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Business, News, Tailor News

The French fiercely protect usage of the term Champagne, allowing its application only to those wines grown and produced within the Champagne region of France. Other protected produce under EU rules include such delights as Cornish pasties, Melton Mowbray pies and Somerset cider.

Now campaigning to have similar protection extended to items other than food and drink, in particular to Savile Row, is Angus Cundey, senior statesman of the Row and chairman of Henry Poole.

In a remarkable address to a 300-strong body in Brussels early this year, Mr Cundey made the case for Savile Row, citing the growing threat to its reputation from those who would impinge on its reputation without its quality. Ranging from Marks & Spencer registering ‘Savile Row Inspired’ for a men’s collection made in the Far East, through Taiwan, German, US and Chinese examples of the name Savile Row being misappropriated, he emphasised that such registrations would damage the Row’s reputation.

“Savile Row is a small exclusive location in London’s West End and our fear is that our product reputation will be downgraded and abused by world markets being flooded with inferior mass produced garments all labelled Savile Row,” Mr Cundey told the assembly.

“It is proving most costly and difficult to successfully oppose these unfair registrations due to Savile Row being a location and street name, not a trademark. We desperately require the same protection as GI (geographical indications) food and drink. Not only would Savile Row be saved, but similar protection could be given to Harris Tweed, Shetland Wool, Sheffield Steel and Cutlery, Solingen Knives, Jermyn Street Shirts, Avenue Montaigne Paris Couture and even Wall Street for bankers.”

His address was “very favourably received”, he told Savile Row Style, by an audience of EU officials and others with like-minded concerns. And it had the mighty weight of the GMB Union in support from its Brussels-based office. With the employment of over 400 skilled craftsmen and women in Savile Row workshops, the GMB union is strongly backing Mr Cundey’s action.

One of the following speakers at this gathering was a representative from the Harris Tweed organisation, also seeking protection for its industry.

The wheels of Brussels bureaucracy move notoriously slowly, yet Mr Cundey has already received a positive response via the GMB office, indicating that his address is being looked at very favourably. How long it will take for action to be taken is a moot point but it seems the tailoring practitioners in Savile Row may look forward to their own GI protection.

As Angus Cundey said, “Savile Row and Champagne would sit well together.”

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The French fiercely protect usage of the

Lifestyle, News

The modern bachelor may no longer benefit from a Jeeves but he hardly needs one. Blessed with sufficient bucks in the bank, the unattached man of 2015 has the world as his oyster. A modern pad will provide all the facilities a Jeeves might, and more; take-aways and delivery services take care of food and laundry; surfing the web covers most eventualities; and a host of agencies are all too eager to help him meet up with agreeable young ladies.

Just such a service is based hard by Savile Row, in Berkeley Square. This is Berkeley International, which claims to be ‘the world’s pre-eminent introduction agency’ and which has seen a 55 per cent increase in customers/clients eager to sign up in the past year.

The emphasis here is on what they call a personal and bespoke method rather than an online database, staff talking to every member to find ‘their perfect partner’. The agency says many high profile media figures, plus entrepenuers, financiers and lawyers are using their service – the sort of bachelors, presumably, who may be rich but are time poor.

So more and more chaps are making their way to pour out their desires to the understanding staff at Berkeley. Fees start at £10,000 up to £50,000.

padbed

For the bachelor who is pad-hunting, a surfeit of new-builds on the market means he has his pick of the latest hi-tech, streamlined properties. These are ideal for the man about town who wants everything on tap, in hi-rise buildings that have a swimming pool, sauna, restaurants, gym and sometimes parking on site.

But to be at the heart of the action, a lush penthouse has just come onto the market in Soho Square. Spread over two floors, it provides the ultimate bachelor pad, with a master bedroom suite that takes up the entire top floor. This includes a study area, dressing room and bathroom, and has its own private terrace. There are two further bedrooms below, plus a living/dining area that spans the length of the building and overlooks the Square.

