Daniel Jenkins Sale Promotion for all readers

We soon became friends with Daniel Jenkins after we interviewed him about his store in deep, dark Wales and heard how he wanted to change the shopping experience and offerings for men. His Grade II listed building in Monmouth provides a home for exciting, emerging British designers like Lou Dalton and Satyenkumar whilst offering a number classic pieces from Ally Capellino, Stansfield and YMC. To help us celebrate our redesign, Dan has offered a discount of 15% to all Style Salvage readers on his sale items for the next 48 hours. Below are just a few of things we have our eye on ourselves...

Sunday Best Tailoring:

Stanfield Zip Engineers Jacket: This navy waxed cotton jacket is another classic piece by Dominic Stansfield.
Stansfield Cotton Canvas Blazer: 100% canvas blazer with contrast trim and royal blue lining.
Stansfield Patchwork Railroad Jacket: This jacket is based on tradtional railroad jackets and is simply awesome!

Summer Tops:
and i nylon t shirt: Directional piece from a hard to find designer, perfect for the warmer days we are all craving.
Raf Simons x Fred Perry Polo: This was the standout piece from the SS09 collection and if you wish you bought it earlier wwhy not take advantage of the sale.

Summer Essentials:
Ally Capellino Walker Bag: Super soft matt hide leather bag.
YMC Suede High Tops: Tan suede high tops with waxed laces and white toe cap.

In order to use it you need to sign in to your basket and enter the code 'style salvage' in the box provided. If anyone is having any problems with it then they can contact Dan @ daniel@danieljenkins.co.uk and he'll sort it out for you. Happy sale shopping!

A closer look at BUCK's 'Of the Mountains' editorial

The leading image from 'Of the mountains'

There has been a distinct lack of inspirational editorials in the latest issues of my favourite magazines so it is great to see so many strong online offerings. For the latest round of editorials over on Buckstyle, the fashion team each picked a major trend for the season each. Fashion Director Elliott James Sainsbury chose ‘mountaineering’ and is my early favourite. Of The Mountains features pieces by the likes of Omar Kashoura, JW Anderson, Woolrich Woolen Mills and Christopher Raeburn alongside highlight pieces from the high street and vintage shop finds to create some of the strongest yet attainable looks around. As we are online buddies with Elliott, I couldn't resist a closer look at the editorial and who better to run through the inspirations and designer picks than the man himself...

Key pieces: On the left, Parachute hoody by Christopher Raeburn, trousers by J.W. Anderson. On the right, hooded top and jogging bottoms by Topman Design. Vintage cap and small bag (worn as necklace) from Beyond Retro. Leather compass by J.W. Anderson,

On the inspiration:
"It seems there's a lot of 'mountaineering' style about at the minute. Inspired by that mix of sport and street, as worn so well by people like John Skelton, Way Perry, Kyle from goodhood. I also adore workwear, and think it all slots together. Juan and I had been meeting for about a month beforehand discussing what we'd like to do, he is very technical with lighting and was inspired by the Dunhill ads with Peter Saville in them (please check out, they are amazing) and an Oscar Wilde quote about being in an asylum. We liked that idea of pushing against walls, unnatural poses. We wanted a very detailed and busy background, complex styling... it took a lot of planning, each pose, the lighting and the clothes were very specifically chosen, each shot/look has a sort of coded meaning... for me it is about inner strength, determination and an internal metaphorical mountain. Clothes as armour, tooling yourself up, loading it on and fortifying yourself against the world... it was important to not be too literal as initially I thought of having it in a forest, but inside gave a totally unexpected feel. I researched explorers like Mallory etc. and loads of images to check that my notions were correct."

Key pieces: On the left, shirt by Oliver Spencer, cropped knit by Makin Jan Ma and necklace by JW Anderson,. On the right, plaid shiort and waistcoat by Woolrich Woolen Mills , satchel backpack by Harris Elliott for b Store.

On the colours:

"I wanted the colours to be a bit 'sick', to push it a bit further... hence the neon backpacks with a navajo shirt, pink with khaki. For me the most important thing is the little things, incoprorating the model's keys, strapping belts across the chest etc."

On the location:

"We shot it in the RIBA building in Portland Place (I think?), it was a really smooth day. The model Laurie was fantastic and is in a band, we had a great team on the day."

