A Busy Few Months

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:43:04 +0100

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work." - Thomas A. Edison

I know that I have neglected my writing recently - it has been a ridiculously busy few months, so big apologies.

So, what's been happening?

Firstly, I can see! Well I have always been able to see, but not particularly well without the help of contact lenses or glasses, but finally I had time to have laser eye surgery and I now have 20/10 vision. If you've never heard of 20/10 vision, like I hadn't, then this actually means it is a level of vision twice as clear as 20/20. It's astounding - not quite the same as 20/2 - which is the level of hawks and birds of prey - but I'm guessing I won't need to be hunting small mice in fields of long grass any time soon.

Many people seem to have quite a bit of animosity towards laser eye surgery. When I told people that I was going to have the procedure, they screwed their faces up as if I was running my finger nails down a blackboard.

I did my research beforehand and chose the best that I could find. Mr David (what a great name for starters!) Allamby is the medical director and chief surgeon at Focus, a specialist clinic in Wimpole Street and he is widely regarded as the best in the country, having performed 18,000 procedures with 100 per cent of his patients who have typical short sight seeing 20/20 after Z-lasik and 98 per cent can get to a level even better than that.

What astonished me was how quick and completely painless the whole procedure was. It actually took nine minutes and 20 minutes later, I had 20/20 vision and the following morning I had 20/10 perfect vision. I've literally spent longer and more painful times at the dental hygienist. I really didn't know what to expect, and had this vision (blurred vision) of the procedure being done by a machine, so I was surprised and very reassured that David was there along with two of his team for the whole procedure. It's this precision that, I think, is the secret to such fast and accurate results. Really it's very simple - the laser painlessly removers a very small amount of tissue from the cornea which has the effect of very slightly flattening the curve of the cone, which corrects the short sighted focus - brilliant!

David Allamby has refined the Lasik procedure to allow very rapid recovery so even though Mum Gandy came with me to drive me home, I honestly felt as though I could have done this myself (or maybe that was just me not wanting someone else driving the car!) and that was just an hour after the operation. Within a few hours I had virtually forgotten that I'd even had the procedure - there was a little dryness and graininess, but that was it.

So, I couldn't recommend laser eye surgery or David Allamby and the Focusteam enough. They truly are a wonderful attentive team, everything is explained and the service and care was amazing. I couldn't have asked for more so a big thank you to them. The cost may be off-putting at first, but I did some maths and worked out that over the years of wearing contacts and glasses, plus all the optician appointments and solutions etc, I have actually spent nearly £7,000 pounds on my eyes and the Z-Lasik costs less than half of that, so it all works out. I really wish I had done it years earlier and saved myself on the downsides of wearing contact lenses.

This week was LC:M spring/summer 2015, the fifth season of London's men's fashion week. Again it was a great few days. LC:M gets bigger and stronger every year, with more international press and buyers and even more shows and presentations with increased worldwide coverage. Congratulations to Dylan Jones, everyone at the British Fashion Council, and all of the designers, models and sponsors for all of their hard work and the time they give to making it so special. I did say that this year I might not make as many of the events as I have done previously, but as it turned out, I probably attended more than ever and tried to support as many designers, presentations and events as I could.

The highlight? Well I'm not going to lie, aside from the shows themselves, Mercedes Benz gave me a 1965 300sl Gullwing to drive around on the last day and to the GQ Ambassadors dinner that Tinnie Tempah, Nick Grimshaw, Dylan Jones and I hosted. As you may know, this is one of my top three classic cars of all time and it was a real show stopper. The amount of attention that the car received from passers by was incredible and goes to show that you can't really beat classic design. That day I was also wearing a summer collaboration suit, that I designed and made along with Neil Fennel. It was a very summery take on how to wear tailoring in the heat, paired with a T shirt and braces and finished off with a bespoke pair of leather/Prince of Wales check brogues made especially for me by Gresham Blake.

We also announced some exciting news over LC:M - that I have designed my own underwear and sleepwear collection in collaboration with M&S which will launch on September 18 2014. I can't give too much away at this point, apart from to let you know that the David Gandy for Autograph line will consist of 28 pieces of underwear, loungewear and sleep wear. It was a natural step for me to work with M&S on this range. They really are the experts when it comes to underwear with one in five men in the UK wearing underwear from M&S. They have never actually had a premium range before though, which is what the collection will be, so it's a first for the brand. I've enjoyed every part of the process of design and concept and I have spent a lot of time choosing premium fabrics, working hard on developing the fit and quality, even down to the packaging, so I hope people like it.

Another first over the last few weeks was my debut appearance in a music video - don't worry, I'm not singing! I've been approached to collaborate on music videos before but I've decided against it. However, when Jennifer Lopez and the brilliant director Anthony Mandler approached me personally to be part of this, it was an opportunity that I couldn't say no to. The shoot was quite challenging with sand storms, 50mph winds and very cold conditions, even though it was shot in the desert two hours outside of LA, but for me, the weather added to the beautiful photography and video that was shot.

I can't speak highly enough about how wonderful Jennifer Lopez was to work with and what a down-to-earth woman she is. I was taken aback by her humbleness, humour and professionalism. In adverse conditions we had a great time shooting and I'm very proud of the results. Let me know what you think.

See the video for 'First Love' here.

New Adventures

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:48:17 +0100

"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don't wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope" - Barack Obama

Over the past weeks there have been various exciting, new projects and adventures.

I've just got back from a fabulous weekend racing at Goodwood. The Goodwood track is one of my favourite historical tracks for driving and it's where I completed my racing licence over a year ago. It is also, of course, the venue for the now world-famous Festival of Speed and Revival weekends. The UK sadly doesn't have a car show to rival the likes of Geneva, Paris or Frankfurt and this paved the way for Lord March to create these astonishing weekends for car enthusiasts, racers and families that are now the envy of the world.

However as their popularity has increased, the larger and more commercialised it has become has slightly alienated the true enthusiasts and racers, especially of classic cars. So, Lord March decided to bring back the Goodwood Members meeting. There were 71 of these members meetings up until Goodwood was closed in 1966. The 72nd meeting this weekend was a part of the long tradition, however it has truly been brought into the modern era. The highlight of the meetings are the historic racing cars from all the different decades, but it was also how the true enthusiasts got to meet, share stories and car chat within a very intimate environment.

The top historic racers were there, including Stirling Moss and famous petrol heads like Chris Hoye (who was in the Jaguar team with me in the Mille Miglia last year), Chris Evans and Rowen Atkinson. The beautiful spring weather only added to the fun weekend and I was there in a different role to last year - as a part of a racing team. Despite me and driver Ben Cussons coming fourth in the race in his Jaguar C type, I hope we came in higher on the leader board for style, thanks to the tailoring of Simon Cundey of Henry Poole and Co. We were in sporting-style suits with a wool tweed called Worsted Alsport, showing how suits were adapted in history from riding, to driving, to racing. A very special weekend indeed.

When I was at the Christmas drinks/dinner for one of the charities I support, Style for Soldiers, I met Giles Duley. I'd heard of Giles as he was an editorial photographer for the likes of GQ, Esquire and The Times. However, the story that he went on to tell me is truly inspiring and who better to explain the whole story that the man himself, from this link.

In short, Giles turned from editorial photography to documentary photography, concentrating on people suffering the consequences of war and humanitarian issues. However in 2011 Giles stepped on an IED, amputating both his legs and leaving him with an arm beyond repair. He should have died, but by 2012 he was on his way back to Afghanistan photographing civilian casualties. What an incredible achievement.

His new project - 100 Portraits Before I Die - focuses on his passion for portraiture and taking photographs of the many people who have influenced his life. It's a project to rebuild his career and his condifence and I was lucky enough to be one of the 100 people that he chose for the project. My new house came in handy and we shot for a couple of hours in the beautiful weather (yes, it doesn't always rain in London). Hearing stories like Giles's really puts many things into perspective and his determination and courage is a wonderful example to us all.

Lastly, and certainly not least, was the wonderful day at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home when I joined the other ambassadors to help lay the first cornerstone at a ceremony to celebrate the start of the building of the desperately needed, new dog kennels. They will become the new intake kennels and will comprise four blocks of 14 kennels. Each block will have its own laundry, clinic room, assessment room and kitchen which will help keep infection to a minimum. The current kennels haven't been designed with today's dogs' needs in mind (causing the new arrivals stress as well as harbouring disease).

The fortunes of these dogs will follow those of the cats, where rehoming increased by 30 per cent when the new cattery was built. This means they will be able to rehome more dogs each year, and more quickly, even though they have less kennels.

Obviously a project of this size does not come cheap. Remember, the home receives no government funding and the running of it all comes from donations. It already costs £12.7 million to run the three rehoming centres, which equates to £36,000 a day, and the new kennels are going to cost an extra £4.8 million. £2.9million has been raised by corporate companies, trusts and high-net worth individuals which leaves us with £1.9million to raise.

If you would like help donate then you can text DOGS to 70800 to donate £5. You can also donate on www.battersea.org.uk.

Big thanks in advance.

Casting, Collections and Collaborations

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 17:22:32 +0100

Firstly let me give you a quick run down of the fourth season of London Collections: Men.

It was another outstanding few days of shows and events. Again, Hackett stood out for me above the rest, incredible venue, impeccable looks and style and it's always a fun and with a very British theme. Esquire and GQ do throw one hell of a party - there was one on the opening night and antoher on the closing. Others that stood out were Gieves and Hawkes, E. Tautz and Hardy Amies. Oliver Spencer gets better and better and a real surprise was A Sauvage, who not only produced the coolest show, but it was a lesson on fantastic casting, as the models had such a huge impact of it.

I think the casting of some of the shows in London could be better compared to Milan and Paris. I understand that designers don't want to take attention away from the clothes but to me, casting the right guy only accentuates the look and goes to make the show and the clothes more appealing.

One thing I really appreciate about LC:M is the platform it provides for young designers and the opportunities that come with that - and I'm not just talking about those who get to show. I hosted an evening in the Hospital Club for young designers and students and some of the talent was incredible. I was genuinely taken aback by the talent we have - it bodes so well for the future of British design and of LC:M.

I went to personally thank Alice Walsh from Alice Makes This - who was exhibiting at Victoria House - for sending me another wonderful pair of handcrafted cuff links for the week's events. While talking to Alice, I also met Carl Thompson. Carl runs Pin Collar Shirts, something that I was wearing on the second day, along with the suit and overcoat that I designed in collaboration with Neil Fennel. I was highly impressed with the quality of Carl's shirts and the two things he wants to excel in are quality and customer service. He certainly had me sold and I have a few new collar pin shirts being made for me as I write.

This really shows the depth of LC:M - of course there are some amazing shows, presentations and parties but it also gives so much support to small brands, talented young designers and bloggers to show off their talents to some of the most successful people in the fashion world. As usual, l was exhausted after a very intense four days but I'm very proud to be an ambassador.

During and just after LC:M, I was also excited to attend two exhibitions of friends of mine who are both incredibly gifted photographers. Alistair Guy launched his Whites Shirts exhibition, focusing on famous faces wearing their favourite white shirt, a simple but hugely important staple of any man's wardrobe.

Something very different and a slight departure from what I normally shoot was taking part in Richard Hardcastle's Dark Tales exhibition in Mayfair. An incredible amount of well known people took part in the picture from from Ricky Gervais as a clown on the edge to a scary Tim Minchin raving in a car park and me sitting in my usual three piece suit, but having just shot another version of myself which is lying next to me. Richard called my picture Kill Yourself To Get Ahead.

What I enjoyed more than anything was people's interpretations and perceptions not only of the image, but of the picture itself. We worked on the idea together and I was happy to hear that two copies had already been told by the time I got to the opening. What story was I trying to tell in the photograph? Well that would probably be spoiling the idea of the shot, so I will leave it up to you to explore the picture and read into what you will.

This year, travelling around the shows and presentations was made very comfortable thanks to the very British Land Rover who leant me a brand new Range Rover. Our driver was from Capstar Chauffeurs, a company that employees and gives opportunities to injured ex-servicemen and women. Having fought for his country in Afghanistan and after losing a limb, our driver Dan was an inspiration and a pleasure to have as part of the team during the week.

On that note I have to dash to my fitting in Malibu for Lucky Jeans. If you are wondering where I will be in February, my schedule currently reads London, LA, NYC, London, Miami, LA, London, Barcelona, Milan and then back again to LA. However, in the middle of that, I actually get to move into my new house!

Merry Christmas!

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:02:11 +0100

Winston Churchill was touring a part of London which had been severely bombed the night before. Seeing an old Cockney women in good spirits, he asked whether she had suffered much from last night's bombing?

"Nothing to speak of, Sir," she replied. "There's one thing to be said for these air raids, they do take your mind off the war."

Now there is no rhyme or reason for this quote, I just read it and it made me laugh out loud, but I really think it summed up not only the spirit of Londoners during the war, but also ofthe British people as a whole very well. This spirit and humour hasn't diminished over the last 60 years and this couldn't have been demonstrated to me more than my second opportunity to meet many of wounded service men and women during an event for one of my chosen charities, Style for Soldiers at a Christmas dinner in London last week.

If you've forgotten or don't know about Style for Soldiers, it is a charity set up by Emma Willis - a Jermyn Street shirt maker - as a thank you to injured servicemen and women recovering at Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre.

Emma visits the centre, accompanied by her assistants, to make injured troops a complementary monogrammed, bespoke shirt. They also give - to those who use them - a hand-carved ebony walking stick with a buffalo horn handle and silver band, engraved with their regiment and initials.

Talking to the injured servicemen, they are so very proud of their bespoke shirt and all tell me how much confidence and self assurance it gives them to wear it whilst they are now trying to re-integrate back into civilian life. One injured soldier, who was a double amputee along with having a severally injured face and hand, bravely made a speech about how they do not want sympathy and in fact will tell other injured servicemen to "man up". This, to me, was an incredible leveller and I for one will certainly think twice the next time I am whinging or moaning about the most mundane matters. It genuinely put many things into perspective.

Emma called me the following morning after the party to thank me for staying until the end - or as she put it, "until they started clearing away the chairs." The fact is, I didn't even notice that I stayed that long, I was simply having such a wonderful evening with the guys that I could have stayed for hours more.

