Oliver Spencer Archives - Page 2 of 2

Welcome to a new section for the new look Clothes make the man, The Buyers Guide will seek the advice and guidance of some of the best qualified and most respected figures in the industry, who lets face are so good at buying the right product they are employed to do it for a living. These figures are going to tell us what they see as being the top 10 pieces for the season so if your think of buying a winter coat, scarf, gloves, jumper even T-shirt, hang fire and have a read through this post first.

The first guru I called upon to offer his learned opinion was Mr Stephen Ayres, Head of Fashion Buying at the temple of all things British and retail, Liberty.

Everyman should have a navy blazer in their wardrobe but the level of blue used by Martin Margiela for this blazer is fresh and would be a great versatile addition to any wardrobe.

Oliver Spencer is one of the UK’s best casual wear designers and this modern take on the traditional pea coat is just one example why. Not double breasted but not single breasted either makes it a great coat for over a suit or with some jeans at the weekend.

I love the simple colour contrast on this YMC two tone scarf – a great way to wear a bit of colour but not feel overwhelmed by it.

Fair Isle knits were huge last winter and there’s no sign of them slowing down this year. The king of outdoors, Barbour have mixed a great palette of blues and burgundys to give this one a rich feel and a very competitive price.

The team behind Folk are fun and playful and this jumper shows just how much with a great colour to brighten up any winter’s day.

Canadian born New Yorkers, The Burkman Brothers, travelled around Asia for inspiration for this collection and the Dobby embroidery on this pop over shirt was inspired from their finds.

Swedish brand, Our Legacy, is quickly becoming one of the hottest brands to wear. Their use of jacquard and print mix with understated design gets them the right balance to dress guys from head to toe. I love this tonal Polka dot shirt for its statement and subtlety at the same time !

Print is everywhere for Spring/Summer 13 and being a brand steeped with a heritage and history in print this paisley short from our own collection is great for picking up on the trend now.

British time piece brand Uniform Wares overs clean sophisticated watches, with quartz movement, the ultimate in cool for you or to receive some brownie points and give as a gift.

Canadian brand WANT Les Essentiels de

la Vie offers the best in luxury leather goods and accessories. This organic cotton tote has their signature leather handle and is great for your gym kit.

When I first started on this blog adventure and I came up with the idea of textual conversations, one of the first people on the list was Oliver Spencer, since its launch in 2002, I’d admired his clothes, the cut, the design and overall feel of the stores and the brand, plus over the years as I got to know him from meeting him at various Fashion weeks, events and the occasional pint, I discovered what a genuine and decent fella Oliver is.

Now whats interesting to know is with no formal training Oliver founded the label as a reaction to the merging boundaries between mainstream and fashion collections, bridging the gap between dress-up and dress-down. The label mixes quintessential English style with quirky flourishes and attention to detail.His signature label sits alongside his involvement with Favourbrook, the label he founded in 1990, and which now has three stores on Jermyn Street, London, catering for those seeking an eclectic take on modern sophistication.

Of his eponymous collection, Oliver admits, “I wanted to create clothes that bridge the gap between workwear and fashion, mainstream and utility.” In doing so he developed a sophisticated and intelligent approach, where detail is vital in each and every garment. Detachable collars, innovative linings, hidden pockets and quirky accessories are all stamped by Spencer’s craftsmanship and tailoring skills. As he says, his collections are, “All about culture, not about cult.” Notably Oliver made the decision to aim the designs at a more grown-up clientele, who would judge the designs on merit alone, and in spite of maintaining high production and finishes, the clothes retain a handmade sensibility. However, in turn his skills have caught the attentions of the Great British high Street and has seen him work with, amongst others Selfridges, TopMan & Asos on exclusive collaborations. Plus he counts Paul Waller, Mad Men’s Don Draper, sorry Jon Hamm and Benicio Del Toro as ardent clients.

Anyway, enough of me going on with myself lets see what he’s got to say for himself;

In your own words what is you’re A/W12 collection about & What’s your favourite piece in the collection ?

A Feeling of 1970’s Arthouse and the impeccable style of a youthful Lucian Freud.

The two tone bomber is my favourite.

If you could have invented anything what would it be ?

The iphone.

What’s your favourite piece of clothing ?

KWay pack a mack.

Who is your style icon ?

Lucian Freud, because he’s eclectic and artistic.

Tell us something no one else knows ?

Prada is going to open on Shoreditch High Street.

Can you tie a bow tie ? If yes, who taught you?

The unique Lucian Freud

Yes, Self taught.

What piece of clothing should everyman have in his wardrobe ?

A suit, one good suit.

Have you ever bought a piece of clothing and regretted it ?

Yes, A Yohji Yamamoto shirt, it was too big and made me look like a chef.

What do you have to do after this conversation?

Go and look at the venue for our forthcoming show.

What would you like to be doing after this conversation ?

Going to a restaurant.

What track would always get you on the dance floor?

Anything by Arcade Fire.

oliverspencer.co.uk

This week’s AskAnt, covers a problem which will affect us all at some point in our life, that being what to wear for work ? But more importantly in this situation, what to wear to work for making that all important right impression. Just in case you were wondering, this isn’t a scenario I’ve just dreamed up, this week’s subject, has asked us to keep his identity anonymous, which of course is fine with us, discretion is my middle name, well it’s actually Thomas, but for the sake of today it’s discretion. So without further ado, lets get stuck in;

OK then, immediately sir your question reminds me of a wonderful piece that appeared in the Sunday Times Style at the end of January, entitled, “How to get a head in advertising”,written by the ever so talented and even more witty Richard Gray. He surmised that they guys who work in modern day Advertising and I would extend this to the general creative industries, tend to be sporting what could be classed as a uniform. A uniform ? Pray tell, do tell more, essentially and this is a real generalisation but, these guys have taken to;

1) growing beards

2) wearing plaid (Checked) or Chambray (Denim) shirts

3) wearing Chinos

4) wearing brogues, oxford or a similar style hiking-esque boots in shades of brown

5) Certain brands are held in great esteem – Albam, Grenson, Acne, APC, Margaret Howell, Oliver Spencer to name a few

So as always we strive to search the entire market to answer your clothing conundrum. Now the first great thing about this look is, it’s somewhat of a hardy perennial in menswear trends and has evolved over the last couple of seasons. I agree and appreciate you don’t want to appear to look as through you are a try hard. So immediately I would suggest, working in any new pieces you invest in with your existing work wardrobe. So maybe follow these simple steps to assimulating your new look into your office environment;

1) stop wearing a tie everyday with your suit

2) then start to wear your suit jacket with a pair of chinos

3) replace your plain simple work shirt with aforementioned all important check or chambray shirt

4) then start to wear it with a knitted tie

5) Start to wear a pocket square, not everyday, easy does it and as you grow in confidence let the pocket square flourish with you

6) Slowly, grow some stubble, but remember a beard doesn’t suit everyone, not everyone can bust a beard like Tom Ford, you, meaning me can end up looking little like Topol in Fiddler on the Roof (google it) or Zach Galifianakis from the Hangover. So if you don’t feel comfortable with it, don’t grow the fro.

7) A pair of brogues look equally as good with a pair of jeans as a suit

8) Fasten up your top button when your not wearing a tie, it’s OK it won’t make you David Beckham in the trendiness stakes but it does show you know your P’s & Q’s when it comes to the look.

Examples of how to do it