THIS IS THE MOD WORLD

A new documentary explores the life and legacy of John Simons, lesser-known kingpin of British tailoring

The most influential tastemaker you’ve (likely) never heard of, John Simons’ long life in style is canonised in A Modernist, a documentary tracing his hand in fitting-out Britain’s most discerning dressers since the Fifties. As well as being the man who named the Harrington jacket, Simons, a cult designer and store owner, was an early and enduring champion of Ivy League style (American prep with mod influences), so thank him for cropped trousers and penny loafers. A paean to passion and taste, the film features, among others, Sir Paul Smith, Paul Weller (seen left with The Jam in 1979) and the man himself who, more than six decades after starting out, remains an underground champion of London menswear. Simons’ style is “cool, clean and sharp, and that will always look good,” summarises the film’s director, Lee Cogswell. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.