Style for Soldiers comes under the auspices of The British Forces Foundation and so far the cost of the shirts and sticks has been funded by generous donations from Emma's customers and friends. But in order to continue making as many shirts and sticks as possible, more donations are needed and would be gratefully received. These can be made by sending a cheque payable to 'Style for Soldiers' to Emma Willis, 66 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6NY or by donating online by clicking here. All proceeds go towards making shirts and sticks, not towards any administration costs. For more information visit Emmawillis.com.

What the injured service men and women also require are opportunities, not only for work and jobs but also for thrill and adventure. Many of them told me of the truly astonishing ideas they have for 2014 - competing in downhill skiing and motorboat racing are just a few things.

One such brilliant opportunity is Capstar Chauffeurs Ltd. Capstar calls itself: "The first commercial venture of its kind to actively train and recruit former servicemen and women who have been wounded, providing employment in an industry where an injured soldier can compete on equal terms. Our mission is to inspire ex-service personnel who are injured, disabled or facing adversity, providing them with a new career and a certain future."

Now, it may be that their fleet of cars are provided by Jaguar Land Rover (I may be a little biased with my love of Jaguars!) but I am in talks with Capstar to collaborate with them for numerous transfers and travels that I take and hopefully if all works out I will be very proud to have a former serviceman or women driving me.

To go on and take a look back over the things I've done in 2013 after seeing and talking about the incredible bravery of the servicemen and women, all seems a little unremarkable. However, I have been lucky to have enjoyed another incredible year and certainly my idea of not travelling and working so much didn't really prevail. I haven't counted how many flights I have taken this year, but four visits to LA, not including the trips to Milan and Madrid over just the last five weeks might explain my rather hectic schedule - and also why I have been a little behind with my columns and blogs.

There have of course been many, many highlights over the year. My first Mille Miglia which I have described as some of the most incredible days of my life, was astonishing. Starting my foundation, the Bluesteel Appeal and raising in excess of £250,000 through its first initiative will obviously take some beating for the next event. Thank you for all your support.

The wonderful travels with the brands I work for have added to the many wonderful memories I have already and to finish the year with the M&S christmas Magic and Sparkle commercial, has been a great end to a great year.

There are of course a few thank yous to many people that I don't think everyone realised have such a huge impact on my career. Firstly Select Model Agency and all my wonderful bookers. I have been with them for 13 years now and if my predictions are correct, 2014 will be our strongest year yet. Charlotte Hickson (Monsta) - my publicist but I also say therapist, fellow giggler and close friend - is and has been for the last few years a real powerhouse behind many of my activities including the Blue Steel Appeal, my involvement with LC:M and of course this blog. Lastly Laura Terhune and Sim who look after all my social media and without them the many ways people follow and hear about everything I do just wouldn't be possible.

Lastly I would love to thank you all for not only reading my ramblings in 2013, but also helping me support all my charities. I wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2013.

Christmas Is Coming

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 17:09:36 +0100

So apparently it's Christmas! Well not quite yet, but the decorations and presents are in the shops, the lights are up on Oxford and Regent Street and I just can't wait for the Christmas trees to start being sold on the London streets.

Of course this time of year means the Christmas battle has started for the best Christmas television commercial and without doubt, this year's winner is the Magic and Sparkle ad from M&S. Ok, ok... yes I might be slightly biased this year as I'm part of the commercial alongside Rosie Huntingon-Whitley and Helena Bonham Carter. However, I do feel that this is a very special commercial for many reasons. Firstly it draws on what I think are the great loves of Christmas. It's a magical, whimsical time of year and this is exactly what the M&S commercial brings to the forefront of everyone's imagination. We are taken into a fairy tale world and for just a couple of minutes we get to be part of the fantasy.

Being part of that fantasy was astonishing in that the fairy tale worlds were actually fully created in five huge studios in London and every day myself and Rosie were part of a different one. There were no green screens, very little CGI and we got to play the parts of characters that we had only seen on cinema or TV screens. It was truly wonderful.

It was a departure from my normal shoots and filming. When M&S approached me about playing the different characters, I think they thought I might be daunted by the prospect but I jumped at the chance. Of course the outfits were a slight challenge as we had to recreate the characters using M&S clothing and make them come to life as the characters we all know and love. Truth be told, I felt a little bit too comfortable as the Mad Hatter, with top hat, scarf and velvet blazer, maybe because I could have created the same look from my own wardrobe - I'm not sure if thats a good thing or not!

The four filming days were wonderful. The crew, everyone from M&S, Rosie, my good friend and hair stylist Larry King, all had a wonderful time on set and even though the days were long, the atmosphere was truly brilliant - even when at 11pm as we were filming the scarecrow scene and I came out from amongst the Christmas trees and started a domino effect with them each falling one by one (that would be an out take I'd love to see).

If you haven't seen it yet, here it is and if you have, have maybe one more watch just for me!

Talking of a slightly surreal experience, I had a rather wonderful experience when I went to the Philippines a couple of weeks ago. This wasn't a holiday (I haven't taken one this year), but for work with my first Asian brand called SM Men's fashion.

We have had many offers from Asian brands over the last year as this market is becoming so important to all industries now. For some reason, the Philippines intrigued me and once I had researched more about the brand, the Philippines, and had spoken at length about the ideas and expansions of SM, I knew that this was a great place to start and one which will hopefully lead to a continued relationship over the coming years. Southeast Asia is maybe not considered to be an area of importance when expanding fashion brands, however it has a very promising and emerging economy.

Sarah Jessica Parker opened SM Women's fashion and became the face of the brand a few months before, so their intention was clear to see. One journalist asked me if they thought I was SM's Mr Big as SJP is also famously known as Carrie from Sex and The City. At first I laughed, then I thought about it. Mr Big, wears three-piece-suits, drives Jaguars, drinks whisky and is quite old school - and in conclusion, I really know way too much about Sex and The City!

The surreal part of the trip, which only lasted two days, was the way we were treated. Never in 13 years of working have we been treated with such respect and thoughtfulness and it started immediately as I got off the plane, not that I wanted to get off the plane as I flew Emirates first class and it was stunning. I was then taken from the plane, rushed through security, I didn't even have to collect my luggage as it was brought to the hotel later. I was taken by police escort to the hotel where I was whisked off to the Presidential Suite to be met by my butler, Dante. I had to pinch myself and couldn't help but think of the mouse-infested hotel, where I had to share a bathroom with a whole floor of people when I first went to NYC as I started modelling.

The wonderful respectful nature of the Philippino people is what made the trip so special. Entering a new and emerging fashion market can sometimes be precarious, however SM were open to everything we suggested - from flying over photographers and digital and lighting experts, to considering all of our styling recommendations when it came to shooting. On the final evening I was unveiled as the face of SM Men's fashion at their annual fashion shown and the most astonishing runway design where I walked out to a live orchestra. As I said, a surreal and wonderful experience.

This makes it all the sadder, when I see the news of the horrific Typhoon that recently hit and the tens of thousands feared dead. The level of destruction is on a scale I cannot even imagine and my thoughts go out to all the people there. If you would like to help, I cannot think of a better way than with donations to the following charity - Shelterbox.org/donate.php.

A Savile Row Inspired House

Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:13:30 +0100

So, the warm summer evenings are over, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to fall. It was almost like mother nature turned a switch a couple of nights ago. It went from going to bed with the window open - because the nights were still so warm from the best British summer weather I can remember in many, many years - to waking up and thinking I'd better shut that window and put the heating on! The changing seasons though are one of my favourite things about Britain, although I have to admit to really missing the beautiful sunshine we all got used to.

So lots to catch up on from August and September! Firstly what everyone seems to be asking about is the progress in the house renovation. Well, finally after a long delay due to Party Wall agreements, the project started in full at the end of July. The basement is now fully dug, light wells have been finished, the side return to extend the kitchen is built and the rest of the three floors are developing well. The pace of the project since the start has actually taken me by surprise. Richard and Nick from NU builds (who seem to be taking over Fulham slowly with the amount of projects they have) are in charge of the project and have become close friends. When people see the extent of the project, they almost look in shock, however the laughter and banter we have virtually every day is making the project painless and hugely enjoyable. Now comes the fun part of choosing all the interiors! Holland and Sherry of Saville Row are supplying all the fabrics, Prince of Wales checks, dogstooth, pinstripes and British wools - the Saville Row inspired house maybe?

Of course, the summer wouldn't be quite right without a new car. The Jaguar F type is here and it's not disappointing so far, although I'm not sure my neighbours would agree with the mechanical, old-school growl from the engine. I'm actually not quite sure how Jaguar got away with making it so loud, there is a button to quieten the exhaust a little, but I'm yet to use it!

The F type is another Ian Callum inspired design and it's simply stunning. I always say you know a good looking car when you get out and walk down the street and look back a few times and with the F type I've almost collided with a few lamp posts as I can't stop admiring it's design. Of course, with new F type in the garage, I had to give back the XKR-S to Jaguar and I miss that car on a daily basis. I once described the XKR-S as my perfect car, the car I could live with for the rest of my life and I'm not going to lie, between the F type and XKR-S, I'd still choose the latter - as they say, "you don't know what you've got until it's gone," or maybe I just miss the 540bhp V8? I mean how is a man suppose to survive with 380bhp?!

I've also worked with Jaguar on a recent micro film called Escapism that was launched at Goodwood Revival. The film features some of the most wonderful historic cars on the planet. I think people forget the wonderful Jaguar heritage and how they virtually invented the British two-seater sports car. My favourite car I drove in the film? Well that has to be the XKSS, the car that Steve McQueen drove and is worth upwards of £14million. Was I nervous driving this car? Well, maybe for the first lap, then I went missing in it away from the film crew for a while, saying: "Sorry guys my walkie talkie seemed to stop working!"

SEE THE FILM HERE

Of course I have another cabriolet in development. The 1960 190SL is being fully restored and like everything with restorations, you don't quite know the condition until you start to strip everything. The bodywork didn't prove as good as we thought and although we could have left it with minimal work, I want this car to be in the best condition it can be and for many generations of owners to enjoy it after my ownership, although I think my little nephews have their eyes on it already. The bodywork has therefore been fully and brilliantly restored by Hilton and Moss and actually many problems that were on the original build have been rectified and it is now ready for paint.

To keep the car as original as possible we have chosen an anthracite grey colour that was available in 1960, with a contrasting red leather and burgundy hood. I do want to personalise the car a little, so I'm thinking how this would be possible, maybe a five-piece DJG embossed luggage set in the same leather as the interior?

Fashion-wise, I have to admit to having taken things a little easier over the last couple of months, although I am looking forward to adding to my autumn and winter wardrobe and have a few pieces being made. Is it just me or are these seasons so much more exciting to dress for compared with spring and summer, where I feel the options, especially for men, are limited? One area in the UK that menswear is lacking is shoes.

Lanvin are my favourite shoes of the moment, but they are pricey and I have to admit to buying both of my pairs in the sales in NYC. One of my 'go to' pair of shoes over the last few years have been a pair of Cuban-style boots from Paul Smith. Many people have asked me about them and I have never really been able to tell them where to get a pair similar or been able to get another pair in a different leather or colour myself. David Preston has now solved this problem for me. David started his brand in 2010 with the idea (and I quote): "To take classic styles, make them with great lasts, beautiful skins, all-leather soles and heel components, brought together in factories using traditional handmade and ethical methods." Another brilliant British brand making individual products. His black suede chelsea boots are simply to die for.

Last and certainly not least, I'd like to give a big mention and thank you to Melissa Feijoo Viro (left), who bid for the Blue Steel Appeal for Comic Relief and won to spend the day with me at my recent Lucky Brand shoot in LA. We all enjoyed having the wonderful Melissa on set for the day and she settled in to Team Lucky extremely well. Thank you Melissa for supporting my BlueSteel appeal, you are welcome back any time you like.

Summer In The City

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 16:09:17 +0100

So here we are, another August in London and one of my favourite times of the year to be here. As I've said so many times before, London is so quiet in August. With the children off school and everyone on holiday, you seem to be able to simply breathe during this time as that magical London buzz subsides for just a few months. When I usually say this about London though, I'm looking out of the window and wondering if it's better still to start building an ark rather than go out and sunbathe. This year has been different though and the weather is truly astonishing. We've also had the birth of a new Prince, the Lions won the rugby test in Australia, Chris Froome won the Tour de France and our cricketers are looking like they'll take another Ashes victory, so on the anniversary of the brilliant 2012 Olympics, we should still all be very proud to be British right now.

Of course work doesn't stop in August, although there is a little breathing space to clear the decks and prepare before the madness starts again in September. I also get to indulge in a few of my loves around now that can otherwise get pushed down my to-do list when work gets busy. The Victorian house that I bought now has the basement being dug and I like to go there daily with the Nu Builds team and dream about the day when I can start work on the interior design; I went to choose the colour for the Sixties Mercedes that I am having fully restored and of course Battersea Dogs and Cats Home sees me sitting in the kennels having a little time there - especially with the puppies.

What I did enjoy was having time to be able to 'have a conversation' with the wonderful Hilary Alexander for an event that The Industry magazine put on at Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design last week. Hilary interviewed me about my career, branding, the future and with it being hosted by Hilary, who I have the honour of calling a friend, the event was more of a friendly open chat. The audience were hugely respectful, intelligent and asked some great questions. I would like to thank everyone that came to the talk, to Hilary and to The Industry for organising the event. I do have to give a quick mention to the wonderful Condé Nast College too. What a wonderful surprise this was. Such a modern, energetic place to learn and it goes to show why, with such brilliant facilities and inspiration as this, I feel that the UK produces some of the best young fashion talent in the world.

Of course, August is also my time to catch up with my family. My sister and my four nieces and nephews are in the UK for the whole month. Last weekend, my nephews and I parked the Jaguar up on the side of the cricket field and ate far too many ice creams and ice lollies, whilst bowling balls at each other as we watched Dad Gandy help his team to a victory with a 65 run innings. People often ask what I do when I have some time off and when I took the picture below, I couldn't think of a place I'd rather have been at that very moment.

So there you go, my summer in (and out), of London.

I wish everybody a wonderful relaxing summer where ever you are. Lastly, if you didn't already see it, here is my latest project, a macro film that I worked on with luxury shoe label Bionda Castana and actor David Schwimmer. It was an honour to work with them both and the film has had a wonderful reaction. I hope you enjoy it.

LC:M And Other Adventures

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:30:05 +0100

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford" - Samuel Johnson

I like to reflect on events before writing about them, maybe to let everything sink in and to get over the initial excitement (or disappointment, sometimes!) before putting pen to paper, or finger tips to keyboard in this instance.

