Menswear Style Podcast
The Menswear Style Podcast is a leading men’s fashion and menswear podcast exploring men’s style, clothing, grooming, lifestyle and the business behind some of the world’s most exciting fashion brands. Hosted by Peter Brooker, each episode features conversations with menswear designers, fashion entrepreneurs, innovative brand founders and industry experts from across the global fashion and apparel industry. Discover the stories behind established and emerging clothing brands, from the first idea and challenges of launching a fashion start-up to building a successful international business. Guests share their experiences and insights across fashion design, sustainability, manufacturing, marketing, branding, eCommerce, retail, social media and business growth. Whether you’re interested in men’s fashion and style, discovering new menswear brands, starting your own clothing label, or learning how successful fashion businesses are built, the Menswear Style Podcast takes you behind the scenes of the modern menswear industry. New conversations with the people shaping the future of menswear, men’s style and fashion.
Menswear Style Podcast
Simon Cundey of Henry Poole, Tailor Gresham Blake & Tailor Joshua Kane
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A powerhouse of an episode for you this week. We delve deep into the rich heritage of one of Savile Row's oldest Tailors; Henry Poole. Simon Cundey tells us all about how their family introduced the Tuxedo to America. We also invite Gresham Blake and Joshua Kane back onto the show to chat about how they have modernised the Dinner Jacket and how it has evolved over time.
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Hello and welcome to another episode of the Menswear Style Podcast with me, your host, Pete Brooker. On this week's episode, we're going to be talking about the Tuxedo. We'll be exploring its heritage as we speak to Simon Cundy, manager and owner of the tailoring company that invented the dinner jacket, Henry Poole.
SPEAKER_03I'm the fifth generation, that's right. If you and then we're cousins to the Cundy, so that would be seventh in l in the family business.
SPEAKER_08Right.
SPEAKER_03Um and I have a son who's Henry and Jamie, but Henry would make it Henry the Eighth. Which was uh a very daunting name to have.
SPEAKER_05Simon Cundy there from Henry Poole, and if you head over to Henrypool.com, that's Henry Poole the knee, you'll find a little bit about the history on the about section of not only the tailors, but the actual tuxedo itself. I'm just gonna peel a little bit off for you here because it's quite interesting. In 1865, the Prince of Wales and future King Edward VII, known to his family and inmates as Bertie, asked his tailor and friend Henry Poole to cut a short celestial blue evening coat to be worn at informal dinners at Sandringham. No earlier reference to any similar garment has been found in the historic Henry Poole and co-ledgers, which date back to 1846. Or the surviving legends of any other tailor or period illustration. This royal evening coat was the blueprint for what we gotta talk to me or not! Sorry, I forgot to introduce my guest in the studio this week. I'm also joined by writer Melvin Newdow, a man who prides himself on only wearing the finest dinner jackets available to humanity.
SPEAKER_07Are you waiting for me to say something?
SPEAKER_05Yes, Melvin, you've seen the Henry Paul collection, I believe you own a few of their dinner jackets. What do you think of their tailoring? Of course. We're also going to be talking to Gretchen Blake, Tailor to the Stars and creator of the Dimblebee Tides. Although I'm quite sure he'll hate that title. We talk tuxedos and fitness.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's fine. I've I've just, you know what, I've just been I left London at 6 this morning. I got in an hour ago and I've just done an hour, and I forgot my personal trainer was coming round. So if I if I seem a little bit w worn out, it's because I am.
SPEAKER_05The inimitable Gresham Blake coming up later in the podcast. Now I know you have a couple of Gresham Blake dinner jackets, so do you have anything to say to Gresham?
SPEAKER_07Greg, you are not judging, I'm a great customer.
SPEAKER_05We're also going to be speaking to Dandy Taylor Joshua Kane about how he interprets the tuxedo and his work ethic. Cool. Joshua, you open seven days a week, is that right? Uh eight days a week. Eight days.
SPEAKER_04I say I have uh I have uh I have four different job titles here just uh just before lunchtime.
SPEAKER_05Joshua Kane coming up shortly. Melvin, I have a Joshua Kane sample here. What do you make of the Joshua Kane style dinner jacket? Would you wear this?
SPEAKER_07No, I'm not putting that on. In case you were gonna ask, I'm also not going to let you object me with the play.
SPEAKER_05Not your style. Fair play. Before we crack on with the podcast, a little bit of housekeeping. If you're not there already, head over to the website at www.mensworthstyle.co.uk. There you'll find all the reviews, interviews, and competitions. Follow us on the social at menswear style and make sure you subscribe to us in iTunes. Simply pop MenswearStyle Podcast into the search bar, and if you like what you hear, leave us a lovely five-star review that would help us get up the chart and keep me in bread. Lastly, if you have a suggestion or question for us here, or you'd like to be featured on the show, then you can get hold of me by email peter at menswearstyle.co.uk. Okay, that's done. And now on with the show. You ready for this one, Melvin?
SPEAKER_07Think wait and get serious.
SPEAKER_05Here is that interview with Simon Cundy, manager and owner of Henry Pool. On the podcast now, I'm joined by Simon Cundy, managing director and owner of Henrypool.com. How are you doing today, Simon?
SPEAKER_03I'm very well, thank you. On this fine fresh morning, shall we say.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Uh how's the traffic out there? It was a nightmare on Monday.
