The Maverick Royal Tom Corby on the life and times of Lord Snowdon
Plus GOLDEN SHEARS 2017 Tailoring’s big night REAL TAILORS Standing up for Savile Row A LIFE OF DRAMA Simon Callow interview CHARACTER BUILDINGS Pick of the London clubs LUXURY OF SPEED Vanquish S review
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Contents SPRING 2017
5 | Editor’s View
58 | Looking Good
Welcome to the spring edition
Artist David Hockney enjoys being the centre of attention at Tate Britain
9 | Up Front
Robin Dutt at large
10 | Golden Shears
Who will win the most prized award in tailoring for the younger generation?
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17 | Standing up for Savile Row
Veteran tailor David Ward on why the Row needs protection – and the tailors with something to say about it
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64 | Style Icon
The enduring charm of Bobby Moore – captain of the Swinging Sixties
70 | The Luxury of Speed
Richard Aucock reviews the Vanquish S
28 | The Maverick Royal
Tom Corby looks back on the life of Lord Snowdon
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36 | Pampered Pooches
Fashionable dogs in the finest threads
36 76 | Get Ready to Party
James Turner on what you should – and shouldn’t – be wearing this summer
40 | Character Buildings
Tim Newark picks out his favourite London clubs
44 | A Life of Drama
Simon Callow talks to Robin Dutt about his career in the theatre – and his love of fashion
51 | The Pink Princess
Wine expert Helena Nicklin on why she fell in love with a certain champagne
80 | Northern Lights
Daniel Evans enjoys the stunning scenery of Norway
86 | Tailors Handbook
Essential guide to bespoke tailoring
87 | And Everything Else...
Guide to the finishing touches...
88 | The Last Detail
Robin Dutt on why brown brogues cut the mustard
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FOREWORD
The Maverick Royal Tom Corby on the life and times of Lord Snowdon
Plus GOLDEN SHEARS 2017 Tailoring’s big night REAL TAILORS Standing up for Savile Row A LIFE OF DRAMA Simon Callow interview CHARACTER BUILDINGS Pick of the London clubs LUXURY OF SPEED Vanquish S review
Editor’s View
A
COVER Lord Snowdon, The Maverick Royal
MANAGING DIRECTOR Stewart Lee MANAGING EDITOR Daniel Evans Email: daniel.evans@publicationsuk.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Robin Dutt Tom Corby MVO James Turner Tim Newark Helena Nicklin Richard Aucock DESIGN Hitesh Chauhan PRODUCTION TEAM Angela Brown Emily Turner EDITORIAL OFFICE Tel: +44 (0) 20 8238 5006 Email: info@savilerow-style.com Web: www.savilerow-style.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0) 20 8238 5000 Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the publishers and the promoters will not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication without permission is strictly forbidden. ©Publications UK Limited 2017. The publishers make no recommendation in respect of any of the advertisers, and no recommendation may be implied by way of the presence of their advertisements.
DESIGNED & PUBLISHED BY PUBLICATIONS UK LIMITED Tel: +44 (0) 20 8238 5000 Email: info@publicationsuk.co.uk Web: www.publicationsuk.co.uk
ll too often we read stories of the struggles Savile Row faces to protect its brand and reputation, but talk to three talented tailors – Joe Holsgrove, David Ward and Brian Lishak – and you will be full of optimism for the future especially as, with Joe aged 22, Brian aged 77 and David somewhere in between, we are covering quite a lot of ground here. David first. “To be addressed as a Savile Row Tailor is the preserve of a very special few and without doubt, these individuals are the very best in the world at their craft. If Savile Row as an industry can defend the erosion of its territory, method and vocabulary in a legal capacity in the same way the word champagne is ring-fenced to cease the theft of its name and produce, it might have the potential to see out another 200 years of excellence as a community of tailors.” Joe, crowned Golden Shears winner in 2015, picks up the theme. “Winning the competition cemented in my own mind that this job is absolutely what I wanted to do. It’s an achievement for anyone to get to the final but to win it was fantastic. It was great to know that your dedication and attention to detail actually pays off. I love going to work.” And last but not least, Brian, who walked into Savile Row back in 1956 and has never looked back. “It’s an absolute privilege to work in this industry. I’m 77 now and, when I was younger, I worked for someone who was 90. I have no intention of retiring and who knows how long I can go on.” (Look out for our big interview with Brian in our next edition). In this edition, Joe talks about being a young tailor on Savile Row while David writes a piece from the heart, highlighting the importance of protecting the Row’s place in history – and British tailoring.
For our big interview, Robin Dutt tracked down Simon Callow who tells us: “I suspect that men of my age have their clothes bought for them by their wives and betray nothing about the individual.” He’s probably onto something there – but not regarding readers of this magazine...
“Winning the Golden Shears cemented in my own mind that this job is absolutely what I wanted to do. It’s an achievement for anyone to get to the final but to win it was fantastic” Tim Newark writes about his favourite gentlemen’s clubs, all within staggering distance of the Row, while Tom Corby looks back at the glamorous life of that maverick royal, Lord Snowdon. Here at Savile Row Style, we are keen on our fashion icons – people who define an age – and Bobby Moore falls under the spotlight this time. Is there a better example of the Swinging Sixties? We think he’s certainly one of the best – we’ve made him our captain – but let us know who else you think should be on the list. And, finally, if you have a pet dog – or know someone who has – then don’t miss our interview with Mark Rodrigues and Lisa Yatabe who have been designing high class kit for man’s best friend. Q
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NEWS
Fall from grace of London’s first dandy Stories from
The Row
NEWS
ome 30 years before he died in S 1840, penniless and insane in an asylum outside Caen in France, Beau Brummell was one of the most influential figures in regency England. A friend of the future king, he was an arbiter of men’s fashion and dominated the way people dressed around town. He certainly had style and is credited with establishing the modern suit while rejecting more ornate fashions. According to legend, he took five hours a day to dress and recommended that boots be polished with champagne. The word “Dandyism” was invented to describe his world of fashion and fun – and it was a world which has been brought to life at the Jermyn Street Theatre which presented Beau Brummell – An Elegant Madness to enthusiastic theatregoers. The play, starring Sean Brosnan and Richard Latham, is set in the winter of 1819. As the most stylish man of his day lives in exile in a madhouse in Calais, George Bryan Brummell revels in past glories when he dominated the worlds of fashion, wit and dress. He is convinced his old friend and patron the Prince of Wales (by now King George IV) will visit him and restore his position in society. Today, the King is coming to Calais! Brummell’s valet, however, fired by revolutionary zeal, has other plans for the British monarch... This black comedy by Emmy awardwinning Ron Hutchinson had not been seen in London for 15 years so the script was updated to reinvigorate the text which seems even more resonant in today’s celebrity
Sean Brosnan as Beau and his valet, played by Richard Latham, at the Beau Brummell statue in Jermyn Street. Picture courtesy of Emily Hyland
obsessed world. Director Peter Craze was delighted to bring Ron Hutchinson’s play back to Beau Brummell’s spiritual home of Jermyn Street. “Two years ago we dealt with the fall of another dandy in The Trials of Oscar Wilde,” said Craze. “Now, we are telling the story of the original wit and man of fashion. Brummell once said that: ‘To be truly elegant, one should not be noticed’ and now he is largely forgotten. We hope this production will go some way to restoring his reputation.” The tailors of Savile Row exist largely because of Beau Brummell’s patronage of tailors and his legacy is celebrated with a statue on Jermyn Street. Take a closer look when you next walk past it. Q
BASELWORLD.COM
De’Ath promoted at Dege & Skinner
Head Cutter Nicholas De’Ath discussing design of a bespoke piece being made for London Craft Week in May, with his apprentice Alex Hills
icholas De'Ath has been N promoted to the position of head cutter at Dege & Skinner, taking responsibility for managing production and the team of bespoke makers in its Savile Row workshop. De’Ath is delighted with his new role. “Along with the makers based here at 10 Savile Row, I look forward to leading Dege & Skinner’s bespoke team into the next chapter of our history,” he said. “We were established over 150 years ago so we have a strong heritage in bespoke tailoring.” William Skinner, managing director
of Dege & Skinner, added: “Since joining our family business as a cutter 16 years ago, Nicholas has been involved in the creation of some of our most noteworthy bespoke tailoring, something we recognise with this welldeserved promotion. “Nicholas will head up all bespoke tailoring production, including day-today management of the team of talented makers in the bespoke workshop located underneath the Savile Row shop as well as continuing to travel overseas for our regular trunk shows.” Q
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NOTEBOOK
ROBIN DUTT at large
UPFRONT Sharp suits and Golden Years
S
o how do you remember David Bowie? It may be just over a year since the great man died but his influence, especially in the sartorial sphere, is still everywhere. Of course we all have our ‘favourite Bowie’, be it the Thin White Duke, primarily identified with his Station to Station album, the turquoise Pierrot or, indeed, the great Ziggy himself but, whatever you favour, what has lingered in terms of his clothing legacy is his love and admiration of fine tailoring. Freddie Buretti, Tommy Nutter, Ozwald Boateng and Alexander McQueen were among the many Bowie visited in terms of sharp suiting, reminding us that the master of change and reinvention often relied on a sharp suit to accompany his intent, from monochrome to ice blue, emerald green to canary yellow. In fact, there is a famous portrait of the star in said sharp suit wielding an appropriate prop – a pair of tailoring shears. To remind everyone of the intellectual, and sartorial star that was (no is) Bowie, the legendary Jeremy Reed gave an inspiring and passionate talk on the Starman’s style for the Temenos Academy. In fact, I gave a talk at London’s Home House a while back about Bowie entitled, A Life in Suits and it made one think just how much he knew about the power of a natty two-piece, not just the shock of the spaceman. Let us not forget how Bowie revered the Row in his time which contributed in no small way to his ch-ch-ch changes…
EARLY in the year, I find myself at London Fashion Week Men’s (not my wording) where I encounter one chap wearing two straw hats and sunglasses (but no sun). Creativity is all very well and this young cove was certainly showing a flair of individuality and, while as Oscar Wilde perceived, “nothing succeeds like excess”, a simple elegance is really sometimes all you need. NOT that I hunt, shoot or fish (for the creature nor a compliment), there I was at an entertaining evening reception at William Evans in St. James’s recently where guests were introduced to fine pastime garb and exquisite machines of sport-war. Even I purchased, on departure, a bullet concealing a useful penknife for… well …opening envelopes with cheques of course.
Talk of the Town: David Bowie, William Evans guns and (bottom) London Fashion Week Men
AND finally, off to a marvellous book launch of Daniel Lismore’s Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken. Penned by Hilary Alexander and Paula Wallace and with quotes from, among others, Vivienne Westwood, Debbie Harry and Boy George, this is a substantial tome on individual style created as clothing sculptures – fabric seen as sculpting materials, gems and glitz as bolts of paints on a canvas. But the “canvas”’ in this case is Lismore himself – a living work of sartorial art much like Leigh Bowery and Isabella Blow. Suiting it may not be but a painstaking, deliberately created look and consideration about what image is, it most certainly is. Have a sartorial spring! Q
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GOLDEN SHEARS
Golden Shears 2017 The night when young stars shine The Golden Shears awards, chaired by Simon Cundey of Henry Poole & Co, are the ideal place to see the best in bespoke tailoring and what the younger generation are bringing into the business
T
o enter this year’s event, tailoring students and apprentices from across the country submitted work which was first judged by a panel of Savile Row insiders, who awarded marks for technical skill, design, cutting and tailoring. The top 25 eventually feature in a catwalk show at Merchant Taylors’ Hall where more marks are awarded for aesthetic value by a VIP panel of industry aficionados. Technical judge Antonia Ede, Founder of Tailoring House Montague Ede, is a major fan of the event. “Not only does the Golden Shears celebrate young talent in the trade and coming up through the colleges, it also works as an amazing platform and showcase for those tailors to display and prove their worth,” she said. “Although primarily a competition, I think a huge part of the taking part process is the education gleaned from the entering. Having to design, cut, make and finish a look is no mean feat and, having spoken to past entrants and witnessed the love and dedication poured into the final piece, I know that each tailor would say they learnt a great deal about themselves and their craft in the process."
