The Journal
No. 003
By Weavers Door
The best items from the best brands, purveyors of fine mens apparel for over 25 years.
The Weavers Door Journal Issue 3 Spring / Summer 2013
About Us
Editors
Weavers Door
Weavers Door is a collective aim to promote freedom of mind, seeking style over fashion and quality over quantity. Every item is carefully considered, the cloth, the cut and the final stitch with each aspect is vital to each garment. A maverick approach to all things cool.
Lee Fleming journal@weaversdoor.com
Feel free to visit the store any time and say ‘hello’
Born from a desire to offer the finest menswear apparel and related products, our aim is to continue to strive for the best and nothing less. In a world swamped with poor quality goods, we can only survive if we seek to inspire and be inspired. Fashion is a fickle world and one we treat with an air of caution. A truly great item is beyond fashion it becomes part of you, a trusted friend. A great jacket is a comrade in arms for many years, a great pair of jeans a second skin, a fine pair of shoes will walk with you on many journeys. We Champion the “True Brands”, the Mavericks who lead the way and break the rules who lead not follow. Their authenticity and quality is sometimes overlooked but never diminished and continues to excite us long after the initial conception. So along with you we continue to search and discover, all which is truly great in menswear. Purveyors of fine men’s apparel for over 25 years. The Best items from the best brands.
Will Grice will@weaversdoor.com
Creative Director Oliver Smith hello@mumptown.com
Contributors Tim Keating Ciaran Skinner John Towner Jacob Bagley Tom Mahamotho
Photographers Mina Bihi Michael Gannon Ged Sullivan Will Grice Jonathan Cox Decorum
Illustrations Oliver Smith
Special thanks to: Sefton Park Palm House Salt Dog Slims The Clove Hitch Mark McNulty Jonathan Cox Decorum Uniform Wares Mamnick The Beautiful North Sunspel
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1 Cavern Walks Harrington Street Liverpool Merseyside L2 6RE United Kingdom Site: www.weaversdoor.com E-Mail: info@weaversdoor.com Tel: +44 (0) 151 236 6001
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Welcome to the third issue of the Weavers Door Journal. Since its creation we have been overwhelmed by the support and following it’s received, both locally and by readers across the world. I would like to take this time to applaud the contributors, as without these passionate individuals we wouldn’t be able to curate the Journal: The Weavers Door team who spend a lot of late nights and early morning’s gathering content, be it an in depth interview with an individual of note, a photo-shoot on location or nurturing a Journal inspired collaboration. More so, we thank the Journal contributors who join us to create this bi-annual magazine, who offer their skills and creativity which allows us to constantly seek to improve our content, photography and aesthetic to give the Journal a stronger sense of direction and purpose with each issue. We have received a great response to all the Spring/Summer 2013 collections, our brand mix offers a diverse presentation of apparel, footwear and accessories from brands all around the world. Whether it’s British tradition (Barbour, Grenson, Sunspel, Gloverall), Scandinavian style (Norse Projects, Our Legacy, Suit Denmark), denim obsessed (Edwin Japan, Nudie Jeans Co. Natural Selection) or contemporary menswear (Folk, Oliver Spencer, Universal Works), there’s something for everyone. Our brands hold a unity in quality, attention to detail and craftsmanship. It’s this commitment to craft we always look for in our brands, having a story to behold, and always striving to improve allows us to keep to our Weavers Door ethos ‘The best items from the best brands’. Newcomers to the Spring/Summer 2013 season have also been warmly welcomed. The clean lines and relaxed yet still well dressed silhouettes of Swedish brand Our Legacy has been a great addition to the store. We have been working closely with Sheffield based Mamnick who started curating beautifully clean stainless steel accessories: tie clips, money clips and everyday card holders and had a great response from their made in England shirting. Looking to the future, we haven’t stood still by any means, we are expanding our ever-growing brand list by bringing in some exciting additions from the likes, iconic British knitwear manufacturer John Smedley, extreme outdoor technical specialists Patagonia, and functional outerwear from Danish rain wear experts ELKA. There is also one more, an athletic running trainer aficionado who will be joining our brand list as of AW13, but we don’t want to spoil the surprise. Our website has also seen many developments in 2013, in particular we launched our new feature: The Wardrobe, a project we had wanted to do for a long time. The feature looks to present a carefully curated outfit in which a friend of the store kindly offers their modelling services for. An aspect we are keen to help our customers on is to do the very best we can to let them know the fit of a garment, be it the shape of a hooded jacket, the length of a shirt, the degree of taper in a pair of jeans. It’s the
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The Docks
The History of the T-Shirt
Mamnick
The Decorum
Jonathan Cox
Ciaran Skinner
Contents
Lee Fleming
advantage customers visiting our store on Harrington Street have over online, they can handle the garments, sense the properties of the fabrics used to craft the garment and ultimately ask the magic question “Can I try this on?” We know all too well in store a garment can look completely different on a person compared to on the hanger, this
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Studio Visit
The Musician
Uniform Wares
Neil Young
Will Grice
Tim Keating
is where The Wardobe comes in. With a mix of loyal customers and good friends of the store modelling an outfit for us, we’re able to show a hand-picked outfit across our brands on a variety of different shaped and sized real people. If you haven’t checked out The Wardrobe feature on the Weavers Door website simply find it here. In other news, we
were extremely happy to find ourselves in the recently released Wallpaper City Guide of Liverpool. The pocket sized guide is packed of great places to visit in Liverpool, whether its food & drink, hotels, art, culture, shopping or nightlife. Wallpaper’s accurate recommendations include places of note such as Utility, Camp & Furnace, Open Eye Gallery and the
Hard Day’s Night Hotel. In with the launch of the Journal we have teamed up with the good folk at Salt Dog Slims on a collaboration hotdog ‘The Weavers Dog’ as part of their 1st birthday celebrations. ‘The Weavers Dog’ will be available for a limited period, more information can be found in the full feature (a couple of clicks away).
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The Public House
Moments in Time
Twisted Vines
The Bar
The Clove Hitch
Mark McNulty Interview
Amina Bihi
Salt Dog Slims
Jordan Taylor Jones
Tim Keating
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Beach
The Georgian Quarter
r Place
Ged Sullivan
I wish you a pleasant read and hope your enjoy your click through the Weavers Door Journal. Lee
“The details are details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections. It will in the end be these details that give the product its life.” — Charles Eames
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So let’s get down to business, inside the third issue we have a number of fantastic features, including interviews with London watchmakers Uniform Wares, Liverpool photographer Mark McNulty and Thom of Mamnick. We are also happy to present photoshoot’s by Amina Bihi, Michael Gannon, Jonathan Cox and Ged Sullivan. All in all
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Mr Daniel Maddox wears Folk Rain Coat in Navy, Folk Tuck Stitch Jumper in Multi, Norse Projects Anton BD Oxford Shirt in White, Edwin Japan ED-55 Jeans in Lumber Wash, Grenson Sid Longwing Tip Brogues in Honey High Shine.
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Mr Paul McCoy wears Edwin Japan EC Sweat in Plum Heather, Oliver Spencer BD Oxford in Blue, Edwin Japan ED-55 Chinos in Sage, Redwing Moc Toe’s in Briar Brown.
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Photography by Jonathan Cox
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The Docks Photography by Jonathan Cox
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The Docks
Photography by Jonathan Cox
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The Docks Photography by Jonathan Cox
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The Docks
Photography by Jonathan Cox
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The Docks Photography by Jonathan Cox
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by Lee Fleming
Opening the wardrobe door first thing in the morning can be a daunting experience for many of us. The pressure of picking out a good outfit can result in many of us becoming flustered and confused by the rails of clothing presented to us every morning. However in reality, opening your wardrobe first thing in the morning should be less of a chore and more of joy. We are all capable of dressing ourselves or we would find ourselves being frequent visitors to the local police station. However the way in which we decide upon our clothing is something that makes us an individual. Dressing well is a labyrinth with many paths leading us to doing it ‘right’ and just as many paths ending up at doing it ‘wrong’.
