JH- What can i say ? I’ve been dragged into the 21st Century via Instagram and I love it. For me it’s it is a way of doing market research, I’ve been at it since around 2016 and have been pretty constant. For me, art is about conveying a feeling, a moment, and an intense emotion, in whatever media that may be.
You’ve penned a quite marvellous book on the subject, entitled Mr Classic, but in a nutshell how would you define true style?
JH - It’s all about knowing what suits you and not being a slave to the latest fashion fads. Being dressed but not overdressed. He should always look as if he has dressed effortlessly.
Have you three style tips for a gentleman of discernment?
JH-Always invest in good shoes. Nothing ruins a good suit than cheap shoes. Better buy one great suit than three mediocre ones and always wear a self-tie bow tie
What’s the greatest mistake you can make?
JH - Not dressing your age. It's okay for your grandson to dress like his grandfather but not the other way around.
What are the attributes that make a gentleman a true gentleman?
JH-He should be self-deprecating, considerate, and caring.
What maxim do you yourself adhere to when it comes to clothing?
JH - Dress for yourself and not others.
Hackett Mayfair boasts an expert line of British tailoring; Hackett London, a diverse wardrobe of separates; and HKT, a new collection launched in 2019 to dress the millennial Hackett man. www.hackett.com
What’s your take on style ?
JH - My idea for my style is to just keep it simple, and keep it classic. I’m not bothered about fashion. If you follow fashion as a brand, then you don’t have a brand. You’re just another retailer. The whole point about a brand is that you have a point of view. I saw someone in the street the other day wearing a lilac corduroy suit, and it looked really great with green, really smart. I thought. We never do lilac. So I went and suggested it to the team and we added a lilac coloured shirt to the range.
Where do you find inspiration ?
JH-You have to pick up inspiration from around you. You have to keep things moving, but only with really great ideas. It’s not why you move it along; it’s how you move it along. There’s no point in pushing things forward just for the sake of making things different. People come back to our brand for the same classic items every year- I’m sure they wouldn’t be happy if we started messing with all the classic cuts just for the sake of moving forward. I love the idea in clothing before this day and age, where everything had a purpose. You had work clothes, evening clothes, casual clothes, country clothes etc. But the secret in making it all work knows how to pull it all together with the right things. The right tweeds with the right tie etc. Of course, each to their own though. I hate being dictatorial about clothing choices. As long as it’s not trainers!
What is amazing though, is how your clothing has crossed all boundaries and classes.
JH-People used to say to me- mainly journalists looking for angle - what I thought of all these hooligans and thugs wearing my clothes. So I used to say ‘Well, you will see our clothing everywhere from the Italian terrasse to the football terraces, so I don’t see a problem.’ Which always took the wind out of their sails. I grew up outside the whole thing of middle class and all that, so I never really looked twice or turned my nose up at anyone.
Were you always interested in style?
JH – Yes, I can remember the first suit I wore and the first suit I had made – it was a Mod suit with the longer jacket and the flaps on the pockets. I had the scooter to go with it although I didn’t cover it in mirrors I kept it pretty classic . I’ve always had this attraction to form and shape.
I see that your Instagram page is doing well.