Issue 62 - David Gandy

MARCH 2022 ISSUE 62

FA S H I O N - L I F E S T Y L E - C U LT U R E

THE JOY OF SIMPLE PLEASURES

BALANCE, EDUCATION, AND MAINTENANCE. PAGE 34

CATHERINE HAYWARD PAGE 32 ESSENTIALJOURNAL.CO.UK

CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN PAGE 46

LIVIA ALARCON PAGE 76

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CONTENTS

ISSUE SIXTY-TWO 6 THE EDITOR'S NOTE // 9-23 THE PRIMER 25-27 MAIUM // 29-31 FLAMIGOS LIFE 32-33 CATHERINE HAYWARD // 34-43 DAVID GANDY 44-45 NORMAN'S // 46-52 ST95 // 53-57 SAM HYDE 58-60 CORDELIA STUBBING // 61-64 MARYLEBONE 65-75 WHERE TO EAT SPRING '22 // 76-77 THE RECIPE

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78-79 LUCA // 81-84 ALAN MURCHISON 85 TOMO BERJC // 87-90 JOE BARTON 92-98 THE COLUMNS

THE ESSENTIAL JOURNAL STAFF publisher

editor

creative director

lead designer

ESSENTIAL STUDIO

JAI MCINTOSH

THOMAS SUMNER

CHRISTOPHER GERRARD

essentialstudio.co.uk

j.mcintosh@essentialstudio.co.uk

t.sumner@essentialstudio.co.uk

c.gerrard@essentialstudio.co.uk

partnership manager

SAM DYSON

s.dyson@essentialstudio.co.uk

ESSENTIALJOURNAL.CO.UK // @ESSENTIALJOURNAL

contributors BRICK LANE BOOKSHOP // gestalten & Lani Kingston // NEW BALANCE // YATAY // KIT BUTLER // carolina moscoso // Matteo Bellentani // LAHPET // Justerini & Brooks // NATHAN FITCH // MAIUM // EVIE FRIAR // BETH BENNETT LIFE // CATHERINE HAYWARD // DAVID GANDY // ELLIOT KAYE & RICHIE HAYES // CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN // SAM HYDE // TESSUTI // FLAMINGOS

TERMS & CONDITIONS Under no circumstances must any part of this publication be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort is taken, the publisher shall not be held responsible for any errors.

Furthermore, the publisher shall not be held responsible for any advertising material/content. Please also note that the views and opinions written within this publication do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the publisher. All prices and details stated within this publication are correct at the time of print, however these are subject to change and the publisher shall not be held responsible for these. Third party contributors own exclusive copyright to their own material that they have submitted as part of the publication. All rights reserved.

CAROL SULLIVAN

THE EDITOR'S NOTE

THE COVER IMAGE

DO I DARE DISTURB THE UNIVERSE? T.S. Eliot

AT ARLINGTON ARTISTS USING SHAKE UP COSMETICS

THE EDITOR'S NOTE

pictured

DAVID GANDY wearing

DAVID GANDY WELLWEAR

TOMO BERJC location

NORMAN'S, LONDON direction

THOMAS SUMNER styling

CATHERINE HAYWARD hair

BOBBY COLLIER

FOR LARRY KING HAIR, USING LARRY KING HAIRCARE grooming

CAROL SULLIVAN

AT ARLINGTON ARTISTS USING SHAKE UP COSMETICS

The Essential Journal has, over the past seven years, been a hub of creative exploration and engaging ideas coupled with an undoubtable semantic quality. These are the pillars and foundations we are built upon and will continue to build upon as we step into our future. This year we will endeavour to bring you closer to innovation, ideas, and to the people behind the designs and narratives we champion.

This issue is dedicated to change and the people willing to make that happen. On behalf of the Essential Journal team, welcome to Issue 62.

As you were.

JAI MCINTOSH EDITOR

pictured

DAVID GANDY

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photographed by

The winds of change howl, ricocheting, amplifying, and somewhat disturbing. Typically, change is associated with growth, a new direction, a plan. A move away from the traditional and stepping into the unknown, a chance to reimagine potential futures and make them attainable. Having looked at the cover, you, dear reader, will be aware that the Essential Journal has evolved. Yet, the most successful evolutions house tradition within its core whilst reshaping the future. It is not about downing tools and going again, it is about taking the lessons learned, the skills acquired, and the relationships built, and adapting them to fit a new vision. A vision of design, of varied voices, of the contemporary.

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FIVE IN FIVE For the first Five in Five of the year, we linked up with London’s finest Brick Lane Bookshop who gave us some book suggestions to dive into throughout 2022.

THE ANOMALY

by Hervé le Tellier Gripping. Unexpected. Thought-provoking.

Unique. Complex.

VIOLETS

by Alex Hyde Heartbreaking. Poignant.

Intense. Memorable. Riveting.

LOVE MARRIAGE

by Monica Ali Captivating. Powerful. Smart. Breath-taking.

Warm.

TIDES

by Sara Freeman Compelling. Poetic. Strange. Beautiful. Dark.

THE RAPTURES

by Jan Carson Dark. Original. Brilliant. Supernatural.

Whodunnit.

Brick Lane Bookshop 166 Brick Ln, London bricklanebookshop.org

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»Spill the Beans, gestalten 2022«

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Spill the Beans

WHAT WE'RE READING

SPILL THE BEANS: LANI KINGSTON

GLOBAL COFFEE CULTURE AND RECIPES Lani Kingston

EDITORS gestalten & Lani Kingston Full color, hardcover, stitch bound 264 pages 21 × 26 cm Available now

Coffee can act as a common denominator, a familiar thread through the unfamiliar. While coffee may look different in Vietnam than it does in Yemen, it has the same unmistakable taste beloved worldwide, helping bind us together. However, this all-consuming, centuries-spanning romance we have enjoyed with a simple cup of water infused with the seeds of a fruit from Africa has its effect on our planet.

Spill The Beans explores how the reliance on coffee production has brought both great gains and devastating losses. Climate change, coffee rust disease, and various agricultural and governmental failings have already caused devastation to many coffee-growing regions. This being her third book, Lani Kingston takes the reader on a journey through Ethiopia, Guatemala, Vietnam, and many other countries in between, exploring the myriad ways in which coffee is produced, traded, and enjoyed. An essential title for armchair travelers, curious foodies, and cafe-hoppers alike, this java journey demonstrates that there’s a vast world of coffee beyond the ubiquitous flat white.

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Image courtesy of Warner Bros.

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WHAT WE'VE GOT IN THE DIARY

THE BATMAN An old friend returns with a new face as Robert Pattinson stars as The Batman. Based in his second year of crime fighting, Batman faces infamous trickster The Riddler as Gotham’s elite suffer at the mercy of the cryptic serial killer. Whilst unearthing corruption lines that cross his own family, Batman is forced into building new alliances in order to bring justice back to Gotham City.

Comparisons between Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson are inevitable having already contributed to the bulk of online conversation surrounding the film. Disturbed, dark, overly wealthy, and with a smattering of Liverpool for good measure, The Batman will turn heads and dominate the big screen. Here's hoping it does not disappoint.

STARRING Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis.

RELEASE DATE 4 March 2022

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WHAT'S ON OUR FEET

NEW BALANCE 990v5 The New Balance 990 series has been at the forefront of New Balance’s resurgence in the contemporary world of fashion. The 990 is often regarded as the standard of quality sneakers being one of the most desirable, durable, and stylish models the Boston based company produces.

Whilst we mere mortals wait for the highly anticipated 990v6, New Balance has released a revised version of the classic 990v5. What makes this shoe different? The 990v5 has gone Vegan.

The pigskin suede has been replaced with a combination of plastic overlays and vegan leather to ensure that the shoes are cruelty-free whilst not compromising on quality. Largely similar to previous 990v5 models in the sense that the grayscale has remained, as has the breathable mesh upper. Add to this the small detail of a green ‘V’ on the heel, and you have a revised classic to kick off another hectic year for New Balance. You won’t want to take them off, trust us.

NEWBALANCE.CO.UK

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WHEN WE'RE NEXT IN LONDON

YATAY Recently opened YATAY is a robatayaki restaurant, inspired by the new age Izakayas of Tokyo and the street culture of Japan. Pickling and fermenting are central to the menu which uses traditional Japanese techniques to create authentic sharing plates. yataysoho.co.uk

THE PRIMER

First and foremost, Kit Butler is a friend. Having known each other for just over a decade, being able to watch him rise to the top of the modelling world has been a source of pride for our community of friends and family. I caught up with Kit in between his busy schedule to see what is in his weekly rotation and what projects he has coming up throughout 2022.

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Working in the world of modelling, it goes without saying that you take pride in your wardrobe. What is the one essential item in your wardrobe you could not live without?

I take pride in my shoes, I’m very much a sneaker head and love finishing off my outfits with a great shoe pairing, smart or casual.

Also my Grandfather always used to say to me that “You can tell a lot about a man’s character by his shoes, so make sure you walk in with them looking pristine.” which really resonated with me. I can’t pick one sneaker, but they’re essential.

For those that follow you on social media, they will be aware that you travel the world a lot. What album or artist are you loving listening to right now?

Wow that’s a difficult question as I’m very passionate about music and have an eclectic music taste. Someone I’m enjoying right now would be this up and coming UK artist from Leicester called Sainte, Champagne Shots being my favourite song of his.

What item is essential when you travel?

Noise cancellation headphones, without a doubt. I love my music and podcasts so to listen to them without any exterior distractions is perfect.

Knowing that both London and Milan are home for you, where are your favourite places to eat in both cities?

In London a restaurant that I enjoy is Popolo Shoreditch, which serves brilliant Italiani tapas cuisine, worth a try! In Milan a favourite would be Mimi Gourmet, brilliant fish and very nice staff or Osteria La Carbonella for meat is also particularly good.

WHO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO

KIT BUTLER

The Prada FW22 walk was clearly a huge one and a great way to kick off the year, congratulations. Do you have any other big projects lined up this year?

Thank you, Prada was a huge achievement for me and felt particularly special. I also got to meet very talented and inspiring people backstage at the show, Miuccia Prada and Jeff Goldblum stand out as highlights for me. As for the rest of 2022, I do have some interesting and uniquely exciting projects coming up! Look out for me at the end of February and throughout March, 2022 will be a great one. @kitbutlerr

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Talk to me about podcasts, what is in your current rotation?

I listen to a lot of podcasts, one I caught recently was part of the Reith Lectures on BBC Sounds called Living With Artificial Intelligence by Stuart Russell where he explores the future of AI and asks: how can we get it right? Which makes me reflect on how far technology has come in such a short time, and how reliant we are on it everyday. Where we’ll be in another 10-20 years is hard to imagine. On a less serious note, another podcast I like is The ACS show which is a 12-part series presented by Ashton Gohil and Emmanuel Lawal where they interview some of the UK’s standout talents and also share some of their favourite music of the moment. Which for me is a brilliant mix.

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WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

CAROLINA MOSCOSO WHILE YOU SWAM / HOUSE WITHIN A HOUSE

This is a recurring exploration of interiors with traces of people, but never people as the main character, or truly present. I like the idea of perceiving the character of the inhabitants through their belongings, or the idea of grasping action through what’s left of the event. It creates the illusion of voyeurism, spying a room that is not yours, where the most unimportant random objects tease the composition. I use a slightly wrong axonometric view that exaggerates that impression of peeking into a constructed environment, almost like a small set. And some rooms pull you into other rooms in a continuum that is not necessarily logical, but almost a collage of an imaginary domestic world, always hinting at a possible storyline and who lives there. @CAROLINAMOSCOSO

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WHO'S MAKING WAVES

MATTEO BELLENTANI HEAD OF PRODUCT & DESIGN, CLARKS Clarks is a brand that is universally known and loved, but in recent years there has been a resurgence of Clarks shoes as a central brand in contemporary fashion. Why do you think that is?

I think it is a combination of all the great work the brand has done in recent years in terms of product and marketing and, of course, an incremental trend of casual footwear. I also think new consumers have access to a lot more information and insight regarding iconic brands and their story, especially on curation websites, in magazines, or social platforms.

Think for example how much the outdoor and outerwear category got positively affected by this in recent times. Clarks own a massive archive; centuries of shoemaking history combined with a continual cultural relevance. Our main asset is the authentic legacy and connection the brand holds with many subcultures, from the past right up to present day. Just think about the popularity of Clarks in Jamaica, the global Hip-Hop scene, or the UK acid house world.

These are the base layers from which we create great products, great storytelling, awesome collaborations, and evolve the brand without losing the authenticity and the appeal to the consumers.

