Pierre Corthay, A Teaser

I managed to drop into Pierre Corthay yesterday albeit very briefly. I have gone down the path of ordering a pair of patent leather shoes which will be treated with a special purple finish. The pair I drew inspiration from were the patent leather Arca model on display finished with a fireball composition of deep bloody red with bright orange. I will tell you more about it when I have time, but here is the photo of the patent leather shoes which they then treat. You will notice the difference between the base leather and the finished leather.

The famous Arca model shoe from Pierre Corthay. You will notice the difference between the base patent leather on top and the finished leather treatment on the show with laces below.

Smoking Jackets On Display At Matthew Cookson

Matthew Cookson, 11 Boulevarde Raspail, Paris 7th Goes On Sale Today

Good news, I am here in Paris and though I have had terrible jet lag I have woken up to find myself in much better spirits today which coincides with the beginning of the sales that are on in Paris. At the same time I wish to inform you that my Parisian re-seller, Matthew Cookson, who specialises in velvet slippers, is on SALE as of today and with that there will be substantial reductions on our bow ties.

Our collection of bow ties on display at Matthew Cookson on the Boulevarde Raspail. 

May I Recommend This For Winter Driving

This morning in Sydney the weather was overcast, a dull grey that had set in with a thick heavy immovable cloud which even the wind seemed unable to move on. I drove out to my shirt makers to tidy up some shirt orders we had just completed. As I drove past the airport I was stuck for a song to marry with the weather and the grey scarf and velvet jacket I was wearing, that was until I saw the 1812 Overture on my screen. If there is one song that gives me hope in the depths of winter, it is this composition. Indeed, that is exactly what it gives people, hope, and the belief of triumph over adversity.

I Cannot Get This Song Out Of My Head - Truth By Alexander Ebert

Why does this song turn my senses on so much? Why is it so emotive? I will tell you very quickly. For one, it is as though he has drawn from the well on which Ennio Morricone composed his great Spaghetti Western tracks, then add into this little cauldron a whistle (all great songs seem to have a whistle these days), now use a little hip hop influence to create the lyrics so that the flow of the music has a staccato lyrical sing song to it - we are not done just yet, there is one more little thing to add. The lyrics. This is what brings the song together. Ebert had a messianic complex a couple of years ago and with that came the wonderful Christian ideals which have now flowed into his music. What are they? I hear you ask.... Well, let me clarify, he refers to shining light where there is darkness, that his enemies have become his teachers and that he is caught up with internal conflict much like Jesus in the desert as he says 'the truth is I never shook my shadow, every day it's trying to trick me into doing battle'. I just love this song.

And The Winner Is.....

1st Prize: Bruno Hickey of Brisbane, Queensland takes the first prize for an intimate and earnest portrait taken by his father!

Runners up, who will each receive a bow tie from Le Noeud Papillon are:

Tomás Molina of Bogotá, Colombia

Jesus Torres And Alexis Zambrano of New York, United States Of America

Hayden Kemp of Sydney, Australia

In A Little Over 1 Hour We Will Announce The Winner

Sadly, the second portrait competition has come to an end. I love every single one of the portraits although I have some favourites amongst them. This will be a hard choice today and I might take a little longer than usual to decide. If you have any comment to make, please leave it below anonymously as it would be greatly appreciated to hear what you, the audience, think.

Sincerely,
N.

Good Tailoring Is Not Yet Dead, You Just Have To Ask For It

Corozo buttons which were designed with our logo which features our stamp butterfly. These buttons are made in Panama to order. 

The lining for this jacket came from Indonesia. You may recall my trip to Alta Moda in Bali in which I wrote about their three floors of thousands of fabrics.

Top stitching using silk thread. This work was done by hand using our team of Italian tailors who are still working into their seventies. God only knows who will replace them once they decide to retire.