Key pieces: On the left, anorak by Christopher Raeburn, backpack and cable necklace by JW Anderson, gloves by Topman. On the right, beige coat and plastic bolero by Omar Kashoura, navajo shirt from Beyond Retro.

On the designers:
"Nigel Cabourn's clothes are fascinating, good to see such an icon coming back. I love the straps and backpacks of Topman Design A/W 09- the green top is actually almost identical to the ones below, n fact it was the key label for the shoot really as each piece was so perfect. Woolrich, Oliver Spencer are that whole workwear thing... I wanted to get that clear Omar Kashoura jacket in as I knew i wanted it to be a futuristic take on mountaineering. Part of what is cool right now, part what men could wear. Christopher Raeburn is very interesting, one to watch."

Style Salvage Speaks to... Asger Juel Larsen

The recent GFW and various graduate shows reminded us all that there is so much young talent out there in the UK and there is little better than discovering the emerging talent. Though the LCF press show was disappointingly low on menswear (where was our good friend John Howard Little?), Asger Juel Larsen shone through with his take on modern chain mail. Larsen created a modern adaption of armour by producing 'futuristic' ideas of chain mail using alternative materials such as leather, PVC and rubber cords. We wanted to find out more about the designer and his impressive graduate collection so we asked him a few question about his time at LCF and his hopes for the future...

Asger's modern take on chain mail was the highlight of the LCF Grad Show. Photography by Ellis Scott

Style Salvage: Describe the moment you realized you wanted to be a menswear designer?
Asger Juel Larsen: I have always been interested with how men and women dress. The exact time I cannot remember but it has always been there in the back of my mind.

SS: What attracted you to LCF in the first place?
AJL: It is their historical approach to combine sharp tailoring and at the same time still be able to be experimental.

SS: What was the best thing about your course? And the worst?
AJL: The best and the worst thing go hand in hand. The third year was an absolutely amazing learning process for me by literally working my ass off and having a great design teacher in Tom Adams to push me even further in my ideas. That has without a doubt made me the designer I am today. The worst thing might has been the bickering between the students and teachers rather than just getting on with their work.

The glasses saw Asger collaborate with his good friend Mauricio Stein

SS: Aside from your own, which was your favorite of the graduate collections?
AJL: There were so many great menswear collections this year, and if I had been in the jury I would have picked at least 7 menswear students to go to the press show. To mention a few I really liked Cherry May De La Cruz’s collection featuring three dimensional boning. Another collection that caught my eye was Dandan Zhang’s white collection with extreme proportions and voluminous shoulders and collars.

SS: What next? Do you have any aspirations to pursue an MA?
AJL: I have a lot of stuff going on right now. Some I can talk about and some I can’t. I got picked to show my collection at the Mittelmoda fashion Award in Italy in September and I might do my MA at LCF this fall. I will keep working on my own collections so hopefully there will be a spring/ summer collection 2010.

SS: Describe your graduate collection in your own words?
AJL: Essentially it is a mirror image of me. The collection is very masculine and heavy, both in my silhouette and the materials I have used. If I had not chosen to study menswear fashion I would probably have studied war history or costume design. My collection has gone through solid research into materials and the historical era of the medieval knights. Paco Rabanne’s use of alternative materials was also a big inspirational source. When everything is said I find it very important that the feeling inside is right and the collection looks amazing.

SS: Your modern take on armour saw you use alternative materials such as leather, PVC and rubber cords; was it difficult working with these materials? How much did your chain mail top weigh?
AJL: It’s funny you ask because it was actually very hard and very time consuming to work with. Every evening/night in the first term I made my metal chain mail. The next term I knitted my rubber cord amour and in the last term I did my PVC/leather cord top. 2 bottles of baby talcum powder was used to knit the rubber cord amour. My chain mail top weighs 20 kg and was probably not the most wearable piece for the models to wear during the shows.

SS: What advice would you give a prospective menswear fashion student?
AJL: You only get what you put into it. No matter what you do, work hard!

SS: If you could go back in time and experience any fashion moment, what would it be?
AJL: I don’t think it is a fashion moment but I would love to have experienced the last Coronation of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. It’s the most elaborate event I mostly admire in recent history.

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
AJL: Men these days are becoming more and more fashion conscious than before, so at the moment, I do like the progress of what men try to wear daringly lately.

SS: What would you like to achieve in 2009 and beyond?
AJL: Career wise I would like to see how far I can push my graduate collection. Personally I would like to go on some silly vacation to Mallorca or Grand Canaria and relax by the pool, drink cheesy drinks and relax my mind.