So after much thought, evaluation and contemplation about London Collections:Men spring/summer 2013, I have to say (like I did after the very last show) it really was rather outstanding!! If I said it once during the shows, I said it a million times - it was noticeably bigger, better and more eye catching than ever before. When I say bigger and better, I mean in that we had more brands and fashion houses showing - major inclusions being Dolce and Gabbana and Burberry - The Old Sorting Office venue didn't change but was restructured into a brilliant runway to showcase many of the designers, and the new inclusion of Victoria House added prestige - as well as the chance to see some interesting brands showcasing their products from cufflinks to shoes.

And what stood out and caught my eye over the three days? I thought that it was brilliant that Lou Dalton, one of the many rising stars in British menswear design, opened LC:M on the Sunday morning - a great honour for her and the modern, contemporary classic designers to set a precedent for everyone to follow. Oliver Spencer and James Long stood out for me not just showing brilliant collections, but also getting to know what respectful, brilliant advocates they both are for British fashion.

Mr Start produced some brilliant and innovative ideas, fabrics and designs, while Gieves and Hawks and Hardy Amies (two of the oldest and most distinguished Savile Row tailors) were also flourishing. I always like a show that feels like a true show, not just in terms of the wonderful clothes that are being worn (which is hugely important) but also incorporating something which gives it additional stand out. Dolce & Gabbana (who were opening their new, astonishing menswear shop on Bond Street) and Hackett are, for me, the masters of this. Both shows involved live music - opera singers for one and the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the other. Both wowed the audience with traditional tailoring, stunning collections and classically handsome models but in addition to that, the detail in the sound tracks, interesting guests and the phenomenal locations (which were spectacular) meant that you could feel the excitement in the audience who were sold even before the first look stepped on the catwalk.

This year, Dylan Jones invited me, along with Dermot O'Leary and Tinie Tempah, to become an official ambassador for LC:M. I felt very proud and excited after the announcement, and to celebrate this honour Morgan offered to drive me to the first shows in their three-wheeler, in tandem with another Morgan, driven and designed by Timothy Everest. Anyone who knows my equal love of cars and fashion can imagine how I felt about driving in central London courtesy of one of the last true British car manufacturers who along with our menswear also stands for history and eccentricity, with the fusion of modern technology and classical design. Charles Morgan and I talked a few months ago about the idea of working together but didn't quite expect the excitement it caused arriving and leaving The Old Sorting Office - so much so that we were actually late for the next show, weaving our way through the wall of photographers.

I'm keen not to alienate men from fashion and always try to make it tangible for everyone so, dressed in my high street Reiss, three-piece suit I was proud to hop out of the Morgan, support Britain and the tradition of tailoring while also taking in the brilliance of our young fashion-forward designers over the duration of the three days. I tried to show my support to as many designers and brands as I could, attending almost 50 shows, presentations, parties and dinners. My driver for the rest of the shows - who worked tirelessly for Mercedes to ensure we were looked after so well - will no doubt have shared the feeling of being a little bit broken on the Wednesday (especially as I had only arrived from NYC on the morning of the Dolce and Gabbana show). But saying that, I truly can't wait for next season!

I also need to give a mention to Alice Walsh. Alice had her collection Alice Made This at Victoria House during LC:M, and it caught not only mine, but I think everyone else's eyes as we all seemed to be talking about it. She also saved the day for me as when I was heading to the GQ dinner and Tom Ford party on the last evening, I realised that I had forgotten to bring cufflinks. Alice kindly gifted me a pair of her Precision Turned metal cufflinks that I had been admiring so much the day before. British designed, British manufactured and I can't tell you how unique and beautiful her work is. Thank you Alice!

But why end there? On a high from the British brilliance (yes, I just made that up), fashion and clothes are not only where I spotted innovation, craftsmanship and quality recently, so I thought I would give you a run down of other British discoveries I have made:

Thomas Lyte:

The store sits behind where I get my shoes shined in one of my favourite parts of London, the Burlington Arcade in Mayfair. Time after time, I have admired the gorgeous leather bags from the window and now I am the proud owner of the Woodvale Weekender. Thomas Lyte is a modern English luxury brand specialising in exquisite leather and bespoke objects and they really do stand for British craftsmanship, heritage, luxury and modernity.

The New Forest:

OK, I can't claim to have discovered the New Forest in Hampshire (!), but so many people ask me where I would spend a long weekend in the UK and I can't think of anywhere better than this. William the Conqueror set aside the forest for hunting more than 900 years ago as his nova forestra and centuries of grazing deer, ponies and cattle have shaped the beautiful landscape. From redwoods to wild horses, the new forest is a haven for walkers, cyclists, well, for pretty much everyone, and it also hosts in my opinion two of the best and unique hotels in the country:

Chewton Glen is an original, luxury English hotel and spa set in 130 acres of beautiful countryside. This may not sound unique, but their newly-opened tree houses certainly are. Built high among the trees of a secluded valley, each tree house is an unforgettable experience. It really is the ultimate seclusion from everyday life. Sitting in your hot tub overlooking the valley, you would think that you were in the plains of Africa, not an hour and half from London. The detail in the design makes this an astonishing experience, even down to the breakfast buffet that they delivered through a hatch in the mornings, so as not to disturb you.

LimeWood. England can sometimes suffer, as opposed to say America and other parts of the world, when it comes to customer service. Not at Limewood! The service and attention to detail is breathtaking. As you may know by now, there are a few things that make me happy - food and interior design are two of those things and it doesn't get much better than at LimeWood. You can chose from the cosy rooms in the main house, the forest hideaway suites with open fires, and the luxury lodges. The decor is just sublime, it really is understated opulence. And then there is the food. From the Hartnett Holder and Co Italian inspired restaurant, to the Kitchen Table and the afternoon teas and raw and cured food. All is from local British producers and suppliers - I cannot tell you how much choice there is and how good the food is. On top of this, there is a beautiful spa, you can have picnics, go cycling and more. After LC:M this year, this was such a welcome break.

Finlay & Co:

You may remember I wore a pair of Finlay & Co handmade wooden sunglasses at the last LC:M. Well they have gone from strength to strength! More choice of frames, substantially stronger and with sublime packaging and glasses cases, they are a very unique and individual product.

Whey Hey:

Now for something completely different, but at the same time probably the most exciting and innovative idea I have seen in a while. One of the most important dietary and nutritional requirements is protein. People often think that you should only eat protein when you are weight training or that if you eat too much protein you will gain size and muscle. How wrong you could be. In my opinion, you cannot eat enough! Not just when training or exercising, but on normal rest days this helps your body and muscles to repair. Proteins can also help break down unwanted fat. Actually, I cannot tell you enough of how essential proteins are. Let me put it this whey (see what I did?): second to water, protein is the most abundant component of the human body, and we all know how important it is that we drink water.

So where does Whey Hey come into this? Well getting enough protein in our diets can be difficult and also many people do not want to give up certain treats in life (for example ice cream). When it comes to changing our lifestyle in order to be healthier or lose weight, Whey Hey is the answer. The ice cream is all natural, contains no sugar, is gluten free and of course is packed with the all-important Whey protein isolate. In a world that seems to be getting even more obese, with endless supplies of fatty, processed foods, Greg Duggan (the founder of Whey Hey) may just have come up with one of the best ideas I've seen in a long long time and I hope everyone goes out of their way to support this brilliant British (of course) food. It's available in Holland & Barrett and from Ocado.

The Mille Miglia

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:21:44 +0100

For three solid days recently, I was sleep deprived, had stones embedded in my skin, was cold, soaked, hungry, lost my voice and at one point was hung virtually up side down! Now this may sound like I was being tortured (not exactly sure for what information exactly?) - in fact though, it was one of the greatest adventures of my life.

I am of course talking about The Mille Miglia, the 1,000 mile race in Italy that I participated in as part of team Jaguar with my fellow car enthusiast and co-driver, Yasmin Le Bon. I can't tell you how thankful I am to Yasmin for agreeing to engage in what can only be described at the most unique, brilliant, but sometimes slightly insane, event. On the last 60 mile stint back to Brescia and the finish, both of us with headaches, the rain trying to pummel us into submission and me and my competitiveness driving flat out behind a pace car just to gain a few more precious places, there must have been a time when Yasmin wished I hadn't been able to pursade her to take part over dinner a few weeks before - blame that last glass of champagne YLB!

It's impossible to describe the MM, the intensity, the madness or the wonderful atmosphere. The unique, pure eccentricity of this cannot be described or expressed through film or words. Patrick Gosling's photographs throughout the event probably capture the wonderful three days best and are noteworthy because of their truly outstanding quality. So I will let his pictures do most of the talking below. With a little narration from me.

We got to the warehouse that contains 400 of some of the most beautiful classic cars I have ever seen. I couldn't quite comprehend the majesty of what was before me. Among the cars, the most important car - number 199 - our historic 1950 Jaguar XK120, and there, printed on the sides, were our names. I would be lying if I said hairs didn't slightly stand up on the back of my neck.

There were some pretty other important names on the other Jaguars also. Daniel Day Lewis, Sir Chris Hoy, Andy Wallace - it was clear we were the underdogs - something we were reminded of when Jaguar accidentally forgot to announce our names as drivers during the dinner in the evening. I think Yasmin could sense it, she could see it in my eyes. "We just want to finish and enjoy the experience," I said to the camera. A "hmmmmmmm" came from Yasmin. I quickly realised we had the best support crew in Gary and Laurence. "Yes indeed," I thought. "We are in with a shot here!" Nothing like confidence or maybe blind stupidity.

We started from Brescia that evening. We had three-inch thick booklets of navigation directions for the days and didn't have a clue how the timing equipment was going to work in the car. As for the 'time trials', I went with the "we'll be fine" philosophy. YLB wrote out all the timing and distances and a brilliant method for success. We left the start in disbelief at the support we received from the Italian public. We were gong to need it. The Italian weather though was a different matter and the rain set in. We were fully prepared though and head-to-toe in waterproofs as the Fifties Jag didn't have a roof (although Daniel Day Lewis seemed to have got one flown in from somewhere). I didn't have too much time to think about this as I was being overtaken left, right and centre by the other competitors. I was learning the driving rules as we went along and it turned out the rules were: there are no rules. You pretty much do what you have to, to get to the check points. Brilliant. I was soon making my own lane in the middle of the soaking roads, blinded from the rain and overtaking anything in sight.

I was quiet at breakfast, everyone talking about the night before, but I just wanted to get in the car and drive. Turned out that we were in second position out of the Jaguars and at one point we were actually seventh out of the 425 competitors. I shook the Rocky 2 victory music out of my head. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I thought.

Rain was pouring still. YLB took the first driving stint and I was in charge of navigation. At the first corner I made a mistake and we went in the wrong direction. YLB didn't say a thing and was driving brilliantly, again in difficult conditions which is not easy with a moron next to her trying to decifer the direction notes.

Then disaster. A fellow competitor didn't look in his mirrors and pulled out into our path as we are overtaking. YLB avoids them, but under heavy braking and we were forced onto wet grass. There was only one way this was going. We came to a halt at the bottom of the large verge and I found myself looking up at YLB at a funny angle (held in by our racing harnesses). Thankfully, we were both fine. I looked around - somehow YLB had avoided trees, walls, other cars and spectators -what a masterly piece of driving. YLB seemed to be talking as if we were out of the race, however Laurence and Gary changed a wheel, checked 199 all over and patched up the substantial damage to the front (I was counting the competitors that were now passing us, slightly clenching ever so more as the numbers increased). The crew did it and we were back in the race. "Have to get back on the horse," I said to YLB and we were off again with her at the wheel. What a co-driver I had! That would have shaken many people. Maybe she was just too scared to tell me she didn't want to carry on.

I took over at lunchtime and drove like I have never driven before to make up as much time as possible, as YLB fed me Haribos (this must be heaven I think to myself). Through one mountain route, me and Maserati number 340 had the most astonishing race and probably the best driving afternoon of my life. As the sun started to fall we saw Rome in the distance and had a slow ride in behind a police escort, arriving to the hotel at about 3am having eaten one panini all day and realising we had to be up for the last day (with the most miles to cover) in just three hours.

Jaguar told us even after the crash we are still in third place. YLB must have dreaded seeing that glint of (slightly deranged) hope in my eye again. We exited Rome (lumber support cushions were now softly under our bums, to ease the blows slightly) and I conjured up every bit of driving experience I had to keep up with Le Mans winner, Andy Wallace and Sir Chris Hoy in one of the other other Jags. We finally overtook them - I'd like to say this was my superior driving, but they just stopped to swap drivers. We saw several accidents throughout the day, bringing our attention to how dangerous this event could really be. The weather was kind to us though and we didn't let up. 16 hours of solid driving with no food, no drink and no stops (only for petrol), tiredness and exhaustion started to kick in. My navigation got even worse with me taking cat naps on long straight stretches of road and YLB now had a full-on migraine. At one petrol stop we started debating and ranting whether Italy should even be in the European Union as the petrol pump didn't take credit cards. Delirious doesn't even explain it (we were in hysterics when we thought about this afterwards!).

We got back to Brescia and to the chequered flag at around 11pm, met by an ecstatic Jaguar team, huge crowds and more importantly a cold beer. Celebrations went on until 6am with all the team. Even when I went to bed, I couldn't sleep as the adrenalin was still pumping through my veins. The news the next morning was that we came second out of the Jaguar team and 158th out of 425. By all accounts this was an astonishing achievement for beginners and we beat quite a few veterans of the race along the way too. As myself and Yasmin looked at our newly engraved (with competition number) Chopard watches on our wrists, I turned to her and couldn't help but say: "Same time next year Yasmin?" Without hesitation, she replied: "I'd do it next week!"

So there you have it - quite an eventful first, and hopefully not last, Mille Miglia.

Three things really stood out to me. Firstly this race would not happen in any other country than Italy. The support from the Italian people was truly astounding. The Italians have always taken me into their heart ever since the first Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue campaign, but this was something else and the commitment of the crowds who came out to cheer us all on, even in the most torrential conditions, was overwhelming.

I'm sure everyone knows by now that I am a huge Jaguar fan, but they need a special mention and a big thank you for allowing me to take part in such a wonderful three days. The Jaguar team and crew were like a big family in the end. The famous names that Jaguar got to drive the cars was staggering and shows what respect people have for this great, British company and the opportunity that they have allowed us all to have, will never be forgotten.