It is, says David Humbles, managing director of developer Oakmayne Bespoke, “the perfect choice for those looking for a spacious pied-a terre”. Some pied-a-terre. Price £5,950,000, through Harrods Estates.

belstaffSome new apartments come fully furnished to buyer specifications, but any style-conscious bachelor will want to put his stamp on the territory. Esoteric ornaments, objet d’art and unusual equipment indicate the owner’s penchants. One noted bachelor with the ultimate bachelor love nest of a Thames houseboat had a well used vaulting horse in his bedroom, an item of some interest when the vessel was put up for sale. Number one installation for consideration must be the bed. The one pictured here comes from top bed name Savoir, who hand make designs to suit all tastes and sleeping requirements. Know that Marilyn Monroe slept on a Savoir bed, as did Winston Churchill, though not at the same time. Like a Savile Row suit, each is made by one craftsman, ‘fitted’ to the customer’s needs, and this one took over 80 hours to make. It is upholstered in a suitably masculine check, pure wool, brass studded, price £42,270

Art is the thing that transforms a place and there’s plenty of opportunity to browse wonderful events in London this Summer and maybe find that one exquisite piece. Not to be missed by the serious buyer is the Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair, June 18 to 28, and the Masterpiece show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, June 25 to July 1. Fabulous treasures at both.

An artist with street cred as well as international acclaim is Adam Neate. He started as a London street artist and has gone on to produce multi-dimensional art works that sell for many thousands of pounds around the world, whilst still keeping in touch with his street public. He uses intricate layered and carved materials to create many works that have ‘movement’, changing his approach every few years. This one is The Brother, price £30,000, exclusively through Elms Lesters Painting Rooms

A parking facility is a must for the man who loves his car – unless of course he joins one of the top car clubs. This allows him to ring the changes of luxury marques to drive, from Aston Martin to Lamborghini, McLaren to Ferrari, without the worry of keeping or servicing.

padsoho

These and other de luxe motors are available at Auto Vivendi, a rather special car club based in London that serves the world’s richest. Not only does it offer the latest models but its collection and pick-up services, club events and world tours mean it is rather more than just a rent-a-car operation. Membership comes at a range of prices, from £5,000 per year up to £30,000, giving points that can be traded for days with different car types, according to membership level. Membership may also be tailored to individual requirements.

“I’ve owned a lot of supercars in the past, and having lost so much money on them, the decision to join the Club was actually an easy one,” says one member. “ I can pay for two years membership with the money I would lose in a year on one of my own cars.”

Few may wish to be bothered with driving in the city, so wheels are more for jaunts out of town. At one time, the swish option was a weekend in Brighton but then more exotic ports of fun took over. Now, it’s smart once more to opt for a luxury break in the UK, at a country house hotel – though an invitation to a private country house weekend, on a grand scale, trumps other options

Situated in the lovely Vale of Aylesbury is Hartwell House, an 18th century pile that provides a home from home of Downton Abbey style. Not only is it furnished with beautiful antiques and fine art, but it has the sort of cellar that a discerning bachelor will appreciate. With a fine restaurant and indoor pool, it is distinctly more impressive than a seaside inn. There are many places of interest nearby, including the popular Bicester shopping mall,

The private jet still has power to impress. Inviting a young lady up, up and away in the luxury of a personal aircraft has definite appeal, though renting has largely replaced ownership nowadays. As with second homes, horses and gym membership, personal jets were largely jettisoned during the economic crisis. One can be ordered at pretty short notice from SHY, who claim a stable of over 12,000 jets and 6,000 helicopters across the globe. Or there is NetJets Europe offering ‘fractional’ ownership , and a fleet of 130 aircraft in Europe. With both, the world is the oyster for today’s bachelor.

But first and foremost for any bachelor must be personal appearance. The bespoke suit or jacket, accompanying style-right quality accessories, and the confidence such impart all contribute to that certain indefinable air of the irresistible gentleman. With that, all the rest must surely follow – particularly if, underneath, he is also a bit of a rascal.

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The modern bachelor may no longer benefit

Dining, Lifestyle

The Singapore Sling – a cocktail redolent of sultry bars in the East, where almond eyed ladies in slinky dresses give promise of Eastern delights – is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

And where better to celebrate than in Singapore, in the very bar where it was invented, at the Raffles hotel.

