Style Salvage - A men's fashion and style blog.

The craft of... Bulmer & Lumb

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:07:00 +0000

"I get a great rush from seeing someone in the street wearing a garment made from our cloth and I can actually tell this almost straight away," explains Bulmer and Lumb's Edward Waterhouse. Fine worsted cloth, and its reputation for excellent quality and fine designing is renowned the world over and for a erudite eye like Waterhouse's, it captures the attention. "Textile manufacturing excites me personally due to increased demand from UK retailers and designers to source cloth from the UK again. It is extremely encouraging that brand such as Alfred Dunhill, Richard James and Burberry are looking to source made in England cloth." As the curtain raises once again on London Collections: Men and especially on The English Gentleman at Lord's with The Woolmark Company and blog favourite Lou Dalton, the great rush experienced will become more familiar in its frequency. After a whistle stop tour of West Yorkshire that saw me explore their homes in Bradford and Huddersfield, I'm beginning to feel the rush too.

"Being based in two places in West Yorkshire and employing 70 people in Huddersfield and 130 in Bradford we have a close link with local communities. There is family atmosphere within the company and we have had several generations from the same family working for the Bulmer and Lumb Group, this ranges from a Dye Operative to a Combing Operative to a Weaving Technician.

Today, the Bulmer and Lumb Group produce a wide range of fabrics, ranging from its luxury fine worsteds to worsted fabrics worn by the military. Bulmer and Lumb’s history is as a dyer, with expansion into fabric production in 2001 and then in 2005 with the addition of Taylor and Lodge. Now, the group has the ability to sell finished fabric but actually we also sell raw wool top, dyed wool top, space dyed yarn, package dyed yarn, top dyed yarn along the various manufacturing stages of producing fabric."

Weaving an intricate and dazzling group, Bulmer and Lumb Group is ever evolving, helping to drive the textile industry forward. For the last eight years the group has owned the world renowned Taylor and Lodge in Huddersfield. Reputations do not come about by chance. The fame Taylor and Lodge enjoys is built on over a century of experience and a deep appreciation for the methods and skills that go towards producing a superior product. The company has occupied its Rashcliffe Mills factory in Huddersfield, on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, since its founding in 1883. Craftsmanship and well honed skills are essential to the product and it was a pleasure to be able to watch it all unfold in a space that has seen the same processes come together for centuries.

As I walked through and looked on at each process of construction, the balance between old and proven techniques and machinery from various eras since the industrial revolution, really left a lasting impression on me.

Through its careful selection and control of raw materials together with continual investment in the latest equipment, Bulmer and Lumb continue to push textile manufacturing to new heights. These elements ensure that the production processes are amongst the most efficient and balanced in the industry and provide all the essential elements for growth. Edward Waterhouse explains.

"Due to the fact that Bulmer and Lumb dyes its own raw material we are the world leaders in supplying Uniform fabrics, which have mix and match shade repeatability. We can guarantee that a fabric made from a top dyed yarn is the same shade from the 1stmetre to 100,000th metre. This then also lends itself to producing fine worsteds for suiting’s made by Taylor and Lodge, we use yarn from our own range but supplement them with yarn bought in to make a highly sort after fabric collection. With our skilled and experienced design team we can offer individuality to our customers on a made to order basis, differing from the uniform business which is primarily stock based.

Bulmer and Lumb will keep evolving to meet the tough demands of our customers. The blend we offer of our knowledgeable and experienced staff and up to date machinery, I feel we are well placed to increase our sales globally with the sales to new markets important. A point that I must stress is that due to the fact we dye in the UK, we have to adhere to a very strict code of practice of which many around the world will not have to."

The Hare, four swans, ten candles and you

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:44:00 +0000

This spring/summer 14 season sees Mr. Hare reach the landmark of ten collections old. Ten. Collections. Old. We remember our heart skipping a beat the moment our eyes focused on his black beauties in Purest Form for autumn/winter 09 like it was yesterday. Mr. Hare has always a been a work in progress driven by one man's passion and it shows no sign of resting on its well crafted heels. Time has flown by as we've been caught up in Marc Hare's whirlwind. From season to season there is constant evolution and revolution. One step after another, all eyes remain transfixed by Mr. Hare's fancy footwork. Having closely followed the label's continued rise, we're offering two readers the opportunity to be a part of the special occasion at London Collections: Men and to help blow out the candles at his after party this weekend. For a chance to join in with the festivities all you have to do is sign up to their mailing list. Easy. Just hot step and click here.

The craft of... W.T. Johnson & Sons

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:30:00 +0000

"Finishing is the instrumental process between weaving and garment making," Alan Dolly, W.T. Johnson & Son's Technical Manager begins as we embark on an intimate and extensive tour of this Textile Finishers' Bankfield Mills home. Having explored and celebrated the craft of both weaving and garment making across a plethora of previous posts, the world of finishing was wholly unfamiliar until my visit to Huddersfield with Woolmark and Lou Dalton a couple of ago. As London Collection: Men's curtain raising design talent researched the possibilities for spring/summer 14, my eyes were opened to the artistry and alchemy of the finishing touch.

Helping to create unique garments that help distinguish themselves from all others, the finishing process – which invariably dictates the appearance, handle and performance attributes of a fabric – is receiving more attention than ever before. There's no better place to explore these processes than Huddersfield. The history of textile manufacture in England is intricately woven into the history of this town. For over seven hundred years, weavers have been attracted to this area of West Yorkshire by a combination of conditions ideal for sheep grazing and a plentiful supply of soft water streams for washing or scouring wool. By the mid nineteenth century the town had a well established reputation for the manufacture of fine worsteds, fancy tweeds, and woollens and there were several large woollen mills in and around the town. W. T Johnson & Sons was born out of this boom. One of the thriving mills was Glendenning’s where, in 1910, the middle-aged Walter Thomas Johnson arrived at the bold decision to take his skills as Foreman Finisher and set up his own, specialist finishing firm. It would prove to be a wise decision for, within a few decades, the large mills began to close one by one, beaten by cheaper offshore competition. Today, W. T Johnson & Sons is one of four cloth finishers left in Britain. They are a Huddersfield institution and have been on the same site for over one hundred years. "We're the only town in the world that can add value to a bit of fabric by having its name on the edge of the cloth and we're very proud of that," Paul Johnson excitedly exclaimed to Nicholas Crane on a recent episode of the BBC2's TOWN. This pride and passion is infectious.

With unmatched craft skills and expertise having been handed down through four generations of master fabric finishers, from Walter Thomson who started the company in 1910 to Paul and Dan Johnson who continue and evolve its offering, plus a skilled local workforce who today are seeing the business lead the world in the craft of fine fabric finishing. As I hovered over its hive of activity, it was obvious that despite being hugely proud of its heritage, this is a family run company that is constantly striving forward.

"The long term investment in machinery and careful selection of smart innovative machinery gives us a huge range of finishes and possibilities. Added to that we have the luxury of working on most of the wide range of fabrics that the area produces, so we have a very privileged view, and are consistently asked for something more. Hopefully we add value to everything we finish, whether £10/m or £1000/m."

Alan Dolly, Technical Manager at W.T Johnson & Sons.

As I toured the space and bounced from machine to machine, I was amazed by the variety of finishing options. From milling to scouring, decating to drying and cropping, the opportunities to transform cloth are seemingly limitless. "The fact is that there are almost infinite possibilities and the market wants these differences more and more. With the right customer, finishing is recognised as an important part of the design process," explains Alan over the hum of a machine in full momentum. "As a commission business, our customers put a lot of trust in us to deliver and when we suggest and then hand over the finished article to their approval, it is very rewarding." As Lou Dalton's mind raced through her whims and finishing fancies, our senses were treated to a cacophony of sights and sounds, from the traditional wooden scouring dolly to jets, the familiar yet large scale image of tumbling cloth in dryers to the ultra high tech precision of Swiss machinery intricately removing surface fibres.

A cocktail of tradition and technology within the craft of the finishing touch.

From its Bankfield Mills home, W.T Johnson & Sons employs ninety skilled finishers and I was fortunate enough to interact with a few of them. As I happily snapped away I could clearly see their passion. The family ethos of the company‘ if we look after our employees, they’ll look after us,’ quietly echoes throughout the space. The workforce skill-base and perfectionist attitude is an invaluable part of the company’s success and helps to drive their goal to be the world leader in high quality textile finishing. "There is a strange relationship that develops over time between WTJ and the employees," explains Alan Dolly drawing the whistle stop tour to a close. "They clearly learn what is required of them and at the same time are 'looked after' and valued by the company. The work is hard at times and its essential the quality has to be very good. From recent figures thirty two per cent of the workforce have been here more than twenty years!" Has the demographic changed? "Historically textiles generally was a major employer in the area. People were able to find employment in their 'local mill'. We still have a large number of our team living locally, but the industry as an employer is a fraction of what it was in the 60’s and before. Recently we have had some success in convincing younger people that textiles can still offer a career, and have been able to start with hopefully the next crop of expert finishers."