SPEAKER_03It was pretty much this morning. We were obviously I travelled in from the south, so our dear friends from the rail aren't giving me uh much grief these days, I must say, as I'm uh on a scooter these days.
SPEAKER_05Excellent. Probably the best thing. Well um if I can crack on into it. Simon, uh Henry Poole is often regarded as the the company that invented the tuxedo. Is that a fair statement?
SPEAKER_03It is indeed a fair statement. Um we were blessed with uh uh moment in time really, uh, and a character by the name of um Henry Poole. His father was James Poole, who was more of a close merchant, but it was Henry that became very much the sort of dandy tailor of the era that um had two poignant people that really made it historical points of uh dress at that point. One was Napoleon III, who was obviously presiding here in the London, uh and the other was uh Edward the Seventh. The great Prince, Dandy Prince then of uh elder son of Queen Victoria.
SPEAKER_05Fantastic. Um what's it like to carry around that weight of that tag? Is it is it something you're immensely proud of, or is it or is there a pressure that comes with it?
SPEAKER_03Oh, I think there's always a pressure, I think, when you when you take on such a a steam company, you're you're you're you sort of it's under your watch and your helm at that point, but it's a we're lucky enough that much the same thing as that pools has always put back into the business, the quality, the the the apprenticeship schemes that we maintain uh through the generations. So uh being in the Candy family, uh that obviously was passed on by a cousin of uh Henry Poole, um we still very much involve ourselves with the next generation cutters, code makers um in the building here.
SPEAKER_05Right. Um reading on your website, so you're the fifth generation, is that correct? You and your father, Angus.
SPEAKER_03I'm fifth generation, that's right. If you and then we're cousins to the Candy, so that would be seventh in l in the family business.
SPEAKER_08Right.
SPEAKER_03Um and I have a son who's Henry and Jamie, but Henry would make it Henry the Eighth, which was uh a very daunting name to have.
SPEAKER_05Well, especially if he's got um quite a few girlfriends, I mean they must be looking over his shoulder as well.
SPEAKER_03That's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_05So uh did you ever think there was anything else for you in terms of fate, in terms of careers, or was it always gonna be this?
SPEAKER_03Well, I was uh as a young, sort of you know, rather uh how to say arrogant little upstart at sixteen. I never really had much thought of being a business, but uh I must admit, it was actually in my summer job I worked for the great Ferragamo family, um, with the shoe business and um learned the business in my summer holidays, only a bit of pocket money. Um that you know w it was quite a service industry and a great way to to work with people and and to give them a service and and I realized that a lot of the female customers um that they had were in fact the husbands were customers of Henry Paul's, so that was quite something. And then I thought about it and uh did my time at South and College of Fashion uh doing my uh cutting course and uh making course. Uh and then went out to the textile world and worked up in Huddersfield, uh where the great Worcester Closter made uh Taylor and Lodge. Um to name but a few up there. But um Then I really enjoyed it, I must say, that was the that was the point where you you see something made, you see it see something going out the door and and everyone is you know more than happy with the finished product.
SPEAKER_05Right. Uh what's it like? Sorry, we'll get back into the tuxedos in a minute. I'm just curious to know what it's like growing up around a family that I I assume are immaculately dressed, that do nothing but talk about tuxedos and suits and the the dandy elements of life. So I'm guessing that was hardwired into you and and it was maybe a lateral move to go this way.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I mean uh i I do dress up often. You know, people who know me don't often see me hanging around in you know, sort of jogging pants and things like that, that's for sure. Um and I certainly, you know, when I travel I tend to dress up versus be, you know, sort of in in uh you know sort of but those uh changing gym jams they have on the plane. Um but yes, that and very much, you know, go to dinner parties and and uh events with black tie, uh and uh I do have a couple myself I I wear. Uh even having a smoking jacket's very nice too.
SPEAKER_05Oh fantastic. Getting onto the tuxedo, please. Um the uh what is typically this the things that people ask for when they come into Henry Pool and they ask for a tuxedo and and how do you how how does the conversation start?
SPEAKER_03Well, I think the first thing is we you know um we evaluate the sort of what they want from a tuxedo, when they want to wear it, how they want to wear it, temperature-wise, what climate they come from. So some people come from hot climates such as you know, the summer months of Singapore or or Hong Kong or um you know California, and some people come from from colder climates such as Chicago or New York or you know, and they have to wear for that. So climate's a first part of what you have to you're expecting to wear the dinner suit, or perhaps something for both temperatures, so medium to weight uh is a choice of fabric. The big part for us, of course, historically with Edward the Seventh, we made him a midnight blue. So midnight blue is a very much more the traditional cloth in our world, um rather than black. The reason is it tends to look better in the in the evening light than the black itself. It can look a bit dusty grey in the black. And it complements the uh the silk lining um or the silk facing uh together better than um than being in black. Um so that's the first thing we we go through. And then obviously style-wise, pools was a very much the sort of peak lapel, button one, uh jetted pockets, no vented. It was all about the silhouette in those days. It was to flaunt the male figure. So really we shouldn't have hip pockets in the trousers, uh no vented, uh a very slim sort of fit.
SPEAKER_05Right. And has that been modernised at all in terms of uh do you kind of bend the rules a little bit now, or is that always the way you try and usher your clients?