This is a jacket that we did for the Euopean summer. The fabric is from Hunt & Winterbotham, the lining is a polyester we found in Indonesia, the buttons are from Corozo buttons in Panama via our contact Raul Caulderon who went to a great effort to make sure these buttons came out perfect. The top stitching is by hand and was done using a silk thread which our Italian friends had lying around and wished to use on the garment to get it spot on. I am thrilled with the outcome, it far surpassed my expectations of this jacket. The peaked collar and the patch pockets pay homage to James Andrew of 'What Is James Wearing' who wears a lot of Tom Ford and loves a good peaked collar.

Portrait Competition II, Entrant #18, Jesus Torres & Alexis Zambrano, Manhattan, New York, United States Of America

Photo by Amy Li. LEFT: Jesus: Le noeud Papillon Bow tie, M. de PHOCAS cufflinks, stud set and Lapel pin. RIGHT: Alexis: Tom Ford tie, M. de PHOCAS cufflinks, stud set and Lapel pin.

A William B At Claude Sebastian

A William B bow tie on display at Claude Sebastian basement Martin Place, Sydney

Portrait Competition II, Entrant #17, Kieran Davis, Finley, New South Wales, Australia

I am sporting my most recent purchase of the 'Penny' bow from your business. She is receiving a high rotation work out in my daily school wardrobe as she is a bit of a favourite. I even got a wolf whistle from my wife as I dressed this morning for my choice of bow. From a very happy customer indeed, Kieran Davis

Portrait Competition II, Entrant #16, Olivier Zuber, Delhi, India

Olivier Zuber, a Frenchman residing in Delhi, India - a bow tie for his wedding by Le Noeud Papillon

The Tommy Nutter Suit Created For Ringo Starr - On Display At Holland And Sherry

The Australian office for Holland & Sherry was kind enough to pass on some information about the suit which was recently part of the stamp collection issued in the United Kingdom which celebrates the UK fashion industry. The best stamp out of the batch was the Tommy Nutter suit designed for Ringo Starr in the 1970's. The suit cloth had to be reproduced for David Mason who owns the name for Nutters by the mills of Holland & Sherry who then loomed a replica fabric in time for London Fashion week. At the time when Nutter created the suit, he was working for Kilgour, French and Stanbury, which was then part of the Holland & Sherry group.

Probably one of the most talked about suits, Tommy Nutter's Prince Of Wales Check suit for Ringo Starr created in the 1970's when Nutter worked for Kilgour, French & Stanbury

Transparent Magazine, Osaka, Japan

We were fortunate enough to be featured on Transparent Magazine in Japan. Below are the three bows, Midnight Jude, Marriage and Chuck which were featured. 

The Voice Grand Final - A Pleasure To Be In The Audience

A friend of mine got me tickets to the Grand Final of The Voice. I was hesitant when I heard the news because it was said in the same breath 'but you have to be there to start queuing from 4pm'. Nothing seemed more of a mince to me than hanging around boring old Fox Studios stuck in a queue for hours (the show is live and it had a start time of 7.30pm). Well, how I was wrong. There was such a good fervour amongst the crowd and it was so enjoyable to be in that queue and then on the barricades of the red carpet and to see the final show coming together of what had been the first bit of television I had watched in a long time (until 8 weeks ago I had a television and DVD but no antenna and no digital set top box and then I finally bought myself a new television so I could have an apple tv so I could watch Breaking Bad, Homeland and Girls). 

What an exciting bit of television it was to partake in. CO2 canons, fireworks, flames, big fans, an audience fluffer and a whole lot of noise.... 'Delta, Delta, over here, Delta' were the cries of adoring young female fans. Then Joel Madden was singing to the Beastie Boys 'you gotta fight for your right to party'. A very memorable experience.

Make up to judges, make up to judges....

Keith Urban, Joel Madden, Delta Goodrem and Seal

Ron De Jeremy Rum

Last night a friend of mine turned up at my drinks party with a gift that would trump anything else I was given this year for my birthday. I could hear him whistle his signature whistle from outside my apartment block and when I looked down I could see him holding four bags of ice, his wife in tow carrying something light but large. I assumed it was a poster or a photograph of me.

