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be spo ken Spring/Summer 2008

Spring -Summer trends

A day in the English country How to buy your own private island Daniel Craig & Hollywood love Scabal The Bespoke Coach : your summer wardrobe Huddersfield weaving magic

A SCABAL initiative to promote A taIlor-made lifestyle

SCABAL Magalogue -Arth.indd 2-3

11/12/07 11:40:16

EDITORIAL COMMENT

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

Me, Myself and I

© F.Uyttenhove

05 06 08

We work mainly with international advertisers. If you are interested in our advertising rates, please contact Jérôme Stéfanski, jerome@togethermedia.eu, or +32 (0)475 41 63 62

TEMPTATIONS

The art of receiving The pleasure of giving CONFESSION

Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

The publisher cannot be held responsible for the views and opinions expressed in this magazine by authors and contributors.

BESPOKEN is neither responsible for nor endorses the content of advertisements printed on its pages.BESPOKEN cannot be held responsible for any error or inaccuracy in such advertising material.

Bespoke life BESPOKE LUGGAGE AND ACCESSORIES

Samsonite Black Label: A couture above the rest TAILOR’S DICTIONARY

-From A to CFROM SHEEP TO SHOP

A marriage made in heaven BESPOKE COACH

The summer wardrobe

Editor : Jérôme Stéfanski Publisher : Gregor Thissen Project Manager : Kristel Geets Advertising Coordinator : Alexandra Colleye

EXCEPTIONAL MACHINES

Perrelet: The craftsman who marked time SO ENGLISH

Old bottles, new wine

Concept & Graphic Design : Dansaert&Fils Creative Director : Marcel Ceuppens

SPRING-SUMMER 2008 TRENDS

A day in the country THE GOURMET PLACE

Ten ingredients for a perfect picnic SCABAL GROUP

Huddersfield weaving magic

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MODERN - DAY CRAFTSMEN

So in love with this lovely green DIARY

Two seasons under an English sky TERRA INCOGNITA

Private island

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CULT OF SPORT

Viva Riva!

SCABAL ACROSS THE WORLD

The human touch

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PORTRAIT

Daniel Craig: Bond, made-to-measure THIS IS SCABAL

Hollywood loves Scabal

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DESIGNER IN VOGUE

Tradition and radical modernity: Kris Van Assche AUTUMN-WINTER 2008/2009 FABRIC DESIGN

Four seasons, one collection LAST BUT NOT LEAST

News Scabal worldwide

Contributors : Alan Cannon Jones Nigel Bishop Alexandra Colleye James Drew Ronald Hall Robin Lauffer Hélène Noël Josephine Overeen Jean Perini Bernhard Roetzel Jérôme Stéfanski

W

elcome to the second edition of Bespoken. Our cover’s image, a fingerprint, is perhaps the finest symbol for what wearing a Scabal suit is all about - as with the patterns and swirls on the tips of our fingers, a Scabal suit is unique to its owner, and will never be duplicated.

We were quite overwhelmed by the positive reaction to our first edition, so we are highly motivated to continue providing interesting and innovative material.

Obviously, we also had some critical feedback. Since listening to our customers is part of our corporate culture, we have therefore tried to improve on our first effort.

One might ask, in times of financial market crisis and economical slowdown, whether luxury items are still ‘flavour of the month’. Our philosophy is simple: whatever the circumstances, there should always be room for a little pleasure and reward for your hard work. Putting on an extraordinary piece of clothing, such as a lightweight worsted vicuna suit, is certainly a memorable moment.

While you browse through the magazine, you will discover that the British countryside and its various attractions are the main feature of this edition.

The Yorkshire Dales, that surround our weaving mill near Huddersfield, provide an appropriate backdrop to the presentation of the Scabal SpringSummer 2008 Collection. Happy reading !

J.P. & G. Thissen

We increased the number of pages by 25 percent, which allows us to include more content. We are also accommodating our international readership by providing translations of the key articles on www.bespoken.com.

In this Spring-Summer 2008 edition, we decided to introduce The Tailor’s Dictionary and The Bespoke Coach, both written by international specialists in their field. We believe that today’s consumer wants to make informed choices and Scabal wishes to assist by providing detailed information and insight.

J.P. Thissen, Chairman & his son Gregor, CEO Scabal Group

Proofreading : James Drew Together Media rue d’Alost 7 (Centre Dansaert -2nd C) B-1000 Brussels Belgium Phone : +32 (0)475 41 63 62 info@togethermedia.eu www.scabal.com www.bespoken.com SCABAL boulevard d’Anvers 33 B-1000 Brussels Belgium Phone : + 32 (0)2 217 50 55

This indicates a key article that is available in a variety of languages at www.bespoken.com

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Taking care of yourself is a luxury that, all too often, we tend to overlook.

Because a healthy spirit simply can’t be achieved without a healthy body, Bespoken recommends a selection of products whose primary mission is to make you even more attractive.

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Admiral’s Cup name approved by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, London.

ME, MYSELF AND I

A PERMANENT TOUCH OF TAN

Preserve your hard-earned holiday bronzing with this revitalising self-tan solution from Skeen, which reactivates your skin’s repair mechanisms while at the same time providing it with a light, progressive and flexible tan. A very natural look that should keep you happy all year round. 35 € www.skeen.fr

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A KISS TO DIE FOR...

From Jean-Paul Gaultier’s prestigious make-up range for men, Beautiful Male, this balsam for gentlemen’s lips is available in three colours, to go naturally with your skin colour. Thanks to JPG, your lips are instantly smooth and glossy, just waiting to be kissed! 17.50 € www.jeanpaulgaultier.com

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THE EYES HAVE IT

Doctor Sebagh is renowned worldwide for the rejuvenation and good looks he brings to his patients. Now, a new product that removes wrinkles and pockets under the eyes, reduces elastin and collagen loss and prevents capillaries from bursting, has been launched. Made from natural substances that counter the tired appearance of your eyes – results guaranteed. 90 € www.drsebagh.com

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TAKE YOUR PICK!

Nickel is allowing gentlemen to choose their type of girl ! Their three latest eau de cologne are based on three different types of woman - three true temptations for the chaps. Designed by Lévy and Philippe Dumont, Ulla Lalla, (beautiful and ingenious), Suzy Panty (femme fatale) and Calamity Ginger (impetuous and attractive), are available in a special limited-edition range (only 5,000 available worldwide). They’re waiting impatiently for you... 46 € www.nickel.fr

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SOFTLY, SOFTLY...

Anthony Logistics’s pre-shaving solution softens the beard to ease the shaver’s journey over the skin. Camomile and coconuts cool the heat of your shave and accelerate skin recovery, while vitamin C protects you from free radicals. True bliss for the discerning gentleman. 18.50 € www.anthony.com A.C.

UNLOCK AND CONQUER Admiral’s Cup Tides 48 Gold The signature nautical flags identify the ultimate timepiece that releases the extreme sportsman within. Each element is conceived, developed and hand-assembled by our master watchmakers while respecting the most rigorous quality standards. The Corum exclusive self-winding movement provides valuable information on the state of the tides with its customary accuracy and reliability.

Visit www.corum.ch

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TEMPTATIONS

TEMPTATIONS

THE ART OF RECEIVING

THE PLEASURE OF GIVING

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RELAXED TRAINER

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High-class shoes J.M. Weston supplements their ‘Supple Fit’ collection with this slim-form trainer shoe. Smooth or brushed calfskin announces a sporting and elegant style and for the soles, a new gum design. J.M. Weston, worn with Bermuda shorts or traditional trousers, are perfect for summers. 320 € www.jmweston.com

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MAGIC BOX

Internationally recognised, Smythson have been making refined gentlemen happy since 1887. Their prestigious ‘boxesof-tricks’ will ensure that you don’t lose your cufflinks and, at the same time, will smarten up your dressing room.

Lined in soft Swedish calf-leather, they are available in black pigskin or black and dark brown calfskin. And the icing on the cake ? Your cuff-link container can be fully personalised with your initials. 300 € Personalised lettering : 12 € per letter. www.smythson.com

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GIFT OF THE GODS

Tantalum is one of the rarest and most precious metals in the world.

Its name refers to Tantalus, the son of Zeus, Greek father of the gods. Twice as heavy as steel, in grey graphite with a light blue hue and a melting point higher than 3,000°C, this high-tech material was chosen by Montblanc for their bayonet-joint cuff-links. The result ?

Tradition and technology merge to bring solid exclusivity. 385 € www.montblanc.com

GENTLE MELODIES

Straight from Toronto, and with only 200 available worldwide, this objet d’art uses passive amplification to transform your iPod’s acoustics. With no need for batteries, the Phonofone exploits the virtues of horn acoustics to boost the audio output from standard earphones to up to 55 decibels – it instantly transforms treble hiss into a warm, rich and resonant sound. As a bonus, the Phonofone is entirely constructed with ceramic, which offers long-lasting durability combined with respect for the environment.

590 € www.scienceandsons.com

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1 HERGÉ FOREVER In 1973, for the first and last time, world-renowned illustrator Hergé agreed to be photographed in his home, surrounded by the masterpieces of his private collection – diverse works representing Pop American artists such as Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselman, but also gems from David Hockney, Kenneth Nollant, Poliakoff, Fontana, Tsoclis, Karel Call and Cobra. Belgian photographer, André Soupart, presents two prestigious collections, one in black and white, the other in colour.

Only twelve sets are available for sale (six of each), all are signed by the photographer. Each collection is contained in a box, with a handwritten introduction from Soupart along with a description of the photos.

Bona fide certificate of authenticity included.

Black and White or Colour Collection 12,000 € Both Collections : 22,750 € www.andresoupart.com/portfoliosherge.html

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3 Taste knows no boundaries

With 18-carat white gold, diamonds, rubies, pink quartz, yellow tourmalines, beryls and garnets. Such soft words to describe the finish of these jewels, which, with their dazzling vivaciousness, will allow you to declare your rejuvenated femininity.

Price on request. www.cartier.com

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Irresistible scribbles

Precious heels

These simply fabulous court shoes are decorated with satin, silk and leather petals, embossed by hand with the brand Sentiment Profond. The heels, brilliantly finished in 18-carat gold, are complemented by a gold bee, crimped with agate and onyx and with wings cut from rock crystal, which provides the final touch to this masterpiece. Comparable even to Cinderella’s glass slippers !

20,720 € mailamore@wanadoo.fr

Cheers Damoiselles !

Young designer Stéphanie Balini presents the Baccarat Damoiselles collection - exceptional glasses that are a singular expression of the talent and expertise associated with the brand.

Each glass is hand-made by France’s finest artisans in clear crystal and onyx.

With their random garlands of cut flowers, light contrasts and unsurpassed nuances of extreme refinement, the Damoiselles are sure to adorn the most prestigious tables as well as attracting the most educated collectors.

Price on request. www.baccarat.com

Chopard allows us to treasure forever those magic moments that we would not forget for the world. And no better item could be chosen for such immortalisation than this matching notebook and pen – very, very pretty, in resolutely romantic pink. An emotion, paper, a quill... a memory.

Price on request. www.chopard.com

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A wave of freshness!

The new, ultralight version of Crème de la Mer’s Miracle Broth has arrived at just the right time of the year, namely when temperatures are supposed to start rising ! From the moment its infinitely soft touch is applied, your skin is refreshed and hydrated.

Price on request, www.cremedelamer.com A.C. & J.S.

© Samsonite Black Label

CONFESSION

BESPOKE LIFE

In each edition, Bespoken invites an outside opinion on Scabal. Always in tune with the latest trends, International Strategic Planner Robin Lauffer acquired her expertise in New York, London and Paris. Here, she shares her view on made-to-measure versus mass-production.

BESPOKE LUGGAGE AND ACCESSORIES

P

ersonal DVD recorders, customised trainers, individualised websites, bespoke suits, custom-blended perfumes… in this world of mass individualism, is there still room for ‘we’?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the trend towards customisation. When just about anyone can walk around in a tip-to-toe designer look, buying off the rack is no longer enough. After all, there’s nothing quite like the luxury of something being designed exclusively for one, such as a finely tailored suit, a one-off jewel, or a custom-designed Bentley, which offers more options for personalisation than you can imagine.

I’m an even a bigger fan of personalisation when it’s used as a form of self-expression.

Take the Scabal ‘Private Line’ collection - not only is it custom fit, it enables the wearer to weave a personalised message into the suit’s fabric. How’s that for wearing your heart on your sleeve ?

There’s also Anya Hindmarch’s ‘Be a Bag’. What began as a charity promotion, featuring handbags designed with treasured personal photos of top cultural icons, went on to be such a success that it is now available to all shoppers at Hindmarch shops.

For the ultimate in self-expression, there’s myspecialbook.com, a publishing company specialising in custom designed tomes. Prices range from a few thousand to upwards of one hundred thousand pounds for a fully written, illustrated and custom-designed autobiography.

But what concerns me about the growing desire for ‘customised everything’ is the death of the collective ‘we’. With DVD recorders, people can now even

create their own individualised television schedules. While undeniably convenient, that means goodbye to shared watercooler moments discussing ‘last night’s episode’. And personal home pages on social networking sites don’t really promote social networking – rather, they tend to be more like : “Let me tell you about me, and oh yeah, what do you think about me ?”

I love bespoke, but also believe that widely available mass-produced technology, entertainment, literature, and clothing have a significant role to play. They are a sign of the times.

Pucci celebrated the psychedelic sixties just as Montblanc epitomised the egotist eighties. Mass-produced consumer items should still be welcomed, because they not only help define our culture, but also because they help accentuate much sought-after individuality.

R.L.

SAMSONITE BLACK LABEL: A COUTURE ABOVE THE REST Quentin Mackay, Samsonite’s Creative Director, is passionate about the new Samsonite Black Label Couture Collection – a personalised luxury carry-on range that harks back to an era when voyaging was still special.

