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The Prince of Wales’s beloved Aston Martin DB6 Volante will be one of the star attractions at The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace this weekend (Sept 2-4). The show, presented by A. Lange & Söhne, will assemble the very finest examples from Aston Martin’s history. The Prince of Wales’s open top Aston was unveiled at the 1966 London Motor Show, right in the middle of the swinging 60s, one year after its Coupe sibling. Finished in the striking hue of Seychelles Blue, the car has been treasured and enthusiastically used ever since. This September’s event – which proudly supports the Prince’s Trust – will see this wonderful DB6, which remains in superb condition, take its place within the palace grounds.

The display will also welcome an Aston Martin DB5 with a difference: one with a thunderous V8 motor under that familiar long bonnet. A fascinating one-off example, ‘NPP 7D’ was the first factory prototype used to develop the V8 engine earmarked to replace the long serving, Tadek Marek designed straight-six, an engine in use since the introduction of the DB4 in 1959. The test mule was constructed by Aston’s engineers at Newport Pagnell in 1966 using a DB6 chassis, cloaked in a modified version of the DB5 body. As one might imagine, the platform – designed to house a 4.0-litre six – required major surgery to accommodate the substantial 5.3-litre V8, with the engine bay and transmission tunnel both extensively re-worked. The resulting car, finished in Pacific Blue paint, was put through an exhaustive testing process, in which it was sampled by the great and good of the Aston Martin world – including famed engine designer Tadek Marek.

The glamorous event will welcome another exceptional Aston Martin to Hampton Court Palace – to many the most beautiful of all: the DB4GT Zagato, in its most special form, no less. Combining the proven, high-performance DB4GT mechanicals with a stunningly stylish – and light – aluminium body by Italian coachbuilding house Zagato – the DB4GT Zagato represented the best of all worlds; the ultimate 1960s road and racing Aston Martin. The car that will be on show in under two months’ time is chassis number 1093/R, the third of the MP209 ‘ultra-lightweight’ motorsport orientated examples, finished in the arresting hue of French Racing Blue.

Built in 1962, the lightened special was delivered new to committed Aston Martin enthusiast and racer Jean Kerguen. 1093/R competed at Le Mans in ‘62, returning a year later with a series of mechanical upgrades and aero additions including a small rear spoiler, designed to improve stability in the high-speed sections of the course. With its svelte Zagato shape, the 4.0-litre straight-six was hitting over 170mph on the Mulsanne straight; an MP209 Zagato bodied DB4GT was a seriously fast car. Recently restored by Aston Martin specialists RS Williams, 1093/R presents in peerless condition.

A conventionally bodied DB4 will also join the 70-strong concours field, a lovely series 2 car with a colourful history. The charming example is one of the 349 Series 2 cars. Introduced in 1960, a year on from the DB4’s launch, the Series 2 cars packed a raft of modifications that aimed to rectify the ‘teething issues’ encountered by Series 1 owners. Among these changes was a front-hinging bonnet, the thinking being that if the latch failed at speed – presumably something of a concern – the hood would not fly up and obscure the driver’s view of the road ahead. Cooling of the 3.7-litre, 240 bhp in-line six was also improved with a larger sump and uprated oil pump.

The Prince of Wales’s beloved Aston Martin

Ghosts of Empires ll, an exhibition curated by Ghanaian-American curator and cultural critic Larry Ossei-Mensah, is being staged at Ben Brown Fine Arts in London from Sept 15 to Oct 22. The exhibition seeks to explore the intersections, overlaps, and dissonance between the Black Atlantic and Asia Imperialist Trade routes and brings together a group of contemporary artists hailing from African and Asian diasporas.  This exhibition features the work of Hurvin Anderson, Adam de Boer, Delphine Desane, Theaster Gates, Jeanne F. Jalandoni, Tidawhitney Lek, Chris Ofili, Fadekemi Ogunsanya, Maia Cruz Palileo, Miguel Angel Payano Jr., Paul Anthony Smith, Zao Wou-Ki and Livien Yin.

Inspired by the formative text by British-Ghanaian author and MP Kwasi Kwarteng, Ghosts of Empire: Britain’s Legacies in the Modern World, the exhibition at its crux is an examination of how artists from African and Asian diasporas are using their artistic practices as a platform to engage with the legacies of slavery, migration, colonialism, imperialism trade, and sovereignty, in contemporary times. By amplifying the conscious acts of liberation, resistance, and perseverance these communities have exhibited – despite their historical circumstances – Ghosts of Empires ll aims to provide a forum for a nuanced understanding of their collective diasporic histories.