SPEAKER_03Well, I think the thing with Paul it's it's we've always adhered to um you know what customer wants really. We in balance, that's what we've we've stuck to. We we work the sort of size of the customer out, um and put it in things in proportion. Fashion can change, obviously, width of lapels, width of shoulders, length of coats. So we don't absolutely follow fashion, but we don't less don't sort of you know uh have our own set style here at Pool. And that's what's lovely is that the customers we work with them and ultimately we give you always something that's gonna it's gonna last uh longer a legacy for yourself as well. So, you know, as one does with a petite Philippe, it's uh passed on or it's uh introduced, and that's how pool works is very much generation to generation, it's a very much iconic piece. Um so we we actually listen to the customer a bit and and work together with him on that.
SPEAKER_05Okay. And uh out of curiosity, Simon, how many tuxedos do you have in your wardrobe?
SPEAKER_03I certainly have probably two. I have two tuxedos and a smoking jacket that also is in a midnight blue as well. So, you know, you you can obviously with if the black tie uh is stated on your invitation and it's quite strict, well yes, formally it is very much the black tie. There's little rules and regs that you should have. Um, you know, black tie, uh perhaps black onyx studs, uh mother of pearl uh you know, for for white dress. Uh if you're wearing sort of you know silver watch, discrete watches, then then you wear silver cufflinks. Um, you know, it's it's that sort of thing that you marry together. If it's gold watch, wear gold cufflinks. It's it's the balance between putting it together really. And it's it is the epitome of men's best dress, really. I mean there's no other suit today that really iconically gives the the men the mo most elegant look. And whether it be the BAFTAs or the Oscars, um, you know, there's nothing better than seeing someone in a well-fitted uh dinner suit. You know, the ladies make a big effort, uh the gentlemen be should be the same.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Uh well um if everyone Well, I suggest everyone goes and checks you out for the for the uninitiated, certainly, it's Henry Poole with an E.com and plus if you go to the about us section, there's lovely videos of the behind the scenes and the history's all on the website as well, which is fascinating. So um well, thank you, sir and thanks for taking the time out. Uh just lastly, I'm I'm curious to know what your actual day is like. Do you you know get up at the crack of whatever and uh and come into the office, or is there something that you do before you get into London?
SPEAKER_03Uh well I I do uh have a sort of uh club I belong to, one of the old clubs in St. James's which has has a rather nice swim pool. So I go for a swim there uh sometimes in the evening. But my day starts reasonably reasonable time, but my I must admit my most of my customers are American, so I have to stay here till sort of six, seven in the evening, because obviously there's a way they wake up, uh they obviously call me up and or email me exchanges. So it's a sort of um uh a reasonable start of the day, but a long day to finish. And uh but um you that's something you get used to.
SPEAKER_05Interesting. And so your American customers will obviously phone up and give measurements and then you have to do stuff over the phone and then ship them out. Is that how it works?
SPEAKER_03It's spot on. It's a very much a sort of chase-up scenario follow-up, uh taking order by the phone, going through the details with them, you know, maybe emails, exchanges backwards and forwards, and that's that's how it works really. We do trunk shows. The the the joy, of course, is that is we actually move the mountain to Mohammed where we basically take the suits out to various cities across the world in one big trunk or two or three big trunks, and uh obviously fit the customers in hotels. So we travel in the States, we travel in Europe, and we also travel out uh to Japan and uh Beijing and Hong Kong. So there's a chance for the customers to be fitted across the world as well, with l all items made here in San Mario.
SPEAKER_05Fantastic. And is the Tuxedo Park Club still there in north of the New York City?
SPEAKER_03Well, yes, uh that that's still there. We actually celebrated uh a lovely event uh one and uh uh celebrated in 1865 with um a hundred years of the um uh in 2005 we celebrated uh the Tuxedo at the Tuxedo Park. And it was uh I had a privilege to meet uh Mrs. Potter. The I think she was what the third to fourth generation uh since the Potter that obviously came to Henry Poole. So the Potters are still there. Uh the Lorelards are not, uh but obviously we addressed about uh four or five of the uh original founders of Tuxedo Park, and it's still a a beautiful club uh um outside of New York.
SPEAKER_05Well, that must have been uh that's one for the scrapbook, certainly.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_05Um well thank you, Simon. Uh like I say, if everyone wants to jump over to henrypool.com or come down personally to see you in Savile Row. Is it uh fifteen Savile Row?
SPEAKER_03Number fifteen Savile Row, yes. The website is very easy to get hold of, and uh we also have a wonderful hall of fame. Do look at our hall of fame. Every week we put on some of the greatest uh clients with a little bit of a history, uh telling the story about how they uh came to Paul and what they did in their lives. It's the most enchanting uh piece of history. It's the Hall of Fame on the website.
SPEAKER_05Simon Cundy there. And now we're gonna be talking to Gresham Blake. Gresham's back on the show. He was on the very first show, the inaugural episode of the Men's Wear Style podcast. And once again, if you go back through the archives, subscribe in iTunes, you'll be able to find all those episodes there. I take it you've subscribed in iTunes, Melvin.
SPEAKER_07As long as you keep your work zipped up around me, I don't give a rat crap what or where you shove your show.
SPEAKER_05Understood. But without any further ado, here's that interview with Brighton and London Taylor, Gresham Blake. Uh I'd like to introduce to the podcast now Gresham Blake, one of the one of the best tailors in London and Brighton. How are you doing today, Gresham?
