IN CONVERSATION WITH MARWOOD

Marwood is a brand that we have been keeping an eye on for some time now. This summer sees the launch of its first collection of ties, all beautifully handcrafted in the UK.

Today seemed a fitting day to publish an interview with Becky French [the lady behind Marwood] as she is presenting the brand at London Fashion Week's menswear day.

Where did the inspiration for Marwood come from?
Inspiration came from a friend venting his frustration at not being able to find a certain tie. It got me thinking that I see so many bad, cheap looking ties... too shiny, too puffy, too brash. After that conversation I kept coming across really lovely vintage patterns in a slimmer width with a matt finish and interesting patterns and colour combinations and started to collect them. I had wanted to work on my own project of some sort and this evolved from there.

How did you turn Marwood from an idea into a brand?
I started Marwood by creating a blog. It was a simple way to start putting something down on paper, but in a more official and considered manner. It has been an effective and disciplined way to record research and make me think about what Marwood could be if there were no boundaries. The branding had been integral to Marwood from the start and I worked closely with graphic designer Sarah Carr (who designed all of the branding) to create a clean, non fussy, strong framework for the product.

Why did you decide to make neckties?
Neckties became a vehicle to explore all the elements of design that interest me - acute attention to detail, pattern, colour and proportion. It also needs experienced craftsmanship to be made properly and so allowed me to work closely with skilled manufacturers in the UK and learn their process.

Patti Smith - Horses [1975]

If you could pick anyone to wear a necktie who would it be and why?
Patti Smith will do nicely. Or Jack Kerouac in his day would have been the perfect man for the job. As muses they have the right sensibility and attitude to design for - independent and individual to the core.

What are your plans for next season and beyond?
Next season is currently in the development stages. We are still going to be working with English lace and the silk mill that we have started with... But we are moving it forward. We also want to add complimentary products to the range but it will be gradual. Ideally it will evolve steadily so that each product can have the type of attention that the necktie is having.

How important is local manufacturing to Marwood?
Local manufacturing is really important to us. To have constant and accessible contact with your manufacturer ensures a considered, quality product. Also it feels right to use the genuine skill and experience of a historically English product rather than imitating it for a cheaper price point. I think it is about finding the best people to do the job and if that's on home turf then that will always be the first stop.

What is the perfect accompaniment for a Marwood necktie?
A sharp looking tie bar. Some of this seasons silk and wool patterns would look great with a grey chambray shirt or tattersall - anything textured. I would love to see the lace mesh bowties used as a new take on the dinner suit [black/white tie] as well.

What keeps you busy when you're not at the helm of Marwood?
Outside of Marwood I still freelance. Aside from work I am trying to make time to train for a half marathon in May - however this feels ambitious at the moment!

What have you learnt that you would have liked to have known when you set out with Marwood?
A crash course in business/sales/press would have been great. Saying that, I am not sure I would have embarked on it if I had known the extent of the jobs needed to get a product out there. It feels good to have learned so much already.

Do you think that making in the UK is viable for small businesses?
I think it is viable but in my experience it produces an expensive product... So it is for a high end product using quality cloth.

What challenges do you envisage for Marwood?
Challenges are definitely price points. Ensuring that we don't out price ourselves and stay honest to our customers. They will want to know that, if they are paying a lot of money, they are getting an individual product that will last.

Do you have plans to sell online?
We are currently offering a personal order service online and this will eventually lead to an online shop. Marwood has moved so quickly since launching in January, so we are going to watch and learn this year to time any big ventures properly.

Marwood will be stocked at bStore from April for an exclusive Spring/Summer 2011 collection for them. The Autumn/Winter 2011 range will also be available in bStore and Edifice [Japan] from the end of May/June.

If the the Marwood blog is not in your bookmarks we highly recommend it as a source of sartorial splendor: marwooduk.blogspot.com

joes[a]fiend

Marwood photography by Emilie Bailey

FOUND: NEW[ISH] MAGAZINE - LOST IN LONDON

PUBLISHING - In joes[a]fiend's opinion there are not enough magazines that discuss foraging, walking on riverbeds and local history. In fact, we're not sure that there are any. Therefore, Lost in London has gotten us really excited.