Back to Basics
A suggestion that we regularly offer in store is to ‘dress yourself’, both in the physically sense and to select your own style, as wearing garments and dressing well are two completely different concepts. To dress well requires consideration and time to curate an outfit through thoughtful deliberation. What we wear can make
all the difference; our appearance doesn’t just affect us on an aesthetical level, but it also affects us on a personal level and acts as a form of selfexpression. Equally, the selection, style and maintenance of our clothing reflects the taste and pride of the individual. With us seeing dressing
upkeep. Being organised and orderly is vital, as ultimately keeping your clothing clean and well presented is about showing pride and discipline in yourself. When it comes to the somewhat forgotten art of wardrobe building it is important to look past the fact that a wardrobe is merely a standard piece of
“Think simple” as my old master used to say meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles. Frank Lloyd Wright
oneself being as much about the expression of the wearer (as well as a sure fire way of keeping the indecent exposure charges away) the importance of building on foundations is key to any wardrobe. Shamefully I’m a culprit of treating any possible hanging surface, as a temporary home for clothing, be it a bannister, back of a chair, top of the bedroom door. This is something I’m working hard on to eradicate, as the start of any wardrobe has to be its
bedroom furniture. There’s something very charming and selffulfilling about building a collection of clothes, where every piece has a position in the wardrobe and remembering that a wardrobe is not not just a storage space for a mass of sporadic purchases. Instead, a wardrobe should be seen as a process, in the same way that a purchased garment should be seen as an investment. The wardrobe
is a complex system that requires a simple base that is then added to slowly over time. “A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. The inverse proposition also appears to be true: A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be made to work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.” Gall’s law. Following Galls law, it is important to start with something simple and to build it upon it over time, steadily adding to it, and ultimately allowing it to develop in an organic way through basic trial and error. The idea of studying wardrobe staples is something we want to feature in future issues of the Journal, and by doing so we aim to highlight each individual staple. In turn allowing us to investigate each garment beyond the basics of its aesthetic by studying in depth its origins, the changes it’s seen, and its importance in every modern man’s wardrobe.
and therefore I abstract everything until I arrive at the fundamental quality of objects.” Piet Mondria
Having taken an extraordinary path of fate, this unassuming T-shaped cotton tube has a universal understanding as a basic item of clothing that will never be disturbed by fads or fashion. As one of the most iconic (under)garments, the T-Shirt has been worn in numerous guises by males and females alike. However the question that still beckons is where did this piece of clothing that emancipates the ‘top half ’ come from? Firmly seen in the pantheon of basics, the T-Shirt saw a humble beginning in what originated as a truly simple item of clothing, or more accurately, underclothing. The T-Shirt began behind the scenes, hidden in the realm of men’s underwear, a place where it proved itself as a piece of revolutionary clothing.
European soldiers used the T-Shirt as a way to soak up sweat and other bodily fluids to ensure the wearer’s outer clothing was protected. The lightweight collarless shirts with a crew neckline became one of the most legendary relics bought back to the States after the war. Soon after, the shirts were picked up as a common underwear garment and the word ‘T-Shirt’ found its way into the American Dictionary. It was at the end of the 19th century that the T-Shirt was first worn as an outer garment. Originally adopted by the British Navy, the T-Shirt was seen as a piece of clothing that offered freedom of movement, a necessity for life at sea. The soft, thin, sleeveless shirts were made extralong to give comfort for when they worn tucked into legwear. However, legend has it that an unexpected visit to the fleet by a member of the Royal family resulted in the captain ordering his men to hide their tattoo’s and arms by quickly stitching sleeves onto their shirts. This resulted in the birth of the modern T-Shirt. While history sees American soldiers showing off their T-Shirts in the sweltering heat of the Tropics, it wasn’t for another decade until you saw the next-door neighbour parading around in such a garment.
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Following World War II, veterans were wearing their uniform trousers accompanied by their undershirts as a form of casual clothing. The T-Shirt became the natural choice of the freedom fighter, and similarly the rebel. A symbol of the new teenager and rock ‘n’ roll defiance, the T-Shirt was championed by brooding Although it’s believed that the T-Shirt mavericks such as Marlon Brando, James Dean and Chet Baker. was popularised by the Americans Wearing only a sweat soaked white as a type of outerwear. It was in T-Shirt became an act of liberation fact a garment first worn by the and self-expression European soldiers of World War I. The soldiers wore T-Shirts as a form The likes of Marlon Brando and of underwear, and at the time the James Dean wore T-Shirts in American soldiers were confined to military uniforms made of wool. The productions such as ‘A Streetcar
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In its humble beginning, the T-Shirt was something comfortable to wear; the soft cotton fabric with an elastic texture both hugged the body while allowing freedom of movement. Its simplicity is a key factor, taking a T shaped form, hence the name, ensured its popularity and staying power. Likewise, the colour white, a symbol of cleanliness and purity, is very much the T-Shirt’s most popular colour choice of today.
The History of The T-Shirt
“I wish to approach truth as closely as is possible,
To start, we highlight a piece of clothing that we believe is one of the most underrated wardrobe staples, the basic T-Shirt. A common essential for all of us, the T-Shirt is worn without thought or hesitation and regardless of the season. It’s almost so blatantly a staple that it’s practicality and ease of wear is often overlooked.
The History of The T-Shirt
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Named Desire’ and ‘Rebel Without a Cause’. This was very much so the start of the abandonment of ‘dressing well’, giving the T-Shirt its rebel cachet. These iconic settings showed how the T-Shirt has evolved over the years from a basic garment into a piece of clothing that can allow the wearers to express themselves fully. Acting as a banner of rebellion for a whole generation. The T-Shirt gained its notoriety by flaunting its sexuality and emanating the sweet smell of revolt. An act that meant the T-Shirt had finally found its way into the history books of fashion. It was in the 1960’s that the T-Shirt became a universal medium for proclaiming and expressing oneself. This revolution conincided with the development of silkscreen inks which aided mass production and printing. Printed messages allowed an individual to personalise their T-Shirts to express their political and/or musical preferences. Be it the peace-and-love message of the hippies or the ‘Fuck You’ message of the Punks, the T-Shirt became a medium of marketing/PR that meant individuals were in effect walking billboards for multinational businesses. A symbol of consumer society, the T-Shirt is a portable modern medium, both effective and demanding. Used today at new heights to deliver information/ expression to the masses, the T-Shirt was and still is seen in clothing what blank paper is to writing, a surface
for imagination, creativity and free expression. The evolution of the T-Shirt from its simple beginning as a functional piece of underwear has seen it develop into a garment, which has voiced the opinion of numerous generations. The message of the T-Shirt has evolved over time in step with the various technological innovations over the years. From old fashioned stencils to digital printing, the power of T-Shirts has never been so great.
Sunspel
For us, taking a basic and improving its function through innovation, design and technology is key to evolving an essential wardrobe of staples. When it comes to the classic white T-Shirt, it would be impossible for us not to highlight British manufacturer Sunspel. A brand that we champion for their dedication to producing quality jersey that has remained uncompromised where others may have opted otherwise. Founded in 1860 by Thomas A Hill, Sunpsel had a very clear vision from its founder, to make simple, everyday clothing from beautiful fabrics. A revolutionary idea that lead to Sunspel becoming established as a pioneer in British craftsmanship by making underwear from soft, lightweight Egyptian cotton instead of traditional wool.
The construction of a Sunspel T-Shirt is almost identical to the original fifties model, the only update is the use of the Q82 fabric and some very minor edits. Always crafted from two fold single jersey cotton and double bound hems, the Sunspel classic T-Shirt has remained iconically simple.
For us, it’s the way in which Sunspel go about making their seasonal collections of everyday classic clothing that has to be commended. Since presenting Sunspel in store and online, it has amassed an army of regulars who rely on its traditional approach to basics while always striving to improve quality. It’s evident Sunspel are fanatical in improving what they do, perfecting the details to make their clothing and underwear unique, something that a customer notices and
returns because of. Writer, broadcaster and cultural commentrator, Robert Elms highlights this theme of appreciating clothing for nothing more or less than the garment itself in his book, The Way We Wore – A Life in Threads (1988), where he talks about the comforting and durable nature of Sunpsel clothes:
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Sunspel is a brand that can be admired for their
devotion to ‘do one thing’ and ‘do it well’. Whilst other clothing brands and designers look to new ventures to move forward, Sunspel look to dig deeper into their heritage and maintain a fine balance of innovation and tradition.