With its insatiable appetite to collaborate in the creation of the finest and most innovative cloth, feeding the imagination of designers like Lou Dalton and exciting the research teams at Woolmark whilst upholding its tradition and investing in its future, W.T. Johnson & Sons offers a welcome reminder that the British manufacturing industry can still thrive.

Style Stalking (Snapshot).... House of Hackney

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Ever since we first peered through Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle's kaleidoscope of printed furnishings and finery a few years ago, we've been transported to lavish landscapes filled with fair florals, marvellous menageries and the fanciest of fantastical flights. Continuing to challenging a minimalist world of beige, House of Hackney's evolving empire of playful prints has seen it open the doors to its East London retail home, an enticing emporium on Shoreditch High Street. As Susie searched the seductive, sensory shake-up of a space, I soon followed and dived into dizzying daydreams, softened by feathers, petals and palm leaves whilst sweetened by candy stripes and eccentricity. As one member of its team built a beautiful bouquet of Wild at Heart blooms wearing a Palmeral printed t-shit (of House of Hackney's soon to be launched menswear offering - stay tuned) and camouflaged by a printed plantation of palms and inked sleeves, I couldn't resist taking a quick snapshot...

House of Hackney's Jay standing outside of the store wearing...
a Palmeral t-shirt and tribal necklace from World Archive at Dover Street Market.
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A swoosh and three lions

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Two weekends have come and gone without an Arsenal game. Two long, enjoyable and stress free weekends but there's been an undeniable void. Non football fans might think I'm weird to admit to this but weekends just don't feel the same without looking forward to Football Focus, anxiously checking live updates and wincing or celebrating (delete as appropriate) through MOTD. Having waved goodbye to another season of consistent inconsistency before dancing into the top four, I have to wait ten more weekends until it starts all over again. Thankfully, there are a few distractions, the odd sporting appetite whetter and they rarely get any odder than international friendlies. The white noise emitted from the media fanfare, egos ricocheting across the pitch and fans chanting the likes of "I'm England till I die" and "Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerrrland" to the beat of an ever over enthusiastic band. As England gained two relatively insignificant draws agains Republic of Ireland and Brazil, there was one significant change on show and it was an aesthetic one. Nike had rolled up its socks and effortlessly tackled kit design duties from Umbro. To mark the occassion, the sportswear giant tweaked two of its ow icons to encapsulate the story of one hundred and fifty years of English football heritage. With sartorial nods going back to the birth of the Football Association and the beautiful game itself, Nike unveiled the limited edition England NSW Destroyer and England Nike Air Max 1 iD. Thanks to the generous folk at Nike and Exposure I am one of the lucky few to sport them...

England NSW Destroyer worn with...

silk shirt by Tim Soar (with a football badge worn as a button) and cropped trousers by Christophe Lemaire.

Since its introduction in 2006, the Destroyer jacket has become one of Nike's most recognised pieces. Staying true to its varsity jacket roots, it is often a beautiful blend of sports heritage with youth cultures from practically every decade since the 50s. With the first letterman jacket being designed for an imaginary team called the Dunk High Destroyers, the latest brings hope to national football's great underachievers and is suitably drunk on detailing. The addition of rich English heritage design cues including sleeves and pocket trims crafted from the finest rainproof British Millerain waxed cotton, subtle embroidery and embellishment, four bespoke gold pin badges – a star, an England Crest, a patch crest and vintage football - that represent the past and present for an additional level of personalisation and play. For a closer look of the gold pin badges I photographed detail shots on my Subbuteo pitch...

Detail shots of the pin badges.

Some have already been appropriated in to my everyday wardrobe and have been used to replace missing buttons.

On the subject of everyday wardrobe, the special edition England Nike Air Max 1 iD have confidently stepped in to my uniform. It is a NIKEiD customisation of one of the most famous footwear styles. Since 1987 the Air Max 1 silhouette has transcended its running origins to become a wardrobe staple for a myriad of subcultures in England and beyond. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the shoe turned things inside out and blew our minds by making the invisible visible, exposing the world to Nike Air. I've not worn a bubble since I was fourteen years old. It feels right returning to the original. This understated black-on-black version features discreet details that once again reference the history and culture of football in England. Linking to the NSW Destroyer Jacket, a gold star has been embroidered onto the back of the shoe while the eyelet features in bold red, in honour of the St. Georgeʼs Cross. They are perfect...

England Nike Air Max 1 iD worn with cropped trousers by Christophe Lemaire

"Catch me if you can

'Cause I'm the England man

And what you're looking at

Is the master plan"

Spring is sprung

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 17:55:00 +0000

For a week or two last summer the usual fanfare that follows a fresh season faded to insignificance. A quiet hush descended upon the the industry as all eager eyes were firmly fixed upon Raf Simons who presented his spring/summer 13 menswear collection for his eponymous label and introduced his vision to Dior in the space in just a few days. Everything changed in an instant. The fog of apprehension that hovered over the Twittersphere was duly replaced with a sunrise of reverence and appreciation. Held breath was released with exclamation. Brushing off the weight of expectation from his well defined shoulders, the poetic, elegant, and free-thinking designer dazzled, delighted and ultimately delivered. Commentators who were all prepared to compare and contrast his work with that of other talents (*cough*Hedi*cough*) were forced to rip up their notes and were left with tired necks from never-ending nods and stinging hands from ceaseless clapping. The culmination of two game changing shows saw Simons float off through the troposphere, past the stratosphere and into the Raf-osphere. He's in a world of his own and what an inviting world it is.

As he marked a momentous new chapter by adding his delicate touch and energy to the codes of a House rich in history, he first returned, renewed and reinvigorated his own roots in another. Soundtracked by Nevermind, Raf Simons’ eponymous spring/summer 13 collection was both masculine yet feminine, familiar yet fresh, dark yet delicate. As Cobain’s cries faded out to silence, the designer’s menswear manifesto loomed large in the memory. It was a moment. A moment that didn’t go unnoticed by MRPORTER.COM’s Senior Buyer Terry Betts who proclaimed, “Raf’s use of colour and Kurt Cobain-inspired grunge florals combined to make his SS13 show one of our favourites.” With the online retailer unveiling exclusive collections with Ami, Beams Plus and Alexander Wang, the addition of Simons to the collaborative cocktail mad it an all too inviting mix for me. Adding to the collection’s original vase of beautiful blooms, this creative coming together welcomes uniquely-painted watercolour florals which have been used to transform staples of formalwear and sportswear. It is my kind of collaboration. Knowing its customer, the online emporium focussed its gaze on one enticing facet and elaborated upon in it beautifully. The thirteen piece capsule collection that blossomed online this week and I couldn't resist adding a couple of pieces to my wardrobe to help force a spring in the step of the new season...

Short sleeved shirt and t-shirt both Raf Simons exclusives for MR.PORTER.COM worn with...

jogging bottoms by Baartmans & Siegel and trainers by Nike.

Simons' frequently and fruitfully taps into a collective consciousness that plays with collective memories of images and sounds. Each season is a sensory shake-up that mixes past, present and future. The delicate water colour florals do just that. They are polaroid promises of bouquets long given, the scent of wild flowers waiting to waft by and blossoming blooms just picked. Take my hand and stroll through the detail shots below...

The exclusive capsule collection is available on MR.PORTER.COM now.
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Come on the Owls!

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:32:00 +0000

“I'm not going to lie, I have always wanted to design football kits. Especially like the best ones that I remember from the 90s," Sam Cotton confesses. Having dazzled, delighted and most importantly developed over the last three Topman sponsored MAN within London Collections: Men, the print princes of Agi&Sam have had this long held design dream realised by their long term supporter. In a couple of weeks, the design duo's colourful collection for Topman lands in store. With football kits at its heart, a twenty piece collection soon evolved to befit a sporting superstar and add a little much needed excitement to the high street.

"Gordon (Richardson) approached us after our spring/summer 13 show backstage and said 'we need to do something soon'. We thought it was him being his general lovely self, but then when we got an email from him actually confirming a meeting, we were pretty flabbergasted. We went in to see him and the team with Lulu Kennedy holding our hands. The team basically said they would love to do something with us, and explained how they wanted a full collection. We then basically went away after they had said design anything you like. So we were thinking of trying to produce something different to Topman and different to us, but in keeping with our ethos and style. 90's football kits just popped into our heads one day and we bashed out a load of designs, along with a tailored collection that fits beside it.

We wanted to produce that something that first and fore mostly wouldn't alienate our brand and our buyers from our main collection, so this needed to look different. We decided to revert back to our early forms of Agi&Sam and make it quite a youthful collection. Also range planning was alot different, as well as consolidating the prints to a small range. It needed to be concise."