Lastly - Yasmin Le Bon. What can I say? I couldn't have asked anything more from my co driver. The accident would have shaken many people into quitting - actually, the thought of three days solid driving with me would have put most people off. There were times when some of the racing and my driving was so intense, with no sleep and lack of food, that many men and women would have simply refused to carry on. YLB didn't utter a word, she just kept on feeding me Haribos whilst perfectly navigating. Actually, she did say something at the end of the race and that was that it was a privilege being in the passenger seat at times, watching me drive. Wow. That coming from you Yasmin, is one of the biggest compliments I have ever had. What a race and what a woman!!

Next adventure: London Collections:Men - starting this weekend!

Racing at Mille Miglia

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:40:59 +0100

I tell people I'm too stupid to know what's impossible. I have ridiculously large dreams, and half the time they come true.

- Debi Thomas

I can die a happy man. Sorry to start with a slightly morbid sentence, but I have just managed to tick a major element off my 'to do' list - to drive my dream car, a 1956 Jaguar XKSS. There are only maybe 14 left in the world out of the 16 that were made, and this was the car that Steve McQueen used to race around the Hollywood hills and here I was, emulating that in the less glamorous but just as exhilarating Millbrook testing ground in the UK. At first, I was very conscious of the rarity of this car and the £12-15million price tag (yes you read that correctly!), but this was basically built as a racing car for the road and, as I started to feel the red mist descend and my confidence rise, it was already time to bring '8 TXK' safely back to the pits.

The reason we were there was for Jaguar and a short video we are putting together to celebrate the launch of the wonderful new Jaguar F type. I can't say much, but we've tried to incorporate the wonderful Jaguar heritage, the new F Type, me, and also an aspirational story. The footage we filmed over the two long days (4am finish in London) I think looks stunning and luckily the British weather did us proud, it was beautiful.

The drive in the classic XKSS, C type and E type turns out to be perfect timing as I also got to cross another item of the 'to do' list as Jaguar have confirmed me as one of the drivers of their pre 1960 classic fleet driving in the Mille Miglia In Italy. I'm sworn to secrecy as to who the other drivers are but let's say there is a 'Best of British' theme (and me!). Who have I conned - I mean persuaded - to be my co-driver in the XK120? The gorgeous and rather wonderful, Yasmin Le Bon. So we may get lost, we may crash, we may even come last, but at least I know our car will look and smell great ;)

If some of you are not familiar with the Mille it was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957, over 1,000 miles. It is recreated to this day and it is a huge honour as a complete car enthusiast, to be able to take part - I'm getting butterflies just thinking about it.

The Jaguar video wasn't the only short film/video I have been apart of recently. Why so many of these shorts? I think these short films for mobile media are the future, especially for fashion. Ever since the integration of digital still photography I feel some of the spontaneity has been taken away. To capture that impromptu, spur of the moment image on film gave the magic and charm of fashion photography. Now with digital photography and photoshop, any shot is possible, but for me, sometimes mistakes or irregularities in the picture when shot with film was the beauty.

With short films I still think there is a large slice of that spontaneous feeling left. It's very hard and very expensive to digitally change minutes of film, so really what is captured in those few minutes is usually the end result - warts 'n' all as they say. Of course I don't want to spoil the surprise when you see the video, but it's been a great collaboration with some very creative and fun people and I think you'll enjoy the end result.

Alexandra Shulman kindly invited me to talk at this year's Vogue Festival. Our panel talked on 'Too fat, too thin… will we ever be content...?". It was one of the most anticipated during the festival. Many thought it a very difficult subject, but I believe the very experienced panel members - Daisy Lowe, Patsy Kensit and Christa D'Souza - gave a very insightful and authoritative talk on the subject. This wasn't a discussion about models being too skinny, rather more how we deal with own body image as a nation.

My main thought on the day - and this will always be my take on the subject - is that education is the way to help people with the many diversities on this subject. I believe there should be extensive, detailed and, more importantly, free information, advice and guidance to educate people on nutrition, exercise, eating disorders, and everything people need in order to help themselves to make the right choices to be healthy - be it in an App or website etc. Some may exist already, and this is one area I have tried to cover with my fitness and training App and with many people having wonderful results, I can see there is demand.

SEE DAVID TALK AT THE VOGUE FESTIVAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH VERTU

One last thing though, the final total for the first Blue Steel Appeal initiative came to in excess of a wonderful £150,000 and should rise again once all the numbers are in. I have thanked everyone who took part already, but again I would just like to thank EVERYONE for their time and dedication.

Thank You

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:54:03 +0100

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

Well, the first Blue Steel Appeal initiative is complete!

There were many late nights, hundreds - if not thousands - of emails and phone calls, and a lot of hard work, much done by many people that will never get the gratitude that they deserve.

All I can do is thank the many people involved. Firstly, a huge thanks to all of the Blue Steel committee who supported the appeal from day one, and especially to the members who went beyond what we asked of them. Sophia Neophitou, who - although being one of the busiest women I know in fashion - brought some of the most wonderful names to the Blue Steel Appeal auction and is already talking about what we can do for the next initiative. Truly astounding.

To all of the brands and individuals that donated a selection of truly wonderful one-off items and experiences from Victoria Beckham and the One Direction boys, to Louis Vuitton and Aspinal of London, we appreciate your support so much - thank you. I wish I could name and thank everyone individually.

To everyone at Comic Relief and eBay who helped bring the appeal to so many people and to the people who had to enter each individual auction lott and manage the site for ten days and nights alongside all their other Comic Relief responsibilities - thank you so much.

Laura Terhune - who worked on all my social media outlets to let people know what we were offering and encouraged so many people to bid - also deserves a thank you, and a final thanks goes to everyone who shared the Blue Steel Appeal messages, who Facebooked, who Tweeted and of course who donated and made bids!

We haven't got final numbers of what the auction and individual fundraising for the appeal raised as of yet - the teams are still working to fulfill all prize donations and to confirm this, but what I can say is that we have helped many, many people less fortunate than ourselves in many countries around the world and I'm proud to have been a part of that. Once we know what was raised I will let you know.

So what have I been doing since then?

I went along as a special guest to give the prizes at The Golden Shear Awards 2013 (the Oscars of the tailoring world!). The surprise was that all three prizes in this traditionally male-dominated industry were won by women. Emily Squires scooped the Golden Shears trophy and the Silver Shears and the Rising Star Silver Shears were won by Jennie McWalter and Yan Zhang respectively. 22 of the 25 finalists at this biennial celebration of tailoring were female - and I'm sure these talented individuals will go on to make a name for themselves. Maybe we will see them speaking at the WIE event that I spoke of in the not-too-distant future?

The day after, I thought maybe I deserved a couple of days rest. Maybe a spa? Maybe a few days away? Actually, I went to race the newest and most powerful sports and supercars around the Goodwood race circuit, at the request of Lord March himself.

I stayed in the wonderful Goodwood house that night and in the morning, helped Formula One legends and Hollywood stars launch the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. If you don't know about these two wonderful and unique motoring experiences held in the British summer time, they give the public the chance to see their heroes, and an array of important competition machinery, at close quarters and in glorious action.

And if that's not enough, Lord March has also teamed up with Belstaff to produce the most wonderful clothing line that revives and interprets luxury classics from the Goodwood and Belstaff archive.

It's rather sad to go from such brilliant motoring to then watch the farcical Formula One Race in Malaysia the following weekend. How can it be a race when team orders tell their drivers not to overtake each other? It reminded me of a scene in one of my favourite films Dr Strange Love: "Gentlemen you can not fight in here, this is the war room." On the radio in the cars, did they say: "Gentlemen, you cannot race here, this is a motor circuit," I wonder?

Blue Steel Appeal Fashion Auction

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:59:33 +0100

"You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result"
- Mahatma Gandhi

"Love is not patronising and charity isn't about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same - with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead."
- Mother Teresa

I hope that no one minds that I'm dedicating my entire blog this week to the Blue Steel Appeal and its first initiative.

Along with Red Nose Day and eBay, we have created a fashion auction that consists of one-off items and experiences donated by some of the biggest names in fashion. The auction lasts from the March 7 - March 17 and you can take a look at all the donations here at ebay.co.uk/rednoseday

It would be wonderful if you can give your support in any way possible, from bidding or donating to Comic Relief separately to Tweeting and adding the above link to your Facebook using the #bluesteelappeal.

All 100 per cent of the proceeds go to Comic Relief and this year's Red Nose Day. I wanted everyone to be able to have a chance of bidding and winning the wonderful experiences and items, so rather than hold an auction for one night only where maybe only a privileged few could take part, we partnered with eBay and have tried to offer as many fashion capitals and varied donations as we can, including London, NYC, Paris and Milan, to try to give everybody a chance to experience the fashion industry in a way that has never been offered before.

You may not just want to bid for yourselves - parents may want to bid on the experiences at Net-A-Porter or with Patrick Grant at LC: M for a son or daughter looking to get into the fashion industry. Wives and girlfriends may be interested in buying their other half a bespoke Savile Row suit or a driving experience and for husbands and boyfriends who struggle to think of presents - well what better than a one-off Aspinal handbag that your partner can design themselves with the designers?

To make it even easier to bid, I thought I'd provide you with each listing so far and the link. Please feel free to click through and take a look or, if there's a donation you think may be the very thing a friend of family member would be interested in, then please pass it on to them or add to your social media platforms.

One David Gandy, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana signed bottle of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue pour femme fragrance

Two tickets to Antonio Berardi's London Fashion Week show and a backstage meet-and-greet

Two VIP tickets including transport and boutique hotel accommodation to the Scottish Fashion Awards

Two front row tickets to House of Holland fashion show and pair of women's shoes

Two tickets to the Versace September show in Milan

Five VIP tickets to AC Milan vs. AS Roma at the Dolce & Gabbana Gold Club in Milan

A couture dress in size 8, 10, 12 or 14 by British designer Suzannah

A driving experience at Mercedes-Benz World and lunch in the Gullwing restaurant

A year's-worth of free shoe shines in The Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, London

An exclusive weekend in the new Jaguar F-TYPE sports car

Angelo Galasso made-to-measure, hand-made shirt

Angelo Galasso royal blue blazer worn by Penn Badgley

Be a model for a day! Test shoot and portfolio images from Select Model Management

Go behind the scenes GQ fashion shoot, and a year's subcription of GQ magazine

Create a bespoke pair of Bionda Castana shoes with the Bionda Castana designers

Design your own Alice Vandy outfit

Dog walk in Richmond Park with Yasmin and Simon Le Bon

Front row tickets to Vogue Festival talk and Vogue cover portrait with David Gandy

Spend an exclusive day with Aspinal of London, chauffeured in the Aspinal Bentley, and design a bespoke handbag

One Direction Brit Awards outfit 2013, worn by Harry Styles

One Direction Brit Awards outfit 2013, worn by Louis Tomlinson

One Direction Brit Awards outfit 2013, worn by Liam Payne

One Direction Brit Awards outfit 2013, worn by Niall Horan

One Direction Brit Awards outfit 2013, worn by Zayn Malik

Launer London special edition handbag

Two tickets to attend the Gucci spring/summer 2014 fashion show

Mercy Delta luxury Rule Britannia 100 per cent silk scarf

Mollie King's satchel bag by Aspinal of London, with King's signature

Five luxury accessories from Coach

A Savile Row bespoke suit, shirt and tie by Nick Hart

Private fitting at Agent Provocateur and your choice of lingerie

Yasmin Le Bon's Temperley dress

Kate Moss for Longchamp Gloucester Galuchat bag in coral

Assorted men's and women's accessories from Cos

Chance to go behind the scenes at Net-A-Porter

24 hours of Mr. Hare shoes

Two tickets to Victoria Beckham's show in New York plus a meet-and-greet

Two tickets to the Roland Mouret September show in Paris, plus meet-and-greet

Be part of the backstage team at the E. Tautz spring/summer 2014 fashion show

Spend a day with the team at Roland Mouret and meet the designer himself

Dolce & Gabbana suit worn by Tinie Tempah

Smythson Clementine Mara travel clutch bag

Spend a day on a Lucky Brand fashion shoot with David Gandy in the USA

Framed limited edition print signed by Claudia Schiffer and Ellen von Unwerth

Two tickets to the Elie Saab ready-to-wear October show in Paris

A bespoke Lucky Brand denim wardrobe for the rest of 2013

Fudge London Collections: Men experience

Two tickets to Christopher Kane's London Fashion Week show in September

Lunch for two in the Louis Vuitton private apartment and an art of packing class

A bespoke Thom Sweeney tailor-made suit, tie and shirt

£500 shopping spree at Next and personal styling from Rachel Stevens

Philip Treacy black dome hat with white buntal deco bow

Throughout this week many new lots will be added from some of the world's biggest names in fashion, with some very special additions following the TV show for Red Nose Day too (March 15).

I'd like to thank everyone in advance for their support so far. I really am very overwhelmed - not only by the huge support that I've had from the fashion industry who have donated such unique prizes and the media, but also by those of you taking the time and effort to bid. Good luck!

For more information on Comic Relief click here.

Questions Questions

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:59:13 +0100

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers."
- Voltaire

As part of my job, I get asked many questions.

I like being asked good, intelligent questions - questions that surprise me, where I truly have to think about the answer. I constantly seem to be answering questions! Interviews in person, by phone and email and that's just for work. Do I get tired of people constantly asking me questions? No, not at all. I love curious people, I am curious myself and constantly ask people questions about things I don't understand. People and places intrigue me.

I've just come back from a three-day PR marathon in Milan for a future exciting project that will be revealed in a few months. I had dinner with many of the journalists and editors prior to the interviews and after a few glasses of Italy's best Borolo I asked them to really go for it with new questions. After three days of interviews, I was asked: 'Do you think you are psychic?' I answered: 'No, but I knew you were going to ask that'. I knew it was time to fly back to London town.

I'm loving travelling at the moment, probably more than ever in my career. of course grey, wet, cold London in January and February is not appealing one little bit, but there something exciting happening in London at the moment for me. I finally bought a house!

As ever, I decided to add to the ever-increasing amount of projects I have, and the day before I went to Botswana my offer was accepted (yes not the best timing). The deal was completed on January 31, however that seems to have been the easy part.

You see, the house hasn't been touched for 60 years. The kitchen is PVC orange, the toilet is outside and the carpets contain more colours than a rainbow, but as soon as I walked into the house I loved it, it just felt right - even though those carpets and curtains were just so, so wrong.

