Trunk Clothiers of Marylebone

“Our aim is to make Trunk a destination for men to shop for everything from suits to denim to swimwear” says founder of the relatively new-kid-on-the-block Marylebone clothier Trunk, Mats Klingberg.

“We wanted to create a shop that caters to an international audience of men seeking easy to wear, intelligently-designed clothes, with no compromise on quality”.

Quite a promise but it does certainly live up to expectation when I visited to see how this was manifested in to a physical space. Having retailed in Marylebone for 6 years, I was not surprised to see this addition… alongside shops such as Skandium, Conran Shop and of course Monocle (Mats just happens to be partner of Tyler Brûlé, the editor in chief of Monocle magazine).

Note that Trunk is a clothiers, in the same way that Margaret Howell is not ‘fashion’, Mats has created an emporium of clothing, stylish not fashionable. Not too say that this store is out of sync with what is current, but for those looking to pick up something stylish that will last past the season (and let’s face it that is most of us).

Like many entrepreneurs, Mats found a problem in getting clothing of this quality and from distinguished names that have not adorned the rails of most stores in the UK, he spoke to GQ magazine of his issues in finding the right store for him:

“I had lived in London for over five years and I hadn’t really found that shop that I would go to and buy my own clothes. I thought, ‘If it doesn’t exist here, then why don’t I do one myself?’ I decided on Marylebone because it’s quite close to Paddington Station and the Heathrow Express. Lots of guys who are in London for business, bankers from New York, come by on their travels.”

I very much enjoyed my trip down Trunk and resisted buying up the entire downstairs but have made a definite note to take regular trips to fill up on the much-needed basics for the wardrobe. Mats talked to Purple Eagle about the opening of the new store and his plans for the business…

Oh, how Pinteresting!

So, I have come away for a week to North Norfolk and having found a suitable WiFi connection I went exploring for a quick and easy post for today.

A lot of you will know about Pinterest, but in case you have no idea what this fantastic website does, take a look at their ‘About‘ page to get the gist.

I stumbled across a wonderful Tumblr blog called ‘Convoy‘ and wanted to share some truly wonderful images and what better way to do this than ‘pin it’, Sister!

I love the Danish furniture in the images alongside the String shelving in the top image… a fantastic shelving system! The spur shelving in the other image is not so hot, but looks great alongside the white walls and solid wood furniture. I am sold.

If you are in search of some gorgeous images, do head over you Pinterest and get an account… then join in the fun when you spot something worth sharing.

Spazio Rossana Orlandi

Spazio Rossana Orlandi opened in 2002 in a former tie factory in Milan, Italy. La spazio winds around a green courtyard, divided between the two-floor store, where you can discover contemporary and vintage furniture and the wonderfully eclectic gallery, a space dedicated to limited editions and unique pieces.

Image courtesy NYTimes

Rossana Orlandi says that “the driving spirit behind Spazio Rossana Orlandi lies in the exploration and the discovery of all that is new and original in the world of interior design.”

Crane.tv interviewed Ms Orlandi during the Milan furniture fair this year…

Image courtesy of sjdesign.com.au

Continue reading…

St Leonards leather goods

I was tweeted the other day by a company called St Leonards who were agreeing with my overall philosophy to follow the slow movement and take the time to do something properly, to buy good quality goods that do not need replacing and are timeless.

How lovely for another company to be agreeing with this in these still-troubled times. So, I looked a little further and discovered their leather accessories…

Former product developer and designer for the High Street, “K” Avery-Stallion has bucked the system and started to design what she knows… which is stylish and understated. Having spent many years searching for the right production and taking her time to get the right materials and components together she sold her beloved vintage Figaro to fund the first prototype collection, sold the samples from the back of her fiance’s car to gain customers and valuable feedback and that gave her enough cash to make the leap of faith to launch as St Leonards at the Country Living Fair in November in 2010.

“By harnessing the wing power of the East Sussex seagull and combining it with the power of the draftsman’s hand and ruler, great bags can be wrought out of fine leather, and sold online, to you.”

She has a lot to offer on the website, including a blog and a magazine, lots of products with more to come… this is certainly one to watch if you are looking for the next mini-brand to pop up in leather goods. I am certainly considering a purchase!