The result is a collection that manages to balance their house signature with paying careful consideration to the Topman customer. A sensory shake-up that makes perfect sense. Approached at a time when the capital was in the midst of Olympic fever, the idea that sportswear kept creeping into their majestic minds should come as no surprise. Their pick of sporting era to focus on might be to some but not to the boys who lived through it. The football fanatic Sam explains:

"When you think of moments in football in the 90's you can picture the scene, remember the player, see the kit. For me, even when you see those kits now those memories come flooding back in a Pavlovian fashion. Now all the kits from the last 7 years have blurred into one for each team and though technically brilliant, it's a shame. Something has been lost and we wanted to return to it.

I loved the period of kits from 90-92, these were the best kits personally. Kits like the JVC Arsenal Navy and Yellow, the Chelsea away Grey and Orange Kit, or the Sharp Blue and White United Kit were all amazing. Plus the keeper kits were incredible, there was an amazing editorial by one of Agi's mates for Green Soccer Journal we found recently with all the old 90's keeper kits folded into poses from the famous keepers in those kits. Again this brings me back to those Pavlovian memories, I can literally see those keepers making those saves and remember most of the games. You could never do that now."

"Growing up my hero in football was definitely David Beckham, continues Sam proudly without hesitation. "I actually met him in LA at a dinner last year and literally lost my shit. Agi had to come and rescue me." Stepping into rescue Sam once more, Agi Mdumulla saves his design partner from any needless awkwardness by adding his own far more embarrassing experience - being a Spurs supporter. "I used to be a big Tottenham fan when I was younger, my bedroom at home still has Tottenham wallpaper. So my heroes were Chris Armstrong, Teddy Sheringham... and lets throw in a curve ball... Stan Collymore,"Agi winks and laughs with that admission before Sam takes over once more and introduces the collection.

"The muse for all of our collections have always been quite weird, we've said before that the Agi&Sam man was a confident ladies man with a slight problem with alcohol. Even though this was a joke, when we decided on George Best for this Topman collection, it took about 3 months to realise we had subconsciously picked this man exactly. We didn't delve that deeply, we got drunk a few times designing the collection but that's about as far as we went to living the George Best dream."

As you're dazzled and delighted by the Luke Stephenson shot look book, you should notice a familiar feathered friend flap throughout. With eggshell, feathers and the birds of prey themselves all featuring, there can be little doubt that the team's mascot is an owl. But why? Sam explains once more.

"Well, when we first started the brand it took us about six months to name it. One of the names floating around was 'The Owls' as Agi bloody loves Owls. Then after we established the branding and art direction for Agi&Sam we noticed an Owls face in our font logo branding. This then become a logo and we've worked with this from the beginning. I then started designing a kit badge around the logo and just thought it would be a great to build it all around this. Then came the prints, nesting, feathers, owls etc. It all kind of tied in."

Designed to make us run faster, jump higher and look cooler - we should all be fans of the Owls. Despite being drenched in nostalgia, the collection feels decidedly fresh. The reason is that we are seeing this time through Agi&Sam's kaleidoscope of clashing prints and refined tailoring. Pressing their playful prism to this golden era of kit design and encompassing their early footballing heroes and memories, it rekindled some of my own. Given the wistful whiff that exudes from the collection's moodboard, I couldn't resist taking a closer look at the designs with the help of a few of my old favourite finger flicked friends. Now, I spent countless hours begging my parents to iron the theatre of daydreams that was my Subbuteo pitch. Games could be decided by an opportunistic tackle and intervention, not from an opponent but from a crease. Many more hours were spent replaying monumental moments from matches meticulously memorized. Commentary and all. 'Time is running out in this derby game. Arsenal need to do something soon to avoid a stalemate. Seaman throws it out to Dixon, Dixon carries the ball forward, spots the run of Limpar who controls well and bursts into the box with pace before taking a tumble. Penalty...' Starring my Subbuteo Art figures and the latest set I use pieces from Agi&Sam's collection for Topman as my pitch for a spot of fun-filled extra time.

The collections kicks off at Topman on 4th June.

Treasured items... Dan Thawley

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:13:00 +0000

Whilst so many publications concern themselves with fleeting scenes from the conveyor belt of fashion, A Magazine Curated By pauses before prospecting a creative's personality, propelling their whims and fancies. It is a course of clear, cultivated curation. Each issue is a collaboration between its editor and a talent that we long to hear from. The debut issue was curated by that intriguing enigma Martin Margiela back in 2004, the latest by Stephen Jones and we've explored the mind's of Yohji Yamamoto, Haider Ackermann, Kris Van Assche and the Mulleavy sisters to name just an inspiring handful. When you open its pages, time stops and explorations begins. As each is full of moments to treasure we couldn't resist asking its editor Dan Thawley to reveal his own cherished item in a spot of show and tell. Here, the currently Paris based Australian nomad averts his gaze from scanning all manner of cultural realm, focuses on his wrist watch and narrates its tale.

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Dan Thawley and the ticking memory

"It's my pa's Omega Seamaster Quartz watch. He'd wear it sitting listening to the radio in his den, sipping a beer with his two dogs at his feet. He died before I was 10 years old, and I was given it just after the funeral with an engraving on the underside dedicated to me. Wearing a watch can seem a little superfluous in today's digital society - but I try to wear it a few times a week - particularly at night. It's a very slim, sleek watch and I like the size of the band - it falls down the wrist just enough. I think it's the most masculine jewellery one can wear." Dan Thawley

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Tools of the trade... Charlie Casely-Hayford

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:28:00 +0000

Three weekends ago I descended the wooden steps deep inside Hostem's emporium of menswear treasures and curiosities and stepped into its world of bespoke and made-to-measure. Dimly lit to add a sense of intimate occasion and encourage daydreams of discovery, the store's Chalk Room shines its spotlight on cherished craftsmanship, housing an array of handpicked artisanal brands that have the store's signature bubbling in their veins. Masterfully mixed in the craft cocktail of Globe-Trotter, Fleet Ilya, Sebastian Tarek and JAMESPLUMB, Casely-Hayford realise sartorial dreams. As I was measured, pinned and dazzled by the choice of fabrics and finishes on offer, I couldn't help but take an interest in Charlie's pin cushion. Here he tells us the story behind it.

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Charlie Casely-Hayford and his mum's pin cushion...

"Originally, this belonged to my Mum. I remember it vividly from when I was super young, but it seemed a lot bigger back then. Growing up in my parent's design studio, it always sat in the same place on the cutting table... whether I was 5 or 10 years old and even into my teenage years. Even though it's quite a common pin cushion, it's so distinctive and I like the fact that it's always been there throughout my life. It only felt right to start using it myself when we started offering made-to measure suits earlier this year. Whenever I'm fitting someone and see those little guys staring up at me, it always gives me a weird sense of reassurance." Charlie Casely-Hayford.

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LCF BA Showcase.... Patrick Um

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:42:00 +0000

"When I was interning at Duckie Brown in New York I watched a lot of Korean dramas in the evening and one of my favourites was set in an emergency room," London College of Fashion BA soon-to-be-graduate Patrick Um explains in his soft but excited manner. As we stand in his adopted East London home-turned-studio, surrounded by all manner of analytical artifacts and his colourful clothes, excitement echoes throughout the cosy space. "It was at a time when my mind began to wander through various subjects for my final collection," he admits before dashing off for a moment and returning with a cup of coffee. "To be honest I struggled to choose one and it was only when I was relaxing that the idea came to me as I watched the drama. I was intrigued by the instruments and intensity of the hospital." Now, the mere mention of the words 'hospital' and 'surgery' can be enough to encourage daydreams of dread, an aura of anxiety giving way to despair but Um pressed his stethoscope to the clinical, cold body of the theatre room and his eager ear tuned in to a different beat. A remix of function and fun, a chromatic concerto of capsules, contraptions, confections, cures and curiosities.

Having interned for the colourful crew of Cassette Playa, Trine Lindegaard, Peter Jensen, Gareth Pugh and most recently Duckie Brown, it was obvious that this emerging talent would avoid the obvious. "I intentionally refrained from making the collection too cold and chic. I wanted to create my own complete version of a surgeon's uniform, presenting them from top to toe in my own way." The grey, sterile and muted world of the surgeon is transformed under Um's skilfully wielded scalpel.

The patient's charts. A look inside Patrick Um's research portfolio.

Undressing and redressing the surgeon, the surgeon's uniform is translated into boyish, playful, contemporary menswear. This is a collection that revels in the beauty of details, both the familiar and the fantastical (tweezers as clip fastenings, an inspired idea!). From head to toe, garments reference and evolve from specific details from the workwear. Back loop fastenings, tight cuff bands and special seam closures are just a vinyl gloved handful of details that are stitched in to the final collection. With prints rich in the iconography of the trade carefully balanced experimental constructions and textiles, a precise yet playful beauty is achieved. The resulting garments are drenched in designed details just longing to be discovered but it is the nine prints that instantly capture this viewer's imagination.

"This is the first time that I've created my own prints. It's a difficult process but one that I very much enjoyed and would like to explore further." The prints were initially inspired by Damien Hirst's Pharmacy Restaurant. I searched the Internet and scanned images of medicines before rearranging them to create intricate and colourful designs. Medicines can be beautiful."