SS: What's the one question you wish people asked you but you've never had the opportunity to answer?
AJL: It would be the questions people didn’t ask.

SS: Lastly, have you got any recommendations that you'd like to share with our readers?
Givenchy is the future, and keep an eye out for the photographer Ellis Scott (who took these great images for the look book).

Blog Refurbishment

McQueen's painter shoes. Image sourced from Dazed Digital.

We are giving the blog a much needed lick of paint this weekend so the blog will be down intermittently during the next few days. Enjoy your weekends! The blog will return harder, better, faster and stronger on Monday with lots of great content!

Living in illustration

Ever since I was old enough to open up a book I've always been enchanted by illustrations and a part of me always wanted to visit the drawn worlds of Blake and Sendak. Thanks to the ever visually stunning wecouldgrowuptogether I was introduced to the wonderful illustrations of Jonathon Reid Sevigny and now I want to visit his imagined world.

Sevigny's the reckless youth odyssey forced Kwannum to declare that this is a world where "boys wear short shorts and rolled-up skinny jeans, pairing those with saddle or green shoes, having awesome hair, pouting with melancholy, and looking like girls, wait, or are they girls?" and I couldn't put it better myself. The styling of these youths far out excels a number of magazine editorials I have seen in recent months alongside the short, shorts and cuffed skinnies there are oversized shirts, JW Anderson-esque knitwear and even a cape! If I had any artistic talent I would doodle scenes just like this but thankfully Sevigny has saved me the hassle and I will just spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying his illustrated stylish scenes.

Fashion156 gets to grips with the Grey Matter

Out of the whole spectrum, grey is the most, overlooked, taken for granted and even abused colour of them all and this irks me so. To many, grey hues have connotations of dreary weather, depressed moods and invisible men at the bar trying desperately to catch the barmaid's eye but left thirsty and wanting, all of which sell the colour far too short in my book. It is a colour I have celebrated and loved ever since I could dress myself and it excites me more than any other. Do you now think I am one of those guys who stands at the bar just getting thirstier? Before you dismiss me as dull and dreary, just look back on Miuccia's celebration of grey for SS10 and see how inspiring and textured grey in all its hues can really be.

Grey pleated t-shirt, navy trousers and navy day jacket all by Omar kashoura

If you are still a little dismissive of grey let the below F156 editorial images change your mind. As in all of Guy and his teams' shoots there is a delightful mix of established names alongside exciting young talent emerging on to the menswear scene. It just so happens that this editorial contains some of my favourite designers, including Carolyn Massey, Omar Kashoura, Tim Soar and Satyen Kumar whilst introducing Mihara Yasuhiro and Wayne Fitzell .

Navy jacket with buckles by Tim Soar

I previously talked about Soar's use of latex but for me his clothing is all about the detailing and at times these intricate and clever additions can often be overlooked on the runway but my keen eye spotted the buckles and zips added to the back of suit jackets and the elasticated belts used throughout the show.

Single breasted jacket by Satyen Kumar, black shirt with wet look dog collar detailing by Omar kashoura

Satyen Kumar sprung his first solo collection upon us in 2006 after working for Versace in Milan and I've been a fan ever since. It is great to see his tailoring alongside Omar's wonderfully detailed shirt and this combination makes this my favourite look of the editorial.

Black patent trench coat and trousers by Carolyn Massey

Massey closed the extended menswear afternoon in true style back in February. Sharply tailored trench coats and capes offered the edge, whilst knits provide an element of calm and romance. Does it get any better than the above black patent leather trench?

Grey knitted jumper by Wayne Fitzell. This Central Saint Martins graduate gained experience with Hussein Chalayan and Kim Jones, not a bad education!

The celebration of grey these past two seasons has really shown that there is so much more to this colour and hopefully this editorial has changed a few of the negative opinions along the way and converted a few more men to the wonders of its hues.

Timo's statement neckwear

Ever since I turned EJ's eyes green with my Yokoo knitted cowl Ive been on the hunt for something lighter for the warmer months. Having grown up by the seaside I am severely tempted by Yokoo's ice cream chain but I have a feeling that Susie will just steal it from my grasp and I would never see it again, let alone wear it! Earlier this week the lovely Disneyrollergirl reminded me of the wares of New York design duo, Timo. I prefer the Elizabethan influenced ruff pieces over the bows I came across on Highsnobette's coverage of Capsule earlier in the year...my inner dandy will be let loose in these! The duo’s creations are architectural accessories constructed using the finest leather, satin and cashmere, among other rich fabric blends, making them the perfect choice to adorn my neck in the sunshine.