I tend not to do things by halves and this project is no different. It's a big renovation project and we hope to bring back the beauty and style of this house just as it once was in 1880. It's a rather large and scary project but I am relishing the challenge ahead.

Renovating my own house is something I have dreamt of for many years and while I have helped others, I have never had the opportunity to do it myself. As you know, I love interior design, vintage and antique furniture, and have shared photographs of some of the vintage furniture I've re-worked and refurbished with you on here. Obviously this is a whole new ball game though.

You may have noticed I have been using the word 'we'. Obviously I cannot take on a project like this alone. It's not easy to know who to put your trust in and I've had my fingers burnt previously with my classic Mercedes Benz. Fortunately this time, I'm very confident with who I am working with at Nu:Builds.

Richard and Nick read that I was looking for a house and from getting to know me and understanding the little time I have to look, they offered to help as they are aware of properties coming on the market. They didn't want my business or money, it was just a selfless act that I have found to be quite common among the wonderful people in my little community in Fulham. I have been to see Nu:builds' previous work and the attention-to-detail, wealth of knowledge and their alliances with the very best tradesmen has won me over. I do wonder though if they know what they have let themselves in for, and if, in the future, they will regret ever offering their help?

At the moment we seem to just spend our time laughing and joking (generally at those carpets and the array of stained yellows within the house) and they have become immediate friends. As Mark Twain once said: "The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter."

Well it looks like it's me asking the questions now, so I'd better go. One last thing, the first initiative for The Blue Steel appeal will be announced on March 7 and of course you'll be able to find out all about it, right here - believe me you will not want to miss it, even I'm a little surprised and very excited at what we have to announce!

www.nubuilds.com

Comic Relief and Flying High

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:38:15 +0100

So I was getting into my car, and this bloke says to me, "Can you give me a lift?" I said: "Sure, you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it!"

A man walked into the doctors. He said: "I've hurt my arm in several places." The doctor said: "Well don't go there anymore."

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, 'Parking Fine'. So that was nice."

I probably shouldn't be laughing at these jokes, but I just can't help myself. These were the jokes of the one and only British comedian Tommy Cooper. Why am I telling you this? Well, Tommy Cooper is one of the famous faces that appear on the front of the 2013 Comic Relief T-shirts that have been designed by the wonderful Stella McCartney.

Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, James McAvoy, Alexa Chung, and of course me, have all donned the T-shirt for a photoshoot by the beautiful and talented, Helena Christensen. Actually, it felt like a bit of a family fashion affair. Kate Moss and Stella I had worked with on the Absolutely Fabulous Comic Relief sketch last year and of course I got to work with Helena on the short film Away We Stay. All in all, with the support of lots of iconic fashion names (and of course well-known people from other industries), and my Blue Steel Appeal, I think the fashion industry is really getting behind raising money for Red Nose Day and really helping save the lives of so many people and I hope you might too.

The limited-edition T-shirt, featuring iconic prints of The Beatles, Tommy Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, and Kate Moss, will be sold exclusively in TK Maxx stores and online starting at £5.99 for a children's T-shirt, to £9.99 for adults. Why did I choose to wear the Tommy Cooper T-shirt? Well, he was Dad Gandy's favourite comedian.

Talking of the Blue Steel Appeal, we really have had some fantastic donations from the fashion industry for the eBay fashion auction. Over the last few weeks I have been stalking, I mean annoying, errrrm I mean asking politely, everyone from the fashion industry to donate money-can't-buy, one-off items and experiences, and amazingly they haven't let me down. In fact, I am really overwhelmed by everyone's support and very proud to be helping Comic Relief in some way. Actually, as I've just been to LA for the third time this January and with the time difference, they must have been getting the emails at some very odd times! I may have to start my apology letters now.

Not much more to report. I seem to have been in a permanent state of jet-lag during January and I don't think February is going to be much different. I have two days in London, followed by Barcelona, Miami, Scotland, Paris, Milan and then maybe back to Milan. I think BA even realised how many air miles I have been collecting with them recently and they kindly upgraded me to first class this trip! I have to say, this was a true delight, but totally spoilt me. I'm obviously not the only person to think BA First is the only way to spend 11 hours in the air as behind me sat Brad Pitt, and as I casually (well, rather excitedly!) wrote this fact into a few emails I was writing (yes, I was on my Blackberry - makes a change), my best friend replied with: "DG, Brad is probably messaging George Clooney saying: "David Gandy is in front of me on the plane". Chris Norman - my best friend, who can still make fun of me at 35,000ft - much as I'd like to believe you were right, I very much doubt it!

LC:M and The Blue Steel Appeal

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:52:40 +0100

So here I am in Milk Studios in LA, writing my Vogue.co.uk entry, politely reminded by the wonderful people at Vogue.co.uk and when I get that request, I realise I must have gone a bit quiet for a while.

It was a rather exciting start to the year for men's fashion in London and for myself. Exciting times though, for me, can often come with what can be described as my 'lip wobble' weeks - when I wake up in the morning, realise what has to be achieved and that there are still only 24 hours in a day to do this. Could anyone extend that for me? That would be great. All I can say is thank goodness for my Nespresso coffee machine which saw me through.

Of course it was another hugely successful time for British men's fashion. It was the second season for LC:M (call me old fashioned but I still call it men's fashion week in my mind!). It's hard to believe that this is only the second season, as we now have over 60 shows and presentations, including heavyweight names such as Tom Ford and McQueen, which clearly shows the seriousness with which LC:M is now being taken. There's still obviously greater things to come and bigger brands to show. Vivienne Westwood had a small presentation but her show is still in Milan. I would love to see a brand with such British heritage and influence, past and present in the fashion industry, to be showing in her home city, and I also very much hope that Burberry, who uses its Britishness to great effect to sell their products, will support LC:M with a men's show to showcase their designs to the media and public who buy and support the brand. Maybe I am a little biased, as I really want London to be number one of all the men's fashion weeks and if I didn't believe this was possible, I would not be on the committee.

Albert Einstein said: "Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means." London Collections: Men again lead the international men's fashion weeks with everyone looking just too remarkably stylish! It almost doesn't matter what styles and trends were going on the actual runways. With some of the most influential fashion men in London sitting on the front row looking so impeccable, that in itself influences men across the world and that's one of the most important things to me - to inspire people at home about style. Fashion can sometimes be seen as elitist to the outside world and I think that making it more tangible for people - and especially men - can only be a positive thing.

I did my best to set an example during the three days. I won't go through all my outfits, as we may be here a long time, but every single item was of British design, British made and - as much as I could do it - of British cloth. You're maybe thinking how can I be so sure that the design, cloth and tailoring was all British? Well, I know because I designed the suit from the first day myself. It was the first (and hopefully not the last collaboration) between Neil Fennell and I and for our first work together, we felt very proud when The Times newspaper featured the suit (and me in it) on the front cover.

Some people have said that they thought I was the hardest working man in terms of attending various shows and events during the wonderful three days. This, I'm afraid I cannot accept. Everyone works so hard but that accolade has to go to Dylan Jones, editor of GQ and the driving force behind LC:M. The dedication and passion he shows to go to virtually every single presentation, show, dinner, meeting and interview really is an inspiration to all of us. He's a huge support and the success of LC:M and it's huge international press presence is a true testament to his hard work. I tip my hat (from the first day) to you, sir.

I did of course try to follow suit (excuse the pun) and support as many designers and people involved as I could. But the tides were turned on Tuesday night as I requested many press and committee members support me too, to announce that I am now the fashion ambassador for Red Nose Day 2013. Working very closely with Comic Relief I finally launched The Blue Steel Appeal.

The Blue Steel Appeal is a series of fashion events and initiatives which will take place across 2013 (and if all goes well, beyond!), bringing the fashion industry and great British public together for some very stylish Red Nose Day fun. Bringing together a team of influential fashion figures, I am joined on the fashion committee by Caroline Rush (British Fashion Council), Dolly Jones (Vogue.co.uk editor), Dylan Jones (GQ), Michele Settle (marketing director, Comic Relief), Poppy Delevingne (model), Rankin (photographer), Sophia Neophitou (editor 10 Magazine), Tandy Anderson (Select Model Management) and more, coming together to help support and embrace the fun initiatives.

When those initiatives are announced of course, I will need everyone's support, but I hope to be able to bring you closer to the fashion like never before, whilst also showing people a lighter side of the industry. Get practicing your best Blue Steel poses - you (and me!) will be needing them very soon.

Happy New Year!

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:04:46 +0100

"New Year's Eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights" - Hamilton Wright Mabie.

So may I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and also wish you all the very best for 2013. I think it's going to be a very special year for you all and saying that to all of you, I must be a little bit right, let's hope a lot!

Christmas and NYE was a very quiet for me. Very quiet, literally, as I could barely talk from the sore throat I had, and when I did say something it was usually combined with a cough and sneeze. Yes, the damp, cold UK weather and seemingly endless illnesses around London finally got me and I think that, and a very busy year, took its toll slightly. However, I still got to catch up with many close friends and made the most of the time off I had.

Still coughing away this week, but no time to rest. Work has come at me with the subtlety of a sledge hammer. But it's exciting stuff as London is to host the second LC:M (London Collections: Men). This time the schedule has been joined by the likes of Tom Ford and McQueen. I also have something very close to my heart that we will announce at LC:M on Tuesday. I've been speaking about it for a while now, so you may guess what it is but looking forward to sharing that soon.

So that's about it for this week - not much to report due to the holidays, however there is one place that doesn't get a rest over the Christmas period and that's Battersea Dogs and Cats home.

Over Christmas, the wonderful volunteers are there day and night to make sure all our four-legged friends are looked after just as well as they would be if they had a home of their own over Christmas. They are also there to provide shelter for the less fortunate animals that didn't get to see much Christmas or New Year cheer over the festive period and I have posted the story and pictures I got from Claire Horton (Chief Executive) from Battersea, below.

"Leftover Christmas present puppies' dumped at Battersea on New Year's Eve.

On New Year's Eve five puppies were heartlessly dumped outside Battersea Dogs & Cats Home's centre at Old Windsor, Berkshire, and staff fear they may have been bred as Christmas presents but failed to sell. With no food or water and filthy coats, the 12-week-old English Bull Terrier cross puppies were trapped inside a small box and were very scared and cold.

Centre manager Kaye Mughal explained: 'We found the puppies in a small plastic box by our gate, so they were clearly dumped deliberately. Given the timing we're worried they were bred as Christmas presents by someone looking to make a quick buck, but when they failed to sell they were disposed of. Dumping animals without food or water near a busy main road could have disastrous consequences, but thankfully we found these pups quickly, and they're now recovering from their ordeal.'

Discovered just hours before the dawn of 2013, Battersea staff decided to name them Midnight, Big Ben, Chimes, Bubbles and Fizz, and wasted no time getting them into the warmth, giving them food, drink and a much-needed wash. Having been trapped in the box, the puppies were very dirty, smelly, and desperate to escape.

The festive period always has an impact on Battersea, and between December 24 and January 1, the charity's three centres received 96 dogs and 52 cats. They included 11 cats and 36 dogs at Battersea Old Windsor, half of which were strays.

Kaye Mughal explained: 'Many of these strays are genuinely lost, but others are cruelly dumped over Christmas. We pick up the pieces when people buy pets as presents. By March the tiny puppies and kittens given as Christmas presents are becoming more of a handful, they've lost their initial charm and are then given up. When it comes to gifts, please stick to toys or chocolates but not animals, as these puppies' heart-breaking story can testify.'

Like all strays, the five puppies will need to stay at Battersea Old Windsor for at least seven days before they can be rehomed. 'They're all lively, fun-loving pups who will make fantastic additions to good homes,' Kaye continued. 'Fizz is a confident girl who loves a fuss, and Big Ben is her bold brother. Chimes is the most sensitive, while Bubbles is the shy one, and follows his affectionate brother Midnight everywhere. They may not have had the best start in life, but Battersea will make sure 2013 sees a change in their fortunes.'"

If you are interested in rehoming one of the five puppies, or any other dog or cat from Battersea Old Windsor, please contact 01784 494443 or www.bow.rehomers@battersea.org.uk. To contact the other centres visit www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/our_centres

Taking A Break

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:58:04 +0100

Very much felt like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2 last week as I wandered the streets of New York, visiting the huge Christmas tree at the Rockefella Centre between meetings with the wonderful team at Lucky Brands. I hate to say this, but NYC has topped London so far this year for 'that' Christmassy feeling. The Christmas decorations, light displays and shop windows were just spectacular, it really was in a different league to the commercial fake German Christmas markets, fairground rides and Marmite-sponsored lights of London. I will have to dust off my copy of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation DVD, then I'll really know it's Chistmas!

Talking of Christmas, look what United Colors of Benetton have so kindly sent me to keep a few of the smaller, more vulnerable dogs warm this winter at Battersea. I think we've set a trend with our dog walk at the Coats and Collar Ball. A big thank you to Benetton.

Before NYC, I was of course in Botswana, where I met Mum and Dad Gandy at the Kwara Lodge on the Okavango Delta for what can only be described as a very special holiday. Botswana is very different to safari-ing in any other part of Africa. Not since trekking for gorillas in Uganda have I felt so insignificant and small when up close with the wonderful animals we saw.

Of course it wouldn't be a good old Gandy family holiday if it wasn't for the usual crazy experiences. Firstly a hippo hit and nearly up-ended our boat as we were travelling back from fishing. Then, later that day on a night drive, our 4x4 got a flat tyre and as we all helped to change it, we suddenly realised from the almighty roar that we were a lot closer to the lions than we had anticipated. Believe me, after that we could have given a F1 pit team a run for it's money on how quickly we changed the wheel! We were literally 400 ft from two male lion brothers who were coming to challenge another pack for territory. The roaring went on all night around the lodge during dinner.

I truly got away from everything when I was there. No mobile phone signal, no internet/TV/papers, and as I headed back to our lodge at night and watched two hippos walk within feet of our luxury tents, and was then woken up by elephants who were banging on our little terrace with their trunks at two am, I realised how privileged I was to be there.

It was our guide and tracker, Tom, and the people who run Kwara that made it so truly special. I realised that without all the rules of westernised society, just how happy and appreciative people can be with so very little. This is why I go to Africa a lot for my holidays - it seems to put many things into perspective.

I was really looking forward to getting back to London for one major reason. I'm very excited to announce that I am the new Johnnie Walker Blue Label ambassador and Christmas has come early as this week - I received a very special personalised, engraved bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label from the wonderful team there to celebrate, which will now take pride of place in my house over the holidays! The engraved bottle is stunning and a lovely personalised gift for anyone who would like something extra special or knows someone in need of being spoilt! Take a look here if you've got someone in mind - I doubt they will be disappointed!

