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Accessories, Grooming, Style Tips

Seven doyens of Savile Row, renowned for their sense of touch, tell us what their favourite men’s fragrances are…

Lumière Blanche from Olfactive Studio
Alexander Lewis, Norton & Sons

I have a very strong nose and it’s something I think carefully about. I wouldn’t go so far to say I’m a “nose” but I am very attuned to smells. I wear Lumière Blanche from Olfactive Studio, which works with different photographers. This particular one was a collaboration with Massimo Vitali. The top notes include cardamom and cinnamon with heart notes of almond milk and cashmere wood, with base notes of cedarwood, sandalwood and Tonka bean. I’ve been wearing it for a year and a half. I mix it with other fragrances such as a new fragrance from Diptyque and Escentric Molecules 01. I spray one on top of the other.
www.olfactivestudio.com
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Tender by Miller Harris
Kathryn Sargent, Kathryn Sargent

Tender by Miller Harris is my favourite male fragrance because of how unique it is; it is light, floral and leathery paired with the interesting note of ink which creates a really interesting and sophisticated smell. Harris created this fragrance in response to Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald. One of my first clients introduced me to the scent and it often brings back memories of when I first set up my tailoring company.
www.millerharris.com
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Huntsman’s Jo Malone Collection
Campbell Carey, Huntsman

I travel often for trunk shows, so when in warmer climates I wear the Assam and Grapefruit scent from Huntsman’s Jo Malone collection. Whilst away, I prefer my fragrance to be light and invigorating. This scent is incredibly fresh with notes of maté and patchouli, so it’s the perfect summer or holiday fragrance.
I’m currently wearing the Whisky and Cedarwood scent by Huntsman and Jo Malone. I love the dark, spicy notes of whiskey paired with the warm, wintery scent of cedarwood – they complement each other perfectly. It’s a great fragrance for the changing seasons – it makes me very excited for the wood burning fire to be lit at Huntsman.
www.huntsmansavilerow.com
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Czech & Speake No. 88
Simon Glendenning, Dugdale Bros

When it comes to my favourite cologne, I always opt for one that complements the season. That’s why in the autumn and winter months, you’ll find me reaching for a scent I’ve used for over 20 years, Czech & Speake’s bergamot-inspired No. 88. The invigorating smell of vetiver and sandalwood makes it rich, masculine and for some reason redolent of Christmas – all at the same time. However, in the spring and summer seasons, I prefer to use Creed’s Original Vetiver – my wife once bought me this as a birthday gift, and its light and earthy aroma of musk and mandarin has made it a favourite ever since.
www.czechandspeake.com
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French Leather
Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, Edward Sexton

I came across French Leather fairly recently. The brand was introduced to me by a client who’s a connoisseur and I wanted something that was disconnected and I really like Santal by Le Labo but I do find it a little bit everywhere. I wanted something a bit different. I went into Les Senteurs in Elizabeth street and they introduced me to French Leather. Previously I’ve worn vetiver and patchouli but I find vetiver a bit grassy and I find patchouli a bit strong but they’re in there with frankincense and juniper. I wanted something a bit heavy, a bit deep for winter, but the vetiver lifts it and it’s lovely and complex but still lasts beautifully. It’s a lovely scent.
www.lessenteurs.com
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Acqua di Parma
Simon Cundey, Henry Poole

Acqua di Parma is my chosen aftershave. I’ve been wearing it since 2001. Before that I used to wear brands like Eau Sauvage and Ralph Lauren Polo. What I especially like about it is the Bakelite top. I thought the freshness of it was incredible and gives life to it. Some fragrances are very heavy and musty and overpowering sometimes. Others are sweet and almost sickly. But this is timeless – you don’t get tired of Acqua di Parma.
www.acquadiparma.com
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Eucris by Geo F Trumper
Geoff Wheeler, Huddersfield Fine Worsteds

I wear Eucris by Geo F Trumper. It has a very old school class about it. It’s not fragrant, it’s almost musty. I first came across it mentioned in the James Bond novel Diamonds Are Forever, and I thought, if it’s good enough for 007, it’s good enough for me.
The most annoying thing about it is its cap, which must have been designed when it was first invented. I can’t tell you the number of times it’s nearly gone down the plughole.
www.trumpers.com
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Seven doyens of Savile Row, renowned for

News, Profiles, Suits

Antony Price, the genius who reinvented the suit and the most overlooked designer in British fashion talks to SRS. Photographs by Etienne Gilfillan, assisted by Paolo Navarino

pening my inky copy of that week’s NME in the Eighties and reading about Bryan Ferry emerging from Antony Price’s boutique on the King’s Road, it is difficult to convey how ineffably stylish it all seemed.

