Marwood SS15 - menswear accessories made in the UK

Marwood's gentle made-in-England accessories appeal to me because they are different. Their look book for their SS15 collection features John Tebbs of The Garden Edit which sells highly stylish goods to the keen gardener. Marwood's soft colours and textures go well in such surroundings. The photography is by Arianna Lago.

To see Marwood's collection of exquisitely-made British accessories, including ties, bow ties, scarves and pocket squares, click here. 

Cary Grant and classic simplicity - Recreating the Look

It's been a while since I added a post to the Recreating the Look series. Here's a very cool Cary Grant ordering a meal on a train in Hitchcock's North by Northwest. Naturally, he's dining with a beautiful woman (Eva Marie Saint). Grant's distinguished grey hair is echoed by the silver of his immaculate suit and tie. A plain white shirt helps keep the look clean. 

This photograph could have been taken at almost any time on the last fifty years; the look is a masterpiece of classic simplicity. The suit (which may or may not have been made by Kilgour of Savile Row) is generally reported to have been a subtle blue-grey Glen check (Prince of Wales check), a cloth that never shows up properly in photographs. The tie is said to have been grey with very fine polka dots, rather than plain.

As usual, I've found some products at different prices to enable you to recreate the look. The intention is not to exactly copy, but to give a similar style. You could finish it off with some brown Oxford or Derby brogues with burgundy socks and a subtle dove-grey textured silk pocket square that doesn't inject too much colour into this understated style.

The suits I've selected are off-the-peg, but you may prefer bespoke or made to measure for a perfect fit. I've spoken to Susannah Hall, tailor, who could make a suit for you from £850 depending on choice of cloth and style. Prices elsewhere for a tailored suit can rise to several thousand pounds, depending on the level of bespoke and the tailor you select

M&S Sartorial check suit £299

Richard James grey birdseye Hyde suit £795

Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck sunglasses

John Lewis Oxford shirt £35

Burberry £275 Mr Porter

M&S silk textured tie £17.50

Marwood tie and tie pin £280 - Mr Porter

For more in the Recreating the Look series click here. If you have any looks you would like me to recreate, please get in touch.

Suppliers

Marks & Spencer

Richard James

Oliver Peoples

John Lewis

Mr Porter

Marwood

Marwood and 'All Fall In' collaboration - lace ties and pocket squares

I'm a great fan of Marwood, whose outstandingly well-made and original menswear accessories deserve a large audience.

A recent collaboration has been with illustrator Sam Kerr whose 'All Fall In'  specialises in the creation of mathematically true tessellating patterns. This fascinating process takes a huge amount of development, imagination and flare to create recognisable figures and objects that come alive from the geometric shapes in the tesselations.

Marwood has printed All Fall In's "Viennese Leaf" onto lace, creating a novel textured surface for these limited edition ties, bow ties and pocket squares which will be available from Mr Porter, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.

For information on All Fall In, see Marwood's blog. For more on Marwood's exquisite products, designed by Becky French, see their website.

Marwood's designer and founder Becky French talks to Grey Fox

Grey Fox has caught up with Becky French, the designer/founder of menswear and accessories label (soon to become womenswear label too) Marwood. Becky launches a new collaboration at London Collections: Men in London next month (6th to 8th January 2014) and I'm grateful to her for telling me about her plans for Marwood next year and into the future.

Tell us about the business. 

Marwood launched in January 2011, showcasing a handcrafted range of ties and bow ties made with the finest fabrics such as woven silk, wool and traditional English Leavers lace. We create modern men’s accessories that celebrate the traditions and techniques of a rich and distinguished heritage and use the most skilled, historic factories and fabric mills across the UK. Innovation, whether that be with new weaves and textiles or a new take on a classic item is our focus each season. The range includes ties, bow ties, scarves, braces, socks and pocket squares.

How did you get started? What made you pick menswear accessories as your interest?

I developed the idea of Marwood whilst I was working as a designer at Aquascutum. I guess I saw a gap in the market for interesting neckwear for men. A friend at the time expressed his dismay at the tie market and it got me thinking. I started collecting wonderful vintage ties and the idea just grew from there. I developed the idea in the form of a blog – an online sketchbook, in order to establish the aesthetic of Marwood and give it a visual backbone to refer back to.

What inspiration do you use in your designs?

All sorts. It all depends what I am seeing, reading, hearing at the time. The SS14 collection was inspired by a wonderful photography book by Orri, called Interiors. The AW13 collection was inspired by Jean Cocteau and train journeys through English landscapes. The idea is just a starting point for colour and pattern or an attitude/spirit really. It becomes a bit more abstract after that. Imagery and photography inspire me always.

 

How would you like to see the business develop?

For now I would like to see Marwood grow its online presence. We are re-designing our current website and shop with EverythingInBetween and then launching exclusive products and collaborations in the new year. The wholesale business is also very important to focus on and I am happy with how that is developing and the stockists we are gaining internationally. Most recently we delivered to Dover Street Market in London, Maxfield in LA and Beams in Japan. A small Marwood shop in London one day would be a real achievement.

How important is the British-made and designed aspect of the product to you?

The British made aspect is so important. To create a luxury product which demands a high price, it must be made with close attention to detail. We have a lot of British accessories specialists in Britain as well as some of the best fabric mills. I feel very lucky to work with a few of them and the relationships we have built in the last couple of years mean that we all care about producing a Marwood product to be proud of. Daily communication and visits mean that we can run every question past each other. It works well.

Who and where are your main markets? How would you like to see these develop?

England, Japan and most recently the United States. A London based pop up shop in October gave us the chance to meet customers face-to-face which is invaluable. It is great to meet someone who buys Marwood products and hear from them how important it was for them to know where it is made and be able to access that information through our website. I hope to connect more with customers in these markets through our own website – their feedback is really important to listen to. I visited Japan in November with the UKTI and this is something I want to do again. It is fascinating to learn about the varied expectations in terms of products and services in different markets and we want to get it right each time. We want to engage with the consumer and the retailers to get the best results.

What have been the particular challenges?

Starting a business from scratch with no business background – that brings enough challenges my way on a daily basis! Business management, finance, growth, profit, cashflow… all these type of words challenge me in a hit-head-against-wall type of way! Challenge is good though… right?

Where next for Marwood?

Firstly we are kicking off 2014 with two collaborations – one with UK cufflink makers Alice Made This (launching exclusively at LC:M) and the other with artist/illustrator Sam Kerr with his new project All Fall In (launching at Paris Men’s Fashion Week). Also, Marwood will be stocked in some more premium stockists in London and US as well as new concept stores in Nigeria and Russia. We are growing our offer for womenswear and showing this at London Fashion Week in February - menswear accessories for women – there will be some exclusive products, which we are excited to show. You can expect the Marwood accessories offer to grow steadily each season. 

One final thought?

Thanks for taking the time to find out more about Marwood. Season’s Greetings! Wishing you a positive and successful 2014.

Wishing you all the best for the future and looking forward to seeing you at London Collections: Men. 

 

Marwood's Mustard Mohair socks - ideal Christmas gifts

A whole blog post on one pair of socks? Yes. These gorgeous mustard socks from Marwood, made from mohair, must be the ideal Christmas pair of socks. 

Mohair comes from angora goats bred on a family farm in Devon. The farmers own the goats, do the yarns themselves then send them to another place in England to get knitted, they then receive them back in their natural colour. The socks are then hand dyed. 

Mohair is durable and has good insulating properties, staying cool in summer and warm in winter. For more information see Marwood's website here.

Look out for an interview next week with Marwood's creative director, Becky French.