Every man knows footwear is an integral part to a mans style and over the last 5 years the range of men’s shoes and boots has seen a huge increase in new brands and styles hitting the market. There was a time when you owned one or two pairs of proper shoes as we called them, but with style and fashion magazines embracing the country Gentleman look. (You can’t move for Barbour jackets even in Hackney now)
We spoke with William Skinner, Managing Director at Dege & Skinner a Savile Row institution and tailor to the Royal family on how to get it right.
New European Economy: Savile Row has a worldwide reputation for excellence in bespoke tailoring. What part has Dege & Skinner played in building that reputation?
William Skinner: The first generation of tailoring tradesmen are recorded in the history books as arriving on what was then known as Savile Street in the 1730’s, but since our business was established in 1865 we like to think we’ve played a part in its continued status as the most prestigious location for bespoke tailoring in the world.Still a family-owned business, we sit at the very heart of Savile Row, both in terms of geographical location at Number 10, but also in terms of reputation and prestige.
As with all holders of the Royal Warrant, we uphold a quality of production and customer service that continues to be respected around the world. Thinking back to the Coronation Festival in the grounds of Buckingham Palace during the Summer, the number of international visitors we met who were drawn to the craftsmanship of the products supplied to the Royal family was enormous and highlights the appeal of what we do.
For some lucky individuals, serviced apartments are a full-time way of life. These individuals are most spectacularly catered for with London’s One Hyde Park, a residential scheme that offers tenants the legendary service of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in the comfort of their own home. That home is wonderfully located. To the south is Knightsbridge, one of the world’s most glamorous shopping districts, while to the north is the glorious romance and serenity of Hyde Park.
Blancpain presents a world-exclusive version of the first wristwatch equipped with a traditional Chinese calendar. The Manufacture in Le Brassus thereby wishes to honour this age-old culture of which the modern-day representatives show a keen interest in haute horlogerie, by introducing a useful yet symbolic model that is destined to take its rightful place among the ranks of the finest horological achievements.
‘New York by Gehry’, so good they named it twice… Also known as 8 Spruce Street, the 76-story tower is unmistakably Gehry. Adorned with his trademark exterior, a crumpled stainless-steel skin, it resembles a half-crushed can of Japanese beer if we’re being trite.
Of course, the official learned descriptive buzzword is Deconstructivism or post-structuralist, depending on your mood. And of course, this goes far further in exploring the oblique references and obsessions of Gehry’s work and the ability of his designs to go beyond current modalities of structural definition. Which is precisely what his new landmark project in the heart of Manhattan does…
GTO London was established in 2010, founded and directed by Victoria Lyon, who having grown up surrounded by exquisite classic cars had the inspiration and drive to begin this collection. It evolved out of a passion for classic automobiles, Ferraris in particular. Each design owes its distinguishing features to the elegant interiors and components that grace these glamorous automobiles.
Do you like to stand out from the crowd? Are you more likely to be a trailblazer as opposed to a fashion follower? If so, think Mutewatch when you are looking to buy your next time teller. Long gone are the days when watches merely told you the time. They moved quickly onto being fashion accessories and statements – think Swatch watches and fashion brands such as Fendi and Chanel. Now technology plays a vital role in modern design and should be a deciding factor when choosing your next watch. Since 9th July, 2011, the world of watches momentarily stopped ticking – the Mutewatch was available for sale. Out with the old-timers, and in with the new.
Today, sparkling in the summer sun, the Shard looks stunning, splitting the London skyline like a gargantuan slice of crystal fallen from space. This fledgling skyscraper is already a cover star. It has replaced the Gherkin as the focal point of the beautiful, stylized helicopter footage that is interspersed throughout Alan Sugar’s BBC program The Apprentice. It is the subject of many, many images on photo-sharing websites such as Facebook and Flickr. The building is now rapidly approaching completion: Its final steel section was lifted into place in March, and it will be inaugurated on July 5.