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Sunspel has kept to this ethos from its inception, making and refining undershirts since the mid-19th century in their Long Eaton factory in Nottingham. Following a period of innovation, Sunspel developed a cellulock fabric that resulted in their rise as the premium manufacturer of luxury underwear in the country. In particular, the invention of their Quality 82 fabric was
largely responsible for Sunspel taking the classic tee to a new level. Q82 is a unique fine jersey cotton fabric, a descendent of the original lisle cotton Sunspel used on some of their earliest T-Shirts. Constructed from taking two threads of the finest long staple Egyptian cotton and twisting them together to create a strong, smooth, very fine cotton thread that won’t tangle through wear or washing. It’s the twist that makes the yarn cleaner. The yarn is then passed over a flame to remove any overhanging ends to ensure the product has a flawless finish. The Q82 is then knitted on a circular machine and blowers are used to further remove any loose fibres, the result is a light, fine long lasting jersey that has a smooth handle.
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“I like clothes, and I like the fact that you’re not really supposed to like clothes, that they are seen as somehow superficial, unworthy. Now that I’m a certain age, that I’ve arrived at a certain place, I like clothes much more than I like fashion. I like clothes for their own sake, divorced of any context or subtext.” To finish, I feel it’s how Sunspel clothing makes its owner feel when wearing it, as basic as a white T-Shirt maybe, it’s a classic, unrivalled, and its charm is that not everyone knows why it’s so cool. Effortlessly simple, ultimately basic and with a focus on quality at all times, it’s only natural confidence will shine through when wearing clothing that has that special ingredient that isn’t always on the label.
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Mamnick
Mamnick
interview by Ciaran Skinner
Interview by Ciaran Skinner
We introduced Mamnick to Weavers Door in late 2012. Since then we’ve seen the Sheffield brand grow with strength, as has its popularity. There’s something exciting about following Mamnick, every other month there seems to be a new, fresh product. With each piece as interesting and brilliant as the last, their motto rings true.. “One thing at a time, as beautiful as possible” The future’s certainly exciting no doubt for Mamnick and the gent behind the brand Thom Barnett. Find out more about the brand as I interview the man himself.
The Peak District is a big influence and draw for me to stay in Sheffield. It feeds into what I’m doing daily on the bike, which was always important for me. I didn’t want to create a brand I didn’t believe in or had ‘fakeheritage’. It needed to feel real for me to give it 100%. CS: You focus a lot upon your products being “Made In England”, how important is this?
CS: When I first looked at your shirts, your buttons certainly stuck out. Where and how are these made? TB: The buttons are cut from Trocas shells and Mother of Pearl shells in Sheffield that I sourced right at the very beginning of the project. I’ve worked alongside them from day one and recently went to photograph the entire factory for the Mamnick journal. They’re great people and really helpful, hopefully they’ll continue to make my buttons for years to come.
CS: Do you have a favourite piece in your growing collection? TB: I like the first marine striped Backtor shirt, not just for the design but also because it was a breakthrough for me to get it complete and brought to market. It took a lot of time and patience and stress. But, I do love the collar detail; it was something a bit different which will hopefully sets us apart from other brands out there. I’m really fond of the Everyday card-holder too because that was a product I designed that was like nothing else on out there, made from a single piece of stainless-steel, it’s simple and clever. CS: Is there anything other than Mamnick that you like the look of at the moment? TB: I like much of the SEH Kelly garments but I must admit I only own 1 piece now. I’m a fan of MHL too; I’m a sucker for clean lines and simple designs.
CS: Your motto of “One thing at a time, as beautiful as possible” couldn’t fit better for your journey so far. What do you have in store for the rest of 2013? TB: The ‘Made in Japan’ stuff is due to be ready for early May with a couple more Sheffieldsteel products ready to be ready around the same time. Our third Made in England shirt called Pilsley is just about to go into production. I’m having a small run of shoes made in a small factory in Derbyshire too. Just taking things one step at a time, trying to do things the right way and let the name grow organically.
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CS: I’ve noticed you have quite a connection with Japan for example your Japanese Black Label. Is there a particular element of influence or connection with Japan?
TB: Not specifically but I do like how far they are prepared to take their looks. We’ve pushed the boat out quiet far with the Black Label gear, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a bit like Marmite once it’s out there. The canvas floral shorts are a good example.
interview by Ciaran Skinner
TB: I’ve always wanted to chance my hand at having some clothing made. After finishing my degree in fine art I continued to work with vintage clothing and drew most of my inspiration from my garment knowledge I picked up along the way. The steel products came from looking at what my Granddad used to do within the Sheffield steel industry and after doing a bit of research I started designing some products in stainless steel. That’s what got me up and on my feet.
TB: It’s not the origin but the quality that is important to me and I make a lot of things in the UK because it’s easier for me overlook the production and trouble-shoot any potential problems. I’ve designed a collection with a friend in Japan that is being looked after at a factory over there. I don’t want to pigeon hole myself with the ‘Made in England’ tag-line too much because although it’s true of some of our products, it’s not a vital part and I don’t want it to be seen as a gimmicky selling point.
Mamnick
CS: Oreyt Thom. Firstly, how did Mamnick come about? And as a fellow South Yorkshireman, were there any notable influences that have helped formed who you are so far?
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and the friendliest staff this side of the hemisphere. Home to some the newest and excited brands Weavers Door really is something special. If Barbour, Red Wing and YMC are the sort of brands that get your juices flowing then you’re in for a massive treat, the store is filled with these brands and brands alike. If Like us you try to be as impeccably dressed as you can, then Weavers Door can provide you with the armoury you need to cause some serious carnage. Take it from us it’s the place to be, fantastic
music and some great staff on hand you’d be a fool to miss out on the atmosphere. Luckily for us, we’re developed an organic relationship with the men behind the store; Lee, Will, Ciaran, John and Oli. Like ourselves they are very stylish guys that embody the casual British modern look of today. So it was only right when they asked us to grace their latest spring summer 13 collection, we jumped at the chance. Take a look at the selection of garments we picked out… 23
We’ve always believed in stylish practicality. So it’s only natural that our first few weeks in Liverpool consisted of trying to find some stores that were both economical and stylish. Now that’s where the lovely gentlemen from Weavers door come in. Situated at the heart of Liverpool city centre, Weavers door offered us the stylish practicality we’d been longing for. So it was only right that the decorum paid them a visit. As far as first impressions go, this was more than just your proverbial concession store. This was a home, warm, cosy
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Curtis: Red Wing Classic Moc Toe Work Boot in Sand Suede Leather / Dockers Alpha Khaki Chino in Firebrush Red / Norse Projects Anton Botanical Shirt in Old White / Oliver Spencer Coram Jacket in Navy “ Now with the sun making a slight overdue appearance, lighter colours will assist in dressing for the season, alternatively, for the spontaneous down pour and breeze; outerwear can support you in shelter and light layers will help in keeping warm and cosy � .
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Daniel : Edwin Japan ED-55 Heavy Stone Washed Chino in Cadet / Our Legacy 1940’s Button Down Shirt in Twisted Blue Vintage Oxford / Norse Projects Vorm Sweat in Brick Red / Barbour Made In Japan Smart Bedale in Sand.
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“The smart casual style is the main focal point for every stylish student. And this outfit of mixed block colours does the look justice”.
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“With the weather having constant mood swings, I tried to pick something that I felt was practical, yet stylish. After all this is England were talking about”.
