Hardy Amies was a snob, a devastating wit and a brilliant businessman, who hauled himself up to the top of the British establishment from very modest beginnings. He was also a skilled boxer, served with Special Ops in WWII, and designed the costumes in ‘2001: Space Odyssey’. His book, ‘The ABC of Men’s Fashion; features this sartorial wisdom, ‘A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten about them.’
The new store is designed with this in mind. An early pioneer of ready-to-wear, Amies would have approved of the casually tailored separates and suits from new creative director Mehmet Ali. Overall, the offer sits somewhere in the middle of the formality spectrum: perfect for the modern day boxer/ spy/ arbiter of taste. The founder’s eclecticism is expressed via a curated area of British craftsmanship, offering everything from Brooks saddles to Abbeyhorn shoehorns.