For some reason blue seems to be very poignant through out my career. Light Blue. Blue Label. A blue announcement in January and who knows, maybe a men's clothing line called 'Blue' next? Ha ha, we'll see. Not only am I excited to be working with what I have previously called the Aston Martin of the whiskey world and a truly British brand, but I also get to go and meet the Master blender in Scotland next week and taste the Johnny Walker whiskey library at their castle. Now I really have a feeling that it's going to be a VERY merry Christmas!

My November

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:06:16 +0100

I found the perfect quotation, or maybe it's more of a one liner joke, but whatever it is, it sums up my past couple of weeks perfectly:

'I'm so busy, I'm not sure if I have found some rope, or lost my horse".

This week started with the wonderful opportunity of speaking at the Oxford University Union again. I say again as this is the second time I have had this privilage, so clearly I must have got something right last time, or maybe I was just so laughably bad last time that they wanted me back for the hilarity (I've only just thought of that...). Anyway, let's go with my first thought.

Talking for the second time didn't make it any less daunting than the first time, although I joined forces this week with Alex Bilmes, magazine editor of Esquire who kindly agreed to speak with me on the topic of 'the importance of men's fashion.'

Alex always has this wonderful calmness about his demenour that certainly helped as we were given a tour of the beautiful university building by the union president. Photographs of past speakers Winston Churchill, The Queen and Mother Theresa graced the walls - my picture wasn't there from last time? Clearly there was some sort of mistake. Of course I'm only joking, and I was rather more concerned with why I had brought my pint of Guinness with me from the bar when clearly no one else had theirs! Not a good start David.

As myself and Alex were escorted into the debating room and I looked around the full room of students, I thought "men's fashion is certainly a subject I'm interested in and I'm passionate about British fashion, but would I have any influence on these highly intelligent students and more importantly, convince them of the importance of men's fashion in today's world?"

Our hour long discussion covered many areas of men's fashion from its impact on the economy, Britain's strong heritage in style, history, how men shop, changes in men's media, right through to why it's important to take an interest in your appearance. There really was a two-pronged attack as Alex and myself went on to explain that the stigma that there once was around a heterosexual man having pride in their appearance is going. It's OK to care about your appearance again - being a man is back in fashion (thank you Madmen and Don Draper)!

We now have our own dedicated men's fashion week in London (London Collections: Men), huge movie stars advertising fashion brands, Esquire are launching their own biannual style supplement (The Big Black Book) in mid-March next year, and the explosion of mobile/social media and online shopping means men do not have to wonder endlessy around the shops, joining the end of long lines and enduring the crowds as they once did.

After the hour we had a small drinks reception with some of the students. The conversations about fashion could have gone on for hours, which was encouraging, but we had to drive back to London. Many of the students thanked us for a great and interesting talk and I was thankful for them for being so polite, welcoming and asking some seriously interesting questions. Do they see the importance of men's fashion? Well I hope they have a better insight into the subject now and you never know we may have inspired a career or two.

I would also like to announce some news that I am hugely excited about. I have signed a semi-exclusive contract with Lucky Brand. I have of course already featured in the Life in Colour and See Denim Differently campaigns before, but we have taken the partnership to the next level and for the Spring and Autumn 2013 campaigns, Lucky Brand will be the only denimwear I represent.

One of the biggest incentives is I get to work with the Lucky Brand team on the future campaigns. We have already shot the first one in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and it just looks brilliant and I think has moved so far on since I started working with the brand. The partnership also gives me the opportunity to work with the vice-president and creative director, Patrick Wade. Under his leadership I believe the brand is going from strength to strength. The high-end department and speciality stores look incredible and I think our aim as a team is to make Lucky 'America's favourite'.

On that note I'd better go and pack. Not unusual you may think - and this is true - but actually I'm packing for one of those holiday things that I do seem to forget to take from time to time. I'm off Botswana for a rest. Will report all and hopefully have a few good photos to show you all.

Until the next time!

My Favourite Winter Pieces

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:15:54 +0100

I'm going to simplify this week's blog I think. A little less cars, projects, ventures, travelling etc and actually get back to the core of vogue.co.uk and that is fashion. Next week I can talk about my new contracts and also my new venture over in NYC that still no one has guessed correctly yet (I told you wouldn't get it). To be honest when I tell people what the idea is, I am looked at with a raised eyebrow and quizzical "you what?"

Anyway, simplifying this week's blog just means a lot more images and less writing. I thought I'd show you my favourite pieces I have bought for my winter collection, that I believe would also make excellent present ideas for the gentlemen in your lives. Throughout the year I look for items that are uniquely different, be it with the quality, the brand, or the price. I love to find little pieces that no one else has or has even thought about. To me, individuality is so important as it's just so easy to follow each other...

COACH
The Bleeker Legacy leather weekend tote

I have to say I'm slightly obsessed with man bags and luggage. I think it's something to do with picturing the bags in the back of the classic 190sl when it's finished. The colour and quality of the leather on this weekend bag is so sublime that it's the example of the leather I want on the upholstery in the Meredes I have given to the restorer.

The Bowery quilted leather jacket

A classic style, stunning leather jacket - something Steve McQueen or James Dean would be proud to be seen in. I have been looking for a quilted leather jacket for a long time and this one is truly stunning.

UNITED COLOURS OF BENETTON
Suede fur-lined boots

It's a really great winter collection this year. I have quite a few pieces, however these fake fur-lined half boots are certainly going to keep me warm over the winter months. I haven't stopped wearing them since I got them.

Knitted iPad cover/holder

I absolutely adore this for the iPad. It looks like it won't only be my feet being kept warm this winter.

LAUNER
Calf-leather credit-card wallet

Don't get me wrong, I like Mulberry, but it is just so popular now. Launer is a company that has a 50-year heritage of British craftsmanship. The quality is truly stunning and of course they have the pride of holding the Queen's warrant. I had my initials printed on the outside to make it that little bit more individual. Every Launer item also comes beautifully packaged.

MARKS & SPENCER

As well as shooting the next Collezione collection next week, I am currently helping to edit the men's section of the M&S magazine. Whilst putting looks and styles together the other day for one of the edits I truly was astonished not only by the style and design of the items but actually of the cost. I am a true believer that you don't ever need to spend so much money on designer clothing when this kind of quality is available on the British high street so cheaply. The two items that stood out for me were:

Camel cashmere double-breasted overcoat

Simply beautiful. It is very much like the brown double-breasted item I wore last year, but that wasn't cashmere. I like cashmere and I am having the coat taken in by a tailor for a more fitted style.

Autograph leather brogues

Considering some brogues can go for up to £400, this pair is just £75. M&S actually have a more expensive pair from the Savile Row collection but personally, I prefer these.

YVES SAINT LAURENT
Long chunky-knit wool belted cardigan

Ok, so I indulged a little with this purchase, but I literally haven't stopped wearing it, either casually with a pair of jeans or instead of a blazer over shirt, tie and trousers.

ROMI TOPI
Shoe-shine box

I have told you about the Burlington Arcade where I get my shoes shined and the wonderful Romi who owns this buiness. Not only does he look after my shoes, he also acts as my therapist! We have become great friends. Romi knows that I am obsessed with men having good shoes and even though this may not be possible, to look after ones shoes and shine them is hugely important. Well now, men do not have an excuse. Romi sent me this shoe shine box as part of his Top Shine product collection. His moto? "You can tell a man by his shoes". Too right Romi, I couldn't agree more.

New Mexico, New York and New Cars

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:08:04 +0100

I have been away from my beloved London for the past two weeks. Firstly in Santa Fe, New Mexico, playing cowboy - this was for a shoot you understand, I wasn't just playing dress up in the middle of the desert. And even if I do say so myself I think I make a pretty good cowboy, well, dressed as one anyway, I'm not so sure how good I would actually be at herding up cattle and lassoing stray calves, although the day before travelling to Santa Fe you could find me practising riding a horse, bear-back, in East London for the cover of 10Men magazine. The cowboy/Western style shoot (though I can't say much at this moment) is rather an exciting story and we are working on finalising everything this week. Further news to come.

Then it was on to inspirational New York City for five days, to meet with my new US booker, Sam Doerfler at Ford Model Agency. At last I finally have representation in NYC that I know has the vision, foresight and brilliant ideas that I have been looking for there over many years of modelling - it's been 11 years this September (suddenly feeling officially old). As well as shooting in NYC, I was there to talk to two very close friends and hopefully future business partners about a very exciting endeavour. We talked business strategy, looked at property and generally got very excited about the ideas and prospects. Hopefully I will be able to explain a little more about the ideas next week, once everything is a little more complete - you'll never guess what it is!

Of course New York wouldn't be complete without a little shopping spree. NYC still has to be my favourite city to shop. The vintage/consignment stores are full of wonderful bargains. On the high street (can you say that in NYC?) Club Monaco didn't let me down - it's my go-to place in the City. Double-breasted herringbone linen jackets, Fifties-inspired Kennedy wool trousers, cashmere scarves and brilliant accessories … I wish the store was in London.

There is one store though that is just so perfect. Firstly it's on my favourite street in NYC (Bleeker). It's a store that I simply would be happy living in, as the interior design is a wonderful mix of vintage and antiques. The clothes, mannequins and window designs make you want to have every single piece in the store and the staff are so wonderful you want them to be your best friends. The store is the Ralph Lauren RRL suiting store. The suits are Fifties and Sixties inspired - wide lapels, double-breasted, collar pins, three piece - it's just so inspirational. If you're a man and you want to know how to dress, this is your store, every element is just faultless.

Anyway that's quite enough about America for today. Back to Britain, or should I say a British product. I'm afraid I'm going to have to bore you with my favourite subject again - cars - but this is a rather special time for Jaguar. I had the great pleasure to be part of the Jaguar F type launch in Paris not long ago and I can't stress enough the importance of this car.

The F type takes Jaguar back into the world of two-seater, great sporting cars, a section it virtually helped invent with the Jaguar XK's of the Forties and Fifties. I've been driving modern Jaguars for the last five years (my family have driven them since I can remember), so I know the merits of this brilliant brand. The designs are innovative, the cars are the best on the road to drive, and its dealers have just been voted the most reliable in the world. Not only that, but Jags have something that other cars simply do not have and never will have - they have soul.

The F type will bring this to the attention of a whole new generation of car buyers. The cabriolet F type is simply stunning inside and out. I personally would have loved to have seen the car go even further and be even more revolutionary, however this has been left to the coupé that is released at a much later date. However, I was lucky enough to be given a sneak preview of the different variants of the F type and the coupé is just so beautiful it hurts that I haven't got one right now. But don't worry (I'm sure you're not) I will have! Jaguar asked me to be an ambassador for the Jaguar F type and I will proudly be driving one of the first on the roads in London next April. I also saw a prototype variant that I really am not allowed to talk about, but if there is a Jaguar or Tata boss reading this for some reason ... then BUILD it, please. It's quite simply brilliant and would be as revolutionary today as the E type was when it was launched in 1961.

To give you an example of the wonderful people who work at Jaguar and their passion, I met with Ian Callum (Jaguar's design director) when I went for a sneak preview of the F type in Coventry many weeks ago. In Paris at the launch, and probably one of the most if not THE most important launches of his life, surrounded by the most important people in the car industry, Ian purposely came over, shook my hand and carried on the conversation we had had six weeks earlier, what a gentleman.

Until next time...

www.f-type.jaguar.com/gb/en

Some Day My Car Will Come

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:44:58 +0100

The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

You may or may have not noticed that my classic Mercedes Benz I have previously spoken about is not yet parked in my garage. This is a year after it was supposed to be finished. Unfortunately I have had to learn the hard way about entering the classic car restoration world!

Mercedes World helped me find my dream 1958 190sl last year. It was with Kevin O'Keefe Restorations who have been restoring these wonderful motors for many years and readying them for sale. After a gentleman's
agreement and handshake on the price, and an approximate six months finishing time, I went back for a couple of visits. Sadly, nothing ever really seemed to be progressing and the "we've been very busy with other cars, but there's really not much to do" did not fill me with much confidence.

After Christmas I informed him that I was renting a garage in London for the car and getting all the special covers handmade and was reassured that it would be finished by Easter. The Easter bunny was obviously too busy with his eggs and the car still didn't arrive. Kevin and his business partner have decided that since they have seen the prices of the cars rise so much over the last 18 months they would like more money to complete the job.

Maybe I am old fashioned, but when I give my word to someone I stick to it, but it seems the gentlemanly world of classic cars isn't so gentlemanly. So, out of pride (this has got me in trouble before) I have walked away from the car, a lot of time, effort and expense has been wasted.

However, not all is lost!

Myself and the wonderful Simon Bench from Mercedes Benz both by coincidence contacted Hilton & Moss in Stansted, Essex. Hilton & Moss are classic car experts, enthusiasts and restorers, and their motto is, "Our aim is to achieve perfection" (now who was it who said he liked perfection?). They are based in Essex, twenty minutes from my parents, so brilliantly convenient.

Even though Parry Chana at Hilton and Moss has a wonderful example of a classic 190sl for sale, we have decided to embark on a project together and completely strip and restore one instead. Parry is looking for the right car as we speak. It is going to take a long time, but I will be a part of the whole process, making decisions to personalise the car to my specifications. I have had more phone calls and emails in five days from Parry than I did in 18 months with Kevin O'Keefe, and am very much looking forward to working on this partnership. So, if you are thinking of restoring or buying a classic Mercedes, based on my experience I would not recommend that you go to O'Keefe Restorations.

You can visit the Hilton & Moss website here.

As you may have seen from VOGUE.COM's brilliant coverage, it was London Fashion Week the week before last. Everyone believes I must be tremendously busy during this time, however LFW is just for the female models. Although I am invited to many shows, I always feel my place is better taken by someone who really has a true love of women's fashion, like I do for London Collections: Men. I do go to some of the events, like supporting my friends Sophia and Antonio at the Berardi show, and I attended a few wonderful evening events including a candle lit dinner at The Arts Club in Mayfair to celebrate 125 years of Smythson. On my table was Eva Herzigova and Samantha Cameron - truly wonderful company. LFW also ended with an evening to welcome Natalie Massenet as Chairman (or should this now be Chairwoman?) of the British Fashion Council. She takes over from Harold Tillman. Harold Tillman has been instrumental in bringing London Fashion Week (women's and now of course men's) back to centre stage showcasing our talent around the world. He has done a wonderful job.