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Martin: Grenson Stanley’s in Tan with Danite Sole / Dockers Alpha Khaki Chino in Deck Blue / Wolsey Clark Shirt with Cut away collar in white / Penfield Lawndale Necktie in Blue Stripe / Folk Dury Mac in Navy
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The Clove Hitch
The Clove Hitch
Words by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
by Jordan Taylor Jones Frequenting the Clove Hitch on a regular basis, I felt it was time this place got some recognition as the social hub that it truly is. If, like me you seek sanctuary in the smaller, more interesting bars, coffee shops and bistro’s in Liverpool, then The Clove Hitch is one to watch out for. Far from the hustle and bustle of the likes of Matthew Street and Liverpool One, The Clove Hitch of Hope St. offers more than your bog-standard food (their veggie burger is bloody brilliant) and alcohol; they treat their beers as something to compliment different meals and are knowledgeable on the everchanging extensive rage of craft beers and whiskies which they stock. So if you’re looking to guzzle
as many cans of Red Stripe in one night as you can, you should probably read no further… Joe and Rob set-up The Clove Hitch around 3 years ago on the belief that they wanted a place “run by people- where we would want to come” (Rob’s words, not mine) and this is undoubtedly where their success lies; they’ve turned away from the big companies to create a bistro/bar which is friendly, welcoming and exciting. From walking up the stone steps to making your way into the main bar area, you really get a feel of authenticity with what these guys have created (and continue to develop) at 23 Hope Street. The lovely wooden floors and spiral staircase
hold-on to the roots of the building whilst the airy open space of the conservatory dining area and the leafy patio space showcase the lengths these guys have gone to, to create a chilled-out atmosphere for trying different craft beers and whiskies. The ground floor is primarily an area for dining and the occasional gent propping up the bar with a pint of refreshing cask ale; whilst the 1st floor space- better known as The Gallery, inhabits all forms of creative things. The Clove Hitch encourages any groups, societies and socials to use their upstairs space as much as possible-from Latin classes on one night to choirs and writing groups on the other- as
with the beer tasting, The Clove Hitch had kindly arranged for a master of beer, Paul Seiffert from The Liverpool Craft Beer Co to talk through the technical details behind the different craft beerssomething which my GCSE science brewery project didn’t really cover. So, after the steady decline in my handwriting skills and what felt like deciphering some Mayan script, here’s a rundown of some of the best craft beers I’ve tasted and also what makes The Clove Hitch the home of craft beer in Liverpool…
by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
The 23 Club is the downstairs of The Clove Hitch, focusing on drawing together the brilliant range of craft beers (as supplied by The Liverpool Craft Beer Co) and whiskies which they have to offer. At present Joe and Rob are expanding the downstairs space to include another room to
hire, where they will host “meet the brewer” nights from mid-summer onwards and beer and cheese nights- as a welcomed alternative to the stuffy, overly expensive wine and cheese nights held in other bars. Being 6ft2 and venturing downstairs to The 23 Club, I felt like I was stumbling into Hobbiton, but trust me, this simply adds to the charm of the place. Tucked away in what I can best describe as a beerdrinkers alcove, I had the brilliant opportunity, on a beautifully sunny day, to sample 11 of The Clove Hitch’s craft beers and 2 new whiskies. To help
The Clove Hitch Words
promoting and working with independents is one of the main factors in the running of The Clove Hitch and what makes it a distinct, much nicer place to visit than the chain bars and restaurants popping-up around Liverpool city centre.
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1. Icon (3.8%) By far in my ‘top 4’ beers of the day. A big seller in traditional style pubs with traditional customers. A crisp, bitter taste, similar to Brooklyn beer but without the beerbelly, bloating feeling. One of The Liverpool Craft Beer Co own, home-grown beers which they’ve been brewing for approximately 18 months. Cask pumps in The Clove Hitch, Mello Mello, Camp & Furnace and The Kazimier Made using all British caramalt and target hops. Hops used at the start of the brewing process which leads to the crisp bitterness flavour. 2. Hop Beast, IPA (5%) Like Icon, in my ‘top 4’ beers of the day. Light, refreshing with a crisp aftertaste. The Liverpool Craft Beer Co’s best selling beer (including stockists in Manchester) Made using British Malt and American West-Coast hops, which are ‘on-trend’ at the minute in the world of craft beers. Hops used at the start of the brewing process which leads to the crisp bitterness flavour.
The Clove Hitch
Words by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
3. American Light Beer (3.6%) Made in Quantum Brewery, Stockport. (similar to The Liverpool Craft Beer Co, these guys have been brewing this beer for around 18months) Again, using American West-Coast hops which give the beer a citrus, flowery flavour. Unlike No’s 1 &2, hops are used at the end of the brewing process which produces the fruitiness in taste. Get this beer while you can guys, only very few places stock this at the minute and The Clove Hitch is your first port of call. 4. Brooklyn (5%) A good introductory craft beer for those who are just letting go of a can of Carling, as Brooklyn has become so readily available in bars, clubs and pubs across Liverpool Uses mostly German-style lager hops, which lead to a bitter flavour. Like Icon, uses caramalt but also ambermalt which gives Brooklyn a roasty bitterness. 5. Reckless (5.2%) In my ‘top 4’ beers of the day Brewed at Red Willow Brewery, Macclesfield Similar to an American IPA Uses Amarillo and Citra hops giving it a crisp taste. If you like Goose Island IPA, you should appreciate Reckless as it’s very similar in taste, but not as heavy.
by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
The Clove Hitch Words
6. Harbour (6%) The final of my ‘top 4’ beers . Brewed in Cornwall at Harbour Brewery. Similar to an American Pale Ale A refreshing, crisp taste but very limited in supply in North England with The Clove Hitch being one of very few stockists. (It’s attention to the more unusual, upand-coming craft beers which makes The Clove Hitch specialists in good, British craft beers)
9. Scheinder Weiss (5.2%) Very much a traditional German wheat beer Uses smoked malt, giving it a more intense, smoky flavouring
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8. Timmermans (4%) Belgian strawberry beer Uses different yeast than typical craft beers A good recommendation if you’re not a massive beer drinker, but prefer fruity ciders such as Rekordelig and Koppaberg. The nicest fruit beer I’ve tried as it is light, refreshing and doesn’t remind me of drinking a ‘fruit- shoot’.
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7. Mikkeller (6.9%) A Copenhagen IPA Uses Munichmalt and caramalt which give the beer a biscuit-y flavour. Like a lot of the other craft beers, Mikkeller also uses American West Coast hops.
The Clove Hitch
Words by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
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The final two beers are from Buxton Brewery, a small brewery in Derbyshire. Their keg and cask beers are highly regarded across the whole of Europe because of the amount of hops they use. Their beers are packed full of ingredients, making them more expensive than the others available but they’re worth every penny. They are very difficult to source and like a lot of the other craft beers mentioned; The Clove Hitch is most certainly the place to try either of these final ones.
10. Imperial Black (7.5%) Black IPA Uses American West-Coast hops Voted worlds 5th best IPA Because of its percentage, you will appreciate the flavours Imperial Black in a half-pint rather than guzzling it down pint after pint (that’s if you’re still standing, mind) 11. Wyoming Sheep Ranch (8.4%) Yes, you read that right, 8.4%. So like Imperial Black, don’t attempt to go pint after pint on this one, as you really won’t be able to appreciate the amount of flavours and richness. Double IPA A pine flavouring to it which is quite strong but does give it a distinct, unusual taste.
The Clove Hitch 23 Hope Street Liverpool L1 9BQ 0151 7096574
by Jordan Taylor Jones Photography by Will Grice
really compliments the Hop Beast IPA. All in all, I think it is fair to say that The Clove Hitch is like no other bistro in Liverpool. What it offers in terms of excellent customer service, great food and links with other independent industries highlights the place as one of expertise and knowledge: as the home of craft beer in Liverpool.
The Clove Hitch Words
I really can’t complain, after an afternoon of extensive craft beer knowledge, beer drinking and some amazing Clove Hitch food, I got to try two of The 23 Club’s best whiskies too. The first of these called Old Fitzgerald, a 12 year old bourbon with a smooth and sweet taste, made in Kentucky. And also High West double rye whisky, which had strong after flavours and
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an interview with
Mark McNulty
Mark McNulty
Interview: Moments In Time By Tim Keating
by Tim Keating
Mark McNulty is a Liverpool based photographer of high esteem. So it was a pleasure when he agreed to have a chat with me over a brew and discuss his career and what drives him on. For over 20 years now Mark has documented the changing style and culture of Music, Youth, and Landscape. His work has coincided, with enormous changes in his home city, making the city itself an important subject matter which sits along his quite brilliant portraits of great musicians and everyday people. TK: How old were you when you first picked up a camera?
MM: Probably cut a few heads off with the family camera on holidays when I was a kid but I got my first slr when I was 14. TK: What made you choose photography as a career? MM: If I could afford the film, I’d have a camera with me and I photographed the people around me and some of them happened to be in bands or just doing other stuff in the arts so I built up a portfolio that way. I don’t remember at what point it became a career choice but I was very single minded about being a photographer from around the age of 17.
