Harrods Man 2015 Volume 3

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE MARKETING DEBORAH BEE DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE OPERATIONS BETH HODDER EDITOR GUY WOODWARD EXECUTIVE EDITOR VICTORIA GAIGER ART DIRECTOR BARNEY PICKARD PUBLISHER DAWN HALL

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAN MASTERS FASHION FEATURES EDITOR LINDSAY MACPHERSON LIFESTYLE EDITOR AMY BROOMFIELD ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR REBECCA BAIO CHIEF SUB-EDITORS LISA HILLMAN, NICOLETTE THOMPSON SENIOR SUB-EDITORS CAROLINE HUNT, JO MATTOCK SUB-EDITOR MARNIE CLARKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER LEWIS FIRTH

ART DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR SONJA BURRI ART EDITOR NATALIE BOO MOSQUERA SENIOR DESIGNER RACHEL ESCUDIER JUNIOR DESIGNER GINA HOLLINGSWORTH PROP STYLIST JENNIFER KAY PRODUCER EMILY SELLERS PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKINGS EDITOR WENDY HINTON PICTURE ASSISTANT KIAAN ORANGE PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKINGS ADMINISTRATOR LAIDE PITAN

FASHION DEPUTY FASHION EDITOR POPPY ROCK SENIOR FASHION ASSISTANT BECKY BRANCH JUNIOR FASHION ASSISTANT OLIVIA HALSALL

DIGITAL DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER ARNAUD BURTIN DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER CLAUDIA ORRELL HEAD OF DIGITAL DESIGN BOB DEVSI DIGITAL DESIGNER JAIME RIVERA DIGITAL DESIGN ASSISTANT PRADEEP BALASUBRAMANIAN JUNIOR DIGITAL DESIGNER TAK YEUNG CHEUNG DIGITAL SUB-EDITORS LIZZIE BARRON, JANICE MORTON

PUBLISHING MANAGING EDITOR SUZY CHAPMAN ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER RACHEL MONCUR PUBLISHING ASSISTANT PHOEBE FISHER PA TO DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE MARKETING & DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE OPERATIONS

MADALAINE MCCARTHY PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER, PUBLISHING & CREATIVE HAYLEY PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE CAMILLA JOSEPHS

YOUNG

HARRODS STORE IMAGE GROUP DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS KATHARINE WITTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL SHOPPING CHIARA

VARESE

HARRODS MEDIA MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR GUY CHESTON HEAD OF MEDIA SALES CHARLOTTE MARKS ACTING HEAD OF MEDIA SALES AND MEDIA SALES MANAGER, HOME CHRIS MEDIA PROMOTIONS PROJECT EXECUTIVE LARA KELLY

SWEET

MEDIA MARKETING MANAGER KATIE ARNAUD MEDIA MARKETING EXECUTIVE LAURA PARSONS DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE MEI WILSON MEDIA PLANNING & OPERATIONS MANAGER CASSANDRA ASHFORD MEDIA PLANNING & OPERATIONS ASSISTANT JESSICA OWEN MARKETING & MEDIA SALES MANAGER, BEAUTY & HOME VIRGINIE DUIGOU MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE, BEAUTY LOUISE FISH MARKETING EXECUTIVE, BEAUTY ABIGAIL SEKWALOR MARKETING ASSISTANT, BEAUTY & HOME EMMA EDMONDS MEDIA SALES MANAGER, FASHION & FASHION ACCESSORIES SOPHIE READ MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES, FASHION STELLA BUBEL, CASSIE NORMAN & OLIVIA YOUNG MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE, FASHION ACCESSORIES LAURA MONTIGIANI MEDIA SALES ASSISTANT, FASHION GABRIELLA INWANG MEDIA SALES MANAGER, FINE JEWELLERY, FINE WATCHES AND LUXURY JEWELLERY LUCINDA ANDREWS MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE, FINE JEWELLERY, FINE WATCHES AND LUXURY JEWELLERY HARSHEEL BAINS MEDIA SALES ASSISTANT, FINE JEWELLERY, FINE WATCHES AND LUXURY JEWELLERY ELISE HAWKINS MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE, FOOD HALLS, RESTAURANTS AND WINE SHOP NATHALIE NÖTZOLD MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES, HOME ADELE BROUSSE, HASHIM JAVAID

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The Great Wri ng Room, Second Floor

17

EDITOR’S LETTER It’s time to take off your coat, unbutton your collar, sit back, and relax with a single malt and the third issue of Harrods Man. Spring /Summer 2015 has arrived. And, as you’ll see in our Trend Report, the word from the world of fashion is that the living is easy. Everywhere, there’s a tempering of the edges and a loosening of the skinny silhouette. Tomas Maier got it so right with his collections for Bottega Veneta: laid-back, understated casuals that are a study in simplicity.

Across the board, roomier suits appeared all over the catwalks. Expect shoulders that are softened and trousers that take the strain off the trussed-up calf.

With the throwing off of the sharp lines comes a return of some old favourites. At the Ermenegildo Zegna show, models wore suits with trainers and lightweight parkas tied around their waists.

Elsewhere, sneakers were worn with just about everything. Plus, that trusty staple denim slipped back onto the radar. When brands like Tom Ford, Prada, Burberry Prorsum and Dior decide they want to reappraise denim, we don’t need much persuading. Nineties-revival prints from designers including Moschino and Versace bring a smile to our faces, while tropical and jungle prints add vibrant colour to the summer palette.

Elsewhere in this issue, we enter the colourful world of Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Kenzo; we also visit the workshops of Berluti to witness the bespoke craft of skilled artisans. We meet the unstoppable will.i.am on a flying visit, and pay homage to El Baile Flamenco and the ancient rhythms of Andalusia.

Finally, marvel at the wizardry of modern-day food magicians Bompas & Parr; they can teach us all a thing or two about taste.

VICTORIA GAIGER EXECUTIVE EDITOR COVER IMAGE BY RICK GUEST Grooming MATT RAINE at O Ekocycle H Brothers shirt £129 WILL.I.AM w and Ekocycle Ecoalf jack t £240

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

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CONTENTS

21

AGENDA Everything you need to know for the new fashion season

23_ZEITGEIST What everyone’s talking about for spring 2015

TREND REPORT Menswear gets experimental as designers rip up the rulebook

43_SWELL TIME Set sail with a watch built to make waves

44_NEWS

30_PARDON ME FOR DREAMING Will.i.am has joined forces with Coca-Cola to create Ekocycle, a brand turning bottles into everything from suits to luggage

37

TAILORS OF THE UNEXPECTED The suit is in the spotlight as designers fuse respect for Savile Row traditions with a refreshingly modern sensibility

41_NEWS Dramatic fashions, a very British chess set, a stylish timepiece and how to put a smile on your face

63_CASE BY CASE Exotic destinations call for equally exotic leather suitcases

A rugby-inspired watch, a rock’n’roll bar, the 65_NIP AND TUCK backpack’s comeback, Looking for the plus an interview with ultimate in madeHaider Ackermann to-measure? The search is over 46_GYM DANDY Designers are blurring the boundaries between fashion and fitness

67_MADE TO LAST

35_STYLE INSIDER 48_NEWS Brands to watch, statement pieces and must-have basics

100

58

A family fashion house, a cashmere coat, sharp suits and luxury sneakers

50_YOU’VE

At Berluti, the collections are expanding – but the focus on quality and craftsmanship remains the same

GOT SOUL Put a spring in your step with playful socks, the perfect foil to smart shoes

MEN AT WORK A man’s desk holds not only the tools of his profession, but also the hallmarks of his style

80_AMERICAN SOUL Staples of the US menswear lexicon have been luxed up by the key international designers

105_GOLDEN YEARS Few whiskies reach 50. Those that do will have been nurtured to the most nuanced expression of the spirit 108_BASELINE PERFORMANCE Monitor your fitness every step of the way with the latest in wearable tech

88_EL BAILE FLAMENCO International menswear designers have been inspired by the world of flamenco

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111

IN THE FAST LANE Taking to the track and fulfilling racing fantasies is within reach thanks to a historic British car maker’s initiative

TO BEARD OR NOT TO BEARD? A convert’s guide to the prickly issue of facial topiary

52

114_THE FINAL

DOUBLE VISION How creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have transformed fashion house Kenzo

70_IT’S A FINE LINE Sporty fashion comes in hi-tech fabrics, silks and leather, and in any colour (as long as it’s black)

98_NEWS Body moisturisers, smoky scents and the best range for the gym

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

WORD Food artist Sam Bompas of Bompas & Parr reveals how schoolboyish experimentation was transformed into a profitable – if eccentric – business

21 SPRING & SUMMER 2015

AGENDA Must-see, must-do, must-have, mustn’t-miss: everything you need for the new season

The BODY LINE

The FLIP SIDE Christopher Kane took the pages of a flip book as the inspiration for his SS15 menswear collection.

Graphic prints are projected onto T-shirts and linings, while pinstripes are manipulated and placed in adjacent but contrasting positions on tailored separates.

T-shirt £190

The flora of the Mediterranean is the inspiration behind Italian Resort, Acqua di Parma’s latest line of grooming products. Sicilian pine, lemon, bergamot and cypress lend regenerative properties to the face, eye and body range. From £30

The PERSONAL TOUCH The ONE TO WATCH From suits to shoes, there’s an array of customisation options instore from 20th to 22nd March.

Tom Ford, Gieves & Hawkes and Louis Vuitton are among the brands offering personalisation.

Watches are getting slimmer.

Or at least those by IWC are.

The Swiss brand has updated its Ingenieur collection via more svelte incarnations. The Ingenieur Automatic employs the slimline 30110-calibre movement and a more streamlined case with chamfered bezel. £4,650

The POCKET ROCKET A healthy dose of eccentricity is implicit in Turnbull & Asser’s aesthetic, and the SS15 collection is no different. Bold colours are seen on formal shirts, ties and pocket squares, which are rich with floral motifs. £59.95 each

The HEADY SCENT Bottega Veneta’s new fragrance – Pour Homme Extrême – takes the pinewood, balsam and leather notes of its signature scent and fuses them with richer labdanum and pimento tones. 90ml, £68

The RETRO JACKET Last year marked the 90th anniversary of Belstaff, but the British brand can safely look ahead far beyond its centenary, judging by its timeless style. The commemorative limited-edition Trialmaster jacket, which is handfinished, harks back to the relaxed silhouette and simplified lines of the 1950s version, and comes in waxed cotton with a faded union jack print on the reverse. £675

The DOUBLE WHAMMY Take two classic English brands – one tech and one automotive – and what do you get? A phone like no other. The Vertu for Bentley blends the performance of the former with the streamlined design of the latter. £10,700

The CITY SLICKER

The SUPER SNEAKER

Is there a more stylish briefcase to be seen carrying in the City than Hermès’ Cityhall 89? In calfskin, and with a document pocket on each side, there’s also a lockable central section for more sensitive papers. £6,150

Focusing on trainers may not be an obvious move for a designer, but that’s exactly what Jon Buscemi has done. His limited-edition shoes blend a casual aesthetic with highend materials; the 50mm Strap is a classic example. £480

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor; The Beauty Apothecary, The Fine Watch Room and The Perfumery Hall, Ground Floor; and Vertu, Third Floor

23

ZEITGEIST PEOPLE & PLACES in the air right now

BY LINDSAY MACPHERSON & BEN FELSENBURG

Tomas Maier Collier Schorr

Fashion: TOMAS MAIER “The wow factor of these clothes lies in their functionality,” says Tomas Maier. “The traditional format of shows and campaigns wouldn’t work for my brand.” Maier’s decision to forgo fashion weeks and ad campaigns for his own label (founded in 1999 and recently relaunched) isn’t entirely out of character. The famously fastidious designer has never followed the flock. At Bottega Veneta – where he’s served as creative director since 2001 – he bucked the It-bag trend in favour of stealth luxury, increasing sales by 1,400 per cent in the process. His eponymous brand shares the same emphasis on craftsmanship – every item is produced in Europe, for example – but the clothes themselves are casual. “It’s a clean, pared-down aesthetic,” Maier says, “a designer’s perspective of relaxed dressing.” For SS15 that means parkas with removable shearling linings, perfectly cut T-shirts and slouchy drawstring trousers. “Bottega Veneta will provide you with the extraordinary, while Tomas Maier will provide you with the necessary,” he explains. “Both are important.”