It was a long way from the lead sky and the gasometer of the Midlands town I grew up in.

Surprisingly then, Antony Price, the man who has been called the most criminally overlooked designer in British fashion, turns out to be a warm Yorkshireman also from the provinces.

Today, he still dresses the Duchess of Cornwall, who remains one of his most loyal clients. Other clients have included Naomi Campbell, Diana Ross, Melanie Griffith and Anjelica Huston.

Standing in front of a dressing table, readying himself for our photo shoot, Price appraises himself. The triple pleats on his three-piece checked suit trousers are so exquisite, they make me want to cry. Often his innovations take years to work their way into the mainstream and the high street.

“I’m always ahead of the game and I know that I’m right,” he says without a trace of pomposity.

Price reinvented the suit in the Seventies, taking it out of the office and making it rock ‘n’ roll. The look he developed was a little bit military, a little bit Dietrich.

“Suits really appeal to women, not men,” he says, “because a suit says success”.

His most famous collaboration was with Bryan Ferry, where his retro futurism perfectly suited the big-band, ray-gun sound of Roxy Music. His King’s Road shop was even namechecked in Ferry’s song Trash.

There is something magical about Antony Price. Hurrying after him in Brocket Hall where the photo shoot is taking place,
I feel like Alice trying to catch up with the dashing White Rabbit. He has the energy of a thirtysomething.

What Price would also love to do is design a menswear collection for a traditional Savile Row tailor.

“I do wish a Huntsman or a Kilgour would get me in. I understand completely the business they’re in and the constraints they’re under because I have spent my life selling clothes. But Savile Row cannot stay the same forever, there has to be an injection of design.”

“Not only am I a designer, I am a master pattern cutter. I make patterns for everything I’ve ever done. It’s about shaping and cutting because you can’t alter the basics of a revere collar and a set-in sleeve. I do like to work with other houses whenever possible.”

Price says that a man’s jacket is one of the most complicated pieces to manufacture because it involves so many elements.

“There are only two garments that are complicated. One is a corseted evening dress and the other, a man’s jacket. These are the two most complicated garments you can make with the most pattern pieces and the most mistakes which can happen.”

Price was always good with his hands and he approaches fashion as technical problem solving rather than making an art statement.

Price says: “Whenever I employ people, I employ rural people because they’re problem solvers. They’re in the middle of nowhere, so they have no resources.”

Country childhood
Price grew up in the Yorkshire Dales and, for somebody so sophisticated, he’s very much a countryman who keeps pheasants in his garden.

He began making clothes for his mother and sisters when he was an adolescent. Watching his mother struggle over the sewing machine, he realised that she was getting the hems all wrong. He elbowed her aside and started making his family Givenchy knock-offs.

Price followed the same art school trajectory as David Hockney, first going to Bradford Art College and then winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in 1965. There he frequently hid from the caretaker, so he could stay up all night working on the machines.

Even straight out of art school, Price was seen as up and coming. He began working for the Stirling Copper shop in the late Sixties, where his first customers were the Rolling Stones. “Everybody in rock ‘n’ roll bought the clothes,” he says. Mick Jagger wore his side-buttoning, snake-hip flared trousers on the 1969 American Gimme Shelter tour. (It’s a relationship that continued into the Eighties, as Price designed the iconic American footballer outfit Jagger wore for the 1981 tour.)

The first time that Price set eyes on Bryan Ferry was when he was in the audience of an Ossie Clark fashion show. “He sought me out because I was the rising star,” Price laughs.

“We gravitated together because we had similar northern upbringings. Bryan worked as a teenager in a tailor’s shop in Newcastle and he was always a Savile Row devotee from day one. He always loved classic menswear.”

