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Gieves & Hawkes, one of the most famous names in tailoring, is back in British hands after being bought by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group. The iconic business, with its main store at No 1 Savile Row, was sold to Ashley last November by the Hong Kong-based owner Trinity Group after it fell into administration at the beginning of last year. All five of Gieves & Hawkes’s UK stores will be part of the deal. Frasers Group, which already owns Sports Direct and House of Fraser, emerged as a potential buyer last September and sealed the deal for an undisclosed sum in November. Hong Kong conglomerate Trinity Ltd took over Gieves & Hawkes in 2012 but Trinity was subject to a winding-up petition for debt in September 2021. Michael Murray, chief executive of Frasers, said: “We are delighted to have acquired Gieves & Hawkes, securing a long-term future for an iconic 250-year-old brand. This acquisition further adds to our portfolio of strategic investments in luxury and premium brands.”

Gieves & Hawkes, which has held Royal Warrants since 1809, has made clothes for King Charles III, George VI and George V, as well as the princes William and Harry. It also dressed Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill. The firm moved to the Georgian townhouse at 1 Savile Row after Gieves acquired the Hawkes brand in 1974. Gieves was founded in 1785 and Hawkes in 1771.

 

Gieves & Hawkes, one of the most

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style, wet shaving expert and Wilde & Harte Director Paul Thompson lists the top five wet shaving razors to keep discerning gentlemen immaculately groomed this year.

The recommendations include modern design razors, traditional design razors, cartridge razors and safety razors from leading established British shaving brands.

1. ‘Line of Kings’ Fusion Razor

High-end Wilde & Harte Fusion Razor, forged in partnership with the Royal Armouries, celebrating exquisite craftsmanship of royal armours and British made razors. Inspired by the grandeur of Eltham Palace, the childhood home of King Henry VIII.

Learn more about the Wilde & Harte ‘Line of Kings’ Fusion Razor.

2. RS-1 Mach3 Razor

Inspired by the design of modern supercars, the Bolin Webb R1-S in eye-catching ‘Signal Orange’ is a sleek, curvaceous Mach3 razor manufactured in the Midlands – the heart of British motor racing heritage.

Learn more about the Bolin Webb R1-S.

3. Ebony Safety Razor

Classic ebony double edge razor from heritage brand D.R. Harris. Shaving with a safety razor offers a very close shave and is considered the most environmentally way to shave. Want to try a safety razor? Then this traditional style razor is a great place to start.

Learn more about the D.R. Harris Ebony Double Edge Razor.

4. Regency Mach3 Razor

A razor influenced by the British Regency era of the early 19th Century from Truefitt & Hill, the world’s oldest barber shop, having been established in 1805. This Regency Mach3 Razor features a large, bulbous handle for good grip.

Learn more about the Truefitt & Hill Regency Mach3 Razor.

5. Travel Fusion Razor & Case

Compact mini Fusion razor and luxury leather case from Taylor of Old Bond Street. An unrivalled travel Mach3 shaving set for busy travellers which can be taken on board any plane as hand luggage.

Learn more about the Taylor of Old Bond Street Travel Fusion Razor & Case.

Remember to Stay Sharp!

This clever little razor sharpening honing pad reduces your use of plastic cartridges and double edge razor blades by extending the life of blades by up to five times. This lowers shaving costs and also your carbon footprint.

Every British made razor should be purchased with this fabulous eco-friendly shaving accessory!

Best British Made Razor Offer!

Exclusive to Savile Row Style, enjoy 20% OFF the ‘Line of Kings’ Fusion Razor. Simply visit www.wildeandharte.co.uk/savilerow to make your purchase.

About Wilde & Harte

We design and manufacture razor collections inspired by the splendour and grandeur of iconic houses and palaces in London. Where style meets sustainability, the brand offers hand crafted 100% plastic free shaving options and accessories to minimise plastic consumption and lower shaving costs. Wilde & Harte are members of the Made in Britain campaign.

wildeandharte.co.uk

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style,

Floating proudly on Edinburgh’s waterfront is Fingal, a former lighthouse ship converted into a luxury hotel. It has 23 “exquisite” cabins and has been described as “a hotel with all the glamour and style of a superyacht but with an old-world elegance that is completely unique”.

While guests can admire the stylish furnishings and enjoy the outstanding menus, what many won’t realise is how it is connected to Hugh Beauchamp, a craftsman who runs his own bespoke business in the city, designing and building perfect items of furniture. As a designer/maker, Hugh, left, is determined to be as sustainable as he can be and that’s where the MV Fingal comes in. The boat started life back in the 1960s as a lighthouse supply ship before its recent transformation into a five-star hotel. As Hugh explains: “I’m always looking to use reclaimed sources and, when the Fingal came in for its refit, I was lucky enough to get my hands on some lovely teak from the boat. I’m really looking forward to working with that. I try to be as sustainable as possible in what I do and reusing wood from the Fingal is really pleasing.