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

26 ZEITGEIST

D Lamborghini Gallardo Racing School

Emma Thompson and Bryn T Sweeney Todd

Theatre: SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET After rapturous acclaim from New York’s tough-to-please critics and audiences, Oscar-winner Emma Thompson is reprising her role as villainous meat-pie-maker Mrs Lovett in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. For the ENO production, Thompson will be reunited with director Lonny Price and her co-star, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, in the role of the bloodthirsty barber.

From 30th March to 12th April at the London Coliseum; visit eno.org

Experience: THE RACING SCHOOL Who hasn’t imagined, for a moment, being on the track at Brands Hatch or Donington Park, putting their foot down and feeling the sheer thrill of speed where so many motor-racing greats have made their mark? The Racing School makes that fantasy a reality through a variety of petrolhead pleasures. If driving a Formula One car isn’t enough of a thrill, try the Supercar experience: take a Ferrari 360 Modena, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin V8 Vantage or Audi R8 for a spin. Visit racing-school.co.uk

Ralph F in Man and Superman

Despite his fame, Ralph Fiennes continues to seek out left-field roles. Now he’s back at the National Theatre – where he started more than 20 years ago – playing anarchist firebrand Jack Tanner in a comedy that gives full vent to the wit and philosophical tangents of George Bernard Shaw.

Alongside Fiennes is Game of Thrones star Indira Varma as Ann, an orphaned heiress whose verbal sparring with Tanner may or may not be a prelude to romance.

From 17th February to 17th May at the National Theatre

Exhibition: MAGNA CARTA: LAW, LIBERTY, LEGACY It’s 800 years old, but the Magna Carta is as relevant today as it was when it was drawn up in 1215. Introduced to establish feudal law and prevent the abuse of power, the Great Charter is the foundation for the way the modern world is governed. The British Library celebrates the document’s anniversary with an exhibition that allows visitors to see the historic manuscript that has been so pivotal in forging the rule of law. Also on display will be Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten text of the Declaration of Independence, and an original copy of the US Bill of Rights. Security will be tight, but the queue will be worth it.

From 13th March to 1st September at The British Library HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Sweeney Todd Chris Lee; Man and Superman Juergen Teller; Magna Carta © British Library/Joseph Turp

Theatre: MAN AND SUPERMAN

30 INTERVIEW

PARDON ME FOR DREAMING

Musician, philanthropist, entrepreneur… environmentalist? Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am has joined forces with Coca-Cola to create Ekocycle, a brand turning post-consumer plastic into everything from suits to luggage

BY DEBORAH BEE / PHOTOGRAPHER RICK GUEST FASHION EDITOR VICTORIA GAIGER

Tuesday 18th November 2014; a photographic studio near King’s Cross.

07.01 The croissants are still warm and have been arranged on a platter. There are three loaves of bread – white, brown and wholemeal – sliced, with a toaster next to them. And a bowl of butter. And a selection of jams and honey in miniature jars. The upstairs dining area is for the crew. The downstairs one is for the “client”. The set-up is pretty much the same for both, though in the downstairs one the fruit looks more exotic. Will.i.am is due to arrive at 10am. There is a call sheet stuck to the studio door.

There are more than 20 names on the sheet, with job descriptions and mobile numbers. Will.i.am’s name and number are not on the sheet.

07.04 The stills film crew arrives. The photographer is about an hour away, but the assistants have been briefed to set up a black Colorama and a large concertina of polyboard reflectors that give will.i.am and the photographer some privacy. At the far side of the studio is a bank of Macs where the digital team will check the images as they are shot.

There’s an obstacle course of equipment between the set and the Macs.

07.09 Hair, make-up and film crews arrive simultaneously with trolley-loads of powder and hairspray and lights and cameras. They all file into the make-up room that’s doubling up as a mini studio for the behind-the-scenes filming.

07.23 A girl in a black T-shirt wheels a large, squeaky trolley of boxes to the make-up area. She stacks the boxes in a corner and the trolley squeaks away again. Silence reigns throughout. It’s still early.

07.30 As the call sheet predicts, will.i.am’s men arrive. Although they speak in hushed tones, they bring a sense of urgency to the studio. They walk swiftly but silently. Their hair is styled. Their skin is moisturised. They gather to survey the stack of boxes. The girl in the black T-shirt arrives with a rail and hangers and begins to unpack them.

07.44 The make-up area is now a sea of red, black and silver, the Ekocycle brand colours. There are studded bags and backpacks; suitcases that – Russian-doll style – open to reveal smaller and smaller suitcases; trousers and T-shirts; jackets and capes; bicycles and boots and shoes. One of the will.i.am men, the trendiest-looking one, who is wearing drop-crotch leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, starts to rifle through the clothes.

• “You never really take into consideration that you are a part of why the world is trashed” •

OPPOSITE PAGE Ekocycle Ecoalf jack t £225; Ekocycle Tern bik

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

He rehangs items, changes their order and equalises the spaces between each hanger.

08.02 The Harrods Magazine crew arrives. The editor makes herself a coffee and looks at the croissants in the upstairs dining area. The fashion editor looks through the clothes. The assistants fire up the iron and the steamer. The make-up artist lines up his brushes again.

08.03 The photographer arrives. The lights are being tested by the digital crew. Every so often, the bank of lights flashes with a loud pop followed by a beep, then an adjustment is made and the lights flash again. Pop! Beep! The most important will.i.am man whispers to the editor that the schedule is on track. Will.i.am will arrive at 10 o’clock. The editor tells the fashion editor. The fashion editor tells the photographer and the film crew.

09.04 The film crew is suddenly unhappy with the scuffed skirting board in the make-up area.

They inform the fashion editor, who informs the editor, who informs the will.i.am men. Due to limited space, the skirting board will be visible in all the footage. It will spoil the behind-the-scenes shoot entirely. The products, therefore, need to be transferred from one side of the room to the other, with immediate effect, as will.i.am will be arriving in less than one hour. That’s less than one hour.

Assistants, including the girl in the black T-shirt, are dispatched from all over the building. Swiftly.

Meanwhile, the photographer is unhappy with the lighting set and orders new lights that won’t arrive until after 10 o’clock. That’s over one hour. That’s too late. A different lighting company is called. The girl in the black T-shirt looks at her watch in the entrance hall and lights three scented candles. The warm perfume of geranium, lavender and mint mix with north London damp.

09.24 An accident on the Marylebone Road has shut down one lane, leading to a two-mile-long jam.

The main will.i.am man tells the editor, who tells the fashion editor who tells the photographer and the film crew. The make-up artist rearranges his brushes. Again. The coffee is cold. The croissants are untouched. The candles are blown out.

09.26 The fashion editor hands a list to the man in drop-crotch leggings. It’s the order in which she would like to shoot the outfits. There are five key looks, she explains. There’s a bomber jacket made from an open-weave fabric. It’s very urban sports.

Very now. She wants that with the black trousers X

31 INTERVIEWINTERVIEW INTERVIEW

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

33 INTERVIEW

Harrods Magazine: What types of products has Ekocycle been able to manufacture? will.i.am: I’m wearing a jacket that contains 28 bottles – 32 bottles in total, between my shoes, the shirt and the jacket. We also have bags by MCM and suitcases by Globe-Trotter; I’ve been a GlobeTrotter customer from the first time I went on tour.

Ecoalf does awesome things: a poncho – if you want to call it that; a bubble vest. Hallenstein Brothers, from New Zealand, have done suits and ties and handkerchiefs. Look at these kicks from The Office of Angela Scott; these are fresh kicks.

One day I was having a debate with a friend of mine, and he was saying, “Ekocycle is a dope concept, but you’re never going to make serious money.”

I was like, “It’s not really about making serious money. It’s about making serious change; it’s about inspiring people to look at the world differently and see how they participate in it, and see the concept of waste. Waste doesn’t necessarily have to be waste, right? We could take aluminium and make things like suitcases, and take plastic bottles and make things like shoes and jackets and bicycles.”

are a part of the reason why the world is trashed.

So, I was on stage, and I saw the aftermath of a Black Eyed Peas concert. And we could have said, “Hey, everybody, before you leave, make sure you pick up your trash and place it in the containers that we left,” to help be responsible. We didn’t do that.

The first thing I thought was, we could turn those plastic bottles into something. Because, with the luxury of travelling, you get to go to places like Holland, where they have been practising sustainability for a long time, and you see products that they make, but they’re one-offs or two-offs, limited quantities of awesome bags and shoes that are made of recycled tyres, or a bag made out of recycled seatbelts. I thought, what if we could take, on a bigger scale, plastic bottles and make them into jackets, shoes, bags? I mean – pardon me for dreaming – but what if I could inspire The CocaCola Company to do that?

So I went to a copy shop and made a green book that said Ekocycle on it. Ekocycle starts with the word Coke in reverse, and the C could stand for things like cycle, community, concept. So, Eko centres, Eko consciousness, Eko conscious consumption, all these things around the reversing of the word Coke. I pitched it to them in 2009, and it took a while for us to cement the idea of Ekocycle and make it official. And now it’s a real thing.

So it took a long time to get that deal done.

A lot of trips to Atlanta, home of The CocaCola Company. And people like [VP and chief sustainability officer of The Coca-Cola Company] Beatriz Perez and [CEO] Muhtar Kent have been super-supportive of the idea from the outset.

Harrods Magazine: Have you got more ideas for putting post-consumer plastics to use? will.i.am: Yes. As we were debating, I was like: Bing! Light bulb! What if we make 3D printers that print using post-consumer plastics? Then people could print phone and tablet cases. They could print necklaces and bracelets. They could print glasses frames. They could print anything.

Now we’ve got an Ekocycle Cube 3D printer that prints using 25 per cent post-consumer plastic.

How does the actual technology work to turn a bottle into a fibre? The way it works is this: When you make a plastic bottle, or headphones, or any device, that thing is made from pellets of plastic.

