea of collarless jackets from similar suits created in 1960 by Pierre Cardin.

John Lennon's round glasses were a defining element of hippie style during the 1960s counterculture movement. Of course to contemporary eyes they have more than a hint of Harry Potter about them but these classic, simple, round wire frames never really go out of style.

This is one of our favourite shots because we are picturing an army of lust fuelled teenage girls making chase out of the shot. The 'Beatle Boots' like the ones above are a direct descendant of the Chelsea boot (from which the pointed toe and centre seam stitch was derived) and the Flamenco boot (from which the Cuban heel was derived). The boots originated in October 1961, when John and Paul saw Chelsea boots whilst browsing in Anello & Davide. The pair consequently commissioned four pairs (with the addition of Cuban heels) for the band. The 'Beatle Boot' created queues of 'Mods' outside the Drury Lane shop, and has been in popular demand ever since.

The way Close Up and Private highlights men's style in a personal way makes this a refreshing find and one which will surely provide hours of procrastination fodder.

Wearing the rainbow

Green cord shirt from Uniqlo, second hand brown leather rucksack, red embroidered scarf by Universal Works.

Back in February a sartorial ruthless whirlwind (also known as EJ) blew through my wardrobe for a spot of early Spring (wardrobe) cleaning. In addition to organising and sorting a colour inventory was taken and the results were alarming. I'm ashamed to admit to you all over again that 30% of my wardrobe was grey, 30% navy/blue, 30% brown and the final 10% was built up of only a few more additional colours. Since that shocking day I have taken it upon myself to experiment more with colour. I think we are all guilty of being drawn to a certain colour palette on the rails whilst shopping but why not take a risk or two and have a little fun with the way we dress? With this mind, over the weekend I decided to dress up in a few of my recent colourful purchases...

Green cord shirt from Uniqlo, second hand brown leather rucksack, red embroidered scarf by Universal Works, purple jeans from Uniqlo, patent shoes by Swear.

Part of me thinks I look a little special needs or at least colour blind and it has been suggested that I have channelled my inner matador or South American farmer. Whatever the outcome, you can't call the outfit dull and it certainly brought a smile to my face (although I have to concede to not smiling in the shots here) and hopefully did to a few other people I bumped into during the day. When I first sent the above shot to EJ she asked if I was wearing 'the rainbow' and I have to say this is the most colourful outfit that I've ever worn. I call this the 'Uniqlo Effect'. Walk in to any Uniqlo store and you are instantly hit with an almost overwhelming number of colour variations which confuse the mind initially but ultimately inspire. The brand's colour range has helped seduce me and many other men away from more muted tones. I recently read an article in The Independent which discussed the plain, simple and successful formula of Uniqlo. Carola Long mentioned that thanks to Uniqlo and other polychromatic emporiums such as American Apparel, male shoppers are embracing zingy and, perhaps significantly, optimistic hues such as tangerine and peppermint.

Away from the High Street there was plenty of inspiration for a colourful season ahead at the Aw09 shows. McQueen's show contained a bounty of desirable stand-alone pieces. The show had a wealth of depth, every time I look at this collection I see another highlight but I love the earthy tones featured throughout. Lanvin continued the blend of traditional lux fabrics and technological twist but it was the mix of deep red and green accessories against the well cut relaxed suits which got me excited and is something I am desperate to try in the coming months. Closer to home James Long surprised me most with his varied collection. Whilst making beige an exciting shade London's most exciting designer raised excitement levels with bursts of claret. One of the most simple yet effective colour palettes was Lou Dalton's collection. The mix of charcoal, stone, khaki and olive green referenced a quintessential country gentleman and came together wonderfully. Colour is an instant mood lifter and as the days get shorter and that bit colder I'm going to turn to a bright hue for a quick pick me up.

Wake me up when the blue bells are ringing

There has been a change in the air in London over the weekend and I fear we have seen the last of Summer. In many ways it is a nice change because the hot, sticky air has been replaced by one which is altogether more agreeable and comfortable but we all know where this leads...to months of rain, grey skies and chattering teeth. There will be a time over the course of the next few months where my initial rejoicing of the renewed ability to layer and wrap myself up in rich textures and bountiful fabrics will be replaced with a whining voice eager to see the sun again, to see Spring. Blue bells are one of the first signs of Spring that I look out for but Blue Bell's of an altogether different kind have popped up for a six week period on Lambs Conduit Street.