Lastly, I would like to say a quick thank you for all your heart-warming messages following my last post about Bumble. We have heard that she has settled in well, is loving the social interaction with the other dogs and is as "bright as a button" when it comes to her training. They even sent me a little picture of her as she is starring in Mullenscote Dog Training Centre news letter this month.

A Man's Best Friend

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:31:09 +0100

Over the past six weeks I have really got to see the meaning of the following saying by Pam Brown:

YOU are home!
The dog throws itself at you
'Where have you been?
You've been so long…..
I love you, love you, love you.
What's in the bag?
Something for me?
Oh, let me lick your ear.
Oh, let me chew your gloves.'
You're HOME.

As you may have guessed it, I have had the great pleasure and honour of having a Battersea dog in my life and home.

When people hear that I am the ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats home but do not actually own a dog, they always question 'why not?' I explain that I and Battersea encourage responsible ownership and with me travelling so much, it just wouldn't be fair for me to have a dog at home. I am very critical of owners who have dogs and then pass them around friends, family and strangers to be looked after day after day, as personally, I think dogs need stability and routine.

However, this year I have made a conscious effort not to travel as much as I have done in the past and, if I do, not for such long periods. I also have my parents with their beautiful country retreat that already acts as a little holiday fostering home for a few weeks for dogs that need a rest from the Battersea kennels.

'Could this be the time?' I thought. Well, my mind was made up when I was at Battersea for a meeting and myself and the wonderful Jane Warden (celebrity liaison manager) sneaked off for a little cuddle with the puppies. Out of the blue, there she was, a seven-month-old black Labrador Retriever. She was brought in to the home because she was bullied by the two older dogs that the owners already had. As Battersea have told me time and time again, the dog often finds its owner, not the other way around, and I instantly knew what they meant. With one hug (yes she actually hugged me), a bond was formed and at last I had my man's best friend.

It wasn't as easy as it sounds though. She had already been rehomed (my heart sank) and was leaving the day after, but the new owners suddenly pulled out! Then, when I was supposed to collect her, she had a terrible allergic reaction to what we think was a bumble bee sting and had to stay at Battersea for observation. On virtually the opening day of the Olympics, the Gandy family had a new member, and her name? Well, Bumble of course.

For six weeks after a dull or sad or frustrating day, the small ball of furry Bumble hurling herself into my arms made everything instantly better.

At 7.30am every morning and with a cup of coffee in hand, we walked in the morning summer sun along the Thames. When I worked and wrote from home, she lay on my feet under my desk. When I went for meetings, I chose a location that was dog friendly and she waited patiently, chewing a dried pig's ear. In the late afternoon, we would walk for well over an hour, sometimes jogging, sometimes her running slowly beside my bike.

It's not until a person has owned a dog like this, you can see the complete unselfish nature of a true companion. They are your friend, your partner, your defender. They will be yours forever, no matter what you do or what you say. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms and they don't judge.

When I was travelling, Mum and Dad Gandy fell for Bumble exactly the same way I did. To be honest, everyone adored her. And, with my sister visiting from Spain with my two nephews and niece, Bumble was introduced and thought she really was my sister's fourth child. Everywhere the children went and played, so did she. She ran alongside their bikes along the country lanes, she greeted them with a lick every time they got down the slide safely, and she became quite a handy fielder in our family cricket games.

To see any dog in the countryside is to see a dog in their element, but especially larger more active or working dogs - the dogs that for generations have been bred to work - Collies, Retrievers, Pointers, Springer Spaniels. When I or the children were not there to keep Bumble entertained, she delighted in the fact she could disappear into my parents' wood and collect and retrieve bigger and bigger twigs and branches. Dad Gandy joked that he thought she might be quarter otter and that she was trying to build a dam.

Among the laughter though, there was a serious point being made. Bumble needed constant stimulus. She thrived being around other dogs, she was very independent and loved roaming and running. In the country this was fine, but with me in the city I could see elements of boredom.

Bumble would adapt to anyone, to any situation, and when I looked into her eyes I could see the constraints of the city (even with three walks a day) and that it just wasn't for her. My parents would have loved to have taken her, but again agreed she needed stimulus and would make the most incredible working dog.

With the help and advice from Battersea, myself and Jane took Bumble to Mullenscote Dog Training Centre where the truly remarkable Howard Kirby specialises in training gun dogs and working dogs. After seeing Howard around his dogs, the love he showed and the even greater love and admiration that his dogs had for him and the truly remarkable demonstrations with his Retrievers, Pointers and Spaniels, I knew that this was the perfect place for my Bumble.

Begrudgingly, and with a little kiss on her head, I handed her lead to Howard and without even a look back from Bumble and with her memory foam mattress bed (yes she was a little spoilt) tucked under Howard's arm, she was taken to meet her pack of dogs that she would be with for the first few days before starting her training. She will become a companion/ gun dog for one very lucky owner. I, unfortunately, will never get to see her again.

She would get confused if I went back, but I can go and see her progress, Howard said, but from afar in the observation deck, which is something I will definitely do.

So, the Gandy house is again a little quiet. No nibbling of my feet as I write this blog, no sound of pawsteps at 7.30am each morning to come and wake me up, and no big-hug greeting when I leave the room for as little as five minutes. Yes I miss her to bits, but if I think of her in the Hampshire countryside running with her pack (hopefully now her friends) and being trained to retrieve in a manor that she and her generations had been bred for, then I cant help but smile.

From this I hope you can see the time and effort that the wonderful people at Battersea put in to re-homing every individual dog. This story was about just one dog. It was about a quest to find her a suitable home, with a suitable environment so that she could thrive. Now imagine the effort needed to go into rehoming up to 10,000 dogs a year!

To get a little insight into this, Paul O'Grady has been filming at Battersea Dogs and Cats home for seven weeks. The TV show, For the Love of Dogs, can be seen on UK television every Monday on ITV1 and, on September 17, I make a little appearance on the show, so be sure to tune in.

Olympic Reflections

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:37:44 +0100

What do I start with when talking about the 2012 Olympics in London? Even now, 14 days after the flame was extinguished, the vibrant and positive feeling that the games brought - not only to London, but to Great Britain - can still be felt strongly.

Preparations in the stadium for the closing ceremony

Of course the opening and closing ceremonies where wonderful, the organisation at the stadiums, on the roads and with public transport was all impeccable, but truthfully, the excitement, enthusiasm, and exhilaration that engulfed what seems like the whole nation was down to one group of people, and that was the athletes. 29 golds and 65 medals overall is still a bewildering accomplishment for a tiny island that sits between the North Atlantic and North Sea.

Brian May rehearsing for the closing ceremony

Team GB came third in the medals table, among the huge superpowers and might of the USA, China and Russia. I don't think a nation could be any prouder. Amongst the many successful athletes, Jessica Ennis and Sir Chris Hoy stood out for me, not just for winning gold medals, but the dignity and class they show is a truly outstanding example not just to future athletes but to all sports men and women, and - if you'll forgive me for getting a little carried away - a great example to everyone in the public eye. Can I also mention that both drive Jaguars…? I think we would get on very well indeed (and before anyone mentions it, yes I know I drive a Mercedes now.)

And of course the Olympic Games were made that little bit more special for myself (and Mum and Dad Gandy who were in the stadium), because I got to take part in the closing ceremony. I was truly honoured to be asked to be one of representatives of British fashion, even more so when I realised I was the only guy.

We had rehearsed three days before in an old industrial car park area four-to-five miles from the stadium. This was the day we all really started to get excited (and rather nervous) not just because of our segment, but because of the people around us - Pink Floyd, David Beckham, the Spice Girls, George Michael, Take That... I almost didn't notice that I was surrounded by eight of the most beautiful supermodels on the planet. All rather bewildering...

Taking direction

The actual day was very special. Even though we didn't go on until 10pm, we had to be there by midday. Ten hours would normally seem a long time to wait, but we could wander anywhere around the stadium, watching rehearsals, speaking to all the guys building the sets, and getting so close to the Olympic flame I could have cooked some marshmallows on it.

The centrepiece

When the time came to go on and we were loaded onto our platforms, we still couldn't see the inside of the stadium that was now full with 75,000 people, so when we were revealed to the crowd I couldn't help but have a beaming smile on my face, and it's funny when people ask what I was thinking, well this time I can tell you - it was 'I hope my flies are done up!'

A customised London taxi for the Spice Girls

I haven't actually watched the footage - I rarely watch myself back when I've been on television - but those few minutes are something I will never, ever forget.

Afterwards we all celebrated, but as I've said in interviews, considering the calibre of the stars in the closing ceremony, there were no diva-ish antics. The mood was respectful, positive and courteous. The true heroes and the people who deserved to be in the spotlight and hopefully will be for a long, long time are the athletes. Not only will these Olympic games never be forgotten, but the legacy of the success of the athletes has been proven, and will be found in future generations that they will have inspired.

Now, if you excuse me I'm off for a little sing... "God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble queen..."

An Olympic Fashion Finale

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:12:45 +0100

Image courtesy of Lily Cole

For months I've been sworn to secrecy about my involvement in tonight's Olympic Closing Ceremony, but finally, the secret's out.

Along with Stella Tennant, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Cole, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson, Karen Elson and Georgia May Jagger, we celebrated British fashion in style, walking out in British designers to showcase to the rest of the world what great British fashion is all about.

With Jourdan Dunn

As I take the coach from the Olympic Village back into London, it's still fairly surreal.

It was the most amazing night but, until it sinks in, I probably can't do it justice in words. So, I will leave you with a couple of photos, head off to the party with the guys and once the magic of tonight has been truly celebrated, I will report back. I hope you enjoyed the show!

An Addition to the Gandy Garage...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:36:16 +0100

I can't, of course, leave without talking about what I feel is one of the most exciting things in recent times for London - the 2012 Olympic Games.

Cockney Rhyming Slang

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:43:58 +0100

As Sir Kenneth Branagh has just woken up briefly, but turned over for another few hours sleep, I thought it would be a good time to put my little light on, open up the Macbook and write my blog. As you may have guessed, I'm not having an affair with Kenneth Branagh (!), it's just we have been (slightly bizarrely) sat next to each other in our little pods, 33,000 feet up, on an LA-bound flight. It's rather an honour to be honest.

This won't be a very long blog unfortunately, I've got to got to get some sleep also as I step off the plane in LA and go straight to work.

So let's talk fashion for a moment, this is VOGUE.COM after all. You all know that I love a good and well-cut whistle and flute, however, I've always talked about my favourite tailors in London where I get my jekyll and hydes cut or even where I get my off-the-peg tennis rackets altered but, as I got ready for an event last night and put on my nanny goat to head out of the door into another rainy summer's evening in London, I realised I have never talked or recommended anywhere to buy some of the most important elements of a man's wardrobe. Accessories such as tilbury docks, centre halves and even a tit-fer-tat are sometimes the only areas where men can individualise their outfits.

Now, before you think the cabin pressure of all these flights has finally got to me, there is a very good reason I have just been talking in Cockney rhyming slang about men's fashion, the reason being that one of my favourite brands for men's accessories (and also one of my favorite shops in London) is a brand called Peckham Rye, which is rhyming slang for the most important men's accessory of all, the tie.

The tie can make or break a suit. In many ways it is the first thing someone will notice, so the importance of it can never be underestimated. I discovered Peckham Rye many years ago and virtually bought up Selfridges' stock of their polka dot ties, handkerchiefs, and scarves. After many years of wearing their ties to various events, Martin and David invited me along to the Peckham Rye shop just off the historic Carnaby Street in London. The shop is tiny and filled with memorabilia and history from the company (it dates back to 1799 - all is explained on its website- www.peckhamrye.com) and, as you can imagine, a quaint shop in my favorite city, full of men's assessories, from a truly historic British brand and a shop full of history too meant that I was instantly in love.

I'm not recommending Peckam Rye just for possibly the largest selection of ties and bow ties in London, but also for their personal service. It doesn't have the elitist feeling some are put off by on Savile Row (although don't let it!) and certainly doesn't have the sometime intimidating atmosphere of a high-fashion shop. In fact, I am now privileged to call David and Martin my friends and pop in for a cup of tea when passing. And, for those 15 minutes, I'm almost taken back to a world of men's shopping that doesn't exist anywhere in the world anymore. Even better news, Peckham Rye now also tailor bespoke suits - I've just had one made and can report back that is it superb.

Right, I'm off, but before I go, just a few more things. I was going to define all the rhyming slang but I think it would be fun for everyone to have a go and see if they can work out what on earth I am talking about instead.

The next blog will be well worth reading. There has and is going to be some major changes in the Gandy home and garage - I will report very soon.

London Collections: Men

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:54:50 +0100

Three days, 29 shows, four dinners/ events, lunches, meetings, and interviews in between. This was London's (and my first) Men's Collections and what a wonderful few days it was.

Dylan Jones and the BFC truly produced three days that London and the British fashion industry should be very proud of. At last, the eyes of the fashion world were on London and it's designers, something that I think should have come about some time ago, but with London being under the spotlight with the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics, could there have been a more perfect time? I don't think so.

What fashion week in other major cities around the world is launched by HRH Prince of Wales? What a true honour it was to be part of the fashion elite that were invited to be at that launch, and outside I even had my picture taken with one of my favourite English designers and true gentlemen, Richard James.

The brands and designers certainly didn't disappoint. The one show that stood out for me just happened to be the first show of the weekend and it set the standard for the following days. Hackett chose the beautiful Royal Opera House to show a collection, inspired by The Great Gatsby whilst at the same time being very truly British. The models' rising of bowler hats to the audience at the finalé was an especially nice touch. Other shows that stood out were E Tautz, Rake, Hardy Amies and Belstaff.

The Hackett London spring/summer 2013 show

What really stood out for me though, above other fashion weeks, was just how stylish everyone was throughout those few days. Britain has always been an inspiration with its heritage for tailoring and suits, and although we may not have pulled it off at the football in the the Euros, boy did we show the rest of the fashion weeks how personal tailoring and style can be done.

At a show

The committee for London Collections: Men (which I'm proud to be a part of) did a great job of supporting Dylan Jones, the BFC, the designers and interested media attending throughout the weekend. Alexa Chung and I - along with various designers and ambassadors - also took time out from the shows to take part in a photocall at the iconic British post box on Savile Row for the Great Campaign, which aims to promote the UK as the preminent place to visit, study, and invest in fashion.