We found out about the beautifully designed magazine through magCulture's 24-hour long 5 year anniversary celebration and were immediately taken by the idea of a truly seasonal magazine. The publication inspires by sharing information on the capital through the changing seasons and the first issue conveys a love for the outdoors throughout.

Pick of the articles for us was Helen Babbs piece on the November 'draw-off' of the Thames at Richmond. In many ways this article is what the magazine is about - telling you about something you were not aware of and making you want to go and see it for yourself. The first issue also comes with a map of fruit trees in Hackney - again, prodding you to head outside and explore.

'We wanted to make something that showed London in a completely different way, reflecting all the things that are good about the city - there is so much more to it than busy tube trains and smog,' Lucy Scott, editor of Lost in London, told joes[a]fiend.

The design of the magazine is also a vital part of its appeal [as you can see from the pictures.] Tina Smith, the art director of Lost in London and Lucy Scott see the title as a backlash to the ubiquitous free-zines that are increasingly common in London.

'We had seen a few independent mags launch with uncompromising editorial and design values and it seemed to us like a backlash was underway against the multitude of free-zines popping up everywhere - not that they're bad necessarily, but just that there's a different sort of publishing to be had on the other side. The Ride Journal in particular was an inspiration.'

With the first signs of spring well and truly upon us [you can smell it along the New River Walk in Islington, honest] we are very much looking forward to the next issue of Lost in London. We shouldn't need to say when it comes out...

joes[a]fiend

GOOGLE ANALYTICS FOR HIP HOP

MUSIC - 'The Hip-Hop Word Count (HHWC) is a searchable ethnographic database built from the lyrics of over 40,000 Hip-Hop songs from 1979 to present day. The database is the heart of an online analysis tool that generates textual and quantified reports on searched phrases, syntax, memes and socio-political ideas.

The idea to build the Hip-Hop Word Count came out of having hundreds of heated & passionate discussions about Rap music: Who was the best rapper of all time? Which rapper had the smartest songs? Which was the most popular champagne in Hip-Hop during 1999-2003? Which rapper uses the most clever metaphors? Which city's rap songs use the most monosyllabic words? Does living in higher altitudes create a natural proclivity for Gangster Rap?'

What intrigues us is the ability to search music lyrics for brand names and brand references. To be able to understand which rappers were talking about which brands at what point in time. You could easily take the data and see which car brands rappers talked about most frequently in the summer of 2004 in their lyrics, or which fashion brand was on the lips of the hip-hop community in 2006. Personally we would like to use it to track the rise and fall of particular alcohol brands in hip-hop; from Snoop's Seagram's gin (1993) to the clunky reference to Courvoisier by Busta (2002) and chart these references next to sales over time. We wonder whether these nods to the bottles on the top shelf have any long lasting effect on the fortunes of the brands?

Get over to Kickstarter and pledge now to ensure the HHWC gets full funding.

joes[a]fiend

DAY 8 IPAD APP BY DUNHILL

DIGITAL - joes[a]fiend was invited to the breakfast launch of Dunhill's new DAY 8 iPad app [iTunes link] recently. Over a delicious/insightful breakfast at Bourdon House we took the opportunity to ask Richard Ascott [Head of digital] of Dunhill a few questions about the new digital launch and how luxury experiences translates online. Here's what he had to say...

Why the iPad?
We chose to launch DAY 8 as an iPad app because it is the best screen in the world and we wanted to pay our content justice. With the iPad you know precisely the size and resolution of the end users' device, so it can be optimised in a way never before possible.
How will the iPad content be different from the 'traditional' digital offering?
Content will be shared across both the app and the DAY 8 site. The app also has the added functionality of caching content, allowing DAY 8 to be a truly mobile experience – a lot of Dunhill customers are time poor, being able to access DAY 8 during a flight for example allows us to work around our client's timetable and lifestyle.