Now there’s a technology that reverses that, where you take a bottle, and you turn it into flakes, and then you turn those flakes into pellets, and those pellets could get turned back into either hard plastics or fabric, and that fabric then gets turned into garments instead of going into a landfill.

ABOVE Ekocycle Ecoalf jack t £150; Ekocycle Angela Scott Ekocycle Globe-Trotter suitc from £1,025

Grooming MATT RAINE at s; O s Assistants Photogr FRANKIE LODGE and RYAN ator STAMATIADES; Digital O NICK RICHARDS; Junior Fashion Assistant OLIVIA HALSALL Available from Ekocycle, Third Floor

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Harrods Magazine: So why did you choose Harrods? will.i.am: I love the UK, and I love London. So to have this collection in Harrods is a dream come true. When I think of London shopping, the first store that comes into mind is Harrods, for two reasons. One, it’s an aspirational place. The items the store carries are items that I aspire to purchase.

And two, the coupling of Harrods, aspiration, quality and luxury with sustainability is an amazing concept. To turn something that is essentially waste into a luxury item is neat, right? Harrods is like Disneyland for shoppers. That’s pretty cool. HMN

X WATCH Download the Harrods app for interview clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the photoshoot

35

STYLE INSIDER Brands to watch, statement pieces and must-have basics

BY WILLIAM GILCHRIST

William Gilchrist is a freelance stylist whose clients include Jude L olling Stones, magazines L’Uomo Vogue and Arena, and fashion brands Alexander McQueen and Dunhill.

The TOP CATWALK LOOKS for SS15

The WALLET Many years ago, I lived in Italy.

It was then that, in my hunt for a simple, well-made small wallet, I found the Valextra card carrier.

I’ve used it ever since. Well designed, beautifully made and not plastered in branding. Classic.

The DRESSING GOWN The SUIT

Many people’s day begins with the gym and strange concoctions.

I prefer to start mine in a cashmere or – as the summer arrives – linen Daniel Hanson dressing gown, with an espresso, catching up on the news around the world. Then I’m ready for most things – including exercise.

A good dark blue suit is essential in a man’s wardrobe. Many labels seem not to understand the strength of a well-proportioned suit cut with a knowing eye.

Tom Ford’s is as understated as a whisper but, being Tom Ford, it’s uttering sensual thoughts to wearer and admirer alike.

The SAFARI SUIT Ever since I found the perfect safari suit at the now defunct Baron of Piccadilly, I have always kept one for summer. Berluti’s skill in cutting cloth means an effortlessly fluid and classic piece to enjoy in hotter climes.

1. Bottega Veneta cardigan £1,160, tr v

The LUGGAGE This year I’ve been away for around five months. There’s always lots of luggage and, having tried most brands of suitcase, I now have around eight of Rimowa’s sturdy easy rollers. Like a Tibetan Buddhist, they seem to be able to tolerate most situations.

The SOCK The DECK SHOE

A good sock should be above the calf and made of the finest yarn.

Socks don’t have to be worn with all shoes, but if they are donned, make sure they’re made by a company that cares about quality and longevity. Pantherella is my favourite.

The deck shoe had been languishing in the doldrums for quite some time. But a few things have coincided to raise the profile of sailing recently: Ben Ainslie, The America’s Cup and footwear brand Swims, which has dragged the deck shoe into modern times.

ANYTHING BY BOTTEGA VENETA Bottega Veneta’s creative director, Tomas Maier, is a highly accomplished connoisseur of understated luxury; he exemplifies louche, never slouch. And – unlike some brands – he never, ever strays into the vulgar.

2. Berluti jack t £2,100, T-shirt £290, tr

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor; and Travel Goods & Luggage, Second Floor

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

EVERYTHING BY HAIDER ACKERMANN As brands compete for customers, their offerings can become quite similar. Haider Ackermann is a distinctive voice among the homogeneity. His appreciation of tailoring and sense of colour, cut and cloth are a welcome respite from the mainstream.

Loved the magazine?

EXPERIENCE THE APP Download the award-winning Harrods app to watch our exclusive interview with will.i.am and see the new season’s trends jump off the page

magazine.harrods.com/app

37 FASHION

TAILORS OF THE UNEXPECTED The suit is in the spotlight this season as designers fuse respect for Savile Row traditions with a refreshingly modern sensibility

BY LINDSAY MACPHERSON

Berluti jack t £2,440, sw

£580, tr

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

38 FASHION

D

espite its age – a shade over 150 years – the tailored suit hasn’t lost its ability to shape shift. A symbol of conservatism and conformity, it’s still perfectly capable of enticing with the new, exciting with the novel, or even eliciting shock with the downright nuts: designer Richard James’ precisely tailored yet entirely transparent Naked Suit of 2009 being a memorable case in point.

There’s never a shortage of sharp tailoring at the menswear shows, but it wasn’t simply exquisite cuts and expert execution that marked out the suits in the SS15 collections. At Berluti, for example, there was no doubt that creative director Alessandro Sartori’s pieces were deftly tailored; more than 90 per cent were produced by hand. Yet it was the experimental and idiosyncratic touches – such as painted-on patina to give the illusion of texture and age – that really set his suits apart.

At London Collections: Men – the menswear equivalent of London Fashion Week – the boundaries between fashion labels and traditional British tailors have become ever more blurred. Not only do the categories butt up against one another in the show schedule, they increasingly borrow ideas, techniques and even talent from each other – John Ray, for example, now Dunhill creative director, spent more than a decade at Gucci.

Even the most radical British labels are rooted in Savile Row. Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, once said she believed British tailoring to be the company’s backbone, and it’s an apt assessment. The brand was founded by a former Savile Row apprentice and today has a menswear flagship store on the same street. Burton’s stellar SS15 collection put a subversive spin on the tailoring of the storied street: oversized black suits were slashed in panels to reveal the blood-red

• “The boundaries between fashion labels and traditional British tailors have become ever more blurred. The categories increasingly borrow ideas, techniques and even talent from each other” •

LEFT Dior Homme jack t £2,200, shirt

from a TOP RIGHT

Burberry Prorsum jack jack t £595, T-shirt £225, tr socks fr Available from Menswear, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

lining beneath, while blown-up Prince of Wales checks were reconfigured into abstract and asymmetrical motifs.

Balancing the past with the bang-up-to-date has always been one of Christopher Bailey’s strong suits, and for his SS15 Burberry Prorsum collection he used bright colours and casual styling to provide a youth-centric counterpoint to slim, tapered tailoring. Models in magenta or verdant green suits wore colour-clashing sneakers, unstructured hats and T-shirts emblazoned with illustrations taken from vintage book covers (one bore the legend: “The History of English Tailoring”). In Milan, there was less ease to the suits – some were verging on downright strict – but a similar emphasis on innovation. The rich surface decoration at Dolce & Gabbana mixed the romantic with the religious, while Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli presented impeccably cut suits using their signature camouflage print.

Perhaps designer Kris Van Assche’s collection for Dior Homme offered the most compelling play on the codes of classic dress. His catwalk hosted pristine navy tailoring fastened with duffel-coat toggles, with horizontal or vertical pinstripes on nautically influenced suits. There were also ties and tailored shirts printed with a loopy scrawl taken from a handwritten letter by Christian Dior himself, unearthed by Van Assche from the house’s archives.

“Traditions have to be maintained so they can be passed on to future generations,” Dior had written.

“In troubled times like ours, we must maintain these traditions, which are our luxury and the flower of our civilisation.” The designer’s devotion to tradition remains as relevant today as it was in the 1950s, but surely even Monsieur Dior would concede that a dose of modernity is key to being suitably dressed this season. HMN

41 FASHION

NEWS

Dramatic fashions, a very British chess set, a stylish timepiece and how to put a smile on your face

JAQUET DROZ: It’s a steel

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: Drama queen

A classic form of Japanese theatre with an emphasis on dance, kabuki was a central inspiration for the Alexander McQueen SS15 collection. The traditional art form is characterised by elaborate make-up, which is reflected in the label’s fluid and contrasting decoration. Recurring motifs are placed asymmetrically, with kabuki patterns stamping oversized shirts with conspicuous originality.

Tailored separates are slashed to reveal distinctive red lining, while the traditional Prince of Wales check is abstracted across skinny trousers, a threequarter-length coat and a bomber jacket.

Jacket £1,080 and trousers £470. Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor

In the late 18th century, watchmaker Jaquet Droz made waves with the then unconventional double-dial on its Grande Seconde pocket watch.

More than two centuries later, the model – now worn on the wrist – remains just as eye-catching, most recently revamped in 2008’s sports-influenced line. Today, the Grande Seconde SW Steel is expanding the collection; the style will be available in two diameters, 45mm and 41mm, and in three colourways: grey, anthracite grey and blue. The steel bezel frames the figure-of-eight face, Geneva Stripes add to its understated look, and an alligator-leather strap replaces the rubber-and-metal bracelets of previous models. £11,100. Available from The Fine Watch Room, Ground Floor

HOLLAND & HOLLAND: Grand master

Country sports outfitter Holland & Holland, established in 1835, and The Dalmore, a single malt distillery since 1839, have created a chess set that embodies the history of both brands.

The chessboard of ebony and walnut is presented with two crystal tumblers and a whisky of the buyer’s choice from The Dalmore’s Constellation Collection. From £39,495.

Available from The Spirits Room, Lower Ground Floor

Moschino

Hands in the air! Fashion has decreed it’s the summer of love all over again. “Oh no,” I hear you cry. “Not again. What fresh madness is this?”

Not since the acid house generation came of age have so many smiley faces come out to play.

Thankfully, this time they’re only on the T-shirts we’re being asked to wear.

Those old enough to remember the hellish side of the ’90s rave scene – T-shirts that looked like something your dad washed the car with; warehouses that mistook a choice of overpriced bottled water for a cocktail menu; queuing round the M25 with a mobile phone the size of two iPhone boxes at your ear, looking for a field in which to party – can relax. This is not the madness of those years, and there’s no need to ingest mind-numbing decorated narcotics to take part. Instead, approach the designer rails with a clear head and choose carefully.

Moschino, under the amused eye of Jeremy Scott, has brought smiley faces back, not on yellow lollipops, but artfully adorning animated prints. Fendi continues the theme with its classic monsters, and Dsquared2 has rediscovered slogans 30 years after Katharine Hamnett came up with the selfsame idea.

All in all, it’s an explosion of good, clean, retro fun that will put a smile on the most miserable face, even if those with a long memory will have seen it all before. Who’d have thought it?

Fashion, like pop, will eat itself. Now that’s a slogan. Someone should put it on a T-shirt.

Tom Loxley is executive editor of the Radio Times.

He has also written for GQ and The Independent

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

43 MUST-HAVES

SWELL TIME Hitting the water? Set sail with a robust watch built to make waves PHOTOGRAPHER TED HUMBLE-SMITH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT TAG Heuer Aquarac

300m Calibr Tudor H lack Bay £2,120; Panerai Luminor 1950 R t Oc t £5,160; Rolex D 3 Days Chrono Flyback automatic Titanio £12,900; Omega Available from The Fine Watch Room, Ground Floor

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

44 FASHION

NEWS A rugby-inspired watch, a rock’n’roll bar, the backpack’s comeback, plus a mini interview with Haider Ackermann BULGARI: The new black

The Colombian-born, Belgiantrained designer is best known for his artful draping and languid, jewel-toned tailoring. He launched his first collection in 2001 to critical acclaim. Ackermann talks to Harrods Man about his peripatetic childhood and why self-doubt propels him.

