What better way to spend a grey, wet Sunday with family, than a trip to the cinema to see The Lion King. Snuggled into our seats, we contentedly munched away on popcorn, as Mufasa proudly presented his cub Simba to the animals of the Pride Lands. How many fathers have stood on the touch line,…
This month, the Michelsberg social calendar hit a serious purple spot, when my friends, Paul & Jo Flynn, invited my wife and I to attend Royal Ascot. The first, and indeed last time, I wore my bespoke morning suit was at my wedding, eleven years ago. Cut and sewn by three tailors based in North Leeds, they were…
My entry-phone buzzed, a mournful, ‘it’s Tim Parr,’ bewailed down the line, then the plod of heavy footsteps, culminating with a groan as he trudged into the Michelsberg showroom. Partner at the financial services firm RSM in Leeds, and owner of several Michelsberg bespoke suits, I could see pain and anguish, etched all over his…
“Kaiser” Karl Lagerfeld, head of the fashion house ‘Chanel’ for 36 years, died last Tuesday. His high, white collared shirts, black frock coats, swishing silver ponytail, dark sunglasses and cut-off leather gloves had all the dramatic swagger of a modern day Mozart at a steampunk festival. The self-declared, “fashion nymphomaniac who never gets an orgasm,” was…
Eight days to go and ‘Dry January,’ penance for my considerable sins in December, will soon be over. It’s not been easy. Last week, I took Lindsay Taylor and Nicolas Guilbaud, directors of Savile Row cloth company, Holland & Sherry, out to lunch at Sous le Nez. Watching Nicolas and their sommelier discuss the wine…
Last week, my time had come to take one for the team, as family Michelsberg headed off to Disneyland, Paris. As we entered the park for the first time, my cup was, uncharacteristically, half-empty, dreading the prospect of horrendous queues, bad food and surly Parisians. Fast forward two exhausting days later, and I can honestly…
The plan was to meet up at Whitelock’s with my customer Dunphers, have a quick pint, and then head home. But as many of you will know, warm ale, old friends and good banter can cause the best laid plans to go awry.. After several libations, we decided to head to my favourite restaurant in…
This morning, I landed in Hong Kong. It’s a city that’s captivated me ever since I watched the Bond film, ”The man with the golden gun,” with scenes at The Peninsula Hotel and Victoria Harbour. I’ve only been here for five hours and I’m already smitten with the place. Feeling a little ‘gritty’ after taking…
Last Sunday. Leeds Bradford Airport. Bags packed, family Michelsberg, heading for Paris. Mais non! French Air Traffic Control go on strike, flights cancelled, my daughters Disney dreams shattered. No Rapunzel for Elizabeth. No Thunder Mountain for Avy. And no visit for me to meet my tailoring heroes, Massimo and Lorenzo Cifonelli. Staying a five minute…
This morning, I buried my mother’s ashes at Bingley cemetery. Now don’t worry – this blog is not going to be a dour missive, penned between racking sobs, tears cascading over my Dell keyboard. It’s a tribute to an incredible woman whose love of clothing is probably one of the reasons why I got into tailoring in the first place.…