SPEAKER_02Um that's very kind of you. I'm done uh I'm doing very well, thank you. How are you, Peter? Oh, I'm splendid.
SPEAKER_05So Gresham, uh that this week we're talking about taxes, tuxedos. Uh this is something that uh obviously that you're gonna have a little bit of expertise in. How often do you get asked to make a tuxedo or a dinner jacket, especially?
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, we we we do it we do it. We we we don't probably don't do as many as you'd think, but we we we do do a lot. People my customers tend to want something a little bit different than just a tuxedo. So they'll come in and they'll say, I've got a tuxedo, I've got an evening do to go to or a Christmas ball or whatever. Um, but I just want something a little bit different, you know. So I think I think my customers and maybe a lot of other people's customers, when they sit around one of those sort of strange tables of eight people, you know, those dinner things you have to go to, yeah, you know, there's lots of little tables. Everyone's sort of wearing a black tuxedo, aren't they? And you know, the lights aren't the lights aren't on very much, are they? Because the rooms are always dimmed, and sort of everybody sort of looks the same almost, isn't it? And you can't even tell if they all fit properly or not, because it's all too dark. So I think people want something, my customers want something that's a little bit jazzy, I suppose, for want of a better word.
SPEAKER_05And how can you offer that jazzy? How can you put your twist and your impression on it?
SPEAKER_02Um we do because we we we've been um weaving our own silk jackards at the moment which make um really nice um lapels, satin lapels. Yes, so we we've had some woven with skulls on them, um one with like we've just done one with lots of graffiti. Okay, so it looks really good. So when the light catches it, it just looks really you know, you can really see this sort of pattern in it. Um and some people have the whole jackets made out of it. But what we're doing a lot of at the moment is people are doing truths. So people having a tartan trouser with like a black jacket, and we we do a lot of that. I mean, maybe I would say 80% of the evening suits that we do for dinner parties will have a tartan trouser with it.
SPEAKER_05Right, okay. And and when did that come into vogue or has it always been in vogue?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. We just seem to be, I mean, uh we we do a uh uh we've sold a tartan trouser uh in the store for maybe the last five years and we they just sell out constantly. They're really popular. And I think it's sort of it it's funny because when when I wore mine at uh New Year's Eve, someone said you you sort of look really cool, but you look very sort of like 70s-ish. With a little of it sort of like a 70s game host, but still cool, which I quite like. Yeah, yeah. I think so. Yeah, the 70s are you know, they they you know, there's a lot of it about at the moment. Yeah, and it's sort of you know, you've got these tartan trousers, so they weren't a very bright tartan, but actually they were actually. Um, you know, I had black patent shoes, uh like a uh you know, a double-breasted DJ, you know, and then like a shirt that's got a bit of pattern on it or something. I will I will send you a picture.
SPEAKER_05Please do, yeah. We'll put it in the show.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay, but it's it's it's you know, and you know, quite a big bow tie. I don't normally wear bow ties, but it seemed to work. Unfortunately, my stomach after Christmas is is maybe three inches too big to successfully wear a cumber band, but you see in the picture, I am trying.
SPEAKER_05You're forcing it on. I'm kind of imagining with everything you said, uh some kind of an amalgamation of a Henry Kelly suit from going for gold.
SPEAKER_02There's an element of that in there, but you know, I I I yeah, I think if you're going out to a party, I personally, if I'm going out to a party, I want to look like dressed like I'm on the fun side. It's if I'm going to the party to enjoy it. Rather than just sort of putting a DJ on a uh uh that's very sort of like uh maybe traditional with a bow tie and a stiff beard, but you know, you sort of you're going to the party already, yeah. Sort of uh feeling constrained, you know, and you want to let go a little bit, don't you?
SPEAKER_05You know, so well in doing this um podcast and researching it and talking to another couple of people about tuxedoes, it feels like the tuxedo is almost in a bit of a quandary. Because, like you say, there is a lot of tradition with tuxedos, and if you go to say, like the Oscars or you view some of an award ceremony, everyone has the very traditional tuxedo. Um maybe that's because of the feel that it's in, whereas if you go to some kind of football ceremony that you'll have Lionel Messi and a completely luminous red tuxedo.
SPEAKER_02But there's an element there, we dressed Steve Coogan for when he was nominated for the Oscars. And he wanted a really quite a fun thing. And then the brief came from the Oscars that actually you can't, you it's gotta be if you're going if you're up for a ward, it's got to be quite sort of traditional. So we did a midnight blue. So I don't remember, maybe four years ago. There's quite a lot of midnight blue tuxedos about.
SPEAKER_08Right.
SPEAKER_02So we did a mid, and but what we did, what I printed on inside of the pocket, inside of the line, we we printed a huge Oscar in it and a pocket and an arrow that said Oscar in here. But um, he was he was nominated, but alas didn't win it.
SPEAKER_05Oh, well did he get nominated?
SPEAKER_02Philomena it was yes, yeah, best film. It was had four nominations around around that film.
SPEAKER_05Brilliant film.