BALENCIAGA: Packing a punch If evidence was needed that the humble backpack is in the midst of a high-fashion makeover, the SS15 collections provided it in spades as everyone from Fendi to Balmain showed ultra-elevated examples.

Alexander Wang – a designer who loves an athletic reference – was the leader of the pack with a collection for Balenciaga that includes the most innovative updates of the classic utilitarian style.

The pared-down and low-profile Phileas backpack is upgraded with the addition of sleek python skin; the slouchier styles have a sporty twist with technical mesh and palladium hardware; while a real standout is the Traveller design, rendered in edgy rubberised leather. Phileas backpack £1,999. Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor

“Growing up in Africa, I didn’t even know what fashion was. My first love was fabric. I remember watching scarves blowing in the wind in the medina.

They seemed like beautiful ghosts.

“My family moved to Holland when I was 12.

Suddenly I was so different. I was the only one in school who had dark skin, and I didn’t speak Dutch.

I felt like an outsider, so I built a fantasy world to deal with it. Later, fashion became my form of escapism.

“I never look back at my past collections, but I do have some affection for my first one. I showed it at the Petit Palais in Paris. I was so underprepared.

I didn’t even invite any fashion buyers.

“Designing menswear is an interesting process, because the purpose is not to make a man beautiful, but to give him a certain style or attitude. It’s subtle things – the shortening of a sleeve, the exact shade of a colour – that make a real difference.

“Success is important, because it helps you move on with your story, but the biggest compliment is when I see people on the street wearing my clothes.

“I still suffer from self-doubt before a show, but if there were no insecurity, I don’t think there would be any excitement. The doubt in the back of my mind is what pushes me each season.” – By Lindsay Macpherson

BUSTER + PUNCH: Star turn Cutting-edge brand Buster + Punch has injected its powerful personality into light fittings, furniture, leather jackets and even motorcycles. Handmade in Britain, using American black walnut, the Rockstar Whisky Bar features 24kt gold-plated and solid brass details. The quilted backing and knurled-brass light fitting further exemplify the brand’s rock-inspired aesthetic. £4,250. Available from Classics Room, Third Floor

Jacket £1,275 and T-shirt £380. Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Ackermann portrait Julian Broad

HAIDER ACKERMANN

The OCTO All Blacks watch is probably not something to wear while doing the haka – the Maori war cry performed pre-match by the New Zealand rugby team.

That said, the special-edition timepiece, a celebration of the shared 130th anniversary of Bulgari and the All Blacks last year, would suit the occasion.

Retaining the robust shape of the original OCTO (notably the octagonal bezel), the new model has a sapphire-crystal case back adorned with the All Blacks’ emblematic silver fern, which reveals a complex movement.

A Maori mask is engraved on the dial, and a rugby-ball-shaped box adds an apposite finishing touch. £6,100. Available from The Fine Jewellery Room, Ground Floor

46 FASHION

GYM DANDY For spring, designers are blurring the boundaries between fashion and fitness

Brooklyn Circus sw

£170

Lanvin jack t £2,250

PAGE TURNER Taking flip books as his cue, Christopher Kane used trompe l’œil prints to give sporty staples a graphic geometry Helmut Lang

v

-shirt £170

Alexander McQueen sw

£345

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci jack t £899

Christopher Kane T-shirt £280

Dsquared2 tracksuit tr

£1,599

3.1 Phillip Lim jack t £799

Dsquared2 backpack £435

tr

Buscemi £1,560

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci bag £1,775

Louis Leeman tr £750, xclusiv Harrods

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Balmain backpack £825

Stylist Olivia Halsall

EDITOR’S ESSENTIAL KIT

48 FASHION

NEWS A family fashion house, a cashmere coat, sharp suits and the best luxury sneakers HUGO BOSS: Cool casual Drawing on influences from the relaxed nature of today’s vibrant music scene, Hugo Boss’ SS15 collection strikes a comfortable balance between casual dress and tailoring. The brand is known for its sharp shirting, suiting and styling, an aesthetic exemplified by overcoats with minimal detailing, and slimfitting trousers and jackets. The collection taps into the trend towards informality by breaking down the constructed suiting system into half-lined coats, cropped trousers, simple T-shirts and distinct colours – azure blue and off-whites – to ensure the look is downtown-ready.

Suit £650 and coat £480.

Available from Menswear, Ground Floor

WOOYOUNGMI: Seoul sisters

BURBERRY PRORSUM: Wanderlust Christopher Bailey looked both close-at-hand and far afield for his SS15 Burberry Prorsum collection. The work and style of English travel writer and novelist Bruce Chatwin, who wrote In Patagonia and The Songlines, was his starting point, with further inspiration coming from vintage book covers. Typographic motifs were illustrated in-house and printed onto cashmere, cotton and leather. Olive, aqua, ochre and saffron add bright, seasonal touches to field jackets, trench coats and – one of the collection’s key silhouettes – a double cashmere and wool duffel jacket. The latter’s toggle fastenings and clean lines reference a style worn by British naval officers. Coat £1,695, exclusive to Harrods.

Available from Menswear, Ground Floor

South Korean label Wooyoungmi has always been a family affair.

Woo Youngmi founded the label in 1988 – thanks to a loan from her father-in-law – and her younger sister, Woo Janghee, joined the business in 1989. Last year, her daughter Katie Chung (both pictured above), a design graduate of Central Saint Martins, became co-creative director. Chung’s influence can be seen in SS15’s sporty silhouettes, but the inspiration, as always, comes courtesy of art. Riffing on the work of Venezuelan optical artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, they created the illusion of movement by layering silk mesh over prints. Jacket £625. Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor

TOP THREE

Luxe trainers in shades of blue

1. Valentino tr

£430

2. Balenciaga tr

£425

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

3. Zilli tr

£1,300

50 FASHION

YOU’VE GOT SOLE Put a spring in your step with playful socks, the perfect foil to smart shoes PHOTOGRAPHER ARTHUR WOODCROFT

LEFT Zadig & Voltaire tr

£155; Pantherella socks £15.95; Hogan CENTRE Façonnable tr RIGHT Hugo Boss tr £119; Pantherella socks £15.95; Stemar Smith socks £16.95; Church’s

LEFT Burberry Brit tr £275; Pantherella socks £15.95; Hugo Boss CENTRE Hackett tr £199; Paul Smith socks £16.95; Church’s

LEFT Harrods of London tr

socks £15.95; Santoni

f a thr

RIGHT Burberrry

Falke socks £29.95; Stemar

£179; Falke socks £29.95; Tod’s CENTRE Burberry London tr f a thr xclusiv to Harrods; RIGHT Harrods of London tr £179; Pantherella socks £15.95; Corthay Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Pantherella fr

Stylist Olivia Halsall

London tr

£295; Paul

52 INTERVIEW

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

53

DOUBLE VISION They’re the creative directors nobody saw coming, but Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have transformed Kenzo from a flagging fashion brand into a bona-fide phenomenon

BY LINDSAY MACPHERSON

Paris SS15 Lea Colombo

W

hen most designers paint a picture of their youth, it’s of time spent poring over their mothers’ fashion magazines or dreaming of couture. Not so Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, co-creative directors of Kenzo. “We were mall rats from the suburbs,” Lim says, sitting in a sparse, white-walled studio in Manhattan’s Chinatown. “We weren’t looking at fashion shows or anything,” Leon adds.

Little about Lim and Leon fits any preconceived ideas of what the figureheads of an LVMH-backed French heritage brand should be like. Their unorthodox background – combined with their unique brand of cool – has allowed them to transform a slightly staid Parisian company into one of the most buzzing fashion labels of the decade. A new breed of creative directors, the designers take pride in existing firmly outside ivory towers. “We’ve never wanted to make museum pieces,” Leon explains. “Given the choice between seeing our creations on a magazine cover, or seeing 500 people on the street in a Kenzo sweater, we’d choose the sweater for sure.” The sweater in question – a tiger-print crew neck from their AW12 collection – gives an insight into the cultlike fervour that Lim and Leon have inspired. Within 48 hours, all 2,000 had sold out. Five seasons on, the sweaters are still tricky to keep in stock – as is pretty much everything Lim and Leon make.

Though both designers have corporate backgrounds – Lim in investment banking, Leon in visual merchandising – their success at Kenzo lies more in their ability to predict the next big thing than their commercial nous. This first became evident in 2002, when they quit their jobs to launch Opening Ceremony, a concept store showcasing undiscovered designers, chosen from a different country each year. Dubbed “the crystal ball of cool” by American GQ, the New York store was the first to carry Acne outside Sweden and the first to stock Havaianas outside Brazil. Soon Lim and Leon had launched X w outdoors on

x

c III B

was shown aris

54 INTERVIEW

• “It’s important to us that both Opening Ceremony and Kenzo feel superinviting. I’ve always been haunted by that scene in Pretty Woman where oberts is turned away from the shop” Carol Lim

•

ABOVE AND LEFT

w

from

o

c

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

but in 2004 they were replaced by Antonio Marras, an Italian known for his romantic, poetic designs.

His reign was successful, but by 2011 the label was struggling for relevance. LVMH felt it needed a change of designer to restore its original buzz.

By the time Lim and Leon were approached, LVMH’s president, Pierre-Yves Roussel, had already met 30 other candidates. “We felt like we were a wild card,” Lim says. Still, the designers gave it their all, staying up for two days straight to work on a presentation, which – instead of simply outlining their concept for a single collection – encompassed ideas for everything from social media to merchandising, accessories to ad campaigns. “Thirty minutes in, they stopped us to say, ‘This is amazing.

This is exactly what we want,’” Lim says. “It was not what we expected. In the end we had to interrupt, to be like, ‘Please, let us finish. We’ve worked really hard on this and we’ve a whole lot more to say!’”

After their appointment was announced, the pair were given just a month to design, produce and present their first collection. A boon, according to Lim and Leon, because it meant there was little time for nerves, second-guessing themselves or ruminating on the industry’s reaction to their taking the helm, which was not universally positive.

“The appointment came out of left field, so we

Black and white photo Lea Colombo

multiple locations and an in-house collection, and had collaborated with everyone from Adidas to Yoko Ono, and from Maison Martin Margiela to Manolo Blahnik.

Opening Ceremony’s appeal, Lim says, lies partly in its accessibility, which was inspired by the designers’ early love of mall culture. “It’s important to us that both Opening Ceremony and Kenzo feel superinviting. I’ve always been haunted by that scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts is turned away from the shop,” she laughs. Despite their reputations as arbiters of cool, the pair are ebullient, easy-going and down-to-earth. They describe their relationship as sibling-like, they regularly socialise together and they claim they’ve never had a serious disagreement.