Larry Ossei-Mensah himself said: “There are a multitude of communities that have been oppressed because of colonization and imperialism, who, in spite of that, have been able to thrive and create rich cultures that have had a heavy influence on contemporary society. After reading Kwasi Kwarteng’s book ‘Ghosts of Empire’, I was struck by the spectre of colonialism and imperialism in our macro and micro-environments so I wanted to investigate what role art and culture plays in cracking open this conversation to a broader audience. Given what is happening in all corners of the world it felt appropriate to organize an exhibition that not only articulates the nuances of the Black and Asian diaspora experience but also asks questions about how these communities have persevered and shaped the cultural fabric of our global society.”

The curatorial process seeks to present dialogues and points of view that illustrate how these narratives cross, intermingle, and overlap. By finding the reverberations and echoes across time and space, calling attention to the fact that the residue of the past is omnipresent, and that history, culture, and identity are neither linear nor easily demarcated. Working in painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, and myriad mixed media, employing both traditional and new techniques, these artists have all found ways to examine their unique and often multifarious cultural histories via their rigorous artistic practices.

Ben Brown Fine Arts London

 

Ghosts of Empires ll, an exhibition curated

Savile Row tailor Andrew Ramroop was recently invited onto Desert Island Discs to talk about his  life and musical loves. He talks about travelling from Trinidad to England when he was 17 and tells host Lauren Laverne: “I sailed to Southampton not knowing anything. I did what I did without giving it much thought. I wanted to be where the pinnacle of sartorial excellence was practised and I wanted to be amongst the finest.”

 Read Cindy Lawford’s 2018 interview with Andrew Ramroop

 

 

 

 

Andrew grew up in a remote village in Trinidad and sewed his first garment at the age of nine, creating a simple pair of trousers from a pillowcase. He left school at 13 and was apprenticed to a local tailor who told him tales about Savile Row – the place where James Bond’s suits were cut. Inspired by this vision, Andrew saved up for a ticket to sail to the UK: he emigrated at the age of 17, only the second person to leave his village. He found work on Savile Row, went on to complete a degree at the London College of Fashion, and then gained a job at Maurice Sedwell, eventually taking over the business when Maurice retired.

In recent years, Andrew has been closely involved in training the next generation of tailors. He was awarded an OBE in 2009, for his work in tailoring and training, and was the UK’s Black Business Person of the Year in 2017.

Andrew’s song choice

Portrait of Trinidad by The Mighty Sniper
Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2 by Pink Floyd
Time Will Tell by Jimmy Cliff
The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel
It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown & The Famous Flames
Desiderata by Les Crane
Maria La O by Neil Latchman
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

BOOK CHOICE: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
LUXURY ITEM: A tenor steel pan drum
CASTAWAY’S FAVOURITE: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

Savile Row tailor Andrew Ramroop was recently

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style, wet shaving expert and Wilde & Harte Director Paul Thompson talks through solutions for common shaving related queries raised by today’s style-conscious gentleman. Here, we address the popularity of Safety Razors.

What is a safety razor?

Safety razors are easily distinguished as they unscrew into three parts – a curved top (often called a cap), a base plate and a handle. The razor blade sits on top of the base plate, the cap sits on top of the blade and the handle screws into place to tighten the razor ready for shaving. The blade is protected by the cap, minimising blade exposure, hence the name ‘safety’ razor.

Brief history of the safety razor

First manufactured in the early 1900s, safety razors gained acceptance quickly and established themselves as the ‘go-to’ razors for gentlemen. During the 1970s a shift in shaving culture happened with the introduction of disposable, plastic razors. However, over the last decade, the popularity of safety razors has exploded as we embrace a plastic-free lifestyle and demand a shaving experience which benefits our skin.

Benefits of Using a Safety Razor

• Regular use of a safety razor reduces razor burn and ingrown hairs
Although multi-blade cartridge razors can offer a very good shave, clogging of the cartridge blades with beard hair and shaving cream easily occurs and if not cleaned properly, bacteria grows. This bacteria infects the skin during the next shave, causing unsightly skin irritations. Safety razors however, use just a double edge blade which is easy to keep clean during shaving by rinsing under warm water. There is also much less friction on the skin (compared to 3 or 5 blades in a cartridge) allowing for a smoother, closer and cleaner shave. All this helps prevent ingrown beard hairs and restricts the bacterial infections that cause razor burn and acne.

