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

The rise of Craig Green

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 22:22:00 +0000

"We always put ourselves under pressure," Craig Green confesses before his wide smile spreads across his Bethnal Green studio. As we're sat in a hushed corner, the light filled space is alive with activity, during the supposed festive break, in preparation for his third and final MAN performance. His name glows from the London Collections: Men schedule. In a whirlwind of promise, he has emerged as the crowned prince of the adventurous silhouette, transforming beautiful boys with wearable masterpieces and abstract theatre. The weight of expectation would weigh heavy on the shoulders of most design talents but Green, backed and spurred on by his closely knit team, shrugs the pressures of others off from his broad shoulders whilst floating ever higher powered by the pressure he places on himself.

"We try to change it up and push it each season, we don't want to stick to what we've done previously. We don't want to be just one thing. I think there's a fear in fashion to move away from what you're known for but it's good to feel uncomfortable and scared at times. As with most seasons, I'm scared about autumn/winter 14 but it's exciting," Green adds, eyes wide, full of focus and enthusiasm.

This fearlessness combined with his undeniable talent and hunger has propelled Craig Green forward and deservedly won him the hearts of the press and pockets of the world's finest buyers but it can be divisive. The pitchfork wielding tabloids were furious with an incensed Daily Mail dedicating a number of pages to their angst fuelled, confused rants whilst a perfume peddling waxwork mocked the designs live on Alan Carr. "I even received hate mail, directly to me, after the first MAN show. I was so depressed that I began to questions what I was doing. A week later people made me see that it's good to split opinion at times," he adds wisely. It is. Having bounced our way across the full spring/summer 14 spectrum, it could easily be described as a season of nice. Banality can be contagious but Green is one of the few designers offering something new, something exciting "For me, it's important for a show to be a show. It's really rare now that I look through catwalk photos and dream of being there. There are very few experiences like John Galliano's couture. any and every Comme show or the recent Rick Owens show. Gareth Pugh was the first ever show that I went to. I rushed from Central Saint Martins to make it and we were the last to get in, it was amazing, my heart was pounding. Shows should make you feel something special and that's what we strive for."

His tribe of faceless, psychedelic sculptures emphatically established Green as one of the capital's brightest stars but pushing continuously, excitement has closely circled Green from the moment his three dimensional, Russian folk robot inspired fantasies floated down the Central Saint Martins BA show catwalk. A collection that bubbled with creativity and craft, seeing him awarded a full MA scholarship. Weeks after presenting his award winning final MA collection, he confirmed his promise at the inaugural London Collections: Men. Offering another glimpse into his world of well crafted whimsy, the emerging talent, with his tonal crinkle washed calico, mohair and muslin cheesecloth creations, was the standout highlight at Fashion East's Installations.

"I'm drawn to making something out of nothing, or very little. You get the cheapest materials and use your skill to make it expensive." For Green, the real craft is in the textile transformation, in fabric alchemy, elevated do-it-yourself. "That first collection was made out of calico that we washed, tumble dried and put in a salt solution that softened it, before hand painting the edges. It was a cheap collection but that's an important idea not to lose sight off. Rather than buy silk and make something expensive, we're interested in using more attainable materials that can be improved, it's more of a challenge. The cost of producing in London already rises prices so we save where we can." Green thrives on challenges and constantly introduces them to his work, both out of need and his desire to push it that bit more.

"We do textiles in-house. All of the tie dye of spring/summer 14 was worked on here. 450 metres were dyed twice in metre by metre pieces. Twisted, poured, washed, left to dry for three days and then repeated. It was a nightmare process but this season, we're also working on a nightmare process - we love it really. Everything is hand painted, there's no digital or screen printing and they are heavily worked. We're back to handmade textiles and techniques but it's a different feeling.""

Creating and solving problems each fabric, silhouette and pattern at a time, Craig Green dances, delves and delights in duality. Opposites attract in his studio. His closely knit team of fantastical friends and crafty collaborators, don't just blur lines or introduce opposing forces but rather, majestically manifest creative collisions. Each garment is the playfight of light and dark, traditional and modern, familiar and fresh, reality and fantasy.

"The first collection played with seriousness, the spring/summer 14 was poppy and played with darkness and euphoria. We design by thinking about what we'd be excited to see in a show at that moment. This collection clashes utilitarian and ornateness. function and unfunctional, traditional and new. It's grounded in tradition because we were conscious of it not being seen as too faddy because there's a lot of that around. The challenge is always to do something that is not expected."

"Each season starts with the feeling that we'd like to portray, that always sounds a bit poncey but it's true. 'What do we want to see now after everything that's been?' That's always the driving force. We never stop talking, driving each other mad. I'm on the phone to Helen at midnight discussing every minute detail, discussion leads everywhere, from the studio to the pub, it's an ongoing process. This season has shifted and changed. Things get made, are scrapped and we start again. It's one of the most last minute collections but for the better.

I never say my, it's always us and we. Perhaps I need the comfort of others but we do work so closely together. We're friends that like to make things. Different moments have brought us together, from old boyfriends to house parties to studying together. We all get on. They love doing what they do, they're not doing it for anything but the love, they are all crafty people and that's who I'm attracted to. It causes problems in it's own way because we push each other and can make things more difficult for ourselves but it's good. We just have a laugh," he adds before giving into a quiet giggle. Over the course of our hour long chat, Green didn't deviate from 'we' or 'us.' There might be one 'i' in Craig Green but the design talent is not one to downplay the role of and interplay between, the team of creatives that nestle under his umbrella.

Now, Craig Green could happily and skilfully turn his hand to any creative medium, so why, for now atleast, ground himself in London menswear? "It is one of the very few places that is open to suggestion and not scared of change.” Growing up in a quiet enclave of suburbia in North West London. surrounded by a loving family of craftsmen, Green's daydreams were filled with aspirations of being a sculptor or painter. "I initially went to Central Saint Martins because I wanted to be a portrait painter but whilst on the foundation course, I met friends who were studying fashion." Thankfully for us, the impressionable young talent followed suit and fell into fashion, textiles are now his canvas as he shapes a new modern menswear menswear between his hands. Beyond the fabulous fanfare of his MAN shows and as the applause fades, a Craig Green collection continues to captivate with delicious details long after the curtain falls. 'The beauty is in the details,' is an oft used phrase in menswear but when Green is concerned, beauty is omnipresent. With sweaters that artfully unravel, garments tie-dyed with a richness that forever teases the eye, a subtlety that envelops any considered viewer and a knowing of touch that excites the heart of all craft enthusiasts.

Craig Green spring/summer 14, my snapshots from the front row at MAN.

"Spring/Summer 14 was the first season that we've really sold. Previously, we used to work on small scale production after the show, a rush of month from start to finish but this season, production has been in tandem with the design of the new collection. A bit of a strain but it's exciting to grow. We jumped from three to twelve stores this season. We're now in Dover Street Market New York and Tokyo, Other-Shop, 10 Corso Como in Milan and IT in Hong Kong to name just a few."

Whisked into a whirlwind, the last eighteen months must have whizzed by Craig Green's eyes in one marvellous blur of surprise and success but as we wave goodbye to 2013 and with the industry at his feet, I ask what the plan is for 2014 and beyond.

"Every couple of months something good seems to happen. I started out just at the beginning of London Collections: Men and I've been lucky because I get to sell at the time of everyone else and there's a real platform and network of support through Fashion East and CFE. It's exciting to be a part of it. I'd love for it to grow to a point in which I can pay people properly, rely less on favours and to move out of my mum's house. That would all be lovely but I love it all. I get to work with my friends doing what I love and we have a great time. In that we're lucky," he adds with another grin. Enveloped by the craft and smiles of Craig Green, we are all lucky.

Treasured items... Will Hudson

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 22:24:00 +0000

Few items of dress are as necessary yet neglected than socks. Far too often they are an after thought that all too easily can become undervalued and mismatched before the odd hole, wear and tear forces them to hide in embarrassment inside their leather incarceration. The festive season is one of the few occasions in which socks are given a stage to perform. Wrapped up in all manner of finery and fanfare, watching cousins hang proudly above fireplaces and prominently positioned on the edges beds, socks are presented to hard-to-buy-for friends and they-have-everything-already family members. Just when they think they're about to receive the recognition that they truly deserve, they are met with indifference, scrunched up and used as a protective cotton shield around more valuable items. Dependable yet derided, I feel for socks at this time of year. Thankfully, there are a few people out there who cherish them and Will Hudson, founder and director of It's Nice That, sits amongst them with Paul Smith's iconic, spectrum showcasing stripes peaking between the creative camouflage of his everyday uniform. With an eye ever scanning for niceties it pauses over the festive go-to gift. Here, he tells us why...

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Will Hudson and the striped splash of something unexpected

"For anyone that knows me, you're probably surprised to find me invited to contribute any thoughts about fashion. For anyone that doesn't know me I should explain – I wear the same jeans and grey T-shirt or white shirt most of the year (even when not at work). This isn't because I'm not interested in fashion but because I sit slightly outside the average percentile that most clothes are manufactured for. I'm 6'4 and 'heavy' (this isn't the place to reveal certain information) and find it difficult to find clothes I feel comfortable in, let alone I'd leave the house in.

As a result I have always opted to play it safe. The little luxury I do have though comes in the 'one size fits most' category and the smallest of things can make a difference. As a result, Paul Smith socks, with all their colour, bring a smile even when paired with the plainest ensemble." Will Hudson

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Burning the midnight oil

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 23:41:00 +0000

"Having both the main line in Opening Ceremony as well as the capsule collection is great," Lou Dalton beams proudly over the Internet. "Both are very different, each say something different without compromise," she excitedly exclaims. Joining forces with the rousing retailer, the design talent takes our hands again, leads us across the border once more and we fall for the charms of her imagined rig of Zetland Oil all over again. Through Opening Ceremony's youthful filter, her autumn/winter 13 collection's sartorial sharpness softens and becomes that bit more sportier. As with her own collection, the collection's personal narrative falls seductively from the lips of the designer but here it feels like a fresh tale.