“We definitely have that Yin/Yang dynamic,” Lim says. “When we go out, I’m always the one saying, ‘Humberto, it’s four o’clock in the morning, we’ve got a meeting tomorrow.’ But we balance each other out.”

The designers’ friendship dates back to 1993, when they were 18-year-old freshmen at the University of California, Berkeley; Lim studied economics, Leon sculpture. They forged a bond during out-of-town shopping trips, when they’d scour Salvation Army shops and discount stores for second-hand fashion.

It was during one of those expeditions that they first encountered Kenzo. “The clothes were so full of personality,” Lim says. “They always stood out somehow.” At the time, the label was presided over by its eponymous founder, Kenzo Takada, a Japaneseborn, Paris-based designer whose East-meets-West aesthetic focused on ethnic prints, eye-popping florals and flowing silhouettes. He’d launched in the 1970s, and by 1993 his label had been snapped up by Parisian powerhouse LVMH. Six years later, Takada announced his retirement. His assistants took over,

55 INTERVIEW

Paris SS15 photos Jason Lloyd-Evans

a highlight of the Paris schedule (for their first, Jason Schwartzman provided the music, Chloë Sevigny closed the show, Solange Knowles helped out backstage and Spike Jonze captured the whole thing on film). Their SS15 menswear show – held outdoors on the Alexander III Bridge which crosses the Seine – was a typically spirited affair, and even an unexpected downpour failed to put a dampener on proceedings. Flanked by a sea of specially commissioned Kenzo umbrellas, models marched out wearing sporty, streetwear-inflected designs that mixed polka dots with marinière stripes, and carrying circular bags that took inspiration from Le Corbusier.

A series of T-shirts and sweaters emblazoned with prints of the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty celebrated Paris and New York, the cities between which Lim and Leon split their time.

Both designers are Los Angeles natives from close-knit Asian families (Lim’s parents are Korean; Leon is half Chinese) and – in common with many second-generation Americans – have a ferocious work ethic as well as deep-rooted perfectionist streaks.

“Carol and I were raised in environments where you were always told what you could do better,” Leon says. Consummate multitaskers, the pair remain fully committed to Opening Ceremony, but right now their focus is on the growth of Kenzo.

They do concede that they’re pleased with their accomplishments so far. The biggest endorsement of all came three seasons ago, when Takada attended their show; it was the designer’s first appearance since his departure from the brand. “He’s come to every one since, which is very cool,” Leon smiles. “He said he feels like we’ve really done the brand – his brand – justice, and that we’ve been able to capture his spirit. For us, that’s the best compliment.” HMN understood when people were sceptical or thought it was a weird choice,” Leon concedes.

Buoyed by the designers’ 360-degree approach, Roussel gave them complete creative control of the brand. Lim and Leon still came up against some resistance from within however, notably when they decided to eschew the leitmotifs that, latterly, had defined the label’s aesthetic. “People were aghast when we said we weren’t going to do flowers any more,” Leon says. “But when you look back over the brand’s history, they actually only reflect one aspect.” Although the pair start their design process by looking through the Kenzo archives, any references are deliberately abstruse: a motif might be concealed in a riotous print, or a technique used to make a dress might be employed to create a perfectly cut parka.

“So far we’ve stuck to Kenzo’s first 10 years, which means our references have ended up pretty niche,” Leon says. “They’re more like an insider nod.”

“Kenzo Takada was an innovator, so it would feel wrong to try to imitate him,” Lim adds. “We want to keep things fresh, so we’re focusing on the future rather than the past.”

The pair’s fierce originality has ensured that their collections were well received from the off, while their keen sense of fun and coterie of famous friends mean their catwalk presentations are always

TOP LEFT, MIDDLE AND RIGHT

w ABOVE Cr

om

c arol Lim

and H Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

59 FASHION

HI-TECH TAILORING

Ermenegildo Zegna

Berluti

Corneliani

Brioni

Berluti

Giorgio Armani

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta

Dsquared2

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

ELEVATED ATHLETICISM

Neil Barrett

Alexander Wang

Cerruti 1881 Paris

Louis Vuitton

THE LAW OF THE STREET

Juun J

Alexander Wang

Moschino

Dolce & Gabbana

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

60 FASHION

TEXT MESSAGE

; Moschino

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Burberry Prorsum

Dior Homme

Paul Smith

Prada

Tom Ford

DENIM

Saint Laurent

Dsquared2

Burberry Prorsum

Dior Homme

04_Text message

05_Denim

In our digital age, the printed word so often finds itself on the fringes – making it perfect as a fashion motif. At Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Bailey took travel writer Bruce Chatwin as his muse for his collection of trainers, scarves, bags and folios – complimented by crushed felt hats – and transplanted vintage book covers on T-shirts. Dior Homme’s Kris Van Assche contrasted knife-sharp tailoring with gently subversive casual wear, and decorated both with the precise cursive of Christian Dior himself. Paul Smith’s graphics were handdrawn and psychedelia-inspired, Moschino was writ large from suits to sweats, while at Alexander McQueen it was not words that were hand-etched, but Matisse-esque patterns, swirling boldly against sportswear-touched casuals and flowing tailoring.

Based on traditional Japanese masks, here was another hat-tip to the ancient from a designer in search of the new.

As the world’s most prevalent trouser genre, jeans can be taken for granted. But when Tom Ford – a reliable style bellwether – dedicates a fair proportion of his SS15 presentation to speaking about denim, it’s clear they are back in high fashion. Tom Ford is itself doing jeans – various washes, three styles and “all about the cut and the butt” – for the first time. Meanwhile, Saint Laurent’s irresistible rock-star chorus riffed on black skinnies with the occasional high-hemmed trucker jacket. Prada used denim as the canvas for its 1970s-referenced ode to exposed seams; denim (sometimes double) was one of Dior Homme’s new traditions; Dsquared2 joined the party; and Burberry Prorsum imported this most democratic material into its meditation on the bohemian travelling man.

06_Trainers with everything With shoes at the vanguard of boundary-blurring in menswear codes, it has now become de rigueur to HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

63 MUST-HAVE

CASE BY CASE Exotic destinations call for an equally exotic leather suitcase. Bon voyage PHOTOGRAPHER TED HUMBLE-SMITH

Prada ostrich suitc

oc

th pric

Available from Menswear, Ground Floor

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

67 PROVENANCE

MADE TO LAST

With Alessandro Sartori calling the creative shots at Berluti, the collections are expanding – but the focus on quality and craftsmanship remains the same

BY TEO VAN DEN BROEKE PHOTOGRAPHER STÉPHANE GALLOIS

I

n the UK, when we think of shoemaking, we think of Northampton and the Goodyear-welted footwear manufactured in this grey Midlands town. On the continent, things are a little different. Berluti, for example, has been producing exemplary handmade boots, Derbys and loafers since it was founded, in 1895, by Alessandro Berluti, an Italian bottier (bootmaker) with a Parisian sense of style. Its shoes have always possessed a certain Mediterranean sleekness, and its global resonance was firmly established when, in 1993, it was acquired by Bernard Arnault’s luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH. In 2011, Arnault’s son Antoine was made CEO and quickly moved to hire Alessandro Sartori – another Italian export in Paris – as creative director. The latter had spent almost a decade working for tailoring label Ermenegildo Zegna, and it was to prove a savvy move. Not only did it affirm the younger Arnault as a worthy successor to the LVMH throne but, via

o Sartori, cr of P

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Sartori’s tighter harnessing of the brand’s already pinsharp elegance, it transformed Berluti from respected shoemaker into worldwide luxury brand – which, under Sartori’s aegis, is now reaching a different audience. For SS15, Sartori sent out sumptuous safari and field jackets worn with oversized trousers, pale suits teamed with T-shirts and sneakers, and soft leather bombers worn with chinos. While not the kind of clothing you’d necessarily associate with such an established luxury brand, Berluti now sits comfortably between the opulent edginess of Louis Vuitton and the more traditional tailoring of Corneliani and Brioni.

I meet Sartori – who’s come straight from a meeting with Arnault – at Berluti’s bespoke workshops on rue Marbeuf in Paris. The atelier is immaculate. Ten bottiers are hammering away at uppers and soles, while hundreds of wooden lasts from stars past and present (including Richard Burton and Sylvester Stallone) pack the shelves around them. X

68 PROVENANCE Slight, bright-eyed and immaculate in a midnightblue rollneck and a chunky wool blazer, Sartori is everything you’d expect of the creative director of one of the world’s most notable luxury brands. His initial task was expanding the ready-to-wear and bespoke lines, and enlarging the existing shoe range; in his short time as creative director, he has already reworked several classic styles – including the Andy loafer (created for Andy Warhol) and the Alessandro Derby (the first shoe Alessandro Berluti created) – by adapting colours and shapes. He has broadened the brand’s offering, introducing the first Berluti sneaker, Playtime, and the Lorenzo loafer. And if that’s not enough, he has transformed the ready-towear arm of the brand, producing hotly anticipated collections season after season.

“The idea was to enlarge the proposition of Berluti, as the customer today has a lot of different needs,” Sartori explains in his singsong northern Italian accent. “We’ve developed, for instance, the Lorenzo foldable loafer for the summer. It’s unlined and made from either cashmere leather or kangaroo leather – the latter is light, but very resilient.”

The son of a dressmaker, Sartori spent much of his childhood in his mother’s workshop: “She had an atelier for womenswear. She worked with six or seven tailors making women’s clothes. As a kid, I can remember her doing all the fittings, and checking the fabrics and the craft of beautiful dresses. I really wanted to do that. I knew that was my thing.”

That early education was the foundation for Sartori’s obsession with detail. Showing me the lining of his blazer, he explains that he always uses a cappuccino-coloured cotton twill to line his jackets and coats, as it’s the most practical fabric for hiding spots. Similarly, a dedication to the best craftsmen, skins and fabrics defines Berluti today.

“The quality of the leather sets us apart,” Sartori says. “We develop many of our leathers exclusively with the suppliers. We go to the farm or tannery with them and work on exclusive processes, such as using a certain treatment to make the leather soft yet resilient.” Berluti also treats all the shoes in its atelier and makes all of its products by hand. “When our shoes arrive in store, they are entirely ‘raw’.

We have a quantity of shoes which are not coloured; the colour is added to the shoe when the customer decides which he would like.”

Maintaining this quality is a monumental task that Sartori has met head on. When he was appointed, the first thing he did was travel the length of Italy to find the best ateliers. Now, with the exception of the bespoke tailoring, leisurewear and footwear (which is still produced in Paris), every shoe, coat and suit is manufactured in these factories.

“The recruitment of the ateliers was tricky. The idea we had was to design a collection with a focus on details, something purely crafted, with pieces made to last forever,” Sartori says. “Today, we have workshops from Torino to Naples, from Rome to Palermo. We have 17 ateliers producing ready-towear and we constantly inspect the quality.” He pauses to collect his thoughts: “Many of the special processes are undertaken in different places. A jacket

TOP Exc by artisans in B

tion tail sP ABOVE, FROM TOP Berluti Lor o loaf o Capri V zia £1,260 and

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

could go to five factories before it is finished. The lining is produced in one place; the leather details somewhere else; the jacket constructed somewhere else. Finally, everything ends up in Ferrara where what I call ‘manipulation’ happens. This is very important. The leather parts and some fabrics are finished by hand, as I want everything to improve with age. There are many secrets involved in the making of each Berluti garment.”