Are you ready for your prescription? Dr. Um's team will see you now...

Look book images courtesy of Patrick Um, detail shots our own.

Having watched on in awe as surgeons performed intricate miracles on Korean television and rifled through Damien Hirst's medicine cabinets, Patrick Um manages to inject his own emotion in to the emotionless, add warmth to the cold and bring life to the quiet. If only we could peer through this emerging talent's kaleidoscope every time we visited the doctors surgery, accident and emergency or anything else for that matter.

Reintroducing... Nicomede Talavera

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:54:00 +0000

"For me, inspiration will always come from what I see around me. It has to be grounded in reality," Nicomede Talavera explains as he unveils his portfolio and takes me into the carefully crafted world of his MA collection. "I'm drawn to subcultures, youth movements and ultimately street wear." For his final foray with Central Saint Martins, Talavera looked to the sartorial sights of his childhood home of Hounslow, West London. Delighting in detail, playing with proportion and teasing textural treats, his nine models of majestic monochrome modernity marked an enthralling end in one sense and a breathtaking beginning in another. Waving a fond goodbye with hand and an excited hello with the other.

Regular readers will be familiar with this emerging talent. From featuring his accomplished first capsule collection back in October 2009, we've watched on with interest as he honed his talent, cultivated a still fruitful collaboration with Eastpak and bounced from Central Saint Martins BA to blossom on the MA course. Inspired by tailored sportswear, Talevera's signature balance of playful with functional to create detail rich staples has continued to offer an exciting take on the now. Ultimately, under the sharp spotlight of Louise Wilson's gaze, his is a talent that has been examined and encouraged.

"During the MA, you really think about who you are a designer. One of the first questions they ask you is, 'who do you sit next to in stores, who are your competitors?' It's about finding your own signature whilst knowing your market and having an in dea about your customer. It was so refreshing to think like this.

When I began my pre-collection in July, it was far too conceptual. Louise advised that I should be doing something relevant, something real. She told me to open my eyes and get out of the library and on to the streets so that's what I did. I grew up in a particularly multicultural area of Hounslow. It was the norm to see boys in long dress-like-shirts and styling them up in their own way. I didn't see it as unusual or different because it was a common sight. During the research process I spent more time at home and I began to notice my surroundings with a fresher eye. I was captivated by the teenage boys that stood just outside of my local mosque. It was just the coolest sight. With Louise's advice still ringing in my eyes, the sight felt relevant, it felt very now. I then began to research it more. I have a good friend who is Muslim and I asked him to take me to his local area, I wanted to get a bit closer to the culture i East London. When we went round, I took photographs of their attire. I was particularly interested in the silhouettes and collated a vast number of images. It was inspiring to examine their layers, begin to understand the proportions."

"We saw subtle differences between the areas and between different age groups. In Hounslow it is more traditional whilst in East London it involved far more sportswear, whilst the younger boys appeared more westernised. The shots were all taken discreetly on my iPhone. A little sneaky. However, I was conscious of being as respectful as possible. I was genuinely inspired by them. I've actually had quite a few Muslim friends and acquaintances say that they love the collection and said that it's beautiful for what it is, that for me, is hugely rewarding to hear.

Everything is based on proportion and there are certain rules on length and coverage. For example, trousers tend to finish above the ankle, their Awrah has to be covered. It's interesting to see how these rules are followed as more western styles of dress are mixed in with them, for example the appropriation of sportswear.

I noticed extremely sharp creases and the sharp lines of their boys attire in general. From these observations I looked to the to the work of Elsworth Kelly, Lucio Fontana's slashed canvases and further afield for additional inspiration."

"Previously I used to work by sketching and sketching but for the MA collection, I put my pencil down and collated imagery. Louise identified my strength in pattern cutting and encouraged to sample much sooner than I had done previously." From sneaky iPhone street style snaps to toiling and sampling, Talavera collated, refined, questioned, tweaked and refined the collection. Every detail was scrutinised. Anything superflous removed.

"I began to see the story unfold and develop in monochrome. Initially the collection had a more colourful palette, there were a number of iridescent colours, a real mix but it felt a lot fresher when we honed the monochrome selection. It enabled the focus to be on cut, proportion, finishings and all those other details that tend to get overlooked. It focuses the eye. The primary fabric is corduroy. Not many people notice that on first look. It's super fine corduroy. I also part bonded lurex with suiting fabric. It was all about mixing the traditional with the contemporary, the expected with the unexpected."

As we sat in an East London coffee house and Talavera flicked through his portfolio a highly edited and considered collection took shape before my eyes...

From the superfine cord to the layers and unexpected hems, Talavera's collection treats the eye to a variety of lines and is a happy marriage of the traditional with the contemporary. "As it is such a minimal collection, I really thought about each detail and the finish." There is nothing to hide behind, this is a collection that proudly stands tall. "The journey of the MA has been amazing. I'm so thankful that I received the AHRC scholarship, without it I wouldn't have been able to go on the course. Once on the course, they made me think about everything. They pushed me and made the collection as tight as possible."

Having shown great promise over the last five years, after being pushed and pushing himself, Talavera is now a talent that has fully arrived. I finish by asking him what he'd like to do next. "As soon as I finished the course I said that I wanted a break but a few weeks later I feel that I've worked so hard to build something and really enjoy designing so want to see what happens with the label." As he turns the page to finish one chapter, Nicomede Talavera is now poised to fill the blank pages with all manner of exciting narrative. I can't wait to see his story unfold on a larger stage.

Treasured Items... Tim Sturmheit

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:21:00 +0000

From riding the month long conveyor belt that connects all of the major fashion capitals to scouring backstreets beyond the beaten track, oki-ni's Tim Sturmheit's mission is to unearth all manner of future treasures. It is a task he relishes and revels in. Casting an ever inquisitive eye across the menswear spectrum, the buyer has to feed the appetite of an ever growing army of discerning customers. With the likes of McQueen, Raf and Undercover sitting alongside J.W, Kenzo, Shannon, Our Legacy all manner of exclusive product, oki-ni is a veritable feast.

Having just returned from a buying expedition to Tokyo where he was dazzled by Ikat prints in the master-piece showroom, visited the new Thom Browne store and admired the colourful photography work of Paul Smith, we couldn't resist buying him a well deserved a pint and asking him to partake in a quick spot of show and tell. Here, Sturmheit rifles through his master-piece backpack and tells us the tales behind his most cherished items.

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Tim Sturmheit and personalised fruits of game changing commerce...

"This Thom Browne cardigan is a relatively recent addition to my wardrobe but is one that I'm sure I'll keep forever. For spring/summer 13 we gave customers the opportunity to pre-order a range of exclusive show pieces, direct from Thom Browne's Paris Fashion Week presentation. The concept was that customers could see the product from the show, we then went to the Thom Browne showroom and styled it all and people could buy it the very next day. Each piece had the customers name added to label to make each piece that bit more special. It was amazing to be involved in a project like that. You're working with really interesting people, it's a great brand that you wouldn't ordinarily have such access to and you're offering one-off pieces. When I went to Tokyo last week and visited the new Thom Browne store there and the PR Manager was there and it was so difficult to even take a few pictures for the blog. Also, he admitted that he had to buy a few pieces through us rather than from Thom Browne directly.

For me, Thom Browne is an inspiring label. From his amazing runway shows to beautiful made product, both wearable and crazy pieces, it's all about building a brand. It's a big company in terms of monetary value but there are relatively few steps to get to Thom, it enables you to do these types of projects and I'm sure there will be more in the future. One of my favourite aspects of my job is working on special projects like this, coming up with new ideas and developing relationships. It worked really well both commercially and from a press perspective."

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....and the Thai travel tees

"I picked these t-shirts up when I went travelling. I did the 'just finished college but wanted to do something before I went to Uni trip' and went on a Cambodia and Vietnam trek with one of my friends and then lived in Thailand for six months teaching in a school. It was great. I spent most of my time playing with little kids who couldn't really understand me anyway so I have no idea how much I was actually teaching them but it was fun. I used to spend two or three hours a day teaching and the rest of my time was spent lying in my hammock or exploring the area. On your travels you see lots of street stalls. At the time I was in to vintage clothes, I had lots of old Adidas tracksuits from the 70s and 80s and I used to hunt things down all over the country and I wanted to collect something whilst travelling. Also, I went through a phase of buying a TinTin t-shirt from every country or significant place that I went to but I've ended up losing everything single one of them. It was quite a challenge because I'd go to places that had no idea what or who I was talking about. I wanted to do something similar on this trip. You can't pick up too many things on the move when you need to travel quote light so I decided on t-shirts. I'd often lost the t-shirts I had brought with me anyway because it was so hot and they could be forgotten at parties. I bought about fifteen all together and came home with around five. I'd never throw them away now, I just have them to kick about in. I can't really fit in to them but they remind me of a great experience. Each has a memory of where I picked them up, if and how I bartered with them for the price, they're fun." Tim Sturmheit

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Trine Lindegaard AW13

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:45:00 +0000

Peering through Trine Lndegaard's ever dazzling prism of print, colour and texture, you could be forgiven for merely admiring her lighthearted and playful approach to menswear but you would be missing a hidden beauty. Beyond the embellishment, deeper than the innovative textile techniques and behind the beaming smiles, there's so much more to discover. There's a substantial seriousness, honesty and integrity past the fanfare. For me, that's the real beauty of her work. This weekend I delved past the showy surface by dropping by her East London home-turned-studio.