“I try to source the materials I use as locally as possible so I’ve built relationships with sawmills around Scotland. I’ve recently built a jewellery box from horse chestnut which I sourced from Fife and rippled sycamore from a mill in the Scottish Borders. I’m doing a lot of work with trees that have come down during recent storms.”

Hugh, the man behind Beauchamp Edinburgh, has a passion for his craft that is evident in everything he says and makes. A few years back, he was working in the travel industry and making furniture pieces in his own time. Then, the pandemic struck and things changed. “Covid provided the opportunity for a reassessment and career change,” recalls Hugh. “I’d always been an enthusiastic maker and decided to go full-time. Essentially, my hobby became my job. It’s been hard work but I’m delighted with how it has gone.”

Hugh started out making watch boxes and jewellery chests and has recently branched out into high-end board games. “Everything is designed and made by me using traditional hand tools,” he explains. “One of my clients – I’d built him a jewellery chest which he gave to his wife as a Christmas gift – came to me and said: ‘Can you do me a backgammon set?’ I didn’t know much about the game so I did some research, looking at the type of boards professional players and serious enthusiasts like to play on, and we worked together to develop the design. The counters are solid brass so they have a heavy, satisfying tactile feel and move around the board nicely. As you have to reach across to your opponent’s side quite often to move your counters, we had to find the balance between the size of the set and how comfortable it was to play on. We also integrated his old company logo across the board and that will be a design that’s unique to him. He’s come back and commissioned a further two sets which he is going to give as Christmas gifts.”

Hugh, who has recently been accepted into the Scottish Furniture Makers’ Association, enjoys being his own boss. “The opportunity to be creative is exciting,” he says. “It’s entirely driven by me. It comes with less stability and security than a corporate job but that is more than made up for by the creativity and engagement that I feel in the work that I do. I enjoy building close relationships with clients and making sure the piece I am building is exactly what they want.”

Looking to the future, Hugh is determined to keep control of what he does. “I don’t plan to expand – I want to keep a designer/maker focus,” he says. “My pieces are unique and

exclusive. I have the capacity to design and make maybe 12 pieces a year and the vision for the business is to have a build schedule and an order book that is sustainable – to keep it exclusive and focused. They are high-end products and the time involved means they are not cheap to make. I want to be somebody who people are seeking out. I’m aiming to have a client base where recommendation becomes the way the business is built. I’ve been fortunate that, so far, all my clients have come back to be repeat customers so they are obviously happy with what I am producing and see the value in it.”

When asked to sum up his business in three words, Hugh considers for a while and then says:

“Beautiful. Bespoke. Handcrafted – that describes my work.”

Website: beauchampedinburgh.com

Floating proudly on Edinburgh’s waterfront is Fingal,

Jason Momoa with Henry Poole’s Simon Cundey, left , and Daniel McDonald, right

By Daniel Evans

It’s not often that Hollywood’s finest take time out to travel across London to visit a particular store in search of clothes but that is exactly what Jason Momoa, of Aquaman and Dune fame, did when he wanted to have the very best in Savile Row tailoring.

Jason knocked on the door at Henry Poole & Co on two Saturdays, only to find them closed. He then called up on a Monday and explained, as a busy actor, he could only get over at the weekend. Daniel McDonald, a cutter at Henry Poole, recognised the name and, soon enough, arranged a Saturday appointment for the American star.

Simon Cundey, managing director at Henry Poole, says Jason certainly does turn heads when he visits. “We have a blast every time he comes,” says Simon. “He shakes up Savile Row by bringing his classic cars or some friends who are amazing characters – skateboarders, rock climbers. You never know who you are going to meet when Jason’s in town.”

Some of the items Henry Poole has worked on with Jason recently have been for film premieres – the James Bond blockbuster No Time to Die, the Ridley Scott film House of Gucci, and Dune, in which Jason plays Duncan Idaho. In the book, Idaho is described as ‘a handsome man with curling black hair to whom women are easily attracted’ … Sounds like a role Jason was born to play.

Jason’s suit-making exploits on Savile Row have been brilliantly captured on a video which is available on YouTube. The opening scene sees Jason pull up on the Row, exit his impressive motor and tell his viewers: “This is the first time I’ve had a hand-made bespoke suit made on Savile Row. Since I was 21 or 22, I’ve been walking past Henry Poole, looking in the window. It’s my favourite window. I’ve always wanted to get myself a suit and now, 20 years later, I’m getting my first English-made bespoke suit.”

As he chats and interacts with the staff at Henry Poole, Jason tells Daniel: “I want a seersucker suit.”

“Do you want to keep it classic or do you want it to go a little bit funky?” asks Daniel.

“It’s important to have both,” says Jason. “Keep it classy and go funky.”