What Price offered Roxy Music was a complete package including clothes, hairstyling and his friendships with models such as Jerry Hall, Amanda Lear and Kari-Ann Muller (all of whom appeared on Roxy album covers).

Their first collaboration was when Price styled the cover of the first Roxy Music album, which featured a yearning Muller dressed up in Neapolitan ice cream coloured ruffles. Indeed, Price oversaw every aspect of the video for Let’s Stick Together. “I got up there and even did the bloody curtains myself on a ladder,” he laughs. Their professional relationship continued up to the 1985 cover of Ferry’s solo album Boys and Girls.

With Price’s sharp styling and exaggerated suits, Roxy Music invented the Eighties long before the Seventies were over.

“We didn’t know that we were making history. When the record company got the pictures, they thought these clothes suit the music.”

For Price, the highpoint was Ferry performing the song Casanova live on a set Price designed. Ferry was wearing an acid green leatherette suit. “That was the moment I thought this will never look this good again – he was like a brilliant lizard in a cave of lights. For me, that was my moment.”

Electric silk
Price opened his shop Plaza in 1979 on the King’s Road, where the big seller was his men’s taffeta suit. In 1982 he designed electric silk suits for Duran Duran, which they wore for their famous Rio video.

Price says: “I managed to do as cutting edge as you could but still sell it. To push the envelope that far and still make it commercial is not easy.”

Given that he has been cited by Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler and Galliano as such an influence, why hasn’t he been put in charge of a major couture house? (There was a moment when he was eyed to take over Versace in the wake of the designer’s death in 1998).

“I peaked at the wrong time,” he says reflectively. “I was 15 years too early.” At the time, no British designer had ever fronted an Italian or French couture house unlike McQueen or Galliano later.

Price though is not much given to raking over the past, he is more excited about the future. And he is as passionate and excited about tailoring as ever.

“I love the art of changing the human body into different shapes. There are two ways you can do it dramatically, either corseted or reshaped through tailoring, using canvas and darting and suppression to alter the outlines of the human body.”

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Antony Price, the genius who reinvented the

News

The architects of Savile Row parallel the master tailors who now occupy the address, says Neil Carr. Both lead skilled teams fulfilling the bespoke needs of customers

In his celebrated architectural guide to London, architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner describes Mayfair as “the epitome of London wealth, sometimes rivalled in fashion but never entirely surpassed”.

It is indeed an area of superlatives. Along with St James’, its slightly older sibling, it has more listed buildings than anywhere in the capital, including 19 Grade I. It displays among the most diverse array of building styles anywhere in Westminster. According to one recent report, it has overtaken Knightsbridge as London’s most expensive area and houses some of its most important cultural, economic and academic institutions.

Savile Row is emblematic of this cultural prominence; a street so synonymous with one singular activity that even the most callow youth seeking his first bespoke suit knows exactly where to go.

But it is not only for its connections with bespoke tailoring that Savile Row is valued. The quality of its architecture is recognised as being of national importance; reflected in statutory designations. The entire area falls within a conservation area and, within the Westminster City Plan, Savile Row has been designated a Special Policy Area, specifically to protect and promote the unique combination of buildings and activities with which it is associated.

But at the core of this architectural and historic value are the seven listed buildings between Nos. 1-17 on the east of the Row, which form the remnants of its original development.

Hugely influential
As part of the wider Burlington Estate developed by the architect and patron Lord Burlington as a manifesto for the principles of the restrained neo-Palladian design he espoused, Savile Row contained several buildings, including those at No. 1 and Nos. 22-23 (now demolished) believed either to be designed by him or directly influenced. Wealthy, aristocratic, an acknowledged arbiter of taste, Burlington was hugely influential and used his power and patronage to promote this neo-Palladian style in Britain. Indeed, he influenced the direction of British architecture. The Palladian style was founded on the architectural principles of Italian architect Andrea Palladio. Such was Burlington’s impact that the marks of this neo-Palladian style have been stamped on the DNA of British architecture. This has been exported around the world and directly or indirectly continues to influence the design of contemporary British architecture.