Bespoken chats to the gentleman who’s putting style back into the travel lounge.

Self - expression by Scabal © F.Uyttenhove

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UNIVERSAL PERSONALISATION

The essence of Scabal remains its emphasis on personalisation. This value is essential to the brand; its very history has been thus defined. Today, many other brands are attempting to imitate this concept, which can give rise to certain eccentricities.

The latest ? ‘My M&M’s’ (www.mymms.com), which must be the first mass-marketed individualised sweet to be introduced onto the European market. US customers have enjoyed the sweet benefits of this personalisation since 2004, and the concept is now available in Europe. The famous brand of chocolate can be designed according to your taste. Not only can you select the colour of both sweets and packaging, you can also have a message of your choice inscribed on every M&M! Is personalisation taking over ?

J.S. Over to you...

The customer’s initials can be engraved or embossed in leather

© Samsonite Black Label

T

he passion for creativity and luxury would appear to be in the bloodline for Samsonite’s Global Creative Director Quentin Mackay : “It kind of runs in the family a little bit,” he explains.

“My grandmother and my auntie were seamstresses, and my grandmother made handbags in the war, so she always promoted that interest in me – she gave me my first sewing machine when I was 13 years old, so creating things has always been there.”

And Samsonite Black Label’s Couture Collection, launched in April 2007, is the very definition of creativity, luxury and individuality – perfect for the sophisticated traveller jaded with today’s era of mass production and ubiquitous generic style, which has seemingly arrived, hand in hand, with the proliferation of budget airlines.

Collection Couture, Boarding Bag : Vintage Style

Couture luggage is available in more than 100,000 sumptuous combinations – your classic boarding bag, luxurious soft side spinner case, contemporary tote bag and many other travel essentials can now be yours, hewn from such exquisite components as crocodile print cow-hide, English bridle leather in tan or black – even genuine shark skin in blue or black is available.

It’s all about fine handmade craftsmanship, superlative materials, individual styles and boundless variations. As well as the leathers and fabrics, each piece can be selected with a choice of metal finishes and linings, as well as monogrammed with personal initials available in a selection of fonts, styles and colours. So, a throwback for the old-fashioned traveller, then ?

Quentin seems sure : “We all love nostalgia – the general travel experience today is not a very nice experience, especially flying out of the UK. So, Samsonite Black Label is coming very much from a “personal satisfaction” angle – you know, you’ve got something, somebody sees you 12

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in the crowd ; they might not know where your bag is from, but it is a very special feeling, that you’ve personally designed it.”

When it comes to a collection that is skilfully handcrafted to a person’s exact specifications, where the metal hardware, fabric and linings are of a similar luxury level to the leathers and exotics at the heart of every creation, what section of the market is being targeted ? “We’ve been quite clear on the Samsonite Black Label Couture concept – we only want it to appeal to ten percent of the population. Ten percent will love it, ten percent will take it or leave it, and eighty percent will hate it. The ten percent we’re after, I call them ‘The Style Wolves’, because they’re always out there, they’re always looking for something new – their preferences trickle down, then it becomes en masse, and then they look for something new again. They basically drive the consumer markets forward ;

these are the “bravehearts”, they’re interested in technology, they’re interested in gadgets, they’re interested in something different, they’re prepared to spend the money, and we can get them their heart’s desire in four to six weeks.

According to research, the middle market is kind of disappearing, but the low end and the high end are really growing, and that’s where the Samsonite Black Label Couture Collection comes in, at the high end.”

It’s in startling contrast with the perceived ‘functional bags’ image of Samsonite – in Mackay’s own words : “20 years ago, we were known as the ‘hardside-suitcase’ brand, and the company’s latest range is all part of the efforts to change this perception. But, to be fair, Samsonite in fact began as a luxury brand in a luxury industry, way back in 1910 – back when travel was a pleasure for the privileged few.”

So, one’s personal cases as an important expression of individuality, is that the idea ? “I have experience in luxury brands - I’ve been nurtured, lets say, in the ‘silver spoon’ side of the industry. I’ve been in brands that make handbags ; there’s so much colour, decoration, texture, garnishing and hardware used. I arrived at Samsonite and realised that none of this approach had really been used, but, when you think about it, your valise performs exactly the same function as a handbag, you carry your personal possessions around in it, so a logical extension for someone who’s fashion conscious is that they can extend their interests into luggage as well. And Samsonite can underpin that with the quality that Samsonite Black Label supplies. What I’m saying is this – why haven’t people thought about expressing themselves through their travel gear ? Quite simply, I don’t think that they’ve been really encouraged to do so, until now.”

What are you waiting for ? Your Samsonite Black Label Couture Collection reservation awaits – as the tag line puts it, Life’s a Journey – and it is undoubtedly in first class.

J.D.

The Couture Collection is available exclusively through a selection of Samsonite Black Label stores, where experienced staff assist in the personalisation of your handmade selection.

Europe London Sloane, London Harrods, Berlin, Moscow Gum, Moscow Seasons US New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Short Hills NJ, Holt Renfrew Toronto Asia Taipei, Hong Hong, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo Ginza, Tokyo Nihombashi www.samsoniteblacklabel.com

© Samsonite Black Label Collection Couture, Spinner Upright : ubiquitous style through the use of fi ne handmade craftsmanship, superlative materials, individual styles and infi nite variations

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© C. Levêcque

-AARMHOLE

The armhole of the garment into which the sleeve is sewn. The armhole is often

referred to as the “scye” by tailors.

Its exact depth and shape are crucial

to the fit and movement of the garment during wear.

-BA hand stitch used to join garment parts.

So called because the needle, during the operation, goes back to be inserted at the end of the previous stitch.

construction stage and also described as hand-sewn lines of white stitching. These are visible during the fitting stage; all external stitches are removed on completion of the garment.

BACK STRAP

BESPOKE

A seam having its fabric edges bound to prevent fraying.

A strap across the back of a garment, usually on a waistcoat.

Bespoke clothes are those made according to the individual’s order.

BREAK

BACK TACKING

BIAS

The reverse sewing at the beginning and end of each seam for strengthening.

An oblique direction to the warp and weft of the cloth. True bias is at 45 degrees and is often used when cutting the under-collar of a jacket.

BACK STITCH

BALANCE

Garment balance is the adjustment of the relation of one section of a garment to another in harmony with the natural figuration of the customer. Usually referring to the front and back of the garment.

BLIND STITCH

A stitch, either by hand or machine, which does not penetrate right through the cloth.

BLOCK PATTERN

BALANCE MARKS

The tailor’s world

Notches, nips or threads in the garment parts which help to preserve the balance of the garment during assembly.

A template made in paper or card used for marking out the parts of a garment on to the fabric.

BLUFFING

TAILOR’S DICTIONARY

- FROM A TO C -

The intense satisfaction derived from the final fitting of a custom-made suit is the fruit of close co-operation between the tailor and his customer. At the heart of this teamwork : dialogue. For this reason, Bespoken and Alan Cannon Jones offer the first edition of a new regular feature : a step-by-step guide to specialist terms that will allow you to clearly communicate your needs to your tailor.

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BAR TACK

A reinforcement by means of repeated stitching. Used at the end of buttonholes, pocket corners and belt loops.

BEARER

A section of cloth inside the trouser waistband, at the top of the fly, to take the weight of the trousers when fastened.

BASTE

The temporary stitches that keep the garment together during the

The process of stitching down the front facings onto the canvas inside the front of a jacket.

BODKIN

A pointed implement for piercing holes in the cloth and removing baste stitches.

BOUND SEAM

The point where the bridle ends at the centre front of a jacket, usually at the top buttonhole.

BRIDLE

A narrow strip of material, usually cotton, which is padded onto the canvas along the roll of the lapel to hold and control it.

BUGGY

A lining from the neck down across the back of an unlined jacket or coat.

BUTTON

A disc which is attached to the front of a garment as a means of fastening or decoration.

BUTTON STAND

BLUFF EDGES

The distance from the finished edge of the garment to the centre of the button.

The garment edges being finished without any outside stitching showing.

BUTTONHOLE

BOARD (TAILOR’S)

The hole through which a button is passed to fasten the garment.

The place where the tailor works, usually in the form of a table, on which he may sit when hand sewing. The cutter would work at a cutting board.

BUTTONHOLE TWIST

The tightly twisted thread used in hand sewn buttonholes.

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-CCANVAS

WWW.SWAROVSKI.COM

CRUTCH

A closely woven fabric used as an interlining in jackets and coats. This can be made from cotton, flax, hemp, jute or man-made fibres.

CATCH

An underlap of material providing a backing to an opening, as in a trouser fly.

CHAIN STITCH

The stitch is formed by an interloping of threads to form a chain. Used in the leg and seat seam of trousers due to its stretch properties.

CHALK (TAILOR’S )

A piece of flat pipe clay, either square or triangular in shape, used for marking onto cloth.

CHEST PIECE

A small piece of hair canvas and felt

that is sewn to the interlining in the chest area of the garment for strength and shape retention.

The region between the legs at which the inside leg seams are joined. Also known as the fork.

CLOTH

CUFF

Any woven material may be described as cloth. In tailoring this is understood as the outer fabric of the garment.

The lower part of the sleeve around the wrist. In tailoring this may have a vent and buttons.

COLLAR

CURTAINS

The neck band, stand and fall, which completes the upper part of a garment around the neck.

Lining material below the waistband on the inside of tailored trousers.

CUTTING

CROSS POCKET

A pocket that is across the garment horizontally.

Cutting out the fabric either by hand shears or a machine.

CROSS STITCH

A type of hand stitch when the needle passes alternately on and off the edge of the fabric in advance of the last stitch.

To be continued.

A.C.J.

Alan Cannon Jones was born in St. Albans, England. After leaving school, he took up an apprenticeship as a tailor with Nicholson &Co. During his apprenticeship, he attended the London College of Fashion to gain his tailoring qualifications. Nicholson & Co. was later taken over

by Chester Barrie but Alan continued to work with them, eventually becoming Production Manager. He is now the Director for Menswear and Bespoke Tailoring at the London College of Fashion and continues to work as a consultant in the industry. He is also a regular contributor to conferences on the subjects of menswear, bespoke tailoring and mass customisation. Š 2008 SWAROVSKI AG

Alan Cannon Jones, London College of Fashion

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“T

he star of our new collection is without doubt ‘Sunrise’,” Michael Day explains. “50 percent Super 200’s wool and 50 percent silk, it is a luxury gentlemen’s suiting cloth at the very top end of the market – with a soft touch, light feel and beautiful shine.

FROM SHEEP TO SHOP

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

What’s new in Scabal’s fabric collection for Spring-Summer 2008 ?

And why ? Bespoken caught up with Michael Day, the busy head of Design & Creation at Scabal’s Brussels headquarters.

“‘Sunrise’ is a cloth produced in Scabal’s own weaving plant in Huddersfield (England).

Spinning and weaving this delicate wool and silk composition - a marriage made in heaven - is not an easy task as it is very labour-intensive. However, the result is definitely worth it: ‘Sunrise’ is one of the most remarkable fabrics for suits developed in recent years.”

MICRONS ONLY HALF THE STORY ‘Sunrise’ is an exceptionally soft fabric weighing 220 grammes. The fine micron 1 micron is one thousandth of a millimetre - of the combed worsted is not the only measure of its quality. “In my opinion, we talk too much about microns. The crimp and length of wool fibres are just as important when you want to make a fine quality cloth.”

© Fotostudio Uyttebroeck

‘Sunrise’ offers a high-colour palette of 28 designs for top-end suiting, including the light greys and beiges particularly appreciated in Middle East and South American markets. “And we have some beautiful top decoration that makes ‘Sunrise’ a very soft, fine-looking and colourful cloth,” says Day. As from early 2008, ‘Sunrise’ is available in the 65 countries served by Scabal.

DEMAND FOR A SHINY LOOK

‘Sunrise’ : the star of the new Scabal Collection 18

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“While on the subject of silk, we have another new collection called ‘Sleek’. The theme ?

Fashionable and ideal ready-to-wear suits for younger men.” And shine has to be part of the package. They have a choice too : part of the collection comprises a combination of Super 120’s and silk, the other part is made of wool and

20 percent silk. Either will give them a high-quality, shiny look.

5,000+ FABRICS ON YOUR SCREEN

Another demand shift that is shaping Scabal’s new fabrics is the move towards high-quality wools. A few years ago, a Super 150’s wool suit would have been elite; now it’s quite normal.

Considering a bespoke suit in a lightweight, dark blue, herringbone cashmere cloth ? Discover for yourself how easy it is to choose from more than 5,000 Scabal fabrics in the Consumer Fabrics Catalogue on www.scabal.com (Fabrics section).

Day explains: “This is why we will launch ‘Prelude’ early in 2008 : a Super 160’s wool suiting with a wide range of colours and semi-fancy designs. It’s an upgrading of our mid-quality cloth to meet changing market expectations.”

LATEST TECHNOLOGY “But our new products are not only inspired by market knowledge.” In fact, the new Scabal 100 percent worsted vicuna for blazers comes from advances in the manufacturing process. The vicuna llama – which lives in the Andes at 5,000 metres above sea level – gives the finest and rarest natural fibres. But, because they are mostly short, it was previously impossible to use them to spin a fine worsted yarn.

Here, it’s about traditional craftsmanship combined with stateof-the-art technologies. More than 32,000 files were produced to build the tool, generating 100 gigabyte of data - that’s 100 billion bytes, equal to one million normal photos or 200 CDs ! View all the fabrics in their real size or, if you wish, ‘zoom in’.

Abundant additional information is provided for each cloth article, and the world of special-edition fabrics is opened up.

The Fabrics Catalogue is available in French and English and, as a priviliged Scabal web user, you will receive exclusive news first via the regular newsletter.