Simon explains the secrets of a good seersucker suit. “It’s super lightweight, very much a summer suiting,” he says. “It’s cotton-based and has a crushed look to it. The traditional colours are mid blue and white and it’s still popular in America – in the Carolinas, New Orleans and Georgia.”

As Henry Poole get closer to finishing the suit for the Dune premier – where Jason walked the red carpet in a claret cotton velvet jacket with a burgundy brocade waistcoat – they decide they need something a little bit different so they go over the road to Hawthorne and Heaney, the embroidery experts, where Claire Barrett adds some delightful finishing touches. As Simon explains: “We can sketch out something we like, and they make it work.”

Simon is clearly delighted to have Jason as a regular client. “He enjoys people and is passionate about many things in life. He’s inspired by creativity and craft,” says Simon. “When he’s here at Henry Poole, he makes a point of going round to see everybody in the workshop. And the thing about Jason is that he is super fit. He’s up there with his 50-inch chest but he’s also got a 36-inch waist. And it’s not often you get guys with that sort of shape.”

The video itself has already had nearly 400,000 views and the comments show just how popular the man is. One fan writes: “Out of all the very rich and famous people who have walked through (Henry Poole’s) door, I bet they have never met anyone quite so genuinely down to earth as Mr Jason Momoa” while another says: “Congratulations to Henry Poole & Co for amazing work. They are definitely the gold standard. So is the embroidery shop across the street. And Jason has such an amazing vibe.”

Yet another writes: “(Jason’s) excitement at getting a bespoke Savile Row suit was genuine and lovely to see. They were truly amazing suits. A man immediately carries himself better and looks more confident when he’s wearing a great suit” while other comments include: “After knowing about Henry Poole & Co for so many years it’s really fascinating to get such a great look inside their establishment … Henry Poole, you went from Winston Churchill to Jason Momoa; not bad going guys, truly not bad… …. Wow, so much goes into the making of these suits. Absolutely amazing craftsmanship …. Those suits were beautiful, especially the one for Dune – just gorgeous!”

But let’s leave the last words to the man himself. After the suit fittings and film premieres, Jason closes the video by saying: “You’ve turned me into a changed man, Mr Henry Poole.”

Watch the video here

Jason Momoa with Henry Poole's Simon Cundey,

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style, wet shaving expert and Wilde & Harte Director Paul Thompson introduces an exciting new razor collection to the luxury grooming sector, which celebrates the exquisite craftsmanship of royal armours and British made razors

The ‘Line of Kings’ – Razors inspired by the grand armours of English kings and forged in partnership with the Royal Armouries.


The collection features a shorter length, more bulbous design of our best selling ‘Art Deco’ Eltham razor handle. The collection is named after Eltham Palace, the former Royal Residence to a young Henry VIII. Examples of the Henry’s armour are displayed by the Royal Armouries in the ‘Line of Kings’ exhibition.

Above: The ‘Line of Kings’ Eltham Mach3 Razor

The collaboration boasts a Gillette Mach3 razor, a Gillette Fusion razor and a stainless steel (plastic free) safety razor, each manufactured from stainless steel.

The ‘Line of Kings’ – A cutting edge attraction

From the reign of Henry VIII onwards, distinguished foreign dignitaries were invited to visit the Tower of London to inspect the royal armoury. First created in the second half of the 17th century – the ‘Line of Kings’ exhibition has a history spanning over 350 years and remains a popular visitor attraction to this day.


A ‘Line of Kings’ razor truly celebrates the magnificent craftsmanship of royal armours and is a historical connection to the past kings of England dating back to the 16th century. Each razor makes the perfect gift to oneself, or to the special person in your life.


Above: The ‘Line of Kings’ Eltham Fusion Razor & razor stand

 

Why use a Wilde & Harte razor?

Razor Guarantee: Purchase in confidence with a 2-year Gillette razor guarantee or LIFETIME safety razor guarantee.
Choice of designs:  Our razors are available to purchase in a choice of contemporary and traditional, classic designs.
Hand polished finish: Each razor is polished to an impeccable mirror finish by skilled metal finishers.
100% Plastic-free shaving solutions: We offer a range of safety razors, which are kind to the environment, your skin AND your pocket.
We are members of the Made in Britain campaign: An initiative which is endorsed by the British Government, supported by British manufacturers and recognised by global consumers.

About the brand

Wilde & Harte design and manufacture razor collections inspired by the splendour and grandeur of iconic houses and palaces in London. Where style meets sustainability, the brand offers hand crafted 100% plastic free shaving options and accessories to minimise plastic consumption and lower shaving costs. Wilde & Harte are members of the Made in Britain campaign.

To learn more and view the 20% OFF voucher code, our ‘Line of Kings’ offer exclusive to Savile Row Style, please visit www.wildeandharte.co.uk/savilerow

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style, wet