St. James House, SW1

St. James House, SW1

Of the remaining “Burlingtonian” buildings the Grade II* listed No.14 is the best preserved. Pevsner notes of Nos. 11-14 that “though Burlington’s control is unproven, their proportions show a general affinity with Palladianism”. No. 15, occupied by Henry Poole, was “rebuilt or refronted in ‘eclectic-Italianate’ perhaps for the Savile Club”. No. 11, occupied by Huntsman, is also Grade II*.

No. 3 Savile Row, once the headquarters of the Beatles Apple Corp is also listed II* and contains distinctive architectural interiors. Gieves & Hawkes at No. 1 occupies the former headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society in whose magnificent listed map room David Livingstone was laid before being buried in Westminster Abbey. Livingstone was dressed by Gieves; Stanley by Poole.

Not strictly on the Row but forming part of its architectural context is the grand Grade II*-listed Uxbridge House, originally a townhouse from 1721 by Leoni in the neo-classical style, now housing instead the very youthful Abercrombie and Fitch.

On Burlington Gardens are the stately edifices of the Royal Academy of Arts (1806-7) by James Pennethorne designed in an “enriched Palladian” style. Pennethorne also worked on Buckingham Palace and Somerset House but contemporaries described this as his “most complete and successful design”. The Albany (1802-3) is by Henry Holland, who also designed Brooks in St. James with the double-fronted neo-Palladian gateway to Ropewalk between. Finally, a run down the glittering luge of Samuel Ware’s 1818-19 Burlington Arcade has to be a must.

The architectural quality of Savile Row is not limited to its listed fabric. A number of 20th century buildings are singled out by Pevsner as worthy of note, including the compact stone in the neo-classical style from 1927 occupied by Oswald Boeteng. More contemporary buildings also make their mark. EPR Architects’ bold collaboration with ceramic artist Kate Malone at No. 24, embodying a blend of artisan craftsmanship with crisp architectural detail, forms a shimmering new gateway from Conduit Street which echoes the glitter of Burlington Arcade. Also of note is Piercy and Company’s award winning contemporary intervention at No. 25. Opposite, world renowned architect Eric Parry’s redevelopment of Fortress House “navigates a deft course between the modern and the conservative classical”.

Skilled craftsmen
Burlington’s legacy has been much altered by the very trade with which the area has become synonymous as tailors transformed the original domestic facades, inserting large 20th century glazed windows at ground floor and basement, literally tailored to their particular needs. Indeed, the sight of skilled craftsmen working in the windows of Savile Row is one of the unique joys of any stroll down it.

Yet this is not the only pleasure. Many shop interiors on the Row are worth inspection on their own merits not least for the way the interiors have been tailored to their client’s needs. Richard James at No. 28 is worth a visit, as is Teresa Hastings’ million-pound refit at Gieves and Hawkes, which superbly navigates the demands of reworking a listed building.
Any intervention into the fabric of a listed building is always going to be a challenge.

Marco Braghiroli, an award winning architect with considerable experience working with protected buildings in Mayfair and St James, says: “Working with listed buildings requires particular care and sensitivity. Bespoke architecture is all about details and care of both the building and the client.”

Braghiroli likes to think of an architect’s skills as paralleling those of a master tailor. Both are concerned with proportion, balance as well as performance and comfort. “In one sense our clothes are the architecture we carry around with us. Like the buildings we live in, they protect us from the elements, keep us warm, project our personal style,” he says.

But Braghiroli thinks that the parallels with tailoring go further. “Like an architect, the master tailor brings together the talents and skills of a team of specialists, artisans and suppliers.” he continues.

But the biggest parallel he believes is in the relationship with the client; delivering something unique and particular to their individual tastes, constructed to their specific requirements, tailored to their unique specifications. That is, after all, the very essence of bespoke.

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The architects of Savile Row parallel the

Dining, Lifestyle, Travel

Spain’s capital, Madrid is taking its rightful place among Europe’s most exciting city break destinations. Sarah Gordon gives an insider’s guide

Ernest Hemingway summed up the Spanish capital quite accurately when he said: “To go to bed at night in Madrid marks you as a little queer.”

After all, this is a city where dinner doesn’t start until 10pm, where cosy bars are found on every corner and where and fried doughnut-style churros and chocolate are served as breakfast to those returning from a night out at 6am.

