Hot and Covered...Monocle for Oliver Spencer Oxford Shirts

Quality, Practicality and Invention


-the portastylistic

Monocle X

Oliver Spencer

Monocle, aka the only magazine success story of 2009, have collaborated with Oliver Spencer on a set of oxford shirts. They’ve had a few collab missteps lately (yes, we mean those awful Beams watches) but with this and the recent Bill Amberg collab, it looks they’ve got their mojo back. The shirts themselves are available in white and blue and they’re strictly limited edition (60 in each colour). They’ll be available in Oliver Spencer and Monocle’s physical and online stores from early September.

Three principles that form the foundation of English designer Oliver Spencer’s collections. These are three attributes that are believed to be shared by the global affairs magazine, Monocle, and are perfectly represented by their upcoming partnership. The collaboration on a Oliver Spencer signature Oxford shirt are available in white or blue and strictly limited to 60 in each color, the range is made from the highest quality 275 GSM cotton. The tailoring takes the classic Oxford and adds Spencer’s signature slim cuff, divided pen/passport chest pocket and a hidden card/cash pocket in the side seam for those trips to far-flung destinations. Available exclusively from Oliver Spencer’s stores in New York, London and the web alongside the Monocle shops in LA and London.

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Interview with Monocle

SARTORIALISTS

OLIVER SPENCER
-London

Preface

These three businesses are blazing a trail in fashion retailing - either through the inspired makeover of a heritage brand, a cleverly curated mix of labels or modern-classic fashion shown in an inspiring retail environment.

London's Lamb's Conduit Street is a rare beast: an entire high street in central London that, apart from a lone Starbucks, is chain free. It is also home to a parade of menswear stores, including Oliver Spencer.

Spencer moved here because he found "a great shop with potential, a real sense of community". And then there are the potential clients. "There are a lot of badly dressed lawyers in the area," he says. The great potential he refers to was a big old greengrocers that was in a terrible state. Today, with its restored Victorian façade, it looks as though it's been lovingly cared for over many decades. Inside, Spencer's collection is hung among displays of butterflies and anatomical models. "I want it to be a cross between the Royal Geographical Society and a classroom - a little challenging," he smiles.

Spencer started in fashion retail in 1991 when he launched Favourbrook, a company that specialises in traditional wedding garb. Over time, however, he started making very different clothes for friends and favoured Favourbrook customers. It was still very British clothing, often inspired by military and hunting outfits, but was also casual, unconstructed and in fabrics that looked good even when a little crumpled. Also it wasn't about fashion - the same garments often remain season after season.

Soon the collection - officially launched in 2002 - was being wholesaled. High-speed sales in the US led New York's celebrated retailer Odin to offer Spencer a store in the city - it opened in 2006. The clothes are made in the UK and Portugal; up to 50 per cent of the fabric is from UK mills. Mixed in with his collection are pieces by Margaret Howell, Nice Collective and Sunspel.

With several more shops rumoured to be looking for premises on his new home turf, Spencer is cautious that the street could get too successful. He's also hunting for more space and hopes to open another London outlet soon.

As well as the lawyers needing a makeover, it would be good if the owners of London's department stores paid a visit. They might realise there's a vast market of male shoppers sick of trawling spaces that look like cheap nightclubs, where customers over 20 feel alien and staff know little about their product. This classroom-inspired space could teach them all a lesson or two.

issue 16 . volume 02 . September 2008

Credits
Writer: Andrew Tuck
Photographer: Roderick Aichinger
Additional reporting: Erika Larsen

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Q&A

OLIVER SPENCER

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Preface

Oliver Spencer, a Monocle favourite, has found a tailored way to branch out into e-retail.

What were your concerns when putting the brand online?
For the shop, I worked with tradesmen and chose every last hook and hanging rail. Online, you have to relinquish some control, so getting the right people to translate your vision is essential.

Why establish an online presence now?
The decision was purely down to the brand – rather than the economic climate. It’s a natural continuation of what we’re about, which is building a complete lifestyle around the brand.

What opportunities and risks does online present to fashion and retail?
The concerns about e-commerce are valid because the lack of boundaries online brings challenges as well as opportunities. Websites should never be an alternative to the shopkeeper model of retail and I still want people to come and gulp the air in store. Department stores in the UK have forgotten what good service means. We are concentrating on being good shopkeepers – both in store and online.

Issue 24 . volume 3 . June 2009

monocle.com

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AW09 Menswear Collection

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Autumn Winter 2009 sees Oliver Spencer further explore his vision of the modern gent at sea.

more on...oliverspencer

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All about

OLIVER SPENCER

Oliver Spencer is a man and a fashion brand. Oli, the man, is a designer, a self-taught tailor, a switched-on, hands-on creative. The brand is an expression of modern man; his tastes, his touch, his style.

The Foundation

Oli founded the label in 2002. He wanted a collection that mirrored his own wardrobe: a bridge between popular streetwear and traditional tailoring. Quality fabrics. Modern fits. Old-school construction. Characteristic details. Exquisite craftsmanship. The recipe abides.

The result is wearable, interesting, elegant clothes that are brilliantly put together. Oli's passion is there in every piece. It's his name above the door: he's striving for quality, out there sourcing the fabrics and the buttons and overseeing how it's all sewn. It's why even one Oliver Spencer garment can refresh a wardrobe, make you smile and set you apart.



Oli’s inspiration

Oli draws inspiration from hunting and the military. He adapts bits of Americana and ideas from Japan into his cool, English aesthetic. He admires Sandy Powell, costume designer for the Martin Scorsese movies Gangs of New York and The Aviator, as much as any fashion designer.

Oliver Spencer has grown up in its seven years, adopted by the world's best shops. Oli took a standalone New York shop for Oliver Spencer in 2006, in partnership with top U.S. retailer Odin. In 2008, he opened the doors of a second shop, in London, and introduced his womenswear collection.



A modern British brand

There is no escaping the fact that Oliver Spencer is a modern British brand. More than half the line is made in the UK. Oliver Spencer clothes are worn by music icons, from The Rolling Stones to Paul Weller and The Doves, and by movie stars from Orlando Bloom to Benicio Del Toro.
Welcome

So... welcome to the Oliver Spencer website. The whole collection is on show here, to view, enjoy and to buy. Plus, you can keep abreast of Oli's news, and meet some of his fans and friends.



oliverspencer.co.uk

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“ Absolutely Perfect!
Now Monocle does everything will be all popular.”

I think the little button on the pocket is cute. i also love button down collars, more of a casual look, and the button on the pocket adds a little spice to the shirt. it’s a great way to put a small spin on a great classic – oxford shirts.

-the portastylistic