Blue Bell, Wrangler's premium denim brand has picked one of my favourite streets to open its first-ever retail store. For me, there is no better way to spend an hour on a Saturday afternoon than to meander down Holborn's Lambs Conduit Street armed with my camera. As Monocle mentioned in Issue 16, it is the perfect street for a stroll, some tapas and more interestingly for us, a little retail renaissance. Independent retail is key to the street's success and the delicate assortment of small fashion labels like Folk, Pokit and Oliver Spencer mixed with a tailor, a bike repair shop, booksellers and a record shop combine to make this a street to truly cherish.

The pop up store at 47 Lambs Conduit Street (astute readers might recall that Universal Works recently popped up at the same location) showcases products from AW09, the debut season for Wrangler’s relaunched Blue Bell brand. The store has been transformed for Bluebell to compliment the antiquated feel of the street. Warm woods and natural textiles have been utilised across the shop’s interior creating a welcoming environment.

Blue Bell’s American heritage has been channelled throughout the store fit with subtle references in the vintage jars, antique striped cotton and painted flags which almost provoke a chorus of 'Oh say, can you see..'. The collection itself hangs on vintage hangers on customised steel rails decorated with vintage, knotted handkerchiefs. I could easily have spent another hour or two in there taking everything in. If you ever find yourself in Central London and want to escape the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, Regents Street and Soho I urge you to escape to Lambs Conduit Street.

Super Soft Sunday

Omar Kashoura AW09 Cardigan worn with Unconditional bib t shirt.

I've been a fan of Omar Kashoura from the moment I first laid hands on a deconstructed cardigan hanging on the rails of The Shop at Bluebird two years ago and I've been following his career and wearing that cardigan ever since. AW09 saw the London Based designer unleash his first full collection Man Boy, since his graduation from his Masters at Central Saint Martins. A few months ago I had the opportunity to inspect the collection up close and a great deal caught my eye.

Texture and fabric were major themes. There were soft jersey tee shirts with layered squares of fabric for a sculptural effect, not to mention transparent plastic boleros but I had my heart stolen by yet another deconstructed cardigan. It was just so soft to the touch and I just had to have it. The problem is the cardigan was delivered to Susie's office and now she has fallen under the spell of its touch. It is just another recent purchase that I will have to keep under lock and key from fear of her sucking it up and appropriating it for herself. Initially, I assumed it was just a soft jersey but then I looked at the label and it is made from 100% Micromodal. A little research suggets that this artifical fibre is mainly used for underwear. I commented about the feel of the fabric to Omar and he confessed that his interns had talked about using scraps of it as toilet paper, it certainly beats Andrex but what a waste! It is simply the softest fabric I've ever worn and I have to stop myself from just stroking my arms when I wear it out.

Omar Kashoura AW09 Cardigan worn with Unconditional bib t shirt, COS wool trousers, purple Uniqlo socks and patent shoes by Swear.

After abstaining from buying anything new for quite some time, the purchase of Mr. Hare's Stingray Orwells have well and truly broken the floodgates and these past dew weeks I have been on a shopping binge. Despite being a little generous to myself with the purchase of various wardrobe boosters I fell that I've only bought things that I truly covet and in some instances actually need. Now, I'll stop making excuses for my shopping habits and just get back to stroking the cardigan...

Style Stalking... Jeffrey Ko

You might think that we have been a bit quiet on the Style Stalking series in recent weeks but we have spent the time drawing up a list of people to 'stalk'. One fellow worth lurking in the shadows for is Jeffrey Ko. Jeffrey is an Architecture Student and Freelance Designer who lives with our good friend John Howard Little and every time we have seen him we are in awe of how he layers designer with high street as well as his impeccable use of accessories. As soon as we found out he was going on a two month break to Shanghai and Hong Kong we asked him to send us style postcards. You can thank us later for sharing them with you. Make sure you click the images to view them in a larger size- it's definitely worth it.

Day One:
Dior Homme Waist Coat, Comme des Garcon T-shirt, Local silk scarf from Shanghai, Casio Baby-G, Nike Sweatband, April 77 skinny jeans/trousers, Swear Shoes.

