Lifestyle STYLE
F
or the uninitiated, MR PORTER (brother of Net-A-Porter) is a global online retail destination specially established for men’s style. As well as providing clothing and accessories from brands including Gucci and Burberry, MR PORTER also supplies customers with a website that is filled to the brim with editorial content—including interviews with musicians, style tips, and a look at what’s new. Editor-in-Chief of MR PORTER Jeremy Langmead joined the company in October 2010. He produces the weekly MR PORTER online magazine The Journal and is essentially MR PORTER—the stylish gentleman every man should aspire to. The CEO Magazine : Was stepping into a completely new role daunting?
PLUS Rediscover the luxury of Beijing Style essentials according to MR PORTER A premier experience worthy of Gatsby
BLOOD FROM A STONE ISSN 2201-876X
9 772201 876005
02
AUGUST 2013 $14.95
BlackRock’s Justin Arter carves the future of funds management
Recruiting using social media The best mobile apps for work
How to foster respect in the workplace
John Danks & Son’s Mark Burrowes • Peabody Energy’s Eric Ford • Downer EDI’s Grant Fenn
As featured in The CEO Magazine For more info visit theceomagazine.com.au
MR PORTER Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Langmead
Bespoke By Annabelle Cloros
With the Australian Financial Review’s annual Bespoke event behind us, The CEO Magazine spoke to two of the event’s guest speakers—MR PORTER’s Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Langmead and J Brand’s CEO Jeff Rude—about all things style.
138.
The CEO Magazine - August 2013
Jeremy: After 20 years of working in print, I was ready for a change. At MR PORTER, there were three elements that excited me the most: a digital platform, rich editorial content, and the possibility of merging this with the ever-changing landscape of e-commerce. The timing just felt right, and it was more exciting than daunting to bring something completely new to the web, and specifically to the menswear industry. What are five wardrobe essentials every executive should invest in? A navy suit, always flattering; a blazer, can be dressed up or down for business entertaining; a formal shirt, either white or pale blue; flannel trousers, grey being the most versatile; and a pair of oxford shoes, black or brown. What do you think are the most worthwhile accessories to invest in for the cooler months? Brogues make a good winter shoe and look great teamed with a suit or worn casually with jeans. A good leather bag—satchel or tote—to protect your possessions from the elements, and a cashmere scarf. theceomagazine.com.au
A Stylish Paperback
Jeremy Langmead at Bespoke
Wearing one of these often saves on needing a coat and can be folded away in a bag when not used. What are your favourite brands that MR PORTER carries? When it comes down to it, I navigate the designers by category. O’Keeffe for shoes and Slowear for chinos. My favourite blazer of the moment is by Canali. Drakes for ties and Gucci for off-duty wear. For an executive looking for casual wear, what would you recommend as a comfortable option? Navy blazer, white oxford shirt, neat jeans, and brown loafers are always a fail-safe and reliable look. If you’re travelling, a white T-shirt and a pair of clean, white sneakers is a better option. And if it’s winter, a cardigan. You can dress one of these up with a knitted tie and there’s no need to don the blazer; they also look good just worn casually over a T-shirt. What is a subtle way to change up a suit? A new tie is the most obvious way, a pocket square the easiest way, and the right shoes the most important. Everyone notices shoes, and they are also the first thing a woman will look at. Essential. How has MR PORTER’s style section been successful? The web in general has made everyone more knowledgeable theceomagazine.com.au
about fashion, and our Style Help section allows men to have their questions answered without having to consult someone. We offer guidance from how a suit should properly fit to what trends are current for a particular season to The Essentials, which are the building blocks to a MR PORTER-endorsed wardrobe. When men are armed with the facts, they feel a lot more confident about what to buy and how to wear it. Men like facts; we’re quite nerdy as a gender. What was behind the creation of The MR PORTER Paperback: The Manual for a Stylish Life, and what topics are covered? Each Tuesday we put out The Journal, our weekly magazine with various features, style content, and fashion and lifestyle photography. We also produce The MR PORTER Post six times a year. It made sense for us to put together a compendium of all the useful and inspiring material in another platform: a book. That way we can be accessible on all channels to our customers whatever mood they’re in, wherever they are. The cover has a slight retro feel—like an old Penguin paperback—and is printed in a way that makes it very tactile.
“When men are armed with the facts, they feel a lot more confident about what to buy and how to wear it. Men like facts; we’re quite nerdy as a gender.” - Jeremy Langmead
MR PORTER’s first paperback book entitled The MR PORTER Paperback: The Manual for a Stylish Life Volume One encompasses 240 pages of content from advice on fashion and cars to interiors, design, and music. Edited by MR PORTER’s Editor-inChief Jeremy Langmead and designed by book designer David Pearson—previously of Penguin Books—with art direction from MR PORTER’s Leon St-Amour, the paperback is a worthy investment that is sure to make your bookshelf that little bit more stylish. It also comes with a red silk ribbon bookmark for those who like that little extra something when it comes to reading. Additional content includes insider style tips, interviews, and profiles with well-known gentlemen from across the globe, including French actor Mr Tahar Rahim and British poet Lord Byron. The book features chapters on common mistakes including “Failing to explain what you want” and “Forgetting your swimming trunks”. Featuring both matte and gloss paper stock inside, a mix of illuminating black-and-white and colour photography, as well as stunning illustrations, The Manual’s purpose is to equip the modern man with a myriad of knowledge on how to live his life to his most stylish potential. The book is both aesthetically pleasing and practical—well worth a read. Available at MRPORTER.com and select retailers. RRP $35
Visit MRPORTER.com to shop, read, and learn style tips. But don’t blame us if you become a PORTER addict. The CEO Magazine - August 2013
139.
Jeff Rudes at Bespoke
“We know what our customer wants: innovative fabrics, design, and the perfectfitting jean.” - Jeff Rudes
J Brand CEO and founder Jeff Rudes
CEO and founder Jeff Rudes established California-based J Brand to create the perfect pair of jeans that would immaculately contour the body. The label behind the iconic, dark-washed skinny jean has dominated the industry as a denim pioneer. The CEO Magazine: What are the key considerations for women when buying jeans? Jeff: Jeans are the most accessible, well-known articles of clothing, yet until the emergence of J Brand, only a small segment of women really understood how to wear jeans in a beautiful, modern way. The key factors to buying denim are simple: it’s about the fit and fabric. Women
140.
The CEO Magazine - August 2013
can instantly tell that the jeans will “make me look beautiful and be comfortable” from the hand-feel of the fabric and the perfect amount of stretch that beautifully shapes bodylines. What style and colour of jean should every woman invest in? We are known for our dark, clean, and minimalist look, which is now part of our DNA. Our Maria in Starless is our classic high-rise legging that’s sexy and comfortable. It contours to the narrowest part of the waist and sits above the navel, and the wash stays true to our DNA: dark, clean, and simple. It’s a true investment piece.
What sets J Brand apart? We’re about design, product and timing—that’s what keeps us as leaders in the denim market. We know what our customer wants: innovative fabrics, design, and the perfect-fitting jean. What makes your brand so popular but still enables people to feel part of a niche? J Brand has new product and design that’s timely. Our J Brand woman follows fashion, and demands new product constantly. We deliver her with new, modern elements each season. Keep up with the trends at jbrandjeans.com.
theceomagazine.com.au