Fashion Virals are every at the moment and far be it for me to complain but most off them bug me. They are too long and depressing, either homo-erroctic or models in underwear, pretentious and obscurer. Don't get me wrong I am the last person to complain about avant-garde pretentiousness but it's saying something when even I can't even sit through them. Also I will be making my own in June so I hope don't end up eating my words, but I will let you be the judge of that. So I have picked out 8 of my favourites that either don't take themselves to seriously, are fun and/or interesting to watch (ok some of them are still pretentious or have girls in underwear, but hey that's fashion). And see if you can spot a certain handsome moustached man in one of them (...yes me!).
Enjoy 2011 from Alvaro de la Herrán on Vimeo.
Esquivel from David Hubert on Vimeo.
574 - Classic is New from dee on Vimeo.
Quirkessential quir·kes·sen·tial [kwur-kuh-sen-shuh'l] adjective 1. Derived from the word ‘quintessential’ as in: the quintessential British tailor. ‘Quirk’ a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism. ‘Essential’ absolutely necessary; indispensable.
12/02/2012
06/02/2012
BBC3 Young Tailor of the Year 2012 2 of 2
....continuing on from my previous post.
I also wanted to thank everyone involved in the filming of Young Tailor of the Year. It was such a great experience. For the final show we were all put into a hotel up in beautiful Suffolk for two days while it was filmed at a former United States Air Force base.
It was a crazy, long, and stressful two days but everyone was so lovely, all the production team and crew, and the other contestants and there friends and family, we all had such a good time.
One frustrating thing about getting knocked out first was that nobody got to see the jacket that I made. In the last challenge Emma and Katie had to finish a jacket they had started prior by fitting the sleeves and top collar. Of course not knowing which one of us was going to get through we all had to make a jacket to the same level.
About a week before the filming in suffolk we each went in turn to Richard Anderson's on Savile Row and was given an allotted time to measure up our models. After taking a full set of measurements and being given a £200 budget for cloth we then had a week to design and make a jacket up to the point of setting the leaves and putting on the top collar.
I little side note that I want to bring up...in the finishing task on the show I was critised because I did a little bit of everything instead of following the correct process. When for these jackets we had to do all the finishings and fastening before we put the sleeves in which is not the correct procedure. So I thought that to be a little hypocritical.
Anyway during my fitting I discussed with Chris (my model) the best look for him as I wanted to treat him like a customer. This is one on the best parts of the job and one that I am probably best at, again shame you didn't get to see if.
Our brief was as follows:
After talking with Chris about the syle and cut of clothing he wears I decided on a very slim fitting modern look with slender sleeves, nipped in at the waist and an almost cropped short style length. Style wise I had been doing a project about the Tuxedo and how it was often made in Midnight blue because black can look dark green under artificial light. So what did I do? I asked myself whats wrong with it looking green? I like green. So a middle finger up to to midnight blue I shall make a green tuxedo.
I found some beautiful 9oz British racing green wool from the lovely people at Holland and Sherry on Savile Row. Together with black silk moire facings to give it a vintage traditional feel and matched with some skinny creased shinny black tonic trousers to bring it up to date.
You can see I lined it with a amazing shot black and purple satin and lined the sleeves, pocket jets and piped the edge in pearl white. I also used a wonderful ornate British East India Trading Company crest button and prick stitched the front edge in a lilac.
I also wanted to thank everyone involved in the filming of Young Tailor of the Year. It was such a great experience. For the final show we were all put into a hotel up in beautiful Suffolk for two days while it was filmed at a former United States Air Force base.
It was a crazy, long, and stressful two days but everyone was so lovely, all the production team and crew, and the other contestants and there friends and family, we all had such a good time.
One frustrating thing about getting knocked out first was that nobody got to see the jacket that I made. In the last challenge Emma and Katie had to finish a jacket they had started prior by fitting the sleeves and top collar. Of course not knowing which one of us was going to get through we all had to make a jacket to the same level.