Day Two:
Black Shirt from Alternative, Electric blue bow from the Barbican Shop, Casio Baby-G, Nike Sweatband, Red belt from Topman, April 77 shorts, Swear Shoes

Day Three:
Shirt from uniqlo, Casio vintage gold watch, Nike Sweatband, white belt from Zara, Skinny jeans from Topman, Liberty x Nike Dunks.

Day Four:
Shirt is by an unknown brand from Dover Street Market Sales, Nike Sweatband, Tissot watch, red belt from Topman, Cheap Monday jeans, Swear Shoes.

Day Five:
Topman shirt, Local silk scarf from Shanghai, Nike Sweatband, Tissot Watch, White belt from Zara, Skinny Jeans from Topman, Converse.

Day Six:
Prada Sunglasses, Dior Homme Shirt, Uniqlo sweat shirt, Nike Sweatband, Casio baby-G, April 77 Shorts, Swear Shoes.

Day Seven:
Hat from Topman. Self Designed T-shirt, Shorts from Hurwendeki, Liberty x Nike dunks.

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Exclusive: Carolyn Massey AW09 at Daniel Jenkins

We know how frustrating it can be when you see something on the runway, tell yourself that your life is incomplete without it but then find out it is near impossible to buy it. We had this feeling after watching Carolyn Massey's Aw09 show back in February. So when we heard that Daniel Jenkins would be offering a selection of exclusive pieces online and in store (the only physical store in the UK to do so) we were more than a little excited. Dan has entrusted us with a preview link of the stock before anyone else has had the chance to feast their eyes on it and of course we just had to share it with you.

Our favourite piece. The Aubergine Balaclava Jumper is simply beautiful. Made in Scotland, the piece is100% wool. Shown with Carolyn Massey 'Shooting' Mittens. Dan wears a medium here.

Dan on the collection: "Modern menswear is increasingly focused upon individual products, mixing labels to create an overall look. Carolyn Massey has created a collection of individual pieces of outstanding worth which worn together creates one of the most coherant menswear collections of recent years. Detailing is properly thought out and perfected. Nothing is over the top. Everything serves a purpose. The main one being to give the wearer an air of confidence. This is real stand up straight, shoulders back and chest out clothing."

The Dark Navy Trench Coat with stiped satin lining and sleeves is perfect for the hovering grey clouds. Made in England. Dan wears a medium in the shots above.

Inspired by the Museum of London and National Army Museum, Massey’s collection saw her revive seemingly forgotten historic details and silhouettes. Throughout the collection sharply tailored trench coats and capes offered an edge whilst the knits provided an element of calm and romance. These feelings are replicated in the offering at Daniel Jenkins. It is rare to leave a show with the desire to own every single look but the February show had that effect on us and we are pleased that we can finally get our hands on it.

The Tie Neck Jumper is both a wardrobe staple and a statement piece. This colourway is an exclusive to the store. Made in Scotland. Dan wears a medium.

Style Salvage Speaks to... Lodger (Part Two)

Following on from where we left off yesterday, please make yourself comfortable for part two of our interview with Nathan Brown. In part one we talked about how his passion for shoes developed in to Lodger and how the last nine months have been. In the concluding part we talk about balancing traditional craftsmanship with the very latest technology and kit, the idea behind the Gentleman's Corner and finish off with a few recommendations.

The custom fit starts out with a 3D laser scan to build a virtual model of each foot. Above is the scan of Steve's feet.

SS: We love how Lodger strikes the right balance between beautiful, time consuming handcrafting, traditional shoe making machinery and the very latest technology and kit. Was this balance a key facet of your vision for Lodger?
Nathan Brown: With the laser scanner, it was my view that there was all this technology but no one really knew how to apply it. You could go out there and say you want to revolutionise shoe making but I think that is a very dangerous thing to say. The way we pitch our technology is that it is an additional benefit. However cool the scanner is, if you are a size nine and have a regular width it can't really do anything more for you but if your foot is like mine it comes in to play. We can take six different widths and nobody else can stock that. It was very much about starting off the company from scratch, not accepting the standard fair. Like shoe trees for example. A proper shoe tree will make your shoes last longer than anything else you could possibly do and the shoe companies know this but they use it as an excuse to sting you for another £50 to £75. I thought this was a bunch of crap. We just price it in now and don't take a margin on the shoe tree, which is why we include them with every pair. The shoe bags are made out of bamboo, because it is better for the environment, it is shaped for less waste etc. We design everything, from the images on the shoe boxes to enable you to see what's inside.

