Man/Men launched - manufacturing menswear UK

Thursday saw the launch at Private White VC in Lamb's Conduit Street in London of Man/Men - a journal celebrating the manufacture of menswear and accessories in the UK.

Image Jonathan Daniel Pryce

At the risk of retelling the story told below, Man/Men is the brainchild of talented photographer Jonathan Daniel Pryce who, knowing my interest in British-made, approached me to contribute the text to his beautiful images of manufacture in the UK.

Given the last-minute rush up to the launch, we've been overwhelmed by the interest. Over 150 people attended the launch party and we've really appreciated the good wishes and appreciative comments about the journal. Man/Men will be handed out free at London Collections:Men this week, so please pick up a copy if you're in London. If not, Man/Men will be on its own website soon. Some of Jonathan's images are on display at Private White VC next week.

Jonathan and I are planning a great future for Man/Men. A quick glance at my list of suppliers of UK menswear and accessories shows that the task of covering them all could take many years - we have much to do. Please get in touch (by e-mail) with any questions, comments or suggestions - we would love to hear from you.

With many thanks to Private White VC for their help and support.

Man/Men: Manufacturing Menswear - Journal of British Craftsmanship launched

Some months ago I was approached by renowned photographer, Jonathan Daniel Pryce, to help him with a project to produce a journal, Man/Men, celebrating British-made menswear. Readers will know my enthusiasm for this subject; my database of suppliers of UK-made menswear and accessories has become a major, and much-visited, part of Grey Fox Blog.

Combining Jonathan's skills with the camera and my contribution towards the text, Man/Men is planned to be the first of a series of celebrations of those who genuinely manufacture menswear and accessories in the UK. We have uncovered fascinating stories of people and businesses working hard to rebuild the UK's world-renowned manufacturing skills. The journal looks great, combining superb images with informative text.

Here is how Jonathan announced the project on his blog GarconJon. His  comments mirror my thoughts on the subject -

'I'm excited to finally be sharing a new project that's been in the making for over the past 6 months. MAN/MEN documents a journey across the UK to factories and studios looking behind the brands who manufacture in the UK. For the past few years I've been particularly interested in labels that make in the UK, buying basics from Sunspel and shoes from brands like Grenson, but it was really at the first London Collections: Men in summer 2012 that my brain began ticking over about what brands are truly British. 

There are three key driving factors behind this MAN/MEN project:

- Legally any brand can label their products as 'Made in the UK' if the finishing treatments to the product are completed here. For example, a jacket could be constructed overseas but if the buttons are added here, it's 'Made in the UK'.
- In the past 10 years the push towards 'heritage' has been huge, meaning brands with months of history slap an 'established in' logo in serif font.
- There's a real lack of understanding and appreciation of design crafted in the UK by British men. My international peers, particularly those from Japan and South Korea, have a great love of British design and a deep knowledge of which brands produce where in the UK. This fetishisation of British style has not returned home.

These three points have come up in conversation time and again over the past few years. There are many great blogs doing factory visits but there isn't one location where all this information is shared.

I'm excited to also be working alongside David Evans from Grey Fox Blog, a man with great knowledge of British brands and a discerning eye for style. Together, we'll be showing a selection of our favourite brands - those manufacturing menswear with integrity that doesn't compromise design. 

Next week a new blog ManMen.uk will go live - a platform we'll be updating with new factory visits, interviews and photoshoots. We'll be officially launching at London Collections: Men with a free journal handed to show-goers on Monday 15th June.

We're hosting a pre-launch event and exhibition on Thursday 12th in Private White VC on Lamb's Conduit Street. As the PWVC brand makes all their clothing in Manchester, they're the perfect location for the MAN/MEN journal launch. If you're available, come along and say 'hello' - RSVP to Riccardo@FinchandPartners.com.'

In the meantime, follow up at @ManMenUK on Instagram and Twitter. We're always looking for new suggestions of great British craft so let us know who you appreciate.

Jonathan and I look forward to seeing many of you at the launch on Thursday.