“Now, after hand-sorting the longer fibres, we are able to spin them to a worsted yarn on new-generation machinery.” The result is a finerlooking, softer blazer in pure vicuna cloth.

STAYING COOL This year, Scabal is also introducing a lightweight summer suiting called ‘Mirage’, a Super 130’s. It is available in a plain or airy tropical weave that breathes well in hot, humid conditions. “With its fineness of weave, 220-gramme weight and selection of colours from light through to black, ‘Mirage’ will be particularly appreciated in the Asian markets,” Day explains.

“Lastly, we have ‘Quattro’ : a small collection of lightweight summer suitings in 10 plain colours.” What makes this cloth so special is the four-ply Super 130’s wool – meaning four threads of yarn twisted together – woven in a very open, porous weave.

This creates a fine fresco cloth that breathes easily and is crease resistant.

N.B. Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

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Š F.Uyttenhove

BESPOKE COACH

THE SUMMER WARDROBE Style and fashion commentator Bernhard Roetzel offers discerning gentlemen advice concerning the route to summer elegance, in his first article as The Bespoke Coach.

The Scabal summer outfit : Jacket, Pure Linen, ref : 800950 Trousers, Pure Cotton, ref : 500439 20

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ALTHOUGH LINEN IS NOTORIOUS FOR CREASING AND LOSING ITS SHAPE VERY QUICKLY, IT DEPENDS ON THE MATERIAL’S WEIGHT AS TO HOW QUICKLY THIS PROCESS WILL SET IN

F

© F.Uyttenhove

Open sleeve vents with working buttonholes and ‘ kissing’ buttons.

Scabal, ‘Pure Linen’ collection, ref : 800950

or many, summer is a season of sartorial setbacks.

The temperatures are not appropriate for beloved heavy suits or jackets, grey flannels are out of the question and the beautifully tailored overcoat must remain in the wardrobe.

But the season can offer some pleasure for the aficionado of tailored clothes – it’s the time to order new outfits for autumn and winter, and also the chance to finally wear the summer garments that arrived in spring.

LINEN, A LIGHTER CUT The summer wardrobe is basically a lighter version of the classics that are worn between October and May : dark city suits, country suits in shades of brown and green, sports jackets, trousers and evening wear, identical in cut and style but tailored in lighter fabrics woven from twisted yarns.

In addition, there is one garment that has no direct counterpart in winter : the linen summer suit.

This is a fairly recent addition to the wardrobe of the northern and mid-European gentleman, and its roots can be found in the US and southern Europe. Elsewhere, there has not been any real utility in an off-white linen suit, because summers were always considered a fairly uncomfortable but short season.

No real need was seen for investing in clothing for three or four warm months ; nevertheless, a linen suit has always been considered extremely elegant.

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To see the linen suit in its natural surroundings, a summer trip to Naples, Italy, is recommended. You might be lucky enough to see some well-cut, magnificently tailored examples sported by gentlemen of Italian or other origin ; chances are that the suits will have been made by one of the famous tailoring houses that have fitted out some of the world’s best-dressed men since the 1920s. These tailors are famous for their unlined, unconstructed linen suits in white, blue or tobacco.

Although linen is notorious for creasing and losing its shape very quickly, it depends on the material’s weight as to how quickly this process will set in.

Linen is surprisingly heavy compared with woollen suits ; 300 to 400 grammes per metre is not unusual. Lighter examples are available, but they will crease much more and may also appear too transparent.

Naples tailors are well known for suits that feel more like a shirt than a jacket.

As hardly any padding can be used, the cut is of great importance as it is the only way to give a good line to the garment. Despite the natural shoulders and the soft drape on the chest, these suits enhance the male shape beautifully, while retaining the impression of lightness and softness.

Many gentlemen will hesitate before wearing a linen suit. It is a matter of colour rather than material as to whether a linen suit will look out of place on the summer streets of New York, London, Tokyo or Bogotá. A blue linen suit would be suitable in all of these towns, just like a garment in darker

colours such as tan or tobacco. Only the white linen suit might look a little out of place, particularly for office wear.

SEERSUCKER SPLENDOUR In New York, one can find another classic summer suit that’s almost invisible elsewhere. The American answer to the linen suit is the single-breasted seersucker. Named after the cloth from which it is made, its typical wrinkled effect is created by stretching the base threads while leaving the weft threads looser. Seersucker is one of the best everyday cotton fabrics; it hardly wrinkles, because it is wrinkled from the start.

The image of the cloth suffered a little during the 1970s, when synthetic fibres were added to create a machine-washable quality. Thus, Seersucker suits were very popular with travelling sales reps but the real all-cotton fabric has remained the basis for a very stylish summer wardrobe.

The classic style is unlined, self-lined or half-lined. It is recommended that the sleeves be lined on all styles, because otherwise it is hard to pull the jacket over the shirtsleeve. Natural shoulders, patch pockets and vents would be in keeping with the unlined construction and the rather informal look. A double-breasted seersucker suit is an unusual choice but a very stylish alternative – it was very popular in the 1940s. If you find a complete suit made of seersucker a bit much, you can always use the cloth for separate jackets and trousers.

CORDUROY CLASS Most men think of weaves such as twill or cotton gabardine when cotton is mentioned, yet there is another type BESPOKEN

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I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TRYING AN UNLINED CONSTRUCTION FOR SUMMER SUITS; THE AIR WILL PASS THROUGH THE FABRIC MUCH MORE EASILY Giacca camicia Scabal N°12 collection Jacket, ‘Blazers’, 100% wool, ref. 801042 Trousers, ‘Cashmere Cotton’, ref. 500439 © F.Uyttenhove

of cotton cloth appropriate for summer wear. Fine corduroy is a rather unusual choice but, in the right colour and weight, it is very wearable and offers a type of relaxed elegance that cannot be achieved with any other fabric. Why not off-white baby corduroy with a lining of pale blue or even dusty pink ? Summer is the season for sartorial freedom and anything that might look totally out of place in fall can be just right for sitting in the sun while enjoying your coffee.

SILKY SMOOTH The ultimate luxury suit for summer is made of silk. Long-recognised as the fabric of kings and noblemen but, since the French Revolution, its use in menswear has been reduced mainly to ties, pocket handkerchiefs, fancy waistcoats and evening wear. Summer seems to be the only season that permits a gentleman to choose silk for a suit.

There are a wide variety of colours, weights and finishes. For summer, one can opt for the classic shades of cream, brown blue or elephant grey. If one does not want to draw attention to the fact that silk is being worn, you can always find silk suitings that resemble fine cotton or even wool. Thus, it is considered the height of understated elegance to show up in a navy silk suit that looks like worsted to anyone but the connoisseur.

Despite linen’s beauty, cotton, silk or wool remains the best material for an everyday summer suit. Today weavers offer weights that men could only dream of in the 1960s. Some tailors are not so fond of extremely lightweight cloths because they have to be handled with 24

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the utmost care. Heavier fabrics can be shaped with the iron to an extreme degree while lightweights are limited in this respect. When choosing a cloth for a summer suit, one should look not only at the actual weight of a fabric but also the tightness of the weave.

PADDING THE JOB Other important influences on a summer suit’s feel are the interlining, padding and linings. Southern Europeans love unlined or half-lined suits, while men in middle and northern Europe tend to find the inside of an unlined suit to look untidy or only half-finished. One may argue about the actual difference that the linings will make but, on a really hot day every additional layer will make you uncomfortable. Thus I strongly recommend trying an unlined construction for summer suits ; the air will pass through the fabric much more easily.

Most customers do usually not discuss the interlinings and padding but it is highly advisable to ask the tailor about the types that he will use. Old-fashioned continental tailors sometimes tend to use heavy interlinings and too much padding because that was how jackets were made when they first learned their trade and cloths were much heavier.

GIACCA CAMICIA A growing number of men work in surroundings that allow for less formal clothes. Usually they will opt for a combination of a jacket or blazer with slacks. An unlined navy blazer made from a midweight hopsack cloth would be a perfect choice for warm summer days.

Despite the actual weight of the fabric

that might amount to 230 grammes per metre, the garment will not feel warm : the cloth will breathe because of its open construction.

Trousers would usually be grey or tan but why not try a dusty pink or light blue ? Cotton is the more comfortable choice on hot days but a light wool gabardine will stay in shape much better. Sports jackets are not rated as appropriate for office wear in England but in continental Europe, rules are less strict. The patterns for summery jacketings are based on traditional checks but in general colours are lighter and brighter. They also differ in the type of fibres used; typical are mixtures of wool, linen and silk.

In order to put as little weight on the wearer’s shoulders, Italian tailors, who are masters of legerezza, might choose a shirtlike construction for summer blazers or jackets. This means that they don’t use any shoulder pads, just light linen canvas.

The sleeves are inserted in the same way as in a shirt, creating a rounded, slightly sloping shoulder line. This gives the giacca camicia a relaxed elegance that perfectly complements the season.

Summer is the season of great possibilities in terms of fabrics and styles - after all, it is the only time of the year when we can display our suits and jackets freely, as in winter they are usually hidden under overcoats. And what could feel better than strolling down the street in a personalised suit that perfectly fits both body and mind ?

B.R.

The Bespoke Coach

Bernhard Roetzel was born in Hanover in 1966, and spent part of his childhood in South Africa.

After studying design, he worked as a copywriter at advertising agencies in Hamburg and Frankfurt and as a script editor for a television production company. Author of the popular Gentleman : A Timeless Fashion and British Tradition and Interior Design, Bernhard Roetzel has studied classic men’s fashion for more than ten years.

Apart from his work as an author and editor, he also holds lectures and seminars on matters of style.

He is married and lives near Cologne in Germany. www.bernhardroetzel.de BESPOKEN

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Š Perrelet

EXCEPTIONAL MACHINES

PERRELET: THE CRAFTSMAN WHO MARKED TIME

In its perpetual quest for discovery and exclusivity, Bespoken offers an insight into the history of Perrelet, reborn doyen of the luxury watch industry. We reveal an enthralling story in which craftmanship, know-how, elegance and patience combine to offer time-keeping creations that come very close to perfection.

The Double Rotor Titanium Collection : despite the extraordinary complexity of its mechanism, the simplicity of the display underlines the quality and individuality of this unique model

AUTHENTICITY, CREATIVITY, RELIABILITY AND QUALITY ARE THE ESSENTIAL VALUES OF PERRELET

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t is the 9th January 1729, in the Joux Valley, in the heart of the Swiss Jura. Here, on this day, in the tiny village of Locle - where France’s expelled Huguenots took refuge - the man destined to revolutionize watchmaking technique was born.

© Bespoken 2007

His name ? Abraham-Louis Perrelet, and he will inherit from his father, a farmer and carpenter, a passion for beautiful work and quality tools, his passion and pastime during the interminable winters.

Thus is born Abraham-Louis’s vocation for micro-mechanics, and, combined with his willpower, will set him on the road towards his destiny as a celebrated clock and watchmaker.

A TRUE INVENTOR

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As the president of the Company of Arts of Geneva put it at the time : “Monsieur Perrelet, Locle clock and watchmaker, has made a watch that requires only the movement resulting from being placed in a pocket to remain wound and keep good time for eight days.”

A TIMEKEEPING DYNASTY After the death of his grandfather, LouisFrédéric Perrelet takes up the torch, and will also become renowned for his contributions to watchmaking excellence.

Rodriguez made a large personal investment in the revival of Perrelet Manufacture, the Double Rotor design was granted a prestigious place in the new collection.

With support from the DTH Research and Development Center (one of best to be found in Joux Valley, where ‘The Elder’ worked), Perrelet’s new leaders want to perpetuate the essential values of the traditional luxury clock industry : authenticity, creativity, reliability and quality. Exactly the same as those that motivated Abraham-Louis, in the 18th century…

J.P.

The Double Rotor Titanium : the unique design reveals the automatic winding function through the centre of the dial

Living in Paris, he attends the Breguet School, where he gains knowledge of the nautical clock industry, going on to become one of its finest practitioners.

Working, like Breguet before him, for many of the crowned heads of Europe, he gains the enviable position of clock and watchmaker laureate, a title that his own son Louis inherits, continuing the great family tradition.

TIMELY REVIVAL The reputation of the Perrelet watchmaking dynasty grew rich over the years and generations, and, while the brand will be as susceptible to the fluctuations of the Swiss watchmaking industry as any other, the house of Perrelet’s creativity is never extinguished.

Thus it was in 1995 that Perrelet craftsmen developed a dazzling addition to the measurement of time : the Double Perrelet Rotor, a unique design that reveals the automatic winding function through the centre of the dial.

Ten years later, when one of the world’s watchmaking market leaders Miguel

©Perrelet

The craftsman’s hand is present at every stage of the creation of a Perrelet watch

Before long, the young craftsman revealed exceptional prowess for the design and development of the most complex clock movement mechanisms.

His creative imagination calls into question long established time-keeping principles. His reputation for excellence crosses the borders; his expertise is frequently requested and none less than Breguet himself (the inventor of the Tourbillon Clock) will consult him. A modest man (perhaps too modest), Perrelet will remain in Locle all his life, where he will die at the age of 95, having worked for 80 years to achieve his ultimate dream : to pass his passion on to Louis-Frédéric, his grandson. Among the many watchmaking techniques that the aged artisan, known as ‘The Elder’ conceived, there is one that remains to this day : the development of the automatic movement !

heart of our automatic watches, tiresome manual winding is a thing of the distant past.

MONTRES PERRELET SA rue Bubenberg 7 CH CH - 2502 Bienne Switzerland T. +41 32 346 26 26 www.perrelet.com

SO ENGLISH

OLD BOTTLES, NEW WINE Gavin Quinney and his wife Angela, the owners of Château Bauduc, a private wine estate in Creon, France, are an expat success story. As one of only 15 English château owners in Bordeaux, they brought British personalisation to the vineyard and turned it into an online wine hit.