Faded Elegance of Cuba

I stumbled across Umit Benan's SS10 collection over on Dazed Digital last Friday and it has been playing on my mind ever since and I just had to share it with you. Benan is a designer I've been keeping an eye on in recent seasons becasue he has a genuine talent for talent whilst showcasing his fondess for fabric research and here he focused on cinematographic references, mixing them with his passion for Slim Aarons’ work. After some googling I discovered that the Turkish designer was recently awarded the main prize at the debut edition of Who Is On Next? Uomo for men’s ready-to-wear in Florence for his SS10 offering. The collection of off beat elegance was inspired by Cuba, in particular Al Pacino’s crazed drug baron character in the classic movie Scarface, and included gentlemanly linen and cotton shirt jackets and maxi-volume trousers.

The images reminded me of a TV show I caught last week with the icon of British news, Trevor MacDonald. In the show he took in the ‘faded romance’ of Cuba, the Caribbean’s biggest island as part of The Secret Caribbean series. During the hour show he visited the oldest cigar making factory on the island, and learned about living under a communist regime where food is rationed and a television can cost more than a home. In Cuba, Trevor discovers a country where time has stood still, he declared “The entire city is enveloped by a sense of faded elegance. Buildings once grand and magnificent show signs of weary neglect.” I can certaionly see echoes of this throughout this collection. Here, Benin's inventive baggy cropped trousers and tunic shirt paired with a well tailored double-breasted plaid jacket and espadrilles all combined a truly award-wining proportion which has inspired me to try a bit of faded elegance myself.

Style Salvage Speaks to... Omar Kashoura

Steve has been a huge fan of Omar Kashoura from the moment he stumbled across one of his deconstructed cardigans hanging on the rails of The Shop at Bluebird two years ago and we've been following his career ever since. Last season (AW09) saw the London Based designer unleash his first full collection Man Boy, following his graduation from his Masters at Central Saint Martins. It forced us all to take notice and declare that he is one Britain's leading menswear design talents. We caught up with Omar just as he was applying the finishing touches to his latest collection before packing his bags for Paris. Omar was returning for his second season at capsule to present his SS10 collected titled Popeye in Trouville. As Omar works away at his collection, we chat about Popeye, his passion for movies and his hopes for the future...we think 2009 is going to be a big year for Omar...

An action shot. Omar hard at work on a pair of trousers in his stuido

Style Salvage: What drove you to become a menswear designer?
Omar Kashoura: Fate….destiny I guess…I have this drive within me which come from somewhere I'm not quite sure where!!

SS: Steve first became a fan of your work by stumbling across a wonderfully detailed cardigan on the rails at Shop at Bluebird which I duly bought. When I describe your designs I always mention your trademark detailing which often transforms a simple silhouette to create such bold impact. How would you describe your own work?
OK: My work…ummm, I guess you could say its somewhat directional, and yet while remaining masculine pushes boundaries with garments that are fun but yet crafted beautifully. I personally feel that there is nothing more beautiful than a gentleman, a gentleman of image and persona, but not in the traditional way. In my work I am trying to re-create this feeling, referencing traditional techniques and shapes with modern cutting done so to highlight and accentuate areas of the male form.

Style Salvage: Tell us a little history about your beginnings…
OK: Well I'm from Leeds (though of Arabic decent), spent my early days with horses in my back yard and playing with my twin. Developed into rather an ambitious guy and now enjoying the fruits of London and of course the recognition and successes that are coming my way through developing my product.

Omar's sewing station and inspiration board.

SS: Is there a Kashoura man/muse? If so, goes he change from season to season and who is he now?
OK: Sure there is a muse, though right now he is fictional he’s in my vision, as a form you could describe him as the man boy, as a character…maybe even a modern Popeye!!

SS: For your Autumn Winter 09 collection "Sunday Best" you drew inspiration from the E. M Forster novel 'Howards End' and I loved how you combined rich high society style of Regency England with a casual, distinctly luxurious approach to design. What was it about the novel that inspired you?
OK: Actually I'm rather more a movies kinda guy, and find very little time to read novels, though I do engage in a lot of social and fashion theory texts when I am doing my research. My inspiration actually came from the film Howards End, I loved the story, the visuals and of course I was inspired by the costume.

