That Dapper Chap meets Tony Lutwyche and views his SS15 collection
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| The Lutwyche Bespoke SS15 preview |
As we all know London Collections: Men has seen another successful few days in the UK capital. Spread over various locations, this year has seen another wide selection of brands and designers showcasing their latest collections and offering a preview of AW14 and SS15.
I was lucky enough to be invited to one of the many showcases at a most luxurious location. The event in question was the SS15 collection of Lutwyche Bespoke at the glorious Rosewood Hotel in London. A beautiful location for an equally beautiful collection.
The Rosewood Hotel
The location for the collection was the ballroom of the sumptuous and stunningly appointed neoclassical Rosewood Hotel. Found in High Holborn in Londons West End, its intricate wrought iron gates lead you into the Edwardian court yard where you are instantly filled with nostalgia, taking you back to a much more more elegant era.
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| The main entrance |
Built in 1914 and designed by H Percy Monckton it was originally the home of a large Assurance company. This listed building is packed to the rafters with magnificent features which haven't gone unnoticed by film companies and fashionistas alike who have both taken advantage of this stunning backdrop.
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| Inside the hotel |
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| Sumptuous and elegant deco style interiors |
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| The incredible ballroom entrance |
Lutwyche Bespoke
Relatively new to the Bespoke scene, Lutwyche are fast gaining a reputation for elegance and quality. Using only the best quality natural fabrics, which are chosen exclusively for their tailoring, each piece is cut by hand before being constructed into one of the masterpieces that we saw at the preview.
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| The Clifford Street store in London |
I was allowed to bring a guest to the preview, so contacted my buddy and fellow blogger Viktor Man of The man And Glam blog. Meeting at Holborn station we caught up on current events over coffee and set off both sporting bow ties and went sockless in loafers (boy, did I regret that later in the night. Thanks again for the socks Viktor!)
Arriving at the venue we were escorted down a handsome staircase where we were seamlessly handed over to the official photographer to have our pictures taken. Snaps taken and a chilled glass of a fruity white wine in hand we were introduced to Freddie Johnson of London PR company APR Communications, he in turn introduced us to the collection and to the man himself: Tony Lutwyche.
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| Posing by the Lutwyche backdrop |
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| Guests enjoying the event |
The collection
The collection was stunning, each piece perfectly cut, crafted and fitted to its mannequin before being placed on its own podium and spotlit for maximum effect. While the noted parties, bloggers and the suited and booted sipped wine, nibbled on a delicious range of canapés and discussed the intricacies and design elements which went into every piece, I found myself inexplicably drawn to a truly stunning raincoat.
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| The red silk raincoat. 55% silk, 45% mohair. £4,050 |
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| The close up shows the grain of the fabric and the simple design |
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| A closer view of the red raincoats clean sharp lines |
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| Guests at the event; By invitation only |
Made from 55% waterproof silk and 45% mohair this raincoat is the epitome of elegance. retailing at £4,050 its clean lines, sharp edges and vivid colour make for a dynamic but very wearable every day piece. Not a shy and retiring edition to the collection it was the talking point of the event and demanded attention from everyone in the room. Little did I know that it had a challenger for most talked about piece, for it had a contemporary in vivid yellow.
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| The contender for most talked about |
Just as commanding and rightly placed at opposite ends of the ballroom so as not to distract from one another, the yellow raincoat is too made from rainproof silk.
For me the yellow wins. Is this because I have seen yellow raincoats in the past and it is therefore more familiar? That traditional hooded fishermans coat? (not that this is that by any stretch of the imagination but the association is there) Is it because everybody wants to see some sunshine on a dull rainy day which makes it instantly more acceptable? Maybe its because the red of its brother spells danger and is an unadulterated demander of attention in a more abrupt way and therefore a more fearful edition.
While still bright and extrovert in its nature I feel the yellow has a more subtle look, more understated maybe. Either way, both are marvellous examples of an everyday item that is usually ignored and thrown over the backs of battered chairs in cafes while its owner grabs an Americano and a goats cheese and basil Panini between meetings. One thing is for sure, the gentleman who wears either of these is both confident and exudes class, maybe even a little arrogant, and for good reason, because he is at the top of his game and reserves the right to be so. I also don't think he eats goats cheese.
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| Beautiful blazers displayed on their podiums |
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| The silver multi check suit. Half lined, 90% wool, 10% silk £3,510 |
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| The stunning dark navy, basket weave dinner jacket 55% silk 45% wool £2,850 |
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| A beautiful double breasted blazer oozes understated chic |
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| Teal herringbone jacket. half lined. 63% linen, 19% wool, 18% silk. £2,490 |
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| The dapper Mr Man, camera ready |
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| The formal wear alcove. Silver sharkskin morning suit (right) £6,750 |
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| Blue jacket with cream windowpane check. Fully Lined. 55% wool, 5% silk. £2,940 |
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| Blue jacket with red windowpane check. 43% wool, 32% silk, 25% linen. £2,490 |
Tony Lutwyche
After another glass of wine and some delicious canapes, which included quails eggs, asparagus tips and miniature sausage and mash and after conversations with various attendees, which included a young American lady who trades in 120 feet yachts for Edmiston & Co, and a charming lady who came self described as a "hack for the Wall Street Journal" We sought out Freddie again for that introduction to the man himself.
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| Tony Lutwyche |
Born of good stock and from a family whose name is listed in the doomsday book, Tony was destined for success. Serving in the military he saw active service and rose to the rank of Major before becoming a tailor in 2000.
As a shrewd business man he sees the benefits of investing in great talent, and is passionate about nurturing it. So much so that he is creating new apprenticeships in the tailoring industry. This is an admirable venture for a gentleman who could simply focus on his own success but who wants to establish new expertise in his field.
Sporting one of his own blazers (well you would wouldn't you) and a pair of salmon chinos, Tony was down to earth, polite and friendly. Very much in demand, we had a brief but interesting conversation about the Lutwyche brand the collection before he was delicately whisked away to talk to other guests
There was only one thing that annoyed me about the entire evening and that was that I didn't think to ask for a photograph with him and I'm hoping that I'll get one while viewing the AW15 collection, should I be lucky enough to be invited again. Time will tell.
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| The stunning staircase |
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Lutwyche Bespoke
Email: Info@Lutwyche.co.uk
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