Having first been approached by Opening Ceremony for a series of London based designer capsules around the 2012 Olympics celebrating the store's arrival in the capital, Dalton chose to explore cycling and intricately incorporated house signatures into the sport whilst making a point of it feeling a little more commercial and easy-to-wear. Unsurprisingly, the collection went down a storm and with this in mind she approached Opening Ceremony earlier this year to do something similar and this latest collection evolved from these speculative conversations.

"I enjoyed creating a fictional Oil Company called "Zetland Oil" for autumn/winter 13. 'Zetland' is an old Nordic term for Shetland. Shetland is such an inspiration to me. As you know I met the Haigh there (Justin Haigh, Lou's fella of 10 years) who just so happens to work for an oil company that has an oil port in Shetland. The other logos used within the designs are all inspired by oil company branding from in around the late 70s mid 80s but re-worked and all carrying reference to Lou Dalton, either the year I was born or Shetland itself.

When I first discussed the ideas for the range with Opening Ceremony and the t-shirt prints in particular, we all agreed on the idea of making them take on a sporty mood. I looked at making them appear quite Motor Cross branded. For me, it was integral to incorporate the store's branding into the capsule as much as my own. As the collection was to be a little easier-to-wear and even more accessible than the Lou Dalton main line, I kept it easy and quite relaxed. However, I did want to give it a strong reference to the Lou Dalton main line and did so by introducing one of the fabrics we had used on the autumn/winter 13 mainline which was a particular favourite of mine, this being a cloth that I refer to as Bobble. This cloth came in a whole ray of colours but for Opening Ceremony, we kept it to a tomato orange, bordeaux and black. Throughout, this collection felt very natural. I always believe that if it feels forced then you should just leave it and move on. Opening Ceremony are so great to work with, they understand and appreciate design and its end use without it becoming to banal."

The capsule collection includes caps, t-shirts, jogging bottoms and sweatshirts.

Opening Ceremony's ever evolving relationship with some of my favourite London design talent, mixing straight main line season buys and really considered capsule collections, the fruits of which manage to balance the aesthetics of everyone involved perfectly, shows the way for other stores to follow. Meanwhile, Lou Dalton is sketching a fine blueprint that other designers can look to for inspiration. Since launching her own line in 2005, Dalton has refined a well crafted reputation for rebellious English sportswear with a keen eye for and attention to detail whilst establishing herself as the real shining starlet of British Menswear. As London menswear has demanded an ever increasing presence at London Fashion Week and respect far beyond the perimeter of the capital, evolving from an afternoon in to three full days of shows, presentations, previews, installations and exhibitions under the umbrella of London Collections: Men, she has matured in the spotlight, built a brand and helped pave the way forward. Long may Lou Dalton continue to strive forward and here's hoping more follow.

Minimal metamorphosis

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 13:54:00 +0000

As our eyes prepared to focus on the spring/summer 14 catwalks of New York, Converse and Maison Martin Margiela treated us to teasers of their much publicised creative coming together. For their first confident stride forward, Converse Chuck Taylor All Star and Jack Purcell trainers were drenched in Maison Martin Margiela's iconic white paint. Covering all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, the old favourites are altered simply yet radically. All white everything. A palette and sole cleanser. For me, the French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry best defined minimalist design as being “not when there is nothing more to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away.” This is a makeover from a true minimalist iconoclast. However, what interests me most is that the white washing is just the start. As soon as the paint filled brush leaves the Converse classics, they naturally crack and shed their outer coat to reveal their original selves beneath. So simple and transformative, the hand painted act is the beginning of a unique dialogue between both brands. As they advance with age with each step forward and evolve in the everyday, they reveal their true selves in their own way. Wear and tear is rarely so intriguing and so obvious.

From well loved wallets to beautiful brogues, the gentle ageing of leather is a an ever absorbing process but it takes its time. The blank Converse canvas encourages change. Thankfully, after following fashion's conveyor belt through from London to Milan and Paris, two pairs of ice white Jack Purcells were waiting for me at the office. A few weeks of pacy peddling, puddle plummeting and pavement pounding has seen a rich burgundy hue peek out from beneath the cracks on one pair (black, blue and an exclusive yellow are also hidden behind the white wash) whilst the other is still perfectly wrapped in its thick blanket of white. Minimal metamorphosis. Using a recent paint tin spill in the car park as the ideal backdrop, I couldn't resist documenting their difference.

New new and old new.
Converse and Maison Martin Margiela
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The Meeting of Two American Dreamers

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 07:28:00 +0000

"We both like to inject a bit of attitude and our personality into classics," George Esquivel excitedly exclaims whilst standing at the centre of his hive of craftsmanship, a lively leather scented, three and half thousand square foot workshop in Orange County. His voice races as he whizzes us around on a whistle stop tour of his world. Between three and four thousand shoes a year are clicked, closed, welted, finished and furnished by his close knit family of craftsmen but there is a discernible delight echoing around the space today. Why? The reality of two American dreamers' shared fantasy is taking shape before their ever eager eyes. After creating exclusive shoes for Tommy Hilfiger's autumn/winter 13 menswear show, the pair have taken their collaboration to the next level. Forming a dynamic duo draped in red, white and blue, the result is a limited edition capsule collection of footwear hand made in California.

"It all comes out of here," Esquivel proudly proclaims, arms and smile stretched wide. From the quiet, unassuming, commercial enclave that his workshop resides to the temples to high society in the centre of Los Angeles, this is very much George Esquivel's world. Having been warned that is was something of a Marmite metropolis, that I'd either love it or loathe it, Esquivel and team Tommy combined to be the skeleton key to a once in a lifetime exploration of the ever sprawling an wildly eclectic city. They combined to make it the perfect summer getaway and I left in love. Esquivel's first excited words of many as he welcomed this fortunate group of bloggers and journalists were a declaring that he'd be taking us bowling. "It's at the Rosevelt Hotel, it's a two-lane, it's a gaming parlour with a vintage bowling alley called the Spare Room, I actually made the shoes. Everyone is there. I received a text the other night that Brad Pitt and Angelina were bowling in my shoes, it was amazing. It's so much fun. It's what I call cool LA not crazy LA." Like any good guide, Esquivel combined local knowledge with a constant flow of captivating narrative. His path into shoemaking alone could easily translate to the silver screen and be a box office smash.

"My childhood was pretty crazy. We grew up mostly in and out of motels, on welfare and food stamps. I’m the oldest of five so there were seven of us in the motel room and then my dad went to jail." From running drugs in his youth to watching his father go to jail for murder and homelessness to a life backstage at punk gigs, Esquivel is not your typical shoemaker but it is fuelled by a familiar passion. He fell into shoemaking in the mid 1990s after a failed attempt to find the perfect vintage-inspired shoe. A muso, the designer was immersed in California's rich punk and rockabilly scenes and needed shoes to match his unique aesthetic. "I used to buy vintage clothes and shoes but I could never find anything I liked in terms of new footwear," he reminisces. He spent years scouring the state for an able shoemaker to realise his whims and fancies but to no avail. After arguing with one cobbler over a pair that didn't meet his insatiably high standards, he was about to throw in the polishing rag but his shoe salvation arrived in the form of a bystander who, intrigued by Esquivel's impassioned pleas, followed him out of the shop. "He introduced himself as a shoemaker and said, 'I don't know why but I like you and I want to make you some shoes.'" The man was Emigdio Canales, a retired master cobbler who operated a cottage industry shoe factory out of his garage. He quickly became Esquivel's collaborator and mentor.

"In the beginning, it was just a hobby, selling shoes to friends," he modestly explains. These friends soon morphed into musical heroes. From admiring glances towards his own feet at gigs to requests from musical friends and ultimately to touring buddies, the good word of Esquivel spread. "The small local bands that I used to hang out would go on tour with the big bands, and they would often ask about their shoes and they'd hand them my card and say 'Call George, he'll sort you out.'" A business began to thrive. Esquivel has never stopped learning. From scurrying around shoe repair shacks to crafting shoes for the elite of Los Angeles and beyond, the collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger marks another confident step forward. As Esquivel's tale bounces around your brain, take our hand and let us lead you, as he did to us, on a quick tour of his world as the fruits of his latest creative coming together began to take shape.

Much like Tommy Hilfiger, George Esquivel is a great American dreamer. Stars and stripes pulsate through this authentic product of California. Artefacts of this technicolour world are scattered throughout his studio. Like two well crafted canoes, a pair of size fifteen dress shoes destined for the feet of a New Knick's baller float on the wood floor are joined by a battered and well weathered trunk belonging to Sylvester Stallone that the actor had hoped would be transformed into footwear fabulousness, whilst a mood board of leathers provoke daydreams for the sole of Janelle Monae grace the wall.

"Tommy used to have my whole wall. but as it went in to production it shrank. It started with ten styles, twelve colours and all manner of different leather options. There wasn't a brief. the styles just evolved out of our conversations. We looked at what Tommy does, he does preppy Americana and we explored what we liked and it reduced down to a brogue and a loafer. It was then about making preppy but adding the soul of rock and roll, a little bit rebellious. For example, the perforation on the toe is a really cool design process that mimics the signature plaid pattern of Tommy Hilfiger," adds Esquivel as an interested, ever analytical eye is focussed in on one his experts applying the described touch to the toe of a brogue. His love of the craft is both obvious and infectious.