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ome English are driven to the continent by the desire for better and warmer weather, while, for others, it’s the search for new adventure and to follow a passion. For Gavin, already a wine buff who had sold his shares in a successful IT company, it was definitely the latter.

Already planning to launch an online wine business, his worldwide factfinding tour led him to one fortunate stop in Château Bauduc, a 19th-century jewel with a 75-acre vineyard and 125 acres of woods and fields, a winery, plus an old farmhouse.

“Gavin rang me to ask whether I would consider living in France and running a vineyard,” Angela explains.

“When I said I would, he told me that he had just bought one. It really was quite a shock.”

month restoration project at the château and farmhouse (which is now available to hire throughout the year) while Gavin made improving the crop his mission, with extensive wine-book purchases and consultations with winemakers.

If Gavin’s was a case of punch-drunk love, Angela nevertheless recovered quickly when she saw the seductive symmetrical grandeur of their future home. At the rear, three sets of huge French windows led to a stunning south-facing colonnaded terrace, overlooking 125 acres of parkland and a large swimming pool. The £1.5 million price tag was around the same as a large family house in south London.

But it’s no small feat to take on the French at wine growing, particularly when one considers that, of the around 8,000 vineyards in Bordeaux, only 15 are owned by the English.

The move meant immediate hard work for the pair - Angela began the nine-

‘NOT FOR THE MONEY’ “In fact, the local community was very welcoming,” Gavin insists. “And when our wine gained some renown, they warmed to us, as it boosts the region.” And the money ? Including the cost of refurbishing the houses, BESPOKEN

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WHITE B de Bauduc 2006 : A refreshing, sharp summer drink.

A 60 percent sauvignon blanc and 40 percent sémillion blend crafted from grapes grown by local growers.

Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2006 : A 95 percent sauvignon blanc and 5 percent barrel-fermented sémillon blend that has been honoured by top chef Gordon Ramsay, not only serving it in his restaurants, but also drinking it at home ! Culinary contemporary Rick Stein also gave it the thumbs up, with a recommendation in his Seafood Restaurant.

Crisp, dry and delicious.

Alluring elegance : Château Bauduc

the Quinneys have so far invested around an extra £1 million in Château Bauduc. As Gavin told The Guardian : “They say that the only way to make a small fortune in this game is to start with a large one. The problem was that we didn’t realise that ours was only a medium-sized one. The driving force was, and still is, the wine.

It is a passion. I would certainly never do this for money, and nor should anyone else.”

But the effort appears to have paid off - unlike other French vineyards, Château Bauduc sells and delivers straight to the customer at home, mostly in England. Eight years on,

the vineyard has become a thriving business, and the château a delightful (and now very English) family home, Angela having made the most of her decorating knowledge acquired while working for an interior-design magazine.

There was some resistance – Gavin’s tactics, imported from the New World, meant initially trimming back the vintage, a move that did not go down well at first ; the Quinneys replanted more than 10,000 vines and refined the château’s wineproduction process. “The French are into their established methods,” Gavin explains, “but we brought most of our workers round in the end.”

And not just the workers – top English restaurateurs Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsay have had the Quinneys’ Château Bauduc blanc sec at the top of their wine lists for some six years, while Oz Clarke, in his Wine Buying Guide 2007 describes Bauduc thus : “A beautiful château run by London rat-race exiles Angela and Gavin Quinney.

They make excellent red, white and rosé, all marked by their sheer drinkability and by their true sense of Bordeaux style. Affordable, approachable, Bordeaux needs another 100 Bauducs – and fast.”

J.D.

Les Trois Hectares 2005 : Made from 60-year-old sémillon vines with subtle oak shades, along with a lime, citrus and toasty vanilla character.

WHITE RED ROSÉ Les Trois Hectares 2004 : A limited release dry white wine made from sémillon, this is aromatic, long and complex and is listed at all Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and at Rick Stein’s. Less than 1,000 cases made.

RED Clos des Quinze Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2002 : A 70 percent merlot, 30 percent cabernet blend, this can be drunk now or left for a year.

Decant this traditionally styled claret before enjoying with roast lamb, a good steak or game.

ROSÉ Bordeaux Rosé 2006 : Mostly cabernet sauvignon, with a dash of merlot. Dry, fruity and drinkable.

Try it with Thai. www.bauduc.com

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SPRING-SUMMER 2008 TRENDS

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY What better way to escape the constraints of working life than a trip to the countryside ?

The exhilaration of slowing down, the excitement of total calm, and the deafening roar of near silence. A unique opportunity to be yourself‌ and express your real personality.

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s man has known for centuries, picnics are the perfect occasion to savour both food and nature at the same time.

But what started as fashionable social affairs for the wealthy – hunting feasts and country banquets – have now become less formal outdoor gatherings.

They need not, however, become any less fashionable…

n years gone by, civilised food was followed by civilised pastimes, such as croquet, badminton or butterfly collecting. After savouring the delicacies of lunch, fresh country air invites you to engage in activity, be it a leisurely stroll or a minor expedition. Keeping your clothing in perfect condition will prove the least of your worries.

A

Jacket, ‘Riviera’, pure linen, ref. 801004.

Jacket, ‘Pure Linen’, ref. 800950.

Trousers, ‘Pure Cotton’, ref. 500439.

Shirt, tie, belt, handkerchief : Scabal accessory line.

Trousers, ‘Pure Cotton’, ref. 500428.

Ties, ‘Brighton’ collection.

Belt, ‘Kusadasi’

Sit back, relax and take in the views.

Suit, ‘Lifestyle’, wool and silk, ref. 702019.

Waistcoat, ‘Lifestyle’, wool, kid mohair and silk, ref. 701201.

nother attractive feature of picnics nowadays is their simplicity. There’s not much to bring along, just a hamper of food and, preferably, some pleasant company. Naturally, the attire should be kept simple too. With picnics, style and comfort become one.

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Jacket, ‘Riviera’, linen and wool, ref. 801019.

Trousers, ‘Pure Linen’, ref. 800126.

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s the epitome of serenity, it is not hard to believe that the countryside attracted more than aristocracy alone. Add a picnic and you have a setting to inspire countless poets – William Wordsworth and William Blake spring to mind. When contemplating wondrous surroundings, one would not wish one’s appearance ever to be lacking …

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Suit, ‘Lifestyle’, Super 120’s, ref. 701991.

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Suit, ‘Lifestyle’, wool and silk, ref. 702019.

rt too has paid tribute to picnics with Manet’s Le déjeuner sur l’herbe a shining example. For those of us attuned to culinary affairs, it is time to unpack the Bordeaux wine and cucumber sandwiches.

But don’t forget, if you splash out on lunch, splash out on style too.

Why ? Because that’s the way a gentleman enjoys his picnic.

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Left : suit, ‘The Royal’, Super 100’s, ref. 701974.

Right: suit, ‘Lifestyle’, wool and silk, ref. 702019.

Left: suit, ‘Lifestyle’, Super 120’s, ref. 701991.

Right: suit, ‘Riviera’, pure cotton, ref. 801025.

Text : Nigel Bishop Photos : Frank Uyttenhove BESPOKEN

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THE GOURMET PLACE

TEN INGREDIENTS FOR A PERFECT PICNIC The days are finally getting longer — what better way to spend them than outdoors, in good company and with fine refreshment ?

Chic and never out of fashion, the picnic is without doubt one of the best ways to show off your organisational skills. But how to make the perfect picnic — quick, easy, elegant and, most important, tasty ? By following our guide, of course…

Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe

by Edouard Manet

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o help you prepare and enjoy this feast to the hilt, Bespoken has chosen the 10 ingredients that we consider indispensable for the perfect picnic. Of course, be assured that a picnic can still be pristine without sharing it with a naked young lady, as suggested by Edouard Manet in his legendary Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe (‘The Lunch on the Grass’)…

THE BLANKET For additional comfort, and to avoid the unpleasant sensation of dampness, a good blanket is essential and for the most beautiful, it has to be Hermès. Available in wool and cashmere, its softness and colours will brighten your small corner of paradise. 750€ www.hermes.com

THE BICYCLE On the hilly roads of the English countryside, nothing is as important as a good bicycle, but let’s talk about style. Thanks to Abici’s Uomo bike, you have all the beautiful design of the 1950s but with equipment and technology totally tuned to the 21st century.

Choice of saddle, handlebar covers and complementary accessories are all yours.

660€ www.abici-italia.it

THE HAMPER If there were only one hamper in the world, it would, without doubt, have to be this Krug Hamper, from French firm Pinel and Pinel. Ultimate luxury, eccentric and contemporary. Made from wood and, for the first time, with an interior of red leather, its lid, once removed, transforms itself into a coffee table. From the tulip glasses, champagne bucket, table linen by Rina Ménardi, cashmere blanket, two isothermal drawers to keep your food hot and your drinks cool, to the four leather stools and mother-of-pearl caviar spoons, nothing is left to chance for your moment of ultimate luxury.

35,000€ www.pineletpinel.com

THE TABLEWARE Complement your picnic basket perfectly with crockery to match. Wedgwood’s exquisite Chelsea Garden collection is the pinnacle of china-plate charm.

Plate (23 cm) from 13€ www.wedgwood.com

THE MENU All the trimmings aside, a picnic’s raison d’être is its menu. Not content merely to make beautiful baskets, Fortnum & Mason also offer a range of charming, delicious menus.

THE MEMORY Immortalize your perfect picnic, thanks to the Nikon D300. This latest model has revolutionized the digital camera world, with its 9 vps, 12.1 millionpixel, ultra-high ISO sensitivity.

1,599€ www.nikon.com

The Gourmet Hamper contains : Strawberries, 227g punnet Jersey Clotted Cream, 113g pot Lemon Drizzle Cake, 400g Strawberry Preserve, 227g jar Four Small Scones Rosé Champagne Billecart Salmon NV Four Champagne Flutes Four sets of Cutlery Hampers from 104€ up to 1,394€ www.fortnumandmason.com

THE VIEW THE BOOK

THE MUSIC For those who want a little more than a bird’s song and the rustle of leaves stirred by a soft spring breeze, it would be wise to bring along Bose’s portable digital audio system, the SoundDock, which allows iPod music to be played anywhere. For the playlist, choose Peer Gynt by Edward Grieg, or perhaps All The Lost Souls, the recent album from James Blunt - irresistibly charming and British.

399€ (Bag not included) www.bose.com

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THE BASKET Too much modernity ? Then trust Fortnum & Mason, suppliers to the British Royal Family, to provide this splendid authentic braided wicker basket, with tea set included. Your pleasant day of relaxation is thus assured. From 230€ www.fortnumandmason.com

In addition to the delicious dishes on offer, your guests will also be delighted to devour this highly appropriate Lesley McDowell novel. Set in 1973, a woman mysteriously vanishes from a family picnic in Toronto; the multi-layered narrative of The Picnic explores the effect of the disappearance on her daughter and granddaughter, who must return home to Scotland without her. This intriguing novel tackles issues of female identity, exile and belonging and the conflict between sexual desire and family loyalty from an entirely fresh perspective. Simply irresistible.

21€ www.amazon.co.uk

To ensure that you miss nothing of the landscape that surrounds you, take your new Leica Ultravid 10x32 HD binoculars along. Not only capable of bringing distant objects into sharp focus, this model also allows you to study the world of bees and butterflies.

1,565€ www.leica-camera.com The French and English have not restricted themselves historically to battles in Waterloo and Hastings – for some time, they have also disputed the origin of the word ‘picnic’. In French, ‘pique nique’ means to ‘picorer’ (piquer steal) something of little value (nique).

Another contrary etymology, of AngloSaxon origin, claims the origins as from the verb ‘to pick’ (to grab) and ‘nick’ (urgent). We lose the glamour of the French argument, perhaps, but let us ‘seize the moment’, as the English suggest. En route !

A.C & J.S.

SCABAL GROUP

HUDDERSFIELD WEAVING MAGIC

‘IT TAKES YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, GENERATIONS EVEN, TO GET A NEW QUALITY RIGHT’

Since its very beginning, Scabal has woven fabrics that give life to the most elegant garments. Bucking trends elsewhere, the brand has always refused to transfer its production facilities overseas, no matter how many competitors have done so. Here, we present a focus on Scabal’s Huddersfield mill, Bower Roebuck & Co Ltd, where quality has always been at the heart of the story.

YORKSHIRE ROOTS THAT GO BACK CENTURIES Bower Roebuck lies in the heart of Yorkshire, England, where cloth making has flourished for almost 500 years.

Amid wild, heather-covered moorland hills, there flows the softest water in the world. It is this water, untouched by pollution, that gives weaving mills what they need to produce the most delicate cloth a connoisseur could wish for.

It all began in the 12th century, when weavers from Flanders arrived in England, bringing with them their cloth weaving techniques. The dissolution of the monasteries broke their monopoly on corn milling in 1536, at which time the abundant energy of the millstreams was harnessed to drive cloth machines for the first time. The textile industry of the area was thus born. th

th

During the 18 and 19 centuries, technological advances brought dramatic social and economic changes. In 1899, the mill was renamed Glendale Mills by its owners Messrs Bower and Roebuck, later on renamed Bower Roebuck & Co Ltd. As part of the Scabal Group since 1973, its focus on quality has consistently led to expansion, investment and prosperity.