Aside from just the tech it was us reimagining and taking nothing for granted. Reimagining from the ground up. What it is built around is twofold. Firstly, we are passionate about shoes and we want to show that we have thought about all the details and secondly, we like people so the experience in the shop is all about the product whilst relating to people. The rest of it, we don't really give a shit about, we don't have the attitude which comes with luxury sometimes. We love sitting down and having an espresso with a customer and chatting about shoes.

The July shoe of the month on display with a few sartorial options.

SS: Gentleman's Corner is an extension of that idea. What frustrates us about many shop/label blogs is that they tend to be pointless aside from updating people on stock and new products. Whilst talking about product design, Gentleman's Corner discusses other brands that you admire and ones which you think your customers might be interested in which is extremely rare.

Nathan Brown: Originally the Gentleman's Corner wasn't a blog. The idea was to have a corner of the shop devoted to things that we like and that is where the gentleman's corner started but by the time we got going we decided against doing it in the shop and turned to the web instead. The concept was formed in the real world but then applied online and I think that is why it has a different feeling, it wasn't "let's do a blog" but "let's find a way to talk about the things we like".

SS: Do you think you'll go back to having a physical corner in store?

Nathan Brown: We incorporate elements of it in to the store now. We have the display table which currently has the Scabal suit on it because we want to show the shoes in context. With that blue striped shoe alot of customers told me they liked it but they just didn't think they could wear it. So a lot of what we are going to do with the photography of the Gentleman's Corner is going to put the shoes in to context. The blog has become an organic part of what we do. We only serve the booze that we like, we only show the clothes on the table that we like and wear, the magazines we like. At the moment we are stocking Man About Town and the Rake. The Rake is a great magazine and I thought that it was stupid that you couldn't get it in this country and now we are pretty much sold out of it. The reason we sell Man About Town is because I love Hugh and the magazine, I felt guilty that we would be stocking a different title so called him up and asked for a few copies. We big up things we like and things we think are good. We don't make a penny on the magazines but we like showing off cool things people might not see otherwise.

Issues of the Rake and Man About Town on sale in store.

SS: Having grown up literally surrounded by trainers, have you got any desire to explore that area with Lodger?

Nathan Brown: Quick answer: yes. Longer answer: yes but. Haha! The thing is, most of the trainers that shoe companies put out are awful, they are heavy, they are poor, they are what an old fashioned shoe company thinks a sneaker looks like. So I definitely want to reinvent. We were actually doing something with one of the big three sneaker brands about doing bespoke, English made trainers and we've got a couple of prototypes in the office. I can't talk about it but they are freaking gorgeous, they are stunning. We are going to do something at some point but it certainly won't be the usual, traditional shoe company trying to make sneakers.

SS: What are you thoughts on the current state of the shoe industry? What excites and infuriates you?

Nathan Brown: Firstly, I'm a lover not a hater. I've got as much of a shoe collection as my large feet allow, so I genuinely love other brands. Starting Lodger wasn't because I thought that there was nothing good out there but I thought we could push it further. I'm certainly coloured by my perspective which is why we do shoes which are classics with a twist rather than full on fashion. I just feel that luxury brands in general aren't moving with the times, a lot of luxury brands, whether that be Savile Row or Luis Vuitton, became world beaters because they were exceptionally innovative in the products they did one hundred years ago but it feels to me that many are resting on their laurels a bit now. The fear to embrace online properly, the fear of letting go of control of your brand... all of the things that the younger brands are doing. If you go to Pitti Uomo, there is a completely different sense of energy between the luxury hall and the young fashion hall. My feeling is if you just jam those two feelings together, that will be really cool. I am trying to mash up those two energies with Lodger, to bring that enthusiasm, relentless innovation, keep pushing and push it some more.

Each pair comes packaged with a shoe tree inside a bamboo fabric bag with a product shot on the label.

SS: It does seem that many luxury brands have been coasting on cruise control...Nathan Brown: And taking the piss out of customers. All of my friends are demanding customers, maybe because we work in the industry, but why would a customer let a "luxury brand" get away with charging you thousands of pounds for a bag simply because there is a short run of forty. Now there is no reason why there can only be forty. For the Kudu shoe we are releasing, we can only make twenty five pairs because there is only that much leather available. So many brands however, create illusionary limited numbers and it is so frustrating.