Having first roamed onto Hilfiger's radar as a Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund finalist in 2009, Equivel was one of ten designers included in an "Americans in Paris" showcase sponsored by Vogue and Tommy Hilfiger 2011 and a friendship blossomed. They are two kindred spirits, each dedicated to their own craft within Americana. Whilst Tommy Hilfiger is a sartorial star bangled banner gently blowing outside the college of preppy, Esquivel's carefully crafted shoes are inherently Californian, rebellious and a little rock 'n roll. It makes for a happy marriage. "He adds a fresh take to timeless pieces. His designs use unique details that give classics an updated look," Hilfiger declares of Esquivel. "Tommy calls it the twist. We've both been transforming the familiar into the exciting in our way for years but it's been fun putting our heads together," adds Esquivel. Every pair is hand-crafted by skilled workers, adding unique and distinctive elements to the styles whilst each is assigned a one-of-a-kind shoe number that’s hand-written on the shoe and its hangtag to make these objects of desire even more desirable. Ten weeks after our visit to the workshop and as their collaboration hits stores global wide, Tommy Hilfiger and George Esquivel sent through my own limited edition brogue.

Delighting in the duality of new and old, expected and unexpected, traditional and modern, the two complimentary world's collide beautifully in a collaboration that sees two prepster staples re-imagined. With antiqued washed leathers, hand punched perforations and contrasting hues, both the humble brogue and loafer are elevated to new heights. The Tommy Hilfiger + Esquivel logo has been burned into the leather using a hot branding iron. Soles and heels are polished individually using layers of polishes and creams. The results are unique but elegant, whimsical yet sophisticated.

Tommy Hilfiger's + Esquivel brogue

Treasured items... Kit Neale

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 22:27:00 +0000

From the moment I first stepped inside Kit Neale's dazzlingly printed world, a cultural kaleidoscope that reimagines suburban and multicultural Britain, I have felt right at home. His studio, an enclave of effervescent energy on a quiet street located just off Columbia Road, is a busy universe filled with rails of reverie dancing around haphazardly placed trinkets, paintings and well thumbed magazines. Amongst the noise, the confident face of Felix quietly watches on. Shot by Jamie Morgan for The Face in 1984, the cocky twelve year old guards the memory of Buffalo as Ray's revolution rumbles on. The book has pride of place in Neale's space. "It is our bible," he proudly proclaims whilst stroking the good book, ripples of reverence course through his slight frame. Here, he tells us the story behind it.

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Kit Neale and the buffalo stance

"When my family moved from Peckham to Gosport, a small town on the south coast, I missed London style. I had to order in The Face, i-D and Arena because it was my connection back to the capital, my escape. Ultimately, it's what excited me. When I discovered Ray Petri and the Buffalo movement my eyes were opened. I was and continually am, drawn to this moment. I remember stumbling across this book in a strange little bookshop inside Old Street station. At that time I had no idea that such a volume of his work existed but squealed 'Oh My God!' when I realised what it was.

It sounds really cheesy but If I'm ever feeling uninspired I return to it. I think every Kit Neale collection will take something from atleast one image. I look at it, not for garment design reference but to channel the attitude. I've lost count of the number of times I've mentioned his work in interviews. I'm obsessed. It is extremely well edited and his body of work is so impressive. It's so far reaching. There can't be many London menswear designers who haven't referenced by Buffalo. I think London menswear would be quite different without Ray Petri. Kit Neale would undoubtedly be different without Ray Petri." Kit Neale

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Nicomede Talavera SS14

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 19:07:00 +0000

"As this is my first full season I wanted to move on from the Masters, to push myself and demonstrate just what I can do,” Nicomede Talavera excitedly explains as we’re both enveloped by the sculptural shake-up of the senses that is his spring/summer 14 collection. Confidently striding out from the Central Saint Martins classroom, beyond the realms of Louise Wilson’s omnipotence and the far-reaching ripples of applause that his graduate collection received, we meet a young designer ready to step onto a larger stage. Having watched him develop over the last four years, documenting his progression from eager second year design student to a fully realised label, he feels both familiar and forcibly fresh.

“I'm proud of my MA collection but I do feel as though I could have injected more personality into it,” he confesses. Moving on from a measured masterpiece of monochrome modernity that teased with its textural treats and proportion play we now see the blossoming talent delighting in the juxtaposition of the everyday, tailoring, abstract graphics and minimalist colour blocking. Free to produce precisely what he wants, on his own terms, Talavera has a grin from ear to ear because this collection is him. He has grown into his talent.

"As soon as I finished my MA at Central Saint Martins, I was exhausted and felt that I needed a break but a few weeks later I realised that I had worked so hard to build something, really enjoy designing and wanted to see what could happen with the label," he confesses as we sip instant coffee in his Bermondsey base. As he turned the page on one enthralling chapter, spring/summer 14 marks the beginning of the next. There's an undeniable promise that blank pages will be filled with all manner of exciting narrative in the coming seasons and beyond. However, like everything step he's taken previously, Talavera approached the latest leap correctly. When it is all too easy to be swept away in an ocean of excitement, this young talent paused and took stock of everything before diving into the inviting waters of possibility. “One of the first things I did was write a business plan, it was so beneficial to place my label in the market place and work out just where I wanted it to be.” Having visualised the future of his eponymous label, Talavera is now carefully crafting it by taking elements from his accomplished BA and MA collections, pushing them further and taking them in entirely different directions.

“I developed my previous research of Ellsworth Kelly whilst extracting fresh elements and at the same time I became fascinated by the business men of Canary Wharf, seeing them on the tube in their pinstripe suits, trainers and a backpack. I wanted to take the tailoring and sportswear influences of the modern man and it all worked back to Kelly and his own fascination with everyday landscape. I too began to see these squares,” he explains. The result sees him transform a canvas of sheer nylon oversized t-shirts and sleeveless tops with appliquéd leather graphic elements alongside re-imagined superfine suiting fabrics. Thankfully the sartorial awkwardness of crisp tailoring mixed with gym kits is waved away by the expert hands of Talavera. Flimsy synthetic gym bags morph into luxurious objects of desire as the designer continues his fruitful collaboration with Eastpak and dull, tired, bedraggled commuter chic comes to life and reverberates with youthful energy. This is the designer applying his filter over everyday sights, just like Kelly did.

"I like to work from things that I see, whether they’re man-made or natural or a combination of the two… The things that I’m interested in have always been there. The idea of a shadow and a natural object has existed, like the shadow of the pyramids, or a rock and its shadow; I’m not interested in the texture of the rock, or that it is a rock, but in the mass of it, and its shadows," Ellsworth Kelly confided to Henry Geldzahler in 1964 in a piece for Art International 1. Surrounded by walls of Talavera product, the influence of the painter, sculptor and printmaker is plain to see. His rails mirror the artist’s masterly interplay of form, colour, and space. Moved by shapes he found in reality, Kelly’s perception is inspired by an object's external characteristics, taking interest in shadows and the texture of surfaces isolated from their contexts. Talavera’s eyes were similarly searching. "For me, inspiration will always come from what I see around me. It has to be grounded in reality. I'm drawn to subcultures, youth movements and ultimately street wear." Nicomede Talavera had explained in our last meeting. Having previously looked to the sartorial sights and cultural diversity of his childhood home of Hounslow he now looks to the commuting rat racers. A true mixologist of menswear, Talevera balances tailoring with sportswear and artistic form with function. Take a gulp.

Detail photography alongside Nicomede Talavera's Andy Malone shot spring/summer 14 look book

From coated nappa leather cracking delicately to textural pinstriped suiting reinterpreted as long sleeved tailored tops and unexpected silk cargo pockets, the collection is rich in tactile treasure. Each piece has a sculptural quality. Everything has been masterfully realised by the creator's hand. Even the zips, so often uniform and ubiquitous are anything but here. "I contacted Lampo, a luxury zip maker, because they sponsored my BA collection and they expressed an interest in working together on an exclusive zip which was amazing. I looked to the work of Robert Morris because I've always been drawn to his square work, it was layering and de-layering, simplifying yet bold,” he animatedly explains whilst thumbing a puller. They provide the perfect functional finish to the outerwear and collaborative Eastpak accessories. Each and every detail has been carefully considered.

Looking through the Andy Malone shot look book alongside my own detail shots once again and having inspected the quality of the garments first hand, it is remarkable that this is Nicomede Talavera's first full collection. There's no limit to how far this talent can go. As ever, his own Van clad feet are fixed firmly to the ground. "I’m looking to grow the label naturally, not to force it in the market before we’re ready. For this season, we're hoping to secure two exclusive clothing stockists, one London based and one in Asia," he declares. I'm in no doubt that he'll do that and more.

Details... Miller's Message

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 11:18:00 +0000

"The phrase was theorised in a statistical book on the failures of children in council estate environments back in 1971," Matthew Miller explains. Appropriated for autumn/winter 13, the slogan graces a ribbed jersey crew neck (available at Other and Peggs & son) and feels particularly apt on North London Derby Day. Wrapped up in a red and white scarf and enveloped by nerves, this fan and jumper wait in hope.

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BERTHOLD SS14

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:40:00 +0000

"Harvesting, fusing and re-constructing references from a myriad of sources, she takes an anything-goes approach to the materials she uses to convey multiple meanings in unexpected ways," is how the Saatchi Gallery describes the diverse designs of Isa Genzken. "I can certainly relate to that statement,"

Raimund Berthold confesses as we sit in his central London studio, surrounded by his spring/summer 14 collection, a cacophony of concrete, jersey, art and sportswear. "Now, I've been aware of Genzken's work for three years or more, she used to be married to Gerhard Richter who I think is also absolutely amazing, but I hadn't looked into her own work until I began coming across it at exhibitions and auctions. I always try and go to Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips, it's a great way to encounter art that is rarely publicised. Having appreciated her work for a while, it was when I saw her work Knocken, meaning bones, that really moved me. The feeling it created from seeing this cement block on a beautiful plinth inspired so many things in my mind, from the material itself to developing this idea of mixing hard and soft." It is a feeling that BERTHOLD continues to provoke with his own designs.