Barcelona may be famed for its Gaudi architecture and beach style, but Madrid is known as the true city of Spaniards, where lively locals love nothing more than meeting in plazas for a caña (small beer), where all conversations happen 10 decibels louder than necessary and where, as Hemingway noted: “Appointments with a friend are habitually made for after midnight at the café.”

Perhaps it was this laid-back love of life that attracted the writers of Spain’s Golden Age to the smoky tapas bars of what is now known as the Barrio de las Letras, or District of Letters. Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Francisco de Quevedo all frequented this neighbourhood, which is still famous as an artistic hub thanks to Madrid’s three spectacular art galleries: The Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia.

Whether it is elegant architecture, a love of art, or culinary prowess that brings you to this city, Madrid won’t disappoint.

And with new boutiques, eateries and ultra-stylish bars opening every week, Spain’s underrated capital is taking its rightful place among Europe’s most exciting city break destinations.

Where to stay

BLESS HOTEL

Bless Hotel, Madrid

For a city that never sleeps, Madrid certainly has plenty of hotel options, offering everything from old-world elegance to trend-setting style. The Gran Hotel Inglés is the city’s newest luxury hotel… and also its oldest. It went into business in 1886, welcoming the great and the good from writers to bullfighters, and has just reopened its doors following an extensive revamp. With Art Deco touches, a sleek spa and an oh-so-chic cocktail bar it is once again the place to see and be seen.

Chueca is at the heart of Madrid’s trendy bar and restaurant scene and its most stylish address is the Only You boutique hotel in a 19th century mansion. Set around a glamorous mirrored courtyard, the hotel unfolds to reveal a library, all navy blue tones and Chesterfield sofas, and a low lit lounge bar where you can enjoy a fino nightcap with the city’s fashionable set.

In January, another glamorous hotel opens its doors. Bless Hotel in the refined Salamanca district will have all the requisites of a modern luxury hotel; a rooftop pool, spa and a restaurant by 10 Michelin-star Basque chef Martín Berasategui.

Where to shop

Casa de Diego

Casa de Diego

From the exclusive brands that line the Serrano street in the Salamanca district to the Chueca-based fashion brand Ecoalf, creating fashion pieces from recycled plastic (Queen Sofia is a fan), Madrid promises style at every turn. It is also where you can find those specialised boutiques lost long ago in many other cities.

Casa de Diego has been around for more than 150 years and sells and repairs everything from canes and umbrellas to castanets, but it is most famous for its beautiful handmade fans, while family-run Casa Hernanz has been selling Spain’s iconic espadrille shoes since 1840.

Spanish tailors have often been overlooked in favour of their European counterparts, but they offer great detailing and extremely good value for money, with a tailored suit often starting from 1,800-2,500 euros (£1,600-£2,200). Try three of the leading tailors; Reillo Sastre, Langa and Manuel Calvo de Mora.

Beyond its sartorial credentials, Madrid offers a delightful mix of other speciality shops, from the wine emporium that is Lavinia – complete with its own gastro bar – to the olive oils of Patrimonio Olivarero and cheese specialist Queseria Cultivo.

Dining in style

Manuel Calvo de Mora

Manuel Calvo de Mora

Madrid may be famed for its tapas bars, offering delicious jamon iberico and crispy croquetas, but its food scene has undergone a sea-change in recent years. You can still enjoy tapas dishes at traditional spots such as historic Bodega de la Ardosa and the bustling San Miguel market right by the Plaza Mayor, but you are also spoilt for choice when it comes to fine dining.

With 21 Michelin stars in total, Madrid attracts the nation’s greatest chefs. David Muñoz’s DiverXO has three stars for its artistic menu and ambience, which he describes as similar to Cirque du Soleil, while Ramón Freixa’s self-named restaurant has two stars and a tasting menu served in surroundings of pared-down elegance.

Beyond Michelin-star style, there are so many wonderful eateries to choose from. Botin is in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest restaurant in the world, having opened in 1725 (and yes, Hemingway had his own table here), and Bodega de los Secretos serves contemporary cuisine to tables set in the alcoves of a 17th century wine cellar.