"I'm really inspired by working with different people and growing relationships," Lindegaard purrs as she quietly but excitedly introduces her autumn/winter 13 collection. "It's important that the relationships are beneficial for all parties involved, they need something out of it, more than simple commerce." In her spring/summer 13 collection, we were introduced to the first harvest from the carefully cultivated relationship with West African textile artisans and manufacturers. To this kaleidoscope of Kente which has been explored and developed even further, the passionate talent adds equally colourful and intricate textiles from the Ivory Coast and embellishment hand embroidered by prisoners here in the UK. It is a heady and heart warming mix. In some hands such a combination could jar but in Lindegaard's it's an intriguing and inspiring ménage à trois of craftsmanship.

Entitled Happiness, the collection is firmly rooted in the embroidery of Fine Cell Work, a social enterprise that trains prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework undertaken in the long hours spent in their cells. Up until my last chat with the Danish born, Dalston based designer, I had no idea that in prisons all across the UK, inmates are filling their hours embroidering highly-crafted cushions, bags, pictures and patchwork quilts. Lindegaard explains:

"They've been around for fifteen years or so, they do amazing cross stitching with prisoners. Wonderful work. Their lives are so basic and Fine Cell Work offer a distraction, a purpose and the opportunity to discover a more constructive and reflective side to themselves. As you'd expect all of the guys are young and tough but they hand embroider cushions and are in complete awe of their teaching aunties, the volunteers from the Embroiderers and Quilters Guild. It's so strange and surprising. I've visited a group at Wandsworth and it is such a rewarding experience going in to the prison and seeing their pride and excitement in what they're doing. It's refreshing and I'm pleased to be a part of it.

Right from the very beginning I wanted the inmates to be part of the process. I wanted it to be really free for them. The first workshop centred around happiness and I wanted it to come from their point of view, evolve out of their interests which are so mixed."

The work and interests of one inmate in particular, Ziga, a keen painter, helped inspire the collection. For someone confined to such a small cell, cut off from the outside world, his sketches were amazingly imaginative. Naive yet confident. Familiar yet surreal. Uplifting yet a little dark. "It was love at first sight," Lindegaard fondly recalls and she strokes an embroidered bleeding heart that now adorns one of her sweatshirts but was dreamed up by Ziga. Developing elements of this artwork, working closely with the talented Jessica Ball from Yours Sustainably for the first samples and integrating the embroidery work with the developed African textiles, autumn/winter 13 is a colourful concerto. Listen with your eyes below...

My own detail shots alongside...
sketchbook shots from Trine and look book photography by Ivona Chrzastek.

"At the beginning of the season I wanted there to be an obvious link between the continuation of the work with Kente and the introduction of the embroidered pieces with Fine Cell Work but logistically that was quite difficult. In a way, I like that I don't have complete control. It's the same with the work that comes from Africa when I was working from London, sending images and notes which were sometimes lost in translation. For examples the colours at times differ wildly from what I had envisaged because of how my sketches have been printed out over there but it's fun! I'm going to Ghana next month though which will help push things forward. This initial work has remained quite traditional but having just had a little dialogue with them and researching it from here, I'm beginning to realise just how varied and detailed they can be. So we will really push it next season, I'm very excited."

Trine Lindegaard is always excited and with good reason. Always pushing and hungry to learn, season on season we are treated to a surprising evolution. Whilst savouring this collection, our excitement for the next enthralling stage is already beginning to grow.

Weekend Reading... ARTICLE

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:05:00 +0000

After many months of whispers flavoured with excitement, hopes and daydreams, the inaugural issue of ARTICLE landed on my desk this week. Following two years of planning and development, the handsome publication became a reality thanks to potential readers pledging their support with Unbound. Intrigued by Creative Director and Fashion Director Kenny Ho's passion and support for all things British, the growing community put their money where their interest was and a new bi-annual was born.

"We aim to share the things which we believe make Britain great: art, design, culture, entertainment and contemporary men’s fashion, explored from unique, intensely personal perspectives by our team of writers, photographers and creatives," Kenny Ho explains. A seemingly simple aim that the first issue sets off to explore in earnest. Whereas John Holt's excellent LAW mag depicts a neglected, gritty, dark soap opera of an urban landcape, Kenny Ho along with art director Rosy Tsai choose to examine a very different side of British culture but manage to do so in an equally refreshing way. Over one hundred sixteen page of advert free, design rich pages, its debut journey sets off on a Tweed Run, enjoys a tea break with renowned tailor Timothy Everest to hear his take on the future of menswear, delves deep in to the intricate work of Bermondsey-based leather artisan Oliver Ruuger and finds time to collaborate with artist and architect Heidi Locher on a series of evocative photographic images. Dip your toe its inviting waters below...

Right from the very first page, ARTICLE sets off down its own well cultivated path. The launch issue is a considered and well researched trip through British craftsmanship, design and culture. This is only the beginning.

Details... Kente Kaleidoscope

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:15:00 +0000

There might have been a time when Trine Lindegaard's colourful cocktail of a spring/summer 13 collection left me intimidated No longer. I'm obsessed by its combination of traditionally hand weaved Kente, technical mesh and knits. After a recent trip to Other / Shop I teamed up her Rubino t shirt with a sheer, short sleeved white shirt from U - Handmade in England.

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The wizardry of the white shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:58:00 +0000

"When I put on a white shirt, it's the same feeling as getting in to crisp, fresh sheets at night. I just feel good," explained Tom Ford on his love of the freshly starched and gleaming component of his familiar uniform. Whether you wear your daily pick from a wardrobe full, rediscover a neglected old favourite lurking behind a blue Bengal striped number or unearth the sartorial holy grail that is the perfect blend of weight, size, cut and fabric, there's no denying the transformative, medicinal even, qualities of the white shirt. Dressed up or down, personalised or homogeneous, masterfully minimal or captivating complex, there's no denying that a clean white shirt has the ability to make you feel good. Few understand this better, explore its virtues as virtuously or push the medium further than palmer//harding.

There are countless incarnations of double act, but in all cases the sum is markedly different from its parts. Since its accomplished debut in September 2011, palmer//harding have created men's and women's collections that encompass the combined aesthetic, passion, skill and international experience of the design duo. It is a double act that revels and excels in the realms of duality. Simple yet complex. Restrained yet free. Traditional yet innovative. It is all to easy to encounter semantic opposition when discussing this dynamic duo. The clashing yet complimentary design dynamic and the pair's continuous questioning of the other that pushes palmer//harding forward and elevates the humble shirt in the process. "We're geeks when it comes to shirts and construction," admitted Matthew Harding on my last visit to their Rickmansworth based studio. "The shirt itself is grounded in menswear, there's so much tailoring heritage in there. Every facet of the shirt has slowly evolved from sleeve heads to gauntlets and we want to be part of that. With our menswear especially it is all about finding the right balance between something that feels new and innovative whilst feeling familiar and able to slot in to a wardrobe and be enjoyed for some time."

For spring/summer13, palmer//harding offer ten shirts for men and flexing their muscles of expertise while printing their menswear manifesto using their alphabet of sharp stitches, considered collars and stirring shapes. "We wanted to keep the definition of what our menswear is," added Levi Palmer before a united declaration of "we're not interested in saying something in one hundred looks when it can be said in just ten." There's a succinct balance in the edit but each piece flows to the next and continues the thread of the the label's narrative. Each quietly drunk on detail. As their Cotton USA sponsored blank canvas comes alive with the label's enthralling tale, I couldn't resist the urge to add one of their shirts to my library. Throwing my arms in to the crisp cotton, enveloping myself in the bright light, I am reborn. I had found my holy grail.

My piece of palmer//harding spring/summer 13
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When did you last take a hit from the feel good sartorial stalwart that is the white shirt?

Introducing... Itokawa Film

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:50:00 +0000

"I was in Milan, he was in London, in the middle of the night we were e-mailing each other weird digital images," explains menswear designer Samuel Membery as he introduces us to the collaborative creative that is Itokawa Film. "What began as an odd form of late night communication evolved in to a competition between the two of us. We pushed each other to create the most interesting piece of digital art we could and ultimately in to the debut capsule collection of menswear, art and accessories." Working for a design house in Milan, these late night exchanges were an escape for both himself and close friend James Ari King. "I've know James since Uni. He's a bit of a lunatic and I was drawn to him. I've always been amazed by his work and have wanted to work him in some capacity for a while." In Itokawa Film they've found the perfect outlet. With Internet hackers as their shared muse, the two disciplines of menswear design and visual art collide beautifully.