What is the biggest challenge for a luxury brand going online?
It’s a balancing act - heritage vs contemporary / exclusivity vs. accessibility and convenience. Ultimately the most important thing is to use technology only in a way that adds to the end user experience, not just to tick a box or because everyone else is doing it. There is an element of temptation with all of the accessible platforms and technologies out there; being a luxury should be as much as showing restraint as adopting these.

What is the biggest opportunity for a luxury brand going online?
To be able to engage. To provide a joined up world where all communication touch points lead wherever you are in the world. You are also able to know your customer like never before. A live streamed fashion show, for example, is not for everyone. If what you are doing does not improve the experience for your customer, do not do it.
Who aside from Dunhill is leading the digital landscape in terms of brands and why?
Net-a-porter: They have a joined up approach where experience, commerce and customer service are seamlessly integrated.

Nike+ : Have created an elegant solution to a problem that we didn’t know we had and have given it without asking for anything in return.

Why is the content relevant to the digital Dunhill offering?
To play in the digital world you have to be relevant and engaging to your target audience. Everything that makes it onto DAY 8 is aligned with the Dunhill brand pillars; Creativity, Intelligence, Culture, Travel & Elegance. Many pieces of content fall into more than one of these categories.

We can never let our editorial standards slip because, along with product, it’s the content that shows our customer we understand the values that they share with us.

What should luxury brands avoid when going online?
Becoming a ‘me too’ brand. Just because an online strategy works for one brand it does not mean that it will work for another – however similar the brands may be. There must be honesty when communicating online, the online customer is incredibly savvy and is only two clicks away from being able to share their opinion with the world.

What is the most experiential part of the Dunhill online offering and why?
Our aim is to create the perfect experience for Dunhill customers online. DAY 8 is showing that people want to spend time there and we see it as one of the services that adds value to our online user.

In addition we have spent a lot of time on the e-shop to create the simplest, easiest and most efficient shopping experience, BUT, this is always a work in progress. With digital if you ever think you have it completely solved or finished you might as well quit.

What is the most experiential part of the Dunhill offline offering and why?
The Homes of Alfred Dunhill - the pinnacle of male luxury. Services are at the forefront of the Homes concept, whether it be the Spa & Barber’s and Private Screening Room of Bourdon in the heart of Mayfair, or the fine wine reserve and restaurant of Prince’s Building, Hong Kong. Each Home is a totally immersive experience – a journey into the Dunhill world whilst also reflecting the city in which it stands. From the perfectly restored 1920’s neoclassical style of the Twin Villas, Shanghai to Ginza Tokyo with a façade designed by leading robot designer Mr. Tatsuya Matsu.

We view Dunhill.com & DAY 8 as the global brand Homes for Dunhill. They embody the brand and are ideals everywhere.

What is your favourite iPad app and why?
One app we love is the Guardian eyewitness, it is widely thought of as one of the best photographic experiences on the iPad. We wanted to use this as a starting point for the way we presented imagery, to see if there were any areas we can improve and add in video and copy.

joes[a]fiend

LINOTYPE: THE FILM: TRAILER

FILM - "Linotype: The Film" is a documentary about Ottmar Mergenthaler's amazing Linotype typecasting machine and the people who own and love these machines today.

This film is about a machine from the past, but that does not mean this is a sentimental fact-film lamenting the loss of a technology. We are compelled to dig deeper, and find what the Linotype has to say about the present and future.

To make this film, we have extensively researched and talked with experts to learn as much as possible about the history of the Linotype and how the machine works. We’ve been able to talk to numerous people in the Linotype community, from small town printers to typesetters for national publications.

joes[a]fiend

THE UNDERGROUND GOES OVERGROUND

SPOTTED - At the Whitechapel underground/overground station the underground goes overground.

joes[a]fiend

TRUTH + TRANSPARENCY = TRUST

SPOTTED - On a recent trip to the north of England (to teach a group of third year university students) I spotted this poster showing the exact amount of money that had been raised at the train station for The Poppy Appeal.