The Golden Shears and £3000 are awarded to the entrant with the highest total of marks in both stages of the competition. The runner-up receives Silver Shears and £2500, and a ‘Rising Star’ wins Silver Shears and £2000. The principal sponsors are the Worshipful company of Merchant Taylors, CapitB and the Savile Row Bespoke Association. R Right: 2015 Golden Shears winner Joe Holsgrove after accepting his award from Simon Cundey, far right
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GOLDEN SHEARS
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GOLDEN SHEARS
Joe's Catwalk Appeal Daniel Evans talks to Joe Holsgrove, Golden Shears Winner 2015
Q&A with Simon Cundey, chairman of the Golden Shears committee Simon, why do you think the Golden Shears are important? The competition is important to the craft tailoring industry. It stands at the pinnacle point of the trade. This coming from design, pattern cutting and all the tailoring techniques still done by hand to create a garment.
Joe Holsgove with Denman & Goddard Master Tailors David Cook, left, and Peter Day
I
t was a delight to catch up with Joe Holsgrove the other day, ahead of Golden Shears 2017. As a 20-year old, Joe won the biennial event two years ago, and I get the impression he is as proud to talk about his win today as he was when he walked off with the top prize back in 2015. I track him down to his place of work – Denman & Goddard – on a busy day at the workplace. “I would have been with you sooner but I had to quickly finish doing something on a pair of trousers,” he tells me. So, Joe, what was it like to take top spot? “Winning the competition cemented in my own mind that this job is absolutely what I wanted to do,” he says. “It’s an achievement for anyone to get to the final but to win it was fantastic. It was great to know that your dedication and attention to detail actually pays off. I love going to work. The benefits of what you get are only as a direct result of what you put in. “I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to see both sides of the business. Some go
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in as tailors and stay tailors while some people go in as cutters and never truly spend time on the board, learning how to create the garments themselves.” Joe based his winning entry on a fairly classic styling but with some original aspects to give it catwalk appeal. “It was a half shooting jacket and trousers in a tan colour with blue contrast facing the pockets,” he recalls. “I wanted something that was going to stand out but not too distant from Savile Row tailoring. It’s a very bold outfit but still wearable though, to be honest, it would take a bit of an eccentric to actually wear it.” I finish by asking Joe what his plans were for the future. He doesn’t have a precise answer but talks about generally getting on with his career. Ten minutes after our conversation, the phone rings on my desk. It’s Joe with a far more definite answer. “I want to be a master tailor,” he tells me with certainty – an ambition I’m sure, with his determination and talent, he will go on to achieve. Q
How well do they represent the industry? It is the only competition that brings the trade together through companies’ apprentices, colleges and universities. What do you particularly enjoy about the presentation evening? The event is held at the Merchant Taylors Hall on Threadneedle Street which makes the most spectacular venue. It’s also a great opportunity for myself, my colleagues and indeed the trade to see the new talent coming through. The Golden Shears creates a lot of emotion and excitement generated by the finalists, their peers and parents which makes a wonderful atmosphere. What does the presentation evening achieve? Past finalists have become partners and directors of companies on Savile Row. Others have gone on to work for international fashion houses in the UK and abroad. I take great pride in the Golden Shears competition allowing the new generations their night in the spotlight to show off what they can do and ensuring our great craft of tailoring continues. Q
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GOLDEN SHEARS
Roll of honour 2017 Fashion Tailoring Academy, Camberwell Laura Pizzetti School of Creative Arts, Hertfordshire University Aigerim Kaziyeva London College of Fashion Donghyun Kim, Elin Sjovik, Emily Latham and James Eardley Leeds College of Arts Monica Birzan 2013 Golden Shears winner Emily Squires with guest judges, model David Gandy and actress Joanna Lumley
UCA Rochester Matthew-Erik Beal Anderson & Sheppard Emily Hayward Chittleborough & Morgan Alireza Haraji Couch & Hoskin Jorden Barratt and Zoe Yates Dege & Skinner Alexander Hills Gieves & Hawkes Riki Brockman Huntsman Rebecca Mahoney
2015 Rising Star Silver Shears winner Nuria Kabirova with Master Merchant Taylor Peter Watkins and guest judges actress Jennifer Saunders and model Jodie Kidd
Kathryn Sargent Alistair Nimmo and Tara Hansen
2015 Silver Shears winner Dionne Reeves
Maurice Sedwell Jessica Robinson Norton & Sons Kirsten McDove Richard Anderson Emily Self Robert Dick Jack Lamb Savile Row Academy Rachel Singer and Richard Butler Thom Sweeney Louise McGowan Welsh & Jefferies Charles Urraca Serra
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INSIDE STORY
Standing up for Savile Row David Ward, an experienced independent Savile Row tailor, has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Henry Poole, Norton and Sons and Huntsman. Here, he argues that Savile Row has a unique place in history which deserves to be protected and, overleaf, talks to some of the people involved
S
avile Row tailors are a nondescript bunch. Since their skills became the benchmark for British excellence they have generally been out of sight and voiceless. Down the ages, a general depiction of a tailor in any editorial was of an elderly bespectacled gentleman sitting cross legged, working with a piece of cloth. As a senior cutter on Savile Row for over 20 years, my privileged access to this community has offered me an opportunity to redefine an outdated perception of these clothing savants, as the reality of what one looks like couldn't be more different. From an array of backgrounds and cultures, all of them posses a passion to dutifully apply the skills that have been sharpened for over 200 years and credited as the best on the planet. During my years spent working on Savile Row I have witnessed a supply of tailoring apprentices come and go and only a select few have been good enough to execute the required high standards that are sought. This wonderful art is now awash with youthful bespoke tailors, incredibly passionate, and still upholding the traditions put down before them. However, Savile Row is currently in a state of flux as its borders shrink and its fame plundered by anyone with the faintest interest in presenting themselves as a Savile Row tailor. My
Savile Row is currently in a state of flux, says David Ward
close relationship with these individuals and my interest in portrait photography has provided a platform to present these individuals for who they are and allow them to communicate their feelings and attitudes to the climate that Savile Row currently finds itself in. Throughout history the word “tailor� has been used to describe an individual who simply makes clothing. There is a presumption that the person had engaged in extensive training,
encompassing many hours of instruction and a set way of working with a piece of cloth that would eventually produce a finished garment. After many years of repetitive instruction and dedication to steam, shrink, stretch, and manipulate a flat piece of cloth in a variety of weights and colours, a yardage of worsted is, metaphorically speaking, transformed from caterpillar to a butterfly, opulent and beautiful in its form. R
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INSIDE STORY
The epicentre for this practice is still Savile Row. Having spent the last two decades as a cutter on Savile Row and embedded within the company of these incredible artisans, I can truly say that the word “brilliance” is far too reductive a word to quantify their ability. To be addressed as a Savile Row Tailor is the preserve of a very special few and, without doubt, these individuals are the very best in the world at their craft. Hands that have crafted iconic pieces for everyone from Princess Diana to James Bond are still making the suits for current royalty, Hollywood glitterati and the rock stars of the day. Enquire with any one of them about the chronological duration to acquire their world renowned stamp of distinction and a response generally sounds like the following: “After all the years of doing this job I’m still learning something new every day.” The tailor’s environment was historically found out of sight, among the higher floors of the houses, using natural daylight to illuminate their work. However, over the past decade
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“To be addressed, as a Savile Row Tailor is the preserve of a very special few and, without doubt, these individuals are the very best in the world at their craft” they have been moved too less salubrious workbenches in the depths of assorted basements that litter Savile Row. The reason for this? Savile Row’s address has become incredibly desirable not only with ready to wear clothiers but also with hedge fund managers and art dealers who have deeper pockets to
accommodate the latest rent rises from landlords. This is where the industry has been literally cut down to size. But, more alarmingly, there has also been an increase in the amount of individuals who are revered as and sell themselves as “Savile Row” tailors with no qualifications or experience to honour such an exclusive title. It would seem that the occupational mantle of “Savile Row” tailor has become an easily tacked on moniker to anyone arriving in Mayfair intending to exploit the craft of this extraordinary location. Savile Row finds itself in an era where plagiarists blatantly desecrate its unquestionable prestige and pay very little credit to its heritage and desperately toil to cultivate their spurious credentials through good PR. In spite of the ownership of a packet of nails I do not claim to posses the knowledge and experience of a certified builder, yet there is an abundance of individuals who will use the title “Savile Row” tailor on the purchase of a packet of pins. With no questions asked R
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INSIDE STORY
David Ward fitting Hugh Bonneville for Downton Abbey where he played Lord Grantham
and qualifications unchecked, another tailoring star is born and signed off by the media to prey on the Row’s success while the Row itself struggles to maintain its own identity in its natural environment. It is heartbreaking, yet sadly expected in this age where immediacy is king, that we can observe one of the last true citadels of British craftsmanship being distorted and pillaged in this way. It would appear there are more fake bespoke tailors in London than real ones. As the craft continues to be exploited for its mastery and distinction and the
“It would appear there are more fake bespoke tailors in London than real ones”
word “bespoke” that was born out of the tailoring industry is corrupted by the masses, selling everything from bespoke holidays to bespoke wallpaper, what of the Row’s future? Will the term “Savile Row Tailor” become a reference to a bygone era, as tourist guides chaperone visitors to London streets to view what is left of this once incredible location that was swallowed up and devoured by the blandness of contemporary culture? At a grassroots level, there is a bountiful reserve of the right people coming into the trade to carry on the tradition of making
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INSIDE STORY
Pride & Passion In their own words: Savile Row tailors talk about their love for their trade and why they deserve to be protected Pictures by David Ward
clothing by hand, so that's a good starting point. But if Savile Row as an industry can defend the erosion of its territory, method and vocabulary in a legal capacity in the same way the word champagne is ringfenced to cease the theft of its name and produce, it might have the potential to see out another 200 years of excellence as a community of tailors, rather than a pursuit that is practised by the few who are left. One can only hope that, come tomorrow, Savile Row is left as a body full of flesh rather than a corpse that has been picked over and left for dead. Q
Lee Marsh The individuals who abuse the title Savile Row tailor are a poor representation of a craft that has taken me years to refine. It’s an insult to the trade as they haven’t earned the right to use such an exclusive title that takes years to acquire. W
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INSIDE STORY
Stephen Venn Savile Row is one of the last jewels in the British industry’s crown that is known throughout the world as a centre of excellence. As long as people with a vested interest treat it so and not as a museum piece or a branding exercise, long may it live, giving youngsters a chance to perfect their skills that will serve Britain's craftsmanship industry for many years to come. W
Christopher Bull It’s a shame as the individuals who abuse the trade falsely represent an industry that has been built over 200 years of excellence. To dishonestly advertise credentials to potential Savile Row and to make substandard garments that are not reflective of a Savile Row experience is not only audacious but quite sad as it undermines the genuine aspects of the trade. All I can hope is that over time people will eventually see through this and get to experience the real deal in an industry that has worked hard to maintain the quality and prestige it deserves. W
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INSIDE STORY
David Airoll I had the opportunity to learn the art of Savile Row tailoring from a master tailor with over 30 years’ experience. To start, it was not a paid apprenticeship and I spent a number of years without being paid a penny. I was told once by one of the great masters that it takes 10 years before you can truly call yourself a Savile Row tailor. It has taken a great deal of time, sacrifice, dedication and passion to achieve the honour of being called a Savile Row tailor and after years of being taught by some of the true greats of the industry I can now justify calling myself a master tailor in my own right. W
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INSIDE STORY
Maria Gomes Tailoring means everything to me. To be able to create something from a piece of cloth that is unique for the owner to cherish and enjoy for a lifetime is an irreplaceable experience for me as an individual. It has taken many years for me to perfect the art of tailoring, but the vast knowledge that I have gained in my training was worth all the hard work. This is a profession that I want to survive and be a part of in spite of the hardships it faces. W
David Hayes It’s a pity when you see yet another individual/business using the term bespoke to entice prospective clients toward their products. There is so much time and effort put into training bespoke tailors to create a Savile Row garment, so to see sub-standard items on the street is not only detrimental to the craft I love, but it also dilutes the allure of our global reputation of quality. R
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INSIDE STORY
Albert Nelson The name Savile Row is like champagne. When you talk about champagne there are synergies with Savile Row as there are always people who will blatantly try to imitate our produce. Bespoke tailoring is a skilled trade, it is a lifetime pursuit. It took me 10 years before I could call myself a tailor, yet that was the first step of a very long journey and I am still learning. I love working in Savile Row and I am still as passionate today as I was 38 years ago when I first picked up a needle and thimble. X
Jordan Heard It took many years of personal dedication to fully master the art of bespoke tailoring. It’s been a journey where I have needed to sacrifice long hours to meticulously absorb all of the intricate characteristics that go into creating a Savile Row jacket. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction in realising that it will be my turn to school the next generation of tailors for the future and recite what was taught to me, which will help the trade stay alive. W
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ThE LuxuRy OF ThE hOME CELLAR
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LORD SNOWDON
T
he decade known as the Swinging Sixties was dawning when Princess Margaret introduced her soon-to-be fiancé Tony Armstrong-Jones to the Queen Mother. His arrival was right on cue, when the Royal Family was being criticised for being too tweedy, and out of touch. A young and sexy photographer who had been cutting a swathe through London society, he was anything but dull. By the end of a convivial lunch the Queen Mother was captivated by his easy charm and thereafter encouraged her daughter to pursue the relationship. Tony liked the Queen Mother too, and enjoyed her coquettish familiarity touched with formality. Their friendship became close and was to survive until the end of her life. For Margaret, whose love affair with the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend had been thwarted three years earlier, he was a revelation – a touch flamboyant in manner and dress he was so different from the hand-picked polite young arm’s-length aristocrats who escorted her to Mayfair nightclubs and to the theatre. Above all he had a hint of danger about him which matched Margaret's rebellious streak. Tony's friendship with the Princess began to develop in 1958 after they were introduced by Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, a sister of the Duke of Devonshire. He was an English rebel without a cause, with a wicked twinkle in his eye, and the suggestion of a pout. Margaret, unwillingly enduring the tedium of life at Court (although she never objected to the privileges of royalty), was intrigued by his lack of deference, and the seductive manner in which he whisked her anonymously down to his hideaway in Rotherhithe, south east London, for clandestine evenings away from Clarence House. Sometimes Margaret's fun loving mother came in tow, going to pubs, checking out the shops. The Queen's sister relished the naughtiness of it all, and told the French artistic giant Jean Cocteau: “Disobedience is my joy.” Meanwhile, the Queen Mother, adopting the spirit of the age, remarked: “I don't see anything wrong in swinging a little.” Margaret and Tony became engaged on February 27, 1960. Tony was to become the first non-aristocrat to marry into R
I want to hold your hand: Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret meet the Beatles in 1965
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When Savile Row rubbed shoulders with the King’s Road: Tom Corby remembers the life and times of Lord Snowdon, a man whose individual style illuminated London society
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GOLDEN SHEARS
Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret out on the town – they married in 1960 30 SAVILE ROW STYLE MAGAZINE
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the Royal Family for 400 years, but he was by no means a parvenu. He came from the Welsh gentry, the son of a barrister and a society hostess, the Countess of Rosse. Despite having been educated at Eton and Cambridge, he was making his living as a portrait photographer of the rich and famous. Their wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on May 6. It was the first great royal event since the coronation of Elizabeth II. Now, seven years later, the country was bursting into the 1960s, and what The Queen's biographer Lady Longford called “a period of brittle animation”. Two days before the wedding The Queen gave a party for 2000 at Buckingham Palace in honour of the new couple. The Joe Loss Band played numbers from the cockney pop show “Fings Aint Wot They Used To Be,” and Tony's bohemian friends mingled with the Establishment.
Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret enjoy the countryside Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon on honeymoon aboard the royal yacht Britannia in 1960
“Tony and Margaret were revitalising the monarchy, updating it to an age of fast cars and short skirts” Tony and Margaret were revitalising the monarchy, updating it to an age of fast cars and short skirts. The Queen and Prince Philip did their best to keep pace, but Philip's new green 100mph Alvis seemed staid compared with Tony's motorbike on which he raced round London with his wife on the back, both of them dressed in black leathers. Huge crowds thronged The Mall hoping to catch a glimpse of the newly-weds as they processed from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace. Had the public – or the Royal Family – known how the marriage would develop and eventually disintegrate in a welter of vitriol and promiscuity on both sides, those crowds would have been considerably reduced and less starry eyed. At that time, R
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public cynicism about the royal fairytale had yet to set in. Home was a grand apartment in Kensington Palace, and they were in the vanguard of all that was new and exciting. Long before Buckingham Palace even dreamt of entertaining them, writers, painters, actors and dancers poured through their front door. The couple had returned from their honeymoon to a stultifying life at court, carrying out minor public engagements in which the husband had always to walk two paces behind his royal wife. He did his best to fit in, learning to shoot so that he wouldn't disgrace himself on the killing fields of Sandringham and Balmoral. In 1961 there was the consolation of ennoblement, as the Earl of Snowdon, in a nod towards his Welsh roots. He was part of the Royal Family, but not royal, routinely ignored by the servants who were resentful of his ambiguous position. His sartorial style was described at the time by one royal watcher as: “The King’s Road rubbing shoulders with Savile Row.” Although he could bespoke with the best for formal and grand occasions – Tailor and Cutter magazine claimed he was a devotee of the Row – he didn't think twice about turning up at the palace in hip hugging slacks, a roll necked top, and knee high suede Chelsea boots. He became a customer of the legendary Doug Hayward, of Mount Street, who dressed the stars, such as Michael Caine, Roger Moore, and a galaxy of others. Doug was invited to Mustique, where Margaret and Tony had a holiday home, and crooned Cole Porter songs with her without missing a beat. He beguiled the Princess with his working class charm, and as another guest said: “His secret was to treat her like a regular bird.” In 1963 Tony was appointed as Constable of Carnarvon Castle, and six years later he took part in the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales and, as everyone else seemed to be wearing a uniform, designed himself a distinctive olive green outfit with the Prince of Wales's Feathers on the collar of the jacket. He believed it made him look like a 1950s cinema usherette or the panto character Buttons. In a television interview 40 years later he did not disagree when Huw Edwards gently suggested that he had tried to bring a
Lord Snowdon in reflective mood in 2008
touch of Carnaby Street to the ceremony. Tony's style went side by side with his photography which contributed spectacular images to the world, and thus influenced popular culture in a lasting way. It was indeed all about image. He moved through the decades sporting the looks of the times with great confidence. His friend, the American fashion designer, Tom Ford, says that he was always stunned by his choice of clothes. “He was a buttoned up gentleman in tweed; a mod, a macho biker, a groovy photographer striding through an airport in suede and Dolce Vita shades. He was a playboy; his sideburns grew long, as did his hair, and neckerchiefs seemed to work on him as well as a classic black tie. He was a chameleon, able to straddle several worlds simultaneously, and to the end was a man of great style and taste.” Q Antony Armstrong Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, March 1930-January 2017.
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“He became a customer of the legendary Doug Hayward, of Mount Street, who dressed the stars, such as Michael Caine, Roger Moore, and a galaxy of others”
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With long-term experience in the Portuguese, Swiss and French real estate market, Mr. Paulo Costa put his professional relations to good use and created CREST Real Estate SARL. Seven years later, thanks to this experience gained in the field, CREST has established itself as a specialist in customised research for ever more demanding customers. For the company CREST, the recent growth of Portuguese real estate has been ideal for seizing opportunities to develop new structures. The latter is mainly dedicated to the establishment of foreign investors wishing to take advantage of the cultural and economic advantages offered by Portugal. Year after year Mr. Costa has surrounded himself with a team of genuine real estate enthusiasts and partners, whose ambitions and successes have enabled CREST Real Estate to consolidate its foundations. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information about Portuguese, Swiss and French real estate markets.
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ACCESSORIES
Robin Dutt talks to one couple who are putting man’s best friend in the finest threads available
Pampered pooches getting the Savile Row treatment
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I
hope this is an apocryphal story. Some years ago, a European traveller was enjoying the variety of Chinese culture when she felt a little peckish. Eschewing what street food was available, she entered a restaurant with her tiny dog in a bag. The lady sat with her dog and indicated to the waiter through sign language that she wished to order and also to feed the dog. With great politeness, the dog was taken away and in time the waiter returned with a steaming dish of noodles and spicy meat. No dog as such, was in sight. Lost in translation? I'd say. But the truth of the canine matter is that, in general, most of the world loves dogs – as pets, not indeed all belonging to lettuce-munchers in Chanel-at-lunch. Some have to work for their keep with sheep, guide those who are visually impaired, or scour the forest's ferny floor for fallen pheasant. Cute/useful (or both) spring to mind. So, a paws (sorry!) for a bright thought which occurred to Mark Rodrigues and Lisa Yatabe who have come up with a concept to clothe beast – and man – in the best threads available, courtesy of Savile Row stalwarts, Holland & Sherry. While pieces for pooches is not a new idea per se, Tail-or-Made looks to bring functionality and glamour to both with three labels to choose from – Black Label (bespoke), Green Label (made to measure) and White Label (ready to wear). The pair are serious about their coats so you'll find no sparkly collars or leg warmers here – just immaculately tailored pieces to help both master and hound repel the inclement elements. Dogs provide work for many hands from leather workers to the pet food industry, vets to doggy parlours (dodgy description!). And when that dreadful time comes – think of the pet undertaker, even the taxidermist – and Tail-or-Made seems to be right on trend. And with the many fashionable 'mix-ups' currently finding favour - cockapoos, labradoodles, puggles and chuskies – dogs like these may be the ideal customers. The poet Alexander Pope wrote the following lines – “I am his majesty's dog at Kew, pray tell me sir, whose dog are you?” Now this is the kind of dog Tail-orMade was, well, made for. Unashamedly, Rodrigues and Yatabe explain that R
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their aim is to “create luxury tailoring for dogs and their owners – to cater for the country resident and also offer the country mood for the city dweller.” Their slogan is: “Don't do as one does. Dress as one does.” Rodrigues has a decade of experience on The Row and Yatabe is a celebrity stylist. A winning combination – especially as their personal chemistry is so good. Identifying the market was, if not easy, then perfectly logical. Those who are passionate about their canine companions often hold them in higher esteem than the creatures they are forced to work with. And why not? Sadly gone, brilliant stylist Isabella Blow, onetime fashion editor of variously Vogue, Tatler and The Sunday Times, used to wash down her desks with Perrier water.
Mark Rodrigues and Lisa Yatabe, the people behind Tail-or-Made
“There is something so very reassuring about striding through park, forest or wood with a matched companion” I know many who eschew Thames tap for Hildon Still for their furry friends. And considerate pottery queen Emma Bridgewater is among many who always have a bowl of water for passing pups. Holland & Sherry is one of the world's most respected fabric companies, the mill's 180-year heritage adds a certain authority and the whole concept bathed in good old English eccentricity. Choosing from their seductive swatch books makes the process of choosing frankly difficult and obviously plants the seed in the mind of the shopper that one can never have too many outfits. Co-ordinating outfits for owner and dog might make most sense if there is an outfit for every day of the week. But this need not be a case of ultra match between the two. Subtly picking up on a colour here or a texture there,
trimmings and buttonings are all to be had at Tail-or-Made. If the term “Luxury for Dogs” sticks in certain craws, those people are simply not earning enough. They must try harder. For, like the more usual bespoke and made-to-measure garments made on Savile Row, Tail-or-Made garb should be regarded as investment pieces. The most established women's weekly, The Lady, has a certain Darcey Bussell in residence – a mild mannered Dachshund
– who to boot has an eponymous lifestyle column, describing the vagaries of its week. The basket is hard by a rose velvet mini chaise longue in the editor's office. Known for its clean lines and slim silhouette of its outerwear, Tail-or-Made advises adroitly but of course here as anywhere, the customer is king. It still wouldn’t hurt to listen to the experts. However, when it comes to measuring a dog, one suspects there is no need for spoken codes. One
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celebrated tailor’s frequently used SLABDCH when measuring particular customers. The translation? “Stands like a broken down cab horse!” I know a gentleman who often seeks my counsel when deciding on what colour to choose for his dog's lead and collar. The dog in question is a delicious minky-grey so that neutrality suggests the complete rainbow, the owner rejecting black because it is too harsh, he feels. Yet another has his grandmother crochet
coats for his pet – a rat catcher type which resembles mini versions of the sofa throws from The Big Bang Theory. But, sadly with price an issue, Tail-orMade cannot be for every dog, however deserving. Spare a thought for Molly from Essex, a cocker spaniel who can untie shoelaces, open doors and helps with the washing up but whose owner can't afford such luxuries. Or celebrate the handsome and beautiful mutts which the glorious pet charity PDSA treats and Battersea
Home tries re-home, or indeed St Mungo's charity. Still, a dog can dream... Exquisitely made and made to echo the owners' choice of coat there is something so very reassuring about striding through park, forest or wood with a matched companion. And with a certain brand of doggy treats selling for more than fillet steak, the ones who disagree with all this pooch-pampering might just have to get used to that little green monster. Q info@tail-or-made.com
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LONDON CLUBS
CHARACTER BUILDINGS Tim Newark takes us on a tour of his favourite clubs a short stagger from Savile Row
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he pleasures of a London Club can be simple, sinking into an antique leather chair, sipping a glass of port, and raising an eyebrow at guests who have failed the dress code. At its best, it can be all the fun of a glorious house party with familiar faces and the run of an elegant building you could never afford to live in. For a moment, it is your splendid home in Mayfair or St James – and it impresses the socks off any foreign guests you entertain there.