An artistic hub

The Caixa Forum

The Caixa Forum

Madrid is known as an arts city, helped in no small part by centuries of Spanish royals and aristocrats buying works of art to decorate their many palaces. The grand Prado museum first featured works of art from royal collections and is now home to the Spanish masters Goya and Velázquez, as well as works from all over Europe. The Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, featuring 20th century masterpieces, and the eclectic Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza complete the city’s spectacular artistic trio.

But Madrid’s artistic pedigree runs deeper still. The Caixa Forum hosts everything from contemporary art exhibitions to poetry readings and festivals, the Museo Sorolla is dedicated to the beautiful Mediterranean light painted by Joaquín Sorolla, and the elegant Real Academia de Bellas Artes is an impressive Old Masters gallery.

Madrid is also an architectural delight, its wide boulevards packed with Baroque grandeur (just take a stroll down Gran Via).

The vast Plaza Mayor is lined with ochre-coloured buildings, the 18th century Palacio Real is well worth a visit and bullring Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is still in use. Add in genteel El Retiro, the landscaped park and gardens in the centre of the city, and the huge Casa de Campo park just beyond the palace, and you can see why Madrid is considered such a liveable city.

The best bars

Viva Madrid

Viva Madrid

One of the cities with the highest density of bars in the world, Madrid will certainly spoil you when it comes to evenings out. And there is something for everyone, from Hemingway’s favourite haunt Cerveceria Alemana, where little has changed since it opened in 1904, to the palatial glamour of 1862 Dry Bar, set in a grand 19th century townhouse.

If it is tradition you want, the city still delights in classic bodega bars, often with a history stretching back more than a century. Dusty bottles line the walls at understated La Venencia (another Hemingway favourite), while Taberna de Angel Sierra is a delight of traditional coloured tiles and wood panelling and is perfect for a pre-dinner vermut (vermouth).

Viva Madrid first opened in 1856 and has been given a new lease of life as a cocktail bar and traditional tavern in one by Argentinian mixologist Diego Cabrera, while the Spanish have their own take on the gin and tonic, serving it in grand goblets, at the aptly named Gin Club.

Don’t miss Madrid’s many rooftop bars, perfect for enjoying great views and the warm evenings from spring to autumn. Gingko Sky Bar has just opened on the roof of the VP Plaza España Hotel, while The Roof at ME, atop the Melia Reina Victoria hotel, is an exclusive spot with signature cocktails and a DJ.

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Spain’s capital, Madrid is taking its rightful

Style Tips, Suits

Vents in men’s jackets can be traced back to equestrianism and the military, says Robin Dutt

I have to say that when it comes to vents, I am somewhat divided. Much tailoring and many tailoring devices still used today owe their origins to horse riding or the military origins – and frequently both. Vents are no exception. They were, and are, designed to make riding a horse more comfortable, as the skirt of the coat can flare over part of the horse’s back and improve the flow and feel of that garment.

There are three types of vent – unless you find something quirky by some avant-garde designer type, who slices into the coat with whimsy, creating strips which might look more appropriate on a mediaeval tunic.

Vents are a matter of choice (some might say, taste) but also the directive of the garment itself. Personally, I favour, say on a blazer (particularly with wider than usual lapels), a double vent which always looks correct as it forms a balance and rarely a single – associated more with Italian sartoria and so perhaps, perfect for a Vespa.

And in the case of an evening coat, the skirting of that garment must flow seamlessly with the trousers – so no vents here. Just one, solid black, simple form.

A coat without a vent can, especially in a sporting example, look quite elegant and fluid. But in this case, this writer prefers the cloth to be made of woven material and multi-hued. A fine Harris Tweed, perhaps. Images of 1950s American actors sporting coats that were longer in the body spring to mind as mostly vent-less.

On a traditional morning coat, one of those tailoring staples, little has changed since the very beginning. There are no pockets externally and rarely internally, to achieve a cleaner, smoother line. The vent here has a dual purpose. The first, we are already familiar with. This long vent sometimes edges to match the silk lapels, also conceals an internal slit pocket to house cash, cards – and other essentials for a night time’s campaign.

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Vents in men’s jackets can be traced