Removing gender from the opening line above, the statment could easily apply to the bold menswear of Raimund Berthold. Led by inventive design and fit, it echoes Genzken's totemic sculptures, colourful mirrored panels and lacquered paintings. As for the myriad of sources, mirroring the inspiration of the contemporary artist, we always prepare for the unexpected to adorn the designer's foil mood boards. "A stunning image of mouldy bread, artfully stuck chewing gum on a wall, a shot of a neglected swimming pool, overgrown palm trees, an old photograph used as a styling piece and a variety of images that I shot myself in and around London, alongside scanned and printed ones from beyond," are just a few of the image descriptions that fall from the designer's mouth in between sips of espresso. Seemingly disparate and certainly peculiar, Berthold manages to balance and duly creates beauty from the unexpected. As this season's silver canvas shimmers to the breeze, a process of assimilation occurs right before my eyes as discordant daydreams come together.

BERTHOLD's spring/summer 14 mood board

Mouldy bread, reimagined chewing gum, bruised faces, neglected pools and some snapshots that have been enlarged and manipulated all come together to create one cohesive concept. "As this is a spring/summer collection I wanted to make it sportier, to make it easy," Berthold states simply. "I introduced more jerseys and t-shirts, it just felt right for now." The simplicity and quiet modesty of his words fail to mask the depth of proportion play, fabric feuding, eagerness to experiment and desire to develop his label. One facet of growth is the signature of shape being sketched this season. "My natural extinct is to rip everything up and create something entirely new but this isn't fair on the buyers because they would never know what they were getting to some degree. I worked hard to get two staple shapes, one oversized and one regular, that we could take forward to future seasons. Now, with these two silhouettes in place, we can experiment subtly and push them on."

Subtle and not so subtle experimentation in order to push on, this season. From simple concrete endeavours to complex print processes and 3D printing, Berthold and his team have been busy testing boundaries. In between further sips of an espresso, the designer excitedly elucidates:

"We experimented by making cement ourselves which was a lot of fun. I liked how it came out quite brittle, just like a styling piece that could morph into something else. A small piece broke off and it was just perfect. We had it 3D scanned, printed and it became jewellery in resin, plastic and solid stainless steel. I had no idea that you could 3D print metal. I loved the experience, I can't wait to do more, I just think it is genius.

For this season's print, I wanted to approach it in a different way. I asked Ashley Joiner, a London based visual artist, to create a film which would then be manipulated into designs. He had complete freedom to create something around his interpretation of the brand. I really enjoyed working in this way and I'll continue this for future seasons with artists that I trust. Ashley filmed himself in all kinds of make-up, very Lady Gaga now actually, from different angles, projected it through clear plastic bags and then took stills from the other side which have ultimately been blown up. Once I saw the print, I decided upon the sizes of it and matched it with the garments and accessories that had already been designed."

Lo and hi tech treatments were used side by side throughout this collection's playful yet purposeful process. The result is a considered collection that teases and thrills. As I thumbed the tactile treasures, I couldn't resist snapping my own detail shots but the Willem Jaspert shot, Jason Hughes styled and Aaro Murphy designed look book captures the purposeful promise perfectly. "I've known Jason (Hughes) for many years so we have an easy relationship, In terms of styling, I find it extremely interesting to see how he interprets my work. So when I finish a collection it's exciting to pass it over and see his interpretation. After his initial play, we come together for the shoot and have real fun." Taste the fruits of their fun here:

Look book credits: Shot by Willem Jaspert, styled by Jason Hughes designed by Aaro Murphy and modelled by Stefan Lankreijer.

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Mirroring Stefan Lankreijer's hopeful gaze on the future above, Raimund Berthold is shifting his focus on the next collection and continuing to push BERTHOLD on. "I'm at the research stage of autumn/winter 14. I like to surprise myself, I don't plan what I'm going to design but the signatures are already there, it's a case of developing them. I'm actually toying with the idea of a presentation at London Collections: Men and we're at the early stages of working out just what a BERTHOLD presentation could be." The designer floats away in his daydreams as he begins to ponder the future. I, for one, can't wait to see just what he'll create next.

COMMON SS14

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:26:00 +0000

"We have known each other for a number of years and have been working together for the past four," Saif Bakir reminds us as he talks through the continued evolution of COMMON. Having met in the classrooms of LCF, a fruitful friendship between Bakir and Emma Hedlund has harvested a dynamic label that celebrates contractions, delights in dualism and cherishes clashes. "Our design process is very much integrated. On many occasions we end up thinking about the same thing or draw reference from same source of inspiration. It could be because we know each other so well or also because we both know what Common’s aesthetic is all about," he adds. Whether it's well tailored telepathy or just plain COMMON sense, the merged minds of Bakir and Hedlund create designs that are beautifully balanced, bouncing between minimal and maximal, tailored and casual, simple and complex. "A fusion of London edge, Paris chic and Scandinavian minimalism,’ is how the pair themselves describe the heady cocktail. Drink up.

Very few debut collections cause such a well deserved flutter as COMMON'S did for autumn/winter 12. Without doubt, the Lars Jonsson collaborative sparrow print exquisitely applied to bomber jackets set pulses soaring but it was the their mix of design cultures and desire to showcase local manufacture and craftsmanship that really captured our imagination. From this accomplished debut, the princely pair have pushed forward with a trio of collections that continue their narrative. "We want our collections to be able to sit together as one," adds Bakir. Their story is one under constant development and refinement and spring/summer 14 is the latest chapter to captivate. Entitled Let The Games Begin, the collection introduces us to a vibrant squad of athletic daydreamers clad in a hyper modern team uniform.

"Unlike our previous collection, we wanted to create something that felt lighter and brighter, we were influenced by an active season and lifestyle. We looked at friends and colleagues around us and we were inspired by their active way of life. We then looked into sports and drew inspiration from American sportswear and youth culture. We loved the idea of creating our own team colour and uniform.

Our mood board was based around Rubins colour pallet mixed with images from Luke Smalley body of work including Gymnasium and Sunday Drive. We took note from Smalley’s colour palette in Sunday Drive in particular. There were clippings from reference fabrics; perforated fabrics, Lightweight tech cotton, Mesh, Loop back Terry, Bonded neoprene, Boiled wool. Trims like heat seal tapes, press studs, water repellent zippers. During our design process we looked at textiles and techniques used in technical sportswear. We wanted to create the same effect and utilise some of the benefits these high-tech material. We also looked at different finishes in garments such as heat-sealed seams which we applied in a more decorative way making it part of the aesthetic of the garment as seen on our taped seam trouser Jurg..."

"From looking into youth culture and American sports we then into street art and current artists. We stumbled upon some of Rubin's work and we were immediately drawn to its modern, futuristic and abstract shape and style, it felt so right and perfect for want we wanted our SS14 collection to communicate. As Rubin is based in Brooklyn, NY we started off by sending him an email and he showed immediate interest in a collaboration. There was a constant exchange of mood boards and ideas during the following weeks. We sent him a colour pallet to work from but he had free reign to sketch and create two walls for us, which we later reworked into the current print."

"The highlight colours were then picked up from Rubin’s signature use of pop colours. The result is a mix palette of muted, saturated colours of chalk white, cream, bronze and matt black combined with highlight of bright orange, azure and chroma green. We combined Rubin’s artwork with this season’s colours and stripes. The outcome is a futuristic print for a hyper modern team uniform. Rubin’s complex and futuristic shapes works perfectly with this seasons theme and mood and are a great complement to the modern and technical fabrics featured throughout the collection."

Ultimately, it's the label's real sense of collaboration in COMMON, both between the dynamic between the design duo themselves, their relationships with Swedish manufacturers and creative talent that they work with each season that really excites. From the Lars Jonsson collaborative sparrow print to Hans Krondahl's reimagined gallop design a creative coming together has pushed the label forward. For spring/summer 14 Common shines an abstract spotlight on street artist Rubin. Now, his majestic murals surface regularly in NYC on the streets of Brooklyn and the Bronx but his journey began in Gothenburg. Inspired by Beat Street, the concrete projects of Sweden were his first canvas and his latest are COMMOM's uniforms.

Throughout Let The Games Begin, Hedlund and Bakir balance their modern, sartorial elegance with sportswear fused and and technical focused elements. Muted minimalism is matched with vibrancy, simple lines with complex geometric shapes. Delve deeper into this season's duality with the Patrick Lindblom shot look book (just previewed on Highsnobiety)...

Look book shot by Patrick Lindblom courtesy of Highsnobiety
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Collecting fans and players along the journey, this COMMON collection will continue to drive this enthralling label forward. Let the real games begin...

Just doing it, again and again

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:54:00 +0000

"Innovation is not about creation for its own sake, it's about creating something better, designing with a purpose," Mark Parker, President and CEO of Nike explained to an assembled audience of international press as he introduced the Nature Amplified design ethos and unveiled four running enhancing innovations last month. With pens perfectly poised and dictaphones desperate to document, this simple statement might have been lost in the pleasing product parade that delighted and dazzled over the course of my stay in Oregan. They weren't. As we were all enveloped and inspired by the all inviting swoosh during our tour of its campus, Parker's words grew louder as they echoed across each and every inch of their impressive HQ.

It had been half a decade since Nike had gathered journalists from all over the world together at their Beaverton base. Having heard countless tales of awe inspiring visits to Nike's state of sportswear, expectations were high and as they unveiled a quartet of products designed to enhance runners’ natural abilities and offered glimpses inside their Nike Sport Research Lab with air bubbles of innovation, we weren't disappointed. A princely pair of running shoes were introduced in the Nike Free Flyknit and Nike Free Hyperfeel along with a dynamic duo of apparel technologies in Aeroloft and Dri-FIT Knit, all guided by Nike’s Nature Amplified design ethos, an approach that is focused on designing for the body in motion and fuelled by scientific data and athlete insights. "Nature Amplified means designing for bodies in motion and creating products that work intuitively with the human body,” Trevor Edwards, NIKE Brand President divulged. “The footwear and apparel we’ve unveiled today is based on insights from athletes and runners at every level, combined with extensive research in our lab. These innovations are data-driven, but body-led," he continued.