Having previously worked with both Geox and Adidas, what was it about Clarks that enticed you to the company?

Well I think all of what I mentioned above.

I really find many inspirations from the brand history, plus I have been a big fan of Clarks icons since I started my career in footwear 21 years ago in my Italian hometown. I am a real hands-on-product professional, I love to handle materials, components, and in Clarks, the shoemaking experience is at the very top level.

200 years of history and still making waves!

Above all, the team at Clarks Originals are amazing. Great people, cohesive teamwork and understanding, as well as outstanding projects. Despite these challenging times, when a new product drops in stores whether it is a collab or an inline product - consumers start buzzing, the feeling is unmatchable.

Equally, the variety of products we can build within the Originals brand is incredible. Just look at the new sports category we are building in conjunction with Ronnie Fieg’s creative direction, 8th STREET. Trainers between brown and sports shoes, made with Clarks mastership. It’s exciting.

What is it about shoe design specifically that you love? In essence, why design shoes over anything else?

Well I have been asked this question many times…I can’t explain it without falling into the cliché “I made my passion become my job”. Yet, this is the best explanation.

I started footwear pattern making and leather cutting right after my art diploma and by then I was already in love with trainers. Since middle school I started spending a considerable amount of afternoons in small sports stores selling loads of sport shoes brands with still not too much hype around, at least in Italy, in the mid 90s!

I started to buy more shoes than what I needed, obviously - I wanted to observe them and possibly cut them apart. In those times I was really attracted to sneakers, and I still am today.

Then during my career I covered different roles across product management, design and development. I have always felt attracted by the power that a pair of shoes can bring to your personality and lifestyle, and about the cultural side of specific products in different eras.

THE PRIMER

Clarks have been leading the way in terms of collaborative projects. Since you have been in your role, which collaboration(s) are you most proud of?

We are proud of our collaborations and about our family of collaborators. We feel the love they genuinely have towards Clarks Originals and the respect to our history. Your question is very personal, I like many of them and each one has a reason to be there. Personally, I love the ALD collaborations, Ronnie Fieg 8th street and MLB, the recent END Oxford Flowers are incredible, and I like the elevated basic flavor of the Beams projects and Hidden NY. Sustainability is rapidly becoming one of the most important aspects of fashion and design. What do Clarks do to ensure that they are producing products in the most sustainable manner possible?

First and foremost, sustainable processes have been a priority in Clarks since the beginning, before it was even a thing. Just look at the two main icons : The Desert Boot and Wallabees. The Desert Boot uses a plantation crepe sole FSC approved (crepe sole requires no molding process,

it's a material that comes in sheets and raw cutted) and the upper is assembled by stitching down over the sole board, so no lasting adhesives or glues.

In the majority of the styles, the Desert Boot comes unlined and the upper is composed of two pieces - vamp and quarter - then you have the two eyelets, that’s it.

This makes the process of designing and creating them, arguably, the most sustainable construction in footwear, beside the tubular moccasin maybe, which is what the Wallabee is. Tubular moccasins are sewn by hand, connecting the main body piece with the vamp piece. This is why they are called tubular, because the leather is running 360 around the foot. And collar stripe added on top. It’s literally a “glove” with a crepe sole stick on it. A premium execution, simple, and comfortable.

The Desert Boot is often considered as the greatest Clarks shoe. That being said, I am a personal fan of the Wallabee, do you think there is an argument that, given their popularity, the Wallabee is challenging the Desert Boot for top spot?

They both live in very good spots! Of course today the Wallabees are where we are accelerating and evolving in terms of design and various iterations, but the

Desert Boot remains a real classic beloved by so many people. Can’t change that.

And it is also a good layer for design iterations too (Desert Coal, which is a Desert Boot evolution with the same shape, got a brilliant make over with ALD and Todd Snyder collabs dropped back in December last year).

As the Head of Product and Design at Clarks Originals, what does your day-today role entail?

Overseeing, with my team, the product management and design direction of Clarks Originals inline seasonal collections, and the overall collaborations development. We also work very closely with the marketing team to ensure the narrative is fluent and consistent.

What does 2022 look like for Clarks?

BRIGHT! We don’t stop making waves.

Lastly, do you have a dream collaboration for Clarks?

I think I have it for sure, you’ll see it one day…maybe.

CLARKS.CO.UK

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I think shoes are not an accessory to match a type of outfit, they are way more than that. They speak about you.

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WHERE WE'VE BEEN EATING

LAHPET, COVENT GARDEN Translated from Burmese as ‘tea’, Lahpet was founded by Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh in 2017. Following the critical and public success of their pop-up site in Hackney, Lahpet opened their flagship restaurant in Shoreditch in April 2018. Now, the Burmese restaurateurs are expanding and look to take centre stage in London’s West End with a new site in Covent Garden. We caught up with founders, Dan and Zaw to discuss the evolution of Lahpet and what we can expect from them this year. lahpet.co.uk

What inspired you to start Lahpet?

A desire to share and increase awareness of a cuisine that was part of my heritage and upbringing that still remains so unknown and underrated in the Western world.

Tell us about the new concept and what’s going to be different?

I wouldn’t say it’s a new concept, more a second Lahpet with an evolved food and drink offering. New exciting dishes with a more regional, street food based approach and a completely revamped cocktail and wine list. We’re not deviating too far from the warm inviting interior we designed in Shoreditch - it’ll just be larger and a little more slick with a less formal bar-vibe on the ground floor.

Why did you choose Covent Garden for the new site?

We wanted to open in the West End and this site was perfectly positioned, equidistant between Soho and Covent Garden.

What new dish are you most excited for people to try?

Too early to say. The pork and bamboo shoot dish that Zaw has developed is up there so far though; a classic Burmese curry with all the authenticity we want flavour wise but utilising the best pork belly we can get, which adds that moreish crunch to the dish.

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WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING

THE ART OF COLLECTING RARE WHISKY WITH JUSTERINI & BROOKS

Steeped in narrative and history spanning centuries, if not millenia, the world of whisky can, at points, seem at once daunting and difficult to find a point of entry. Well, we have an ideal solution for you. Nice, no?

Justerini & Brooks has created the ultimate whisky masterclass, The Art of Collecting Rare Whisky, a three-part online guide that takes viewers on a journey of discovery to start their own rare whisky collection. Hosted by Tod Bradbury, Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at Justerini & Brooks, the masterclass provides viewers with unique insights and tips on the art of collection rare whisky.

Split into three chapters, viewers will be introduced to the world of rare whisky, learning how to start their own collection from industry experts, uncovering the stories of taste, and aided in crafting their own collection based on individual particularities and preferences. Alongside three videos, the experience includes a Justerini & Brooks tasting kit featuring four samples of exquisite whiskies from Mortlach, Talisker, Johnnie Walker and ‘The Cally’, as well as a journal to record tasting notes accompanied by a glass pipet and displayed in a Justerini & Brooks presentation box.

Register for “The Art of Collecting Rare Whisky” at justerinis.com

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WHAT'S CAUGHT OUR IMAGINATION

NATHAN FITCH DIRECTOR OF DRAWING LIFE: GEORGE BOOTH Talk us through the process of creating Drawing Life. What were you most surprised to uncover?

The idea of making a documentary about George Booth came about quite organically, after I met him at a cartoonist party on the Upper West Side in 2017. During one of the first shoots I did for the project that summer, the illustrator Sandra Boynton paid George a visit at his apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. At one point on that sultry afternoon, Sandra showed George an animation that she was developing based on her drawings, and he was infused with a palpable childlike delight.

This planted the seed of an idea that it could be interesting to incorporate animation into the observational filmmaking process I was employing for the project, to create something more hybrid. I reached out to the animator/artist Emily Collins, whose aesthetic and persona seemed like a great fit for the collaborative approach I envisioned. Emily and I gave a great deal of

thought and consideration into how we could incorporate motion into George’s cartoons, which he had originally drawn with the intention of being static.

One of the interesting things that I observed while making “Drawing Life” was how George’s style and approach as an artist evolved over the course of time. In sifting through his substantial archive (published and unpublished), I came across drawings by his mother, Maw Maw Booth, an artist, who first inspired George to draw during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was also intriguing to see the through lines of his creative thinking and evolving ideas around line quality, form, stroke and rendering over the years, as well as the way written words (which he collects from varied sources) inspire his fertile imagination.

What sparked the idea for the project, and what did you hope to accomplish through it?

I was diagnosed with dyslexia at a very young age, and since reading was challenging for me, I always gravitated toward visual images—comics, graphic novels, cartoons, and graffiti. After starting to film for “Drawing Life,” I came across a sketchbook I kept years ago in high school with reference images (a requirement for an art class), and one was a George Booth cover for The New Yorker.

George’s work has been ricocheting around in my brain for a while, and probably explains why I felt compelled to make a documentary about him. George also served in the Marines

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during World War II at the same time as my grandfather, whom he reminded me of. Given George’s age, I also felt a certain urgency to capture his stories sooner than later.

Around the time I met George, the United States was roiled by a profound and furious wave of political division. These fault lines were most clearly visible in the vast gulf separating the populations living in large urban cities (especially coastal) and those living in middle America and the countryside. Yet, in both his personal identity and in his work as an artist, George Booth seemed to be able to straddle these worlds in a way that few people can. Could making “Drawing Life” amplify the radical idea that the divisions in America are not as debilitating as we feel they are, and that there is still a place for decency in a country being torn asunder? Might a shared laugh over a clumsy Booth hound, or a knee-slapping caption give us collectively the chance to exhale and loosen our fists a little bit? Over the course of making “Drawing Life,” it was also special to witness the

multi-racial community to which George and his family belonged on their block in Crown Heights, by far the warmest enclave I’ve experienced in the 10+ years I’ve lived in New York.

What do you hope audiences will take from the film?

George began drawing at age three, in 1929, so he’s been at it for a while. Despite his immense natural talents and a supportive family, it took him time to find his way as an cartoonist and artist. This included a stint in the Marine Corps, setting type for a newspaper, doing inglorious odd jobs such as moving dirt, years of working as an art director in trade publishing, and hundreds of rejections before he was ever published in The New Yorker.

As is discussed in the lunch scene in “Drawing Life,” George eventually gave up doing what he thought was expected of him as a cartoonist, and began drawing from his lived experience, including mining his childhood in rural Missouri. And the resulting whimsical world that straddles geography, time, and space is what makes his work so iconic and recognizable. I hope a take-away for someone viewing “Drawing Life” is that while you have to put in the work, especially as a creative, it’s also important to try to tune out noise and expectations, and try to find your way back to the spark of joy that made you want to create in the first place. @drawinglifemovie Directred by Nathan Fitch and animated by Emily Collins

N E W L I V E R P O O L S H OW R O O M O P E N I N G A P R I L 2 02 2 LO N D O N

LIVERPOOL

MANCHESTER

A LT R I N C H A M

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

PHOTOGRAPHY MAIUM

MAIUM ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTIONS

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

PHOTOGRAPHY MAIUM

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MAIUM ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTIONS

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

PHOTOGRAPHY MAIUM

ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTIONS

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With the race towards extinction through mass extractivism combined with the seemingly insatiable appetite from consumers to consistently be provided with updated products, the ‘sustainable’ tag line can often be used carelessly.

Almost by definition, major fashion houses and brands will fail to be sustainable as they find themselves attempting to placate the appetite that they themselves have created over the last half century.

Discovering a truly sustainable brand is, in itself, a rare find. This is where Dutch outerwear company Maium enters the game.

Maium pride themselves on their ability to reuse and recycle environmentally crippling materials to create a range of products designed to battle the environment that, ironically, people are altering at an alarming rate.

They ensure that none of their garments contain any animal products, avoiding the environmentally damaging aspects of animal agriculture. Equally, their raincoats are made from recycled plastic whilst their polybags are biodegradable. Even in the minutiae, they ensure that all detailing is completely made from recycled materials.

For those wanting to test Maium’s recycling based practice, they offer an option on their website that allows you to see how many bottles, within limits, the garment of choice is made from. A cards on the table approach for sure, Maium are willing to show their working out.