SPEAKER_02But uh alas he didn't, but you know, hey.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, uh they they go they don't get it right all the time. So um no. But with the actual uh tuxedo as well, and how you mentioned about how people want to have a bit of personality when they go to parties and they want to stand out. You know, we have people nowadays that are called all sorts of weird names just to get them higher up in Google. So you had that side of it, people needing that individuality, and then you also have the constraints and rigma rule of say the Oscars party that are telling you no, you can't fit into this little square shot.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think yeah, totally. But I think you know, if you if you are if you do have to sort of wear a black tuxedo with a satin lapel, I think what what I can't stand apparently personally is winged collars. I I don't like a winged collar. I'm much rather a bow tie was with a classic collar. But you know, I think um I think some Tom Ford was styling some people a while back, uh uh along with myself. I'll put myself in the same bracket, dare I and uh um just to wear a tie rather than a bow tie. Right, you know, 'cause I think I think that looks really smart, you know, 'cause a bow tie can it can make you look a bit dated, I think, or a little bit sort of not really down with the kids. Yeah. You don't ever want to be put in that bracket then. No, yeah, so so I think sometimes it can look really, really nice with a uh with a tie.
unknownBut um
SPEAKER_02I think it's the the wing collars I've got an issue with. I don't mind a bow tie myself, but I'd much rather it was just with a nice classic collar.
SPEAKER_05I'm also wondering, um I heard in maybe I digress a little bit. I heard in the the paper today, or read in the paper, that only about one in a million people actually knows what goes on inside an iPhone. Um in terms of the gubbins, how it's all put together. I would say that that's about the same ballpark number of people knowing how to tie a bow tie.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I think so. Well well, what I love about tying a bow tie is the instructions I think you get eight pictures, don't you, or six pictures, and the first seven are really easy to follow. Yeah. And then suddenly it's made, isn't it? And you're like, well, what happens in between that that bit and that last one? Yeah. I mean, I'm alright at tying a bow tie. All my staff can in fact just in at the end of November, there's a big wedding at Brighton Pavilion. Um, and uh the whole wedding party came in the shop because none of them could tow a boat by uh tie a bow tie. Oh wow um um uh the D D C one of my head tailors just stood. They all what there's about seven of them, and they all like walked in and he did all their bow ties for them and then ran back down to the pavilion. They didn't they didn't think it through, they just all presumed that someone else would know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I think that's the same thing when you like I mean, get a flat tile or something, you go, Well, someone in the car must know how to change this damn thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But just yeah, but um, yeah, I mean I I I think do you know what I've I I have customers, in fact, my wife is great at upselling this. She'll sell them a pre-made, and then she'll say, Look, when you get a bit tired, buy the um um the unmade one and you can hang it round your neck, and people think you've had it pre-made. That is people who think you've made it yourself. So she sells them two bow ties.
SPEAKER_05Look, I've heard of some upselling in my time, but that is probably she's good at that as well.
SPEAKER_02But but to to to us folks, we can we can uh you know you can only tell if it's uh if it's pre-tied or not. I've got no problems with a pre-tied bow tie. You know, some Puritans might. But it but it actually can look good, won't it, can't it? Sometimes when you're around a table and the cigars come out and there's a couple of guys that have got their bow ties untied hanging round their neck. Oh, it looks like especially like on a white on a white tux or something. I'll quite like that look. It's sort of it's quite cool, isn't it?
SPEAKER_05It's super cool. Um maybe with a cut above the eye as well, just to make it look like we've been in some kind of tussle. I think that's a nice thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I like I like that. Yeah, that that that that's good styling. If I had tried to do that with my tartan trousers and my loud shirt and gold cummer band I was wearing, I'd have just looked mental.
SPEAKER_05You would have been thrown out of your own party.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Gresham, um, just quickly, could you just tell us a little bit, please, about what I've seen on your website recently about Murder at Ridgeview and the collection that you've got coming out.
SPEAKER_02Oh, Murder at Ridgeview. See, this this is this is this is good. I've um I do you know what I've I've I've had enough of doing photo shoots in the sense because you can't do that much with them, no magazines will take them anymore because it upsets the advertisers, you know, so it's it's difficult to get stuff around. So I I don't know the the novelist Peter James, who's probably one of our top novelists in the country. I said to him, I said, I'm doing a photo shoot at Ridgeview Wine. I said, Can you write me a 12 word, a 12-sentence murder mystery, and then I'll do a photo shoot based around the 12 sentences, so 12 photographs.
SPEAKER_08Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_02And so he so he agreed to do it. Um and then uh we we needed somebody to uh we did a video of it. So Ray Winston agreed to be in the video. So we've done well a movie, it's a movie, not a video. So we've done this mini, mini sort of like 10-minute movie around it as well, and a photo shoot for the book, and it's the story of um this very unpleasant uh wine critic from London who uh reaches a sticky end. Um but but Peter managed to have four 12 sentences with four murders. Oh wow, how did he do that? He's okay.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, because that's why he gets the big bucks, I guess.