It was in the Long Bar here in 1915 that barman Ngiam Tong Boon created the cocktail, something of an answer to a maiden’s prayer. At that time, naice ladies in this British colonial outpost were not expected to drink alcohol in public, so while their menfolk got merry on the hard stuff, they were expected to sip fruit juice.

With an astute appreciation of demand and supply, Ngiam concocted a drink that looked like a fruity punch and which the ladies could sip demurely through a straw. But the list of ingredients that he chose gave the Singapore Sling one helluva punch, and undoubtedly brought more exciting times to the Long Bar.

It quickly became a favourite tipple, not just for the ladies but for male customers too, and where British colonial forces travelled, they took the recipe with them. Now a staple in bars around the world, it belies its age by continuing to capture fresh waves of young enthusiasts on the cocktail circuit.

Singapaore-Sling

Entering the graceful foyer of Raffles hotel and to be served a Singapore Sling must rank as one of life’s great pleasures. This lovely old hotel started life quite modestly as a 10-room bungalow back in 1887.   Since then it has grown into the extensive classical colonial-style building it is today and one that has hosted more famous names than you can shake a stick at.

From Rudyard Kipling to Hemingway, Ava Gardner, George Bush, Charlie Chaplin Noel Coward, and many later celebrities, and most recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it continues to provide an oasis of old-world glamour in a decidedly new-world town. The service is immaculate, with personal butlers, and the variety of bars and dining options on site provides some exercise in locating them between Slings.

Alas, it used to be on the sea front, but determined land reclamation means it now has a forest of hi-rise buildings between it and the ocean. But this only seems to emphasise its tranquil elegance, an oasis amidst Singapore’s thrusting development.

And what development. The message now should surely be Go East, Young Man, not West, as this city, and others in that direction, provides the sort of opportunities, excitement and sheer chutzpah on which youthful adventurers may flourish.

Raffles apart, there are many great places to enjoy other cocktails, not least the stunning Sky Bar, from below looking like a sky train, with fantastic views over the harbour and the city. You don’t have to book for the bar/terrace, but you do the adjoining restaurant. Next to Raffles is 1-Altitude, another popular sky-high venue, and there are so many other splendid hi-rise bars atop Singapore’s grand modern buildings that it is difficult to single them out – but the Supertree, perched atop a manmade tree surrounded by other such giant trees in the Gardens by the Bay, is particularly novel.

Finally, maybe head back to Raffles for a nice relaxing digestif, perhaps in the jazz bar. Or perhaps the butler might bring a final Sling before breakfast.

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The Singapore Sling – a cocktail redolent

Events, Lifestyle

By Marie Scott

Rolling around on a bed with a stranger in the aristocratic setting of Spencer House is not something that often falls within the job spec of a well brought up journalist. Yet that was the fate of your Savile Row Style representative at the most recent presentation of the Walpole body.

Walpole brings together some of Britain’s most illustrious brands, from Henry Poole and Gieves & Hawkes in the tailoring sector through to the likes of Aston Martin, Fortnum & Mason, Glenfiddich, Royal Doulton and The Savoy.

It is an elite British club, but with international affiliations, Raffles Hotels for example, plus Laurent-Perrier are among its sponsors. And it puts on a variety of events and promotional activities, for the benefit of its members and the British luxury sector in general. It plays a significant role in helping that industry to achieve sales now in excess of £32 billion.

boodles

So how did the bed escapade come into this high scheme of things? Well, one of the members is that fine bed brand, Savoir, favoured by both Sir Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monro, as reported in the previous edition of Savile Row Style. In the interests of ascertaining the comfort of a luxury bed topper, the Editor joined a gentleman from Savoir on the topper, which was indeed exceedingly comfortable. A snip at around £1,000.

On to indulge in more sensual pleasure at the stand of Clive Christian, perfumier par excellence. Here are rich, deep, complex and sophisticated fragrances, for men as well as women. One, called the No 1, is the world’s most expensive perfume, extravagantly bottled in crystal with a lattice-work of 24-carat gold filigree in which are embedded some 2,000 white diamonds, with yellow diamonds and a pink diamond featured on the head of a lion motif. It is not to be sniffed at for £143,000, available exclusively at Harrods.

