Wednesday 26 June 2013

Where in London is a good tailor for alterations?

Say no more my fellow well dressed enthusiasts. I have the very place. I recently met John, a very generous and humble egyptian tailor around the Old Street area of London. He has been doing tailoring for 15 years since he was 2 he says but think this may be a porky as he resembles the bad guy in the desert in the first Iron Man and he doesnt look 17.

Address and contacts are above and have already had back some great and very fast work done by him and a tailor that does what he says he will in the time he says he will and at a price which is right for the work is well worth shouting about. So wanted to offer you a great option to visit John and try out his very worthy services.

 

Monday 24 June 2013

Street Style: Paris Collection, Part 3

Our carriage driver with a clear death wish still managed to exude an effortless cool whilst whistling by speeding trucks and volvos in what is basically a glorified milk cart. Great ride though.

 

Top button done up, navy blazer, slim jeans. Simple yet effective.
 
Matching trousers and trainers? Seems to work with the blue of the jacket and hat.
 

Just love this guys simple workman's look. Right in the street around the side alleys between Moulin Rouge and Guard du Nord. As a beard wearer I would always be a fan but the hat is intentional yet looks an after thought. It turns the look from just a worker in t-shirt and beard to something more.

 

 

Sunday 23 June 2013

eBay, Canali 40R navy stripe blazer

This has only 3 hours or so on the clock but looked a great buy for me. I want it but is just too long in the length for me as any casual jacket or blazer over 30" looks huge. This says 38R but is suited for a chap who is between 6 foot and 6 foot 3 inches, 40 inch chest and with regular length arms. No heavier then 13-14 stone I would guess by the measurements. If thats you you may have a bargain as Canali are very beautifully made items and well worth spending at least £30 ($48) for shipping inc. is worth more but that price I suggest would I think be a 'Great Buy'.


End time: 24 Jun 2013 02:08:01 BST

Street Style: Chris, Covent Garden, London

Greys & Blues, Layers and Tweed. What a easy but effective combo.

 

The scarf intwining with the necklace he has on is the real stand out feature as the rest is juts good comfort clothing for travelling but clearly he follows the advice I have heard a thousand times. 'Always go out looking your best. It never hurts but can really help if you need to make a first impression'.

 

Street Style: Paris Collection, Part 2

Big fan of the beard especially since I sport rather a large one. Not as big as this person though.

 

Just onwards the Les Halles park being built saw this trendy man pop out and lock up before being on his way.

 

On the way to the Louvre.

 

Quietly distinguished couple in the Louvre courtyard next to the pyramids.

 

Even this seemingly homeless guy had a unique style of his own. Lots of layers and the hat is hand stitched I assume.

 

What happens to your old suit? - A smart way to recycle.

I was scanning the streets around Covent Garden for peoples unique styles to photograph when I saw a stall with an outstanding use for recycling of old charity shop suits.

Step in the very savvy and elegantly dressed Edson Raupp at stall number 7 in Covent Garden Market who got the idea a while back to take old men's suits and turn those forgotten business relics and transfom them into some of the most glorious and ingenious carry items it for men and women to heft their personals around the city in style and luxury.

I asked Edson for some time to find out more about his business and the result is below.

 

 

How did you get into the business?

I have always made clothing and accessories for myself and when I first moved to London, in 1995, people would often comment favourably about my designs. In 1996 I started to make bags from jackets that I bought in charity shops which I then sold at Portobello Market. And later at Camden Market.

How long have you been making Suitcase bags and what obstacles did you have to overcome?

Over 16 years and I don’t feel that I had to overcome obstacles as such, rather that I realised that I would need to go through various stages to develop the designs and the business.

 

What is the process from collecting the suit, that you make the bags from, all the way through to selling the finished product?

These days I don’t need to visit charity shops very often to buy jackets as almost all my jackets are supplied by Oxfam who specially select the jackets for me.

I then check each jacket for any damage, replace pockets and buttons where necessary and then clean them.

I cut each jacket into the various parts that will form the different bags.

I then make the pockets that will be sewn into the linings of the bags.

Next I assemble the straps.

I then select the various components of a bag – sometimes mixing the parts from different jackets.

Lastly I sew the various parts together adding linings, straps and labels.

For some bags I will add additional buttons and labels (makers’ labels taken from the jackets) as decoration.

 

How many Suitcase bags do you make on average in a year?

I cannot give you annual number of bags but the amount is limited because I make each one myself.

 

What is your background in the fashion industry?

When young I used to help my father will small tasks in his tailoring business and later I studied Fine Art at University. There I was involved in costume design for theatre groups. I also at that time designed and sold jewellery.

 

What is your proudest moment of your career?

I am most proud when I spot someone in the street wearing one of my bags.

 

What advice do you have for designers starting a business from new?

My advice to new designers;

Keep making changes (big and small) to your designs as there is always something that can be improved. I am lucky that my Suitcase Bag business alone is able to give me a living. However from time to time I take on various design work often unrelated to fashion. I imagine I will continue to make the bags (every year finding chances for small refinements to the designs) for as long as people want to wear them.

 

I heartily recommend searching out the bags and Edson himself on stall number 7 in Covent Garden Market, London. And for the sake of courtesy mention that you heard of him through this post and see for yourself the incredible work he does on these artisan handmade suit bags.

The 'Suitcase' bags average around £45 which I think ridiculously good value considering you can pay hundreds for a machine made fashion bag with whom you will never have the pleasure of meeting the maker let alone the designer himself.

I myself have one of his bags. A fabulous yet understated grey mixed pattern creation that I have worn often since meeting Edson and want to thank him for his generous time in answering my questions. I look forward to seeing him again when my travels take me back past his stall.

 

Saturday 22 June 2013

Street Style: Paris Collection, Part 1

Saw this guy waiting on one of Paris' versions of the Boris Bikes (a rentable bicycle in London).
 
This mans light blue top half and striking trousers look great. The trousers work ok but would wear a dark brown, red or navy suede, or leather, shoe.
 
Posted this simple but elegant street styler recently but worth a double mention. He caught me taking the picture. The sunglasses make this outfot.
 
A cigarette burnt down to the filter hanging stylishly from mouth, cafe in hand and texting busily away. you could say the perfect frenchman.
 
This cotton jacket just seems to look good on him; a little too large works in this as the trousers, shoes and cracking light pink shirt all raise the elegance of the look and let the jacket add a 'I care not' individuality.

 

Monday 17 June 2013

Street Style: Paris, Homeless

I snapped this guy on my way through the winding back streets of Paris close to the nearly new Les Halles Park (still under constrcution as seen by photo below). Had his own unique style even though I would say he looked homeless at a first glance. It was only after gong through the photos I had taken that I noticed the tiger armband or jewellery.

 

Sunday 16 June 2013

Street Style: Paris, Eiffel Tower...fellow street stylers?

Saw this chap taking photos of the lady. Must be modelling cause if it was street style photography it looked a bit staged.

 

Friday 7 June 2013

Street Style: Paris


I have just spent two wonderful days on a trip to Paris and have a album the size of the Eiffel Tower itself of photos I took to upload on the Parisian style that I saw out there. Plenty of elegance and jaunty french 'je ne sais quoi'.
Look forward to sharing them with you over the next few weeks.