SS: What films/books/tv-programs/moments and stories currently inspire your design?
OK: Popeye and Gigi were key focuses for the SS10 collection

Popeye and other male form inspirations.

Men playing at being men was a key theme of the SS10 collection

SS: For you AW09 collection you collaborated with with Royal College of Art graduate Jarah Stoop and the result is a range of opulent bags in lavender leather and custard canvas with lamb’s fur trim which left me salivating at the the press viewing. How did this collaboration come about?
OK: Actually I won the Deutsche Bank pyramid award last year and the ceremony took place at the Royal. There I came across Jarah’s end of year show and was amazed at her products. Took her details and kept them on my wall for one day, only that day came faster than expected and I found myself contacting her to begin our working relationship. You should keep your eyes open for SS10 bags, they are amazing!!.

An amazing print of two crabs supposedly getting intimate on the pebbles.

SS: Who are you collaborating with anyone for you SS10 collection? Who would you love to work with in the future?
OK: We worked with Rosie Davies on a print and of course developed our bags with Jarah Stoop.

SS: Your SS10 collection is titled "Popeye in Trouville" but rather than explore typical sailor chic it conjures up memories of the seaside. How did the fictional sailor hero inspire your collection?
OK: Popeye, he’s great don’t you think!. Rather than take direct, I wanted to reference him more as the character. He’s the modern pin up and male ideal, has the body, the lady and charm. I found his character fitting for the season which was actually formed around the musical Gigi and looking at men and how we dress up, from costume to every day life putting on our attire and heading out to the streets.

The Popeye family as displayed in one of Omar's many annuals.

SS: What are you most proud of or pleased with from the collection?
OK: I think there are many elements which have pushed the boundaries for Kashoura, though I would have to say the shirts. The application of details has been developed into a fresh and modern way….I guess you are going to have to hunt them down to see for yourself!.

SS: You narrowly missed out on showing at MAN but presented your AW09 collection at Arabian Fashion World, how did your first catwalk show go?
OK: Rather an experience I may add. The opportunity was amazing and all the people involved were wonderful. It was a great opportunity for me to open to other industries and parts of the world. As you may notice I rather enjoy to collaborate with other designers and hoped that this event would bring about further opportunities for future collaborations.

These pieces were from Omar's Graduate Collection and now hang in his living room.

SS: What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more men wore?
OK: A proper pair of trousers.

SS: If you could go back in time and experience any fashion moment, what would it be
OK: The time when all men, rich or poor wore suits and top hats.

SS: Who are your personal style icons?
OK: Actually I don't have any. I look at all people and take style inspiration from anywhere and, often from myself too and how I wear my items of clothing.

SS: What would you like to achieve in 2009 and beyond?
OK: I recently applied for showing in Italy and in Japan. To gain these awards would be the perfect next step for the house of Kashoura, oh and of course to be included in this seasons coming shows with MAN here in London.

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As you should all know, over the last few months we've been collecting together the recommendations of our interviewees of places to go to shop, eat, drink and generally enjoy yourself. We couldn't let Omar escape to Paris without acquiring his favourite London haunts which have now been added to the map...

Party at Horsemeat Disco
Hair do your own ( I do!!)
Look at Google - you can find out anything you desire here, even more on myself if you are interested!!
Shop at Jeanette's (new cool boutique in East London).

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We can't wait to post his SS10 look book images and we promise to be the first to do so but in the meantime, for more info on Omar please visit his site.

Another one for 'the shoe list...'

The piles of shoes and trainers strewn throughout my flat are a constant reminder (Susie calls them a nuisance) of my fondness of footwear but I have to confess that I've never really considered myself as a shoeist (in the same vein as Mr. Hare or Queen Imelda) but this might soon change. I fear that my fondness might just have developed in to something a little more dangerous as I am beginning to obsess and I've recently drawn up a list of shoes that I simply must own in the next few months. Yesterday morning the list included Mr. Hare's Orwells, a pair of Church's brogues, Pierre Hardy desert boots and Tod's driving shoes. Now, my hand has been forced and I've added Lodger's shoe of the month for July, the Striped Oxford. Inspired by the Duke of Windor (surely one of the best dressed men of all time) it is a interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf which makes it a great addition to the shoe pile for the warmer months.