SPEAKER_02That's why he's an A. I think he's just just just he's sold about 18 million books, I think, so far. So he's obviously got something right. Yeah. But it's just a what's nice about it though, he gets something out of it. It introduces a different readership. Obviously, we get something out of it. Ridgeview, the the wine uh company, get gets something out of it, and then we're all sort of local, you know, we all know each other. So it's that sort of really nice collaboration. Yeah, and we were doing another collaboration at the moment where uh we've just written a a pop pop song uh with a couple of like really young kiddies that are in the charts at the moment. I can't go into too much detail because it's not announced yet. But again, it's it's like we're doing a pop video for our autumn winter 17 collection. So it's just about I'm I'm really into collaborating with people. It just gets the message to a wider audience because sort of prints a bit. I wouldn't say prints dead, that's not fair, but it's not it's not uh it's not what it was, is it? You know, uh I I I can't imagine that not as many people buy magazines and things, and it's very difficult. I mean uh I I had a big article in GQ about me a few years ago, and uh um they had a few people complaining about it because they're saying, Well, you've just given him an article right next to me paying some X amount of money for an advert, you know, and I I understand that, you know, but it means if you do a great photo shoot, yeah, these days no one's just gonna take it off you, you know. But maybe you know, ten years ago they would have done. I uh there's but in no no way at all am I criticising any magazine. Everyone's gotta make money and and make make a business, it's just that the way the way it is. But we've anyway, we've just got to so this spring summer's actually gonna be a book, you know, and people will be able to buy it, etc. You know, and we can send copies to people and things. So I've I'll I'll obvious I'll obviously send you send you uh a file to give out if you like.
SPEAKER_05So you're uh well I mean I wasn't gonna beg, but thanks for that. I would have begged actually.
SPEAKER_02I'll I'll get I'll get one signed signed by Ray and Peter for you as well.
SPEAKER_05Oh, you absolute hero.
SPEAKER_02It'd be worth so much money.
SPEAKER_05When can we uh when can we see the film or where can we see the film?
SPEAKER_02The film we only just ra Ray's been in um Vancouver and he got back just before Christmas. So we did we've actually filmed it on Christmas Eve. Right. Um which is very so um uh it's probab we're editing it finishing editing it Monday or Tuesday of next week. So it sh we've just got a bit of music to it, so it should be finished end of January.
SPEAKER_05Fantastic. All right, so um I'll look out for it then. And everyone else should in the meantime for suits and everything else go and uh ties as well. See Dimblebees rocking the ties every other uh question time for that.
SPEAKER_02Do you know what? Our biggest selling tie, because when you know it's Brexit this year, he always always wears our ties. And he, you know, the pin he was wearing a tie with a pink shark on it.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I think we got over 900 pre-orders of it like overnight. Wow. So so so Brexit was good for me in a weird way. Not like a Brexiteer.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, what a kind of that's a weird behind the back nod towards how good Brexit can be in in crazy circumstances. But yeah, it's a winning tie, and uh thank God he's championing it because it's uh it's a good look.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he's a good man, he's a he's a nice he's a gentleman. Does he even know by the way?
SPEAKER_05Does he well? In terms of like how how much of a success the ties are becoming behind his back.
SPEAKER_02Um well it's about a year ago it was actually asked on question time. You know they have that funny question at the end. Someone said, Where do you get your ties from?
SPEAKER_05Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02And I thought he'll never answer that on the BBC. Yeah. And he said, Gresham Blake from Brighton. Oh, dang it. And I spoke to him about it because he always pays for his ties because I can't give them to him because obviously he works with the BBC and you're not allowed to endorse, you know, they can't endorse product.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But he said so many people had asked him where he gets his ties from that it was actually deemed public interest. So that's why they had the question go, because it's the most commonly asked question on question time. Oh, that is outstanding. Oh my god, what so so it's yeah, so so it's good. So you know. I'm always trying to give him ties. Always, because he's good for me, but he said Gresham, I just like the ties, I have to pay for them, you know, and I'm like, fine.
SPEAKER_05You know, I I imagine there must be some kind of mafia so you're slipping a like a blank check in between the tie, you know, as you hand it over the counter, nodding a wink and he's out the door.
SPEAKER_02I don't I don't I don't I think if he knew I was making too much too much out, then the BBC might stop him, but uh but you know, you don't know, do you? I mean Christian wears my ties as well on channel four. Um and we we he he he what we always do well with him as well.
SPEAKER_05So well he does well because he angers people when they walk out of interviews, so I bet that gets that gets global attention.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that was great, that wasn't it? Yeah, yeah. I like Christian. I remember seeing him in an interview the other day well last year where he was talking about some refugees and they was climbing out of this boat, and this guy fell over and dropped his baby in the water. So Christian just bends, drops his microphone and goes and picks it up. And then people would criticize him, saying he's there to report the news, not make the news. And I'm thinking, what are you supposed to stand and watch a baby float away in the sea? It was weird, but he does like to get himself involved.
SPEAKER_05I like I I think he's brilliant. I grew up with him on News Round um when I was really young. So you know he'd have that little that kind of five-minute bit of news after Blue Peter or just after some kind of weird kids programme, and everyone would just kind of turn off because no one gives a fuck about the news when you were at uh 12 or 8. Um but so yeah, that was uh me growing up with him.
SPEAKER_02And when you were Yeah, he's a he's a gent.
SPEAKER_05He's he's brilliant. And when he was interviewing um Robert Downey Jr., he was asking perfectly legitimate questions. Uh the same with Tarantino, he's a he's a journalist, he's he's gonna sit down. I think so as well. If you're gonna talk about ten to fifteen minutes about a particular subject, you're allowed to ask about somebody's career and what's happened in between that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean I I I I agree. If these guys are just gonna sit there to promote their film, why don't they just read off a script so everyone can hear what they're saying and not waste everybody's time going to interview them?
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, people want to know real stuff. And they didn't have to actually directly answer what he was asking if they didn't want to, but they could have sort of you know said something or explained why they didn't want to speak about it or you know, say something, yeah. You know, Robert, what's the point of getting journalists there?