'What is it?'
'Don't you go asking, you just get inside and go into the other room and don't come out until we call you'.

And when I came back, Ron De Jeremy was at my party, standing still, smiling at everyone and looking his best in black tie. To my surprise, the rum also tasted nice, quite a bit of spice to it. I am having a nip of it as I type.

Portrait Competition II, Entrant #15, Stephen Todd, Sydney, Australia

The smoking and the tie are Lanvin says Stephen Todd of Sydney, Australia

Portrait Submission Entries Close 21st June, 2012

When You Want To Know About Shoes, Ask A Shoe Expert.... Like The Shoe Snob, Justin FitzPatrick

The Shoe Snob, Justin FitzPatrick. Photograph by Adrian Lourie

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to write about shoes?
My name is Justin FitzPatrick. Occupation: Shoe designer, shoe polish expert, shoe blog author among other things relating to shoes. I came to write my blog for two reasons: 1. To help educate men in the field of high quality footwear as well as to create a dedicated source to men’s shoes and 2. To build brand recognition in preparation for the release of my shoe line, which ultimately would create demand for my product before it was even released.


What aspect of shoe making thrills you the most? Is it the design, the finish or the construction?
The whole process really. Seeing how the design comes to life (into a tangible product) is what fascinates me. But in order to get to that, there has to be all of the in-between, which is fascinating in itself.


Which shoe maker most inspires you?
Tony Gaziano. I remember the very first time that I saw a pair of his shoes, in one of their first pieces of publicity in Robb Report, back in 2006 I believe. I was so astonished by the beauty of the shoe and told myself that I wanted to emulate them, as I just knew that they were going to be a huge success in the industry. And since that time, everything that Tony does continues to impress and inspire me.

Is there a particular kind of shoe which you most enjoy – a Chelsea boot? Brogues, Oxfords? Derbys? Can you give us a run down on your shoe collection and what you have a natural inclination towards finding.
Oxfords for sure, whether it is a shoe or boot. The closed lacing, for me, represents elegance at its finest. My shoe collection is quite a monster. It used to be so much more, but ever since I moved to Italy and then to England, I have had to scale back so much, being down to probably around 75-80 pairs now. Of those, probably 35 are “dress shoes” and the rest being trainers (anything from Vans to Ferragamo sneakers), boat shoes and driving loafers. Of my dress shoes I have one derby, one chukka boot, two balmoral boots and the rest either loafers or oxfords. Sad enough, I don’t own one monk strap anymore….


In your opinion, are the best shoes French, English or Italian? Can you explain to us a little, if there is any, in the subtle differences and nuances between one nation’s manufacturing and another. If there is a difference, can you put this in words as a national identity…. An Italian shoe is……
This is a very difficult question and depends on what you are referring to when you say a ‘shoe’. For RTW, I believe that the English make the best, and for bespoke, it is probably a toss up between France and Japan.
An English shoe is well made and practical. Made to last, but be elegant at the same time.
An Italian shoe is meant to draw attention and be comfortable, as if you weren’t wearing anything. It’s light in weight but also in construction and leather. It therefore lacks in durability…but looks good
French shoes are a marriage of both worlds, only that their RTW in my opinion is not as good as some of their English counterparts i.e. Gaziano & Girling, Edward Green and John Lobb.


Patine or patina is very highly regarded, who in the world do you think produces the best patines? Berluti? Corthay?
I would have to say Corthay. Their work is far more elaborate than Berluti. They can do a patina on patent leather, something unique to them. But in my opinion the best patina artists do not fall in the hands of a company but rather two artists in Paris: Paulus Bolten and Hom Nguyen.

Pierre Corthay Patina Colours

What kind of dress shoe would you choose for formal wear and evening wear?
I would wear a black wholecut with the best shine ever…don’t like to be like everyone else and wear the typical patent shoe. Or even some navy shoe….I like to bend the rules, as you might know.