To entice the environmentally conscious reader further, Maium opted out of the Black Friday polava in order to cement their position as an anti-consumerist brand. Expect a big year from the Dutch brand as they look to become leaders in the sustainable fashion world. maium.nl

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MADE TO MEASURE

READY TO WEAR

FALL • WINTER S ARTO LUXU RYTAI LO R I N G .CO.U K

ROLAND V.5 TRAINER

ONE THING DONE WELL

FLAMINGOS LIFE ROLAND V.5 TRAINER

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ONE THING DONE WELL

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WORDS

EVIE FRIAR

With ‘sustainability’ being the ubiquitous buzzword of the last few years, it has become quite easy for brands to hide behind a green veil when it comes to winning the hearts of the eco-conscious buyer. Words like ‘recycled’ and ‘organic’ are often tossed around carelessly, taken as gospel by the masses without further delving or dissection into the production processes they stand for. It’s an exercise in clever marketing; a careful dance around the facts, convenient for those on both sides of the transaction. Flamingos’ Life, however, is a brand that offers a refreshingly transparent break from this charade, developing ethically-produced trainers that deliver on all fronts and allow for guilt-free purchasing for retro-loving sneakerheads.

flamingoslife.com

imagery courtesy of FLAMINGOS LIFE

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Crafted in the small town of Elche in southeastern Spain, Flamingos’ Life trainers are a symbolic end result of a process entirely dedicated to helping the environment. From their bamboo lining to their cork insoles, the shoes themselves are a testament to a carefully refined production line that favours fair, local labour and natural materials carefully selected to last. Yet these are not a pair of shoes only suited to the warmer microclimate of a picture-perfect Spanish town. In fact, we put a pair of their Roland V.5’s through their paces in an initiation-style test drive on the busy streets of Liverpool one Friday night. With sticky floors, spilt drinks and unavoidable puddles to deal with, the Roland V.5’s faired well, subbing in as dancing shoes when needed and offering a cushioned footbed for tired feet at the end of the night. And they looked great too. Their vintage inspired design allows for a sense of timelessness welcome on any city sidewalk or makeshift dancefloor; a true all-rounder.

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WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

In the world of style and fashion, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have real, tangible influence. Few have been able to have an impact as influential as former Fashion Director of Esquire and Fashion Editor at GQ, Catherine Hayward

From disastrous tales of planes, trains and automobiles, to Hollywood royalty on Lake Como, Catherine has experienced it all.

We caught up with the esteemed Editorturned-stylist over a black coffee in a North-London cafe to dig a little deeper into her Pandora's box of unrivalled anecdotes, pop-culture knowledge, and articulate witticisms.

CH I’ve always been an avid film fan. As a young teen, I loved the cinema, subscribed to film magazines and devoured all the old-school films on TV too. I think you start to unconsciously develop an eye for composition, narrative, colour, texture and style if you fall in love with a hobby.

My art teacher always encouraged us to carry a sketchbook around and that reminds you to really look at daily detail.

Major influences at that time were the films of Billy Wilder, Some Like It Hot is my all-time favourite and I wrote my college thesis on Double Indemnity. Also Alfred Hitchcock - especially Cary Grant in North

by Northwest and To Catch a Thief plus the big technicolour MGM musicals with Gene Kelly - I think I had secret crushes on both of them and I'm still looking for a similar white sweatshirt that Gene wears in An American In Paris and that stripy Breton top worn by Cary on the French Riviera in To Catch A Thief.

As a child of the 70s and 80s, it's fascinating to look back at the continued impact these two decades have on style and fashion - and on my own personal style. I’ll always have a soft spot for Starsky’s faded

JAI What is the difference between fashion and style and which is more important?

JAI You’re well known for your work as Fashion Director of UK Esquire and Fashion Editor at GQ, do you have a stand-out story from your time at either publishing house?

CH Fashion or style? The eternal question.

Fashion has always had a difficult time justifying itself in the realms of menswear because of it’s mercurial, capricious nature - always the fickle one in the face of the steady, timeless qualities of personal style. Boundaries are blurring more these days but if fashion is still the dictatorial, trend-driven side of the industry, then personal style is, by far, the most crucial to master.

CH After working at Esquire and GQ for over 20 years, I’m lucky enough to say there are a lot of stand out stories. A journey to George Clooney’s house on Lake Como to shoot an Esquire cover became an almost disastrous tale of planes, trains and automobiles in the face of missed flights, taxi strikes, broken luggage, a 100 degree heat wave and Italian ‘Sunday working timetable’ delays. Needless to say, we eventually got the shots and an aperitif with George in his hi-tech editing suite which was the perfect antidote to the stresses of the voyage!

My GQ years were equally hi-octane, whether it was travelling to Mumbai to shoot a portfolio of actors at the Bollywood studios, skiing with an Olympic squad on the slopes of Lake Louise in Canada, shooting in the midnight sun in Lapland as our guides cooked reindeer steaks on the snow or shooting an anniversary story at Valentino’s house on the island of Capri, it certainly has been a chapter of weird and wonderful characters.

It's always exciting to work with a photographer you’ve long admired; when I was still an assistant, we shot a portfolio of Hollywood actors in downtown New York with Paolo Roversi. It was an education to watch him disappear under the photographic cloak and hear the click on his huge 10 x 8 plate camera and watch these huge polaroids develop before our eyes.

JAI Who do you look at now as leaders in the world of contemporary style and fashion?

CH Well, it changes constantly with the zeitgeist. There are characters in design, sport and music - like Virgil Abloh, Hector Bellerin and, unexpectedly, Harry Styles who have made a hugely positive impact on how we view men's fashion in the early years of this decade - emphasising gender fluidity, inclusion and diversity with their work. My personal current favourite is Tyler The Creator - stylishly kooky, eclectic and unpredictable.

JAI Which trend needs to return?

CH I'm not a big fan of advocating trends I prefer that personalised magpie attitude to style - although, I am looking forward to the return of the massive power shoulders next season. Very David Byrne.

But I still don’t understand the trend - is it a trend? - for walking along with jeans falling halfway down your thigh and exposing your underwear. I don’t get it! catherinehaywardstyle.com

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JAI Where did your love for fashion and, more importantly, style, stem from and who influenced it?

denim and shawl collar cardigan in Starsky and Hutch - another childhood crush!

PHOTOGRAPHER TOMO BERJC

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SIMPLE PLEASURES I find myself in a slightly confusing situation, attempting to introduce David Gandy. In all honesty, he needs no introduction.

His career has been one of the most visible of all male models post-2000. Now, he is focusing on his new brand David Gandy Wellwear, a brand focused on combining mental wellbeing and quality, comfortable clothing. Uncomplicated by process, technical in design, we sat down with David to discuss wellbeing, lifestyle, and of course, the Wellwear collection.

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH PHOTOGRAPHER TOMO BERJC

HAIR BOBBY COLLIER FOR LARRY KING HAIR

MAKE UP CAROL SULLIVAN AT ARLING ARTISTS

JAI MCINTOSH

WORDS

STYLING CATHERINE HAYWARD

MAKE UP CAROL SULLIVAN AT ARLING ARTISTS

STYLING

DIRECTION THOMAS SUMNER

HAIR BOBBY COLLIER FOR LARRY KING HAIR

DIRECTION

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LOCATION

LOCATION NORMAN'S, LONDON

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JAI When designing the collection, how central was the idea of simplicity, both in terms of the physical product and the consumer experience?

DG I think a lot of people try and complicate things, especially in the fashion world. I try to break things down into their most simple forms, there's no point in creating something over-complicated. So when we came to designing the brand that was central to our thinking.

The complexity now of shopping can put a lot of people off from buying anything because there is so much choice, so much imagery. So the idea is not necessarily one of simplicity, but it is to make the ultimate

product, including quality, including sustainability. Everything we're building here is not about complexity, it is not about trying to follow trends. It's just building the ultimate.

The ultimate in quality, the ultimate in fit, in softness.

If people are shopping for essentials, if they're shopping for any of the categories that we are in, we aim to be the best, not just our price point, but above that as well. Attainability and a positive consumer process from start to finish is equally as important.

JAI Yeah, you're right, I think especially post-pandemic or during the pandemic, everything has become a little bit more complex in terms of being a consumer.

That being said, I want to talk about the idea of simple pleasures, not just in fashion, but in general. What simple pleasures do you enjoy?

DG I mean, simple pleasures to me could be anything. Spending time with my family, spending time with my daughter. I make sure every day that I go pick her up from nursery or I read her a story, these things mean the most to me.

As you know, every morning I take my dog for a walk. That's for the simplicity of getting out of the city for a bit and into Richmond Park to clear my mind. When I was in lockdown, I was building fences and taking dog walks up in Yorkshire and cooking pies and

all these like really simple pleasures that were incredibly enjoyable.

Something I've always said to people is "enjoy the moment more" because I never really enjoyed the moment, I have always been focused on the next task. But realising actually what you have at that time is central to wellbeing.

JAI You have worked in the fashion and modelling industry for so long and it's so clearly a high stress environment. Has the focus on wellbeing and mindfulness become easier to converse about and work around within that world?

try for a long time. The wellbeing element is important to me, and something I have always tried to be open about. It is something that I will continue to support.

In terms of mental health and mindfulness, I've had experience with it, both inside and outside of the industry. You know, a lot of my stress has been taken away by having a great team. I have high standards, I realise that sometimes they're impossible to fulfil in

oneself as well as anyone else but the team.

They are an integral part of this brand.

When you ask can this be done and they produce something that's even better than you expected, that makes life much easier.

JAI Do you think or do you feel as though at times there's a pressure for people to be going to the gym and to be living the “wellbeing lifestyle'' when actually it's not always possible?

DG Good question. I think there's a clarity that has developed from being in the indus-

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A lot of my stress has been taken away by having a great team. I have high standards, I realise that sometimes they're impossible to fulfil in oneself as well as anyone else but the team. They are an integral part of this brand.

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IT IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE, EDUCATION, AND MAINTENANCE WHEN AND WHERE POSSIBLE.

DG It's not always possible. I totally understand that. Being a father of two and still having to keep the gym regime up. I do it for many reasons, one for my job, but you know, I've been doing this since before I was in modelling, I'm happy in my skin the way I look and I always wanted to develop. I’d never want people to feel pressured to do so, but of course, exercise is going to help your mental wellbeing and is going to help your health, there's no argument about that. It is more about moderation than taking things to the extremes.

david wears ultimate fleeceback hoody burgundy long sleeve heritage henley

I do about 45 minutes in the gym, sort of four or five times a week.

I pretty much eat what I want, apart from processed foods. A lot of this comes down to education. People should be taught what the difference is between a good carbohydrate and a bad carbohydrate, and a saturated fat and a good fat.

white heritage jogger white heritage

Even something as simple as walking, where possible, will have a hugely beneficial impact. However, as we said earlier, there is an abundance of information. Everyone's got their fitness app, their fitness video, their website. So it's about distilling it down to the simplicities of what works for you and then building upon that. It is all about balance, education, and maintenance when and where possible. It is okay to have off days, or even weeks, but when possible, bringing things back into focus and starting again will always help.

t-shirt khaki

JAI Would you say your personal experiences are the main influence behind the Wellwear range?

EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR FITNESS APP, THEIR FITNESS VIDEO, THEIR WEBSITE. SO IT'S ABOUT DISTILLING IT DOWN TO THE SIMPLICITIES OF WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND THEN BUILDING UPON THAT. IT IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE, EDUCATION, AND MAINTENANCE WHEN AND WHERE POSSIBLE.

The brand encompasses things I look for, including the story of the brand, looking for quality, moving away from disposable fashions as that is something I do not stand for whatsoever.

We take a wider market stance on what people are doing, but the idea of this is not following trends. As we said, we're not reinventing the wheel here and today we're just putting everything together all in one branch to simplify the process of shopping, to make sure that we are the best and we will continually expand and improve upon that.

JAI There are technical intricacies inherent in the clothing, such as anti-odour properties and aloe vera within the material as an anti-inflammatory. Presumably, this was to add to the wellbeing element of the range. Were these properties something you wished to include from the beginning?

DG You know these are not brand new ideas. They're in more technical clothing or in general aspects of some gym and luxury clothing, but it's never been attainable at the price point. We explored various technologies in fabrics and found manufacturers that can facilitate this technology within the creating process.

We discovered the aloe vera element which is the anti-inflammatory moisturising aspect of our range. We thought, well, after a long day, you go home, get changed into your lovely, comfortable loungewear and it's anti-inflammatory and it moisturises your skin, what could be better? We're constantly learning. It is all about being comfortable in the right situation or place. The loungewear is, as the name suggests, for down-time and relaxation.

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DG I think a lot of people may interpret that I'm making it based on just my experiences, but these experiences are not just situated in mental health, they belong in all realms of my experiences. What you have to understand, when designing everything, is it is not designed for me, it is for everyone.

ATTAINABLE LEVEL.