SPEAKER_05Exactly. I did sympathise with him, I thought he was just doing a really good job. Uh yeah. And you got the column inches for the wrong reasons. Um I've gone slightly off piste. Uh Gresham, thanks for jumping on. Um, just lastly before you go, uh you were talking about a suit that you were making about a guy who wanted uh wine rings made out of cork. So you had like uh if you put a glass of wine down, you'd have rings around on a on a cardboard suit.
SPEAKER_02Well, we actually we got we got some of the um uh cork through Gosh, that was a while back, wasn't it? In must have been November November we got the cork through and we've done it. Someone's tattooed on it and it works absolutely you know completely fine. Since then, I think we're we've on his third suit since he wanted that one. So I've just got to catch up with him and we've just got to put it put it in. But I've worked it all out and it it's all very possible to be to do. So um now he's just gotta he's just gotta come in and uh sort of decide exactly what he wants and what he wants tattooed on it. So which I'm sure which I'm sure he'll do. He this the guy he orders oh he probably orders two suits a month from me. Uh he would he orders a lot. He's got he's always got crazy stuff going on.
SPEAKER_05So uh he's the woman that the pin up girls on the suits, right? Yeah, that's that's right.
SPEAKER_02And he's we're just doing him one with uh we're we printed on some fabric and now we're covering it in um I don't know what it's called, like a plasma plastic basically. So like it'd be one of those sort of plastic tablecloths. So and then we're um embroidering um uh some rainbows on it with some sequins, and then we're uh he's I don't know, he wants some sort of collage of pony fabric sort of sewn on top of it somehow. So we're doing that at the moment. It's crazy. I don't charge him enough to be honest, but uh but I just enjoy what he comes up with.
SPEAKER_05He sounds like he just woke up from a dream and he wrote everything down and then just put it in an email.
SPEAKER_02The funny thing is talking to you the way it sounds, it all sounds absolutely dreadful. You know, but actually when they're done what he has done and they're on him, they actually look quite cool. It's really odd.
SPEAKER_05No, honestly, they sound amazing.
SPEAKER_02It shouldn't work on paper what he has done, it just shouldn't. But actually, in reality, it's spot on. And anyway, he it's it's pure bespoke, isn't it? It's what he wants. You know, I'm I'm I'm not here to uh you know I'm not here to judge him. I'm here to advise him, but not to judge what he has.
SPEAKER_05Well you're making his dreams come true, man. I mean look uh that's right. I can't wait to see uh the the finished product, and if people want to go see you and your your products, you're in Spitalfields or just outside of Spitalfields around the corner, aren't you?
SPEAKER_02That's right, yeah, yeah, just opposite the the big urban outfit is there.
SPEAKER_05And uh down in Brighton as well. But you'll find more information at Gresham Blake.com and on the social as well, Gresham Blake. Okay, uh thanks, Gresham. I wish I could have you on every week. Thanks for taking the time out.
SPEAKER_02Okay, no worries. Okay, it's a pleasure. Bye bye, mate.
SPEAKER_05Cheers, mate, bye-bye. Gresham Blake there. And now a word from our sponsor.
SPEAKER_06You look amazing in that suit. I mean, really. Wow! Off the charts, great.
SPEAKER_01It's an unbelievable thing. Wearing this suit actually makes me feel like a better person.
SPEAKER_06It's $2,400. Are you out of your mind?
SPEAKER_00I'm sorry I was such a saint before, and I'm I'm such a now, but maybe I'm just not the same guy that I was when we got married.
SPEAKER_06You know what? Maybe you're not. Because the Jack Campbell I married would not need a $2,400 suit to feel better about its life.
SPEAKER_05Nicholas Cage there justifying a £2,400-pound price tag on a suit to a woman that is absolutely rational. Okay, we're gonna be moving on now to the last uh interview of the podcast. We're gonna be speaking to Joshua Kane, who also joined us on the very first edition. So this is like a reunion of sorts. Are you ready for this one, Melvin? I'll be quiet.
SPEAKER_07Just let me stay here.
unknownNo problem.
SPEAKER_05Here is that interview with Joshua Kane. I'd like to introduce to the podcast now. Joshua Kane, how are you doing today, Joshua? I'm good. Thank you very much for having me for uh for the second time. Joshua, it's great to have you back. You've moved since we last spoke, haven't you? I I have indeed. How's it working out for you in Great Portland Street?
SPEAKER_04Great, yeah. We've sort of ventured into the Wild West, so we're uh in an unfamiliar neighborhood, um in unfamiliar surroundings in a in a brand new uh flagship store. Um and yeah, it's really exciting to be perfectly honest. It's uh new year, new start, um and and onwards and upwards. It's uh it's a it's a concept sort of design um with um a little bit of a difference and uh yeah, it kind of takes what we were working on before and and moves the product into a completely new surrounding and and a definitely a new postcode. So yeah, very excited. Awesome.
SPEAKER_05And why the move to Great Portland Street from Spittlefields?