The ultimate proof is in the wearing – and that’s something Sartori does plenty of. From the first pair of grey flannel Andy loafers he bought as a student to the high-shine burgundy boots he’s wearing when I meet him (he owns several pairs in differing shades), Sartori is not short of Berluti shoes. “I own 50 pairs of Berlutis and 200 pairs of shoes in total,” he laughs.

Ownership hasn’t always been so straightforward, though. That first pair he bought while still studying was purchased in preference to taking a holiday that year. Even then, long before he could have conceived of working for Berluti, it seems that Sartori had his eyes firmly on the prize. HMN Teo van den Broeke is senior style editor of Esquire magazine X WATCH Download the Harrods app to see more of the interview with Sartori and clips of the Berluti atelier

70 FASHION

IT’S A FINE LINE This season’s sporty menswear comes in hi-tech fabrics, silks and leather, and in any colour (as long as it’s black) PHOTOGRAPHER ISHI FASHION EDITOR VICTORIA GAIGER

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

71 FASHION

Brand £XXX; Brand Brand £XXX; Brand

Brand

Brand Brand Brand Brand

Brand THIS PAGE Alexander BrandMcQueen Brand t £1,450; Tomas Maier jack £XXX; Brand tr OPPOSITE PAGE Fendi waistcoat £1,199 and top £220

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Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Brand Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand

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THIS PAGE Lanvin jack t £2,250; AllSaints T-shirt £38; Cerruti 1881 Paris shorts £599; Alexander fr McQueen tr OPPOSITE PAGE Michael Kors coat £499; Tomas Maier tr

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

74 FASHION

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

75 FASHION

Brand £XXX; Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Brand

Brand Brand

Brand Brand Brand Brand Brand

THIS PAGE Wooyoungmi top £260; £XXX; Brand

3.1 Phillip Lim tr OPPOSITE PAGE Cerruti 1881 Paris jack t £1,099 and tr

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

76 FASHION

Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Brand Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Brand Brand Brand £XXX; Brand Available from Men’s International Gallery, Men’s Contemporary Designer, Men’s Casuals and Men’s Accessories, Lower Ground Floor; Men’s International Collections, Ground Floor; and Men’s Fashion Lab, 5th Floor Grooming LIZ DAXAUER at s; M AH Car HUNTLEY at N xt; Photogr s Assistant EDWARD BOURMIER; Digital ator ADAM PHILLIPS O

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

77 FASHION

THIS PAGE Alexander McQueen shirt £325; Gucci tr Burberry Prorsum hat £225; Helmut Lang tr OPPOSITE PAGE Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci jack t £899 and tr

Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor; and harrods.com Grooming PAUL DONOVAN at s and SK-II; M DAISUKE UEDA at Supa; Digital O ator CLARK FRANKLYN; s Assistants JOSEPH Photogr MOLINES and TOM ORTIZ; Fashion Assistant BECKY BRANCH

X WATCH Download the Harrods app to see this look brought to life HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

AMERICAN SOUL Staples of the US menswear lexicon – denim jackets, bombers and military styles – have been luxed up by the key international designers PHOTOGRAPHER PANI PAUL FASHION EDITOR VICTORIA GAIGER

81 FASHION

THIS PAGE Saint Laurent jack t £1,555, T-shirt £285, ts £750; Harrods of London brac £89.95; OPPOSITE PAGE McQ by Alexander McQueen jack t £450; Harrods of London v

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THIS PAGE Tom Ford jack t £3,120,

sw

fr

T-shirt th fr

OPPOSITE PAGE Vivienne

Westwood Anglomania shirt £215

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84 FASHION

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85 FASHION

THIS PAGE Prada coat £2,625,

sw

and shirt, both from OPPOSITE PAGE

Burberry Prorsum jack t £595, shirt £450 and fr

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

86 FASHION

Dior Homme jack t £1,400 Harrods of London v Helmut Lang Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor Grooming MICHAEL GRAY at David Artists using Sisl y; Mod l FERNANDO CABRAL at N xt; Junior Fashion Assistant OLIVIA HALSALL; Photograp r’s Assistants EDWARD BOURMIER and LOLA PAPROCKA

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Credits TK Images

88

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

89

EL BAILE FLAMENCO International menswear designers have been inspired by the world of flamenco – the heel-stamping rhythm and passion as well as the vibrant brocades and extravagant trims

Credits TK Images

PHOTOGRAPHER DIEGO MERINO FASHION EDITOR VICTORIA GAIGER

ABOVE Balmain jack t from a

Helmut Lang top £170 HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

90 FASHION

as young as five, boys are schooled in the art. As determined and ambitious as their counterparts in the corps de ballet, the children see long hours as part of their vocation. Flamenco is no longer simply the preserve of Andalusians. It has been refined by the dance schools; the raw edges and renegades are a thing of the past.

As with all forms of dance, there is the difficulty of persuading boys to take part at an early age, when the mania for football is at its height. Young Spanish boys – whether from the flamenco heartland of southern Spain or elsewhere – inevitably follow either Real Madrid or Barcelona, their dreams set firmly on the stadiums of Bernabéu or Camp Nou rather than the stage.

But here at Centro de Baile Jerez, in a town better known for its sherry and its dancing horses, the flame is being kept alive. Owner Victoria Ramos tracks down talent as assiduously as any football scout as she searches for boys with natural rhythm, musicality, dedication – and emotion. “The young must have fire and force,” she says. If they have those qualities, training and experience will do the rest. “Mature dancers are full of expression, which means they can perform throughout their lives. It is these dancers who are the best.”

Today, the best are found in Andalusia, on the blindingly bright southern tip of Spain. It is here that gypsies from the lands we now know as India and Pakistan settled in the 11th century. Their itinerant life meant they followed work in metalforging and cattle-dealing across Europe until they found a reason to put down roots among the Jewish, Arabic and Indian immigrants at the foot of the continent. Here, in the early 15th century, the gypsy, Jewish and Moorish communities lived closely together and forged flamenco from their various musical influences; when persecution came, flamenco went underground and became X

B

orja Cortés Pulido may look the part modelling a Balmain jacket, but his true vocation – indeed, his life – is dancing.

“Dancing is my way of expression,” he says. “It liberates me; it removes me from pain.

And with flamenco I can express myself more than with any other dance.” Sitting next to Cortés Pulido in a dusty equestrian centre are four other dancers, who nod their heads in unison, as if choreographed. Their English may be no better than my Spanish, but their meaning is clear. Do they have anything to add? Cortés Pulido’s pal Kiki shakes his head. “Just copy and paste those words,” he says. Cortés Pulido and friends, it seems, like to let their feet do the talking.

Traditionally, flamenco artists didn’t receive formal training: they learned in the community, by listening to and watching relatives, friends and neighbours. The moves and culture were passed down father to son, just like the stories that bound together the tightly knit gypsy clans for whom flamenco was a way of life. Nowadays dancers take lessons in schools, because modern flamenco demands a different, trained type of dancer. Starting

• “Mature dancers are full of expression... they can perform throughout their lives. It is these dancers who are the best” •

THIS PAGE, ABOVE Balmain jack t fr Helmut Lang top £170; RIGHT A danc w a traditional 18th-c tury o OPPOSITE PAGE Dolce & c Gabbana jack t and waistcoat £3,105 and T-shirt £415

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

91 FASHION

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the language and music of the disposessed and the renegade. Today, back above ground, its beat can be heard across the region.

Here the roots of flamenco remain strong, in the jarchas (Moorish poems and love songs), laments and Jewish folk songs of the inhabitants of the mountains around Cádiz. Add the chants from synagogues, the muezzin’s calls from the mosques and the Berber melodies from across the Strait of Gibraltar, and you start to understand the range of influences that are still heard in flamenco.

So does flamenco belong to the gypsies? “There are flamenco artists with gypsy roots, and there are flamenco artists without gypsy roots who are no less authentic,” Ramos says. “The difference is found in those who are true dancers, who have the emotional maturity, who are conscious of the movements they perform, who seem to have a soul and a deep, visceral feeling. The unconscious informs the conscious in their dancing.”

If today’s dancers argue over the patrimony of flamenco, there is no doubt, in most people’s eyes, that it is the sister art to bullfighting. “The movements are similar, and the heart can feel the same rhythmic beat,” Ramos says.

But flamenco is more than a dance. It is also expressed in guitar-playing (toque) and songs (cantes).

The dancing – el baile – is known for its sweeping

• “Flamenco needs to echo its origins but not resist modernity, or it will remain a shell of itself and become just a tourist show” •

ABOVE LEFT Balmain jack t from

Helmut Lang top £170; SECOND FROM LEFT Dolce & Gabbana

jack t and waistcoat £3,105 and T-shirt £415; CENTRE Saint Laurent jack t fr SECOND FROM RIGHT Etro jack t £899; RIGHT Vivienne Westwood jack t £490; Dior Homme shirt £400

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

arm movements and stomping of the feet. The truly authentic dances are usually improvised along the rhythm (palo). Percussion comes from the heels and balls of the feet striking the floor, and sometimes via castanets. If there is no guitarist available, the rhythm is formed by clapping, or by hitting a table with the knuckles. Compás (metre or rhythm) is felt rather than counted; in this way, flamenco is similar to jazz or blues.

“Similarities between flamenco and Indian dance cannot be ignored, from the twisting of the wrists to the rhythmic patterns of Indian dance with the accent on the three, six, eight, 10 and 12,” Ramos says. In this and so many aspects of flamenco, tradition rules – but it is increasingly reinterpreted.

“It’s essential that traditional flamenco doesn’t disappear,” she continues. “Traditionalists and contemporary flamenco artists alike must hold the roots in place for future generations, respecting the history but allowing it to modernise. It needs to echo its origins but not resist modernity, or it will remain a shell of itself and become just a tourist show.” The future, Ramos believes, lies with young dancers.

“Dance is inextricably linked to my soul,” Cortés Pulido says. “When I wake up, when I go to bed, when I’m happy, when I’m sad, flamenco is the way I express myself. I don’t walk through life.

I only dance.” HMN

Saint Laurent jack t from a Grooming SIMON IZZARD at David Artists; VICENTE FERRAGUD MERI, MIGUEL M RIVERO PARRA, BORJA CORTÉS PULIDO, JOSÉ ENRIQUE MARTINEZ SANCHEZ and POL JIMÉNEZ SÁNCHEZ; s Assistants Photogr PABLO MINGO and MICHAL NOVAK Special thanks to: Nuria García at La Escuela de Baile in London (escuela-de-baile.co.uk); Victoria Ramos at Centro de Baile Jerez; The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art Foundation (realescuela.org); Ayuntamiento de Jerez Available from Menswear, Lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor

96 That was five years ago, and that first beard didn’t last more than a month or two. I probably shaved it off for a photograph, because I didn’t want the wider world to think of me as a bearded person. I wasn’t ready for that. But a seed had been planted – I now knew I could have a beard whenever I wanted one.

