Little shops of heroes
Our menswear maven highlights a half dozen niche labels extolling artisan passion, heritage credentials and quintessential quality
Stray a little from the well-trodden paths of Bond and Sloane Streets (don’t worry, you won’t need a cab) and you will discover a slew of niche menswear labels doing their own thing, at their own pace, with an innate understanding of what the understated man of style needs from his wardrobe today. These brands don’t follow trends but instead embrace craftsmanship, individuality and a certain insouciant approach to looking good. Each of the six which follow have caught my eye over the last few months, and are labels that tend to attract a sartorial wink rather than a wolf whistle from friends and colleagues.
I spend more time than is healthy looking for the perfect bag: one that I can take to work, use for an overnighter, carry around for a night on the town.
It’s not as easy as you may imagine: totes can work, but can also look girlie; backpacks can be great, but for some meetings look a bit studenty; satchels are for people who take lunchboxes to work. LONB is a new accessories brand with a little store in
Mayfair that resembles an Italian wine bar. The well-travelled founders know their stuff: each design has all the pockets, zips and secret compartments you could ever hope for, designed with a travel nerd’s eye for detail — all that, and they look like a man’s bag rather than a manbag. My favourite? The Vagabond suede Marrakech.
I first discovered Australian outfitters P Johnson Tailors at its Sydney showroom, but happily it has now set up shop in London. Its skill is conjuring up suits, jackets, shirts and tuxes that look party smart but feel as soft as pyjamas; it’s Italian tailoring with a sunny disposition. A bespoke suit will take at least eight weeks (but I promise it’s worth the wait).
For the best ties and pocket squares in the world, it has to be Drake’s and its beguiling mix of Britishness, quirkiness and quality. Despite calling itself a haberdashers, its store on London’s Clifford Street has everything from accessories to shirting and knitwear. Drake’s navy painted spot woven silk-linen ties go with everything you could possibly own; its four-ply baby camel hair shawl-collar cardigan is a weekend essential, and the button-down chambray shirts (made in Somerset) look at home for both work and play. Michael Hill, Drake’s creative director, is one of
those impossibly stylish men who manage to make it look all so effortless. Infuriating.
The Italian label Massimo Alba is owned and designed by a man whose office is so full of interesting artefacts that both he and it should be on display in the V&A. His clothes have a wonderful lived-in, washed-out feel that remind you of the comfort blanket you refused to let go of as a small child. His water-colour dyed shirts, T-shirts and cashmere sweaters are the hero products in my eyes.
The latter, with their soft, tactile feel, uneven colour wash and just-right fit, are the envy of all my friends. They look more like a sweatshirt and somehow feel as if they were made especially for you.
Founded way back in 1866 in Scotland, Begg & Co today still makes the lightest and most covetable men’s scarves at its Ayr factory on the country’s west coast. The ones you must check out are its nuance colour-graded cashmere washed scarves which subtly change colour from one end to the other. Apart from the fact they look perfect, they are super-light (and thus can be folded away in your coat pocket when not in use), don’t itch at all and — not always a given — are just the perfect length for just the right amount of wraparound. My favourite is the grey-blue cosmos scarf which, Begg and Co say, is inspired by the cool northern skies.
Take a stroll through London’s Burlington Arcade with its array of stores and you will see one called Kilian. It looks quite dashing, a tad bonkers, and is populated with perfumes with potentially preposterous names. It belongs to a perfumer called Kilian Hennessy (of the cognac empire), and it sells his collection of beguiling scents that are packaged as exotically as the perfumes it houses. They are well worth a try. For some reason, I can’t go past Vodka on the Rocks: a scent that smells as good as its namesake tastes — and, in case you’re concerned, you won’t turn up to morning meetings smelling like an old soak. By turns, leathery, floral and spicy, the 50ml bottle comes housed in a metal and lacquered wood coffret designed to resemble a vintage cigar box.