TLY

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IN

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E AS

STS,

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POSITIVITY, AUTHENTICITY, COMFORT AND QUALITY. THAT'S WHAT I LOOK FOR IN CLOTHING. THAT'S THE MAIN ESSENCE, WE'RE RIVALLING THE LUXURY BRANDS AT A MORE ATTAINABLE LEVEL.

POSITIVITY, AUTHENTICITY, COMFORT AND QUALITY.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY LEARNING. IT IS ALL ABOUT BEING COMFORTABLE IN THE RIGHT SITUATION OR PLACE. THE LOUNGEWEAR IS, AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, FOR DOWN-TIME AND RELAXATION.

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THAT'S FOR

THAT

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RIVALLI BRAN

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JAI How important is the colour palette of the clothing?

DG There is this two tiered approach to this in many ways, both in terms of how colour affects people, and which colours consumers typically find most appealing. We have combined this in the hopes of allowing people to feel as confident and as comfortable as possible in our clothing.

If you look at what people buy, we're seeing blues, blacks, greys. You have to look at it from both a wellbeing and business point of view. We've expanded into slightly more muted colours with khaki and now a burgundy colour, which has been done very well. We plan on experimenting with brighter colours, but our initial colour palette will always remain.

JAI Looking ahead into 2022, what's the goal for David Gandy Wellwear ?

JAI So how would you characterise the David Gandy Wellwear brand for those who are yet to discover your range?

DG It's so hard because we encompass so much. However, it would predominantly be positivity, authenticity, comfort and quality.

That's what I look for in clothing. That's the main essence, we're rivalling the luxury brands at a more attainable level, that is what we are aiming for, that is what we stand for. Equally, it is about trying to create a positive buying process for people at the end of the day.

JAI Knitting all these aspects together into a package whereby the consumer process and the actual process of wearing the clothing is equally as uncomplicated make people feel as happy as possible.

DG Yeah, that's pretty much it, you said it better than me! davidgandywellwear.com

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DG We're still very new. We only launched in October 2021, so as I said, we're still trying to get our brand messaging across. There's been lots of repeat customers who say they love what they feel. We are, of course, expanding. So we've got to expand the range of essentials into the summer. I can't say too much at the moment.

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PICTURED RICHIE HAYES ELLIOTT KAYE

Understated, unapologetic. A throwback to timeless comfort classics. Norman’s Cafe is giving people exactly what they want, nothing less nothing more. We spoke with owners Elliott Kaye and Richie Hayes to understand why Norman’s has got people so excited.

Spoiler, it is almost certainly the house brown…

Norman’s Cafe opened in late 2020 and since then has amassed a cult following.

What encouraged you to open Norman’s originally?

Richie and I met working in cafes and restaurants eight years ago and immediately both wanted to open a cafe like Norman's. We wanted to create an accessible and affordable cafe that welcomed all of the community.

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

Why do you think there is such an appetite for the food you make and the content you produce?

It’s just food we grew up with so I think we are just sharing the same experience that a lot of people had growing up in the UK. Exactly what you need from time to time.

What has undoubtedly captivated people’s attention onto Norman’s Cafe is the artistic direction and aesthetic employed in every aspect of the cafe, not just the food. Why do you think this is?

It is uncomplicated and is what it is.

Norman’s menu is affordable and self-aware that the nature of food being served is not typically expensive and the price is reflective of that. You could have potentially charged more, why didn’t you?

We feel it would have gone against what we were, against the nature of the food we serve and would hinder the community building aspect.

Rank from most to least important the ingredients for a Full English Breakfast.

We can’t rank them. All the ingredients in a Full English are what make it so good.

The thing about a Full English is you can add plenty of things to cater towards your preferences. We like to add black pudding and some brown sauce.

Red or Brown sauce?

Brown sauce because we make it in house and it's great.

Tea or Coffee?

Cuppa tea, With tea bag left in.

What is the one meal you’re yet to serve at Norman’s that you would love to?

Scouse for sure! We are waiting for beetroot season.

Lastly, what does 2022 hold for Norman’s Cafe?

Expansion..Hopefully. normanscafe.co.uk

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What was the thinking behind the classic British cafe menu?

We love this kind of food. We wanted to give people food that was more recognisable and, in turn, create a comfortable environment .

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WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

Massimo Osti’s ST95 is relaunching under the leadership of multi-award winning designer Christopher Raeburn. We visited him and his creative team in the RÆBURN Lab to discuss how the ST95 project is evolving and working both within and outside of the established RÆBURN boundaries.

BEHIND THE BADGE: ST95 WORDS JAI MCINTOSH PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ST95

Massimo Osti’s ST95 is relaunching under the leadership of multi-award winning designer Christopher Raeburn. We visited him and his creative team in the RÆBURN Lab to discuss how the ST95 project is evolving and working both within and outside of the established RÆBURN boundaries.

BEHIND

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JAI How's the opening of 2022 for you?

CR Very challenging and pretty unpredictable if I'm being honest. We have a retail store in central London where we're seeing people's confidence coming back a little bit. As a brand and as a team, I feel like we've been using the last two years in the right way, building a lot on solid foundations. Now the momentum is really growing for the company.

We've been lucky again to win another award early in 2022, which is nice as you get that recognition from the industry that the way we're working is different, important and relevant.

JAI I want to ask you more about Massimo Osti. For those that don't know, who is he and what is his significance in the world of fashion?

When you research what Massimo was saying through the seventies, eighties, and nineties, and the level of innovation that was happening, particularly in material development, dying techniques, it was groundbreaking then and has stood the test of time. That's a very difficult thing to do, this is why I'm so proud to be now working on this project.

JAI So, why ST95?

CR For me ST95 has such relevance to the way that we've tried to grow RÆBURN from the beginning, and we've always tried to look at really modern approaches to the way that we build garments.

JAI Part of that new dimension is the audience, right? I would argue that over the last five years clothing has become less gendered. Who would you characterise as the ST95 audience?

CR With ST95, it's all about a progressive aesthetic. It's all about responsible design.

It's all about that material innovation.

Ultimately, coming up with a new vision is what this is all about.

JAI With it being an Osti brand, there will inevitably be links made to Stone Island and C.P. Company. What differentiates ST95 from the other Osti brands?

CR I think it's really important to be respectful of the other brands that are in the Osti stable. One of the things that we're so proud of is that this whole project has the blessing of Lorenzo Osti, Massimo Osti’s son. We met in Italy and he's been here to the studio and understands the way we design and create. So to get that blessing ensures the Osti brand is being continued with responsible innovation at the heart of what we were doing.

JAI Did receiving the Osti blessing give you that extra shot of confidence to feel like you could be more creative with the collection because you felt trusted from the beginning?

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CR So for someone that knows nothing about Massimo Osti, I think it's safe to say he was a pathfinder for modern menswear.

When I think back now and even studying 20 years ago at the Royal College of Art, my whole fascination was always around military functionality.

So when the opportunity to work on ST95 came up, it was amazing to research, dig in, and understand the amount of material innovation. Again, looking back at pieces from 25 years ago, to look so contemporary and so wearable today, it made perfect sense for us to align with that. We didn't want to just replicate things from the past. RÆBURN is all about responsible design, we've been doing this since 2009.

So it's bringing all of that thinking, particularly recycled materials, and seeing how we could bring that into a new kind of dimension for the brand.

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jump and the earth will rise to meet you CR Yeah, absolutely. I think it's fundamental. We've been so fortunate over the last 20 years of RÆBURN, we have worked with some big brands. It's really important that we understand the brand that we're going to be working with or in this case, restarting, and that's a really rare opportunity.

It definitely gives you confidence to know that actually, yes, fundamentally, you're building on really solid foundations, but then you have the opportunity to be creative and we feel like we're just getting going.

JAI What has been challenging about relaunching the ST95 project so far?

CR What's really important to acknowledge is that, for everyone that knows about Massimo Osti, there was an incredible output of work. With ST95 it was actually one of the, let's say, smaller brands.

It was only around for a few years. As a result, even finding original ST95 items is incredibly difficult. We've been fortunate to be able to construct a very small archive here at RÆBURN. I guess that's the really important thing, you need to respect the past, but the whole point is about how you can move things forward.

JAI The website states that the brand will be ‘forward thinking with a nod to the brand's original roots executed in an unexpected and contemporary way’. What does that mean in relation to the design process and material innovation?

CR So for us, with RÆBURN, we're really proud of the archive that we've built up

over the years for our own internal release and a lot of that is military and functional pieces, but really cool, completely contemporary items.

One of the things that we've looked to do within ST95 is bring in some of our amazing archive military utility, but also elements of the RÆBURN side along with the material innovation. We're at a point now where particularly recycled materials or organics or recycled cottons are accessible. We've got this amazing opportunity.

We now aim to grow ST95, to work in the most responsible way possible, but really importantly, ground everything in authenticity. It's almost an alchemy.

JAI Do you think it's been an easier transition to ST95 because there are aspects of crossover and a mutual appreciation between RÆBURN and ST95?

CR Good question. Importantly, when the opportunity came up with ST95, I realised because of the work that we do here at RÆBURN and particularly the flexibility that we have with our own atelier and the archives that we have which entirely focus on utility and sort of functional pieces, we had a good foundation to really understand how we could bring a lot of our own skill and resources to the brand. The reason that's really important for me is if I thought that we weren't able to do this in a credible way, we wouldn't have done these projects.

JAI Will the emphasis on responsibility, recycling, and up-cycling transition into the work you’re now doing with ST95?

CR Absolutely. At RÆBURN we don't talk about sustainability. We talk about our responsibility as a design company. In short, we have an ethos we call the three R's; It's all about remade, reduced or recycled. If we're not doing one or two or ideally all three of those things, we don't do it. It's the same for every brand or partnership that we do. It's really important for ST95 that we approach things with that ethos.

JAI Has this idea of personal responsibility and company responsibility when designing and creating been central to your creative philosophy from the beginning or has it developed over time?

JAI Do you take great inspiration from the small ST95 archive you have been able to construct?

CR Absolutely. However, it was never about replicating pieces from the past. It was always about how we could work with some of the archive pieces that we have, some of the research, speaking with industry experts but then to bring in our own military and utility archive, the core elements of RÆBURN. JAI How important do you think badging is to the identity of these projects and is that something you plan on maintaining throughout?

CR I think patches, iconography and markings are very important. Again, everything still comes back to military functionality and things having a reason for being. One of the really interesting things with ST95 was that there were so many different branding applications and particularly the way graphic was pushed within those early collections.

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CR I've always been really open. I started a responsible company by mistake because I just loved the materials. When I was studying at the Royal College, I loved parachutes, beautiful wool jackets and silk maps, all of this amazing stuff. The truth is, all I've ever done is build on that passion for the materials and original artefacts first, then step by step things have grown from there.

we don't do it.

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we have an ethos we call the three R's; It's all about remade, reduced or recycled.

If we're not doing one or two or ideally all three of those things, we don't do it.

we have an ethos we call the three R's; It's all about remade, reduced or recycled.

If we're not doing one

It's something that we've looked to bring in the new collections as well but at the same time we don't want to always be too rigid.

It's one of the things that's really important as a designer that you allow yourself to have the freedom to test, learn and also to gauge reaction.

JAI So, looking ahead, what will 2022 look like for ST95?

CR We're so proud of the way the collections are growing. I'm really proud of the upcoming Spring 22 collection, it really feels like the team that we have now in the RÆBURN Lab is growing in the right way.

Now that we're able to grow as ST95, the more opportunity you have to push on the design aesthetic. This is very much about working with the brand, respecting the past, but how we can really look to the future. We know it's going to be well designed, long lasting, made in the right way and grounded in authenticity. That's what ST95 is all about.

You can browse the ST95 range at Tessuti.co.uk

SAM HYDE STAND OUT STORIES:

PHOTOGRAPHY THOMAS SUMNER

SAM HYDE

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH The famed wordsmith Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”. Now, this is almost certainly true. However, there are some people that are able to battle against adversity whilst holding on to their plans, manifesting greatness, and achieving excellence in multiple fields.

For the first Stand Out Story of the year, we spent the day with professional boxer turned entrepreneur Sam Hyde at his gym in Manchester to uncover the stories behind his success.

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STAND OUT STORIES:

SAM

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JAI So take us back to where you started; how would you characterise your upbringing and what about your upbringing brought you into boxing?

SH I come from a very working class background. My mum's a nurse, Dad's a gardener. I was never really treated as if I was going to do the uni route. I was always going to be working my way into something and boxing fell into that kind of life.