As a historian, I have a particular passion for London’s venerable clubs. Each one has a distinctive character framed by its past members, expressed in formidable portraits and extraordinary memorabilia. Incidentally, Traditional Clubs is the correct term for these private members’ establishments, not Gentlemen’s Clubs, as that now refers to something completely different which involves lap dancing and stuffing money into garter belts (I believe).
I was commissioned to write the official history of the Naval & Military Club, known affectionately as the In & Out, and spent many happy hours exploring its archives and reading antique correspondence. One longrunning spat involved a lieutenant of the 9th Lancers who had been caught smoking in the club’s reading room. He explained he was not puffing his cigar but merely holding it as he was passing from one room to another. The contretemps R
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The Inner Hall, with its grand main staircase, is the central focus of the Naval and Military Club SAVILE ROW STYLE MAGAZINE
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grew and grew, culminating in the mass resignation from the club of 13 Lancers. The unrepentant officer in question went on to serve with distinction in the Afghan War of 1878, no doubt still chomping on his cigar. Exiting from a suit fitting in Savile Row, the nearest traditional club is Buck’s, a mere two-minute walk away on the corner of Clifford Street and Old Burlington Street. Located inside an impressive Georgian townhouse, it really does have the character of a home from home. Opened in 1919 by army officers looking for a less formal establishment, it soon gained a reputation for attracting a younger, racier crowd. Buck’s Fizz, the champagne and orange juice cocktail, was invented there in 1921 and writer PG Wodehouse, who was a keen visitor, used it as the model for his own fictional Drones Club. Actor Robert Hardy and former Prime Minister Sir John Major are recent members, as was Sir Denis Thatcher, whose wife Margaret became the club’s first honorary female member. On the first floor is its celebrated American Bar, above which hangs a fine portrait of Captain Buckmaster, the jovial founder of the club. Strolling further into the heart of Mayfair, across New Bond Street, you come to the Savile Club in Brook Street. Embracing more arty types, its dress code is a little more relaxed, preferring smart casual and not insisting on a tie – but I always wear a tie anyway, as what is the fun of entering a beautiful interior if you are not equally well presented? And what an interior it is, having two distinct personalities. Originally two townhouses linked together, its extravagant rooms were the work of Walter Burns, the brother-in-law of the New York multi-millionaire JP Morgan. Sitting in the bar, it is all late Victorian dark wood panelling, very masculine and traditionally club-like, underlined by a leering image of Bacchus reminding us of our purpose there. But then follow your host up the stupendous staircase to the dining room and you are in a wonderfully playful rococo space of mirrors and gilded decoration directly from Paris. What a surprise! Drawing its membership mainly from the arts, past literary greats at the Savile have included Thomas Hardy, HG Wells, Rudyard Kipling, Max Beerbohm, AA
Time for reflection in the library of the Travellers Club
Milne and WB Yeats, while Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in his diary when he was far away in Samoa, “It’s Friday today. I wish I were in the Savile.” That was the day they served roast beef and beer. Incidentally, the club gets its name from the fact it was once located in Savile Row in the late 19th century. Traditional club land is mainly located immediately south of Savile Row across Piccadilly in St James’s. Palatial club houses line Pall Mall and St James’s Street, but two of my favourite clubs sit in St James’s Square. The balcony of the East India Club, on the west side of the square, was where news of Wellington’s victory at Waterloo was first announced to an excited crowd. A plaque on the outside of the building recording this event was placed there in 2015 as part of the square’s celebrations of the bicentennial of the great battle. Inside the club, I love sitting in its dining room surrounded by portraits of nabobs – merchants rich from trade in the Far East – eating a curry and drinking the excellent club claret. Directly opposite the East India is the Naval and Military Club, relocated there from its long-time home in Piccadilly in 1999. It was the original gate posts marked boldly “In” and “Out” for horse drawn coaches that gave the club its informal name and these have been reproduced on the columns of the entrance. Previously the home of Lady Astor, the club has beautifully restored its breath-taking interiors, most notably the Grand Stair leading to the Coffee Room –
its dining room, replete with epic military paintings, gilded carving, mirrors and cherubs, plus, of course, a magnificent view across St James’s Square. There is no grander place to eat a breakfast of bacon and eggs in the whole of London. The dining room at the Savile Club exudes an air of elegance
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The outdoor terrace at the Naval and Military Club
You do not have to be a member of the armed services to join the Naval and Military but it does help to subscribe to its ethos as portraits of generals and admirals are everywhere. Drink fashions have changed since it was the exclusive preserve of old soldiers and seamen, as Russell Newman, its much-loved bar manager tells me. “They used to drink whisky, gin and tonic and beer. Now, it’s wine and especially champagne. We never used to open a bottle of champagne to sell by the glass – there was never a call for it. Today, it’s one of our bestsellers.” The club champagne is Pol Roger – the favourite fizz of Winston Churchill. Finally, having wined and dined too well, if your reciprocal memberships stretch to it, I strongly recommend a short walk to the Travellers Club in Pall Mall. There you will find one of the best club libraries in the West End – and most importantly a well-designed chair that allow you to stretch out and take a snooze. Yet another great pleasure of London’s traditional clubs… Q Tim Newark is a historian, author and political commentator, contributing to the Daily Express and the Telegraph. He is the author of ‘The In & Out: A history of the Naval and Military Club’ (Osprey, £40).
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
Enjoying a lifetime of costume dramas British actor Simon Callow has been seen in many guises. Here, Robin Dutt finds out about the man behind the mask
I
meet actor Simon Callow at a discreet French cafe in South Kensington. He is enthusiastic – immediately affable with a slight hurry in his step. And this hurry is understandable. Simon Callow, CBE, is a man much in demand. In addition to his thespian work, he is a musician, writer and theatre director. We order – he a diminutive pot of tea, and a traditional bowl (no handle) of French-style coffee for me. Born in 1949, Callow's origin in the world of the theatre followed at a rapacious pace when he wrote a letter to Sir Laurence Olivier, at that time at the height of his powers as the artistic director of the National Theatre and of course an internationally acclaimed Shakespearian actor – something of a national treasure which the young Callow was enthused
by. The great man suggested Callow join the box office staff of the theatre. This was no rebuff to an aspiring talent – quite the contrary. It was by observing actors that Callow realised that a career in acting was indeed for him. The lessons of observation proved to be most valuable. Combining his other considerable talents, each of which so accurately typifies him, they certainly represent the sum of the whole. It is still surprising, perhaps, that he made his stage debut 43 years ago. His various credits include Amadeus and Being An Actor (both 1984), and he directed Shades in 1992. In the same year he starred in the TV series Little Napoleon. But arguably it was 1994's Four Weddings and a Funeral for which he was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role that endeared him to so many. R
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THE LAST DETAIL Simon Callow, who made his stage debut 43 years ago, is seen here performing at the Riverside Studios in west London
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We begin to talk about the subject of this interview – what identifies his signature sartorial look. One might reasonably suppose that most actors surrounded almost constantly by costumes might not be so enthusiastic about clothes themselves – civilian dress for a player of the stage or screen. But as it turns out, classic as his look certainly is, it is refreshingly simple and signature. “I like clothes having a feel as well as a look,” he begins. “I always try to buy clothes made of a fairly distinctive fabric. Also, I am sturdily built (here a wry smile) – large chest and short legs, so I can never really wear closely tailored garments.” But that said the essence of great tailoring is, as Sir Hardy Amies had it, never to look too tight. Great tailoring is usually formfitting and form following. Callow cites a great favourite of his, Issey Miyake whose genius he salutes and favours Emenegildo Zegna's suits “which suit me well and the fabrics are so interesting. I can't wear very colourful clothes but I love a whole range of browns, bright copper especially. My mother wanted me to look like a country gent which was preposterous because we were poor!” This early “rus in urbe” look has clearly permeated and Callow is confident with the elegant simplicity and no-frills identity of his chosen garb. Clothes, though un-fussy can also be as vital as more experimental ones – possibly even more so – trusted friends in the wardrobe. Couturier and Chanel supremo Karl Lagerfeld once said something about truly great clothes becoming classics in the wardrobe. The key word, it might be said, is “becoming”, almost like living entities. Callow certainly understands what he believes can be style disasters for almost all. “Pork pie hats and sandals with colours all incredibly muted, make no sense at all. – as if they have been studied in a manual. I suspect that men of my age have their clothes bought for them by their wives and betray nothing about the individual.” Despite what one might call a relaxed, even casual ethos, the actor remembers
always loving purchasing those “oneoff garments which never went into production – absolutely unique and quirky”. He cites the one-time Covent Garden boutique in the 1980s Les Deux Zebres, where small runs and indeed one-offs appealed to the urbane dandy types of the time. Today, he likes the edgy minimalism of South Molton Street's Vertice which offers a mixture of Italian and French relaxed tailoring and some unusual Asian garments which are hard to find elsewhere in the capital. These are unusual and limited editions, sourced by one charismatic gentleman, Giovanni, who cut his teeth in the demanding world of high fashion represented by Gianni Versace.
“I suspect that men of my age have their clothes bought for them by their wives and betray nothing about the individual” Here, he mentions his mother who used to work at one-time shirting stalwarts, Raelbrook where a high end range of garments was produced which might have been an early influence. Created by one Dodi Van Del, these shirts Callow remembers as extravagant. I ask the obvious question. What is his take on style and fashion? “Style is an individual sense of oneself.” And fashion? “A statement of idioms.” Callow is not naturally, off stage or screen, of the visually loquacious sort. Simplicity, directness and a tangible sense of never wanting to waste time seem to permeate his very being. That is why his wardrobe must perform for him much as, but in a different way, as he R
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must perform in his assigned costumes. An answer can sometimes be one word – like the immediate but judicious choice of a garment. In a recent email I sent him asking whether he objected to something or the other, the answer flew back. 'None,' he said as if to continue a sentence when even the odd pleasantry would be wasting time. When it comes to a choice of simple clothes, he cites the indispensable but often elusive black T-shirt he has yet to find with a neck “the higher the better”. It is the kind of basic T shirt that many Japanese designers (like Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto) and label Cop Copine understand so well. He here also speaks admiringly of Uniqlo's underwear – “Fantastic!” he enthuses. Such garments are basic but important foundations. And this reminds of the ultimately architectural nature of clothing. The basics are ideal elements for those who are too busy to fret over details. Put your clothes on with care – and then forget all about them opined Sir Hardy Amies. It really is a perennial lesson for all. How times have changed. He recalls the norm of rehearsing a play in three-piece suit, similar to the unseen
announcers of Radio 4, even up to the 1950s who donned black tie behind the mic. Even unseen, formality was regarded as essential, the better to deliver a voice with gravitas. Callow, with a lifetime of costume memories, loves and has always done the effortless revolutionary style of Mario
“My favourite suit? The one I was married in – oatmeal flecks, beautifully cut. It is transformative” Fortuny and Paul Poiret. “I've always liked flow,” he says. “Oh and Coco Chanel of the 1960s for women was amazing but whether real human beings can wear it is another matter.” Callow worked with the designer, Jasper Conran on My Fair Lady and found the experience compelling.