What are your most prized pair of shoes?
I will give two, as one of them I made myself and that might seem as biased.
The first is the saddle shoe that I made in black with the red saddle. This shoe defines me and my style .The second is actually a collaboration between me and Gaziano & Girling, in which I designed the shoe, Tony Gaziano made the pattern and then put the shoe together on his DG70 last, using the Deco (semi-handmade) construction.

Here are other great shoes referred to by Justin FitzPatrick

Septieme Largeur Shoes -  A Parisian shoe maker

An English shoe by Edward Green

An Oxford by Anthony Delos, French shoe maker

Paolo Scafora Shoes - An Italian maker

Yohei Fukada Hand-Made Bespoke Japanese Shoes

Marcus - A New Geometric Patterned Satin Silk From Le Noeud Papillon Of Sydney

This is the last of our new silk designs that has been released. Marcus is a geometric design featuring black satin warp and silver thread weft. The design arrived on Monday from Como and we are delighted with the outcome. The bow is $155.00 and is available online from www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Danke Schoen Wayne Newton.... And Nice Bow Tie

Why The Skulls? Notes From A Dream

I turned 34 the other day and I had a dream and it reminded me of Memento Mori, to heed your death or to at least be aware of it's imminence and that you may not necessarily get the death you want. I had a dream....

A static loudness like a ringing in your ear, the alone sound that comes in the small of the night, those strange murmurings when I had a thought that everything you see and do, what you achieve, your friendships, the love, it all must be paid for by your death. That conversation with Oliver Watts when I first stumbled upon a memento mori tattoo whilst dining at Lucios. 'It's a form of art you know' he said. The little blue boy all painted in blue walking behind the Roman General and calling it out. Down through the ages of ages. Memento Mori!

Then I felt the hot stenching breath of my killer, someone close to me. A murderer. He whispered in my ear whilst he  knifed me, close, very close, robbing me of my life, that he knew how awful it might be that this black soot, this awful black energy was the last thing I would feel in this realm; he thrived on the silent rage I felt. Cunning, he'd stabbed me where he knew I would be lame, giving him full control. 

All those people that loved me; me, who was liked so much, bled out on the street where everyone could see but nobody seemed to watch.

Portrait Competition II

A Limited Edition Sevi Bow Tie On Sale At Claude Sebastian

Part of Claude Sebastian's new Joe Black custom made jackets and pants. This jacket features Holland & Sherry red velvet. They are now also offering Dormeuil custom made suits, which are also very finely made. Fortunately I have had the chance to touch and feel the product and I believe the Dormeuil made to measure suit programme is as good as anything from TF. Claude Sebastian are located on the corner of Pitt Street and Martin Place, Sydney, CBD.

Girls - The HBO Must Watch Television Series

I was never a fan of Sex And The City, I think it almost made me heave up every time I watched it, or more exactly when young girls quoted it or equated it with their own lives; especially as it ran dry of content and it just became lamer and lamer and the ridiculousness of it all made it banal, like a goldfish just going round in circles in a bowl. So far I have had the exact opposite feeling about Girls. The content is relevant, it is realistic, there is some truth to their stories, the writing is strong and the show hits the right topics and themes and draws you in. I don't know how long they can hold this for, but four episodes into the first series and I feel as addicted to this piece of television as I have to the brilliance of so many other television series that I have consumed over the past three years. The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Californication, Breaking Bad, Homeland - how do they do it? There seems to be an endless supply of creativity in television that seems to have seeped out of film. Coupled with the advent of apple tv, I don't feel any inclination to go to the cinema anymore.

For Those Of You Off To The London Olympics....

We have something we want to offer you. If you are Australian, A United Statesman (seems wrong to call them Americans, it must upset the Canadians, Mexicans, Central and South Americans), or English, or for that matter French, well then we have the perfect bow tie for you named Lionel , a red-white-blue repps silk. This bow tie will have all those nations mentioned rooting for all nations.

Ozwald Boateng's Current Looks

Ozwald Boateng is one of the most revered tailors of Savile Row's 'new set'. Have a look at Ozwald Boateng's current work here