From embarrassing governments to forcing corporations to their knees, providing illegal lols to saving the world from evil geniuses, the whims and fancies of an Internet hacker are varied. Few create capsule collections of menswear, art and accessories. "After many months of creating images – we must have made over 500 images, we sifted, organised and manipulated them even more. We eventually decided that what we were making was basically hacker art." I can't help but think of the tagline of the mid-nighties classic 'Hackers', 'Their only crime was curiosity'. Following months of electronic exchanges, the design duo had entered a current of curiosity and emerged as one with a sensory and sartorial shake-up. Rather than destroy or disrupt, these hackers sought to create. Together the dazzling duo want to infiltrate your mind, wardrobes and walls.

Despite the quick fire early evolution, Itokawa Film’s collection is far from rushed. There’s a real care to the production as Membery explains: "All the t-shirts are digitally printed and made in Italy. All the screen prints are hand printed by us in the studio in Dalston, whilst the bags are handmade by us in the studio and then they will be made in the UK." As we stand in their shared studio in Dalston, the lasting remnants of their insular and addictive pursuit flicker on the rails and walls. Do not adjust your screens and dive in to the collection.

Our own detail shots alongside Itokawa Film's look book shots by James Ari King and film by Francesco Petroni.

Itokawa Film is very much a collective that orbits around the energy of Sam and James. "We’re both inspired by similar things, mostly apocalyptic stories. We kind of think of ourselves as some sort of brand for the apocalypse." Readying myself for the apocalypse, I draw the interview to a close by asking him about the future plans of Itokawa Film? "For it to evolve into a lifestyle brand with a very unique take on things. We’re going to be working with different music producers, some furniture designers, sunglasses companies and shoemakers. Then in June 2013 I’m launching my solo menswear line under “Film”. Itokawa is James, and Film is me, and when we combine, it’s Itokawa Film." This is only the beginning for the ever evolving collective. Are you sitting comfortably? The show is about to start.

LCF MA Showcase... Antonia Lloyd

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:54:00 +0000

"Fun and functional" is how Antonio Lloyd succinctly describes her MA graduate collection. Casting our ever eager eye across the ocean of creative talent that is LCF, we were quickly drawn to her confident display of sartorial trickery and for us, there's so much more that can be said about this accomplished collection. Having had the pleasure of chatting through her colourfully crafted rail days before the show at London Fashion Week in the capacity of my day job at i-D, I couldn't resist delving a little deeper here.

As artfully as a board slices through surf and as skilfully as trucks glide along a rail, her work balanced and blurred the world's of tailoring and contemporary sportswear. It was the epitome of smart-casual built around the emerging talent's love of surf culture. "I learnt to surf when I was 11 and have grown up in the age of Kelly Slater. I read his autobiography and learnt about the surfers who influenced him. Through documentaries I learnt that although the art of surfing has been around for many years the real shift in to professional competition happened around this time. 'Bustin’ Down the Door' and 'Dogtown and Z-Boys' are reflective documentaries about the era." Looking to the true pioneers of skating and surfing from the 1970s, Lloyd glided through the crashing waves of Hawaii and zipped across the dry pools of Santa Monica with a soundtrack of T. Rex and Iggy and the Stooges blasting from her headphones. From the beach to the boardwalk, inspiration was everywhere. "The year before I started the Masters I visited Australia," explains LLoyd. "I found Sydney to be inspirational, my experience of the city was one that embraced an outdoor and active life style with a city career. I wanted to try and emulate this in a collection."

Despite fondly looking back, Lloyd's collection managed to feel as fresh and as exciting one of the majestic mavericks taming a bomb wave. Building on her internship experience at Ozwald Boateng, J.W. Anderson, Tim Soar, E. Tautz and T.Lipop along with her time at LCF, the emerging design talent created hybrid garments that focused on design for function. "I always want to be able to explain why something is the way it is. I like to design for function as well as aesthetics so I need to know why a seam is finished a certain way over another. There are lots of rules in menswear, I believe these need to be understood before you can go on to design your own thing."

"Ultimately, I didn’t want to produce a collection that resembled costume; it was important that it not look gimmicky but instead have references to sportswear of the 1970’s. Skate and surf footage both amateur and professional, enabled me to establish the needs of an athlete whilst performing. Functionality of the garments was most important and I approached much of the designing like that of product design, first identifying needs then designing to fore fill them." From ingenius paddle panelling that enabled 360 degree movement to shirting that mixed a duo of hardy denims, waterproof board shorts to backbacks full of jungle life thanks to a Stephanie Webb print, the garments floated in a sea of delicious details. None are superflous. These are details born from the dreams and demands of her muses.

Catwalk shots courtesy of LCF. All others by Stephanie Sian Smith.

"I was inspired by the attitude of guys like Jay Adams and Ian Cairns. What you have to remember is that all these guys were very young, mid teens early twenties, they truly were going against mainstream by trying to make a career out of their sports, that must of taken some serious self belief." Much like a talented graduate paddling out in to the waters of the unknown. Has any of that self belief rubbed off on Antonio Lloyd, I ask her as the interview draws to a close. "Next is hopefully a position within a fashion house where I can continue my exploration of and education in cutting, As I mentioned in our i-D interview, I admire the likes of Hardy Amies and E. Tautz for what they are doing with a traditional tailoring label on a high fashion platform. Also designers like Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, with such successful womenswear collections, are seizing the opportunity for something similarly creative within their menswear lines is really exciting and to work for someone like that would be great. Eventually the dream destination is Paris. Hopefully with maturity and experience Lanvin isn’t too unrealistic." For now, Lloyd will continue to wax her board and hone her skills in wait of the next big wave.

Agi & Sam AW13

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:49:00 +0000

"MAN has been amazing for us. It has been a showcase where we've been able to really attack and attempt to try different areas of fashion whilst showing us what we really need to do with the brand to grow it," Sam Cotton excitedly explains as we meet to take a closer look at Agi & Sam autumn/winter 13. Whilst exploring and celebrating the eccentricities of a British country collection in a way only this dazzling design duo would, the collection marked an accomplished final bow at the emerging talent showcase that is MAN and demonstrated just how far they've come. "This final season was all about quality and maturity, without losing our integrity." Like the considered garments and accessories allude to on the rails, even this succinct sentence oozes maturity.

There has been a definite and discernible evolution in their design signatures from when we were first peered through their mind altering print prism at the Fashion East Installations back in February 2011. Ever pushing the other forward, we've watched on as the print princes soon graduated from their starring roles within the Fashion East showcase on to the stage of MAN and the label now stands at the forefront of all that is exciting about London Collections: Men. Despite winning plaudits and stockists alike with their vivid prints, eye for colour and undeniable sense of humour, the duo continue to refine and mature.

"It's always a development process but we really pushed ourselves this season. We're not competitive people but we always want to out do ourselves each season and improve on the last. From spending a lot of time on the little things like the fusing, finding the right canvas and the finishing on the inside including the labels, everything had to be as good as it can be."

In addition to to this competitive hunger, the design dynamic that bubbles and bounces between the two friends has been the catalyst that has driven the label forward and seen it blossom before our eyes. Two disciplines and backgrounds, Agi's in tailoring and Sam's in print, have mingled, boundaries and distinctions playfully blurred and ultimately spurred on consistent shared strives forward. Cotton noted on our first meeting that "the naivety of each others discipline can work as an advantage. A question or an idea could take a piece in a completely different direction." The pair are involved in everything together. It is a lasting collaboration in every sense. With each collection, they both learn off of each other and collectively push each piece as much as they can. Their quick learning and hard work has paid off this season.

"Agi & Sam has in a way been our child. It really relates to ourselves and our personalities at the time. When we started two years ago we were two years younger, and had very different tastes to what we have now, although the core still remains, we still want to poke fun at fashion and have fun with our collections."

From the Fresh Prince to the Day of the Dead, 80s detectives to the eve of the apocalypse, we're used to wandering the disorientating landscape of their shared mishmash of a mind. For their latest concoction, Agi & Sam were drawn to the eccentric world of the Marquess of Bath, wandered the rooms of stately homes and admired the soft furnishings whilst daydreaming about David Hockney before duly reimagining their own English aristocracy. For me, the oddball, class clown of their early collections is now a sharp witted chap. Sam Cotton talks us through the evolution of the Agi & Sam man, his voicing softening to mimic David Attenborough...

"I would determine that he was the guy that hung out in East London and wanted to be seen wearing a big ole' jazzy red jacket in Alibi (Homo Jazzyus). Then he realised that maybe that red jacket was a bit too red, so he tried it in a different colourway, something a bit more Mexican to wear at Efes (Homo Senioritis). Then after then we realised that as the prints were so loud that maybe the jacket shouldn't have unusual cuts and focus more on traditional tailoring, throwing a repeat of a duck and chicken on to wear over a jacket at the park in Summer (Homo Chillinoutabitis). After releasing that some days he wasn't too keen on wearing print all over his body so he decided to get a pair of printed socks to wear under his jeans and worked out a way of pairing them down (Homo Tomselleckis). Then came the latest Agi & Sam man (Homo classicus) This man wants a bit of a colour in his life, but doesn't need to cover himself in it."