What struck me was, the person who made the somewhat shoddy poster had a fantastic insight into people:

: The poster extends the relationship with The Poppy Appeal past the initial interaction/donation

: It makes donors feel that their contribution is part of a larger community/group effort

: It offers feedback, we all like to know how we're doing

: It enhances trust, how many times have you dropped your small change into a collection box in exchange for a 'social badge', then never hear anything from the charity again?

: The hand-drawn element adds a human element to the charity. It shows that there is indeed a real person counting the donations, not some automated banking machine

: Most importantly, it thanks donors for their contribution

I personally feel brands/charities need to learn that by being truthful and transparent, they will earn the trust of the people. This poster embodies key elements that brands/charities must embrace to earn the trust of the public.

If you've seen anything similar to this, drop us a message.

joes[a]fiend

ACCIDENTAL? BRILLIANCE? ACCIDENTAL BRILLIANCE?

SPOTTED - Last night I attended the launch of the Hermès pop-up store in the Rochelle School Of Art. The aim of the store is to show people how versatile the iconic Hermès scarves can be. In addition to the pop-up store Hermès has created a Fanzine in collaboration with photographer Matt Irwin. Irwin took four models around the world to capture the ways you can wear the Hermès scarf.

As part of the festivities the incredible LA based band Warpaint played a few songs from their debut LP The Fool [Rough Trade Records].

Before Warpaint came on stage I noticed what must have been a Hermès employee tying a scarf to the bass drum [that's the big one in the middle]. I thought to myself, that's quite subtle, a nice little branded touch. When Warpaint came on to play, this all changed, it soon became a stroke of absolute genius or complete luck. As the drummer [Theresa Wayman] began to beat the bass drum it caused to Hermès scarf to flutter elegantly to the beat, it was mesmerising.

Now, cast your mind back to December 2009, when Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka had an installation in Maison Hermes in Japan. The installation was a window with an image of a woman projected on to a monitor. It would appear from the outside that the projected face was gently blowing a Hermès causing it to flutter in the wind.

Was this tie in a piece of marketing genius, or sheer good luck?

It would make sense for Hermès to create a campaign based on the beauty of the flowing movement of their iconic scarves. Imagine a campaign where you see a close-up of the fluttering scarf which then panned out to an iconic moment. The image that springs to mind when I think of the Hermès scarves is a chic woman driving a 1985 convertible Mercedes SL with the top down, on a hot summer's day in the south of France. Imagine the shot; close up of the scarf flowing in the wind [possibly in slow motion], then a soft zoom out to the striking, powerful woman driving the car. Formidable!

joes[a]fiend

FARM:LONDON

RETAIL - 'How much food can we grow in a shop?' Was the question posed by FARM:London, a concept devised by Something & Son, an eco-social design practice. They aim to answer the question at 20 Dalston Lane, a derelict shop they have converted into London's first urban farming hub.

At FARM:shop you'll find exhibitions that change with the seasons and as nature takes it's course. For the opening you can expect to see the following:

- 'Aquaponic' micro fish farming
- High tech Indoor allotment
- Rooftop chicken coop
- Polytunnel

FARM:shop Dalston [illustrated above] has three main aims:

1 To excite and inspire Londoners to grow their own food, fabric and medicine
2 To create direct links between farms outside London with communities in London
3 To grow food commercially via a network of FARM:'s across London

If you've made it down to FARM:shop let us know what you thought of the concept/space.

joes[a]fiend

KEROUAC'S DOG : NEW TRICKS

We were so intrigued by the title of Kerouac's Dog, a new cultural magazine [covering new writing, design, illustration, photography, architecture, fashion, and creativity in general], that we had to grab 5 minutes with its creator, Oli...

First off, please tell us a little about your background and how the Kerouac’s Dog Magazine came to be.

The whole project began as an itch in my head that simply refused to go away. I was travelling Australia in 2008, and one hot summer evening in my apartment in Surry Hills, Sydney, I sat down and scribbled down what I wanted.