This Clifford Street brand is one that I've often heard good things about but it was not until Omar Kashoura used Lodger for his Aw09 looks that I really took notice. The shoes continued the exploration of relaxed luxury with the highlight pair being these blue suede brogues which were truly something. The folks at Lodger Footwear have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and they quite remarkably release a new shoe each month. Every shoe is individually made using the latest technology in a factory with more than one hundred years of shoe making experience. It is this mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship, which makes this a truly unique shoe company. Following the John Smedley visit, I pondered out loud about launching a series of posts celebrating great British craftsmanship and the more I think about it, the more excited I am! Lodger Footwear are sure to feature...stay tuned...

Bursts of colour for any weather

Wow, where did July come from? I'm certainly a little dazed and confused at the moment because London is burning. We are currently basking in glorious, uncensored sunshine but we have all experienced the unpredictable British summertime and I'm just waiting for the temperature to drop or the rain to leave me sodden. Living in ol'blighty throws up a great deal of style head scratching and even more so during the Summer months. John Smedley’s SS10 menswear collection uses fabrics suitable for anything thrown at it during the British summertime. During my recent post on my visit to John Smedley HQ I went on and on about how the latest technology was integrated with age old methods. This collection is no different. New mercerised cotton creates a range of crisp, lighter styles for warmer weather, cool merino wool for the milder days and new superfine merino jersey will be perfect for layering. There is more to this collection than protection against the weather though, just look at the bursts of colour.

"Colour can be quite medicinal, I think. Even if the weather is dark and gloomy, wearing colour rather than blending in with the clouds is much better - escapism even. A great colour can help lift your mood."

The above quote comes from Nicholas Thomas, John Smedley's Head of Menswear Design who gave these recent piece featured in the Guardian, Hannah Pool explored men's new found love of colour. You should recognise his name because he created quite a stir at Graduate Fashion Week in 2007 where he was joint winner of the River Island Gold Award, chosen for his marvellous patched knitted menswear. John Smedley snapped him up soon after and as this collection shows, it is a great fit for the young designer. The SS10 collection looks set to lift any mood regardless of the weather and I can certainly get on board with that.

Picture Postcard: Aesthetic Pain Relief

I've been feeling extremely sorry for myself this weekend as I was struck down by some kind of death plague which forced me to do little aside from lying on the sofa and watching some truly awful TV shows. My 'man flu 2.0' meant that I have missed a great deal of the latter stages of Paris (although I did crawl out of bed to cover the amazing Dunhill show) but I will catch up and summarise everything missed. This morning, as my head continued to thump to its own beat, I reached out for some aesthetic paracetamol in the form of Jak&Jill and came across the above perfectly styled midriff. Tommy certainly has one of the best Street Style eyes snapping at the moment and this is one my favourites. The colour palette work perfectly and the more I gaze at it, the more I see; from the folded belt, the frayed jackets, the exposed accessories all on one side, while the other hand is pocketed. I would be hard pushed to find anything shown over the last week or so which comes close to this in the style stakes. Now, if I stare at this long enough maybe, just maybe my head will recover...

Dunhill SS10: Innovation with history

Three Dunhill SS10 looks with archive advertising images providing the backdrop.

The latest Dunhill collection by Kim Jones is everything I wanted and expected it to be. Jones' vision for SS10 is English to the core, classic whilst taking you back to the roots of it's founder, who was known for his love for exploration and travels, but at the same time it all feels very modern. On the surface it was a traditional collection which aimed to bring Dunhill home to a new market. However, as the looks moved from simple tailored day wear in to a more casual weekend and on to a capsule traveller collection through to evening wear, it was cleat that Jones had picked out key inspirations from the past and repackaged them for the new era of luxury.

Alfred Dunhill joined his father’s saddlery business in 1887, ambitious and inventive, he brought new ideas and following his father’s retirement in 1893 he planned to change the focus of the business to cater exclusively for the pioneering motorist. Kim Jones has certainly channeled the history of the brand and undoubtedly understands the heritage. I get the impression he has spent hours upon hours researching the back catalogues of Dunhill and books like Dunhill by Design, finding inspiration and updating these ideas for the 21st century The heritage of Dunhill is so broad and so darn British, from its beginnings with the birth of the car to creating luxury accessories for motorcycling, aviation and the oh-so-fashionable smokers in the Roaring Twenties.