From olfactory pleasure to taste indulgence, on the Fairmont hotel group stand, where it was impossible to resist quite the most delicious eclairs. Fairmont is the group which owns the splendid Raffles Hotel as well as many others throughout the world, including our own Savoy.

Walpole

Ettinger is a family business that produces immaculate leather goods and which holds a Royal Warrant to the Prince of Wales to prove it. Halcyon Days has the distinction of being one of only fourteen companies to hold all three Royal Warrants, to the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles. To its signature brand of small enamel boxes, made by a traditional process, it has added bangles and now other gift lines.

Johnstons of Elgin is remarkable in being a fully vertical company, meaning that any of its knitwear, cloths, garments and accessories benefits from being produced by them right from the raw material. So one of the lovely cashmere knits on display would have been spun from fleece delivered to their Highlands headquarters, where they have been based since 1797. It too holds a Royal Warrant, to the Prince of Wales for knitwear.

Representing Savile Row was Henry Poole, not only showing fine tailored suits but also a uniform as worn by the Beadle of Burlington Arcade, which shows off the firm’s special skills in creating ceremonial and military dress.

This event is but one of many activities throughout the year that helps promote Walpole members and British luxury goods in general. Its success is evident not only in sales figures but in its ability to remind everyone that British craftsmanship and quality continues and is worthy of its luxury tag.

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By Marie Scott Rolling around on a bed

Events, News

In the beginning there was the sheep. From the sheep came the fleece, from which came the trade upon which England’s wealth is based, and which is why the Speaker in the House of Lords still sits upon a wool-stuffed cushion, the Wool Sack, to this day.

It’s a reminder that this much maligned flock animal played an important role in setting England on the road to prosperity, way back in medieval times. Then, its fleece was prized above all others and export trade brought riches to the country. So important was the trade that landowners came to count their wealth in terms of sheep. Perhaps that‘s how the old saw about counting sheep to get to sleep came to pass – a relaxing reminder of wealth!

denman

Today, English herds may no longer provide the fleece for fine cloths, theirs being supplanted by that from Australian merino sheep. But English wool cloth, as produced particularly in Yorkshire, remains the world finest, and the staple choice of Savile Row’s tailors.

Acknowledging their debt to the sheep, a flock of them were allowed to stop traffic in the Row one fine Autumn day, with tailors showing off the quality and versatility of wool cloths in a variety of styles worn by another flock, of models.

connock

West End crowds were delighted at the sight of both, the sheep as shampoo-ed and immaculately groomed as the models. The event was part of a wider campaign to promote wool, with Prince Charles as its patron, and the support of the Woolmark Company. It embraces not just sheep and tailors but farmers, cloth producers, designers, clothing manufacturers, exporters and retailers – and ultimately the public that wears the stuff.

Cloths from some 28 mills and cloth merchants were used by 25 of Savile Row’s finest, in a splendid cooperation to celebrate the best of both. And to emphasise the buoyancy of Savile Row’s present state of affairs, there were also no less than 61 young apprentices who had helped create these designs, a testament to the renewed interest in tailoring and its attraction as a career.

davies

Divided into three categories, Bespoke, Traveller and Iceland, the clothes provided a full gamut of wool’s versatility, using finest merino suitings, colourful tweeds and relaxed checks through to cloths benefitting from the latest technical developments to provide warmth and comfort in the harshest of climates.

andersonandsheppard

 

Support also came from some of Savile Row’s neighbours in Jermyn Street, showing that merino wool is also a desirable shirting, with examples from Budd, Emma Willis and Turnbull & Asser. And from hats to shoes, the best of British menswear was on display.

poole

Altogether, this jolly day illustrated that wool is indeed a fibre for all seasons and occasions. And the very well behaved, serenely unfazed flock at the heart of the action surely persuaded a few urban dwellers that there is more to sheep than mutton chops.

graham

gieves

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In the beginning there was the sheep.