“Jasper, at the time, was at the height of his existence as a couturier and famously dictatorial – and mercurial – which is always a tricky combination,” Callow remembers. “He was an emperor in his own sphere. He would be pushing people about the place and yanking bits of cloth. The costumes were exceptional. When we talked together, we got exactly what I wanted. Jasper and I understood each other immediately.” When it does come to suiting (and apart from the chic ensembles of Zegna) Callow hugely admires tailor Tom Lutwyche. “He made a most exquisite suit for me when I played Oscar Wilde. I love watching the art of the cutter. My grandmother was a seamstress – wonderfully good – and used to make fancy-dress for me.” So, as might have been suspected all along, threads are part of his performing DNA. And as to the suit he would choose if he had only one choice? “The suit I was married in – oatmeal flecks, beautifully cut. It is transformative.” And that is surely the essence of any element of fine tailoring. Indeed, it does transform but without subsuming any of the individuality of the wearer. Q
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THE WINE COLUMN
The Pink
Princess Helena Nicklin tells how she fell in love with the captivating Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Champagne, toasting the birth of her daughter
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little wine knowledge is a life skill. Just like a love of couture, cars or certain sports, a shared love of wine opens doors and connects people. I’ve seen it happen. After all, a little information about what you’re drinking can enhance the pleasure enormously and there’s nothing quite like sharing your new-found knowledge over a glass of bottled history, culture, romance and art, all blended together. In these features, I’d like to introduce to you some of the classics; the famous names that wine lovers get excited about and how they first bewitched me. If these wines were clothing, they’d be bespoke Anderson & Sheppard suits... I fell in love with the most elegant pink champagne I’d ever tasted – Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon – toasting the birth of my first-born daughter with my husband. Antoine Roland-Billecart, from the sixth generation of champagne makers
You could be excused for thinking that it may have been the euphoria of drinking again having abstained (mostly) for nine months, but every time I’ve sipped it since, I’ve been captivated. This is the champagne that women want to be and men want to be with. It’s that beautiful, shy girl in a lace dress at the drinks party that boys are afraid to talk to because they know she’s also extremely clever and well-connected. It’s the elegant ballerina in soft satin shoes making complex twists and turns looks effortless. Made only in the best vintage years and always 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay, Cuvée Elisabeth is pale and aptly salmon-pink with the most delicate, fine bubbles you’ll ever see. It has layers of wild, red berry fruit, subtle spiced brioche, minerals and fresh fig; a wealth of intricate flavour but whispered, never shrieked. This legendary wine came to be, back in 1818, when grape-grower Nicolas François Billecart had visions of becoming a champagne winemaker of note, so teamed up with his friend Louis Salmon to combine their vineyards. Nicolas fell R
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The Billecart-Salmon cellar
Wine expert Helena Nicklin
“This is the champagne that women want to be and men want to be with”
in love with Louis’ sister and married her, binding the two families together forever in the world of wine. A new champagne brand was born: Billecart-Salmon. Ever since that time, Champagne Billecart-Salmon has been family run, creating a house style across their entire range that highlights finesse, freshness and complexity. At a lunch to celebrate the house’s upcoming 200th anniversary next year, sixth generation brother Antoine Roland-Billecart tells me that this style comes from “the luxury of being able to take our time”. Indeed, the family doesn’t have the same financial or marketing pressures as other houses and so can release the wines only when they are ready. “In terms of fermentation,”
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THE WINE COLUMN
Tickled
Pink
Champagne is not the only home of elegant, traditional method sparkling rosé wines. Here are three delicious wines from exciting regions to watch England (Hampshire): Hambledon Classic Cuvée Rosé NV These rose-petal coloured English bubbles come from one of England’s most exciting wineries. This brand new cuvée has already won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge awards. £36.50 from Berry Brothers & Rudd.
The Billecart-Salmon estate
Antoine says, “when others take eight to ten days. We need 30 to 40.” He explains that the house doesn’t like adding much sugar and, instead, prefers to coax out the fruit with long, cool fermentations. “The natural acidity that we get as a result is the best ‘conservative’ for ageing the wine properly,” he says. We see what he means as he opens a 1991 vintage of their other prestige cuvée named after founder Nicolas-François Billecart, Elisabeth’s husband. It is a wine that proves that with good fruit from a good vintage and plenty of time to get it just right, champagne can age beautifully over many years. Billecart-Salmon’s wine range reads like a masterclass of champagne styles. The classic collection includes a Brut Reserve, an Extra Brut, a Blanc de Blancs, a straight Rosé, a demi-sec and even a spicy, oak-fermented champagne
(the Brut Sous Bois). Next, come the rare, ‘homage’, vintage wines, which include the cuvée Nicolas François Billecart created in 1964 and the cuvée Elisabeth Salmon whose first vintage was only launched in 1988. In 2003 however, Billecart-Salmon welcomed a new member to the family; the jewel in an already very worthy crown. Cuvée Clos Saint Hilaire was born from an exceptional parcel of vines during the magnificent 1995 vintage. But that’s a story for another time... Q Follow Helena Nicklin @TheWinebird Stockists: Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon: Circa £140 per bottle for the current 2002/2006 vintages. Hedonism Wines (hedonism.co.uk), Selfridges (selfridges.com), Uncorked (uncorked.co.uk)
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Italy (Franciacorta, Lombardy): ‘Freccianera’ Franciacorta Rosato 2011 This is not Prosecco! A fine, Italian, traditional method sparkler made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by Fratelli Berlucchi. From Italy’s top, if little known, region for sparkling wines: Franciacorta. £29 from Italianwines.com and in store at Vini Italiani, London. USA (Anderson Valley, California): Louis Roederer Quartet brut Rosé NV Made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by the makers of Cristal, Roederer’s northern Californian initiative has built its own reputation over the years for traditional method sparkling wine with generous, ripe fruit. £29.99 TheWineReserve.co.uk
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TEXTILE FORUM
Ringhart Fabrics courtesy of Henry Arlington
Inspiring the future Savile Row Style catches up with Linda Laderman, co-founder and organiser of Textile Forum, ahead of the spring event
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inda, Textile Forum is being staged later this month in London. What are going to be the major attractions? For tailors it is a great opportunity to take a look into the future and have a chance to review the new spring ’18 designs for both men and women from some of the best fabrics suppliers in the UK alongside essential accessories such as buttons, zips and linings all in one place in central London. Our venue, One Marylebone, which is a deconsecrated church, is a fantastic setting for luxury suppliers to promote their current and new collections and provide buyers with inspiration. The event has been going for 15 years now, what new things can we expect to see this year? Since Textile Forum was launched, we have not strayed from our premise of being the place for designers, tailors, seamstresses and retail fabric specialists to source luxury fabrics and trimmings, available from stock and forward order, in small – or large – quantities. What has changed each season is the depth of the collections, the innovation in design, increased interest in printed fabrics, more distinctive embellishments, and more fabrics available for women’s formalwear, to complement the qualities
for bridal and special occasionwear for which we are particularly well-known. Who will be exhibiting? Our exhibitors are mainly from the UK but we also have Dutch, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Indian and Japanese companies participating. From the UK, there is Holland & Sherry, which is celebrating 180 years’ trading. Its anniversary collection features a range of lightweight, versatile jacketing and suiting fabrics woven from Super 180s 14.5 micron yarns in worsted and woollen spun qualities available in a range of glen checks, guarded windowpanes, gun clubs and grid checks in classic colours. One of its most exclusive offerings is Imperial Gold, woven in England from luxurious Mongolian cashmere and pure worsted vicuña. Some patterns include a dusting of 22K gold. A W Hainsworth, which provided the red fabric for the tunics of the British army at the Battle of Waterloo, is looking to introduce new colours based on its military heritage. On the shirtings side, Ringhart Fabrics offers traditional country checks, such as Tattersalls, some in brushed cotton, as well as classic designs, with more texture to appeal to the younger man looking for an investment piece.
For womenswear, apart from the wools, there are laces, lasercut designs and embroideries for bridal wear and evening wear, from companies such as British firms Bella Tela and Michael’s Bridal Fabrics and Sanmartin of Portugal. How is Brexit affecting business? While the world is full of uncertainty, our exhibitors are principally upbeat and the fact that we have a first class show confirms their optimism and positivity in the future. However, on a practical level, the fluctuation in exchange rates has pushed up some imported fabric prices by around 1015%. While some suppliers absorbed the increases last year, many are now passing these on. Additionally, in the light of Brexit, fabric companies are now focusing more on developing a global business, rather than just selling to their traditional EU markets. Q Event details Textile Forum, 10am-6pm, March 15-16, One Marylebone, London, NW1 4AQ Save the date: the autumn Textile Forum event will be held at the same venue on October 11-12. www.textileforum.org.uk
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ART & EXHIBITIONS
David Hockney pictured in Los Angeles last year
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avid Hockney is 80 in July but he has never been so popular – or worked so hard. The biggest exhibition of his work is now open at the Tate Britain and looks at his evolution from a student to become arguably Britain’s greatest living artist. Hockney, clearly moved by the public’s continued interest in his work, said after he helped choose the 250 pieces of artwork that will be on display: “Many of them seem like old friends to me now.” This exhibition offers an unprecedented look at the artist’s work to date. Presented as a chronological overview, it traces his development from the moment of his appearance on the public stage as a student in 1961, through to his iconic works of the 1960s and 1970s, and on to his recent success at the Royal Academy and beyond. Looking around the exhibition before it opened, Hockney, who still paints every day and recently said he was in his most prolific period, said modestly: “I made some quite good pictures, didn’t I?” The show, which includes more than 100 works, made over more than half a century, is the first major look at his career in almost 30 years. It includes sketches from his time at art school to works drawn on his iPad at home in California last year. In a recent newspaper interview he said: “When I’m painting I feel 30 but when I stop I feel older. I’m a bit slower than I was but I stand up to paint every day.” R
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HOCKNEY Hanging about with his old friends
Veteran artist, who still paints every day, enjoys star billing at Tate Britain. By Daniel Evans
Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968. Acrylic paint on canvas
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He went on: “It has been a pleasure to revisit works I made decades ago, including some of my earliest paintings. Many of them seem like old friends to me now. We’re looking back over a lifetime with this exhibition, and I hope, like me, people will enjoy seeing how the roots of the new and recent work can be seen in developments over the years.” The invention of Hockney’s classic works is explored, including his portraits of family, friends and himself, as well as his iconic images of LA swimming pools. It also includes his celebrated Yorkshire landscapes of the 2000s and work made since his return to California in 2013.
“When I’m painting I feel 30 but when I stop I feel older. I’m a bit slower than I was but I stand up to paint every day” The exhibition, the fastest-selling in Tate history – 20,000 tickets were snapped up in advance – will also show how the artist has frequently changed his styles and way of working, embracing new technologies as he goes. For the first time this exhibition shows how the roots of each new direction lay in the work that came before. For example, his radical ‘joiner’ assemblages of photographs, such as the Pearlblossom Highway 1986, informed the paintings of his Hollywood home and the Californian landscapes that he made then and after. Exhibition curator Chris Stephens had one question for Hockney when the pair of them began to put the exhibition together. “‘What do you want people to feel when they leave?’ I asked him. To which he replied: ‘Joy. I’d like them to leave looking more closely at the world because there is a lot of pleasure to be had from looking more closely.’” R
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Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), 1972. Acrylic paint on canvas
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Going Up Garrowby Hill, 2000. Oil paint on canvas
“David is a hugely popular artist and rightly we should be putting on shows that people want to see. But at the same time it doesn’t mean there is not something very serious about what he does. The fact they are visually pleasurable doesn’t mean they are shallow.” Alex Farquharson, director of the Tate Britain, said: “David Hockney is without doubt one of Britain’s greatest living artists. His practice is both consistent, in its pursuit of core concerns, while also wonderfully diverse. Hockney’s
impact on post-war art, and culture more generally, is inestimable, and this is a fantastic opportunity to see the full trajectory of his career to date.” Following the showing in London, the exhibition will travel to the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Q The David Hockney exhibition will be at Tate Britain in London until May 29. Adults £17.50. Under 12s free – up to four per family adult. Family tickets available.