After introducing the revolutionary (in production terms atleast) Flyknit last year and receiving widespread acclaim, you'd forgive them if, like many other leaders of industry do, they spent the next year or two subtlety tweaking the concept but they haven't. They're now pushing this technology and applying it to other models, for all kinds of potential applications and two were unveiled last month. The Nike Free Flyknit is the fusion of two of Nike’s most iconic footwear technologies — the compressive Nike Flyknit upper has been teamed with the flexible Nike Free outsole. The shoe provides the benefits of natural motion and a snug, supportive fit in a single shoe.

The evolution of the Flyknit

With the above pair of Nike Free Flyknits myself, I can testify that shoe fits snugly, it's hugs your feet. Also loving the feet of runners and getting that bit closer, the Nike Free Hyperfeel is designed to feel like an extension of the body by minimising layers between the foot and the ground. The ultra-thin waffle outsole uses strategically placed waffle pistons for grip and feel, allowing the foot to get closer to the ground. Drawing directly from the Nature Amplified doctrine, the shoe that mimics the intricate workings of the human foot: Lunarlon foam replicates cushioned pads under the foot. The outsole protects like hardened skin on the sole. Dynamic Flywire flexes and contracts, inspired by ligaments.

Feeling the Hyperfeel

Over the course of the summit, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Trevor Edwards and I asked him what constantly drives the brand forward. Given that he been an integral part of the company for twenty one years and seen tremendous growth and all sorts of innovations, he was perfectly placed to detail how and why Nike are never satisfied and to explain the latest developments:

"This mindset was embedded into the company at the very beginning by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. As Bill was a coach and Knight an athlete, the mentality of constantly struggling to be better was there from the start. Bill used to say innovate or retire. That statement rings true today. Mark (Parker) is just the same. It is an everyday pursuit. We all come to work every single day thinking how we can help athletes get better, there's always this hunger to improve. If something's not better then why are we doing it? From this, it allows us to remove any sentimentality about a product that was great at a particular moment time and instead we're thinking of solving new problems in a fresh way.

In many ways Nature Amplified is a disruptive way of thinking in terms of product creation because the common viewpoint is to add things to product but instead we're now taking anything that fails to enhance performance and experience. It's a purist approach. The HyperFeel is a pure form of product, we're using Flyknit but we're developing this idea of being close to the surface. The body knows, it can feel that sensation and it reacts accordingly. Nature has created the way we are, we look to add to that by making the product more personal to you, the athlete, you the consumer. Over time we can apply our knowledge and ability to innovate against specific problems, we're always looking at fresh ways to improve products and to innovate.

To reach that point, there's always a great deal of work behind-the-scenes. We are amassing years and years of knowledge that continue to build up and innovation can only occur when technology catches up with the knowledge, it's a case of being able to deliver. Knowledge, design and technology need to be at the same level That's what we were able to do with Flyknit. We had researched where and how the foot required support an to stretch itself out when it is performing naturally and the Flyknit technology helps us produce stitch by stitch. It changed how footwear is made. It has so many benefits. From a consumer perspective, it allows us to engineer the product to their specific needs in a mass way. From a manufacturing perspective, it reduces waist and brings digital knowledge into the creation of a production."

A teasing look inside the lab

As we bounced from room to room inside the all consuming campus, I lost count of the times I heard the word innovation. "Innovation is everything at Nike. It's the core of our character. We use innovation to serve human potential. It's the answer to limits," Parker stated in his opening summit speech. It was impossible not to swoon over the sportswear giant as it flexed its research and design muscles by opening white boxes containing next level products which were duly promoted by pulse racing presentations but it was Nike's insatiable appetite to improve, to be better that left the greatest impression on me. Mirroring the efforts of the superstars that they work with each and every day, they are always pushing forward, striving to beat previous personal bests and helping their sponsored and supported talents to do the same. Laurels or heels are never rested on in Beaverton as Edwards explains.

"Being here for twenty years, the great thing is that we come to work every single day trying out how to innovate, how to make something better. We're not interested in new for the sake of newness, it has to be better. Certain product innovations are a journey, we launched Free and we're now at this point, we envision that products will be based on nature - how can we continue to improve our basis by thinking along this ethos. That doesn't mean less technology, it means taking away the negatives and only adding to the positives, finding the purest essence of the product and stripping away everything else."

Matthew Miller's Manifesto. SS14 and beyond...

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 09:24:00 +0000

"I make clothes," Matthew Miller succinctly states as we beckons me into his brave new world for spring/summer 14 currently housed in DMSR London's central London showroom. "So many designers refers to themselves as artists and I can't relate to that. I just don't see myself as one. However, instead of me being an artist, I want to shift it and turn every single wearer into the artist. It's fun to allow the consumer to play a part in the final product." As all encompassing as it sounds, clothes maker oversimplifies Miller's pursuits. A disaffected designer, a textile theorist, a contumacious creative and a sartorial sophist are all far closer to the mark but the mere mention of any of them would make this design talent wince. Ultimately, Miller is a simple soul with a complicated mind.

For the last few seasons he has begun to challenge conventions. For spring/summer 13 he explored the concept of having to destroy something to make it beautiful and introduced it to pull-to-tear t-shirts and in subsequent collections, it's an idea that has been further refined. Matthew Miller now sees each garment as an experience. From catwalk right through to purchase, the designer considers every step. The rulebook has been laser cut, screen pasted and masterfully manipulated in his eager grasp and this spring/summer 14 season sees the focused force unveil his manifesto.

Now his work whispers that un-sourceable quote of "artists create problems, designers solve them." That's precisely what Miller is, a problem solver. Now, having honed his technique and provided significant yet small solutions over the course of ... quietly successful seasons, the designer has begun to decipher the Miller enigma. "When I went to a NEWGEN meeting a couple of seasons back, oki-ni's Ben Banks said that he kind of got me but didn't completely understand my work. He felt that I didn't quite know what I wanted to say visually yet and that was a massive kick up the arse to be honest because he was right," he confesses. Taking this constructive criticism on the chin, the designer dived into the deep waters of introspection. "This season was a case of redefinition. My starting point was to set out a clear vision and message. Rather than just continue to design a completely new collection each season, coming up with an idea and moving on like I always have previously. The communication of objects, destruction and decay through individuality, SS14 is the introduction of a new manifesto for the brand. It is about setting something on the path of evolution with the aim to continually strive to improve," Miller explains through excited eyes. This collection sees the designer lay the solid foundations of the brand and allow it to grow. Having looked at everything that came before, it was all about focussing the label on a fruitful future.

"I arrived at a new label. Matthew Miller has faded from direct significance. For me, my name was secondary. I needed to create a graphic identity that people would instantly recognise after a couple of years. The same as Nike's swoosh, or Margiela's stitches. That was the biggest thing this season. I didn't pass it over to anyone, it was my task and my task alone to redefine the label. I was absorbed into the graphics, fonts, spacing...everything. We worked up so many samples of the labels just to get the right feel and texture. There were no short cuts. I was conscious of this collection feeling like a luxury label. Basically, everything that buyers say London labels aren't, they often remark how much they love the creativity of the capital but are ultimately put off by price points and placement. For us, moving forward we will be carrying over entry level detailing, from collars and cuffs in our shirting so these were as considered as they could possibly be this season."

The rich identity bubbles throughout this considered collection. As the first slender, topless frame turned on its minimal stage of white, a familiar yet fresh focused force introduced itself. The proclamation ‘Untitled, Mixed Media, Variable Dimensions’ was scrawled onto pale backs and grew ever louder. The words were confidently echoed throughout a series of industrial sportswear brandishing the slogan. For spring/summer 14, the designer’s investigation into the technological versus the traditional took the most purposeful and confident step forward to date as branding is stitched seamlessly with ideology. Away from the political and philosophical broadcasts there were details to truly believe in with unfinished hems, exposed seams, cracked paint finishing, laminated labels mounted on wood and slotted onto the rear pockets of denim and wire rope and concrete combine to recreate duffel coat toggles. It might not have it on the label but spring/summer 14 is Matthew Miller.

Backstage photography by Piczo, runway shots from catwalking.com and detail shots are mine.

"Everyone who has seen it has said that the collection makes perfect sense and have bought in it," begins the designer, "the books haven't closed yet but this season has already doubled on the last and we've brought on atleast ten exciting stockists," DMSR London's Greg Hewitt excitedly finishes. Ever since this design talent first came to our attention with his standout RCA MA graduate collection which explored notions of masculinity with a somewhat jovial approach to the macabre, we have kept an ever interested on Matthew Miller's continued development and deserved rise to prominence. Today, there's a noticeable maturity to Miller and a balance to his designs. The pull of creativity and commerciality are matched as Miller pushes on.

"When Topman start doing digital prints you need to work with different techniques. For this season it was taking it back to screen printing, I wanted to make it more hand made and that's difficult to replicate. The screen printing was overseen a good friend of mine, Caroline Carrig, I went to Uni with her and she works for Zandra Rhodes. I'm looking forward to working with her moving forward.

The range has been built up in such a way that stores can buy into it. We've been working hard on the quality of finish and pricing. Nothing works out at over £1,000 on the rails. It goes back to the Alexander Wang thing, you can't sell something as expensive as Balenciaga or Dior because you've not got their history and you can't compete, you have to work harder."