• Safety razors are great exfoliators of the skin
Using a clean safety razor blade to shave is an excellent way to remove dead skin cells from the superficial layers of the skin. After shaving with a safety razor your skin immediately feels cleaner and smoother.

TIP! To achieve the best results for your skin:
• Lather up with a quality shaving soap or cream
• Always shaving ‘with’ your beard grain
• Moisturise to rehydrate your skin when finished
• Plan to shave with your safety razor at least twice a week – even if you suffer from sensitive skin, you should still try shaving regularly

• A plastic-free shaving solution
Multi-blade razors make use of a series of blades enclosed in a plastic cartridge, which slots into a plastic mechanism glued to a razor handle (which itself is often plastic). A safety razor uses just one stainless steel blade which is positioned between the metal cap and base plate of the safety razor.
No plastic components!

• A very frugal shaving experience
Multi-blade cartridges cost around £1.50 (3 blade cartridge) and £2.50 (5 blade cartridge). Each cartridge will last approximately 5 shaves before becoming dull and unresponsive.
Each cost-per-shave from a cartridge is around 40p.
Standard safety razor blades cost an average of £2.00 for a pack of 10. Each blade yields 3 comfortable shaves.
Each cost-per-shave from a safety razor blade is around 7p.

• Enjoy a full luxury shaving experience!
Safety razor shaving is associated with lathered up shaving brushes, hot towels, scented shaving creams and soothing aftershave balms.
Shaving with a safety razor is truly indulgent, luxury experience!

Why use a Wilde & Harte Safety Razor?

• 100% Plastic-free shaving solution
Each safety razor is manufactured from stainless steel (the cap, baseplate and handle)

• LIFETIME GUARANTEE
No mechanical parts, simply three stainless steel components which will not ever rust or corrode over time

• Hand polished finish
Each safety razor is polished to an impeccable mirror finish by skilled metal finishers

• Offers a ‘mild’ shaving experience
Ideal for regular wet shaving and for shaving sensitive skin, helping to minimise nicks and cuts

• Choice of designs
Our safety razors are available to purchase in a choice of contemporary and traditional, classic designs

• Luxury detailing
Including a laser etched ‘Made in Britain’ logo and brand monogram

• Made in Great Britain


Our safety razors are designed and manufactured in Sheffield, the city synonymous with the manufacturing of stainless steel

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 offer exclusive to Savile Row Style, visit www.wildeandharte.co.uk/savilerow

Writing exclusively for Savile Row Style, wet

Pictures: David Pearce

Gallery: Savile Row Concours

Savile Row has been crammed with people and classic cars over the last two days at the first-ever Savile Row Concours. More than 30 world class cars have been on display as tailoring houses linked up with the automotive world to explore the relationship between craftsmanship and ‘the art of bespoke’ which connects tailoring and fine automobiles. Some of the great cars on show were Pininfarina’s Testarossa Spider, a 1964 Jaguar E-Type Coupe used in Kingsman the Golden Circle, a 1937 Bentley 4.5-litre Gurney Nutting Sedanca Coupe, and a Morgan Super 3.

The project has delighted businesses along the Row. Simon Cundey, MD at Henry Poole & Co, said: “It’s been a very successful event. We’ve had hundreds of people coming along. I didn’t realise so many people would come. I thought we’d have a few during the day and a few coming after work but the whole day has been phenomenal. People really have made an effort to come here.

“The people we’ve been involved with – the brands we’ve worked with – have been absolutely wonderful in contributing to the event and I hope this will, in turn, allow them to meet and greet some of our clients. Next year, I hope even more brands will be looking into getting involved.”

William Skinner, MD at Dege and Skinner, was equally delighted. “It’s all gone very well,” he said. “It’s all been very positive. It’s good to have a change of scenery out there. It’s lovely to see so much interest and to see Savile Row busy. Here at Dege & Skinner we have teamed up with the Morgan Motor Car Company and we have the new Super 3 outside as well as the Plus Six. We made some outfits for the Head of Design at Morgan and the same fabric has been used in the door panel of the new Super 3.”

James Sleater, the owner of Cad and the Dandy, said: “I can’t believe the turnout, to be honest. It’s insane. I think they were hoping for 5,000 people over the two days and I think they probably got that within the first hour. It tells you the importance of this street. It still has a future.

“What’s important is the ability to work together – to build the Savile Row brand back to where it was. The street is in a very healthy place. The event is guaranteed for three years and I hope it goes on. We want people to realise the relevance of Savile Row – to get people coming back here and buying their stuff.”

Click here for some video of the event.

Pictures: David Pearce Gallery: Savile Row Concours Savile Row