Today, it can proudly boast that it is one of the most modern weaving plants in Europe, using 18 of the most up-to-date Dornier weaving machines. A new Benninger Versomat warping machine has recently been commissioned, which is the first of its kind in England. © C.Levêcque

INHERITANCE AND TRADITION

Scabal’s fabric, made in Huddersfi eld, England

Older than the trees that give it shade, the plot of land on which Bower Roebuck stands has supported generations of skilled Yorkshire folk. Managing Director, Ronald Hall : “Our inheritance is so valuable that the skills of our workforce are

greater than one man could ever learn. They are more than the passing-on of knowledge or the sharing of experience. They are part of the area in which we live – in our homes, our families, and our history. They are born in us and instinctive. Even with our state-of-the-art machinery and technology, other mills cannot achieve what we do. Weaving is a technical skill but the creation of the finest cloths is an art. This combination allows Bower Roebuck to venture where others barely tread, particularly when it comes to the production of unique fabrics using ever-finer yarns.”

The qualities that Michael Day, Scabal’s Fabric Division Director, introduces elsewhere in this edition of Bespoken such as ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Four Seasons’, are the most recent examples of what has been an uninterrupted quest to harmonise advanced technology with Yorkshire craftsmanship. Day has nothing but appreciation for the craftsmen and weavers in Huddersfield : “It takes years of experience, generations even, to get a new quality right. In the case of ‘Four Seasons’, various trials were conducted in weaving and finishing. Finally, a delicate ‘scour’ was the key to achieving the perfect result.”

In tandem, Scabal and Bower Roebuck have been at the forefront of the textile industries’ benchmarks. In the early 1970s, they were the first to manufacture cloth classified as Super 120’s. A decade later, they took the initiative by introducing Super 150’s quality fabric (in those days a ground-breaking 15.3 micron).

These are now internationally accepted standards of quality and excellence.

Bower Roebuck now uses yarns that were previously thought to be impossible.

FROM AUSTRALIAN WOOL FARMS TO THE YORKSHIRE HILLS During recent years, Scabal has invested several million pounds in a modernisation

programme at Bower Roebuck, part of which is the crucial area of designing and sampling. The first company to introduce computerised design sample looms advanced this production method considerably. Five of these ultra-modern machines are now installed. Ronald Hall: “However, it is the experience of the design team that makes the difference, that is what Scabal’s reputation is built upon. No machine will ever be able to equal the refinement and precision that our designers consistently achieve. Away from the spotlights, modestly and quietly, the designers and weavers produce fabrics that are the envy of the world.

This could not be done without exhaustive research into trends and forthcoming innovations. The design team works hand in hand with yarn suppliers that produce the rarest wools in order to optimize the quality, handle and performance of each new development.”

And so the circle closes again – the producers of the finest raw materials bring their products to the Yorkshire weavers. From the Flemish weavers of old to the Brussels headquarters of Scabal today, the result of their joint efforts to be worn by people who are forever found on newspapers’ front pages.

J.O. & R.H Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

FACT SHEET - Employees: 100 - 3,000 m2 site - 20 weaving units - Annual fabric production : 300,000 metres - Produces large part of Scabal ranges including ‘Private Line’, ‘Diamond Chip’, ‘Gold Treasure’, ‘Summit’, ‘Lapis Lazuli’, ‘Tribute to Dali’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Four Seasons’.

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MODERN-DAY CRAFTSMEN

SO IN LOVE WITH THIS LOVELY GREEN © Eric Hepworth

Bespoken reflects on the life and work of Dr Alister MacKenzie, creator of Alwoodley Golf Club in West Yorkshire, England, and how the man’s legacy is preserved by the club’s present-day Course Manager Philip Taylor, for whom course and green perfection are simply part of a day’s work.

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8th hole, Alwoodley Golf Club, West Yorkshire, England

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FOR MANY GOLFERS, HOWEVER, MACKENZIE SAVED HIS BEST FOR LAST - AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

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t’s just a hop, skip and a jump from Huddersfield, England, where most of Scabal’s fabrics are produced, in a region famous for its long tradition of weaving, to Alwoodley Golf Club in West Yorkshire, a different shrine to perfection, but one with a history that’s just as fascinating.

MACKENZIE’S TEE SHOT Alwoodley is located across the Yorkshire Moors just north of Leeds. The club was founded in 1907 by 14 professional businessmen who realised their dream of building a new course at Wigton Moor, Leeds, on land leased from Lord Harewood.

© Julian P. Graham Historical Photographic Collection

Dr Alister MacKenzie at Pasatiempo, 1929

Among them, Dr Alister MacKenzie (1870-1934), was inspired to join forces with the already renowned architect, Harry Colt, to fashion Alwoodley. His passion for the great game was already self-evident but MacKenzie, later nicknamed ‘The Course Doctor’, left his father’s medical practice, first to serve in the Boer War then to explore his passion for golf which, he believed, brought very real benefits for his patients : “How frequently have I, with great difficulty, persuaded patients who were never off my doorstep to take up golf, and how rarely, if ever, have I seen them in my consulting rooms again !”

MacKenzie himself went on to become a full-time golf course architect : his subsequent gems include Australia’s West Course at Royal Melbourne (1926, generally acknowledged as the best course in Australia), America’s Cypress Point and Crystal Downs (constructed in 1928 and 1929 respectively), with the latter uniquely combining the characteristics of a links and non-links

course, renovated extensively by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva in 1950.

For many golfers, however, MacKenzie saved his best for last - Augusta National Golf Club. Located in the US city of Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the most revered and exclusive golf clubs in the world, renowned for its botanic beauty.

Designed by MacKenzie and founded

by Bobby Jones on the site of a former tree nursery, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has hosted the annual Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf, but sadly MacKenzie passed away before the first Masters were held.

PERFECTING THE ART As with Scabal’s dedication to personalisation, MacKenzie, who worked in the era before large-scale earth moving became a feature of golfcourse construction, was determined to ensure that his designs were sensitive to the nature of the site. He was rightly celebrated for his ability to produce greens with an ideal balance of risk and reward, and for his knack of producing courses that both challenge and accommodate golfers with differing levels of skill – the luxury of playing a MacKenzie course was and is available to all.

For Golf Course Manager Philip Taylor (because of the changes in standards and golfers’ expectations down the years, the profession is no longer referred to as mere greenkeeper), the course’s fascination has not diminished, even after 20 years in charge : “We are located very close to Leeds but, when you step out onto the course, it’s like being in a different world.

Every day is different – I am responsible for the maintenance of the green as the seasons change, but this has been complicated by

climate change. Before, we were able to anticipate the effects of the seasons far more accurately, as we used to have cold winters, wet springs, warm summers and brisk autumns, but now, with the seasons all blending into each other, it becomes much harder to keep the worms and bugs at bay, for example.”

WORK AND PLAY In the mid 1990s, extensive improvements were made at Alwoodley to ensure the championship course retains its high ranking as one of the best in the country. The Club’s investment programme provided for enlargement and improvement of selected tees and the construction of a new drainage system for the entire golf course.

It also enabled the replacement and management of natural features such as heather and gorse and the construction of a rabbit-proof fence round the perimeter of the course.

Thus, as with Scabal, the team is all important – there’s more work to be done than just one person can handle.

“I have five assistants – but I could always use three more,” Phil explains.

And is his passion for the job still inspired by a love of golf ? He chuckles.

“Well, I was a very good player when I was 15. I’m 53 now, and I’m hopeless !”

“I’m motivated by what our members get from my work – we have a very strict numbers policy (membership for full playing men and lady members is respectively 235 and 75) so the course never becomes overcrowded, but it is my absolute responsibility to ensure golfers’ safety and well-being, something in which I take a great deal of pride.” www.alwoodley.co.uk

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DIARY

TWO SEASONS UNDER AN ENGLISH SKY

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Red buses and public phones, ‘Bobbies’, gorgeous hidden gardens, fog, black umbrellas, top city financial managers, countless species of roses, mews, avenues ; London is a unique combination of grandeur and discreet British grace.

BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS’ ASSOCIATION FAIR (BADA) 05/03 > 11/03 The Duke of York Square Sloane Square Chelsea London SW3 www.bada-antiques-fair.co.uk The ticket booking form is available online and must be returned to the BADA Office.

To book a table at the Fair’s Cellini Restaurant, just call the Fair Office.

T. +44-(0)20-7493 4097 To book exclusive gala tickets, call Mrs Judith Osorio.

T. +44-(0)1372-220 042 judith.osorio@rainbowtrust.org.uk www.rainbowtrust.org.uk Founded in 1918, and thanks to strictly observed rules, the BADA has long been the reference for antiques trading.

If you visit London in early Spring, you’ll no doubt find an extremely rare piece of furniture or adorable 18th century painting, which should fit perfectly in your favourite spot.

As always, the BADA Fair is organising an edition of its famous Charity Gala, with Royal Family members as ‘regulars’.

You may also enjoy dinner or afternoon tea in the Fair’s Cellini Restaurant.

THE LONDON BOOK FAIR

© Reuters

14/04 > 16/04 Royal Ascot Gold Cup : the Queen arrives in her carriage at Ascot’s grandstand

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Earl’s Court London lbfteam@reedexpo.co.uk T. +44-(0)20-8910 7194

lbfteam@reedexpo.co.uk www.londonbookfair.co.uk For centuries, British aristocracy have been book lovers. If you also find the scent and sensation of precious volumes irresistible, don’t miss this occasion for browsing the world’s latest and best publications.

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 20/05 > 24/05 Royal Hospital Gardens Chelsea London SW3 4SR T. +44-(0)845-260 5000 info@rhs.org.uk www.rhs.org.uk In the British Isles, gardening is more than a serious pastime ; it is a lifelong love affair, sparkling with trees, flowers and infinite shades of green leaves.

The Royal Hospital Garden’s traditional exhibition is an absolute reference for secret floral homes.

Not only are the most beautiful and priceless roses presented for the delight of your eyes, but also the very latest plants from the hands of patient botanists.

Between old-fashioned and modern, this is probably one of the most extravagantly colourful and perfumed tributes to spring.

also famous for its high fashion stakes.

Ladies parade with designers’ elegant creations, while the gentlemen, equally splendid in their traditional garments, watch the smallest moves of the splendid animals and jockeys’ nervous glances.

As in former days, the Cup is still patiently engraved by the best craftsmen, and Her Majesty would never miss the race. So British, isn’t it ?

WIMBLEDON 23/06 > 06/07 All England Tennis Club Wimbledon Church Road Wimbledon London SW19 5AE Ticket information : T. +44-(0)20-8971 2473 www.wimbledon.org Compared to these immaculate greens, other tennis courts look pale, even if they are prestigious. You do not expect beginners to play here, only world-class champions, and for good reason : Wimbledon is the traditional venue for top tennis players and seats of choice are a privilege reserved for the happy few.

Of course, in the meantime, you have the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Choices, sometimes, are difficult to make. But some lucky gentlemen can afford both.

HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA 02/07 > 06/07

ROYAL ASCOT GOLD CUP 17/06 > 21/06 Ascot Racecourse Ticket information : T. +44-(0)870-727 1234 Boxes : T. +44-(0)870-726 3026 or mail to ruth.wood@ascot.co.uk www.ascot.co.uk Limousine service T. +44 (0)845-500 3030 This is the 201st edition of the world’s most prestigious race meeting.

A unique landmark and a British national institution, as well as a worldclass sporting event, the Gold Cup is

Regatta Headquarters Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire RG9 2LY T. +44-(0)1491-572 153 F. +44-(0)1491-575 509 www.hrr.co.uk First held in 1839 as an amusement among other local festivities and honoured by H.R.H Prince Albert’s patronage in 1851, the most refreshing British annual event will take place again in the early Summer.

To be watched from the Thames’s banks or more poetically, if you’re in company, at a distance from Temple Island, where the race has begun for decades.

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‘MORE THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF REAL ESTATE, PRIVATE ISLANDS FULFIL THE FANTASY WE ALL HAVE OF RULING OVER OUR OWN LITTLE KINGDOM’

Your private island

TERRA INCOGNITA

PRIVATE ISLAND

As far as personalisation statements go, you can’t get much bigger than buying your own little heaven on Earth – and there are still many thousands of uninhabited islands in the world with the potential for private recreational use.

Bespoken investigates.

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f you’re going to buy your very own Nirvana, be it in the Caribbean, Bahamas, or off the coast of Ireland, as John Lennon once did, there’s no point in half measures. Farhad Vladi, owner of Vladi’s Private Islands : “An undeveloped island is a blank canvas on which your imagination can run wild.”

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included Mel Gibson, who bought Mago Island in Fiji for US$15 million in 2004.

Vladi, 56, has been involved in selling islands since 1975, with island rental following in the 1980s. He now has 12,000 islands on his database, with different factors affecting the price ranges in sale and rental. However, he didn’t buy his own first island until 1987.

“I had to raise funds of my own to do that.”

For Vladi, however, it’s all about personal service: “Every island has its own soul.

Every island inspection that I do, is the start of a friendship.”

“In sales,” he explains, “it’s all about location.

So, we have an island off Finland going for around $50,000, ranging to a Brazilian island we have on the books for $69 million.

As far as rental is concerned, it’s up to the client - you can choose between a cook, housekeeper, driver, boatsman and caretaker, or you can be completely self-sufficient, and this choice obviously dictates the prices that you will pay.”

While he is distinctly cagey about his clients, a little internet research reveals that his customers may well have

As Chris Kolow, CEO of Toronto-based real estate company Private Islands Online told Forbes : “More than any other type of real estate, private islands fulfil the fantasy we all have of ruling over our own little kingdom. Nothing compares to the prestige of island ownership, and there’s just an allure that surrounds the idea.”

Islands do tend to attract the rich and famous - John Lennon bought Dorinish Island in Clew Bay, County Mayo, Ireland in 1967, planning to turn the remote spot into a hideaway retreat. The former Beatle was still investigating how to renew planning permission to build a house there for himself and Yoko Ono just before his murder in 1980. He originally spotted the island in a 1967 newspaper advertisement (in old money, an island could set you back as little as £1,700).