SPEAKER_04Um good question. Um I I loved we spent two and a half years in Spittlefields, it was amazing, it was it was a tremendous experience. But the prior to being there, I was in my studio, I think I mentioned before in my house in Islington, and that was a natural evolution from the studio into the uh the first short store in Brushfield Street. And and to be perfectly honest, this is just a really lovely natural evolution once more. It just it just felt right. Um a lot of our really great customers and associates are all West End based, um, so it's kind of sort of making ourselves more accessible. Uh a few people have said, you know, but it's great because you're East and you know it's that's kind of what you're about. And I said, you know, honestly, it's kind of not what specifically I'm about. You know, I'm not I don't want to pigeon myself whole uh pigeonhole myself just to one singular destination. We're also sort of everywhere. You know, we we sell online, we ship worldwide, you know, and and I'm of course a little bit the heart and the soul of the place because everyone likes to come and see me, but uh making myself more accessible to to meet and greet new people as well, I think, is really important uh to help move on my design to and and showcase everyone's uh all my hard work as well. Cool.
SPEAKER_05Uh Joshua, you open seven days a week, is that right?
SPEAKER_04Eight days a week. I have uh I have four different job titles here just uh just before lunchtime, you know. Of uh jokes aside, I'm involved in everything and I am here seven days a week. Um but I also love it, so you know it's it's hard work for the to to be the face of it as well. And and I as I said I am really, really hands-on from meeting and and tailoring existing customers to new customers, um to working on new visual merchandising on the shop floor with my shop floor team. I kind of like to push everyone. Downstairs we have our uh design team and photography team in-house, we do all of our marketing and PR in-house, and I basically flitter between everyone on a day-to-day basis, probably annoying them but pushing us uh pushing us all forward.
SPEAKER_05Awesome. Joshua, I got you on the podcast today because we're talking about tuxedos and dinner jackets. Great. I liked all of your dinner jackets on your website, which uh is Joshua Kane store.com. That's the one. I think that's um and you have the George on there, which I noticed in particular. Uh could you just talk us through this one? This one was quite striking. Uh people head over to the website and have a look at this, but it'll also be in the show notes. Just talk us through the design features, please.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, um we have a few different options. Uh the George is our one-button shoe-collar, slim-fitting, uh, cropped jacket with a slightly shorter sleeve and a higher armhole. Um specifically, that's actually one of our core jacket shapes and suit shapes that we've had um almost since the first collection. And it's been a real popular one for us. It's just a slightly more modern approach to um to that sh uh that shawl collar dinner suit, having it a little bit shorter. Um, and then with the shawl collar, it's a slim shawl. Um and some styles have the contrast silk, but we also have some other styles without. Um and then for spring summer 17 we introduced a peak lapel for this for the SS17 collection. Um which is actually a little bit longer. So uh we went sort of a slightly longer, more classic-oriented jacket, but still not in classic in terms of tailoring sense. Um but yeah, there's this constant evolution. Um, and some seasons I'll push things slightly more um fashion direction in some some elements, especially especially with the last collection. I like to play around with taking more classic silhouettes of a longer jacket and then playing with those proportions to still make them look modern and uh uh not make them look sort of vintage or anything in uh in that instance. I see.
SPEAKER_05Joshua, and what do people normally ask you when they're after a dinner jacket or a tuxedo from Joshua Kane? Uh I just got off the phone to Simon Cundy over at Henry Pool. Uh they have uh tradition, uh a heritage for the tuxedo, they pretty much invented the tuxedo, I believe. And tremendous. When people go to them, they normally go for something very traditional, something very classical, um non-vented. Uh I don't want to say uh rigid, but that's not the right word I'm after, you know. But you have to put your own infliction on this, don't you?
SPEAKER_04No, I understand. It's uh yeah, it's a real sort of uh understanding of the the heritage there. I think um in terms of mi uh myself and my sort of design ethos, it's an interesting comparison because we're um I sort of respect and love all the traditional elements of um of that, but I'm also quite I don't know, I guess I would just call myself a modernist in the sense that I want everything to be constantly have this like um twist or difference or interpretation. Um and for you'll see from a lot of my collections, they're very much inspired by characters. Um and characters I always think bring clothing to life. So uh the the quirks of different personalities that I kind of meet in the walks of my life, I always try then interpret back into the clothes themselves if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_05Um that kind of spice it up each season. I see. So when um when are people gonna be able to see some new stuff from you, Joshua? Is it in the new collection uh out February 17th, is it?
SPEAKER_04That's c exactly correct, yeah. So the uh the next uh we're calling it production we'll be doing is uh is February the 17th. So that's already uh it's quite a big thing for us actually. So since since we've been around, we've always shown in men's collection or London Fashion Week Men's, which is now called. And then that was of course this week ending a few days ago. But for the first time ever uh for 2017, we're gonna be showing in uh parallel to women's fashion week. Um so yeah, February the this Friday, the February the 17th will be uh my first 50-50 men's and women's tailoring show. So it we're very much moving in this year um towards this more sort of luxury lifestyle element of the the his and hers that we have been doing and has actually been really, really well received from both the shop um to um online to customers uh uh and also to sort of social media and things and how people have responded to it.
SPEAKER_05Joshua Kane there. I'd like to thank Joshua and all the guests we've had on our show this week. Gresham Blake, Simon Cundy from Henry Pool, and to you, Melvin, for joining us in the studio. I'm glad we did this. Good talking to you. As am I. And don't forget, lastly, to head over to the website www.menswearstyle.co.uk. But more importantly, do subscribe in iTunes, leave us a comment, keep the pirate ship afloat, and keep me in a job.
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