A second attempt was inevitable, if only because so little effort was involved. Growing facial hair doesn’t require action, or even a decision; it happens by itself, as the result of neglect, of you not doing something. A beard is the point where sloth meets affectation – and that, in stylistic terms, is more or less where I live.

However, over the course of the past few years, walking around with a beard has come to seem like a statement of intent. Nobody believes you’re simply too lazy to shave. Just as you could never get away with saying, “But I’m only wearing these jodhpurs because all my other trousers are in the wash,” you can’t now say, “This beard has nothing to do with fashion – it just appeared on my face while I wasn’t paying attention.”

And, after a time, I had to admit there was more to it than that. I got used to having hair on my face.

I looked like a more distinguished version of myself.

It aged me a little, but it also made me ageless.

If my face was getting older underneath, I knew nothing about it.

I’ve now had a beard for more than two years. I don’t mind having my picture taken with it. I think I might even be bearded in my dreams these days.

During those two years I’ve learned a few things about beards, which I would like to pass on to any man who has yet to take up the challenge: • Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make in these tricky times is to flirt with facial hair. It looks as if you can’t make up your mind. Grow a beard or don’t, but show a little commitment either way.

• I was right – a lot of women hate beards.

Then again, there’s a whole section of the female population who really like them. You won’t have encountered them before, because they won’t have taken any notice of you, but they will suddenly start treating you as if you have a cute puppy

FROM TOP Clarisonic Aria Sonic Skin

rush £155; Tweezerman G.E.A.R. Facial Hair Scissors £20; d Tom Ford For Men Conditioning B d Comb £28 Oil 30ml, £40 and B Available from The Gentleman’s Lounge, Lower Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

strapped to your chin. You’ll find this unsettling at first, and then you’ll get used to it.

• A beard may be what happens when you abandon your basic grooming routine, but it’s by no means a maintenance-free enterprise. From the beginning you have to keep cutting a hole for your mouth, or you won’t be able to eat. After a few months you’ll be forced to purchase an electric trimmer just to keep on top of your new face hedge. Even so, you’ll still find wiry rogue hairs poking out at odd angles every morning. At some point you may even decide that shaving was the less taxing chore.

• There’s only so much you can achieve through topiary. You’ve got the kind of beard you were born with, and that’s that. There’s no point in cutting out a picture of menswear designer Patrick Grant (below, left) or Jake Gyllenhaal (above) looking cool, and sticking it on your mirror. Chances are, your beard will never look like that – especially if you’ve got odd grey patches, asymmetrical gaps, or a tendency toward unmanageable outward bushiness. Live with its faults, or shave it off – these are the choices.

• A beard is a self-effacing accessory, which tends to mute and blur your expressions. Many full-bearded men appear to be either permanently jolly or permanently grumpy, depending on which way the moustache portion curls. Ultimately I just look a bit dour and indifferent, as if I don’t care much either way about most things – which isn’t necessarily bad, or even inaccurate.

• A beard can dull your olfactory awareness. It’s right there under your nose. After a while, nothing smells like anything, because everything smells like beard.

You might know some of this already, for the beard is now ubiquitous, to the extent that its popularity wiped £72 million off the shaving products market in 2014. However, in trendy circles, the beard is already very last year, if not the year before.

I’ve begun to think seriously about getting rid of mine. But, even though I did little to earn it, it still feels like the product of two years’ work. If I shaved it off now, I’d have nothing to show for all that. HMN Tim Dowling is a columnist for The Guardian

Patrick Grant and Jake Gyllenhaal Getty Images

GROOMING

98 GROOMING

NEWS Body moisturisers, smoky scents, and the best range for the gym Come rain OR SHINE Summer presents different grooming challenges to winter, but both seasons can have damaging effects on the skin.

Aesop’s Resolute Hydrating Body Balm is designed to deliver nourishing hydration to counter the drying effects of sun and wind. Carrot root extract – containing vitamin E, which helps maintain healthy cells – plus wheat germ, sweet almond oil and shea butter are blended into the balm. Easily absorbed, it is a prime emollient product, with coriander seeds, black peppercorns and patchouli influences lending it a deliciously spicy aroma. 500ml, £69

Doctor’s ORDERS Dr Harold Lancer is the go-to derm for the Hollywood set in California, where his Method for Face has a particularly devoted following. His Method for Body range looks destined for similar popularity, providing rejuvenation in three distinct steps – Body Polish, Body Cleanse and Body Nourish – to ensure that the skin’s surface is cleansed and moisturised. Body Polish gently and efficiently exfoliates with pure quartz crystals, removing dirt and dead cells; Body Cleanse smoothes and refreshes skin and prepares it for hydration; and Body Nourish has hyaluronic acid to help improve the skin’s condition and reduce signs of ageing. From £30

Sporty little NUMBER Former England international rugby player Ugo Monye is the face of Molton Brown’s new range, Sport, intended for use after training. Three products, each blended with cassia bark and lime, span the freshening-up routine: 4-in-1 Sportswash, Body Hydrator and Anti-perspirant Sportstick. The wash can be used for body, face, hair and shaving, removing the need for a bulky bag packed with products; the Hydrator is designed to moisturise skin post-exercise; and the Sportstick offers up to 24 hours of protection against perspiration.

4-in-1 Sportswash 200ml, £14; Body Hydrator 200ml, £18; and Anti-perspirant Sportstick 75g, £16

Up in SMOKE From seed TO SCENT A rigorous process of experimentation and development is undertaken to create Ermenegildo Zegna’s fashion lines; the same is true for the brand’s fragrances. Peruvian Ambrette, the latest addition to the Essenze Collection, uses seeds from the ambrette plant found in the Amazon rainforest to distil this natural “musk” ingredient – an alternative to animal and synthetic musks. The perfume’s composition is freshened with mandarin oil and Ermenegildo Zegna’s exclusively grown bergamot, and deepened with orris. 125ml, £140

Available from The Gentleman’s Lounge, Lower Ground Floor; The Beauty Apothecary and The Perfumery Hall, Ground Floor; Salon de Parfums, Sixth Floor; and harrods.com HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Model Camera Press

Kilian Hennessy was always likely to flourish in the world of luxury products. Grandson (and namesake) of the co-founder of LVMH, Hennessy trained at a number of prestigious perfume houses before founding his own brand, By Kilian. Smoke for the Soul is an enticing and distinct fragrance containing blue eucalyptus, grapefruit, cardamom, thyme and fir balsam with undertones of tobacco and birch.

50ml, £215

101 LIFESTYLE

THE ARCHITECT from £3,029; Linley ashtray £175; Vitra chair £2,808; Midori br £19.95; Theo Fennell Gar Givenchy floral portfolio £575; Dior Homme Door cuff links £8,250; Tom Dixon lamp £475; Saint Laurent black portfolio fr fr Rolex C watch £11,900; Montegrappa clock £710; Assouline book t £80; Caran d’Ache t £175; £32.95; Hasselblad S Mark II c a £1,850; Montegrappa Caran d’Ache ink po Beyond Object £250; Linley hip flask £95; B&O B Play A2, £299 Smythson

FROM LEFT Porada

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

102 LIFESTYLE

THE HOTDESKER FROM LEFT Vitra

£2,628 and chair £423.60; Fujifilm X-Pro1 X Signatur a, pric Moleskine gr £13.50 £10.50; Graf von Faber-Castell Caran d’Ache for t of £139; and r onograph watch £18,700; Microsoft Surfac ro 3 t from £649; Orée k yboard £229; Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshor £50; Smythson w t £170; Orée wir £199; Native Union CLIC W ov £39.95; Aspinal of London car om £221; B&O A8 Céline

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103 LIFESTYLE

THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT FROM LEFT Roche Bobois Nouveaux Classiques

£3,240; Jonathan Charles chair £949; Roberts R vival radio £179; Harrods of London throw £149; Graf von Faber-Castell Flamant toy £39.95; Linley Gucci om £165; Plotto by William Wallac ook £16.99; Tom Dixon acc t £995; Linley £395; Paul Smith no Aspinal of London w t £85; Roche Bobois bookmark £12; Graf von Faber-Castell Aston Martin glass £1,225; Flamant M an £119 and c t £79.99; Nouveaux Classiques lamp £537; Crockett & Jones Blancpain t 8-Day Pow R watch £20,100 Available from Menswear and The Spirits Room, Lower Ground Floor; The Fine Jewellery Room and The Fine Watch Room, Ground Floor; Gifts & Stationery, The Great Writing Room, Harrods Books & Cards and Luxury Home, Second Floor; Flamant, Harrods Technology, REH Kennedy, Linley, Porada, Roche Bobois Nouveaux Classiques, Tom Dixon and Vitra, Third Floor; and harrods.com HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

105 LIFESTYLE

GOLDEN YEARS Few whiskies reach 50. Those that do will have been nurtured to the most nuanced expression of the spirit

BY GUY WOODWARD / PHOTOGRAPHER TED HUMBLE-SMITH

The Glenlivet 50-y -old Vin

D

espite the never-ending dissection of the subject among connoisseurs, the concept of wine vintages is relatively straightforward. Each year, grapes are harvested, with the resultant wine carrying the identity of the year on the label. Because harvests vary in quality and quantity, however – and because wine continues to evolve in the bottle – the merits of these years make for endless debate. The upside of this is that, for the procrastinating present-giver, there’s always a wine to turn to. The downside is that such certainty cannot be applied to its quality.

Whisky, on the other hand, offers almost the reverse scenario. Barley doesn’t vary greatly in quality from year to year, so the spirit a distillery starts off with is

C ,995

almost identical to the spirit used by that distillery previously. It is only over time, inside a cask, that a Scotch’s flavour develops. The skill of the master distiller lies in monitoring the progress of these casks, and earmarking the liquid for release as a blend, single malt, or five-, 10- or 18-year-old whisky – or older.

There’s a slim category of whiskies whose progress is such that they continue to take on nuance and character beyond the age at which most have long been bottled and drunk. At the top of the tree, the most hallowed of whiskies is the 50-year-old – a release as infrequent as it is sublime. Only a tiny proportion of casks are able to reach this age at the requisite levels of alcohol (40 per cent) and quality.

While they will have gained myriad complex flavours X

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

106 LIFESTYLE

from the cask over time, they will also have lost well over half their volume to the so-called “angel’s share” as the alcohol evaporates. So while it may not be possible to get hold of specifically dated Scotch for that golden anniversary, it is possible to buy a 50-yearold and be certain that it will be special – and very rare.

The age refers to the time spent in cask, not bottle; so, once bottled, a 50-year-old will remain a 50-year-old, no matter when it is drunk. To talk about these whiskies as mere birthday presents, though, is to do them a disservice. These are extremely rare, beguiling spirits. Since 2000, only around two dozen 50-year-olds have been released from more than 100 distilleries that, between them, yield over 6,000 different whisky expressions. The irony is that their existence came about amid adversity. By law, Scotch whisky has to be aged in cask for three years. Beyond that, most distilleries would only keep back a small percentage to bottle as five-, eight-, 12- or maybe, at a push, 20-year-olds. In the 1980s, though, whisky fell out of fashion and producers found themselves with extra stock. When trade picked up again in the 1990s, those that could afford to do so decided to keep those casks that showed great promise, with a view to bottling at 30, 40 and even 50 years of age.