And where does world-famous illusionist David Copperfield go when he wants to, erm, disappear? Musha Cay, in the Bahamas - a 150-acre part of the Exuma Chain, located 85 miles southeast of

Nassau. The plot thickens - according to Copperfield, the Fountain of Youth has been discovered there, but then again, he could be tricking us…

That’s about it, except of course for the small matter of funds. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? If you can, you should. After all, how many opportunities do you get in a lifetime to completely determine your own environment ?

J.D. www.vladi-private-islands.de www.privateislandsonline.com

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER Spend now, gain later. Development funds can come later, but if it’s the island you’ve set your heart on, doubtless so has someone else.

How far away is the island from the mainland? A distance of more than 90 minutes is not recommended because of hospitals and other emergency facilities.

Is ownership clearly determined ? Few islands are freehold.

Is drinking water available ?

Final piece of advice from all the experts ? Get a good caretaker, or preferably a live-in couple, for when you’re away from your retreat.

CULT OF SPORT

VIVA RIVA!

Theirs are nothing less than boats for the best – we trace the history of Italian pleasure-yacht manufacturer Riva, and how its constant quest for perfection in design and style has ensured that the brand remains the first and last name in nautical artistry.

Riva - the name is simply synonymous with luxury. Boat builders with “chic”, their speed-boats typified the glamour and luxury of the 1950s and 60s Mediterranean jet set, but the company’s origins go back as far as 1842, when 20-year-old Pietro Riva began repairing and building boats on the shores of Lago d’Iseo, in the small town of Sarnico, in northern Italy. By the 1930s, Pietro’s grandson Serafino was managing the company, which had by this time become a leading manufacturer of small racing boats. Serafino raced many of these himself, with notable success, while the company itself began the manufacture of pleasure-cruisers.

FATHER TO SON Serafino’s son Carlo transformed the business and its image in the 1950s, creating exceptionally stylish and elegant wooden boats.

Not without some conflict, however – as passionate as his father, young

produced that advanced the craft, yet paid absolute respect to past Riva legends.

Carlo was reputed to have told Riva Sr : “Hey, either accept my designs or shoot me.” They obviously overcame their differences because, in 1962, the company gave the world its now-mythical “Aquarama” model, its form changing from decade to decade (up to 1996) but retaining the elegance and luxury for which the name Riva had already become a byword : a legendary boat and an undisputed classic in the marine world. Superb craftsmanship, elegance and great handling, coupled with pure Italian styling gave the world a speed-boat that was a work of art, oozing opulence. With a sunbathing deck at the prow, twin-engines, separate seats in the front and easy access to the water at the back.

The company was sold by Carlo Riva in the early 1970s, is now owned by the Ferretti Group and has diversified into fibre-glass construction and “super yachts”. However, the name will be eternally linked to the classic wooden construction of its Aquarama period. It immortalises Riva’s place in marine history due, in part, to the patronage of the rich and famous.

The Aquarama model became de rigueur for the movie star set, with the likes of Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers and Brigitte Bardot among their many famous owners at this time, while modern-day “stars with ships” include Brad Pitt and Jack Nicholson.

INTO THE FUTURE For Riva, the modern era began in May 2000, when the company was bought by the Ferretti Group. With their typical zeal, Riva’s engineering department began to study new models. Under the relentless creativity of Mauro Micheli and the Officina Italiana Design plus the product knowledge of President Ferretti, a new Riva style was born.

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© Riva, a brand of Ferreti Group

ORIGINS OF EXCELLENCE

This fusion between technology and design would mark another turning point in nautical style and performance.

In November 2003, the new shipyard in La Spezia started to specialise in yachts longer than 65 feet.

In Sarnico, smaller boats like the Aquariva and Rivarama were being

Recently, two new models went into production, the 68’ Ego and 115’ Athena, while four more models, Shuttle, 63’ Vertigo, 75’ Venere and 85’ Opera Super were launched into the challenging international market.

FINISHING TOUCHES Riva reached the crest of the marineworld wave due to its intense maintenance of superior craftsmanship, classic styling, performance and elegance. Each example is bespoke, with clients able to dictate their dream craft to the last detail.

With their gleaming, varnished woodwork and glistening fittings, combined with elegant Italian styling, luxurious interiors and fabulous performance, Riva yachts still symbolise the fun and sex appeal of the Riviera, and are also renowned for their excellent hulls constructed from high quality resins, which produce a cream shade unique to Riva, and the exquisite finish of the interiors, which, as with Scabal, remain true to an insistence on only the finest materials. Not for Riva seat covers or dasboards in plastic – it’s always going to be leather for the former, gleaming, varnished woodwork for the latter. You want chrome or brass ? Just ask. More layers of varnish to make the mahogany gleam ? Not a problem.

Your choice of name for the boat ?

Your wish is Riva’s command.

To sum it up ? A Riva yacht still represents nothing less than a sculpture on water – as long as there is pleasure cruising, the name will sail through history.

J.D. RIVA S.P.A. Location and plant Via Predore, 30 24067 - Sarnico ( BG ) Italy Tel. + 39 035 910202 Tel. + 39 035 9240111 Email : info @ riva-yacht.com www.rivaboats.com

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SCABAL ACROSS THE WORLD

THE HUMAN TOUCH

Playboy magazine voted them one of the 10 greatest American men’s stores ; MR magazine voted them among the 25 most exciting in the USA. What’s so special about Mitchells/Richards/Marsh’s ?

Bespoken talks to co-President Bob Mitchell.

Bob Mitchell, President Mitchells/Richards/Marsh’s

Bespoken: Mitchells is a family business ; tell us about the founder.

Bob Mitchell : My grandfather, Ed Mitchell, opened his clothing store in Westport, Connecticut in 1958. He was very much involved with the community and he cared deeply about the people who lived in it.

He wanted the store to be very much part of the community.

And your made-to-measure business?

All three stores are upscale, high-end with shop-in-shop facilities and developed custom business. Around one third of our shirt and suit sales are made-to-measure. There is an upward trend in custom in the USA, especially in terms of quality.

What kind of customers do you attract ?

Most are commuters to New York City ; many work in Fortune 500 companies. They are suiting men.

Few family retailers survive for three generations. You’re thriving.

What’s the secret ?

They buy here because they get more and better personal service than in the city. For instance, we do home visits, advise on how clothes can enhance their lifestyles and keep customer records. We offer more convenience too, in terms of selection and our weekend opening plan.

Your stores look impressive, please show us around !

We operate three in the greater New York area now. The original Mitchells of Westport is a 3,300 m² luxury store with 50/50 split between men and women’s lines. In 1995 we purchased Richards of Greenwich, a quality store with a similar reputation and clientele, which we have renovated and expanded to 2,700 m². Since 2005 we also have a strong presence in the Long Island area with Marsh’s.

For our type of business, we are ahead on customer profiling. Our sales associates talk to customers and get to know their needs.

Now we have given them the computing tools to develop this even more effectively.

Is it the service that brings them back ?

In the greater New York area, there are many fine stores selling terrific menswear products, and our clientele travels extensively both across the United States and around the globe.

For me, that they choose to spend most or all of their clothing dollars with us is a testament to the quality of the people we employ, the quality of the products we sell and most definitely, the quality of the shopping experience we provide.

Are Americans dressing up again ?

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We employ around 200 people ; revenue now exceeds $75 million. We are one of the largest independent luxury clothing retailers in America.

www.richardsonline.com www.mitchellsonline.com Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

Now, we’re a third-generation family business.

We have traded up as the community around us has developed and become more affluent.

The business has been built on personal service. Top quality international products, expertise, but the real difference is the level and professionalism of our customer service.

We aim to give the customer a unique and unbeatable shopping experience.

There are two sons and six grandsons actively involved in the business and I think we have managed to maintain these family values.

Casual office attire started in the 1990s and the volume business then moved upscale.

Two or three years ago we saw resurgence in our suit business. The guys who worked in jeans went to trousers, and the people in trousers and jackets moved up to suits !

Yes, they are. Not as much as a few years ago but there’s a definite move. The style is dark and dressy, closer to the body.

“SCABAL FABRICS GIVE US A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE…” David Lynn, Director of Custom Sales, Mitchells/Richards/Marsh’s “Over the past five years, we have seen a dramatic increase in our made-to-measure business. As a company, and specifically in made-to-measure, our growth continues to be driven by key global luxury brands such as Scabal. Nonetheless, as consumer tastes evolve and the marketplace for made-to-measure clothing becomes ever more competitive, our relationship with suppliers becomes even more important.

Scabal has become recognized as a global brand in men’s fabrics : on Savile Row, London, in Hong Kong’s finest tailor shops and men’s stores, and here in Connecticut.

The variety of collections they offer – from basic fabrics to luxury cloths – makes it a versatile and frequently utilized resource in our stores.

Everything we do at our stores is focused on personalizing the shopping experience for each and every customer. I view the world of made-to-measure clothing as the ultimate expression of this idea; and the availability of Scabal fabrics has not only raised the bar for personalization across our made-tomeasure business, but also serves as a unique competitive advantage over other specialty and department stores in the made-tomeasure marketplace.”

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SCABAL COLLECTIONS AS DIVERSE AS ‘VELVETS’, ‘FESTIVAL’, AND OF COURSE ‘GOLD TREASURE’, LINED WITH 22 CARAT GOLD THREAD, WERE USED FOR ‘CASINO ROYALE’

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ith his outstanding, understated interpretation of deadly elegance, Daniel Craig ushers in a new era of Bond films reminiscent of Sean Connery at his finest. Far closer to the hard-edged menace of Ian Fleming’s original novels, he would appear to have the world at his feet. The four-film deal signed with MGM is rumoured to be in the region of $70m, which makes Craig one of Britain’s highest-paid actors.

©Sony Pictures 2006

Daniel Craig : an exceptional gentleman in Scabal

PORTRAIT

DANIEL CRAIG: BOND, MADE-TO-MEASURE His future seems more than assured – following his critical and box-office-smash first outing as 007 in Casino Royale, wearing Scabal fabrics, naturally, Daniel Craig has signed up for a further four James Bond films. Bespoken presents a portrait of this British gentleman who was born to be Bond.

Other recent honours include a BAFTA nomination for his portrayal of Bond and a London Evening Standard award for the same – the first time that any James Bond actor has been so honoured. To boot, in 2007, Craig was invited to join the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A man of quiet simplicity, Craig has been consistently modest. As he told reporters : “Getting the role was kind of normal. That’s the weird thing… I screen-tested, because there was a new producer on board who wanted to see if I could do it or not, and I got the job. It’s kind of that simple. Nobody knows more than I do how important this is, and basically, I’ve taken on this responsibility’’.

BOND BEGINS Daniel Wroughton Craig was born in 1968 in Chester, England, the son of a former merchant navy midshipman and an art teacher. He was brought up in nearby Frodsham, where his father ran a local pub. His acting career began early; his mother spent a lot of time at the city’s famously left-wing Everyman Theatre, then in its heyday with Bernard Hill, Julie Walters, Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale appearing regularly. The young boy would soak up the life onstage and in the Green Room, enjoying the largerthan-life camaraderie. It was this, and seeing these familiar faces on television,

that convinced Craig that he too would become an actor. He now claims this epiphany took place when he was just six. Craig moved to London when he was 16 to join the National Youth Theatre, with his stage debut as Agamemnon in Troilus And Cressida. He went on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1991, and appeared in minor roles on television before landing his first major role on screen as a co-star in the acclaimed 1996 BBC serial Our Friends in the North.

His international film roles began in 2001, with Lara Croft : Tomb Raider, quickly followed by Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002), with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Shortly prior to Casino Royale, Craig’s role as a South African Jewish assassin in Steven Spielberg’s Munich(2005) won him much critical acclaim.

BONDING WITH THE ROLE But it is his take on the world’s best-known ‘secret’ agent that will assuredly grant Craig cinematic immortality – and it is doubtless for this reason that the actor has ‘personalised’ Bond to such an extent. Ian Fleming got there first, of course – his character, a cold-blooded individual who is paid to kill people but who does this in his own inimitable style. A personal blend of tobaccos, a preference for grainbased Vodka, a Ronson lighter – because it is the only way, via such control of his environment, that he can stay ahead of his enemies. Take this scene, from both the 1953 novel and film of Casino Royale : ‘A dry Martini,’ Bond said.

‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’

‘Oui, monsieur.’

‘Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s icecold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel.

Got it?’

‘Certainly monsieur.’

DRESSED TO KILL Bond has a similar penchant for being picky about the suits he wears – in Flemings’ novels, the basic outfit is a dark blue suit with a heavy white silk shirt and a thin black knitted silk tie, dark blue socks and well-polished black moccasin shoes.

In the books, Bond’s clothing tended to come from specific tailors such as Turnbull & Asser - a current Scabal customer - on Jermyn Street, London but for the 21st century, Brioni provides Daniel Craig with his look.

And it doesn’t take too much imagination to work out who provided the fabrics for Craig’s on-screen style : Scabal collections as diverse as ‘Velvets’, ‘Festival’, and of course ‘Gold Treasure’, lined with 22 carat thread made from Auric Goldfinger’s dream fabric, are used. In fact, Craig continues a tradition established by Pierce Brosnan of using Scabal fabrics in Bond films.

And the future ? Aside from his commitments to ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, which will take the series up to Bond 25, Craig is set to portray the character of Lord Asriel in the The Golden Compass, the forthcoming film adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novel.

Eva Green, who played Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, will also star in the film.

On the other hand, it may also be a case of ad astra – in early 2007, Craig expressed an interest in being a part of the Star Trek franchise, professing his love of the series to the World Entertainment News Network: “It’s always been a dream of mine to have a stint in the television show or the film. It’s been a secret ambition for years.”

So, who can say? Perhaps, for this individualistic, stellar James Bond, the world is not enough.

