Sleevehead Briefing on Alfred Dunhill

I’m pleased to announce that the first Sleevehead Briefing has been published and the topic is the quintessential English menswear brand Alfred Dunhill. This is a follow-up to my recent article and homage to Dunhill as the world’s first modern luxury brand. Too often, luxury brands are described breezily and superficially. Brands like Dunhill, Chanel …

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An homage to Alfred Dunhill – the world’s first modern luxury brand

On or about December 1910 human character changed. Virginia Woolf, Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown (1924) History is rarely a linear and logical progression of events. The insular and exclusive world of luxury brands is a case in point. If you were to name the biggest and most famous luxury brand today, most of us …

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How to understand Sicilian tailoring through food

Many thanks to Tim Mureau for forwarding this video by Paul Hollywood. The video is not only a wonderful introduction to Sicilian food such as cannoli, cassata, arancini and street food but also to Sicilian history. What is less well-known is that understanding Sicilian food is perhaps the ideal way to understand the uniqueness of Sicilian …

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How to support craft in the wake of COVID-19

Beyond the public health impact, the current pandemic has also disrupted the global economy at all levels from ordinary citizens to the world’s largest companies. But it has become clear that some of the hardest hit economically are small businesses, especially craft-related ones. For me, a key question is how to support craft in this coronavirus …

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State of the art – Montecristi Panama hats

I enjoyed reading this excellent New York Times piece summarizing the current state of Panama hats, which, contrary to its name, originates in Ecuador. The finest versions of this classic hat are made near the town of Montecristi. Traditional weaving of Panama hats involves no machines – just hands, eyes and enormous focus. The author …

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