SS: Finally, harking back to the idea of Gentleman's Corner, we always ask our interviewees for recommendations, who would you like to big up today?
Nathan Brown: As a wine fan: Oregan Pinot Noir. It is on the same latitude as Burgundy France, same soil type, is it amazing... you just have to find it.

Hairdresser: Although long overdue, I always go down to Olivier at Gentleman's Tonic on Bruton Street because he takes very good care of me.
Tailors: If I'm on the Row I do a lot of stuff with Scabal because I think they just have the most beautiful cloths in the world. I got married in suit cut from Scabal cloth so I personally like it a lot. The problem I have is, being in such close proximity, if I name one I need to name quite a few but a cloth merchant I can just about get away with. I'm happy to make personal recommendations.
Shops and Labels: Albam, Smedley, E. Tautz, I'm sure we'll do some stuff with Carolyn Massey so congratulations to her on her place at New Gen Men. Those are a few of my favourites. I spend half my time in denim and the rest in suits so that is a good mix. I like giving personal recommendations to customers. For international travellers, typical Bond Street guys I always recommend that they should walk down Lambs Conduit Street and you can go to Oliver Spencer, Folk, Pokit, It is such a nice street and for someone who spends a lot of time in Mayfair it is an eye opening thing but for readers of your blog they know all about the street.

Style Salvage Speaks to... Lodger (Part One)

We have previously hinted that we were thinking about launching a series of posts celebrating great British craftsmanship and the more we both thought about it, the more we wanted to do it. There are a number of inspiring brands showcasing great British craftsmanship but we'd like to kickstart the feature with an interview with Nathan Brown of Lodger Footwear.

Nathan Brown and his team at Lodger have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and we think this should be applauded. The mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship makes Lodger a truly unique shoe company. After we posted about the July shoe of the month Nathan dropped us an email to thank us and invited us to the store for a chat over a glass of wine or two. We might just have had a little too much fun which is why we have had to split the interview in to two parts. In part one we discus his love affair with shoes, the catalysts for launching Lodger and his favourite shoes thus far. Come back tomorrow for the concluding part where we will talk about the balance between technology and traditional craftsmanship and Nathan will share his recommendations.

Style Salvage: You are undeniably a shoeist. Was there a particular pair you saw/owned which kicked off your love affair? How did this passion develop over the years?

Nathan Brown: It is quite simple really: two things. One: my father was an accountant so he certainly wasn't a fashion guru but he was old school. He bought quality shoes which he polished every week, as a man is judged by the state of his shoes. So I was taken out to the garage when I was about twelve and taught how to shine my shoes. But then I grew up in Beaverton, Oregan, which is the world headquarters for Nike and US headquarters for Adidas and I've worked for both of these brands. Growing in Beaverton it was a ten minute jog to either of these headquarters, we were right in the middle. I got in to shoes from clothing really. I used to make my own clothes because I couldn't fit in anything, so I'd make my own patterns.

SS: Did you have any formal training?

Nathan Brown: My Mom taught me. Not fashion but mainly for snowboarding. I'm 6ft9, 145 pounds. Back in the day, they just didn't make anything so I had to make my own clothes. So I got in to apparel initially, got in to shoe companies and then it grew.

SS: Did the size of your feet come in to play?
Nathan Brown: Sort of. It is really hard to get hold of good looking shoes in a size thirteen/thirteen and a half UK, size fifteen US. I am a product guy so I'm sure that it had something to do it and I love making things. It would have been a lot cheaper to buy a bunch of bespoke shoes than to start Lodger!

SS: Tell us about your background and how Lodger evolved...
Nathan Brown: I was running Adidas global tennis apparel business in Germany and my drinking buddies were the guys who launched Adidas Originals which went from nothing to about three billion Euros. It was launched by five guys and they've now become the Head of Advanced Design at Nike, Head of Lifestlye for Reebook in Tokyo, Head of Development for Reebok in Boston and one of them is turning around Le Coq Sportif. So, we would just sit around and get drunk on cheap red wine and talk about doing our own thing, "let's come at shoes from taking the design, innovation and technology from sneakers and apply it to classic shoe making and give that a kick up the ass, wouldn't that be fun?!". So we started talking about that in 2000 and I just kept building on it and going back to it, then I just decide to it as a hobby with one of my mates who happened to be working in London at London but he got a great job when Nike bought Reebok so off he went to Boston. So I decided that I was working in a job which I didn't care for much and so I thought "fuck it, I am going to take a punt and try and get some backers, if it didn't work at least I tried". Fortunately I got some great backers and I get to do this!