TK: Did you ever consider anything else as a career? MM: Don’t think I did to be honest though I was a part time weekend Northern Soul DJ off and on and I did a Saturday boy stint in Probe Records for a while in the early days. TK: How has photography changed since you started out? In style and in the technical nature. MM: If we’re talking about the difference between digital and analogue then I’d say things are a lot easier these days in many ways for instance,
photographers can ‘fix things later’ in Photoshop and the in camera possibilities are way more than they were before. However, the ease of use and extended choices have brought an extra workload in the processing. I used to do a shoot, drop the film off at the lab, have a life and then pick them up and deliver them but these days it’s do a shot and then spend a stupid amount of time sat in front of a computer. I’ve been shooting digital now for 14 years and I think it’s incredible but on a pro level shooting lots of stuff, there’s a hell of a lot of prep and post work that often takes up far more time than the shoots themselves. Bu its’
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Johnny Marr (2009)
Mark McNulty
Interview: Moments In Time By Tim Keating
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swings and roundabouts and the main thing is that I love the constantly changing medium that is photography especially now with the extended capabilities of being able to shoot video. TK: You have a long association with music photography, is this your favourite subject matter ? MM: An obsession with music has been as constant a part of my life as has photography and I’m lucky enough to be able to combine the two with a lot of my work. Add travel to that and you’ve very much got a favourite but then I do love the variety of of my work whether it’s music, fashion, portraiture or documenting events. Liverpool’s changed massively over the last ten years but when I started, there wasn’t a lot of work going around, so I learnt to diversify which means I’ve done everything from product photography to TV and film stills and it’s that variety that I’m used to and love. TK: What inspires you? MM: I love Liverpool and if I had a brand, or an overall subject, then I’d say it’s the city. When I started, I’d shoot a lot of work out of town for people who lived out of town but these days, I get people
out of town asking me to shoot Liverpool because Liverpool and it’s culture is something that people around the word want to know about. So I’d say the city inspires me massively. Outside of that I’d say my influences are Nick Knight, David Bailey, Elliot Erwitt, William Klein, French New Wave, Motown, Richard Lester, films like Heartworn Highways and Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus, Robert Tressel, Colin MacInnes and George Orwell. Oh and Crosby beach and our dogs because it’s getting out with them every day that gives me the chance to work out what to do next and to think about some of my project based work. TK: Is Being based in the North of England a good thing? MM: Without a doubt. We work harder and we play harder, we’ve produced the best music, it’s much more friendly and it feels healthier. Did you ever consider London as a base? When I used to do a lot of record company shoots in London, people down there were always suggesting I moved down but I lived in a two bedroom flat in Princes Park on the top floor with views of the hills in North Wales for something like sixty quid a week so moving was something I never considered. TK: You have a passion for Berlin , is this
your favourite city in the world? MM: It has been for a long time and I’m going again this month. First time I went was on a 70 quid Liverpool Echo coach trip when the wall was still up but I’ve been back since loads of times. I had a long term project on the go there too documenting the Love Parade and I’ve shot loads of other club and music related stuff over there so it’s been a work and pleasure place for over twenty years.
MM: There’s a lot to remember but offfhand, I’d say I loved the first session I did with Travis which ended up as an album cover, the studio session with Bjork was hilarious, any visits out to SXSW are always amazing, the first nine editions of Plastic Rhino which was a great local mag and I really really love the body of work I’m still producing with the Liverpool Philharmonic since Vasily Petrenko’s being holding the baton. TK: Your recant book launch how has it gone?
TK: Your 2008 book “POP CULTURED” was a great success, Can you tell us about this? MM: It was a document of my first 20 years as a music photographer, mostly featuring the work I’d done with local artists and the clubscene in Liverpool but also including some of the work I’d shot around the world. In the 1990’s I shot a lot of work all over the place and there’s artists like Paul Weller, Bjork and Travis in it but this book features the work that got me into all that in the first place such as clubs like The State, G-Love, The Underground band Cream and local bands like The Real People, Shack, The Las’, Space and The Farm. TK: Do you have a favourite photo? or musician or person you have photographed?
MM: Ten ‘Til Late came out a couple of months ago via Café Royal Books who publish limited edition artists books and it sold out in a couple of weeks which is amazing really as well as being stored in the archives of various galleries. The book featured some of my ‘rave’ stuff from the 1990’s and there’s going to be a follow up or two by all accounts. TK: What does the future hold? MM: Technically, God knows what’s around the corner so that part of the journey is unknown but hopefully I’ll keep on documenting popular culture and the city with more video work siting alongside the photography.
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Lee Mavers / Las (1988) Shack (1988) Rezerection Club Night (1995)
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Paul Weller (1995)
Mark McNulty
Interview: Moments In Time By Tim Keating
Liverpool Skyline at Sunset(2011)
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Crosby Beach Sunrise (2011)
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Mark McNulty
Interview: Moments In Time By Tim Keating
TK: Do you have projects lined up this year you can tell us about? MM: Well I’m currently working on three short films but I can’t say much on them other than two are about musicians and one’s a history one! I am also just finishing a brand new project which will be exhibited during the forthcoming Look 13 Photography Festival which kicks off on May 17th. The exhibition features photographs of Liverpool’s Central Library photographed empty and whilst they’re putting the books back alongside portraits of people who’ve been telling me about the books that changed their lives and that’s going to be on at Bold Street Coffee.
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Victorian Staircase Liverpool Library (2013)
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t-shirts
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Twisted Vines
When our good friend Amina Bihi visited the store at the start of this season she instantly fell in love with the Our Legacy Amazonas shirt, and we don’t blame her for it. As one of our favourite shirting options for this season, the Amazonas shirt is a brilliantly unique print that will set you apart from the crowd. As a result, when Amina said she wanted to incorporate it into a photo shoot we knew we would have to pick our location very carefully to ensure that we did this beautiful shirt justice. After a busy few weeks deciding on what would be the best location for our Spring Summer 2013 shoot, Amina decided on using the Palm
House in Sefton Park. A location that we feel was a fantastic choice all round. The beautiful construction of the Palm House would offer the perfect backdrop for what we hoped would be our shoot of the season. The Palm House itself is something to behold, a building of unusual architecture built to extraordinary engineering precision. Constructed by Mackenzie and Moncur, iron founders from Edinburgh who were well known in the late 19th century for their elaborate cast iron glasshouses. Other constructions made by these hothouse builders included a
wing of the Temperate House, Royal Botanic Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the Winter Garden at Stanley Park. As an embodiment of the 19th century aspirations for cultural improvement, individual patronage and the new age of industrialised construction the Victorian glasshouse has seen change throughout its history. From an age of plant hunters collecting rare botanical specimens from foreign lands to raising environmental concerns, the Palm house serves to remember the richness and diversity of our environment. The Palm House was a perfect
Twisted Vines Twisted Vines Creative Direction/Photography By Mina Bihi
We would also like to thank Mora and Laura for allowing us to create Amina’s vision for the Twisted Vines feature. The Palm House is operated by the Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust as a visitor attraction and private/public venue for events. We would like to applaud the work they do in letting visitors enjoy this fabulous venue of historical, architectural and horticultural interest. Keep up the good work.
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setting for creating Amina’s vision, using the glasshouse and its delicate surroundings to showcase a carefully selected mix of our Spring/Summer Collection. We were also very fortunate to have two very gifted models join us on our shoot - James Binary, a Liverpool based musician who’s in ‘Loved Ones’ and bass player for ‘Forest Swords’, and his tour manager Andrew Ellis who is also the events programmer for the Blade Factory at Camp & Furnace. In turn I would like to say a big thank you to both James and Andrew for taking the time out of their busy schedule to help us with this feature, it is much appreciated.
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Salt Dog Slims
Words by Lee Fleming Photography by Michael Gannon
Salt Dog Slims
Proudly standing at the top of Seel Street is Salt Dog Slims, one of the Weavers Door team’s favourite hide outs. Whether we’re in the mood for a scran, a beer, a dance or all of the above, Salt Dog Slims has it all. As Liverpool’s first ‘Steins and Brines’ bar, Salt Dog Slims ingeniously brought together an eye-catching menu of American style hotdogs and an emporium of world beers. With a great selection of continental beers, we cannot go without mentioning the infamous
Salt Dog Slims Stein, not to be ordered lightly as wielding a two pint jug or Dortmunder or Brooklyn is a work out to say the least. In a stripped down interior of exposed brickwork, wood, metal industrial bar stools and our favourite feature, a bath that’s been converted into a table, Salt Dog Slims has a great atmosphere that is forever changing throughout the day and into the night. Be it a swift Stein after work, or a full blown ‘don’t wait up for me’ night out, Salt Dog Slims
caters for any occasion in great surroundings and amongst a loyal, raucous crowd. There’s no need to panic if a mighty selection of continental beers, from German Pilsners to Latin lagers doesn’t float your boat, as Salt Dog Slims also offers bespoke cocktails. With a seasonal cocktail menu mounted on a feature wall, you can opt for something safe or treat your taste buds to something different based on your
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Words by Lee Fleming Photography by Michael Gannon
As if an American style chilli dog, a stein and the option to shake down to rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t enough. Salt Dog Slims also has an exclusive, modern day, speak easy bar upstairs. 81 Liverpool Trading Dock (aka 81 LTD) is situated above and access is be gained by appointment only at www.81ltd.com.
