My London Fashion Week Mens: Day 1

Craig of That Dapper Chap takes us around the shows and presentations on day one of this seasons London Fashion Week Men's

It doesn't seem six months ago since I attended the last London Fashion Week Men's (known previously at London Collections: Men) they say time flies when you're having fun right!

So, on a grey and traditionally wet British Friday we made our way to 180 The Strand, the hub for the event, and began a hectic round of shows and presentations. Once again there were some amazing designers to see, ranging from the well known and well established to new and up and coming designers for whom this was their first outing.

The Barbour quilted jacket from Mainline Menswear

Craig of That Dapper Chap wears the Barbour top and quilted jacket available from Mainline Menswear

After a beautiful summer here in the UK the weather finally took a turn today and while the leaves on the trees are still very green, Autumn is most definitely on its way. For me that means cosy sweaters, layering, and a great jacket and boots.

The Barbour jacket and top are both from Mainline Menswear, an online store that stocks a really wide range of great menswear from over 85 different brands. You'll find clothing , footwear and accessories from Armarni, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Paul Smith to name just a few, so take a look as there's something to suit every taste.

The outfit flat lay. All read for an afternoon in the woods

With Tink the Jack Russell clambering to get out and do some ball chasing, I pulled on my Barbour top and jacket and set off to the local woods so that we could both get some exercise.

London Collections: Men - Day 1

Craig of That Dapper Chap attends London Collections: Men as an accredited blogger and takes us through the events of day 1

Once again all the build up and anticipation of the largest menswear event in london comes to fruition and on Friday 8th January London Collections: Men once again opened its doors and showcased all that the British menswear industry has to offer.

This season saw me with a packed itinerary so I unfortunately had to choose which shows I wanted to see more as a lot overlapped or were logistically impossible to reach in the time between shows.

Stylists, press, editors and bloggers line up to sign in to this seasons LCM

After signing in at the stunning Victoria House in Southampton Row, this seasons LC:M hub, I took my official book and lanyard, pinned my badge to my lapel and made my way to the Barbour presentation. 

Barbour

Barbour never disappoint. The inherent quality comes through in every piece and they offered us everything that we'll need for AW16: heavy knitwear, their iconic wax jackets and a collection of great shirts and accessories.

Very accessible and easy to wear I've been a Barbour fan for a while and I really like the new collection.

Chunky textured sweaters continue to be a staple items

Beautifully tailored shirts in some great fabrics

Casual styling by Barbour to keep out the cold

The latest style Barbour coat

The classic Barbour wax jacket

Another great collection from Barbour

Cottweiler

After a quick coffee break I made my way to Marylebone to see the Cottweiler show. Designers Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty showed us a range of intelligent and futuristic designs in metallic fabrics and sheepskin-like woollens.

Moody models in fields of wheat from Cottweiler

Futuristic designs in metallic fabrics

Fashion folk flocking to see the new Cottweiler collection

Modern fabrics in relaxed design

Impressive designs with a real edge

The new Cottweiler collection

Universal Works

Leaving the Cottweiler show it was a hop and a skip over to Blandford Street to see what Universal Works had to offer. I've always enjoyed the Universal Works show and they always offer up an interesting concept.

This season was no different and we walked in to a virtual fairground, complete with 90's dance tracks and 'all the fun of the fair' Guests enjoyed mushy peas with mint sauce and popcorn while we perused the collection.

Unstructured, relaxed and comfortable clothing for the cool and youthful won the day, and they again showed a very British and very wearable collection that could be enjoyed by anyone.

Time for the Funfair with niversal Works

Prizes for everyone at the Universal Works funfair

Relaxed but stylish

The classic funfair goldfish, its all in the details

Casual footwear from Universal Works

I enjoyed the mushy peas and they certainly filled a void in my stomach

Unstructured and easy to wear

The new Universal Works collection

Private White V.C.

So leaving the sights and sounds of the fairground behind I legged it, in the rain, over to Mayfair to the Private White V.C. store on Duke Street.

Upon entering the store I was immediately welcomed by Brutus the Bulldog who took an instant liking to my trousers, pressing his nose against my calf and following me around the store. Apparently he likes the smell of my cats!

Private White never fail to impress and I was already converted way before I stepped over the threshold. The nod to classic wartime tailoring didn't go unmissed. Designer Nick Ashley continues to offer us some great pieces and I very much need to get some in my armoury.

Arriving at he Private White V.C. store in Mayfair

Classic styling from Private White V.C.

The new Private White V.C. collection

My new buddy Brutus

I'm in love with this heavy shearling collar coat

rails of clothing from the new collection waiting to be browsed

The models take their place in the store

More elegant clothing from Private White V.C.

I managed to snap designer Nick Ashley at the event

Guests mingle, drink cocktails and enjoy the canapes 

So after a fun filled day with very little to eat, cold and slightly wet, I called it a day and made my way to my London home where I had set up base for the weekend. Day one was a success on many levels. I met some great people, reconnected with my 'LCM Buddies' and saw some great menswear.

Roll on day two I thought. That was a success too and I'll report on that very soon so watch this space.

Thanks for taking time out to read this. Pop back again soon!

Barbour People

That Dapper Chap looks at the latest campaign from Barbour and introduces us to some 'Barbour People'

As the good folk at Barbour rightly continue to celebrate their 120 year success, they have turned their attention to the people that matter to them most, not their highly skilled design team or their sales people but their fans and customers. These are the People like you and I who value everything that Barbour offer, and who appreciate the heritage that comes with such a well loved and truly established British brand.

Aidan from London wearing his Bedale waxed jacket.

For the past 3 years Barbour have been photographing ‘Barbour People’ and are releasing a series of videos showcasing the stories’ of those with unique and varied styles. 

The first star of their Barbour People films is David: a singer/songwriter in two bands — Six Toes and Stranger Or The Plane — and a talented composer. So talented, that Barbour asked him to write the score for their series of shorts; in fact you’ll see him doing that very particular task in this film!

Barbour also has a dedicated Tumblr page where people can share their own Barbour story and upload their own style: http://barbourpeople.tumblr.com/ It would be great to work together on a feature, I would be happy to provide more detail and content if this is something you would be interested in.

Daniel has added a modern twist to his classic Bedale waxed jacket.

Ciaran sports the perfect everyday jacket for a cold and wet winter - the Beaufort. 

Our next Barbour person is Steve (and his dog Hoolie). Steve is a  photographer from my home county of Suffolk. Steve’s camera is an extension of himself — he finds it gives him reason to explore; an impetus for adventure. It’s also a profoundly simple and effective way of meeting and getting to know other people. A self-confessed ‘nosy person’, Steve travels the world taking photographs. He was recently in Mexico, and ended up meeting a group of cowboys for several weeks, documenting their lives.

Harry has created this everyday, casual style by pairing his 
Liddesdale quilted jacket with skinny jeans and trainers.

Fergus in London looking very smart in the Akenside quilted jacket.

So, don your Barbour jacket and wear it with pride, maybe you'll be snapped on the street by the team and featured on the Barbour Tumblr page just like Fergus and the guys above and all the other ladies and gents that they've featured so far! When you are drop me a line!

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THANKS FOR READING!