With Alexa Chung at the Great campaign photocall

Other members of the committee such as Tom Ford, Tinie Tempah, Esquire magazine, Selfridges and of course GQ added to the London Collections: Men with the most amazing dinners, networking events and parties which may account for my 16 hours of sleep in four nights (all part of the job, I'm sure you can imagine).

I'd also like to mention Mercedes Benz quickly. You couldn't help but notice the line of Mercedes Benz cars and wonderful drivers, effortlessly working to get people to as many of the shows as possible in time and in style. They now sponsor London Fashion Week and London Collection:Mens - I did wonder why a British car manufacturer hadn't jumped on board to support the British effort?

What else can I tell you about the last couple of weeks? Hmmmmm. As ever, I'm not allowed to say much about what has been going on until it's out in the public domain, although I have been visiting Battersea Dogs Home a little more than usual, as I'm finally thinking of re-homing a dog...? I couldn't possibly comment, but I'm sure you will make up your own minds. Now, what would be a good name for a very cute, little girl dog?? Any suggestions welcome.

Awards, Answers and a Licence to Thrill

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:47:22 +0100

So a very quick round up of the last couple of weeks' events, before I attempt to answer some of the questions that everyone has kindly posted.

I have literally just flown back from my annual trip up to Glasgow for the Scottish Fashion Awards. The event this year was bigger than ever, a fact that I discovered as I looked up at the thousands of people watching as I presented the Hall of Fame award (along with the rather wonderful and now 'doctor', Tessa Hartmann) to the lovely and hugely talented Stella Tenant. If any young models want to aspire to being the perfect ambassador for this industry, then Stella is it.

At the Scottish Fashion Awards

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the pit lane and onto the racetrack, the Motor Sports Association go and give me my National B Racing Licence. I passed the practical and theory test last week at the Goodwood race circuit, thanks to Jaguar who organised the whole day and let us loose in the outstanding XKR-S, one of my favourite cars on the road. So, all I have to do now is pass a medical - let's just hope they don't test my mental state and I should be fine ;)

Now it's time for questions and answers 2012...

1. What one book, film and song would you take with you if you were going to be marooned on a desert island?
The book would be 'The idiots guide to building a sea raft'. The film would have to be Castaway and the song would be I am Sailing by Rod Stewart.

2. What is your favourite period throughout history fashion-wise?
For men, it would have to be the 1950's, the era that Mad Men is based on, when three-piece suits were worn by most men. It's also the time of Cary Grant in North by Northwest, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen, who are still style icons to this day.

3. Let's say you could take one moment from your life thus far and allow your biggest critics to live this one moment. And by allowing your critics to live this one moment you would be guaranteed that they would understand and know you better as a human being. What moment in your life would you choose?
Great question and a very difficult question to answer. I believe it would not be a moment in my work life, but a personal moment where I have been there for either friends or family.

4. You seem like fame has not even touched you in a negative way at all. What keeps you humble, respected, and real in the type of career that you have?
I'm honored that people think that. I guess I have to owe it to the way my parents have raised me in many respects. I find it astonishing though that people still assume that someone that might be in fashion or a model can automatically be vain or shallow. There are many high-profile models who are humble, modest and generous.

5. David, out of curiosity, who takes the pictures for your blog?
I take many of them when I am on location and shooting, then there are some paparazzi shots taken at events that we have used, and even photographs that fashion/photography students have taken, for example from last men's fashion day in London. I guess what I'm trying to say is that they are sourced from many different areas.

6. I think what I would love to know is, what other music you're in to?
My music taste ranges quite substantially. If I was to shuffle through my music it would go anything from classical, to Jay Z, to Tony Bennett, to Hall and Oates, to Nina Simone, but my new favourite is Michael Kiwanuke.

7. I wonder what other classic car would you pick for that space David?
Jaguar XKSS or D type, Ferrari GTO SWB or maybe even a Alfa Romeo TZ.

8. Did you lunch with one of your fans for Sport Relief, and how did that go?
We haven't had the lunch yet for one very simple reason - the winner lives thousands of miles away in the USA! What a generous bid for Sport Relief to then offer to travel to the UK to have lunch - amazing! So, we are working out a time to meet when either she is in the UK or I am in the States myself.

9. David in the future could you see yourself living on a little farm in the countryside, surrounded by kids and animals, driving the Lambo tractor to go and feed the horses rather then taking the Jag to Regent Street ?
Well I'm not sure about a farm and tractor and horses. Maybe a lake house, with lots of children, family, dogs (many, many, many dogs) and maybe even a pig or two.

10. If you were not a model what job would you have?
It's impossible to say - maybe a car journalist or working with animals.

11. You don't mention much about your formative years (and please don't tell us you were chubby). What events/things influenced you the most back then?
Well I was a little chubby back then I have to say, but I grew out of it. I still love a chocolate biscuit though. I think back then I saw how hard my parents worked to build their companies and how they never took anything for granted, and that's where I get my work ethic from. Another major influence was school where, for a short time, I was bullied a little so learnt to be independent quickly, to be strong and wanted to be a success. Those things have stood me in good stead for the job I do.

12. What do you hope to leave as your legacy?
I think hopefully I have proved that male models can compete with the top female models and maybe this will pave the way and open doors for tomorrow's male models. People say that I have contributed to changing the male modelling industry. That's very kind, but if that is the case, it was not me alone but a combination of people including Dolce & Gabbana, Mario Testino and Tandy Anderson.

13. What I really want to know is which car do you like to see a woman driving around?
Any car with a bit of individuality and character. I can never understand why people want to drive the same car as millions of other people.

14. When you need to pack for your travels, what are your essentials?
It depends on the length of trip, locations and events, but I actually pack quite light. I used to take so much stuff and realised I would only wear my favourite items in the end. With airport security so tight and time consuming now, I pack light so I never have to check any baggage through but I won't leave without my Blackberry, Apple Mac, brown shoes and errrrrr pants.

15. Why don't you ever interact with your fans on Facebook?
I do interact with many people on Facebook, when I can. When I have time and I can join in a group discussion, I will and I enjoy it. I apologise that I cannot reply to everybody's private messages, but I hope people understand that time is often short.

16. My question is about a project that you first mentioned a couple of months ago (January or February, I think) when you were being followed daily by a video crew. "A week in the Life of David Gandy" is how I interpreted it. Do you have any idea of the target publication date? Or is it being saved for a special upcoming occasion?
This was a pilot idea for a show which was received really well, but we decided not to pursue. We are always in talks with TV companies though and have many ideas in discussion.

17. Are you actually colour blind? I mean, you had mentioned it before in some interviews and I was wondering if it was a diagnosis from a doctor.
Yes, I was diagnosed by the school doctor when I was about 5 or 6 years of age. They showed me a ball of coloured dots and asked me to follow the line through the middle or what number I couldn't see and if I could see a line or number. My grandfather was colour blind also. Ironically we were both very good at art though!

18. As London is at the centre of attention this summer, what would you propose to someone who's coming to London as a tourist (favourite museum, sight, restaurant, something special from your town)?
My personal favourites are Eight over Eight, 34 and Suko. I love The National Portrait Gallery. But I think London is just about walking and taking in the history. I love a night-time walk along the Embankment and by the Houses of Parliament, or to maybe watch and listen to Big Ben strike midnight.

19. How is Mrs. Matcham? You still bring her milk?
Sadly, Mrs. Matcham doesn't live in the mansion block anymore. She had a couple of accidents in her apartment and moved. I don't know where to, but I understand she has a nephew in London, so I hope she is safe and well with family.

20. If you could invite five guests to dinner who would they be?
Winston Churchill, JFK, Billy Connelly, Paul Newman and Michael Caine.

21. David glad you're enjoying the summer, my question is does/should love have a colour?
Ha ha I'm not sure how to answer that. All I know is that love should never be green with jealousy. I was once told that jealousy is the only useless and hurtful feeling and has no place in relationships and I believe that.

21. Do you have a favorite dog breed, and if yes, which is it?
I adore all dogs but I have a soft spot for spaniels.

22. Can you sing, dance, draw, paint?
I studied art and design for one of my A-levels and started an art foundation course, but changed it to photography. My parents have art that I drew many years ago which people don't believe I did - which is complementary so I will have to post one on this blog one day.

24. Beach or mountain?
Ooooooo tough questions, but has to be mountains.

I'm sorry I couldn't answer everyone's question. This had nothing to do with the fact I didn't like them! It just may have been something I have answered many times before, was personal, or maybe related to something I'm unable to talk about at the moment.

Thanks for your questions. I'd better be off as I have two-and-a-half weeks now with not one day off, so I'd better get started...

Summer In The City

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:07:48 +0100

So, the frustrations and novelty that many warned me about before starting the process of owning a classic car is starting to prevail a little. My little Mercedes 190sl was supposed to be tucked up in my heated and secure garage space in London, with me enjoying her in the balmy spring/summer sunshine with the roof down and off to see Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall (yes I have tickets again, as it's rumoured to be his last ever tour).

The English weather certainly isn't playing ball with weeks and weeks of rain and even though people may think that is normal for the UK, we are actually in a drought and have hose pipe bans. The Mercedes engine has also decided to make matters worse and two major parts need to be shipped and refurbished in Germany and the mechanic there is so busy, it won't be complete for another four months. So, that rules out the whole of the summer and we all know how I like things PERFECT ; ) Brisk autumn evening drives it is then!

Of course this does leave an empty parking space in London for the next four months and that, for a petrol head such as myself, brings up an endless amount of possibilities. I just don't think it's right that during such a patriotic summer, what with the Olympics, Diamond Jubilee and London's first men's fashion week, that I shouldn't fill that space with a quintessential British vehicle (can you hear how I'm convincing myself?). I almost think that it's my duty in fact.

Let me explain about my parking space in London (I can hear everybody sighing, but stick with me). It's in an underground parking garage near to Putney Bridge. I visited it to put a car I'm testing for GQ in the spot for the first time and it's a petrol head's nirvana. There must be £20 million pounds-worth of cars in there, from classics to modern day super-cars and such historic vehicles that no one saw me for a good few hours. I think I've found my happy place!

Not travelling like a professional nomad has given me a little time to enjoy London and the countryside. On Saturday, I was at the St Regis International Polo day at Cowdray Park which is situated in one of my favourite parts of the UK, West Sussex. I've never played polo and I'm an awful horse rider (can you imagine the size of the horse that needs to carry me on its back?), but I love to watch the "the sport of kings" and this is coming from a person who is a very frustrated sports-watcher and gets bored terribly easily. Maybe I have just been lucky with the games I've seen. The weekend result? UK 11 vs USA 10.5. The polo is always a wonderful day out and so British. The fashion, the afternoon tea, everyone bringing their children and dogs and of course the English countryside, make for a very special afternoon.

SEE DAVID GANDY AT THE ST REGIS POLO

Not that London is disappointing at the moment. I've explained before about Fulham Palace and Bishops Park just a minute away from where I live and how I adore that area. For the last 18 months, however, it has been having a £7 million restoration. Over half of this was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It's fantastic to see such an historic area and park granted the money to improve and restore some of the original design features for other generations to enjoy. Well done London! Among the new play area for children, newly-planted trees, fountains and ponds, the area that has been reinstated is Margate Sands - a small sandy beach by the water, which was originally designed there in 1903, wonderful for all the children and parents of the area and maybe even myself on a hot summer's day.

Last and not least, like I do every year, I am going to answer questions over the next few weeks that are posted in the comments page of this week's post, so get those thinking caps on and please feel free to come up with some questions to grill me with. Be gentle!

SEE THE LATEST DAVID GANDY PICTURES

Gandy's Goose

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:51:19 +0100

There are times in life when you just have to hold your hands up and admit defeat, and over the last week I have had to do this twice.

Firstly, I have been out-shone by a goose!

Everyone seemed to love the goose story from the Lucky Brand campaign shoot, so by popular demand I asked Lucky to send me pictures and footage of myself and the goose so that I could post them here, so here you go.

Whilst I was trying to think of a very witty title for the footage and pictures and for the title of this posting, Lucky posted the picture and it said, "What's good for the goose is good for the Gandy". I simply can't compete with that.

Something I have been talking about and mentioning for quite a while now is my second iTunes application.

The David Gandy Fitness and Training App will be available in June. To find out more about it and to register to be one of the first to be sent a link to purchase it when it's live, visit www.davidgandyfitness.com.

I've developed the application as, like with the Style Guide, I think there can sometimes be too much information and facts to consider to be able to narrow down what exercises actually deliver effective results. Over 10 years of trial and error, plus advice from working with some of the best Personal Trainers in the business, I believe I can provide a fundamental and in-depth guide to help improve your body and your fitness, and I hope that I am evidence that it works. For an example of the kind content that will be on the App, take a look here.

I have said that it's a men's application, but women have asked me if they can use it too. I don't see why not! Of course, many of the exercises would have to be adapted and the weight levers lowered, but the 'Muscular Lean' section was actually developed by Nathalie Bomgren, one of the most sought after female PTs in Europe, so is worth trying out.

The app will be available to download in June.

To launch the idea behind the app, I shot the cover of Men's Health (what could be better?) and also a fashion feature and interview.

In the interview I was probably a little more open and frank than I have been in the past, which I thought was a good thing. Many people in the public eye can be quite reserved or structured with interviews. If you haven't read the interview here is the link - I would be very interested in what you think

A couple of things I said were misconstrued when used by some of the newspapers in the UK which was disappointing. I explained in the interview that I am a perfectionist when it comes to my work, interior design, car restorations etc, and said that ex-girlfriends had sometimes found that difficult. I went on to point out the various other imperfections I think I have! I'm not sure why, but that was then reported that I think that I am perfect - I was actually saying the opposite. Still I learnt from that, and maybe this is why some people in the public eye hold back which, in the long run, is a shame for the reader. However, as monty python states "always look on the bright side of life". Thanks to everyone who read the article and saw and commented on how different that was to what was reported.

When I was in a coffee shop in the middle of London writing away, a wonderful girl called Catherine approached me. She is a student at LSE and just came over to say how much she liked the interview and this blog. It reminded me that whatever you do, if it helps or motivates or brings a smile to just one person, then that is enough.

Last but not least, there is now an official David Gandy Facebook page where you can keep up with what's going on, from the latest news and campaign, to the various animals I'm befriended by on shoots!

SEE DAVID GANDY'S STYLE FILE HERE