Salt Dog Slims
favourite spirit, be it the ‘Salt Dog Millonaire’ (Rum), ‘Slims Popcorn Ricky’ (Whisky), ‘Bangkok Ladyboy’ (Gin) or a ‘St. Tropez Sour’ (Vodka). With a bunch of friendly bartenders on hand to offer advice or surprise you depending on the mood, its recommended to let them know what you like as they will offer you a cocktail based on your tastes and your tastes alone.
We will be looking to celebrate Salt Dog Slims 1st birthday on Friday 10th May, where they will be holding a hotdog competition in true birthday style: 4 x plain hotdogs, a bowl of jelly & ice cream and a stein. Good luck to everyone entering and happy birthday to Salt Dog Slims and 81 LTD.
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With Salt Dog Slim’s celebrating its 1st birthday on the 10th May we are lucky enough to be their first guest hotdog. In collaboration, we have designed our very own hotdog that will feature in Salt Dog Slims for a limited time only. In conjunction with the launch of the Weavers Door Journal, we present the Weavers Dog, enjoy.
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The Weavers Dog Hotdog in a bun Wrapped in cheese Pickle slices Spr inkle of bacon bits Mustard Tomato Ketchup #WeaversDog
Salt Dog Slims
Words by Lee Fleming Photography by Michael Gannon
Happy birthday Salt Dog Slims
Salt Dog Slims 79-83 Seel St, Liverpool L1 4BB 0151 709 7172
Salt Dog Slims Words by Lee Fleming Photography by Michael Gannon
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Uniform Wares
Uniform Wares
Studio Visit: By Will Grice
Studio visit by Will Grice
For this issue we have been lucky enough to make a visit to the Uniform Wares Design Studio in London. Oli Fowles and Patrick Bek are the brains behind the project, and in this exclusive interview we discover what makes Uniform Wares so special.
somewhere near what is now described as a person’s ‘daily carry’. The ‘Uniform Wares’ name comes from this initial thinking.
WG: Could you introduce the brand for our readers who aren’t so familiar with Uniform Wares.
OF: We both had an interest in wristwatches and their precision and loved the idea of designing our own wristwatch, something that we could use everyday. We also saw a gap in the market for a really simple, elegant timepiece – so we started there. Using the momentum from our first collection, which was really well received, we wanted to design a new collection and had ideas for a higher-spec watch using different materials and a higher
PB: We’re a London based brand called Uniform Wares who design and produce wristwatches. We launched in late 2009 after spending a year developing our first wristwatch collection with the 101 Series. We had always been drawn to personal products that were part of an everyday uniform – personal to the user, I suppose
WG: What first got you interested in watches and their design?
calibers and complication of swiss movement. Everything has developed from that point. There has always been more we have wanted to do with each subsequent model and new collection. WG: The watch market in the UK is growing substantially every year, but what purpose do you feel a good watch should serve? OF: A good watch correctly addresses the fine balance between the practical elements and the aesthetic and great watch gets this balance spot on. This is where the character of the watch really shines. PB: I agree, also a watch is an important object that is such an integral part of
Studio Visit By Will Grice
WG: What has been your biggest influence so far?
Uniform Wares
everyone’s lives; it can communicate a lot about the person who is wearing it. We always have the end user in mind when designing a watch, this thoughtful balance of character, engineering and styling are what gives a watch its longevity.
PB: Probably each other, the strength of working as a team with complimentary skill sets and full-bodied opinions has meant we’ve been able to make a success of our idea. OF: of course we admire other creatives work from fellow designers, artists, photographers but we always strive to think of our ideas and direction. WG: How do you go about designing a watch? How long does the process normally take?
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PB: We always design from the movement out. After this we’ll start sketching, first in a pad
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OF: Designing the watches always starts with a lively conversation involving the two of us defining what it is our customers are looking for, what are we missing in our collection? We don’t want to design a watch for the sake of it; we need to feel like there is a need. We like the fact that a lot of our customers have never owned a watch before buying one of our pieces. Then we’ll choose a movement.
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OF: Making everything fit inside the case. Whether it’s designing a 45mm chronograph or a super slim 6mm thick dress-watch case we’re constantly refining the proportions of the watch and pouching the tolerances between the lens hands, watch movement.
WG: How do you feel your watches compare to more established brands? How have your designs been received by the general public? OF: I think our diligent design philosophy and the resulting product communicates a consistent strength through the brand. We’re taking well researched materials, durable engineered finishes, beautiful leathers and fantastic Swiss made quartz movements and applying the same level of consideration to the design and finishing that
you’d find from top level Swiss automatic brands. PB: This sets us apart from the “fashion watch” market; we design our collections with longevity in mind. It’s all about the details; I think our customers really identify with that. WG: What is the most popular design you make? OF: The 300 Series, it has the most amount of detail and took the longest to develop as it’s the most involved. The subtle aesthetics pared with the addition of an exceptionally complex Swiss chronograph movement have a great synergy. The watch was designed to emphasise the elegantly balanced symmetry of this classic chronograph complication and it’s had the best reception out of any of
our collection launches. WG: What is your favourite watch design? Besides your own obviously… PB: There are lot’s of product we both admire however the work of designer Jean Prouvé; especially his Standard Chair (1934) currently produced by Vitra is such a timeless piece. There’s nothing in the construction that shouldn’t be there.
Studio Visit By Will Grice
WG: I can’t imagine it’s too easy putting together a watch. What would you say is the most difficult part of the process?
PB: We’re working to tolerances of 1/1000mm, it all counts otherwise you just don’t get the same end result. We enjoy that element though, working to a scale where such small changes have such a bit effect to the final product outcome.
Uniform Wares
then on the computer. It’s a mix of 2D plans and 3D models. From the 3D models we’ll produce rapid prototyped samples to test sizing and comfort. From that point onwards it’s a series of prototyping and testing with the factory before we push the button on production. The design and development stage can be from 6 to 11 months.
OF: You’d think it had just been launched at last months Milan Design Fair, but it was conceived almost 80 years ago. That’s the quintessential signature of a great piece of design.
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OF: We have a new 104 model set to launch in the Autumn as well and a brand new collection, the 351 Series. We’ve normally a selection of developments being prototyped, assembled, evaluated, and tested at the Uniform Wares office, which usually get taken home by the design team.
Uniform Wares
WG: Where do you see the company going over the near future?
PB: If you ever see us out and about Oli and I are usually field-testing and new model under our sleeve. WG: What do you guys enjoy doing outside of the studio? OF: I like road cycling and also like building up my own bikes. My current project is a Cervelo S5 VWD, which is almost finished. I should be taking it over to Italy for some races next month. Patrick just likes to take the piss out of my Lycra!