With his head done and eyes focussed on the future, the result is the beginning of an exciting business. "It's just evolving your perspective. If blokes wear t-shirts and jeans, how can I creatively sell them? How can I reinvent it? What will set me apart? Creativity shouldn't stop at the garments, you can creatively set up a business, you can creatively communicate something, you can creatively reconstruct something, redefine manufacturing." Matthew Miller is dead, long live Matthew Miller.

Discovering... Cottweiler

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:53:00 +0000

"It's difficult to pin down precisely when it launched," Matt Dainty confesses as he begins to talk me through the evolution of his shared concept-led menswear label, Cottweiler. "We had been designing and producing garments on a personal order basis for our mates and people that lived and worked around the area for quite a while before we were stocked anywhere," adds Ben Cottrell, the other half of its design duo. "We've only been wholesaling for two seasons and autumn/winter 13 is our first full collection going in to store. So for some people the label seems new, for others it's quite familiar," adds Dainty. Sentences might be fall from the label's mouths in Dainty's appropriated capital twang or Cottrell's West Country hum, it does not matter because they are always heard as one. From their small but perfectly formed studio squeezed into a railway arch in East London, the pair work tirelessly on growing the label in their own way and on their own terms. After first being introduced to the label on the rails of Primitive last year, my appetite to truly discover Cottweiler was whet. Serving up a feast of autumn/winter 13, spring/summer 14 and archive collections, the pair did not disappoint during my drive through visit to their studio.

"Cottweiler is driven by our friendship and what inspires us both. We've had quite different upbringings but there's so much common ground between us. We're both drawn to subculture, particularly British subculture and the label started as a creative process, an outlet from our day jobs in design and tailoring, Ben was on Savile Row for a number of years and Cottweiler enabled us to explore our love of sports and casual wear in a high end way. It was an organic process. It's stayed true to it. Looking back now over our first designs, there's been definitive continuation and evolution. We've not strayed too far from the original concept because it's been an organic process."

Meeting whilst studying Fashion and Textiles at Bristol University the pair were soon drawn to each another, swapping research inspirations and ultimately united by a shared desire to start a label with longevity that would challenge people to think about what they are wearing. Focused on simplicity, function, fit and fabrication, the resulting label deftly balances luxury fabrication and sportswear. Each Cottweiler collection is a smorgasbord of subculture, an intriguing mix iconographic references from youth movement, religious symbols, fetishism and the occult. In addition to producing seasonal collections, limited edition ranges and an ever growing made-to-measure client base, Cottweiler collaborates with cutting edge artists on projects across several mediums including film, photography and illustration.

"We practically spend twenty four hours a day together, we are always talking about next season, have a clear direction of what we want to do next. We are always looking ahead, sending each other images," begins Cottrell as he explains the effervescence of their design dynamic. "We do everything together, from bouncing around ideas at mood board stage to patterns and managing production right through to casting, commissioning look books and making the sample range here in the studio." adds Dainty.

Aside from production which happens in a little factory a button's throw away from the studio, everything happens in their East London enclave. The pair are enveloped by Cotteiler. From mood boards drenched in bubbling subcultures to rails of garments, new and old, the collective heartbeat of the label races on. The last four seasons of research and campaign imagery stand together in unity. Their ideas mingle, merge and push one other forward. Their an aesthetic authenticity. Their curation of amateur photography and youtube screenshots sit seamlessly alongside subsequent look books. From prison codes to scuba diving, joyriders and tunnel dwellers to ravers, look into Cottweiler's kaleidoscope of inspiration below and on their tumblr.

Snapshots of four seasons of Cottweiler's inspirations.

Away from the glare of London Collections: Men's spotlight and out of reach of the BFC's support (for now atleast), Cottweiler has forged its own path. First building up an enthused client base for personal and made-to-measure orders and then slowly but steadily adding a like-minded stockist list. "We've always enjoyed the personal order side because it's fun to offer something that's not on a rail and is made to their specific measurements," adds an excited Cottrell as he thumbs through an archive rail and imagines future fittings. "At the beginning it was the only way we could work because we didn't have stockists, there was no other option back then," confesses Dainty. "Now, it's great because alongside the key stockists that we have, a list that includes GR8 in Tokyo, Fragile in Osaka and Substance in California, there's a regular customer base who come in often. There's one guy who has the same cut of joggers in multiple fabrications, adding one or two each season. As the collections grow it can get a little crazy but it's fun. There's an investment, customers have to pick up the phone and come in to see us, the space could be perceived as intimidating in a number of ways so it takes a lot to come and place an order but it means they are truly passionate. For us, it's great to meet people and talk to them about product, how it's made and the thought and processes behind it."

"It's been gradual," echoes Cottrell. "We've not rushed ourselves to produce full collections and we've always stayed true to our original concept. Steadily the collections are growing and the technology of the fabric and finishing is being developed season on season. We are always looking to finish garments as cleanly as possible, minimal detailing. We look for supplier who can offer us something new. One day we'll have our own bonding and laser cutting machines," he declares triumphantly. "Fabric is so important to us," adds Dainty picking up the conversational baton. "We're both excited by performance fabrics and fabrics that still perform yet have the appearance of classic cloths. We've managed to build five core suppliers, some are in the UK and others in Germany, Switzerland and France, who will work with us in small quantities. The beauty of what we do is that we're drawn to a palette of black, blue and navy and most stock fabrics are in the hues we like so it makes our position easier, we tend to get everything that we want from these suppliers."

This appears to be the perfect moment to meet Cottweiler. Having lurked in the shadows of sportswear, developing and evolving collections as and when they've been ready to do so, the boys are about to step out as a fully defined, working label. Meeting the pair as they finish off production for their first full collection and close orders with their largest pool of stockists to date, they are ready to push on to the next level. Our excited eyes linger over the rail of autumn/winter 13.

"With a colour palette of black, white and carbon, Autumn/Winter 13 took inspiration from joyriders in Golf GTis and kids that live in tunnels under the streets of Eastern Europe," explains Dainty as he thumbs through the bonded tape sweatshirts, polo shirts that mix tech pique and mesh, tench coats in techno wool and hooded bibs in nylon and lycra before introducing me to the Aline and Jacqueline Tappia Reynaud shot look book.

Taking inspiration from Central European forest raves, Cottweiler travelled to the Czech Republic for spring/summer 13 to work with artist and photographer Luis Artemio De Los Santos. Consisting of transparent shell suits, stretch satin sauna suits and the label's signature oversized jersey pieces, the hidden wildness of Prague proved the perfect setting.

"We had previously worked in studios trying to recreate an atmosphere for look books but this season we went to Prague with a photographer that we both hugely admire, Luis. We shot the collection on street cast parkour kids who were all part of a group that he'd be documenting for a number of years. We did an online casting and spent two days out there. it was the best shoot we've done because it was an amazing atmosphere, we went out into the forests, had a couple bottles of wine and just saw them naturally. Rather than recreate something, we shot something that was as real as a fashion shoot could possibly be. The photographer has been a massive inspiration ad influence, he just has a unique talent, he transcends this trend of net art because it's quite classic and possesses an unsaid quality. We hope to be working with him a lot more. over the next couple of years. It's great to meet someone, like our filmmaker Nick, who gets it. His skill is editing but he's an artist, the films evoke a feeling rather than show off garments," explains Dainty. "You don't have to explain or force the concept with these guys," adds Cottrell succinctly.

"We've tried to develop the identity of Cottweiler without putting our names all over it. We are pretty anti-branding to be honest," admits Cottrell laughing. "That's how we dress as well, we are into sportswear but we'e not into swooshes and three stripes everywhere," adds Dainty. There is a subtlety to Cottweiler, their designs don't need a brash logo to be seen, they already stand out with their sportswear in luxury fabrics. They are just waiting to be discovered.

Home is where the Selby is

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:23:00 +0000

"A box of illicit candy that I received at camp," was the most cherished parcel that Todd Selby ever received by mail. Sent with love from his family, the memory of that considered confectionary has whet his appetite once more. Aiming to wrap up a similar bundle of excitement for a coming of age audience that longs to receive tangible post, the creative has collaborated with luxury lifestyle service Svbscrption and explored a familiar theme.

Launched in May 2012 by Andrew Apostola, Sam Wheeler and Marc Goldenfein in New York, Svbscription has fast become a quarterly Santa Claus for its family of subscribers, an ever growing channel for receiving timeless and rare objects and experiences in the mail. Every three months its members receive a special parcel curated around a specific theme. Having previously delivered parcels around the themes of travel, study, leisure and the collector’s edition, Svbsciptions have collaborated with the photographer, illustrator and author around the concept of Home.

"I believe that home is the most important place. It is where you keep your treasure and build your memories. I also find my house to be one of the few places where I can relax. As I travel so much, my time at home is very important and I really appreciate and cherish each day I get to spend in my home."

Given that he has spent the past five years peeking through the keyholes of the world's most interesting and creative homes, he's the ideal curator. The result? "A surprise box of unique things for your house," is how Selby simply introduced Svbscription's latest parcel. Offering an enticing slice of The Selby’s world, it brings together work from some of his favourite designers, cohorts and creators from around the world.

"It was really a simple process. The ideas was to ring up people I’ve been wanting to work with and brainstorm with them what type of products we come make fit into the parcel under the Home theme. This project gave me a chance to finally work with people I’ve photographed or met through my travels and collaborate with them in a different way."

With the help of a few of his favourite creatives and craftsman, Todd Selby and Svbscription have produced two limited edition parcels. Mine arrived on Friday afternoon. Two caskets of curiosities Despite having interviewed Selby, I had, like each and every one of the subscribers, absolutely no idea what was inside. It was a treasure trove that treated every sense. Objects that encouraged cooking, entering, tasting, decorating, lighting and scenting. They included a money box/vase by Everyday Needs and Martino Gamper, a bison leather keychain by Los Angeles based leather design company Parabellum, a dark chocolate bar from Mast Brothers wrapped up in the Selby's unmistakable illustrations, further playful scrawls by his hand repurposed as stickers, a scented candle by Coqui Coqui Perfumes and a recipe box of Home Style Recipes by The Selby and submissions from friends including Eric Ripert, Alice Waters, Tom Sachs and Violet's very own Claire Ptak. Delicious.