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Model with Unfinished Self Portrait, 1977. Oil paint on canvas
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That winning look: Bobby Moore and his wife Tina at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on July 30, 1966, the day England won the World Cup
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STYLE ICON
Captain of the Swinging Sixties
World Cup winner Bobby Moore was a leader on the pitch and in the fashion stakes too. By Daniel Evans
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he first time I met Bobby Moore was in the autumn of 1986. I was a young sports journalist trying to make my way, he was England’s World Cup winning captain who had ended up writing sports reports for what was, then, Britain’s newest national newspaper. The Sunday Sport had launched the day before my first shift and it was clear it wasn’t aiming at the highbrow market. As I sat in the office waiting to find out what needed to be done, I clearly remember the man in charge, who had been quite happy with all the production and distribution side of things, telling his editorial team that they needed to “up the nipple count. We need more nipples per page”. It was into this intellectual atmosphere that Bobby Moore walked a day or two later to discuss what was needed for his next column. Can you imagine David Beckham or Steven Gerrard, Wayne
Rooney or John Terry catching the Tube to prepare for the following weekend’s big match preview? But Moore was there, on time and keen to learn. And, even though it was only an informal meeting, I couldn’t help but notice – probably because nobody else was – that Moore was immaculately dressed. He listened carefully as we talked about how he was going to approach his next column – how different players respond better to different types of encouragement, if I remember correctly. (He was also pleased to hear that the nipple count edict did not apply to the sports pages). At the time, it did not occur to me that, instead of sitting in some nondescript office in north London, Moore should have been working in football, at the very least as an ambassador for the FA, travelling the world and encouraging youngsters to take up the game and play it in the right spirit. R
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Those memories came back to me the other day as I sat down to watch ITV’s Tina and Bobby, a three-part serialisation of Moore’s life through the eyes of his first wife. Tina Green met her future husband at the Ilford Palais in Redbridge, London. She was 15 and he was 17. Tina was a typist for the Prudential and initially made more money than her football playing boyfriend. “I wasn’t overly impressed at first,” she recalls. “He wasn’t quite handsome, but he was good-looking, and charm personified.” The series, commissioned on the 50th anniversary of that 1966 World Cup win, rattles through Moore’s success on the pitch with little time on the ball (very unMoore-like), preferring to concentrate on how Moore was let down by football and, in turn, how he went on to let down his wife. Praise has rightly been heaped on Michelle Keegan’s portrayal of Tina Moore while Lorne MacFadyen, although clearly an impressive athlete, failed to capture Moore’s innate modesty and humility. What the series did capture, though, was Moore’s love of fashion. The man was as big a part of the Swinging Sixties as any Beatle. Style just oozed from every pore. They may look dated today, but it’s virtually impossible to find a picture of Moore looking anything other than immaculate. In the book on which the TV series is based, Tina Moore reveals that her husband was not only always well dressed but obsessively neat. “The jumpers in his wardrobe were hung in sequence from dark colours to light,” she writes. “You don't often hear a man described as beautiful but that's what Bobby was – he looked like a young god who happened to play football. He was a complicated young god.” He was meticulous about how he looked, perhaps even obsessive – when he put on a pair of trousers in a football dressing room, he would stand on the bench – and his enthusiasm for fashion was one of the reasons behind his involvement in Harrison-Moore Ltd, a leather coat factory in east London which he co-owned and designed for in the late 1960s. One story, told by England team-mate Alan Mullery, reinforces Moore’s swinging 60s persona – he took a portable record player to the European Championship in 1968 along with R
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Man of fashion: Bobby Moore shows off some of his stylist fashion products in 1972 SAVILE ROW STYLE MAGAZINE
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Left, champion chat: Bobby Moore talks to Muhammad Ali as they wait to welcome Pelé onto the pitch for the final match of his career in New York in 1977
Motor men: West Ham United and England teammates Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore admire some Ford Cortinas in 1970
Engelbert Humperdinck’s new album, which he played, according to his roommate Mullery, “morning, noon and night”. The final episode in the series concentrates on Moore’s struggle to get involved with football after his retirement and highlights his meeting with Elton John who had recently taken over Watford and was in need of a new manager. Moore, in the final week of his playing career, wanted to break into management. The two men shook on a deal and Moore went on holiday to wait for a call that never came. He learnt through the newspapers that the job had gone to Graham Taylor, then a young manager with Lincoln City. In her book Tina Moore recalls: “Bobby shook hands with Elton John
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Top team: Sylvester Stallone, Bobby Moore and Michael Caine together in 1981 after they all appeared in the World War II film ‘Escape to Victory’
for the manager’s job there but it didn’t materialise. Bobby increasingly withdrew into himself as he received knockback after knockback. He’d wake with a scream from a recurring nightmare. ‘I’m running in sand,’ he would tell me. ‘I can’t get anywhere.’ The golden Bobby that everyone worshipped was slowly dying inside. One night he took me out to dinner, poured two glasses of champagne and said, ‘Tina, I love you. You deserve the finest things in life but I can’t do that anymore. I can’t afford it.’ His spirit seemed crushed. It was then that our marriage hit the rocks.” Ironically enough, in February 1993, Taylor was managing England while Moore was working for a London radio
station so both were at Wembley for a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. It was the last time I saw Moore alive. Although news of his cancer had broken that day, he still insisted on coming to work and was dressed as stylishly as ever. He walked swiftly past the journalists in the press box, the collar of his leather jacket turned up and with a large cap firmly fixed over his head. He was pale and clearly ill but he just got on with his job. A week later, he was dead. So why did football turn its back on such a charming, considerate and charismatic man? Looking back, it is quite staggering that, after his final match for Fulham in 1977 he was largely ignored by the football authorities.
Imagine that happening today to a man who had captained England to victory in the World Cup final. Other countries look after their heroes properly. People like Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff went on to manage their national teams while others like Bobby Charlton and Gerd Müller are held in high esteem by former clubs. So what did Bobby Moore do so wrong? Beats me. He certainly deserved more – so much more – than to spend his final years writing for a downmarket Sunday newspaper and working as a radio pundit. Perhaps, if ITV commissions a three-part series on the 50th anniversary of his death, we might get to learn more. Q
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Vanquish S Earns its Stripes
Richard Aucock puts the Vanquish S through its paces and finds a car distinct enough to sit at the top of the Aston Martin range
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ast year was the year of the new Aston Martin DB11 but it’s not the only car the firm sells. Sitting above it in the range is the older Vanquish, a car pitched as a GT supercar rather than the sports car remit of the DB11. There was just one problem with the launch of the DB11. It was so good, why spend extra on a Vanquish? Now, Aston Martin has a solution: the Vanquish S. A better, faster, even tastier take on the firm’s pinnacle car. It costs £199,950 and we’ve just driven it. Does it solve Aston’s rather enviable dilemma?
What does it look like? Aston’s Vanquish S press demonstrator looks special because it’s covered in carbon fibre and subtle graphics. But all Vanquish S models look smart because of their enhanced front-end aero pack. A more aggressive front splitter pairs with a bigger diffuser at the rear (they’re carbon fibre as standard), with quad crackle-black exhaust tail pipes adding the finishing touch. A meaner, moodier Vanquish: it’s such a beautiful car, doing anything extra would spoil it. This hones it expertly.
Hit me with some facts on the Vanquish S? Power is up for the Vanquish S, from 573hp to 600hp. The 6.0-litre V12 remains turbo-free, though, unlike the turbocharged DB11; the increase is achieved through old-school tuning. Aston has also recalibrated the gearbox, uprated the suspension and created a new aerodynamic package. Changes aren’t major, but the engineering work behind them is…
What does the aero stuff do? The tweaks to the aerodynamics at the front cut lift significantly – and because the car is now pressed into the ground more firmly, understeer is reduced. The rear diffuser complements the enhanced front end, creating a car Aston says is just as nicelybalanced as the regular car… but sportier and sharper with it.
What’s the thinking behind the Vanquish S? Aston’s intention with the Vanquish S is to hone and perfect the existing car, which was launched in 2013. Make it feel more like a car worth the £45,000 premium over the DB11 that’s stealing all the Aston Martin thunder. The Vanquish is an achingly gorgeous car, so Aston wasn’t about to alter this. It simply wanted to make it more of a car for connoisseurs.
That dash looks a bit old compared with the DB11, though… The interior feels painfully aged compared with a DB11. Sure, it’s impeccably assembled, thanks to the skilled several-thousands at Aston’s Gaydon HQ. But the spidery instruments, chronically dated infotainment screen, Ford switchgear, hard-toread centre console, all make it feel a decade old at its core. It’s the elephant in the room you can’t ignore. R
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Does it make a nice noise? Start it up and there’s a typically exciting V12 woofle. It’s hardly subtle. Crucially though, it’s more ‘real’ than some other start-up explosions. All real noise, not artificial stuff. As I’d later discover, Aston’s enhanced this throughout the rev range, so the noise is even richer and more delicious on the move. Like watching a 60s driving movie in surround-sound cinemascope. Lovely. What were your first impressions? First impressions were of a lovely, elegant V12 GT supercar. These machines can be intimidating: not the Aston. Sure, it’s low, wide, potent-feeling and so expensively-crafted you almost fear taking it onto public roads in case someone lunges at you. But this only adds to the feeling of knowing where your £200k goes. There’s something else, too: so-called ‘zero backlash’ tech in the gearbox makes the eight-speed transmission feel even tighter and shift gear even more impeccably. You subconsciously notice this: it adds to the sophistication and quality. Obvious question… is it fast? 0-62mph takes 3.5 seconds and Aston’s targeted a 201mph top speed. So it’s fast, yes, but not massively faster than the already-fast Vanquish. One thing Aston has been careful to retain is that 200mph-plus top speed – something the extra drag from its new aero kit put at risk. Cleverly though, this is actually more aerodynamically sleek than the standard car. Is it now too fast? The power hike is mild, so it’s not colossally faster than the Vanquish. The extra power is felt less than the improvement in pulling power. It has the same torque, but it’s delivered across a fuller rev range – even though it’s not turbocharged, it’s been given a bit of turbo-like depth. It’s faster, but it’s actually easier to drive – and, as proven on the wintry roads of the test drive, a subtle and very progressive traction control system is there to help you out when things get slippery… How does it feel different to a regular Vanquish? The regular Vanquish is a fine car but this one perfects it. Revisions to the suspension, led by ex-Lotus R
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Behind the wheel To read more reviews and expert advice on all things motoring, go to motoringresearch.com or follow the team on Twitter @editorial_mr handling guru Matt Becker, mean it’s both sportier yet better-riding. There’s more control, more finesse, more accuracy and delicacy. It’s cultured, tactile, remains unruffled no matter what the road surface below. The differences aren’t night and day, but to the Aston Martin loyalists who’ll be buying this car, they’ll be stark. If it’s firmer, how can it also ride better? Here’s the contradiction with the Vanquish S: stiffer suspension yet better ride. That’s because the springs and dampers have been meticulously tuned by Becker and his team, to precisely hone every aspect with race car precision. Better control, less roll, less heave and pitch – an altogether more premium ride, despite the fact it’s also sharper. Wizardry and black magic, that comes as standard with the Vanquish S.