SS: The store is sandwiched between Bond Street and Savile Row on London's Clifford Street. Having grown in Beaverton, Oregan, what brought you to this great location in the style heart of London?

Nathan Brown: It took about a year to get this shop specifically. It used to be an art gallery run by a crazy Irish artist. The deal fell through three times but I was a like a dog with a bone, I really wanted this shop but it took over nine months of negotiation. I loved the space here but meanwhile I was looking at every other street in the area, I could be an estate agent. I looked at Mount Street which is a great street but it is mainly for women, not nearly enough passing trade. I just loved this neighbourhood but I love this shop, it is only six hundred square feet with a the two floors.

SS: The size of the store combined with the split levels, fits well with the two Lodger offerings...

Nathan Brown: We tried really hard to find a store with two levels or at least two clearly defined rooms where we could segment the ready to wear and then have an area where we could have a drink and relax because this experience is so important to our other offering.

SS: How do you balance the two experiences?

Nathan Brown: It is quite organic really. Usually the guys sitting down on the couch with wine or an espresso are the customers who keep coming back. That being said there is a certain kind of new customer who is up for sitting down and talking. So if people are up for it we could be sitting down here for a couple of hours with a new customer but it tends to happen over time when customers get a little more comfortable... but we want it to be a relationship with all our customers.

SS: You've been open now for nine months, how are the relationships building?

Nathan Brown: It has been great. My thoughts were on building relationships with guys and bringing them back. I did a quick analysis when we were six months old and 30% of our customers had already come back for a second pair of shoes or more. At that point we had one customer who had bought seven pairs of shoes! Now we have one customer who has got about a dozen pairs in nine months. Having such a high repeat hit rate is, I think a testament that people are liking what we do. It feels great that people are beginning to collect our shoes.

SS: Did your sneaker background inspire the shoe of the month, the desire to consistently release new models while the rest of the shoe industry moves with the seasons?

Nathan Brown: The whole shoe of the month thing was a calculated thing. Number one, I think seasons are artificial for shoes, black suede is not a six month thing but brogues should be around for ten years. So the shoe of the month addresses this, shoes are released for exactly the right month. Secondly, the biggest assets Nike and Adidas have are their back catalogues, the old school models they can release. It was a calculated idea that we wanted to generate a catalogue that we can mine in an intelligent way quickly. It is exhausting to do but it allows us to test new ideas before we put them out on our ready to wear collections and gives us a lot more information, we get immediate feedback. In nine months we have done around a dozen models which would take around six years if we did it the standard seasonal way.

SS: Out of the twelve have you got any personal favourites? I know it must be like choosing your favourite child...
Nathan Brown: You want me to pick favourites from my babies? Well, there a couple of pairs I just couldn't get; I can't justify having every model but kind of wish I could. I loved the Spectator but couldn't get a pair. They are beautiful shoes. I have a pair of the Oxford George boot but I just can't bring myself to christen them yet. Those are a couple of my favourites and I have to say that the white tennis shoes are spectacular, I've worn them so many times and they are still white and something else. None of those were our best sellers but they are my favourites, although the tennis shoe was our second biggest seller.

SS: Are there any which you just can't wait to release?

Nathan Brown: The thing with the shoe of the month is we can be very quick so we've not really thought beyond September but I'm excited by the Kudu work boot, made from the twenty five year old Kudu which is going to be spectacular, lined with purple Velvet- stunning.

SS: And of course you are working on the boat shoe...

Nathan Brown: Yeah. It will hopefully be released for February next year so we can drop it in early Spring and it is going to be gorgeous. We went back to the drawing board because I think it's good but we can completely blow it up, we can make is something else, so it is going to be a fun one to release. I can talk about all of them, it is so hard to narrow them down. Annejkh is the best show designer out there, she understands sneakers but she is obsessed with men's classic shoes so she understands the aesthetic. She is a sneaker head- I think a lot of us have not grown out of that and it affects how we address shoes, how we wear them and how we style them.

We're almost back...

After refreshing our blogging batteries and enjoying the sunshine (when and where we could) over the last week, our short shorts have been replaced with suitable work attire and we are almost ready for business. In the meantime here's a glimpse of things to come...