JAI How did you feel when you first stepped into the boxing gym and did you feel as though you had a strong mentality cemented already?

SH To be honest, I didn't have what I thought it took at first. One of the main learning points in my life was how having confidence can have a massive impact on everything you do. So when I was walking in a boxing gym I thought I was the worst in the gym. Then after a conversation with my coach at the time, my life changed.

JAI You must have been quite successful quite quickly. When you walk into the gym, you notice the gloves from the Navy Championship. Was winning something that happened early on, or was it something that you had to work on in practice as well as developing your mental resilience?

SH My first fight was in Nottingham at a little sports club, which was full of just old men drinking beer, watching boxing and wanting to see up-and-coming fighters. I got thrown in the deep end as my trainer, Mr. Dunn, put his time into fighters who swam in the deep end. If you don't swim he doesn't work with you, simple as. My first six fights as an amateur, I won by knockout. That's kind of unheard of because it's usually point scoring. I won titles very early as an amateur, and got picked for England and then got picked for GB. It was in a very short amount of time where, straight away, I was looking at boxing being my future.

JAI When you're in that situation, going to England training, going to GB training, it's going to be quite easy to get caught in the whirlwind of what's going on. How did you stay grounded?

SAM WEARS DE-FACE SWEATER FORTY LOGO TEE C.P. COMPANY DROGUE SMOCK JACKET ST95 available at Tessuti.co.uk

I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT PERSON IF I DIDN'T HAVE MR DUNN WHO GAVE ME THAT CONFIDENCE IN BOXING AND THEN FOR BOXING TO CHANGE MY LIFE.

SH My family's been great. My mum's never been to one of my boxing fights. I tell a lie, she went to my first fight, I knocked him out. She wasn't bothered about whether I was okay, she didn't like that I've hurt someone else. That's my mum. So I was on my own really in terms of the fighting world, because for a lot of boxers, their fathers are boxers and you have that normal connection to boxing. But I didn't. I just focused my boxing attention on getting through to the next stage, always to the next stage.

JAI So, you have your first professional fight. Was it your decision to fight professionally or were those around you encouraging you to go down that path?

JAI Do you have a pre-fight routine?

I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN, A LOT PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, AND

SH In terms of my routine, I get to the fight, that's the main thing. But then focus. I pray.

Speaking to myself, just thinking about the bigger picture, thinking about what I've got, where my life would be if I didn't do it, thinking how well I'm doing it at the minute.

You've got to also live in the moment and say, I'm here, this is what I always wanted to do, rather than keep thinking about the OF future. Then you've got to just sit down and not think. You'll fatigue yourself. Then get the gloves on.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT PERSON IF I DIDN'T HAVE MR DUNN WHO GAVE ME THAT CONFIDENCE IN BOXING AND THEN FOR BOXING TO CHANGE MY LIFE.

JAI With your professional record, it's particularly impressive at the start, you were unbeaten for a long time. You did things differently, it wasn't just knockouts. How did you work on your boxing style?

SH So I had it quite tough in boxing because of my amateur pedigree. I wasn't an Olympian, I wasn't a huge name, although I was known in the boxing circuit. So I've had to work my way up in certain fights.

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SH So I turned professional at 17/18, and that's quite young to turn professional.

My style as an amateur boxer was very aggressive. So I just threw a lot of multiple shots, body shots, head shots. And at the time, the system was point scoring. So it was one point to the head, one point to the body. So if I hit you on the head with hooks and everything else, you don't score. So at that point I thought, I'm not going to be able to go to the Olympics. I've not got the style.

Inevitably I was going to turn professional.

GAVE ME THAT CONFIDENCE IN BOXING AND THEN FOR BOXING

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SAM HYDE

TO CHANGE MY LIFE.

I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, AND I WOULD DIDN'T HAVE MR DUNN WHO GAVE ME THAT CONFIDENCE IN BOXING AND THEN FOR BOXING TO CHANGE MY LIFE.

I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN,

STAND OUT STORIES:

HAVE BEEN THAT PERSON IF I

So some fights you're working on different styles. You're not always fighting the exact opponent you need, so I had to take things fight-by-fight. I struggled building my style.

I've had to push through and always be ready to adapt my fighting style.

JAI Do you think that adaptability has helped you outside the world of boxing?

SH Definitely. I think that's probably one of my strong points, adapting to a situation.

Again, because I've not had the big promotion behind me from the start, I had to think outside the box, and had to be managing and juggling multiple things behind the scenes, which has made me the man I am today.

SH I think with how I lost the fight, my confidence levels went up from that. I got an unbelievable amount of support. Millions watched it. It was a very well talked about fight. I can't go out on a night out without someone mentioning my eye. I was eight rounds up and fractured my eye socket, it balloons, my face balloons, and I'm laughing. Then people must think I like this kid.

This was maybe what was supposed to happen to get me to that next stage.

JAI You fought Joseph Gerco later in the same year and won, convincingly. You said that you built confidence from the Riakporhe loss. How did you recover from injury and focus back on training?

SH I had to take time out and let my face go down. I used to have to adapt because I knew the opponents in the future are going to aim for my eye. As evil as it is, if I was fighting someone who's had a fractured eye socket you're just going to go for it more.

JAI At this stage in your career, what was going on outside of boxing? Were you considering some business projects for after your boxing career?

SH After my defeat to Riakporhe, after the awful injury, I had my next shot, I had my next title fight. This was it. I was the most confident. I was the most fit. I was strong.

The only way I could have seen that night going was me winning, either by points by knockout. I could be making excuses all day about what happened. I lost by one point.

After that fight, I sat down and thought everything outside of boxing now is favouring me and boxing is not favouring me.

It's a hard pill to swallow to think that the sport has changed your life, the sport that's made you the person you are today, the sports that enabled me to grow an unbelievable network and portfolio may not be your destiny. It is really tough.

JAI Now you spend your time spinning plates and working on various projects, which ones are you most proud of?

SH So I set up a gym around the time I turned professional. I also got involved in property eight years ago, as soon as I could basically, and then just grew my portfolio massively. One thing that a lot of people think is that I made all my money from boxing, but I've actually made all my money from property. So in terms of what's my most proud achievement, outside of boxing, is probably how I've managed to build up another business.

JAI How are you able to run businesses around the gym and also give yourself the time to spend with loved ones?

SH When you commit your life to something and you've got your goals, your vision of being a certain someone, being looked at a certain way, having money. It just so happens that my life was supposed to be

done by working hard. It wasn't supposed to be an easy ride, I learned that very quickly through boxing because, let's be honest, it's probably the hardest way to earn a few quid.

JAI So, if we place ourselves in the here and now, obviously you're spinning plates as always, but what does the rest of this year look like for you?

SH So due to lockdown, I had to readjust and I had to work out where my priorities lie and also work out what's favouring me and, you know, I quickly realised that everything outside of sport was favouring me. I worked out what I needed to do. I've got goals and ideas of where I want to be with my property career, where I want my gym to be, where I want my contracting company to be. I've also just started mentoring clients for property. That is what's driving me. I've struggled being content my whole life because I'm always striving for more but, I'm definitely getting closer to reaching the content place. That's where my mind's eye is at the minute.

JAI To end things, how would you like to be characterised now?

SH I'd love nothing more than for people to not judge me on how you see me now. I see a lot of people down, a lot of people who are struggling, and I would have been that person if I didn't have Mr Dunn who gave me that confidence in boxing and then for boxing to change my life.

I'd love for people to see me as just real. I want people to think that's a guy who wasn't smashing it, and he did. So I can. That's genuinely my goal.

To watch the SOS feature visit: YouTube.com/tessuti

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JAI So your fight against Richard Riakporhe you lost. And up until then, you've been undefeated. At that point, it must be challenging for any athlete to get to that point and for it to not work out straight away. How did the people around you support you and what did you do yourself to ensure you stayed hungry?

So I was working on how to stop people coming for my eye.

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› The Big Pilot's Watch 43 (Ref. IW3293)

STUBBING › The Big Pilot's Watch 43 (Ref. IW3293)

Actions taken by IWC in their bid to become a more environmentally responsible company

DMR’S CORDELIA STUBBING

including special and limited editions increasing desirability and collectability of icons.

› Research and collaborations into new strap designs such as TimberTex paper straps.

› Responsible Jewellery Council membership auditing ensures the business complies with sustainable practice.

› Recycled precious Venturing into the world of horology is never easy, however, David M. Robinson are on hand, or wrist, to provide horologists of all levels with the information and products required. Leading the way, not just in design but in sustainable practice, we sat down with DMR’s Cordelia Stubbing to step into 2022 with Schaffhausen's watchmaking experts, IWC. Could you give a brief introduction to IWC and their heritage?

Engineering time machines in Schaffhausen since 1868, IWC was founded by young Boston watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones, with the ambition to innovate Swiss artisanal watchmaking into the highest quality of manufacture. Jones initiated a collaboration between artisan and industry creating the first serial production of watches. The original manufacture was chosen in Schaffhausen, situated beside the Rhine river, an essential source of hydro power to the business. The energy of the Rhine created a sustainable foundation, of which today IWC are recognised as the leaders in the watch industry.

Iconic watch families include the Pilot first designed in 1936, a functional design and an aviation tool watch.

metals and careful planning of case engineering reducing waste.

› New manufacture operates using sustainable energy sources, and heat recycling.

› On purchasing a client can register with ease for a full eight year guarantee and IWC creates a unique profile for their timepiece.

How has the brand developed over the past few years?

The IWC Big Pilot Roadshow which took place throughout 2021 exposed the brand into various cities across the UK and across the world. Their travelling containers allowed the brand to take their product and heritage on the road, personally introducing themselves to locals everywhere with impact.

IWC collaborators shared artwork and installations in major cities with three dimensional marketing. The Pilot Watch models, released in 2021 (notably the Big Pilot 43 IW329301) are worn by inspiring IWC ambassadors including Lewis Hamilton and Tom Brady. All IWC ambassadors are existing wearers of the brand, selected for their commitment to the brand and their professional triumphs.

In the Lewis Hamilton campaign video, there was an emphasis on IWC and LH being drivers of change. What change has IWC been driving in recent years?

Since Christoph Grainger-Herr became CEO for the brand in Schaffhausen, he has overseen the redesign of their manufacture (opened in 2018), a sustainable masterpiece which features renewable solar energy, recycled heat and all packaging reduced to the essentials. GraingerHerr understands the future of our client expectations and that sustainability begins at the heart of the sourcing, design and production processes.

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WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

› Limited manufacture

The Portugieser collection began in 1939, aptly named after a request from two Portuguese merchants who asked IWC directly for a marine chronometer designed for the wrist. The first Portugieser was an unusually large case size for the art deco trends of the '30s, of which IWC are still celebrated today. IWC’s Portofino collection, created in 1984 was established as a redirection from the quartz crisis. Inspired simply by the elegant silhouette of the pocket watch with Mediterranean inspired strap hues, the Portofino remains an IWC favourite for men and women.

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edition esert’ 06003)

› Top Gun ‘Mojave D (Ref. IW50

› Top Gun edition ‘Mojave Desert’ (Ref. IW506003)

IWC are looking to develop dramatically this year, in particular the emphasis on the nine key targets. What was the reasoning behind these targets and was placing them on the website part of the process to increase transparency and prove they are real attainable goals?

IWC are an incredibly transparent watch manufacturer today, surprisingly unusual in the industry. Since becoming registered with the RJC, Responsible Jewellery Council, the company were the first in the business to publish a sustainability report annually, also published on their website.

This allows the client direct access to view and is a trusted requirement to genuinely register sustainable manufacture. There is a lot of press on sustainability across the world of luxury in recent years, some grey areas or ‘green-washing’ as it is named, so it is important to know there are measures in place to authenticate these practises.

In terms of current popularity, which collection is leading the IWC pack?

The Pilot’s Watch collection, in particular the most recent Pilot’s Chronograph 41 (IW388102) £6500, features an ergonomic smaller case design which suits all. IWC in house movement, exhibition caseback and brand new EasX-change bracelet change system allowing the wearer to change the bracelet to leather or rubber strap options. It surpasses the success of the Pilot ‘Le Petit Prince’ chronograph 43mm (IW377717) and is in great demand.

Which watch would you recommend for first time buyers?

The Portofino Chronograph (IW391009) on a Milanese bracelet suits both men and women, presenting a clean line and neat chronograph complication. The day date windows are positioned perfectly between ‘IWC’ and ‘Schaffhausen’ on the dial. Available in 42mm and more recently the 39mm.

There are so many leather strap options in terms of hues, which adds personality to a special first Swiss timepiece.