About a week before the filming in suffolk we each went in turn to Richard Anderson's on Savile Row and was given an allotted time to measure up our models. After taking a full set of measurements and being given a £200 budget for cloth we then had a week to design and make a jacket up to the point of setting the leaves and putting on the top collar.
I little side note that I want to bring up...in the finishing task on the show I was critised because I did a little bit of everything instead of following the correct process. When for these jackets we had to do all the finishings and fastening before we put the sleeves in which is not the correct procedure. So I thought that to be a little hypocritical.
Anyway during my fitting I discussed with Chris (my model) the best look for him as I wanted to treat him like a customer. This is one on the best parts of the job and one that I am probably best at, again shame you didn't get to see if.
Our brief was as follows:
'Your male model is due to attend a red carpet event, he wants a show stopping garment that will impress those in the style industry and the media. He is young and fashion conscious with an eye for the finer things in life. He usually appears in the ‘best dressed’ columns and is praised for having a real eye for detail.'
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| Mood/colour and client brief board |
I found some beautiful 9oz British racing green wool from the lovely people at Holland and Sherry on Savile Row. Together with black silk moire facings to give it a vintage traditional feel and matched with some skinny creased shinny black tonic trousers to bring it up to date.
After getting the fabric and the design was done I now had one week to get to the necessary stage with only one fitting in-between. One week, one fitting, this was no easy task and I had not worked within this sort of time scale before and was a mean feet for anybody, but I wasn't about to give up. I got into a quiet comfortable rythem at home and worked my socks off (metaphorically of course as I wear sock suspenders). After drafting a pattern from Chris's measurements I cut and made up a first baste which I took back to Richard Andersons to do a first fitting. I was glad when the jacket was almost perfect, there was of course some minor changes that need to be made but that is the nature of the business.
Even though the fitting went well I still had a few days to get it ready. I had to start by ripping down the first baste making it up to a straight finish with lining, pockets, detailing, fastings and finishings.
It was hard work but I did it.
So you can see my disappointment in that after all that I did not get through to the final two and this meant my jacket would not be on the show and considering the time scale it was made in, it is some of my best work, technically and design wise.
There is always a silver lining though (or in this case a purple with pearl white piped lining)
As not getting to finish the jacket while i was there, I was not going to go home empty handed so i decide to alter to jacket to fit myself. Not a quick job but I wasn't going to let this beautiful jacket go to waste.
You can see I lined it with a amazing shot black and purple satin and lined the sleeves, pocket jets and piped the edge in pearl white. I also used a wonderful ornate British East India Trading Company crest button and prick stitched the front edge in a lilac.
I used a purple and green cashmere to make a lower inside phone patch pocket. Plus I used vintage check wools to line the inside facings of all the pockets.
As you can see I went all out on the jacket, I even made a bow-tie and pocket handkerchief to match the lining. So here is the finished product.
BBC3 Young Tailor of the Year 2012 1 of 2
After the initial application I was invited in for an on camera interview and a small test to see how much people new about the craft. I saw some familiar faces, mainly apprentices on Savile Row and former students which just confirmed to me that I didn't have the experience to get any further. So I went in with an air of confidence, the sort you have when you are doing something in which you have nothing to lose. I thought 'hey, nice day out, get to meet some more people from the trade'.
Maybe I was a little hard on my self as I new all the answers to the questions and have an extensive knowledge of tailoring. Which is why I was happy when I received an email say that I had got through to the penultimate 20 down from 200 applicants and I was invited up to manchester for a filmed practical challenge.
Again I went along not expecting too much, if anything I thought this would be a great way to meet girls. The task was to pad stitch an under collar, which was a doddle as I am good at shaping under collars and they always come out awesome. I was also asked to take something I had made, so I took my grey Prince of Whales Check jacket with purple lapels and under sleeves, which was some really good work that I was proud of. It was a Tommy Nutter inspired jacket and I think the judges, Mark Powell and Richard Anderson liked it.