The packages settle in to their new home.

With periodic pauses filled with promise, Svbscription is part discovery, part experience. Todd Selby harmonised his voice with that of the service perfectly, who or what is next? The upcoming address etched on Svbscription's magical mystery mail sees it explore the theme of the unexpected. Wait with excitement for the postman. If you really can't wait, a few boxes of the above treats are available at Colette now.

MOHSIN's move

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 14:57:00 +0000

"I was drawn to the idea of offering limited edition product that can be pre-ordered directly by consumers every couple of months," explains an excited Mohsin Ali from his Brick Lane based studio. Forever on his toes and ready for combat, this week saw the first of potentially many, limited edition Mohsin releases. Bypassing the whims and fancies of retailers, ten engineered tops from autumn/winter 13 were reimagined in soft neoprene surfaced online and were available for pre-order. Four were snapped up immediately but six still remain. Inspired by the swift, direct movement of the Muay Thai practitioner, I was keen to learn more.

"It enables me to release garments that I might not necessarily send out to retailers. These products are little tasters. They will always be limited and either involve updating existing patterns in special fabrications or something which is new. The engineered tee used to launch this offering is available in navy and grey wool this season but has been made that bit more special in neoprene. It's a shape that I first introduced for autumn/winter 13, developed for the latest season and I'm already working on new fabrications for autumn/winter 14 involving special leathers. It's fast becoming a staple. So far I've sold two extra smalls, both to girls, a couple of mediums and I have an eye on a large for myself.

More than any other has managed before it, the AW13 collection really encapsulates my design standpoint and this has been carried through to SS14 and the early design work for the upcoming season. The collections are beginning to show a real continuity, there's a confidence about them which excites me for the future. I'm fighting hard to push the business forward whilst balancing and building freelance work. Since the label's launch I've been working to find the right approach and I feel like I have now."

It's little surprise that Layers snapped up much of the autumn/winter 13 collection. Exploring sartorial notions of protection with the physical needs and demands of his beloved Muay Thai, Mohsin produced a thirty five piece collection that played with shape, silhouette, fabric and function. The engineered tee encapsulated everything that I love about the label. It is a subtly transformative garment. It is modern day armour. Now, as the design talent tinkers with his armour further, this spontaneous, straight to customer retail experience at a competitive price of £145, he surely leads the way for others to follow. If you've been struck by this offer then please do drop Mohsin an email here. Your move.

Exploring... The Chalk Room

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:02:00 +0000

"It's nice to meet and chat with customers," Charlie Casely-Hayford begins simply as he warmly welcomes me through the threshold of Hostem's emporium of menswear treasures and curiosities before leading me its wooden staircase to enter The Chalk Room. Periodically stepping out of the House's Dalston based studio, the designer navigates his way through the sensory kaleidoscope that is Kingsland Road and immerses himself in this mesmerising microcosm of made-to-measure. He revels in it. Dimly lit adding to a sense of intimacy to the occasion whilst encouraging daydreams of discovery, The Chalk Room shines it's spotlight on cherished craftsmanship, housing an array of handpicked artisans that have the store's signature spirit bubbling in their veins. Alongside Sebastian Tarek, Fleet Ilya, Globe-Trotter, Casely-Hayford's sartorial offering shines bright. Created by British design studio JamesPlumb, Charlie's home-from-home is filled with antique furniture, intrigue and possibilities.

Since the House's inception, Casely-Hayford have forged an eloquent handwriting of modern English style that has left the collective pulse racing. The father and son design duo have carefully crafted a signature style of relaxed masculine proportions and exquisite tailoring, whilst fusing it with an injection of the raw energy of London's dynamic under belly that constantly inspires them. With each season whilst cementing the House's ethos of 'Innovation through Tradition', they explore, play and experiment with the duality of English Sartorialism and British Anarchy like no other label could. They delight in the unique design dynamic. It has created the perfect environment in which an intriguing interplay between old and new, familiar and fresh, traditional and radical. As Charlie Casely-Hayford converses, measures, pins and makes notes, it is clear that The Chalk Room is an exciting extension of everything they have built. The whims and fancies of all manner of customer are now seamlessly stitched into their own signatures.

"When most men think about buying a tailored suit, they think of the stuffiness of Savile Row. With our space here, we wanted to create an antidote to those concerns. We wanted it to be a clean, modern, streamlined alternative that was true to our vision whilst allowing men to be more experimental with the traditional boundaries of a suit.

Ultimately we create suits for men that don’t need to wear suits but choose to. There’s a real freedom in that choice. They wear Casely-Hayford suits in the way that they want to, without the constraints of convention or tradition. Everybody we've had so far have been so different, from business directors to set designers, actors and a plethora of creatives. The set designer went for a classic suit with a stunning, rare, 400g Loro Piana fabric matched with a pinball machine lining."

Exploring The Chalk Room

As he recounts previous encounters, Charlie Casely-Hayford's face lights up the dark basement space. This is an endeavour close to the heart of the House. It builds upon all of their shared experiences, takes the hand of the secretive world of bespoke and made-to-measure and leads it into an alluring advanced area.

"We wanted to retain the price of a made-to-measure service but bring it as close to Bespoke as possible. We have spent the best part of the last year handpicking suiting fabrics from all of the best mills in the UK and Italy, same with the linings. We can provide the customer with over two thousand fabric options. It’s an utterly immersive experience. It can be daunting for some but we're here to guide the customer through everything. We can do almost anything. You can get made-to-measure suiting from various corners of London and we were keen to offer something different and therefore we partnered with a couple of English mills and part of our process, if asked to do so, is develop fabric that is tailored to your whims and fancies. That's obviously at the higher end of the pricing structure but it just shows that we can go that bit further. We're working on a swatch at the moment that has silhouettes of characters from The Simpsons, same with the lining. We're having quite a few requests for using football shirts and we can do that. I like the variety. Each suit should reflect each customers identity.

Rather than follow the structure of a formal consultation, I like to keep it more like a conversation in which I jot down a few notes. After the initial chat I take measurements, ask a few more questions, pair the customer with an existing suit silhouette from the range that works with their shape and preferences, shoot images to see how it fits them and pin as we go. I find it easier to work with images rather than just text and measurements and it also means I can discuss everything with my Dad throughout the process. We go through the details of each order at every step. His experience is such a useful asset and I'm learning every day."

Decisions, decisions, decisions... The conversation between consumer and creator.

It is the perfect collaborative contract between consumer and creator. Despite not being physically in The Chalk Room, Joe Casely-Hayford is still present. He sees through Charlie's eyes. The informal yet inquisitive designer delves deep with his questioning asking about the use of the suit, weight preferences, silhouettes and what if anything irritates the customer about suits already hanging in their wardrobes. Throughout the process his ears are pricked, gaze focused and mind filled with insight. What were my requirements? It soon became clear that I longed for a sartorial chameleon. A suit that could be moulded to my needs over the course of a full year and beyond. For me, it had to be single breasted, slim fit jacket and trousers cropped at boot level in a medium cloth that danced the line between utilitarianism in black and navy with a lining that captured my imagination. Once this outline took its shape, Charlie talked me through each stage of modification and detail personalisation. From lapels to pockets, buttons to vents, linings to inscriptions, the opportunities to mould the suit to your preferences and needs are vast with Charlie, reassuringly as guide at every step.

After a further fitting, a few more photos, adjustments and tweaks to ensure that it falls correctly, the suit was realised. The entire process lasted no more that ten weeks (including a holiday). Last weekend I slipped it on for a friend's wedding. It felt like an old friend itself.

Casely-Hayford made-to-measure suit worn with...
shirt and boots by Casely-Hayford, pocket square by Muji and kilt pin by RTH.
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With prices from £1,250 the service isn't cheap but it is remarkably competitive. Continuing to delight in the duality between the realms of the tradition and innovation, Casely-Hayford are blurring the tailor's chalk line between made-to-measure and bespoke. This is an investment. An experience. A dream realised.

Details... Tanned treats

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 06:42:00 +0000

Artfully aged by the climate of Orange County for a few days, George Esquivel's brogues salute the sunshine of California.

The fabrics of Lou Dalton SS14

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 03:18:00 +0000

Take me out tonight

Because I want to see people and I

Want to see life

Driving in your car

Oh, please don't drop me home

Because it's not my home, it's their

Home, and I'm welcome no more

(The Smiths, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Lyrics)

Morgan O'Donovan's backstage shots capture the mood of Lou Dalton spring/summer 14.

"The story for the season revolves around a lonesome young souls who had been pulled from pillar to post because his father was in the service," begins Lou Dalton as we travel by train to West Yorkshire on our mill tour with Woolmark. Her eyes light up and she excitedly weaves he latest tale. "I remember these awkward kids from my own school days growing up near both army and RAF bases in Shropshire. They'd struggle to belong. They would arrive on a bus for the first day of a new year and then they'd slowly disappear." Well, these lost boys always have a home in the mind of this designer. Each season Dalton crafts well tailored, rebellious English sportswear for her working class souls. Each season is an evolution and this sees the most confident march forward. She's a humble design talent that is ever growing in confidence and belief. It shows both on the runways and on the rails.

There is always a narrative but it is growing increasingly tighter and seductive. The world's she stitches into the very seams of her designs are ones in which we long to lose ourselves in. From the miners strikes of the 80s to the Russian mafia and Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff, various influences combine that all lend themselves to the continuation of her sartorial fascination with struggling heroes. For spring/summer 14, Dalton remembers her childhood in Shropshire, enveloped by daydreams of fighter pilots and the machines they tame in the air and recalling the lost boys of the forces.