Over the last week or so the team at Dunhill raised my excitement levels so that they broke the scale through the best use of twitter by a fashion house. Intermittently throughout the last few days dunhill_inParis have twitpic'd an array of sneak preview images which have left me breathless and sweaty palmed. Hand tie dyed pocket squares, carbon fibre printed leather bags, piles of luxurious Mongolian cashmere sweaters, shagreen leather first used by Dunhill in the 30s, sunglasses made of hand polished flint found in the South Downs, polished flint boxes with leather straps handmade at the Alfred Dunhill leather workshop in Walthamstow, bags inspired by early air travel in the 1920s. Other features include a silver tie pin in the shape of a golf club, luxury pens encased in the same veneers as Roll Royce interiors, archive print shirts and the AD embossed logo from 1923 added to bags and brogues. Below are a few of my favourite preview images...

AD Logo from 1923 adorns futuristic looking luggage inspired by air travel of the 1920s

Hand tie dyed pocket squares

My favourite accessory all season. Polished flint boxes which have a wonderful natural pattern. The flint comes from the South Downs and after being polished is dressed up in handmade leather straps which were made in Alfred Dunhill's workshop in Walthamstow, East London.

Silver AD logo buttons used on a mohair jacket.

This is the collection I hoped Jones would make after first reading his Wallpaper interview in December last year. The below question and answer left the greatest impression on me and having seen the latest offering, it is particularly pertinent.

How difficult is it to balance the rich heritage of the brand with bringing it into the 21st century?
If you really look at the Dunhill heritage you will see that there is nothing ‘old’ about it, in fact it is wonderfully modern. Alfred Dunhill himself was obsessed with innovation and new technology, which means that there are pieces in the archive that are just as relevant today as anything I design.

For a brand with such strong roots, any steering by Jones has been to emphasise them – those being the characteristics of classicism and understatement but his challenge was to present these with a wholly modern personality too which he has surely done with this collection.

John Smedley blows out 225 candles

John Smedley flying the flag for craftsmanship here in the UK. Who said the sun never shines up North? Oh I said that...

As I have one lazy eye on the runway action over, I thought it would be nice to change the pace somewhat and take a step away from the latest collections and focus on an award winning heritage brand, John Smedley. I think it is a crying shame that we don't celebrate, great craftsmanship based here in the UK in the same way that our cousins from across the pond do (ACL being the prime example but one of many.) Still family owned, John Smedley continues to innovate whilst retaining the hand crafted finishing techniques that has established its reputation for more than two centuries yet it is the type of brand which is often taken for granted and over looked. 2009 is a landmark year for the company because it sees the family run business celebrate 225 years of making fine knitwear in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales.

The luxury British knitwear brand was founded in 1784 by John Smedley and Peter Knightingale (great-uncle of Florence) and the pair decided to set up business at Lea Mills, in Matlock as a brook provided (and still provides) a source of running water and power. I was fortunate enough to explore this factory and see it in all of its working and operating glory as I was invited up to cover the anniversary for Fashion156. It was great to experience the close knit nature of the brand on the work floor and see firsthand, how the latest technology has been integrated with age old methods.

A knitting machine with 20,000 needle components.

Wandering through the various knitting and construction stages it was great to talk to the workers, most of which had been working there for generations themselves and to watch them expertly use the machines. As I walked through and looked on at each process of a garments construction the balance between old but proven techniques and machinery alongside the latest knitting machines from Japan (some with over twenty thousand needle components) and laser presses from Holland, really left a lasting impression. This is a company that continues to learn and strive for the highest quality in a family environment like nothing I've ever encountered before.

The beginnings of a jumper...

The modern press uses lasers. Each John Smedley garment goes through three stages of hand supervised pressing to ensure correct fit and shape

The fastest use of a pair of scissors I've ever seen...this lady took less than ten seconds to expertly cut out the neck.

Highly trained seamstresses hand finish the garments, applying neck trims, buttons and John Smedley labels. Long lasting style and quality are vital ingredients to Smedley, creating sweaters which are appropriate to wear with anything, at any time.

The finishing touches...

Provenance and traceability from raw material to end product are integral to the brand and are sort after credentials by today’s consumer and rightly so! I think it is about time that we celebrated the true craftsman of the UK...I see a Made in the UK series of posts coming up.