And what if someone is looking to take their watch to the next level?

Limited in production, the Big Pilot Watch Top Gun edition ‘Mojave Desert’ (IW506003) features a sand hue ceramic case inspired by the Nevada desert and giant automatic 7 day power reserve. A unique timepiece, with a direct relationship to the aviation academy of the USA. Each qualifying Top Gun Pilot receives an IWC timepiece and they often trial new models in real life training.

Cream always rises to the top – which watch is the best of the best?

Ultimately, the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar (IW503401) depicts the visionary engineering of Kurt Klaus and is the IWC statement of function over form. The most revered 52615 calibre which simply doesn’t require any date adjustments once set for the next 577 years. Klaus was asked to design a Perpetual Calendar movement that allowed the wearer to comfortably adjust without any pushers. He achieved this

renaissance timepiece after meticulous study for ten years, to then be presented in 1985. It is a true icon in the world of horology and a worthy investment for any serious timepiece collection.

Finally, which watch is your current personal favourite?

My current favourite is the Portofino handwound eight days (IW510107) in 5N 18ct red gold. It features a large case diameter of 45mm, however the elegant round pocket watch case silhouette means this large size suits even the slimmest of wrist. It houses a stunning IWC manual movement visible from the exhibition case back. With a power reserve of eight-days this is beautifully displayed on the dial indicator – my favourite detail for any mechanical timepiece.

Visit davidmrobinson.co.uk and discover the IWC collection

edition Desert’ 06003)

THE

A C T Y I O A T N S WORDS

JAI MCINTOSH

Now, to paraphrase Nate Dogg, let me show the westside connection.

Owned by the Portman Estate, Portman Marylebone is the home of, and directory for, independent shopping and dining streets including the visually stunning red brick of Chiltern Street, the independence of New Quebec Street, the dining experiences of Seymour Place and, of course, Portman Square. Allow me to take you on a short journey, will you come with me?

ARTICLE CONT. OVERLEAF

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A trip enabling those who choose to endeavor upon it to explore the belly of the beast within the confines of their own isle. London, the city so significant, central, to almost every aspect of contemporary British life whether you live within its walls or not. One need not search for stories in London, they appear out of nowhere, taking you by the hand and guiding you through the annals of history.

GROWN ONE

MAKING CAMP West London is famed for supreme building quality, slightly slower pace, and a touch of luxury that, at points, is exactly what is needed. Therefore, where better to stay than Home Grown? A private members club with the goal of facilitating entrepreneurial excellence. I would have been unsurprised to see Monsieur Gustave H floating through the corridors.

One cannot help but feel as though even the minutia has been considered in terms of service and design.

Equally, the soft yet encouraging laughter that ripples through the ground floor at once creates a reassuring and welcoming atmosphere. Following check-in, you are shown the way to your room which again personifies comfort, quality, and reliability. Oh, and they have excellent dressing gowns.

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Whether you choose to visit on business, or for pleasure, Home Grown will cater to your every need and exceed those bounds. Open both to members and non-members, if you’re looking for a West London haunt, look no further.

THE PLAN

TWO

THE PLAN The age old adage of fail to prepare, prepare to fail rings true at this moment in time. How can anything be achieved without a stellar plan? It was decided that a four business and one restaurant trip would be the ideal selection in order to best understand the sense of community that permeates the Portman Marylebone Estate.

FIVE

MOUKI MOU

MOUKI MOU THREE

SO FRENCH Nestled in Seymour Place is a little taste of France that will leave an impact large enough to draw you back time after time.

Step inside and you shall see Mouki Mou boasts a beautiful collection of objects from around the world including clothing, jewelry, accessories and homeware. The boutique is designed to give customers a home-away-from-home feel. Yet, they emphasised that if customers wished to find out more, then they need only open the front door and step inside. Is it worth it? I think so.

As one would expect in a French Cafe, the smell upon entering immediately whisks you across the channel and seats you right in the heart of France. Specialising in the highest quality French products, owner Cedric Badel ensures So French has the ability to provide customers with integral French commodities from the most respected houses throughout La République.

Quintessential, integral, and as the name suggests, so French. For those looking to teleport from London to the cafes of France, So French will facilitate just that.

FOUR

REFRESHMENTS Travelling is thirsty work, wouldn’t you agree? Well then, I believe a visit to London’s favourite wine merchant is in order. This is not merely a self appointed title, Spirit magazine have awarded Philglas and Swiggot this award for four years running. Impressive, no?

Founded in 1991 on Northcote Road in Battersea, Philglas and Swiggot have been providing Londoners with the finest wines for over thirty years. Upon entering their shop on New Quebec Street in Marylebone, you will find yourself transported into an encyclopedia of history, geography, art, literature, and law.

Fronted by General Manager James Plat, Philglas and Swiggot aim to educate their customers on wine without condescension and pretension. Take a journey through the fields of Bordeaux or through the vineyards of California, and find a selection that suits you. Onwards.

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Having established themselves during the pandemic, Mr. Badel emphasises that “the community is more of a neighborhood”, without which, So French would never have succeeded.

NEW & LINGWOOD

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TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PORTMAN ESTATE AND THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES THAT LIVE THERE, CHECK OUT PORTMANMARYLEBONE.COM

T TO

SIX

NEW & LINGWOOD Located in heart of Chiltern Street, New & Lingwood house a curated selection of premium house and loungewear, derived from outstanding tailoring, innovative yet classic designs, and a willingness to take classicism into the contemporary without compromising their ideals and vision.

Under the stewardship of Freddie Briance, New & Lingwood are, for the first time in their history, exhibiting a limited release of their classic silhouettes for both men and women as well as their iconic dressing gowns. The combination of expert craftsmanship and exquisite design continue to push New & Lingwood forward.

OUT DINN SEVEN

OUT TO DINNER As conscious eating and the reduction of animal product intake continues to occupy centre stage, The Gate is leading the way for quality vegetarian and vegan cuisine in West London.

Located along Seymour Place, The Gate reflects their diverse cultural background of Arabic, Indian, and Jewish heritage in their food. Combine this with a modern interior of contemporary furniture and deep, dark woods, The Gate is the ideal location to explore vegetarian cuisine in an approachable and considered way.

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE ON AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE ON

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The EJ team offer up their must eats for Spring 2022. Featuring esteemmed starred kitchens and up and coming chefs.

COMPILED BY

THE EJ TEAM

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Barn offers a varied menu, showcasing the best of seasonal dishes with the majority of the ingredients grown within Moor Hall’s five-acre grounds. The Barn at Moor Hall offers diners a unique and intricate dining experience for those looking to explore gastronomic excellence.

restaurantmoorhall moorhall.com/the-barn address Prescot Road, Aughton social web

The Barn

at Moor Hall

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Patron Chef

Mark Birchall Head Chef

Nathan Cornwell

The Barn, having recently been awarded its first Michelin star, is the sister restaurant of the world-renowned Moor Hall. Under the guidance of Chef Patron Mark Birchall, The Barn offers a varied menu, showcasing the best of seasonal dishes with the majority of the ingredients grown within Moor Hall’s five-acre grounds. The Barn at Moor Hall offers diners a unique and intricate dining experience for those looking to explore gastronomic excellence.

restaurantmoorhall moorhall.com/the-barn address Prescot Road, Aughton social web

@mangal2restaurant mangal2.com address 4 Stoke Newington Rd, London social

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web

HEAD CHEF

Sertac Dirik

Having established Mangal Ocakbasi back in 1991, Ali Dirik helped to transform London’s perception of Turkish food. Having amassed a collection of awards and cult followers, Mangal II opened in 1994 to critical acclaim, quickly becoming a city-wide favourite. Now under the management of Ali Dirik’s sons Ferhat and Sertac Dirik, Mangal II respects the traditions of the restaurant’s past whilst reflecting a modern palate representative of London’s position in the global culinary scene.

LUKE FRENCH

Jöro enables diners to experience their open plan dining room designed to create an immersive culinary experience. Responsibly sourced ingredients that build Jöro’s five, eight, or ten course menus are sourced on a daily basis to enhance their central focus, flavour. Expect moody lighting, audible music and laughter.

restaurant_joro jororestaurant.co.uk address 294 Shalesmoor, Sheffield social web

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CHEF DIRECTOR

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WHERE T EAT 202 Chef Director

Tommy Banks Head Chef

Will Lockwood Roots was opened in 2018 by Chef Director Tommy Banks and restaurateur Matthew Lockwood to bring a taste of Oldstead to the city. Sister restaurant to The Black Swan at Oldstead and both proud to hold a Michelin star, Roots offers just one tasting menu, allowing the Roots team to showcase a constantly evolving palate of produce grown on the Banks family twenty-acre farm and three-acre garden. With dishes nodding to the past, and some brand new creations too, Roots offers a unique and intimate dining experience.

rootsyork rootsyork.com address 68 Marygate, York social web

WHERE TO EAT 2022 71

Senshyu Onion - Whey - Chanterelles

Stephen Harris Head Chef

Noble Rot Soho is the second restaurant from Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, the duo behind Noble Rot magazine and Keeling Andrew & Co wine importers. Notorious as the lair of many a politician, the building’s beautiful period features and years of good living that have soaked into its walls have been preserved and renovated. With a menu overseen by Head Chef Alex Jackson and Executive Chef Stephen Harris, Noble Rot Soho encompasses the past and the present culminating in a unique and unmissable culinary adventure.

nobelrotsoho noblerot.co.uk address 2 Greek St, London social web

Photograph Juan Trujillo Andrades

Alex Jackson

HERE TO AT 2022

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Executive Chef

YNYSHIR

CHEF DIRECTOR

GARETH WARD

ynyshirrestaurant ynyshir.co.uk address Eglwysfach Machynlleth social web

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Hidden away in Wales’ Dyfi Valley sits Ynyshir, an intimate, ingredient-led restaurant boasting two Michelin stars.

Having transformed a Welsh country house into a covert gastronomic experience, Gareth Ward’s Ynyshir combines seasonal ingredients with Japanese techniques in both their eleven-course lunch menu and nineteen-course dinner menu. Offering diners an exclusive ten bedroom hotel and award winning bar, Ynyshir exceeds the boundaries and standards of the fine-dining experience. Well worth exploring the Welsh heartland for this gem.

WHERE TO EAT 2022

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M O S E L E Y BIRMINGHAM

WHERE T EAT 202 Head Chef

BRAD CARTER

cartersofmoseley cartersofmoseley.co.uk address St Mary's Row, Wake Green Rd, Moseley, Birmingham social web

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Foraging, ancient preservation techniques, and celebrating whole animal butchery, Carter’s of Moseley focuses on sustainable practises and respect for nature’s ecosystems and food-systems. With the continuing goal of innovating recipes to include as many native ingredients as possible whilst consistently promoting authentic traditional cooking methods, Brad Carter ensures a collaborative approach between Carters of Mosely and local farmers and producers.

With an ever-evolving menu and culinary approach, Carter's of Moseley is a destination that should be on the bucket list of any food fanatic.

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Essential Recipes

Brown Butter Brown Butter. Perfect for everything.

A true all round kitchen staple, used by bakers, chefs and avid dairy lovers akin.

INGREDIENTS 500g of high quality, unsalted butter EQUIPMENT One wide-based pot A sieve or conical strainer, if available to you A muslin cloth, a cheesecloth or a J-cloth One heat-proof container TIMING 25 Minutes

METHOD Step one: Place the butter directly into the wide-based pot, over the stove, on a medium heat or flame.

Step two: The butter will melt and start to bubble gently as the water content evaporates. The liquid will then begin to foam and the proteins in the butter will start to colour.

Step three: Keep a watchful eye over your pot, as you will quickly notice a change in colour. You are looking to achieve a goldenbrown colouring, and this should take around 10 minutes, but use your instinct. There will be a beautiful caramelised nutty smell if all is going well.

Step four: When your butter is ready, remove your pan from the heat and allow it to cool for another 10 minutes. Use this time to line your sieve or conical strainer with your chosen cloth and place this over a heat-proof container.

Step five: Pour the warm brown butter over the sieve, catching any solids, leaving you with a perfectly transparent brown butter.

You can use this straight away or chilled to elevate any dish of your choosing.

For a delicious Carrot Financier recipe using brown butter, come back next issue.

Yours, LIVIA ALARCON @liv.eat.cook

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The second restaurant from the trio behind the multi-award winning and Michelin-starred The Clove Club in Shoreditch, Luca is forging a new path for Italian cuisine in mighty blighty.