Homo classicus is still the most colourfully dressed man in the room but there is a subtlety, a quiet confidence to his well tailored attire that commands attention and delivers admiration. "There is so much detail this season from pocket squares to engraved tie pins, so many more finishings. The collections is bright and colourful but in a more mature way." There's that word again, mature. Don't be afraid of it. Mature often blurs in the mind with words like responsible, dull, safe and reliable but this Agi & Sam is anything but expected and grey. Peering through their ever evolving kaleidoscope is still a trippy experience but the clothes themselves really deliver passed the initial fun and frivolity. Don't take my word for it, take a peek at the collection and get drunk on the details of my closeups alongside the Luke Stephenson shot 'How to wear' AW13...

Our own detail shots.
'How to wear' AW13 look book shot by Luke Stephenson and styled by Agi & Sam.

As two new designers excitedly await to fill one of the two vacant but still hot seats on the MAN lineup, they should would do well to emulate how Agi & Sam have built on their early promise to become one of London Collections: Men leading stars. "We've gone from obscurity in to being on the front page of the Telegraph which I still find completely bizarre," Cotton explains as he reflects on the impact of MAN. "I think it has helped us realise how we want to sit as a brand. Coming out of it this season has left us with an impression of how we'd like to use everything we have learnt in the last twelve months with MAN and release a collection that stands as we'd like it to." Considered yet surprising. Subtle yet dazzling. Mature yet exciting. Agi & Sam are justifiably standing proud and so many long to stand alongside them.

Easter Print Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:25:00 +0000

As Easter is the time to indulge in colourfully clad confectionery, I thought I'd put down the calorie laden eggs for a moment and instead wrap myself up in an assortment of attention grabbing, mouth watering printed treats. With an elliptical form nowhere to be seen, my sweet tooth was more than satisfied sartorially with a selection box of recent buys from Trine Lindegaard, Agi & Sam for Tabio and Mohsin Ali. As the sugar rush courses through your veins, press your eye to a kaleidoscope of Kente, Bauhaus and Miami Vice...

Sweatshirt by Trine Lindegaard, coat by Mohsin Ali, socks by Agi & Sam x Tabio
and rug from Pendleton.

The starting point for my own little Easter print Parade was Trine Lindegaard's Niable sweatshirt. For SS13, Lindegaard focused on what she does best; exploring new techniques and textile developments. When we visited the Danish-born design talent at her East London studio late last year, Lindegaard simply explained the collection as "a colourful collection that celebrates the traditional craftsmanship of Ghanaian fabric weavers whilst adding some sporty elements and of course, the odd bit of embellishment." The collection evolved from an approach from an West African based charity and an introduction to the wonders of their local weavers. Ultimately, Lindegaard celebrated this great textile tradition whilst breathing fresh life in to their work by mixing it with Western hi-tech materials to achieve a wearable and contemporary collection. My own little piece of Lindegaard's happy union of Kente and sportswear was duly snapped up at 39-39. The second piece of the print puzzle was a pixelated pick of Agi & Sam SS13. With reworked trippy textiles and reimagined tantalising tat from 80s cop shows, the dazzling design duo delivered one of the real highlights of the inaugural London Collections: Men. The pairs accomplished alchemy of chintz and cheese bubbled throughout the collection's cauldron, from greasy moustaches to popping tailoring to the Tabio collaborated hosiery that peeked through sandals. Seeing the socks on sale at Machine-A, I couldn't help myself. From Miami Vice to the Bauhaus, the print parade marched on with Mohsin Ali. Where Lindegaard and Agi & Sam consistently revel in the worlds of print and colour, Ali is better known for being powered by form, function and fabric. Whilst continuing down his focused and well crafted path, Ali introduced print for the first time for AW12, leaving us dazzled by Josef Albers inspired geometric, Bauhaus style shapes. For me, the double breasted coat completed the look.

Coat by Mohsin Ali, sweatshirt by Trine Lindegaard, shirt by Dr. Martens,
trousers by Stephan Schneider, socks by Agi & Sam x Tabio and trainers by Missoni x Converse.
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Details... Fancy pants and battered trainers

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:32:00 +0000

I'm becoming increasingly fascinated with whether or not designers wear their designs and if so, how. Here's Agi (one half of Agi&Sam, Agape Mdumulla) teaming up a colourful pair of AW12 trousers with well loved Nike's.

Treasured Items... Julian Ganio

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:18:00 +0000

The fashion shuffle, the procession from show to presentation to tradeshow (repeat to fade) can be a dull and even dour affair. Failing to mirror the excitement and energy of the collections, frowns are frequently fruitful on the FROW. However, there are a few faces that are positively beaming, ever positive and eager. Behind one cheeky smile is stylist Julian Ganio. Now, this London College of Fashion graduate first caused a wry smile and sent ripples of excitement through the industry when he sent a troupe of older, plumper, daddies down the catwalk for his graduate collection back in 2002. Having spent the last decade adding a little colour, texture, intrigue and fun to menswear, Ganio has made a name for himself working with Topman, Fred Perry and Dunhill as well as nurturing emerging London including Omar Kashoura, Agi&Sam and Craig Green. Whilst styling for your favourite style titles, he was recently made Fashion Editor of everyone's favourite, Fantastic Man. Buying him a coffee and a congratulatory slice of cake, I couldn't resist a spot of show and tell in a quiet enclave of East London. Here, with that omnipresent smile recounts the tale of two treasures.

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Julian Ganio and the familiar corduroy hat

"This brown corduroy hat is from Joseph. I don't even know if it belonged to my mum or dad. I just know that I've had it from around 1998 but the hat itself is much older. I've done some digging and I think it is from the label's autumn/winter 76/77 collection. I can't recall how it came in to my possession but I collect hats, I've got about eight hundred. There are so many hats that mean something to me but this one just feels really relevant for me at the moment. I've been wearing it loads this Winter, mainly because it goes really well with a corduroy Margaret Howell suit, and well with some other cord pieces from Engineered Garments. I remember first wearing it when I was going through a hip-hop phase at around fifteen or sixteen, it was my own take on a bucket hat. Then I hadn't worn it for years but it now feels appropriate again. I like how worn it is. It makes me feel like I've had a past and been wearing it for thirty years. It manages to be both smart and scruffy, a little beaten up. At the moment, I like wearing things that are quite tailored but lived in, unstructured, nothing too pristine. It's the type of hat that I don't have to be too precious about, I can just stuff it in to my bag and it's fine."

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.... and the Paul Smith paisley pair

"I've had the Paul Smith tie since 1999 and borrowed the scarf a lot over the years but didn't have it permanently until more recently. I've asked my Dad and he thinks they are from the mid 80s. As both of my cherished picks are so old, the memories I have of each of then have been developed from photographs. I remember them more as objects that I loved at home, finding them as I rummaged through the wardrobe or seeing them on the hat stand. I definitely think my parents had an influence on me and my interest in fashion. Both were very into clothes. My Mum use to work for Joseph back in the 70's and my Dad has been a hardcore Paul Smith fan from day one... and I used to get dragged round the Floral Street store in the 80's every Saturday afternoon when Covent Garden was quite different.

I don't wear them so much. I have moments with them where I will over wear them for a couple of months then move on but I always go back. I especially loved them when i was at LCF during 1998 - 2002 and wore them the most then. I've worn the tie more recently, it feels quite current and not vintage at all... almost like Agi&Sam could have made it... it could easily be their take on a paisley." Julian Ganio

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Dodd's new dawn

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:26:00 +0000

"It feels like the real start of Dodd," George Hudson declares as he places a pair of tea filled mugs on to his cutting table. He pauses with the excitement of his opening gambit still etched on his face. As we sit in his South East London studio, with a few promising seasons behind him, there's a discernible confidence that only develops with experience. "Dodd was something that happened quite organically after working in the industry for a few years but ultimately I came in to everything without the usual design education." Entering from a different door, Hudson has a seemingly unquenchable thirst to learn, to improve. The last year or two have been something of an education, the label ever developing as it matures. For autumn/winter 13 Dodd graduates, knowing exactly what it wants to be and what it wants to do. "We aim to create a clean minimal silhouette that uses a fusion of shapes, fabrics and production techniques."

"Coming in to this from outside a typical design background (excelling at tennis and swimming from a young age, Hudson was on a sport's scholarship in the US at UCI where he majored in History) has meant that this is a learning experience. It does create different ideas though, I see things differently and finding Dan, my design assistant and pattern cutter, has really helped focus Dodd. We're working closely together and that has helped advance Dodd. For us, moving forward everything has to feel new, progressive and clean," declares Hudson. The statement is a deceptively simple one but the foundations are now in place for the label to do just that. "With everything we've learned, the focus has been sourcing the best fabrics worldwide and working with the finest British producers. We've been looking to find the real gems. It's about doing things properly. It can't be rushed."