Does it earn its ‘S’ badge? The Vanquish S is a marvellous car to drive. The steering is beautifully weighted and the build-up in forces as you turn into a corner is impeccable (there’s no hesitancy or ‘grey area’ to steer through, either). Suspension is controlled yet supple, seemingly at ease on the very worst of British roads. It feels lighter on its feet, quick-witted, smaller and wieldier than you’d expect from its GT-car dimensions. Sportier and sharper, certainly. But I’d say it’s also S for superior. And sublime. How does it feel different to a DB11? The DB11 is an easier car to drive, simply because it’s turbocharged. It feels more modern. The interior is fantastic; it’s a ‘new’ Aston, and this is not. What the Vanquish S is, however, is a meticulously honed one, an Aston Martin that feels like it’s been to finishing school. And it’s the feeling of such depth of engineering
that will draw people to it. It feels more bespoke, more individual. It feels like you’d hope a £200k car would feel. Verdict In not changing too much and instead honing the fundamentals already there, Aston Martin has perfected its rangetopper – while also keeping the price hike relatively sensible (it’s around £7,000). It’s now a car brand loyalists will savour, and one that existing Vanquish owners will salivate over. More importantly, it asserts the Vanquish’s range-topping status in the face of such stiff internal competition from the brilliant DB11. Sure, its aged interior is a sore point, and the new tech of the DB11 will still see that car take the bulk of sales. But the Vanquish S is now a car distinct enough to confidently sit at the top of the Aston Martin range. It now feels sufficiently special to earn its S stripes. Q
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Sounds
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ome 35 years ago, in the early 1980s, it would have been understandable if Mike Creek had described himself as a worried man. Although he had >12 years’ experience in the electronics industry, Mike had a decision to make. As he sat in the back bedroom office of his home in north London, pondering the loss of his long term job, with his wife and child downstairs and with a mortgage to pay, he knew he had to start bringing in some money pretty quickly. “It was quite a stressful few months but I knew that I wanted to continue being my own boss. I knew a lot about the audio electronics market so I thought I should combine the two,” recalls Mike. “I talked to my wife about it – I was determined to do something I’d been meaning to do for a long time – and she supported me. I went up to the back bedroom, sat down and designed my first product, which was a small integrated amplifier which became known as the Creek CAS 4040. It took me a couple of months to develop and launch at a Hi-Fi show in Hampstead, north London, in January 1982.” Mike ploughed every penny the bank was prepared to lend to him into stock and he then built 100 amplifiers. The first sale was to a specialist Hi-Fi shop called Audio Projects in Leeds, on March 29, 1982 and it would not be a surprise if that original 4040 integrated amp, with serial number 5501, is still out there working in someone’s system today. 4040s are
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changing hands on eBay for more or less the original price of £99.00. Mike adds: “Within about 18 months of producing my first amp I was manufacturing around 1,200 a month. I also developed an FM radio during that time and at its peak, between the two products, we were selling around 2,000 items a month, both in the UK, our biggest market and 15 countries around the world. In 1988 I sold the company to TGI plc but bought it back in 1993, together with American, Swiss and German partners. I subsequently bought them out in 2004 to take complete control again and I’m still running it today.” To add to his portfolio, Mike also bought a Hi-Fi loudspeaker company called Epos from TGI in 1999, which has good synergy with Creek’s electronic products. Throughout his time in the business, Mike has stuck to his basic design philosophy, saying “the products must: • Have a simple uncluttered design brief; • Exhibit technical sophistication; • Feature state of the art electronics; • Be designed for people who love music; • Be minimalist in operation”. Mike is clear about what sets his business apart from his rivals. “Quality and performance, endorsed by the awards we have won around the world,” he says. “On the Epos loudspeaker side, I’m particularly proud that we won the Product of the Year award
in Absolute Sound in America. In the UK, we prefer product reviews which take two or three pages and we are often the editor’s choice in specialist magazines like Hi-Fi Choice and Hi-fi World. We have shelves full of awards.” Looking to the future, Mike thinks much of Creek’s manufacturing, currently done in China, will inevitably return to the UK and Europe. “It’s becoming quite expensive to manufacture in China now,” he explains. “We certainly think that our higher-end products will again be made in the UK. The UK has great prestige for building high-quality products. In fact, the wealthy Chinese consumers are very fond of buying imported products from places like the UK. I’m optimistic about moving some production back to the UK. It’s a positive step but it requires a large investment in the manufacturing processes here to match the quality that can be made in China now.” Finally, Mike, how do you see the future for Creek Audio? “My son Luke is involved in the audio industry. He’s a Product Manager at the moment but there might be a time when he takes over the reins here,” says Mike with a touch of pride, before adding quickly “but not at this present moment. I’m still happy to stay in charge for now.” Creek Audio Ltd. Tel # +44 (0)1442 260 146 info@creekaudio.com www.creekaudio.com
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Under starter's orders: tradition meets ambition at Royal Ascot
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FASHION SPECIAL
Time to get your glad rags ready James Turner looks at what to wear as the summer season gets into full swing
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dward VII once described with some vigour that Glorious Goodwood in Sussex was "a garden party with horse racing tacked on". In saying this he was really describing the English summer social season where only the English insist on attending in the right hat, outfit and even wellington boots. Such summer season events not only make for great people-watching and, for the purist, an excuse for a long weekend away. They are now, of course, huge days for corporate entertaining and celebrity spotting: So it’s either “Pack your glad rags we’re off to the races” or it’s a “Save the date for your most valued clients, we’re off on a jolly”. The core of the classic summer social season events are English, as opposed to British, simply because “the Season” ran from Easter to August 12 – when grouse shooting began – in order to keep everyone entertained while Parliament was still sitting. The most iconic events that are still the most popular today, therefore, took place within easy reach of London and still do. It’s somewhat unbelievable that, in the 21st century, the whole eco system of the summer social season not only survives but thrives, with some events approaching their 300th anniversaries. R
Cutting a dash: the striped blazer is a popular summer look
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FASHION SPECIAL
For some the party begins with the Grand National at Aintree (on April 8), or the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race (on the April 2), even before Easter with the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival (opening on March 14), Glyndebourne (opening on May 20). For the traditionalists it's the Chelsea Flower Show (opening on May 23) – which, along with Royal Ascot (opening on June 20), is an annual favourite of The Queen or even the FA Cup Final at Wembley (on May 27) that really feels like the start of the English summer season.
“The diehard country set tend to dress up for social and sporting events more than weekenders from the city” Sadly dress codes have relaxed over time and tickets are easier to get or certainly snapped up by the corporate world for entertaining – unless you're aiming for the members’ enclosures where the hats are still out in force as “ladies day” becomes as much of the fixture as the racing. For the not-sosartorial, the unhampered morning coats or what the Derby dress code refers to coyly as "substantial fascinators" (an Alice band with feathers), it's a mustattend spectacle of the summer season: as Edward VII said it’s the greatest garden party with a race, regatta, chukka or opera tacked on, not to mention the best people-watching and celeb-spotting you can get. If you have hosted guests at any of the summer social season events you will have heard the dreaded question of “What’s the dress code?” or done your best to be as informative as possible to ensure your guests can decide what to wear without worrying they’ll get turned away at the members’ enclosure, never to live it down. First and foremost dress codes in the country may be more traditional
Eight and great: just the look for the Boat Race, or (below) Glyndebourne
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FASHION SPECIAL
The Queen is a regular at Royal Ascot
Actress Rosamund Pike enjoying the Chelsea Flower Show
than in the city. Some guidelines on what to wear are based on practicality and functionality; clothes should be appropriate for the weather and the relevant outdoor activities. For example, a woman would not wear very high heels for picnicking at the races as it may include a long walk on the grass. Jeans or cords, with a shirt, jumper or blazer, is appropriate. At the races, men wear brown rather than black shoes, and tweeds with wellingtons. Women would now wear a tailored jacket in a social and business setting, but might choose either a waxed gilet, jumper or cardigan. Outdoors weatherproof jackets are worn as opposed to woollen overcoats. Colours are muted; greens and browns
are more rural than black or navy blue or anything hi-vis, unless you’re wearing your Oxford or Cambridge Blues to cheer on your team at the Boat Race. Country sports, even if you don’t participate, are the inspiration for the “correct style”; it’s always worth remembering that the wearing of polo whites or a hacking jacket by a fashionista will cause much amusement among the purists. Note the saying: “All the gear and no idea”. Even more of a no-no is dressing for the activity you are attending yet not taking part; for example a man wearing dirty whites at the polo when he hasn’t played that day should be avoided as should the man turning up at a shoot in plus fours when he’s not shooting.
Accessories are everything, so scarves and woollen or fake fur hats are frequently worn by women while men may wear flat caps. Always remember such accessories as your binoculars, picnic hamper, champagne or sparkling wine not to mention the right 4x4 ensuring your picnic sits perfectly on the tailgate. Finally, for the diehard country set, they’ll tend to dress up for social and sporting events more than weekenders from the city. This may cause clashes of dress codes which should generally be avoided. As for other dress codes formal or otherwise, err on the side of effort and never be afraid to ask in advance what others are going to be wearing or check for the dress code statement on your invite. Q
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TRAVEL
V
isit Oslo and the Nobel Peace Center should be essential viewing for anyone with a sense of history. Although Alfred Nobel was Swedish and settled four of his prizes in his home country, he decided that the prize for peace – initially one of the least controversial of his awards but how times have changed! – should be hosted in neighbouring Norway. Staff at the centre are unsure why he made such a division but are delighted he did. If you want to see and understand how much our world has changed over the past 100 or so years, there can be fewer better places to start. The building itself, opened in 2005, is relatively modest – there are a few rooms spread over two floors – but the impact it has on the visitor will last for many a year.
“It’s miles from anywhere and is desperately hard to get to but Balestrand – and the Kviknes Hotel in particular – is just magnificent” Walking around this inspiring building, with pictures of the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Desmond Tutu hanging on the wall, was indeed one of many highlights of a five-day jaunt across the southern tip of this Nordic country. But before we go back to the beginning, let me give you some ammunition for the weekly pub quiz. Who is the only person to have turned down the Nobel Prize for Peace? It was in 1973 when the prize was jointly awarded to Le Duc Tho, a North Vietnamese politician, and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for their work negotiating a ceasefire in the Vietnam war. Tho said that, at that time, there was no ceasefire so he refused the award. (That should be worth a point or two at your local…) R
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Shining Lights of
Inspiration Daniel Evans finds much to enjoy in Norway’s many diverse delights
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TRAVEL
Oslo was the final point on our trip to Norway which began with a morning flight from Gatwick to Bergen, a pretty port on the left hand side of the country, some 300 miles west of the capital but on virtually the same latitude. The heart of the town is based around a working port with several bars and bistros spilling onto the pavements outside. One word of warning, though – unsurprisingly it’s hilly but the cable car was on hand to whizz us up the side of the mountain for afternoon coffee and a view to die for. (Little was I to know that the views would just keep on getting better).
An early morning start saw us on the 8am ferry up the fjord to Balestrand. Even though the weather was warm – we were travelling in August – the boat zips along so a coat is advisable on deck. For about five hours we headed in a generally northern direction, never more than 50 yards or so from a shoreline which became progressively starker and more impressive by the mile. Our captain knew his stuff and we would often stop near a waterfall for the regulation selfies.
Top left, The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo with (inset) the joint winners in 1973, Le Duc Tho, a North Vietnamese politician, and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Beautiful Bergen: The fishing port on the west of Norway (and far right)
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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
“My son and I now have a phrase we use when we see an impressive sight. ‘Yes, it might be good, but it’s no Balestrand’”
The passenger ferry arriving alongside the Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand
Lunchtime came and we arrived in what can only be described as one of the finest settings for a holiday in the world. It’s miles from anywhere and is desperately hard to get to but Balestrand – and the Kviknes Hotel in particular – is just magnificent. The hotel, built in the 19th century and now with 200 rooms, is busy most of the year. Swimming in the fjord outside the hotel, in a specially designated area, is wonderful, as long as you can get through the first 15 seconds! And the place is awash with history. The staff will delight in showing you the exact chair Kaiser Wilhelm was sitting in when one of his men came in to tell him he should be getting back to Germany as the First World War had just broken out. Apparently, he was packed, on his boat and heading home the same day. R
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St Olaf’s Church, Balestrand – a memorial to an English woman who came as a tourist and fell in love and married a local man
Another impressive building is St Olaf's Church, finished in 1897 as a memorial to Margaret Green, an English woman who came as a tourist and fell in love and married a local man. As she was a religious person, she was keen for an Anglican church to be built. Unfortunately, she died before it was completed but, if she could see it today, she would be delighted. It is lovely. Services are held during the summer, On the way to Oslo: Flam is the junction between fjord and mountain
often by visiting vicars from England. And, for what it’s worth, local gossip also has it that the church was the inspiration for the chapel in Elsa's coronation scene in Frozen, the Disney film. Spend an hour walking around the town and, certainly on a sunny day, you can see why artists have always loved the area. I am no expert but people who know say that the light is particularly dazzling in Balestrand which, I am told,
is why so many talented artists of years gone by have painted there. I think they are right. There’s no way I can describe it – you’ll just have to make the effort to go and see for yourself. Leaving the following morning – after an excellent evening meal overlooking the fjord – was not easy but my son and I looked at each other and said: “We have just got to come back here one day.” In fact, we now have a phrase we use when we see an impressive sight. “Yes, it might be good, but it’s no Balestrand.” From there, the boat continued to Flam where we were booked in for the night. But when we arrived in the afternoon, it was obvious that, pretty though Flam is, it is just the junction between water and land so we moved our plans forward 24 hours and took the train to Oslo. The first hour is up and round the steep hills away from Flam before transferring to a modern train and the seven-hour trip to the capital. Oslo itself is about as good as a European city can get and I could write a whole new article on why it should be on your bucket list. But that will be for another time. For now, just put Norway on your list of possible destinations for 2017. I certainly plan to return one day. Q
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feels like home holidays at hollmann beletage
Discover a home from home in Vienna‘s stunning first district. Hollmann Beletage offers guests a stylish and cosy place to stay, two minutes away from St. Stephen‘s Cathedral. Enjoy a coffee in our café, relax in our spa and experience the Viennese culture that makes our hotel come alive.