It is not a business model that would be welcomed by accountants today. And even now, with whiskies evolving naturally as they mature, and being monitored and sampled to ensure they’re released at their optimum, very few would make it to 50.

Two that have are The Balvenie Fifty, from a pair of European oak hogsheads aged side by side to produce two rare and very different whiskies. Cask No. 4567, of which there are 131 bottles, is the darker in hue – a deep red – and shows rich, spicy, dried-fruit aromas on a Christmas-cake palate laced with cinnamon and ginger notes. Cask No. 4570 (128 bottles), on the other hand, displays vanilla toffee tones over a subtle, honeyed, malty sweetness. The two renditions – testament to the unpredictability of whisky ageing – are presented in contrasting handcrafted cases made from 49 wooden rings (dark wood for No. 4567, light wood for No. 4570) and one ring of brass.

The Glenlivet 50-year-old Vintage 1964, of which only 100 bottles have been released, is part of The Winchester Collection. Housed in a bespoke decanter with a jewel-like stopper by acclaimed silversmith Richard Fox, Vintage 1964 comes in a presentation cabinet designed by furniture maker John Galvin. Expect burnt orange peel, creamy toffee notes and hints of caramelised sugar on a hauntingly delicate palate. Meanwhile, the Isle of Skye 50-year-old is a blended whisky rather than a single malt, produced from one cask of grain whisky and two different Speyside casks. Presented in a solid oak case with a gold nameplate, its complex mix of spices, herbs and smoke combines pepper and marzipan on a finish as long as its history. HMN

The Balvenie Fifty, Cask No. 4567, £26,500

Isle of Skye -old 50-y £1,150

Available from The Spirits Room, Lower Ground Floor; and harrods.com

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

108 MUST-HAVES

BASELINE PERFORMANCE Monitor your fitness every step of the way with the latest in wearable tech PHOTOGRAPHER TED HUMBLE-SMITH

FROM LEFT TomTom R

Cardio GPS running watch £219; Sony SmartWatch 3, £199

FROM LEFT Pebble smartwatch in

FROM LEFT Garmin For

LG G Watch R £249

15 GPS running watch £139; Fitbit Char

HARRODS MAN / VOLUME THREE

Available from Harrods Technology, Third Floor

111 LIFESTYLE

IN THE FAST LANE Taking to the track and fulfilling racing fantasies is within arm’s reach thanks to a historic British car maker’s initiative

BY GUS CHADWICK

I

for enthusiasts who’ve always yearned to get involved in motor sport, but never had the time or resources.

Created exclusively for drivers with limited track experience, the GRDC offers an all-inclusive package designed to make racing as accessible as possible.

How accessible? For an all-in price of just under £30,000, as well as your very own road-legal Ginetta G40 Club car, you can expect personal track day tuition, qualification for your racing licence, and competitive racing alongside the Ginetta GT5 Challenge race cars. Most of the competitors are busy people with jobs and families, so the racing is condensed into eight races over four weekends at the best tracks in the UK. To ensure fair competition, professional teams are not permitted in the GRDC paddock, and spare parts and technical support (as well as a hospitality package) are made available as part of the deal. Tomlinson is keen to emphasise the social aspect of the GRDC, with customers invited to join the company at a number of social events throughout the year, from golf days to a trip to the Le Mans 24 Hours race.

The G40 Club car itself features a 1.8-litre front-mounted engine, with 135bhp powering the rear wheels via a limited slip differential.

Weighing around 880kg, it goes from 0-60mph in X

Credits TK Images

t was Steve McQueen who said, “Racing is life – anything before or after is just waiting.” Well, finally, the waiting could be over. While the UK is a great place to follow racing (it’s widely regarded as the epicentre of the global motor-racing industry; all the leading Formula 1 teams are either based here or have a presence here, and more than 40,000 people are employed in the sector), for most fans, taking part has been no more than a dream.

Now, however, that dream could become a reality – regardless of ambition or experience.

Ginetta Cars is one of those British independent car makers from the post-war era with a rich heritage in racing. But while many other early names such as AC Cars, Austin-Healey, Gilbern, TVR and Triumph are now consigned to the history books, Ginetta has gone from strength to strength. Under the leadership of Lawrence Tomlinson, it has designed competitive sports cars and found innovative ways to attract new talent onto the motor racing circuit.

New talent doesn’t automatically mean superfit young men with wealthy parents or generous sponsors, though. Indeed, Ginetta is keen to open up motor sport to a wider audience, and has specifically developed two racing series to prove its point. The Ginetta Racing Drivers Club (GRDC) is designed

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112 LIFESTYLE

5.8 seconds, and reaches speeds of 140mph. It has a full FIA roll cage, FIA fuel cell, five-speed gearbox, push button start and the stripped-out, noisy interior of a “proper” racing car. It is road-legal, so you could drive it to the supermarket if you really wanted to, but it’s a great deal more fun on the track, where it will allow any driver to safely explore and develop the limits of his or her own ability.

Over the last five years, Ginetta has supported more than 240 drivers of all ages as they have used the GRDC to take their first steps into the motorracing world. In terms of value for money, it’s an unbeatable package – but motor sport is highly addictive. Once the bug bites, the heady mix of competition, adrenaline and glamour can prove hard to resist. Many drivers have used the Ginetta racing series as a stepping stone into other types and classes of motor sport, logically moving up to the GT4 then GT3 classes in British GT as part of a pro-am team. Successful Ginetta graduates include single-seater exponent Luciano Bacheta; Adam Morgan and Tom Ingram, who are currently competing in the massively popular British Touring Car Championship; Sennan Fielding and Seb Morris, who were nominated for the prestigious 2014 McLaren Autosport Young Driver Award; and Alice Powell, who is flying the flag for women, having competed in numerous international series.

• “Motor sport is highly addictive. Once the bug bites, the heady mix of competition, adrenaline and glamour can prove hard to resist” •

The GRDC package includes: • A road-r tta G40 Club car – yours to k • 12 months’ road tax • Two track days with tuition • An ARDS racing lic • Four rac w UK grand prix circuits two rac • Practic v t supporting British GT al assistanc v ts •T • G tta factory spar v t • Entry to tta rac tr with food and drink from Ginetta GRDC Junior pack £27,000; GRDC pack Available from ginetta.com/grdc

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While the GRDC appeals mainly to those older than the “traditional” racing driver, Ginetta has also thought about those for whom motor sport is not just a passion but a potential career. With a target market of 14- to 17-year-olds, the Ginetta Junior Championship has been designed for younger members of the family who may be passionate about getting into motor sport despite still being a few years away from getting their road licences.

The Ginetta G40 Junior is a purpose-built variant of the Ginetta G40 Club car. It weighs 800kg and the Ford Zetec engine is detuned to 100bhp. But don’t imagine this isn’t a real race car: it has a sequential gearbox, full FIA safety systems, and can sprint to speeds of 120mph. The Junior series runs as a support race to the British Touring Car Championship in front of up to 40,000 spectators and is broadcast live on UK TV. There are 20 races over 10 race meetings around the UK’s top circuits, and it has grown to establish itself as one of the most popular race series on the calendar, with young racers travelling from Europe and South America to compete.

The beauty of these cars is their ability to accommodate one-to-one driver coaching. A passenger seat can be installed and young drivers can practise with a professional tutor to master car control and drive the circuits in confidence.

The young drivers also get to deal with the media, sponsors, engineers, spectators and officials... and, of course, they have to handle the emotional highs and lows of competition. For youngsters who are unsure what they want to do in life – and, indeed, for those of more mature vintage – these racing series can provide a valuable focus. HMN

114 THE END

Sam Bompas

THE FINAL WORD The co-founder of food artists Bompas & Parr reveals how schoolboyish experimentation was transformed into a profitable – if eccentric – business

BY TOM LOXLEY PHOTOGRAPHER BENJAMIN MCMAHON

Grooming Carol Morley @ Carol Hayes

I

n his fur coat, powder-blue jacket (and matching socks), velvet bow tie, suede shoes, trousers that look like a canvas by Jackson Pollock, and hair tufted in meringue peaks, Sam Bompas (above, left) looks like many things. But the king of taste?

“I dress how I want to,” says the 31-year-old “jelly monger” who, together with fellow old Etonian Harry Parr, has cooked up one of the hottest reputations in experimental food, specifically sweets. And not any old sweets. This stuff is huge.

Literally. They have created buildings out of jelly, a boating lake of punch, a chocolate waterfall and fireworks you can taste, all from their small headquarters in the backstreets of Southwark.

But it’s not size that matters to Bompas (“I’m not really into records,” he says). It’s taste. So back to the outfit. Is this his workwear? “I used to work in property, so I didn’t get to wear what I liked. Now I can. Food is moving closer to the realm of fashion because people are using it to create their own identity. You couldn’t do that before; if you had a good meal, nobody knew about it. Now, you take a photo on your phone and put it on Instagram. People use food to say, ‘I’m this kind of person.’”

Bompas and Parr are the people you’d call on if you needed to create something outlandish, fantastical and edible. Real Willy Wonkas, if you like. The pair met as 13-year-olds. “We were both in a rubbish orchestra at school,” Bompas says. “Harry was on the violin; I was playing cello. It was the sort of orchestra that keeps your parents happy about paying fees.”

Fees that also paid for not-very-good boarding-school food. “By the sixth form, we were desperate to go to nice restaurants and eat nice food.”

What began as a schoolboy caper is now an international business. Bompas and Parr first drew

attention to themselves with jelly. “We asked architects to design jellies. This was in 2008 [after the banking crash], so they didn’t have a lot to do. A tremendous number took up the challenge, including Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Nicholas Grimshaw. We sold 2,000 tickets and made our first sizeable profit. We had biscuit tins stuffed with notes, and thought, let’s go into business.”

When we meet, Bompas has just returned from New York, where he has installed a “flavour conductor” – basically a specially made church organ that plays to an audience tasting a drink. “If you ask someone, ‘What does a lemon sound like?’, they’ll say it’s high pitched. Coffee would be a lower note.

By playing a high note while someone eats a lemon, it will taste even more sour. If you extrapolate that across tempo, rhythm, mood, colour, form… What we do is get someone holding a drink – in this case whisky – to pinpoint the key flavours. It’s really cool.”

Not, perhaps, the word everyone would use to describe Bompas & Parr’s recent exhibition at New York’s Museum of Sex, which featured a breast bouncy castle and a “G-spot mirror maze”. Or to sum up the pair’s funeral monuments show at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. But Bompas is on a roll.

“Next, we’re holding an anatomical whisky tasting, where aged whiskies are paired with people of the same age, then drunk off their bodies. You might start by sipping from the navel of a 21-year-old, then have your 50-year-old malt off a hairy Hells Angel.”

Which is all a long way from jelly – if arguably more fruity. “We’re ‘experience designers’; it’s about giving people a fun time. That’s it.” HMN Tom Loxley is executive editor of the Radio Times.

He has also written for GQ and The Independent

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