"This season evolved around an idea of horizontal banding, clean lines and the subtle mounting up of thin layers. There were a few John Pawson images on the mood board because I'm a huge fan of his. I have an awkward confession though. I recently read a quote from him that said something like, 'when fashion designers start talking about architecture as inspiration, then they've got nothing left to say'." Midway through the last sentence, a huge grin dissects the designer's face and a giggle echoes across the studio space. We can laugh because Hudson has plenty to say and he's only just finding his voice. "In addition to Pawson, I kept on going back to Klerksdorp spheres," he adds after composing himself. "My old housemate Ella is at Camberwell and she introduced me to them. They are these spherical fossils which have horizontal lines. One was taken to the Californian Space Institute and it as so perfectly round that they couldn't even measure it. Scientists have struggled explain them and they are all of these different myths flying around, from them being objects planted by God to the work of aliens. I'm just fascinated by them."

"We've played with texture a little but the focus is on creating wearable, interesting garments and advancing our techniques." The result is a considered collection showcasing fit, form and function, realised by an intimate network of British makers. A measured evolution of Dodd that builds on the success of a pre-collection sold at The Shop at Bluebird. Autumn/winter 13 proper is a monochromatic celebration of clean lines in a season friendly palette of a myriad of grey and charcoal alongside flashes of indigo and deep burgundy. Stroking the cloth, Hudson's excitement bubbles over. "I did PV for the first time in September and I was just like a kid in a sweet shop. It was three days in heaven." Fabrics for the season include luxurious wool and cashmere blends, Italian yarn, butter-soft English suede, Japanese gauze wool and Kuroki denim. "We've really pushed ourselves sourcing fabrics to help find a real point of difference whilst always coming back to this idea of progressive, clean layers. At times we've used three or four different fabrics used in an outfit but it doesn't look forced. It all has to make sense and have a reason for being." Each offers a unique handle and effortlessly promotes a sense of cool comfort, designed to be layered and mis-matched to achieve a dynamic, quietly textured look. Allow the Jake Green shot look book to illustrate this point and reach out to cop a feel of the tactile treats with my own detail shots.

Look book shots by Jake Green. Detail shots by us.

Given that autumn/winter 13 marks a new dawn for the label, I ask George Hudson how the Dodd man has evolved. "He is becoming less influenced by what others are doing. My perception of the industry has changed through experience and spending some time in different parts of the world. I've had to stop trying so hard to fit in to this community of British designers and concentrate on myself. So, I just sketched some things and we began moving forward." There's a growing confidence. A momentum. A desire. Hudson's unquenchable thirst to learn, to experiment and to continue to push is beginning to bear delicious sartorial fruits. "The focus now is on autumn/winter 14 and beginning the season with London." I can't wait to see this label continue to grow as it travels down its own path.

Mohsin AW13

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:18:00 +0000

"Muay Thai is a big part of my life, it keeps my mind focussed and drives that compatitive spirit inside of me," begins Mohsin Ali as we sit in his studio in the heart of East London. "Depending on seasons and work loads, I'll try and train at least four, five times a week. It's weird because I feel like a cheat if I don't! Muay Thai is like a drug. I got addicted to it at sixteen years old and to be honest I'd be lost without it!" Last summer we were offered a glimpse in to the interplay between his two seemingly disparate passions in Santiago Arbelaez's film for Hypebeast. It was a hint of the stunning things to come. For autumn/winter 13, Mohsin looks to the national sport of Thailand and its heritage.

"It is the art of eight limbs. Hands, elbows, knees and legs. It's like a game of chess, each move is as important as the next. The aim is to outwit your opponent intelligently to with the fight. Granted it's a little more lethal than chess but you get the same satisfaction of beating your opponent." As a recent hit of his favourite vice courses through his veins, it should come as little surprise that the design talent's two worlds collide so well for autumn/winter 13. It is a fight winning move that leaves this blogger out for the count. As a focused designer driven by form, fabric and function, the sport acts as the perfect foil to the designer's toil. "Muay Thai makes me think about things more, when you're training you're constantly learning no matter how experienced you are. I absorb everything like a sponge so I have to keep my mind as open as possible. This is the same approach I afford to my design work."

From built in thumb pieces to quilted linings, Mohsin Ali's debut collection for autumn/winter 11 was an exquisite showcase of the true beauty of menswear. Having been inspired by twenty first century explorers, Mohsin obsessed over the concept of integration and protective layering to create multi faceted items that blew us away. The inspiration might be different but the approach is repeated for the latest autumn/winter collection. Fuelled by his love for both traditional and technical fabrics, as well an insatiable fascination with cut and silhouette, we are once again seduced by his approach. Having watched the label grow and slowly evolve in a considered fashion since first encountering his designs, this autumn/winter collection marks a confident step forward.

Exploring sartorial notions of protection with the physical needs and demands of the sport, Mohsin produces a thirty five piece collection that plays with shape, silhouette, fabric and function. These are subtly transformative garments. Oversized quilted coats, detachable capes and belted tailoring all enable the wearer to experiment with feelings of security and presence whilst engineered sleeves with thumb pieces resemble hand wraps and typical Muay Thai shorts are repurposed in wool cashmere and styled with heavy knit leggings. The result is modern day armour. As we've come to expect from the designer, fabrics are of the highest quality whilst cut is key. Mixing both traditional and technical fabrics and by introducing embroidery, Mohsin has created a wonderfully tactile collection. The early promise of the accomplished debut has been more than fulfilled. It has been further refined and honed. Everything comes together in perfect harmony. "More than any other has managed, this collection really encapsulates my design standpoint." For this exciting talent, design should be questioned and challenged at all times and only then can you produce and create something truly special. All appliance should be for a reason. For the interested eye, the cacophony of details incessantly offer intrigue and talking points. From bondage tailoring to judo belt detailing runs subtly through many of the pieces, everything has a reason and a place.

"From Muay Thai I looked at Thai culture, the history of its dress and experimented with aspects from other martial arts disciplines, looking at how we protect and insulate ourselves. There's a wealth of information available out there but most of my research was born out of chats with the guys in the gym who are historians. A lot of the research came from two individuals in particular. Ian, who has a vast history in muay thai and thai culture in general and also Greg Wootton who is the perfect fit model. Greg is also a world and european champion at the ripe old age of 21). It's ideal for me as a lot of the younger fighters have the perfect physique as fit models, so it's great when collection time comes round. Most importantly where I train and the friends I train with are like a extended family it's always good to see them. A happy life in the gym helps me focus and think clearly when researching and designing."

Lookbook photography by David Sessions alongside my own detail shots.

"It has been a learning curve but I'm a lot more confident in everything now," Mohsin declares before taking another sip of his sweet tea. It shows. This is a justifiably confident collection. There's a daring in the design. A courage in the cloth. A certainty in the cut. A spunk in the silhouette. Ultimately it is Mohsin. His two passions stitched perfectly, his two worlds united. The personal made universal.

Reading... Buttoned-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:27:00 +0000

Fantastic Man's Buttoned-Up book...

inside a shirt by Patrik Ervell and t-shirt by Christopher Shannon.

"The simple act of fastening a shirt's highest button and the plainness of the look it creates belies a variety of intricate and complex intentions," Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom declare in unison to begin Fantastic Man's exploration of the buttoned-up shirt. To mark one hundred and fifty years of the London Underground, Penguin have released twelve books to celebrate each line and our favourite men's fashion biannual trundles along the East London Line and notices that few shirt buttons are left undone. Encompassing music, street style, fashion, portraits, an examination of an examination of collar shapes and archive images, the reader is taken on an enthralling expedition.

Having enjoyed the journey from Paul Flynn's schoolboy rebellion to admiring Jop van Bennekom's close ups of construction, eavesdropping on Gert Jonker's conversation with Neil Tennant to stalking the style of today's East London boys, it is Alexander Fury's essay that has left the lasting impression. In his entry, Alexander Fury asks and duly answers an interesting question. "So how much significance can we ascribe to the buttoning and unbuttoning of a collar? In fashion circles, it's the equivalent to a tectonic shift: it may seem small, but it often ricochets off the Richter scale." It certainly is. The tinkering of button undoing by Tom Ford at Gucci has long been felt whilst the precision of the lean precision of Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme still reverberates today. From Ford's sexualisation to Prada's seedier experiments and Simons' continued exertion of youthful control to Ossendrijver's blurring of formal and casual, the effects of button fastening ripple long after the shirt has been tossed in to the laundry basket.

A visual statement. A revelment of sartorial (dis)comfort. An act of social rebellion. A historical mark. A celebration of a subculture. A mark of territory. Over its one hundred and twelve pages, the paperback demonstrates that just how the seemingly simple act of button fastening has all manner of repercussions. Ultimately it is a celebration of a detail, a quirk of individual and collective style. Are you buttoned-up? What does your shirt styling say about you?