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© Scabal

THIS IS SCABAL

HOLLYWOOD LOVES SCABAL The American Dream. Much cherished, but how many can truly claim to have achieved it ?

Scabal can, thanks to their New York-based agent Neal Boyarsky of Fabric Czar USA Inc., formerly known as Beckenstein Inc. For almost 40 years, Scabal’s substantial contribution to hit movies proves that he was the right man in the right place at the right time during the early 1970s. With his invaluable aid, Scabal established itself in Hollywood as the supplier to dress the silver screen’s biggest stars.

Above : Leonardo DiCaprio’s Scabal fabric from Titanic Below : From left to right Casino, Titanic and The Godfather fabrics by Scabal

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REPUTATIONS : THE BRAND AND ITS NEW YORK BRANCH The adventure begins in 1972, when Scabal acquired a prestigious assignment to provide the fabrics for Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Scabal’s reputation on the international scene and the location of its New York branch convinced the big studios to use its fabrics. Both Marlon Brando and Al Pacino wore suits specially designed for the film. The Godfather is the first in a long list of Scabal’s close partnerships with Hollywood productions.

Neal Boyarsky : “Scabal and Fabric Czar Inc. have worked with the finest and most renowned costume designers for nearly 40 years in the United States. Our reputation places us first in line to tailor the deal with motion pictures.”

EXCEPTIONAL FABRICS FOR EXCEPTIONAL FILMS Scabal’s CEO Gregor Thissen explains : “The creative people that we employ are driven by one wish only : to design exceptional products.” Thissen truly understands the word ‘exceptional’ – the fabrics and menswear that Scabal designs and markets are as beautiful as they are hi-tech. Take ‘Gold Treasure’, a fabric made with 22 carat gold threads.

For both ‘Diamond Chip’ and ‘Lapis Lazuli’, microscopic fragments are woven into the cloth. “One can count the competitors with the same expertise and flexibility that we offer clients on the fingers of one hand,” says Thissen. “That’s why Hollywood is so interested in our fabric

collections and why we are regularly asked to design new fabrics. We really have established a close and trusted working relationship through the years.” Neal Boyarsky adds : “At Fabric Czar, we are knowledgeable about time warps : clothing from different periods of history. That is why I am considered as one of the most renowned experts in the field of fabric sourcing for the motion picture industry and Broadway.”

SCABAL SUPPLIES AND ADVISES In 2004, The Aviator by Martin Scorsese was released, depicting the life of the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the lead.

Neal Boyarsky : “Imagine trying to find a fabric for a movie that takes place 75 years ago, and making the cloth itself and suits look authentic. Often, the cloth must be dyed to give it a vintage look or stained to achieve a certain theme. Also, many identical garments are needed when someone is going to be shot. In Barry Levinson’s Bugsy (1991), when Warren Beatty is killed at the end, more than 130 yards of the same ‘Prince Of Wales’ fabric were used to shoot this one scene.”

Gregor Thissen : “It was essential that for this film the costumes should be reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties. We dug into our archives to research the fabrics that were produced 80 years before, then we looked and examined old books and films. Our Yorkshire-based English weaving mill was able to reproduce these former fabrics with great exactitude.”

As the established international leader in luxury fabrics, Scabal does not limit itself to just providing fabrics for blockbusters, but also embraces the role of consultant.

As Thissen confirms: “It’s all about an

intensive collaboration that often goes much further than the simple provision of cloth.”

In 2001, when director John Boorman was working on The Tailor of Panama, he asked Scabal not only to provide fabrics for Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush, but also for information about the daily life of a tailor : “The action in this spy film takes place in the tailor’s world.

We supplied them with information about the daily routines in a tailor’s workshop as well as props such as a sewing machine, scissors, tape-measures and rules, many fabrics and some collections of sample books in order to confer a maximum of authenticity on the decoration,” Boyarksy explains.

GODFATHER AND GODSON Neal Boyarsky’s firm, formerly known as Beckenstein Inc., was named after his grandfather. Their rags-to-riches story : from a Polish immigrant in the early 1900s selling fabrics in a pushcart to Boyarsky’s modern-day reputation as ‘The Fabric Czar’, well known to everyone who counts in the luxury menswear business. Says Boyarsky : “Very often, I am asked “Why Scabal ?” or “Why only Scabal ?”. It is all about loyalty, about the relationship with Scabal that plays such a big part in my reputation as a successful fabrics supplier to Hollywood and Broadway.

This began 37 years ago with my ‘Godfather’, J.P. Thissen, and it continues today with his son, Gregor Thissen.”

Gregor Thissen : “To work with Neal Boyarsky in Hollywood is enriching from both a human and professional perspective.

Not only do we grow from the co-operation between our trades, it also reinforces our fame and quality reputation on the international scene.” Regularly, actors who wear Scabal during the shooting of a film are so seduced by the exceptional quality of the fabric that they order one for themselves. Today, actors such as Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Colin Firth are regular customers.

Gregor allows himself a pat on the back: “I must say, if anything gives us great satisfaction, it’s this.”

J.O. & J.S. www.scabal.us

Neal Boyarsky and his son Jonathan

Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush in The Tailor of Panama

Scabal fabric has been used in many recent films including Casino Royale, The Tailor of Panama, The Aviator, Titanic, Casino, Men In Black, The Untouchables, Apollo 13, Batman Forever & Batman Returns, Dracula, Get Shorty, GoldenEye, The Addams Family and The Firm. Scabal also provided fabrics for Wall Street, The Mob and all the Godfather films, as well as for many Broadway shows including Hairspray, The Producers and the latest sensation Jersey Boys.

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DESIGNER IN VOGUE

TRADITION AND RADICAL MODERNITY: KRIS VAN ASSCHE A designer’s talent is always measured by the quality of his work.

To this end, the choice of the raw materials that he uses to bring his creations to life is obviously pivotal, as Kris Van Assche — Artistic Director at Dior Homme — understands.

This is why he trusts Scabal. We pay homage to this young Belgian designer, whose creations lie between realism and extravagance.

R © Gaëtan Bernard

Kris Van Assche’s Spring-Summer 2008 fashion show

ealistic. If one chose an adjective best to define Kris Van Assche’s (kva) primary motivation, it would be this.

Remarkable, really, when one considers that most young designers are first and foremost excessively extravagant, in order to make their mark and gain renown.

“At the Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, I was already the most pragmatic student in my class,” Van Assche explains.

He adds: “My professors were always telling me ‘Express yourself !’, but I always took care to make my creations wearable.”

Ten years have passed since 1998, when Van Assche graduated from the celebrated Antwerp institution, during which time the young man has enjoyed a spectacular rise, propelling him towards his present position as Dior Homme’s artistic director, which he has held since April 2007. It would thus appear that realism pays, even in the artistic medium.

Legend has it that M. Kurino from United Arrows spotted Van Assche’s talent during an end-of-studies presentation of his work, and quickly passed the news on to Hedi Slimane, at that time artistic director for Yves Saint Laurent’s male collections. Listed

by Figaro magazine in 2005 as among the top 50 thirty-somethings in France, Slimane was regarded at the time as the designer of the moment. Initially engaged as an Yves Saint Laurent trainee, Van Assche quickly became Slimane’s right-hand man, quickly learning the ropes. A year later, YSL was bought by Gucci, at that time under the supreme rule of Tom Ford. Slimane left to join Christian Dior, taking the young Belgian wonder with him. Together, they play an active role in the revival of the men’s division of Christian Dior. At Dior, Van Assche puts his knowledge gained at school into practice. But, as he underlines without false modesty: “One does not graduate from the Academy of Antwerp to remain an assistant forever.”

A METEORIC ‘YOUNG’ CAREER

The proof of this statement was also provided by Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten, all three of whom graduated from Antwerp at the beginning of the 80s and who are now all internationally known. Little by little, the idea of

Barely 31, Van Assche cannot only boast of working for the biggest and best, he’s also launched his own brand, sold in more than 140 outlets worldwide.

following in these designers’ footsteps becomes increasingly seductive but, as always, KVA remains realistic and does not lose sight of the fact that quality designers account for at least 25% of a brand’s success: “To succeed, it is necessary to be surrounded by qualified people representing the commercial, financial, and particularly manufacturing aspects of the brand ; people who can be trusted to manufacture quality clothing to deadline.” Step by step, Van Assche gathered his team together and drew up an ambitious business plan so that, when he resigned from Dior in 2004, his company’s foundations were already in the pipeline. In September of the same year, the official inauguration of the Maison Kris Van Assche took place. In Spring 2007, following several months of turbulent negotiations, Dior and Hedi Slimane separated. Official reason ? Slimane wanted to create his own brand and have 100% control.

The news hit the fashion world like a bomb, and betting began as to the name of his successor. The LVMH group quickly put an end to the rumours by announcing the lucky winner’s name...

Kris Van Assche. After three years away, KVA thus re-entered the house of Christian Dior, as artistic director. His mission ?

To change the image of ‘Dior Man’ by accentuating the Dior heritage while at the same time exploiting ‘modernity’.

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BESPOKE INTERVIEW Kris Van Assche’s progress. Here, for Bespoken, De Muynck recalls some favourite memories of this dazzling designer :

Who else but Van Assche is better prepared for such a challenge ?

Few, if any. As not only the designer who knows the Dior house by heart, having worked there for five years, but also a young man who has sharpened his style between heritage and radical modernity, there would seem none more appropriate.

“I remember Kris as a neo-romanticist, driven by aestheticism and intuition, with a particular way of rejecting avant-garde modernism.

Like the inspirations he drew on in his graduating collection - the British patriarchal culture inspired by Margaret Thatcher’s tailored wardrobe and Madonna, thé goddess of girl power. Exploring the contrasts between men’s tailoring and the pagan creation of sculpting and draping on a body.

Recreating the classic cut and darts versus the twist and drape.

He reconstructed tradition and experimented in a measured way.

Kris explored the opposites but never chose the clichéd approach of shock and extravaganza. He expressed his creativity, rather, in small things, and found comfort in the hidden details. He described his collections as ‘creative’ and his garments ‘useful’.

As a result, his neo-classic style is now unanimously recognised.

Balanced and sporting deceptive traditional appearances, his creations conceal a multitude of discrete and well thought-out details.

As he declares : “There is an immense gap between what is worn in the street and on the podium. I chose to imagine clothing that my friends and myself would really want to wear, of tradition revisited with pretty details... male fashion needs this balance today.”

Over the years, Kris Van Assche has managed to find the magic formula, a happy medium that allows him to be distinct without being eccentric. As a sign of his growing statue, many stars now sport his designs, including Justin Timberlake, Jude Law and Chris Martin from Coldplay. © Gaëtan Bernard

BACK IN THE DAY Scabal Consultant Patrick De Muynck is also a designer and professor at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

As a result of this latter role, he had the opportunity to contribute to

© Gaëtan Bernard

THE RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE

Kris Van Assche’s Spring-Summer 2008 Collection

At the end-of-year show, fashion editor Suzy Menkes, who subsequently mentioned Kris Van Assche for the first time in the International Herald Tribune, applauded his work. Although Kris only created women’s collections at school, the inspiration that he drew from traditional tailoring for his graduate collection brought him to menswear, and allowed him to develop a new romantic signature style that is now applauded the world over.

Kris is a master of super-cool ; he crystallizes calm and attractiveness, a style that he has rendered appropriate for both men and women.”

J.S.

Kris Van Assche

Kris Van Assche is famous for his perfection. Bespoken obviously had to follow suit, with a ‘made-tomeasure’ interview…

Bespoken: Kris Van Assche, do you believe that your life is made-to-measure?

C.H. No, not at all. Made-to-measure to me means that everything is planned and controlled, customized and perfected. My life is certainly pretty good, but I cannot control and adjust it like a suit. My life, and everyone’s life, as a matter of fact, is full of surprises - good and bad. It is far from measured. But I am happy - I consider myself one of the ‘happy few’ who can actually make a living out of doing what they love most in this world.

I realised my dream by starting my own label.

It allows me to fully express my own aesthetic and ideas. When I started in Autumn 2004, it was really a big adventure; we did not know that the first show in January 2005 would be received as well as it was. It still is a big adventure. Sometimes, I cannot believe that I have shown six collections, six collections that are being sold, and I now am working on the next season… while it is a lot of pressure, it is also a lot of pleasure and self-fulfilment.

The position at Dior Homme is a new, huge challenge ; I am flattered and very happy to be there.

Your designs fall between tradition and radical modernity.

How do you find the perfect blend ?

I believe that we live in a sportswear generation and that it is my responsibility to offer an alternative. I hope that people see my collections and my style in the same terms that are the most important to me - elegant, contemporary, real.

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I try to balance out elegance with reality, try to offer a way to dress up without disguise. I truly hope that this is what attracts people. My clothes are nonchalant and beautiful. Unpretentious and real.

that’s too large - and then I make something elegant from it.

Nostalgic and contemporary seem such opposites, but that is what I try to combine in my clothes. Ultimately, I want my fashion to be elegant in a contemporary way.

To allow gentlemen to wear jewellery, made-to-measure suits are essential.

How do you proceed ?

How do you measure the results of your work?

It is a mixture of my own satisfaction of how the collection turned out, how the show looked, what the reviews said, how the sales went. All play their part in the final result ; you cannot depend on just one factor.

Sales are very, very important - it is a business, after all. I have had seasons where some reviews weren’t good, but even so, the collection sold better than those with favourable notices.

But of course, it is a much better feeling to get good reviews and I have been pretty lucky so far.

How do you define the ‘made-to-measure’ man?

I like people who are proud, without being vain - a strong sense of individualism and style, as well as, I suppose, being a bit hardheaded, wise beyond their years. I am very drawn to the spirit of South America, especially Argentina.

A country where personal rituals and ceremonies are still very important and one takes the time to perform small tasks very precisely.