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| The Jacket I took to the interview which I had made |
When my name was called out at the end of the day to say that I had made it though to the final four, I was shocked....but not surprised. After all the stages I felt like I had done well and deserved to be there.
Unfortunately that is where my luck ran out (not that it was luck but where my skill and confidence reached it's limit). The nonchalance of not thinking I was going to get through probably gave me the confidence to pass each challenge. But now I was in the final four and through to the studio filming all the nerves hit me at once. Knowing that I was up against three Savile Row tailors all of which have day-to-day professional training were I was still a student.
Up against it I was. On the first day after hair and make up first thing we were put straight into the studio with no warning or preparation of what the challenges would be and the presenter George Lamb blow the whistle and we were off....One hour to complete the finishing hand stitching to a waistcoat. Just my rotten luck, finishings are possibly my biggest weakness and not surprising as before two years prier I had not even picked up a needle and thread before. But I did my best, I appreciate the judges comments and it is something I need to work on. But it wasn't bad, but I knew then I was on the bottom of the pile at that stage.
Feeling I little disheartened after the first challenge I tried to pick myself up and not let it knock my confidence for the next challenge. Now this was hard as after 'action!' was called for the next challenge and being told we had to draft, cut and make a first baste pair of trouser in two and a half hours. My heart sank, at first I thought ok it is a tough time scale but at least this challenge is more suited to what I am good at. That was until I was told I had to draft from memory......'I'm sorry what?! a trouser baste in two and half hours from memory! I think you must be getting 'Young Tailor of the Year' confused with 'Tailor of the Year'. Thats when the pressure got the better of me. It's hard enough working when someone is watching you but when there is about ten cameras on you, two owners of Savile Row Houses, a famous presenter and all the friends, family, and crew it all gets a little to much.
For the life of me I couldn't remember what Oxford bags where, which I felt pretty silly about after. There was no way I could remember how to draft without my notes and time was ticking way. After about an hour trying to draft I gave up and just cut a pair of trousers by eye, trying to meet the key measurements.
After all that the trouser I cut were pretty good (not good enough as a first baste) but it was a good test of my rock of eye and I thought they were a nice shape. I just wish I had done that from the start then I would have had an extra hour to finish off the rest. So after that it was no surprise that I would be first out, I think I deserved to go out first as based on my performance and at that that point I did not do as well as the others, I was also a little reviled it was over. Well until I saw the next two challenges, as they were much more suited to my abilities, but hindsight is a beautiful thing.
OK I think I accepted defeat pretty well but here is my issue with the whole thing...
I found the whole thing a bit ridiculous. First of all you had jacket makers doing cutting, cutters doing finishings, Makers doing cutting. Thats the equivalent of getting a brick layer to rewire your house because they are both in the building trade. Tailors specialise in different areas because it takes many years to get good and any one part of making a suit. Ok I hear you say, everybody should have an over view of the craft and thats right I'm not disputing that, but then they should have given us some warning to prepare ourselves. What is telling us the day before what the challenges are going to be going to hurt? it just made everyone struggle. Either that or give us a realistic time frame to archive the necessary product. I mean the reason I got into tailoring in the first place was because it was a craft that requires patience, love, care and attention. A suit can take up to eight weeks to make and getting us to rush and cut corners completely defeats the object of what we do, and is more of a shame because I meet so many young talented people all the time in this trade and I just think the show could have done better to showcase that. Not to mention the sponge tables, next time you meet a cutter ask him if works on a sponge table, I think he would laugh in your face.
Other than that it was a really good experience, and by no way let those teething problems with the show detract from what a dissevering winner and a lovely lady Emma Martin is from Dege and Skinner. Not to forget second and third place runners up, Katy Bowles from Pogson and Davis and
Ethan Sweet from Maurice Sedwell. What a great bunch and I had a awesome couple of days, thanks guys.