"We can all relate to the idea of wanting to fit in. Always trying to be part of a collective and this played on my mind as I delved deeper. I had this idea of a more distressed, grungy feel and this played out in the fabrics and the colour palette. Trying to blend in wearing all black but actually standing out. Drawn in to this lifestyle by his father, fascinated by aviation and machines. I developed the story from his childhood and developed this idea of him being at art school, still fascinated with aeronautical engineering - rebuilding the machines that fascinated him as a boy in an artistic form and soundtracked by Jesus and Mary Chain, Bauhaus, The Smith because that was the music that I listened to whilst at school in my fifth and final year. It just felt right. The wool had to have the same clipped, fresh feel about it and the softness would work with the cottons, linens and tones of the collection."

Dalton frequently grounds the discussion in fabrics. In fact, she uses fabrics as each season's narrator. Her eloquent tales become ever more enticing and exciting with the perfect delivery. Wool is a common syntax within her speech.

"I use wool every season regardless of whether it be light, heavy or whatever. We've always been given such generous support from mills like Bulmer & Lumb but being approached by Woolmark and their great sponsorship, we could push it that bit further and explore CoolWool. I knew that I wanted a really light wool. In the past I've used a mohair which has quite a crisp feel to it but I was keen to use something else. Having visited Première Vision earlier in the season I began to see what the collection needed and the mill trip with Woolmark brought everything together."

Having already stopped off at and explored the craft of Bulmer & Lumb and W.T. Johnson & Sons, it was a pleasure to watch her sift through binders filled with luxurious fabric options at Stanley Mills. With a focused gaze, she methodically worked her way through the latest offerings from John Foster, Charles Clayton and William Halstead. Each steeped in history but striving to innovate, their fabrics are produced with the finest wool, cashmere, silk, mohair, cotton and linen available from the best farms around the world and crafted in Yorkshire, the heart of the wool textile industry in England. Now, the sheer volume and diversity of choice would intimate most but Dalton thrived on it.

Lou Dalton making a fabric selection at Stanley Mills.

Weaving an intricate and dazzling group, Stanley Mills is ever evolving, helping to both protect and drive the textile industry forward. As Lou Dalton's mind raced through her material mood and fabric fancies, our senses were treated to a cacophony of sights and sounds from of the weaving world. Through its careful selection and control of raw materials together with continual investment in the latest equipment, the trio of brands collectively continue to push textile manufacturing to new heights.

A few snapshots of the mill.

"For me, this season was a breakthrough. I don't want the collection to be pigeonholed, I want it to feel welcoming and approachable to all those who want to buy into it and indeed have bought into it but I still want it to be surprising. The last thing I want is for it to be predictable." There is an evolved self awareness of Lou Dalton that deftly balances the demands of the customer with confidence in its own narrative. "You have to really think about when the product will be in store, we part delivered autumn/winter 13 before the spring/summer 14 show in June - you have to consider when the collection will be on rails and online and buyers are becoming more strategic with their orders, for example number of the stores bought t-shirts and light hires so it's perfect timing for them now as we're waiting for our summer to kick off and the gorgeous mohair pieces can drop later." The light wool pieces of spring/summer 14 will blossom as boundaries between the seasons blur.

Treasured Items... Hugo Lavin

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 16:17:00 +0000

As Susie dozed in the reclined seat adjacent to me, Varón Magazine was my ever alert and engaging companion for the duration of my flight to Los Angeles. As the rest of the cabin daydreamed of Hollywood, I was engrossed in the monochrome mastery contained within volume six of the handsome title. Simply meaning male in Spanish and only seen through a filter of grayscale, Varón is a complex publication. With editorials that strive for a certain timeless and effortless aesthetic alongside text that encourages the reader to think. With Daniel Whitmore's cover gaze provoking intrigue on the shelves, we asked Varón Magazine's Fashion Director Hugo Lavin to share the tale of his most cherished wardrobe item. Here, the Spanish born, London based fashion spins the yarns behind his favourite sweater. It might not (thankfully, see below) have won him a party prize but it's nevertheless a worthy wool winner...

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Hugo Lavin and the unknown sailor sweater

"I stumbled across this sailor sweater at a charity shop as I searched for a potential prize winning entry for a party themed as 'The ugliest sweater party'. When I saw it it seemed to whisper my name. I instantly fell for its charms and couldn't resist it for three pounds. Obviously I didn't win the ugliest sweater award, as it was the best one on show.

It doesn't have any identifiable branding. It's made of very thick wool and reminds me the of the city where I come from: Santander. Sailor men arrive every morning to the port with this chunky sweatesr and their rain-coat. As a child I developed an obsession with the sea. Also, it reminds me that my adopted city of London and the North of Spain are very similar, so I feel at home.

The sweater itself is quite small but I love this kind of feeling that a garment it's getting small because you're growing up (back in the days to my childhood). This tiny, deep blue sailor wool sweater has probably been alive for a long time but will be continue with its new life with me for many years to come. Here's to a long life for the unknown sailor sweater." Hugo Lavin

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Hare Raising

noreply@blogger.com (Style Salvage Steve) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 20:11:00 +0000

"When I started making shoes I didn’t know the first thing about doing so," Marc Hare begins before taking a sip of wine. As we sit in a quiet corner of an East London bar for an interview feature for Volume 6 of Varon (out on shelves now), we reflect on the whirlwind of success that has continued to fire his footwear label forward. Both the sit down and glass of white are richly deserved. To illustrate the tale behind the evolution of the label we'd like to focus your attention on how the Miller and Orwell have helped define and shape its path. I propose the apt toast of 'He who hares wins' before delving in to the narrative.

Now, 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. You know the story well. Conceived at a roadside tapas bar in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Andalusia during the summer of 2008, Mr Hare, the brand not the man, was born out of his realisation that there just were not enough shoes in the world that he liked. Thankfully for our feet, he decided to do something about it. From this epiphany it took a mere three hundred and sixty days for his creations to land on the shop floor at Dover Street Market.

"I had nothing to lose when I started the label. The equation was simple, to either build something or sit with nothing. It was an easy decision. I was fortunate because at the time I was thirty seven years old, I had a long history of working in PR, in retail and the commercial side. I had experience in all of the daunting things that people coming out of college face. As I didn't have any other commitments, I was completely and utterly focused on what I was doing and I still am." One step after another, all eyes remain transfixed by Mr. Hare's fancy feet.

"I’ve had to take little steps and learn how to do things and you’ll see that every season we branch out into different little areas." From season to season, there is a constant sense of evolution and at times revolution. One companion from the start, even when Hare was just a man with a dream, was the Miller. The story of this five hold Oxford shoe is the Mr. Hare fairytale. The original Miller began its life sketched in the mind of a frustrated fashion marketeer.

"I worked for a Swedish clothing company who were famous for their skinny tailoring. I had all of their suits but needed a pair of fly black shoes to wear with them. I went to Jerymn Street because I thought I wanted something quite classic but just couldn't find what I had in mind. I wanted something sharper. At the time I didn't know that I'd be the person to fill the gap, but I left the street knowing that such a gap existed. Ultimately The Miller was my answer, a straight forward classic shoe with contemporary lines. It wasn't so stuffy that it had to stick to the rules. A classic Oxford has certain characteristics already so it was all about adjusting them to just how I wanted." Mr. Hare might not have a formal design background but he is a lover, a tweaker, an alchemist.

"I liken the process to mixing your favourite cocktail, you have the recognisable ingredients and then just make it how you want. At the time, there were so many shoes that had massive toe springs and I just found them to be utterly hideous. The toe spring was the thing to be removed, we then elongated it further because I didn't want it to appear stubby in any way and to ensure it was as elegant as it could

be." See a snapshot of the shake-up behind the Miller below.

The evolution of the Miller.

As much as I admire the fruits of Mr. Hare's work in constant progress that is the Miller, it is their old friend the Orwell. The Orwell has shape shifted and morphed into a number of label favourites. The handsome family. "Along with the Miller, the Orwell has stood the test of time. Every iteration of the Orwell looks fantastic and it has spawned the King Tubby and the Genet, it has many, many children whilst the Miller is pretty much the original,we've added colours, used different leathers and stiffened up the sole but essentially it is the same shoe." Take a closer look at a few of the famous offspring of the Orwell family album below...

From Orwell to Stingray Orwell to all manner of King Tubby.

Hare is not a man that stands still and once again the Miller, mirrors the man. "It's the shoe that we treat like a Dunk or an Air Force 1, the challenge is coming every season with a fresh, new Miller. The amount of directions that you can take it in and the things that you can do with it is really pleasing. If I cut my whole company down to a one pair, it would have to be the Miller and we'd still have a company that you could run forever and ever and ever."

From daydreams to designs, firsts to the lasts, everything was made in the UK. "Up to that point it was very much a British point of view. For me and it's well documented, England makes the best quality, toughest shoes in the world but at the same time, it's very difficult to go to an English factory as a nobody with an idea and to get it made at the price you need. That's still the case now. So I went to Italy because I could. Now I go to Italy as often as I can. During the sampling process, I'm there every two weeks for about three months. I used to go quite sporadically but now that I've got sales staff and general managers, I can spend longer and hope to have periods where I'm out there full time. Even just six months ago, there was myself and James. Two guys running everything. Just like at the very beginning, where I could just concentrate on the product, now that the infrastructure is there I can concentrate on it again and push it even more. With everything that we've learned, the product that's out in a years time should be next level. Ultimately, my aim is to one day by a factory in Northampton and drag it in to the twenty first century and actually get a truly modern British shoe company going again" Hare's relationships with the master craftsmen of Tuscany are thriving but as ever, he's looking ahead. Out of breath, we'll be trying to keep up with this Hare raising talent and remember.. he who Hares wins.

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.
----------

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"