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Neil Young
by Tim Keating
Neil Young by Tim Keating
Whilst chatting recently with a friend and debating countless subjects, I was casually asked who is the greatest? We were talking music. It’s one of my passions and, as with most of my mates, it’s a passion we love to debate! Questions abound such as “What are you listening to?” “Heard anything new?” “Have you heard that track by…” etc. etc. You know the script. Endlessly chatting about great albums, great bands, great tracks, different eras, 60s, 70s, 80s, different styles, Indie, Folk, Rock, Americana, Punk, Jazz. You name it, we love it, and we love to talk about it. Anyway back to the question. A seemingly innocent question but one I struggled at first to answer. Who Is the greatest? As I pondered my answer, my mind rolled over all the amazing artists I have listened to over the
last 3+ plus decades. Then my inner voice said surely its Dylan! Yes it has to be Dylan! Was Dylan not the man who took Folk/Blues/ Rock and mashed them up and came out all screeching and wondrous? A sound not heard before, leading a mass army of youth across the globe to question what is was all about? Dylan, himself, asking us through his music to question our politics, our taste, our very reason for being here. Empowering the young with thought provoking lyrics, and blazing a trail from acoustic to full blown electric genius. YES! It must be Dylan! Erm, I thought... Bowie! I was taken aback, maybe its Bowie! The man who fell to earth and brought with him some of the greatest songs we have ever heard, the countless reinvention, the way he turned performance into an art form, inspiring not only music but
fashion, photography, dance and art. He became at different points in his career different characters. Not play acting, he morphed himself into the very being like no other before or since. His music from an early acoustic sound changed, and then changed again and again, but amazingly each time he changed his fans and critics alike marvelled at the transformation. Yes I began think, it could maybe be Bowie. I will listen to some albums later I thought, and advised my friend, give me a few days, this is a question that needs some further thought. Lying in bed that night my mind wandered over the music that filled my daily life, and all the great artists that had meant so much to me at different stages of my life. Bowie, Dylan, Lou Reed, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Johnny Cash, Paul Weller, John Lennon, James Taylor, Jackson Browne. The list
was endless. Then like a soft summer wind floating through my window, the name Neil Young glided over my consciousness. And in a flash I had my answer, the ‘Emperor of Wyoming’ Neil Young. Born in Canada November 12th 1945 ‘Neil Percival Young’ moved to California aged 21 in 1966, and the destiny of music changed. The brash outspoken folk/ rock singer began to make his mark, and he quickly became noticed by leading players in the California music scene. He co-founded ‘Buffalo Springfield’ with Stephen Stills and Richie Furey, and later in 1969 joins the brilliant ‘Crosby Stills & Nash’ whilst also releasing his first solo album. That was some 44 years ago! WOW! Influenced by early blues and raw folk , Neil began to find a sound which is flawlessly unique to him, his “alto high tenor voice” , his strong lyrics and crashing guitar, mixed
Young in reflective mood yet not nostalgic. ‘Driftin Back’ maybe pays some reference to Young’s life and his views on Art-MusicReligion-Life. The wholly magnificent ‘Walk Like A Giant’ reflects on the fading potency of a generation that wanted to change the world. Neil Young in my eyes did change the world and how we look at it and see it. May his music reign long after the sun has set. I have tried not just to just list all of Young’s albums tracks dates works, as that would not tell the story as I feel it and see it. Young is a musician yes, but his human fragility is contradicted by his stubbornness and his brilliance, and it’s that fragility that makes his music so touching, so heart wrenching and ultimately so beautiful. Tim Keating May 2013 NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE WILL TOUR THE UK IN THE SUMMER OF 2013, AND WEAVERS DOOR HAVE 2 TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY FOR THE LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA GIG ON AUGUST 18TH 2013 Just answer the following question? Name the famous singer songwriter who performs on the album ‘HARVEST MOON’?
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heading for the ditch” but the music has stood the test of time and its influence still reverberates today. ‘Everybody Knows This is Nowhere’ 1969 ‘Cinnamon Girl’, ‘Down By The River’, ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’, the great tracks keep flowing out, like a master painter at his work Young keeps the brush moving at a frenetic pace, and lets it out. The 1977 ‘After The Gold Rush’ album sees him reach yet another peak in his writing. ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, ‘Southern Man’, ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, the album is filled with brilliance. Harvest Moon some 20 years after ‘Harvest’ is by no means a sequel. Young is far too complicated for that. Although it employs almost all the same musicians, the album is wiser with Young less tense, and this allows a balance to be reached with his fellow band members, thus generating some of his best work, ‘From Hank To Hendrix’ Harvest Moon, etc. In the year 2012, just when you think he must be done, ‘Psychedelic Pill’ his SECOND album of 2012, following ‘Americana’ earlier in the year, comes crashing out the stalls like a champion racehorse and races to glory in all its wondrous power. The opening track some 27minutes long finds
by Tim Keating
audience who came not only to listen but to worship their new found god. He sings like he has come home, the peculiar Canadian touch in his voice offers a light ‘high’ sound that suggests ‘wide’ open land! A voice for the ‘Wilderness’. He comes across as real and honest, not just another ‘folk rock’ pop star. The album is produced by David Briggs who will go on to produce the 79 live album ‘Rust Never Sleeps’. With Briggs it is clear Young has total trust and maybe it this trust that allows Young to rise to spectacular heights on these live albums. ‘Old Man’, ‘Tell Me Why’, ‘Helpless’, ‘Man Needs A Maid/Heart of Gold Suite’, ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’ the list is endless on this album, if you own no Neil Young, then buy this, it will give you an instant fix on the brilliance of the man and his music, 42 years after its release the songs sweep above what is considered great to a level rarely captured by artist, and the closing tracks and encores are breath taking and mind blowing. The seminal album ‘Harvest’ from 1972 is one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music. It flows from simple folk to heart wrenched despair. The title track made Young in his words “middle of the road”. He later said “from there I was
Neil Young
with a soft and gentle harmonising sound that begins to seep its way into the west coast sub conscious. He becomes bored with his band and breaks free to form ‘Crazy Horse’, and almost 50 years on he is still as good as he was back in the day. Few if any achieve such greatness, and whilst also retaining his values of fairness, he is still angry that as humans we have fucked up this beautiful world through greed and sheer stupidity. It’s better to “burn out than fade away” was his mantra, like a Dylan Thomas of the music world. Is this the story of the Johnny Rotten he cries out in ‘Hey Hey My My’ on Rust Never Sleeps, 1979 and some 14 albums into his career Young is still ferocious, incisive and uncompromising. To this day the album is a stand out masterpiece of ‘live’ recording. In 1971 the live album ‘Massey Hall’ is released. If proof were needed that Young is a rock great and not a pretender then this album has it all. Recorded at Massey hall in Ontario Canada in the January of 71, this album is to this day my personal favourite. Young showcases ‘new material’ from the yet unreleased ‘Harvest’. Young played two sell out concerts at Massey hall, to a youthful
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In July 2005, Crosby beach saw the installation of ‘Another Place’, a piece of modern sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Anthony Gormley. His widely acclaimed work investigates the relationship between the human body and space. ‘Another Place’ was first exhitibed on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany (1997) and after that in Stavanger, Norway and De Panne in Belgium. Originally the installation was due to be relocated in November 2006, but following a campaign for the permanent installation of the sculptures to remain on Crosby beach after
a highly successful response from local and tourist visitors ‘Another Place’ found itself a permanent home. In common with most of Gormley’s work, the cast iron sculptures are made from 17 bodycasts from Gormley’s body (protected by a thin layer of wrapping plastic) between the 19th May and the 10th of July. The sculptures are all standing in a similar way, with the lungs more or less inflated and their postures carrying different degrees of tension or relaxation.
The cast iron figures which face out to sea, spread over a 2 mile (3.2 km) stretch of the beach between Waterloo and Blundellsands. Each sculpture is 189 cm tall (nearly 6 feet 2½ inches) and weighs around 650 kg (over 1400 lb). The sculptures were cast at two foundries; Hargrreaves Foundry in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and Joseph & Jess Siddons Foundry in West Bromwich. The installation spreads 2 kilometre out to sea, with an average distance between the sculptures of 500 metres. They were all on a level and those
closest to the shore were buried as far as their knees. Gormley was awarded the Turner Prize in 1994, his other best known works of note include the controversial sculpture ‘Angel of the North’, a public sculpture near Newcastle upon Tyne in the North of England and ‘Event Horizion’, a multi-part site installation which premiered in London in 2007, around Madison Square, New York City in 2010 and in Sao Paulo in 2012. To view more of Anthony Gormley’s sculptural works visit his website.
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Another Place
In July 2005, Crosby beach was graced with the installation of ‘Another Piece,’ a fantastic piece of modern sculpture by acclaimed artist Antony Gormley. His widely celebrated art investigates the working relationship between the human body and space. ‘Another Place’ was first exhibited in 1997 on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany. After being toured around similar destinations in Belgium and Norway the collection was relocated
to Crosby beach where it became a permanenet installation after a hugely positive response from the locals. The cast iron figures, which are in fact casts taken from Gormley’s own body, face out towards the sea and spread over a two mile stretch of beach. Each sculpture stands at just over six feet tall and weigh 650kg. The sculptures were all produced in the UK in a number of traditional foundaries in cities
such as Halifax and West Bromwich. When our buying director Tim proposed the idea of going to Crosby beach to do a photoshoot we knew it would be the perfect chance to encorporate some of Antony Gormley’s fantastic sculptures. The proposed photoshoot offered us something completely different to anything we had previously done, and as a result we knew we would have to capture it in a certain way to ensure Tim’s concept
was brought to light in a suitable manner. With the help of our good friend Michael Gannon we set off one Wednesday evening to make a start on the shoot. Having arrived at the beach, it took me some time before I was able to soak in the location as it was the first time I had visited the beach (I don’t get out the city centre much!). The ecclectic mix of visitors enjoying the beach was fantastic, dog walkers, joggers, kite
Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
fliers, every activity acted out against the beautiful backdrop of Antony Gormley’s sculptures.