You can watch it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01bpd5m/
Next time I will share some photos of what you didn't get to see......
04/02/2012
Lunch for 25
Where was my invite?
The Sartorialist: Lunch for 25 from The Sartorialist on Vimeo.
For those of you who don't know "The Sartorialist" is a fashion blog by Scott Schuman in New York. After leaving a fashion sales position to take care of his daughter in 2005, he began carrying a digital camera around on the streets of New York City, taking pictures of people who had dressed in a way that caught his eye, and then posting them to his blog, sometimes with comments about what he'd found. Schuman has taken photos in different locations besides New York, often Paris, London, Florence and Milan when he has gone there for fashion shows. His subjects range from fashion celebrities like Karl Lagerfeld to unidentified regular people. He has found uniforms and dirty work clothes as well as those trying to display their style. He says his inspiration was a picture of a man on an empty street taken by German photographer August Sander.
For "Lunch for 25" Schuman invited 25 of his photographed best dressed from across the globe for a fantasy dinner party style lunch in a small restaurant in Florence. Guests included Kanye West, Lino Ieluzzi, Simone Righi, Gianluca Cantaro and Nick Wooster
The Sartorialist: Lunch for 25 from The Sartorialist on Vimeo.
For those of you who don't know "The Sartorialist" is a fashion blog by Scott Schuman in New York. After leaving a fashion sales position to take care of his daughter in 2005, he began carrying a digital camera around on the streets of New York City, taking pictures of people who had dressed in a way that caught his eye, and then posting them to his blog, sometimes with comments about what he'd found. Schuman has taken photos in different locations besides New York, often Paris, London, Florence and Milan when he has gone there for fashion shows. His subjects range from fashion celebrities like Karl Lagerfeld to unidentified regular people. He has found uniforms and dirty work clothes as well as those trying to display their style. He says his inspiration was a picture of a man on an empty street taken by German photographer August Sander.
For "Lunch for 25" Schuman invited 25 of his photographed best dressed from across the globe for a fantasy dinner party style lunch in a small restaurant in Florence. Guests included Kanye West, Lino Ieluzzi, Simone Righi, Gianluca Cantaro and Nick Wooster
02/02/2012
New Products
Finally some QUIRKESSENTIAL products. Here we have a range of beautifully hand made, vintage liberty print, 100% cotton ties. Perfect for those spring/summer garden parties.
At £14.99 email me at davidadamstailoring@gmail.com to order.
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| Autumnal |
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| Blossom |
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| Forget Me Windsor Knot |
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| I Lilac |
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| Primrose |
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| Black Forest |
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| Peachy |
01/02/2012
My Hero
If you have ever been on a blog site like the Sartorialist or just had a perusal on the internet regarding mens fashion or street style you would have evidently come across this man....
A one Mr Nick Wooster. Wooster is the Men's Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus Group Services, and has been an internet hit amongst trend and fashion websites and blogs. This is due to his impeccable dress sense and the fact that he is the sheer definition of sartorialism. Also at 5'5" he is out there representing us shorter gentlemen, so god bless you for that Nick.
Hmm I would say however...Short, quiff, moustache, tattoos, Sartorial yet quirky dress sense....remind you of anybody? I think he might have been taking tips from a young David Adams. So watch out Nick I'm coming for you.
A one Mr Nick Wooster. Wooster is the Men's Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus Group Services, and has been an internet hit amongst trend and fashion websites and blogs. This is due to his impeccable dress sense and the fact that he is the sheer definition of sartorialism. Also at 5'5" he is out there representing us shorter gentlemen, so god bless you for that Nick.
Hmm I would say however...Short, quiff, moustache, tattoos, Sartorial yet quirky dress sense....remind you of anybody? I think he might have been taking tips from a young David Adams. So watch out Nick I'm coming for you.
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