I get a lot of my ideas from watching people.

Random people. The ‘Man on the Street’ inspires me. No particular type of man – what I notice is a particular way of wearing something - taking a shirt and making it look individual. Unfashionable things sometimes inspire me - a scrunched-up sleeve, a collar

So, I guess that a ‘made-to-measure’ man for me represents a lot of individuality.

I disagree. Men can wear jewellery in many different ways. It does not require a made-tomeasure suit. I have been offering jewellery from my very first collection. It is great, very masculine accessory.

Thanks to yourself, the traditional madeto-measure suit now comprises four, rather than three parts, including two pairs of trousers. Please explain ?

In fact, the four-piece has its origins in tradition - when you bought a suit, the tailor gave you two pairs of trousers with it, because trousers wear faster than the jacket or waistcoat. I used that idea and made it more modern – all that with the idea of getting young men to wear suits again. Instead of using the same style, I opted for baggy trousers to make the suit more approachable and cool. Guys today don’t want to wear the same suits that their fathers and grandfathers wore. That’s why I suggest the blend of sportswear-style pants with a more traditional jacket. To me, that is today’s elegance.

A made-to-measure weekend, according to you, is ?

A twosome getaway to a new place that we discover together.

If your destiny could be made-to-measure, what would it be ?

I would like to be a florist AND a designer… www.krisvanassche.com BESPOKEN

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AUTUMN-WINTER 2008/2009 FABRIC DESIGN

FOUR SEASONS, ONE COLLECTION

‘NO ONE WAS PREVIOUSLY ABLE TO PRODUCE PURE WORSTED VICUNA FOR SUITINGS. IT’S THE VERY FIRST TIME THIS HAS BEEN DONE, AND SCABAL DID IT

Michael Day, 47-year-old Director of Scabal’s fabric division, has worked for more than 30 years for the group, with more than 20 of those at the Brussels headquarters.

For each season, he designs new fabric collections.

Here, the soft-spoken Englishman offers an invaluable sneak preview of Autumn-Winter 2008/2009.

© Pascal Lemaître

© Pascal Lemaître

SUITABLE SCOURING FOR ALL SEASONS ‘Four Seasons’ is a brand new range made in the Scabal mill at Huddersfield, England. Michael Day : “This is a big collection that covers spring, summer, autumn and winter - the four seasons, just like Vivaldi’s masterpiece. There are 81 creations, all in 280 grammes, Super 120’s wool. This is a suit you can wear every day to the office all year round. Even in summer, it will not be too heavy, thanks to the construction and finish of the cloth. Vivaldi would have to agree the collection is beautiful.”

Vivaldi’s marvelous musical composition certainly inspired J.P. Thissen, President of the Scabal Group, but for more earthbound reasons, Scabal developed a special collection for all year round use, a ‘must’ in the business of men’s cloth. Here, high-tech spinning and weaving meet the needs of demanding globalised markets.

As an international group, Scabal has, however, the cosmopolitan culture to change the fabric with the season.

Michael Day: “If our clients live and work where it snows in winter and gets humid and hot in summer, we offer them the right fabric for the season. For us, it is new that we cover all seasons in just one collection.”

Scabal’s warehouse in Brussels

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The designer at work

A special feature about ‘Four Seasons’ is that the wool used in this collection is organic wool. Organic wool is made from

natural yarns produced by animals that are kept on land which is not treated with herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Producers must also ensure that they do not exceed the carrying capacity of the land on which their animals graze.

Although the amount of organic wool produced is still relatively small compared to non-organic wool, organic farming is concerned with a different approach to animal welfare and the environment in its broadest sense. It strives to minimize pollution in any form by avoiding the use of artificial chemicals wherever possible.

NATURAL PROTECTION “We have applied a very special finish to the cloth,” Day explains. “It is a complex performance finishing process which incorporates state of the art silver ion technology that keeps the fabric hygienic and fresh. The silver micro particles are carefully embedded into the cloth during the finishing process of ‘Four Seasons’ and are resistant to washing and dry cleaning, ensuring protection throughout the life of the garment.”

‘Four Seasons’ received a second special finish which forms a high performance stain and water resistance around the fibres of the fabric without affecting the luxury soft feel of the cloth. Liquids like wine, water, coffee, etc. simply bead

up and roll off. Even ground in stains wash out easily, keeping the fabric looking new. “During the multi stage finishing process, a unique treatment is applied to the cloth which forms a uniform invisible nano molecular coating around the individual fibres, creating a highly functional barrier.

Without losing the fabric’s integrity and texture of course,” Day explains.

PURE WORSTED SUITING VICUNA : THE SECRET OF SORTING THE FIBRE Another fabric novelty for AutumnWinter 2008/2009 is ‘Pure Worsted Vicuna’. Day is enthusiastic: “How amazing this is: the suiting fabric is made of pure, very finely worsted vicuna. No one was previously able to produce vicuna for suitings. It’s the very first time this has been done, and Scabal did it. The fibres for worsted vicuna have to be sorted to a certain length before it is spun – this long-fibred vicuna comes from Peru – and therefore much more difficult to achieve. It is a very small, limited collection in classical designs.

Inevitably, it is very expensive, being one of the most outstanding cloths ever created

by Scabal. But it is a discreet luxury - only a connoisseur with a trained eye will see it.

When you touch it, you can certainly feel how exquisitely light it is.”

J.O. & K.G. Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST

NEWS SCABAL IN 2007 S W I S S P RE M I U M CA R A N D LUX U RY S H O W

23.08 > 24.08.2007 Scabal participated in the Premium Car and Luxury Show, organised as an appetizer for the hugely successful Raid Suisse-Paris. This three-day international rally, featuring old-timer cars, begins in Basel and finishes in Paris. Scabal’s participation was appropriate due to the race being perfectly complementary to the Spring/ Summer 2007 publicity campaign. www.raid.ch P RE S S P RE S E N TAT I O N “ S CA BA L N °12 ” C O L L EC T I O N

28.08 > 29.08.2007 An international press trip to Scabal’s flagship store in London took place in order to launch ‘Scabal N° 12’. This premium-line collection is handcrafted according to strict Savile Row bespoke traditions. The name refers not only to the adress of Scabal’s flagship store on Savile Row but also to the obvious British influences in this collection. www.scabal.com C O N S U M E R FA B RI C S CATA LO G U E L AU N C H

20.09.2007 The online Consumer Fabrics Catalogue offers a choice from more than 5,000 Scabal fabrics, with easy site navigation available on both Mac and PC. All fabrics can be viewed in real size and close-up, with much additional information such as composition, weight, weave, etc. This tool is available in French and English. www.scabal.com O P E N I N G O F S CA BA L S TO RE IN MOSCOW

24.11.2007 Johnny Manglani runs numerous gentlemen’s outlets in Moscow and Ekaterinaburg. His Uomo Collezioni and Executive Fashion stores are proof positive of Russian customers’ refined 80

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tastes at the beginning of the 21st century. Offering Scabal’s luxury, Manglani now serves their demanding penchant for the finest ready-to-wear and made-to-measure in his very own Scabal store. www.uomo.ru

M U N I C H FA S H I O N.C O M

G E RM A N R T L- A N C H O RS W E A R S CA BA L

Scabal is always happy to welcome its business clients to Munichfashion.com, a business-to-business fair of men’s fashion, and the right place to be to find a brand such as Scabal. Visitors can discover the Autumn-Winter 2008-2009 collection.

26.11.07 > 30.06.2008 The German TV-station RTL’s top anchors will be fully suited in Scabal.

Markus Lanz presents Explosiv (weekdays 18h00, Saturday at 19h00), Christof Lang Nachtjournal (weekdays at 23h30), Peter Kloeppel and Lothar Keller Aktuell (every day at 18h45) and Sascha Triefenbach the RTL II News (every day at 20h00) in made-to-measure outfits. www.rtl.de

SCABAL IN 2008 P I T T I I M M AG I N E U O M O FA I R

9.01 > 12.01.2008 Fortezza da Basso Padiglione Centrale, Piano Inferiore, stand R14-16 50123 Florence, Italy T. +39 (0) 55/369 32 22 www.pittimmagine.com/en/infopoint Pitti Immagine Uomo is the annual opening event of the international fashion fair season. Scabal proudly presents its Autumn-Winter 08-09 collection.

S CA BA L S TA R T S AW 0 8 - 0 9 D EC O PAC K S A L E S

17.01.2008 Scabal’s Autumn-Winter 08-09 Decopack sales will be launched mid-January. This toolkit is specially designed for retailers to decorate their shop window with garments and decorative Scabal items. The theme of the Autumn-Winter 2008/09 season is ‘Made-to-Measure’. www.scabal.com

20.01 > 22.01.2008 M,O,C, Lilienthalallee 40, hall 4 80939 München, Germany T. +49 (0)8106/99 40 330 www.munichfashioncompany.de

B U S I N E S S -TO - B U S I N E S S C LOT H I N G CATA LO G U E L AU N C H

Spring 2008 Scabal is set to launch a Business-tobusiness Clothing Catalogue. This online tool has been specially designed for Scabal’s business-to-business relations.

Via personalised access, retailers can order ready-made or made-to-measure suits online. www.scabal.com S CA BA L L AU N C H E S N E W M A D E-TO - M E A S U RE O P T I O N S FO R S P RI N G - S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

1.02.2008 Scabal proudly launches their new madeto-measure options range for the SpringSummer 2008 collection. For Scabal, it’s all about details ; that’s why our clients choose us. A new hot favourite is the chance to have a specific text or numbers embroidered on the under-collar of the suit or jacket. www.scabal.com D Ü S S E L D O RF FA S H I O N FA I R C P D / H M D

10.02 > 12.02.2008 Scabal showroom, Lützowstraße 1 40476 Düsseldorf , Germany T. +49-(0)211-497 684 0 www.herrenmode-duesseldorf.de & www.scabal.de See all of Scabal Autumn-Winter 08/09 collection in the Düsseldorf showroom during the CPD/HMD fair.

J.O. Available in a variety of languages on www.bespoken.com

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SCABAL WORLDWIDE ●:

CLOTH

▲:

GARMENTS & ACCESSORIES

EUROPE SCABAL BENELUX X – HEADQUARTERS & INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE +32-2-217 50 55 SCABAL@SCABAL.COM

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AUSTRIA +43-1-533 61 29 NKUNTSCHIK@SCABAL.AT

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BRESIL +55-11-362 041 044 ERLUTECIDOS@STI.COM.BR CANADA +1-514-335 35 11 INFO@HERSH-RSD.COM CHILII +56-2-638 14 72 C.RUBIO@HOLMES.CL COLOMBIA +57-1-256 30 77 MARSANTI@COLDECON.NET.CO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC +1-809-562 4416 LARONDE@CODETEL.NET.DO

INDIA +91-11-23 26 45 00 BINDRAGROUP@VSNL.NET JAPAN +81-6-6232 2755 SCABALJAPAN @SCABAL.CO.JP KUWAIT +965-243 36 85 BENNEKHI@HOTMAIL.COM NEW ZEALAND +64-9-828 06 74 VELVETFABRICS@CLEAR.NET.NZ SAUDI ARABIA - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES +44-140-375 26 16 FARIS.@FMMERCIE.COM AFRICA SOUTH-AFRICA +27-21-794 67 27 JB.ELDER@INTEKOM.CO.ZA

MEXICO +52-55-5515 8433 GILLYBRU@PRODIGY.NET.MX SCABAL MADE-TO-MEASURE +52-55-5660 75 40 CINCU@PRODIGY.NET.MX OR ALEJANDROCARREON@PRODIGY.NET.MX U.S.A. +1-212-4756 666 FABRICCZAR@AOL.COM VENEZUELA +58-212-264 6914 INVERSIONESMARUMI@GMAIL.COM

VISIT THE SCABAL’S FLAGSHIP STORE AT 12 SAVILE ROW, W1S 3PQ LONDON, PHONE +44-20-77 34 89 63, INFO@SCABALLONDON.COM OR THE SCABAL CORNERS IN LE PRINTEMPS DE L’HOMME, 4TH FLOOR, 61 RUE CAUMARTIN, 75009 PARIS, PHONE +33-1-42 82 55 33 OR +33-1-42 82 40 32, SCABALFRANCE@WANADOO.FR

RUSSIA +7-495-660-7163 AG@GATEX.RU

ASIA & OCEANIA AZERBAIJAN +99-412-989 484 SALAMZADE@RAMBLER.RU

AND KADEWE, 1ST FLOOR, TAUENTZIENSTRASSE 21-24, 10789 BERLIN, PHONE +49-172-70 55 297, KADEWE@SCABAL.DE

SPAIN +34-93-726 00 99 BRAUTEX@BRAUTEX.COM

AUSTRALIA +61-3-5989 8601 A.WAIN@BIGPOND.NET.AU

FOR OTHER LOCATIONS, VISIT THE STORE LOCATOR ON WWW.SCABAL.COM

Scabal’s flagship store at 12 Savile Row, London

NEXT ISSUE: AUGUST 08

PERSONALISATION IN AN AGE WHEN TASTE AND STYLE ARE QUICKLY BECOMING GLOBALISED, THE CONCEPT OF CUSTOM-MADE CLOTHING STANDS OUT LIKE A CRY FOR FREEDOM. THE NEXT EDITION OF BESPOKEN WILL PRESENT AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT SCABAL’S FALL/WINTER 2008 - 2009 COLLECTION, AND HOW WE INTERPRETE PERSONALISED SUITS. DON’T DELAY - RESERVE YOUR COPY, WHICH WILL BE DELIVERED FREE-OF-CHARGE TO YOUR HOME, ON WWW.BESPOKEN.COM 82

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BESPOKEN

This edition of Bespoken is presented to you with the compliments of :