WORDS

Founded by Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith, and Isaac McHale with interior design from the award-winning Alexander Waterworth Interiors, Luca boasts an exceptional range of food and beverage menus that represent their British meets Italian philosophy.

Situated on St John Street, London, Luca observes the established traditions of Italian cooking, but breaks the rules a little to deliver a menu of modern classics.

The interiors combine crisp white marbles and warm oak timbers, enriched by the backdrops of natural plaster and historical brickwork, layered with the Southern Italian influences of fresh sage and roasted red leathers. A semi-open kitchen sits at the heart of the 60-cover dining room whilst the al fresco terrace seats 18. However, Luca takes the use of interior space that one step further with two intimate dining rooms; The Garden Room seating 8 and the Pasta Room seating 10.

For those of slightly more adventurous disposition, Luca offers a Prix Fixe chef’s choice menu, where diners can leave it up to Robert Chambers and his team to curate a menu of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci that reflects the very best of Luca’s menu.

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Head Chef Robert Chambers, previously of The Square, Locanda Locatelli, and the Ledbury has been at the forefront of Luca’s culinary quality having been Head Chef since the restaurant opened in 2016. Since then, Luca has won numerous awards, including the Monocle Restaurant of the Year Award, and has been included in the top 100 of the National Restaurant Awards.

INTERVIEW

RUTH CALDERWOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY

THOMAS SUMNER

LA MARZOCCO: COFFEE ENCOUNTERS

ALAN MURCHISON INTERVIEW

RUTH CALDERWOOD LA MARZOCCO UK

PHOTOGRAPHY

THOMAS SUMNER

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La Marzocco catch up with Michellin Star Chef turned performance nutritionist, Alan Murchison, to talk coffee in the kitchen, caffeine fuelled snacks and that first cup of instant.

LA MARZOCCO: COFFEE ENCOUNTERS

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RUTH Alan, could you tell us about the first time you drank coffee?

AM The first time I ever tried coffee, I was probably 21, working 16 hours a day in a restaurant. I worked with this textbook Irishman, Paddy, who used to make me coffee every morning and I thought, I don't like coffee. I used to pour it down the sink.

One day I was particularly tired and managed to drink some coffee, it was like a secret door opened for me. I was quite happy with a good quality instant coffee in a big mug, and I think, as my education and my knowledge developed, my palate developed. It's quite a big part of my life now. I love coffee culture. I like going out for coffee, but also having coffee at home.

RUTH Why was coffee so important to you as a chef?

AM As a chef, coffee acts as a glue that brings you all together. The one thing that you do when you're working in a busy kitchen environment, besides your own individual roles and responsibilities, is sit down and have a brew.

As a restaurateur, you notice coffee is a huge part of the overall dining experience.

If you think about a restaurant experience, you go out and you'll have an aperitif, you

you're working in a busy kitchen environment, besides your own individual roles and responsibilities, is sit down and have a brew.

have a glass of champagne, you have an amazing meal. The last thing you have is a cup of coffee. So for me, it was the grand finale, a good coffee could make or break a dining experience.

RUTH Why did you start Performance Chef?

The business provides practical applications of sports nutrition and no-nonsense advice to recreational and professional athletes. So if you've got a goal or you've got an event that you would like to perform well in, we will make your food plan based on your lifestyle, your diet, your aspirations and your skill set.

RUTH Are there any dishes that you like to incorporate espresso in to?

AM The dishes that we tend to use coffee in is breakfast, first and foremost. We create a chocolate coffee porridge or Bircher muesli, secondly, we have light energy snacks and have got a fantastic recipe for a no-bake brownie, which uses espresso

Coffee acts as a glue that brings you all together.

The one thing that you do when you're working in a busy kitchen environment, besides your own individual roles and responsibilities, is sit down and have a brew.

" Coffee acts as a glue that brings you all together.

The one thing

infused with dates. Again, that's really handy as a snack during the working day or also when you're training.

RUTH How does espresso, or caffeine, effect sporting performance?

AM Espresso is one of those things that improves sporting performance beyond all measure. Until fairly recently caffeine was actually banned because it had such performance aids.

You know, we have the coffee right within cycling, but there's huge benefits of having caffeine ahead of high intensity efforts and also in longer events across all sports. To have, say, a caffeine gum or a caffeine gel in the later stages of endurance events has been proven to improve mental clarity, focus and energy levels.

RUTH Is there a similar intensity or buzz between working in the restaurant kitchen and with elite athletes?

AM The thing I love about the job I do now is that there's a huge similarity between working in a fine dining restaurant and also elite sport like cycling. The mentality, the goal, the teamwork, the effort, you know, that laser-line focus to achieve something great is very, very similar.

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AM Performance Chef is a business I set up eight years ago. I was done with the restaurant business, I achieved what I wanted to do in that space. I want to take my culinary knowledge and my sports knowledge and combine the two things together.

"

and get offered a cup of coffee, I'm not going to say “have you got some Colombian beans?”

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"

RUTH Can you tell us about your van?

Where did the idea come from and how do you use it?

AM When we were looking at the van, we had to have the best in class really, you know, I want something that I could transport and store my bikes and travel in comfort. But it was also how do you get a really good cup of coffee? The problem with having a really good machine and set-up at home is when you go out you’re kind of spoiled, you know, it can almost ruin the coffee experience because you'll be at a service station and it's almost always a disappointment.

So we wanted to put a linea mini machine in the van. It was really about having an aspirational product, but it was also functional so that we can have a brilliant brew anywhere on the road, in a field, in a car park and just make it the best that we could.

RUTH Your first coffee was a cup of instant.

Are you still ok with instant or are you a little more particular about what’s in your cup now?

With coffee, people shouldn't find it intimidating.

You know, if I go around somebody’s house and get offered a cup of coffee, I'm not going to say “have you got some Colombian beans?”

AM I think with coffee, people shouldn't find it intimidating. If I go around to someone’s house and get offered a cup of coffee, I'm not going to say “have you got some Colombian beans?” We have a cup of coffee and a chat and that can be just as enjoyable as going to a beautiful coffee shop, talking with the barista and having all these different grinds and everything else.

I think we all recognise that our coffee experience and journey is very individual.

There's a time and a place for measuring everything, and there’s time for just relaxing and enjoying a good brew.

To find out more from the coffee experts visit uk.lamarzocco.com

" With coffee, people shouldn't find it intimidating.

You know, if I go around

EXPOSURE

TOMO BREJC Rising to the top of the contemporary photography ladder is never easy, after all everyone is photographer nowadays, but Tomo Brejc has managed to do so with grace and ease. From David Gandy to A$AP Rocky, Cillian Murphy to Anthony Joshua, Photographer and Director Tomo Brejc has worked with them all. We caught up with Tomo on the set of our David Gandy cover shoot to uncover some of the stories behind his career so far.

WORDS

JAI MCINTOSH

TB During my philosophy studies I was fascinated with the history and theory of photography. I was obsessed by the old masters of photography, Weston, Walker Evans, Steichen, Sander, Strand and others. I was looking at their work over and over. I was and still am a huge admirer of the more contemporary artists that work in photography such as Jeff Wall and Thomas Demand. After completing my BA I felt a call deep inside me that could not be silenced, that being, to immerse myself into a life as a photographer.

in snowy Colorado mountains just a day after production wrapped, that was quite an experience.

What is very important to me is the excitement, that feeling of a new beginning and sense of adventure before each trip, followed by a deep sense of gratitude that I was given the opportunity.

JAI Which shoot was the most challenging and why?

JAI Having a career in photography means you will be travelling the world for a variety of different shoots. Which shoot resonates most strongly in your memory?

TB Physically the most challenging might be one winter shoot in Iceland. We were far away from civilization for a few days, it was very cold, lots of snow, we were all wet but we kept shooting. I remember I couldn't see through my viewfinder anymore and my assistant and I were wondering how the cameras kept on working.

TB It is true, you get to see some wonderful parts of our fascinating world as a photographer. It feels like an injustice to name just a few. Sometimes more than just a place, you remember the people and the smell. It is difficult to name just one. However, when we were shooting Samuel L. Jackson in Telluride for Quentin Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight, deep

There are lots of mentaly challenging moments in far less extreme situations in beautiful places where you need to control your mind and work strategically. I think pressing the shutter is only a very small part of photography; for me, the main challenge every time is to have as clear an idea for a specific project as possible whilst keeping the crew and everyone else

on set focused and in good spirits. Atmosphere can work magic on the pictures.

JAI With social media, access to all areas is now almost a given. How important is it to you to ensure there is behind the scenes footage for each shoot?

TB I know it's wrong and I will need to correct this but I still haven't yet embraced the whole social media ecosystem. Yet, behind the scenes footage, I think, answers an impulse of human curiosity. People like to peep inside and witness unfiltered reality. It is strange but sometimes if done well it could be even more interesting to watch than the actual shoot.

JAI Do you have any exciting plans for 2022?

TB We are just in pre-production for a shoot with a great actor that we are going to shoot in a week. Besides commissioned work I am planning to devote a part of my time in the next few years to a personal documentary project. I am also collaborating with a theatre director on a play. I am directing the film part of the play that will be screened on the stage. 2022 looks set to be a very exciting year for me. tomobrejc.com

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JAI Which photographer inspired you to pursue a career in photography?

THE ESSENTIAL JOURNAL PRESENTS

WORDS

BETH BENNETT

PHOTOGRAPHY

JOE BARTON

SCREENWRITER JOE BARTON IS A MAESTRO OF ALL OF THE ABOVE. BOASTING AN IMPRESSIVE CATALOGUE OF BAFTA WINNING GIRI/HAJI, CULT HORROR FAVOURITE THE RITUAL AND SEVERAL NEW PROJECTS HITTING NETFLIX AND SKY THIS YEAR, HE'S ONE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY'S MOST EXCITING VOICES TO FOLLOW. I CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO CHAT ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AND HOW HE GOT TO WHERE HE IS TODAY.

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HUMOUR HORROR AND HUMANS

BB So I wanted to start by saying I mentioned your name to our Editor, and he was like ‘Joe Barton’? And I was like ‘Joe Barton’. He was like ‘Joe Barton’? And I was like, ‘Yes’. This carried on for a few minutes.

And then he went: ‘You mean the guy who feigned a French accent?’

No sporting talent at all. Which is how I ended up in the creative industry.

JB I used to get more of that. I used to have the username Joey Barton on Twitter and I had to just give it up because whenever he played it would just be abuse. I don't know why anyone famous is on social media at all. But yeah, he's a very unpopular man, as he should be. There's another twist hidden in that there's a Republican senator called Joe Barton who is famous for having anti-environmental policies and also for sending an unsolicited picture which got leaked.

JB [laughs] I did.

BB So assuming that you're not the footballer, was it because of that shared name that put you off pursuing a career in football? I know from your tweets, you’re a huge Spurs fan, aren’t you?

JB Yes! That and a lack of any sort of natural sporting ability. I'd love to be a professional footballer. I used to play five a side and I was just the worst on the pitch.

BB I used to be the same - a goalkeeper letting all the balls in the goal.

JB Yeah that’s it.

BB And you ended up in film.

BB So how did you end up falling into writing?

JB I fell into writing because I always wanted to be in film or television. I used to want to be a film director when I was a kid.

I would make little films with my friends on the weekends with camcorders. I always liked to do this. Then in sixth form college I studied media and film and continued studying that at university. Once I graduated I still wanted to be a director, but it was so expensive. You need money for equipment and actors to make a film, which was beyond what I had. It seemed impossible.

Writing was just this thing that I had done and always quite enjoyed. I liked the idea that you can just start doing it. You only need paper or a computer to create something that somebody may want to read.

BB What was your first project and how did that help your writing career?

Joe Barton

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when you try to be positive about it, it stops you becoming a raging, egomaniacal ars*. Sometimes you do need to get knocked down a peg or two.

JB I got a job for MySpace through one of my old tutors. He’d heard about this opportunity at MySpace doing this mini online drama called Freak. They only had six characters, they all had MySpace pages and it was about the love, life, and travails of these teenagers. I wrote four episodes of that.

Then I carried on building up my works, trying to get more and more writing jobs and working for random producers that I met online. Then I finally got an agent after years of just plugging away and trying to do it.

BB We spoke recently about how it's the scripts that you pour your heart into where people go ‘No, actually, I don't want to watch this’ or it doesn't even get picked up. How have you been able to process past failures?

BB Of failures and successes then, what's been your favourite project that you've worked on, regardless of public and critical reception?