I wanted a magazine that was truly independent, with no advertising, no classifieds, and no editorial-led advertising. I wanted a magazine that oozed pure creativity, with a free-thinking, uncensored, underground-press feel. I wanted to give aspiring creatives of all disciplines, from all over, the opportunity to exhibit new writing/new design/ new illustration/ new photography/ new whatever, in something beautiful and tangible. And at the same time, pay homage to the philosophy of the Beat Generation. Kerouac’s Dog Magazine was born. I suppose the idea was conceived long ago, but born when I actually put pen to paper and started putting things in place to make Kerouac’s Dog a reality.

Why Kerouac's Dog? Why now?

Because I genuinely believed it was needed. I think keeping print alive in a truly independent publication in a digital world is really important. In a digital age, getting stuff in print; in something real and tangible is incredibly exciting. I think having something that you can hold; that you can thumb through - rather than click-through, scroll through, or touchpad flick-through - is still an exceptionally beautiful thing. It still means something. It’s evocative, resonant, and it stays with you.

Who out of the people that you're working with should we be keeping an eye on?

I’m not going to pick anyone out, mainly because the work that has been submitted for the inaugural issue, and Issue 2 next year is of such a great standard. But yes, there are lots of people you need to be keeping a serious eye on.

What format is the magazine? Which magazines do you see it sitting alongside?

Issue 1 is A4 – and we’ve got other format ideas for future issues too. [Except digital – Kerouac’s Dog will exist solely in printed format.]
Well, I hope it stands out on its own. I don’t think I’d be doing it any justice if I tried to group it with other magazines.

As you aren't having print ads are you looking to collaborate with brands at all?

We’ve started as an independent, and we want to continue to be independent. Many ‘independent’ magazines that exist today, started off the same as we did, and have, for one reason or another, given in to advertising, and brand and organisation collaboration – mainly for financial reasons. True independence is a tough ideal to live by, especially when you’re totally self-funded, but I think it will be worth it.

What are your favourite magazines?

Wow. Where do I start. There are so many. I love EYE magazine. I love Wallpaper* Magazine. I also read a lot of ‘Mad’ while in Australia too – that was really great.

Where do you see Kerouac's Dog in a year?

Still having fun; still getting new creative work out there; still believing in ourselves, in why we’re doing what we’re doing, and in the people who submit such awesome work; still holding on to that creative fire that got us into this.

joes[a]fiend

I LIKE NY

GRAPHIC DESIGN - Utpal Pande has given the iconic I Heart NY logo designed by Milton Glaser a reworking for the Facebook generation.

joes[a]fiend

1-BIT SYMPHONY - TRISTAN PERICH

MUSIC - 'With 1-Bit Symphony I wanted to revisit that an album of music could be more than just a recording, more than just an audio CD and when you listen to an album you could actually be experiencing first hand the production of the music itself' Tristan Perich.

The aspect of 1-Bit Symphony which truly captures our imagination is how the artwork transcends the divide between between aesthetics and the music. Is it the modern equivalent of having a song sheet for an album cover?

joes[a]fiend

YOUTH IN REVOLT [2009]

CINEMA - Youth In Revolt directed by Miguel Arteta starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart was a visual treat. Click here to see all 44 moments that we captured.

joes[a]fiend

THE NAMESAKE [2006]

CINEMA - This new addition to joes[a]fiend is pretty simple. Each film I watch from now on, I will compile a series of screen grabs to catalogue the visual delights within each film. These could vary from extreme emotions, scenery, fashion or anything that I find visually arresting.

The first film of the new section is The Namesake [2006] directed by Mira Nair. To see all 30 or so 'movie moments' click here.

joes[a]fiend

WHO'S BEEN GIVING APPLE THE FINGER?

ADVERTISING - The Apple adverts created by TBWA have always shunned the 'harder, faster, stronger' approach that many consumer electronic goods opt for in their advertising. Instead they go for a benefit based approach to their campaigns. Whether it be how an app on the iPhone can help you spot tree leaves or aid your cooking, the user benefits are always clear to see beyond a bigger screen etc.
The thing that has been bugging me of late is, whose finger is that in the Apple adverts? Are Apple adverts the Holy Grail for finger models? Is it even a real finger? Do Apple localise the finger for specific regions? The more I look at it the stranger it looks.

Do you know who the finger belongs to?

joes[a]fiend