This offers a great sense of time, as the tides ebb and flow, the sculptures are revealed
and submerged by the sea. Depending on the time of day and the tide, you witness a completely different perspective of Gormley’s work on the beach compared to the next visitor. It’s an intriguing aspect of this work, as every visitor will see a different piece of art although they are all looking at the same installation.
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As we scouted the location to find viewpoints for the photoshoot we all appreciated Gormley’s work and his vision, to step back and envisage such an installation is commendable. Depending on the fall of the land, the state of the tide, the weather conditions and the time of day the sculptures will be more
or less visible. The sculptures are installed on a level plane attached to 2 metre vertical steel piles, while the ones closet to the horizon stand on the sand, those nearer to the shore become progressively less visible. When the tide is out the sculptures are completely visible, whereas when it is high they will be standing up to their necks in water.
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Mr John Towner wears Norse Projects Classic ELKA Raincoat in Navy, Norse Projects Ketel Sweatshirt in Grey, Universal Works Worker Shirt in Blue Flower, Edwin Japan ED-71 Red Selvage jeans (Unwashed), Redwing Moc Toe’s in Or-iginal Tan, Fjallraven Classic Kanken in Brick Orange, Han Kjobenhavn Timeless Click On in Amber.
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Mr Lee Fleming wears Barbour SL Bedale in Summer Wax Olive (Japanese Exclusive), Our Legacy 50’s Great Sweat in Navy Bucle, Norse Projects Geometric Print Shirt in Red, Edwin Japan ED-55 jeans in Rigger Wash, Redwing Moc Toe’s in Oro-Russett.
Another Place
Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place
Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place
Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place
Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place
Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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Another Place Crosby Beach Photography by Michael Gannon
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94 Weavers Door vs The Beautiful North
The Match
We’ve run a series of football matches opposing local magazines, bars, hipster clothes shops and now brands. Yet, we have to admit we’ve been rather selective in what we feature in the Weavers Door Journal. In which the outcome of the match might have some relation. Thankfully, our most recent match
versus local brand The Beautiful North went our way. The Beautiful North, just like their style of football, are a relaxed group of friends inspired by all things beautiful in the north of England. Their website hosts humourous blog posts, from “rigout of the week”, “alternative
date ideas” all the way to “how to do your Christmas shopping in two hours”. All very useful with a dose of northern whit, as you’d expect.
it’s on the promenade on The Med accompanied with a Cornetto, or back home poking out of your rain jacket.
dispatched 19-12. Commiserations to lightning paced Phil “Gerrard” Crowther, a cultered Joe Connolly, Daniel Sandison (notably whose socks were effortlessly low), Ian Pacey Pierce and Ste Diouf Chappell.
t-shirts, they’re ace and wont last very long!
Now briefly, for their benefit, onto the football. With help from Lee “the cat” Fleming in goal and goals from Reddington, Skinner, Towner and Carroll, The Beautiful North were comfortably
Do check out The Beautiful North, their blog posts and their
The Beautiful North have designed three superb, limited edition t-shirts, all hand screen-printed. Perfectly ideal for the summer, whether
by Ciaran Skinner
Salt Dog Slims ???
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96 Illustrations by Mumptown
W ill The Weavers
we avers door Store worker and Journal champion, Will is the newest and hairiest member of the Weavers Door team. Outside of the store he enjoys cooking and music. For any of you who know Will, you will know that his favourite brand in store is Oliver Spencer. Something which some of you may have guessed from this illustration which shows him in the brilliant Portland Jacket.
Lu ke “Bolts
�
DJ / Produce r Luke is one half of Almighty Sion, and is known to produce a fair bit of music on his own under the moniker 'Bolts'. As a wannabe Manc, you'll find Luke playing Disco and Soul sets at the ever popular 'So Flute' club night in, you guessed it, Manchester. His favourite brand in the store is Carhartt, you'll struggle to ever see him without the classic Carhartt 'C' on him somewhere.
Music Reviews
A l b u m R eview Al m i ght y Sio n T he Beat G e n e ratio n b y W i l l Grice
For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘Beat Generation’, it was a literary movement developed by post World War 2 American writers. Their style was integral in the development of hedonism and self-expression, a mood that SertOne and Bolts wanted to capture in their EP. The EP touches on a number of musical bases, including the likes of jazz and electronic music, and later expands them through the use of modern day sampling and electronic mixing. As the EP progresses each track is cut with samples from the likes of Allen Ginsberg and other affluent artists of the Beat Generation. The quotes heard throughout the mixtape are signs of the musical duos maturity, both in a musical and social sense. The interjections offer much more to the listener than just a chance to break up tracks, they offer an insight into a brilliant and hugely interesting social movement that occurred decades before the birth of these young beatsmiths. However thanks to the likes of Almighty Sion, the ideas and theories of the people involved in the Beat Generation will live on for years to come.
by Will Grice and Tim Keating
In the last issue of the Weavers Door Journal we were lucky enough to do an interview with one of Liverpool’s best up and coming artists, SertOne. For those of you who read the interview you will remember that he mentioned an exciting new project he was about to start with fellow beatsmith Bolts. After several months of hard work the end product is here, ‘The Beat Generation’ EP. A fantastic two sided continuous mix that takes the listener on a journey through numerous genres and explores the ideas promoted by those of the ‘Beat Generation’.
For those of you interested in purchasing the Almighty Sion – ‘Beat Generation’ EP. Please visit the Original Cultures Bandcamp page where you can purchase the limited edition two-sided cassette and digital edition. http://originalcultures.bandcamp.com/album/the-beat-generation-cassettedigital
A rch ive A lbu m Review
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Nic k Dra ke Five L eaves L ef t by Tim Ke a tin g
On first hearing this album you are captivated by the lightness of his voice, which propels a sound so gentle that it commands the atmosphere around you. The 10 tracks all written by Drake are from the outset, original and poignant. ‘River Man’, ‘Three Hours’, ‘Saturday Sun’, all glide along seducing the listener and leaving a sense of longing akin to a summers day or long journeys past or to come. Long after hearing it leaves a sense of subtle brilliance.
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Recorded in 1969, and released in 1970 “Five Leaves Left” is a collection of gentle beautiful songs. Drake aged 20 is a student at Cambridge University when he is signed by Island records and releases his first work, ‘Soon After’. The album reaches little critical acclaim, partly due to Drakes “shyness” and lack of confidence in public. However sometime after his untimely death in 1976 at just age 26, his music is revisited to much wider popular acclaim, and goes on to influence “singer songwriters” to this very day, some 40 plus years on.
98 Ged Sullivan
Georgian Quarter
Mr Will Grice Wears Universal Works Union Jacket in Work Blue, Norse Projects Vorm Moulinex Sweatshirt in Dark Navy, Norse Projects Anton BD Oxford Shirt in White,Edwin Japan ED55 Jeans in Rigger Wash, Grenson Sid Longwing Tip Brogues in Honey High Shine.
Georgian Quarter Ged Sullivan 99 weaversdoor.com
Mr Tom Mathamotho wears Oliver Spencer Portland Jacket in Navy, Norse Projects Anton BD Oxford Shirt in Sky Blue, Carhartt Prime Pant in Leather, Superga 2750 Classic Canvas Pumps in White.
Georgian Quarter Ged Sullivan
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Georgian Quarter Ged Sullivan
Mr Jacob Bagley wears Universal Works City Jacket in Seersucker Stripes, Sunspel Classic Crew Neck in Cherry Red, Edwin Japan ED-55 Chinos in Navy, Grenson Classic Stanley Brogues in Tan. 101 weaversdoor.com
to contribute to issue 4 please contact journal@weaversdoor.com
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