JB Giri/Haji definitely, 100%. That was special. Then the experience of making it was life changing. It was incredibly satisfying working with the crew and the cast, the directors and the producers who I'm really close with. It was just a great collaboration because we were all trying to do the same thing and we were on the same level. The cast was lovely, it was an incredible experience.

I’m just proud of the actual thing. It was the first time that it was actually mine. It was the first time where you can actually be like, “No, this is exactly how I want it. I want there to be a f*cking dance number.”

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JB Well, it's just part of it. I also think it's good in a way, when you try to be positive about it, it stops you becoming a raging, egomaniacal ars*. Sometimes you do need to get knocked down a peg or two. It's as much part of the job as checking your spelling. It's just inevitable, not everything goes the way you want it to go, so you can either deal with it or not. You have to keep perspective on it.

whe posi you egom do n peg

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JB It's changed hugely. When I started out it was pre-streaming wars, just before Netflix kicked off. You had the four terrestrial channels and then Sky, Sky were the ones with the money. If you had an idea that costs more than the BBC budget you’d try and get Sky to do it or go and make it in America, which is really difficult to do.

I remember when I started out you couldn't create sci-fi because there had just been this sci-fi show on BBC one, which had done really badly. Due to this one show getting any genre stuff done was impossible. You were totally at the whim of the terrestrial channels and Sky. When the streamers came in, they had a bit more money. There are positive and negative aspects of it.

It's good because more content is getting made and because there's so much content being made that makes entering this world far more accessible. There is a democratisation to it and you find different voices from different communities, that's great.

BB How was it that you came up with the dance number? Was that something you always knew you were going to include or did that come further down the line?

JB That came further down the line. I said, “what if we did this thing?” It got to the point in the script where they were all on the roof and I hit a bit of a wall and I was stuck because endings are really difficult.

I think the show had evolved, not because we saw it as a crime show by the end, I don't think it really is a crime story anymore as much as a human drama, really. So I didn't want to do a shootout because we'd done one already. I didn't want them to be able to verbally express themselves because I felt like it was a show about a bunch of people who can’t verbalise, they can't say what they want. Sarah, Kenzo and Taki will never say I feel this way—that’s their great flaw.

I was trying to think of how to come to a satisfying conclusion that feels true. So we got to the bit in the script with Taki half-falling off the roof and I knew I wanted Kenzo to catch her and then everyone else to run in and catch him so he didn't fall off. That image was like a moment from a dance.

So then I thought maybe we should dance and explore that, eventually it became what it was. None of our actors were dancers.

So it was asking them to move out of their comfort zone, but they were really up for it, which was great.

BB So you've got some new projects coming up, one of which is Half Bad, an adaptation I believe?

JB It’s a series of books by Sally Green and it's a young adult novel about these witches that live in Britain and this kid who’s dad is the worst witch ever with his mum being a good witch. Nobody knows if he's going to grow up to be evil or normal. He has to go on this quest from Britain across Europe.

It’s a coming of age story, a family drama.

It's about sexuality and identity. It's weird.

It's a weird show.

BB I want to pick your brains about the industry. How has it evolved from when you were starting out? Has streaming and this move to focus on IPs affected your work much?

Yet, there are negatives. The motivation for making stuff is always to get more subscribers, so it's always about that.

BB What are your goals? Where do you want to be? What other stories do you want to tell?

JB My goals are to just keep doing stuff that I like or that means something to me and to other people. I want to make interesting things that are slightly different.

I don’t want to do the tenth cop show with a woman dead on the beach, I want to keep doing different things.

Keep up to date with Joe on Twitter @JoeBarton_

C R E AT E D & P U B L I S H E D B Y

E S S E N T I A L S T U D I O.C O. U K

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COLUMN

THE GREAT BOLO EXCHANGE BALACLAVA CHARITY WORDS

JAMES BLAKE

Authentic, raw and non-conformist. This is streetwear’s new king, Corteiz. A London based visionary, simply known as Clint, has created what is arguably more of a cultural movement than a fashion label.

Established in 2017, The Corteiz movement represents everything the streetwear scene is supposed to be but has forgotten how to be. Independent from mainstream models and marketing methods, Corteiz has ripped the book up. If you don’t know, get to know. The late artistic director of Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh posting fits in the now famous Alcatraz branding is a statement of their reach, but how have they established themselves as a key player in the contemporary streetwear scene?

The Great Bolo Exchange, their latest project, was a bold, yet community driven power move. Unreleased ‘BOLO’ puffer jackets in black and grey were available in exchange for the jacket on your back.

Accepting brands which are prominent in contemporary streetwear culture such as; Moncler, North Face, Canada Goose, Supreme and Arc'teryx. Clint swapped jackets with a frenzy of fans willing to trade high end outerwear for a piece of coveted Corteiz. Seen as a ludicrous, and seemingly nonsensical move to some, the exchange demonstrates the desire to own an exclusive status piece of London’s newest iconic brand, regardless of the value of the jacket on their back.

The goal of the BOLO exchange was to give back to London’s most vulnerable. Cortiez donated £16,000 worth of jackets to London Homeless charity, St. Lawrence’s Larder and in the process enhanced their reputation, solidified their existing communities desire to support the brand and, most importantly, they acted out of compassion.

A move rarely seen from streetwear labels.

Clint continues to establish the community centric identity behind Corteiz, and this seems to only strengthen with every release and campaign. Who said charity can’t be done in a balaclava after all?

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The process of buying a Corteiz piece differs greatly in comparison to camping outside the Supreme shop in Soho or hoping to beat the bots to website drops. After a series of cryptic tweets, the location of the scavenger drop is released, sending social media and London into chaos. This immersive, and highly involved consumer experience is simply one of many aspects that enables Cortiez to stamp their authority and authenticity on the bloated streetwear market. Additionally, very limited collections are accessible through a password protected store, cross your fingers and hope that you are one of the lucky ones. It is their ability to combine diverse approaches to marketing and the safeguarding of genuine exclusivity that has gained the brand a cult following. Corteiz has leased new life into a scene that has lost its authenticity through the billion

dollar acquisitions of streetwear labels, inflated reseller prices, and lack of tangible community experience. Corteiz is made by the people, for the people and their latest venture was nothing short of a middle finger to those who think otherwise.

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COLUMN

DID LONDON REALLY JUST DECRIMINALISE CANNABIS POSSESSION? WORDS

ISSY ROSS

Last month a leak revealed London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans of a pilot diversion scheme that would ‘soften’ the way the Metropolitan police deals with cannabis possession. Will this change mean dealers can drive through Chelsea offering samples to mothers in activewear? Not quite.

In effect, Khan's scheme will target 18-24 year olds caught with a small, personal supply of cannabis. Instead of being arrested, young people will be offered awareness courses or counselling similar to the way speeding is policed.

Unlike existing schemes, however, Khan's initiative will prioritise not only diverting young people away from the criminal justice system so they can have a better chance of accessing education and employment, but addressing the disproportionality of low-level drug offence policing against BAME Londoners. Anthony Lehane, Secretariat of the Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform and author of the report commissioned by Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan that informed Khan's scheme, argued in Politics.co.uk that the scheme is a "proven solution to a long-standing problem" in the overrepresentation of black people in the criminal justice system.

While both Labour and Conservative leaders publicly spoke out against the move, the public appears to disagree: recent polling by YouGov revealed that 63% of adults agreed with Khan's scheme.

Increasingly few Brits consider drug use a criminal issue, but the government continues to favour punitive approaches that fail against their own metrics.

We know that sending people who use drugs to prison is at best ineffectual, and at worst actively hindering efforts to reduce drug use. Indeed, almost 15% of inmates developed a drug problem in prison in 2018-19. We also know that fines for ‘middle class drug users’ that the government supposedly targets are optimistically a slap on the wrist and the difference between catching an Uber and a bus home from a night out, consistently failing to deter criminal behaviour.

If we really want to reduce the harms of cannabis and other drugs on both individual users and wider society, we need to reconsider our arsenal of defence, and even better, address its well-understood causes: lack of social support, and absence of education surrounding safer practises of drug use. Causes undoubtedly worsened by a lingering criminal justice footprint obtained at a young age that follows low-level cannabis users throughout their lives.

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While The Sun would have you comically believe the move will cause "murder rates to soar", citing cherrypicked overseas data marred by just about every logical fallacy in the book, the reality is that Khan's commitment is far from revolutionary even within England. Similar diversion schemes are littered across the country in Durham, the West Midlands, Thames Valley and beyond. Quietly successful and politically uncontroversial.

The current state of cannabis policing is undoubtedly racist. Myriad investigations have found disproportionality in cannabis policing across the UK, where The Lammy Review by Tottenham MP David Lammy found that black people are over eight times more likely to be stopped and searched than their white peers, despite being equally likely to consume drugs.

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COLUMN

5G WHEREVER YOU MAY BE WORDS

CAMERON ROBSON

Three is setting the pace in the big push towards 5G experiences, conspiracy theorists beware. Their network has been steadily transitioning into 5G across the board, and all sims are currently 5G ready. Now, Three are focusing their attention on Stamford Bridge, the home ground of brand partners Chelsea Football Club.

Three have committed heavily to improving their network across the board, spending around £2 billion on upgrading their core network and IT systems. The partnership with Chelsea is an interesting and at once effective way to promote Three's efforts.

A strong 5G network at the stadium will make a difference for supporters but also

The changes at Stamford Bridge reflect more than just Three's desire to promote their new network and implement newer technologies. It demonstrates Chelsea FC's commitment to improving fan experiences. Supporters have consistently voiced a desire for the return of standing seats, and Stamford Bridge now boasts the recent addition of around 12,000 safe standing seats. Chelsea is one of the first clubs to introduce this option, and are participating in a trial of safe standing with Premier League competitors Tottenham, Man United, and Manchester City. Chelsea FC is listening to the demands of its supporters, and it shows.

Chelsea’s three year deal with Three may benefit fans in more ways than one. Three are looking at offering exclusive mobile plans for Chelsea supporters and stadium goers looking for some extra Chelsea/ Three merchandise can find phone cases at retailers near the stadium.

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Stamford Bridge is to become the country's first 5G ready stadium. Despite struggling to improve the structure of the stadium in recent years, technologically advancing Stamford bridge is a huge step forward.

The Chelsea home ground previously utilised a single point for all 4G network traffic in and out of the stadium. This one cell would quickly become saturated with users during match day thanks to the 44,000 fans in attendance for any Chelsea FC home game. Therefore, Three have revolutionised internet accessibility at Stamford Bridge by replacing that single cell with over 34 bespoke 5G focused antennas.

Thanks to miles of cabling worked into the old stadium, Stamford Bridge now has the internet capabilities to deliver better fan experiences thanks to these innovative developments.

for Fulham Road residents. During match day, neighbours of Stamford Bridge and supporters within the stadium have bemoaned the lack of mobile data due to the high data demand. Underneath the stands, the thick concrete walls do a good job at blocking any access to mobile data. Three have recognised this issue as well and placed hundreds of 5G Picocells throughout the stadium. These miniature cells ensure stadium attendees a fast and consistent connection at all times, even when underneath the stands.

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COLUMN

THE INSIDE OF A CHEF'S FRIDGE WORDS

LIVIA ALARC0N

‘’I bet your fridge is always full of exciting things to eat…’’

You can tell a lot about a chef’s life from what lurks inside their fridge. If you’re expecting an abundance of beautifully cooked meals, think again. When the closest a chef gets to the inside contents of their fridge is a desperate inspection at 1am on a Saturday night, off the back of a 50-hour working week, I wouldn’t expect a lot.

Truth be told, most cooking for ourselves happens during unsociable hours. That being said, if you’re awake and hungry in the middle of the night on a Tuesday, there is a seat for you in my kitchen (granted, next to a very tired chef) with a large bowl of cacio pepe waiting.

There is something to be said about the beauty of simplicity that can come from cooking in scarcity.

I always thought that the inside of my fridge would be something to marvel at for visitors, think MTV cribs, but instead I’m hastily hiding vegetable skeletons that once resembled bountiful life.

In all honesty, we do try. Ask any chef and they’ll tell you. We could spend hours looking at ingredients and half a day travelling to rumoured destinations to source them.

However, the difficulty lies in finding the time and space to cook and store such delicacies. Try adjusting from commercial fridges to your run-of-the mill household fridge. I can see why the Americans go large at home.

There is one day of the week where I’d tactfully invite you to the unveiling of my fridge; on my day off after braving the big shop, with plans of grandeur…except, I don’t feel like cooking.

Sometimes I think the only person in my house that eats substantially and regularly is the cat.

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