Köllnerhofgasse 6 A-1010 Vienna +43 1 96 11 960 hotel@hollmann-beletage.at
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hollmann.eu.com hollmann-beletage.at
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TAILORS
Tailors Handbook CHARLIE ALLEN
1 Cooper Yard 181 Upper Street, Islington N1 www.charlieallen.co.uk HARDIE AMIES
8 Savile Row London W1S 3PE
www. hardyamies.com ANDERSON & SHEPPARD
32 Old Burlington Street London W1
www.anderson-sheppard.co.uk RICHARD ANDERSON
13 Savile Row London W1S 3AQ
www.richardandersonltd.com HENRY BAILEY
9-10 Savile Row London W1S 3PF
www.henrybailey.co.uk BENSON & CLEGG
9 Piccadilly Arcade London SW1Y 6NH
www.bensonandclegg.co.uk GRESHAM BLAKE
143 Commercial Street Shoreditch, London E1 6BJ www.greshamblake.com TOM BROWN
6 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DD www.tombrowntailors.co.uk BYRNE & BURGE
11 St George Street London W1S 2FD
www.byrneandburge.com OZWALD BOATENG
30 Savile Row London W1S 3PT
www.ozwaldboateng.co.uk CAD & THE DANDY
1st Floor, 13 Savile Row London W1S 3NE
www.cadandthedandy.co.uk CHITTLEBOROUGH & MORGAN
12 Savile Row, London W1S 3PP
www.chittleboroughandmorgan.co.uk DAVIES & SON
38, Savile Row, London W1S 3QE www.daviesandson.com
DEGE & SKINNER
HENRY POOLE
10 Savile Row London W1S 3PF
15 Savile Row, London W1S 3PJ
EDE & RAVENSCROFT
2 Marshall Street, Soho London W1F 9BA
www.dege-skinner.co.uk
8 Burlington Gardens Savile Row, London W1X 1LG www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk TIMOTHY EVEREST
35 Bruton Place London W1J 6NS
www.timothyeverest.co.uk GIEVES & HAWKES
1 Savile Row, London W1S www.gievesandhawkes.com GEORGE BRUMMELL
Savile Row, London
www.georgebrummell.co.uk HENRY HERBERT
5th Floor, 9-10 Savile Row London W1S 3PF www.henryherbert.com H HUNTSMAN
11 Savile Row, London W1S 3PS www.h-huntsman.com
KENT, HASTE & LACHTER
7 Sackville Street London W1S 3DE
www.kenthaste.co.uk KILGOUR
5 Savile Row, London W1S 3PB www.kilgour.com
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
9 Savile Row, London W1S 3PF www.alexandermcqueen.com MEYER & MORTIMER
6 Sackville Street London W1S 3DD www.meyerandmortimer.co.uk JOHN PEARSE
6 Meard Street, Soho London W1F 0EG www.johnpearse.co.uk
MALCOLM PLEWS
6 Sackville Street London W1S 3DD
www.malcolm-plews.co.uk
www.henrypoole.com MARK POWELL
www.markpowellbespoke.co.uk BRIAN RUSSELL
6 Sackville Street London W1S 3DD
www.brianrusselltailors.co.uk KATHRYN SARGENT
37 Savile Row, London W1S 3QD www.kathrynsargent.com EDWARD SEXTON
26 Beauchamp Place Knightsbridge, London SW3 1NJ www.edwardsexton.co.uk ANTHONY SINCLAIR
6 Sackville Street London W1S 3DD
www.anthonysinclair.com SIR TOM BAKER
4 D’Arblay Street London W1F 8DJ
www.tombakerlondon.com THOM SWEENEY
1-2 Weighhouse Street London W1K 5LR www.thomsweeney.co.uk
WELSH AND JEFFERIES
20 Savile Row London W1S 3PR
www.welshandjefferies.com L.G. WILKINSON
11 St George Street London W1S 2FD www.lgw500.com
Made to Measure CHESTER BARRIE
19 Savile Row, London W1S 3PP www.chesterbarrie.co.uk CROMBIE
48 Conduit Street, London W1S 2YR www.crombie.co.uk BEGGARS RUN
47 Approach Road, London E2 9LY www.beggarsrun.com
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ACCESSORIES
And Everything Else... Hats BATES Established over 100 years, now within Hilditch & Key. www.bates-hats.co.uk
PANTHERELLA Extensive collection of hand linked socks. www.pantherella.co.uk
Leather Goods
CHRISTYS Making great British hats since 1773. www.christys-hats.com
ETTINGER Family business making hand crafted leather goods. www.ettinger.co.uk
JAMES LOCK Oldest hatter dating back to 1676 and lovely old shop. www.lockhatters.co.uk
TANNER KROLL Another old English leather name with bespoke service. www.tannerkroll.com
Ties DRAKES Stylish handmade ties plus full range of accessories. www.drakes-london.com RORY HUTTON Innovative bow tie specialist. www.roryhutton.co.uk VANNERS Top silk weavers, as well as makers of luxury neckwear. www.vanners.com
Cufflinks LONGMIRE Hand crafted cufflinks with hand enamelling a speciality. www.longmire.co.uk LINKS OF LONDON Original link designs for men and women. www.linksoflondon.com
Umbrellas
FARLOWS OF PALL MALL One-stop shop for the great outdoors. www.farlows.co.uk HOLLAND & HOLLAND Luxury clothes to accompany their bespoke guns. www.hollandandholland.com JAMES PURDEY & SONS Top gunsmith that carries a full wardrobe of country clothing. www.purdey.com
TUSTING Run by 5th generation of family. www.tusting.co.uk
LA MARTINA City and sporting polo kit and clothing. www.lamartina.eu
Shoes
Shirts
BERLUTI Elegant hand-made shoes. www.berluti.com
BUDD SHIRTS Makers of finest bespoke and readymade shirts for over 100 years. www.buddshirts.com
CLEVERLEY Bespoke shoemaker favoured by Savile Row. www.gjcleverley.co.uk CARREDUCKER Bespoke shoemaker within Gieves & Hawkes. www.carreducker.com HARRYS OF LONDON Innovative footwear for town and country. www.harrysoflondon.com GAZIANO & GIRLING Bespoke and ready-to-wear shoes from two young craftsmen. www.gazianogirling.com
EMMA WILLIS Stylish bespoke and readymade shirts. www.emmawillis.com FRANK FOSTER Master chemisier with amazing cloth collection. www.frankfostershirts.com HILDITCH & KEY Bespoke as well as ready-to-wear shirts. www.hilditchandkey.co.uk
JAMES SMITH Beautiful old Victorian emporium for umbrellas and sticks. www.james-smith.co.uk
JEFFERY-WEST Beautifully made shoes with a twist. www.jeffery-west.co.uk
NEW & LINGWOOD Bespoke shirt makers plus all home for all wardrobe essentials. www.newandlingwood.com
BRIGG UMBRELLAS Handmade brollies for 250 years for every occasion. www.swaineadeneybrigg.com
JOHN LOBB LTD Famous bespoke name based in St James’s. www.johnlobbltd.co.uk
SEAN O’FLYNN Master shirtmaker with a Savile Row background. www.seanoflynnshirtmaker.co.uk
FULTONS Umbrella makers for 60 years. www.fultonumbrellas.com
TRICKER’S Maker of bespoke shoes and boots. www.trickers.com
FOX UMBRELLAS Another maker of handcrafted umbrellas. www.foxumbrellas.com
Nightwear
Braces ALBERT THURSTON The ones that keep up most bespoke trousers. www.albertthurston.com
Gloves ALFRED DUNHILL Guaranteed style on and off the road. www.dunhill.com
Socks CORGI Luxury socks and also knitwear from family firm. www.corgihosiery.co.uk
DEREK ROSE Luxury nightwear and robes in silks, cashmere and cottons. www.derek-rose.com BONSOIR Men’s and women’s night clothes in classic styles. www.bonsoirdirect.com
Country Style
TURNBULL & ASSER Famous old shirt name now into all sorts of clothing. www.turnbullandasser.com
Knitwear BEGG & CO Creators of exquisite scarves, wraps and throws. www.beggandcompany.com JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN Renowned for great cloth and fine knitwear. www.johnstonscashmere.com
J BARBOUR & SONS Clothes and accessories for all country pursuits. www.barbour.com
JOHN SMEDLEY Noted for fine gauge, hand finished knitwear. www.johnsmedley.com
BELSTAFF Tough outdoor clothing without compromising elegance. www.belstaff.co.uk
N. PEAL Specialists in luxury, stylish cashmere. www.npeal.com
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THE LAST DETAIL
Y Never brown in town? With brogues one makes an exception By Robin Dutt
ou really never can go wrong with a pair of brogues. Described variously as a strong shoe with ornamental perforated bands, a style of low-heeled shoe or boot with sturdy uppers and decorative perforations, or a strong outdoor shoe, the message is clear. The brogue is cheerfully a no-nonsense affair which will tolerate all types of styling and adaptation, whether for the strictest suiting or the most casual jean and jacket combination. It is instantly the sign of chic for men but as has been noted over several seasons and featuring in many collections, women are pleased to be borrowing this staple for their own wardrobes. A pair will even look great with tennis shorts and look at golfing shoes – both sports attesting to the shoe design's universal appeal too. In general there are four types of toe cap styles (full or 'wingtip', semiquarter and longwing) and there are correspondingly four closure styles (Oxford, Derby, ghillie and monk). True, some designers have tried to bring the brogue into the future, with risible results - playing with foam soles and unusual colours or colour combinations, for example, but a good, solid pair which would not look out of place in the Art Deco period and certainly more than a bit player in a tale by Scott Fitzgerald, Somerset Maugham or Bret Easton Ellis. Ultimately functional, originally, at least, brogues were of course outdoor and country indispensables, the untanned hide for resilience and the decorative holes for draining water when crossing wet ground. Never brown in town? With brogues one makes an exception. Otherwise of course, it must be black. But how even a comparatively inexpensive pair from say, high street stalwart Clarks and sometimes, Dune, moving up, the streamlined elegance of Russell & Bromley and Church's or the assured slicing cut of a pair by Edward Green and Lobb will add silent volumes to your sartorial style. And no... you can't have too many. Q
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THE LAST DETAIL
Longwing Brogues
Oxford style Brogues Brogues by John Lobb
Brogues by Dune
Derby style Brogues
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SHOEMAKING
Walking on Sunshine Caroline Groves, a traditional shoemaker with over 25 years of experience in the bespoke field, talks to Savile Row Style
C
aroline, let’s start with an important question: What constitutes a good shoe? The whole ethos of my work is integrity of materials, methods and service. This means every shoe is hand-crafted, using the best traditional methods and the best, most appropriate leathers and other materials. No plastics or manmade materials. English oak bark tanned leather is used for all insoling, soling and stiffening, it has wonderful properties of being able to be wet moulded and retain its shape. This gives the shoes incredible comfort, breathability and longevity. All heels, if not leather stacked are hand carved beech wood, covered with upper leather. All these things also mean that my shoes are fully repairable. A sewing machine is the only machinery used. I have had a fascination and association with the West End bespoke gents trade throughout my career and it is that ultimate expression of the possibilities of leather seen in the gents trade that I strive to bring into a more sculptural higher heeled woman's work. My shoes have been described as becoming like friends or little pets for the feet!
Why are fabulous shoes important? From my point of view, as a designer/ craftsman, with over 25 years’ experience in the trade I am compelled to exercise my skills and ideas by making shoes that challenge me and give me pleasure. I am on a continuous learning curve. For the client a fabulous pair of shoes may be simply a standard working shoe that fits! For others it will be the opportunity to have a pair or more of shoes that have been entirely created for them, with their input, their measurements, their tastes and sensibilities all being taken into account. Can you talk us through the process for commissioning a bespoke pair of shoes from you? The commissioning process can take several forms but the basic is an initial meeting to discuss the client requirements in terms of styles of shoes or boots, heel height and shapes, toe shapes etc. A mock up shoe or shoes will be made based on the information gathered. In some cases I will be invited to see a client’s dressing room to get a feel for her taste in style, colours, textures. I will source leathers, fabrics, all elements for discussion with and selection by the client. Finally the finished shoes will be fitted. My service adapts to clients’ needs and may mean that I visit at their home or office or fly when necessary. I have a regular bi-annual trunk show in New York. What would all this cost? On my website I say that that a client should expect to pay in the range of £3000 for a pair of
shoes. Every commission is individual and the cost will depend upon the level of service, the cost of commissioning individual elements where necessary to the design, the level of hand work such as embroidery or crochet details, exotic materials etc. £2760-£6000 would be the most usual but I have made commissions that have been far more. For those who are able to afford my shoes, it is value for money. They represent absolute value in terms of materials, many hours of skilled craftsmanship and judgement and the service. What are your plans for the future? I am committed to providing various training opportunities to those who work for me whether directly or as outworkers. I want the people I work with to be as enthused and passionate as I am, value their skills and develop them continuously. I would like to be instrumental in heightening the awareness and appreciation of bespoke shoemaking. I would like to secure the future of my business by building on the number of core loyal clientele I have been fortunate to build up over the past years. Q www.carolinegroves.co.uk
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TIMELESS ELEGANCE www.henrypoole.com • T: 020 7734 5985 • E: office@henrypoole.com SR Spring 2017V2.indd 92
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