HandCut Radio

This episode is a poignant one. Yes, believe it or not, this is the final episode of HandCut Radio. After three years and more than 50 episodes, we’re hanging up our microphones to pursue new projects.But, before we go, we wanted to respond to one frequent request that’s come up while we’ve made this podcast. A surprising number of you have been in touch to ask whether someone could possibly interview Aleks, and now they have. For this special sign-off episode we asked Paul Croughton, editor-in-chief of the Robb Report to quiz our host on everything we’ve learned in speaking to so many fascinating and successful people for HandCut Radio. A huge thank you to Paul from the whole team here for taking some time out to record this finale episode.We very much hope you enjoy.

We could think of no better way to wrap up this season of HandCut Radio than by revisiting an old guest, Mark Cho, co-founder of The Armoury and co-owner of Drake’s. We’ve called this episode “Mark Cho’s take on 2022” because a lot of the themes we explore – the ‘casualisation’ of style, the different ways men are reinventing suiting, the danger of hype and the saturation of everyone’s attention – feel very relevant to the moment we find ourselves in. We hope you’ll agree that this is a fitting end to our sixth season.As always, thank you very much indeed for your support and for tuning in. Don’t forget to let us know what you think – leave us a review or drop us a DM.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Mark Cho — Website | Instagram[0

This week we’re bending the rules of our New York style season slightly, by interviewing fellow Brit, Jason Jules. Regardless, his new book Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style is extremely pertinent to this season’s theme, given its concern with mid-century American style. Aleks and Jason explore Black Ivy in this episode, of course, but we also hear about Jason’s fascination for cultural trend-spotting, his passion for jazz music and his admiration for progressive rap culture. It’s a fascinating conversation, this. We hope you enjoy it.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Jason Jules — Instagram[05:28] Duffer of St. George[07:58] Lynne Franks[10:12] Honey (magazine, defunct)[15:36] John Coltrane, Giant Steps[16:02] Dizzy Gillespie [18:06] Fre

Imagine that you’re a young, 20-something clothing designer, and you’re self-funding the growth of your label. It’s going well and you’ve invested heavily in your next collection. Then, picture an overnight flash-flood, a warehouse filled with more than three feet of water, and half that collection being written off. Peter Middleton, the founder of Wythe, found himself in that very position less than a year ago.We wanted to talk to him about what the rollercoaster of building a young brand is like, and how he bounced back from this huge challenge. We also explore the formula that’s making Wythe an up-and-coming American menswear gem, and how Peter’s background in textile design informs everything he does.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show N

This is the first of two ‘three years on’ episodes we’re featuring this season, with American brands that featured on HandCut Radio in the podcast’s infancy. Regular listeners will know that we’ve always admire Nicholas Ragosta and Agyesh Madan at Stòffa, and their work in building a luxury brand that’s as responsible as it is beautifully curated. In this conversation, we deep dive into how they’ve evolved the business over the course of the pandemic; introducing an impressive made-to-order e-commerce proposition, new limited edition collaborative “editions” of special products, and we touch on some of their pioneering responsible textile research, too.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Stòffa — Website | Instagram[29:57] 11.11[43:50]

This week HandCut Radio is coming to you from inside the pastel pink walls of F.E. Castleberry’s Greenwich Village atelier, as Aleks sits down with the brand’s founder, Fred Castleberry. Known for his creative, fashion-forward take on made-to-measure tailoring, and the dreamlike aesthetic of his campaigns, Fred has created a cult-brand with a razor-sharp point of view. He tells us about his grounding in design at Ralph Lauren, how he creates characters for all his campaigns, and why he sees clothes as conduits for different parts of his identity.We hope you enjoy listening, please do leave us a review if you like what you hear!---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:F.E. Castleberry — Instagram | Website[03:37] Rugby Ralph Lauren[04:54] Un

This week’s episode of our New York City special is something of a departure from our normal service, in that it’s much more about storytelling than menswear. You can blame Aleks for this; the chance to quiz Air Mail deputy editor and New York Times bestselling author Michael Hainey on on his extraordinary career was just too much to handle.So, in this conversation Aleks explores Hainey’s career, gets his take on ‘finding your voice’, and hears Hainey’s thoughts on why the best journalists write up what they see, rather than what they think. The pair also chat through Hainey’s cathartic experience in writing his extraordinary memoire, After Visiting Friends.If you enjoy listening, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and leave us a five star review – it boosts us up the podcast charts, and helps other listeners to discover HandCut Radio.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored

Fun fact: when we decided to visit New York for this season of HandCut Radio, one name came up time and again: “you’ve gotta speak to Ouigi”, “oh, you’re headed to NYC, well then, make sure you speak to Ouigi…” So, we did.Ouigi Theodore is a pillar of the NYC style scene, and the founder of much-loved store, The Brooklyn Circus. He speaks to Aleks about his pre-menswear career as a party promoter, explains why he’s building a community-driven “100 Year Plan”, and he talks about why life is all about how you dress to show up. ---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Ouigi Theodore — Instagram | Website[01:28] The Brooklyn Circus[03:36] Stevie Wonder[03:39] Earth, Wind & Fire[04:07] Brian Davis on HandCut Radio[04:58] Stony Brook Universi

“The clothes that we think of as elitist came from a place of fun and irreverence,” says Jack Carlson, founder of New York based indie brand, Rowing Blazers. Over the past six years, Carlson and his team have democratised the clothes most associated with stuffy Ivy League and Oxbridge sporting institutions, giving them a new lease of life. We talk about this at length this week, as Aleks explores just how Jack has built a brand that feels fresh and inclusive as opposed to elitist and stuffy. Thanks for tuning in as always, we hope you enjoy listening.  ---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Rowing Blazers — Website | Instagram[09:35] College of Arms[13:35] Rowing Blazers by Jack Carlson [book][19:18] Barbour x Rowing Blazers[20:42] FILA x

This week, Aleks meets Brian Davis, the founder of cult vintage American menswear store, Wooden Sleepers. Brian talks openly and honestly about the rollercoaster ride he experienced during the pandemic, which culminated in the closure of his beloved Red Hook store. He also talks about how life as a father has changed him, and why post-lockdowns, Wooden Sleepers 2.0 is the best its ever been. This episode has to be one of our all-time favourites, we hope you enjoy listening.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Brian Davis — Instagram | Website[02:30] Wooden Sleepers[05:08] Thrasher (magazine)[05:11] TransWorld SKATEboarding (magazine)[05:12] Big Brother (magazine)[05:46] Kurt Cobain[14:19] A Continuous Lean[14:20] Selectism [21:01] Sid M

Welcome to Season Six of HandCut Radio, our New York City Special. We’re kicking off the season with a creative heavyweight we’ve wanted to meet for years: Brendon Babenzien. Aleks speaks to the co-founder of Noah and creative director of J.Crew Men’s about why he thinks Preppy Style has been hijacked, how the Noah design team create for individuals rather than trends, and why the fashion industry’s attitude of “it’s not personal” needs wholesale change. He also hints at what we can expect from his first collection for J.Crew Men’s, which will be unveiled in the autumn.If you enjoy listening, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.---Show Notes:Brendon Babenzien

This week is the final episode in our four-part mini-season with Portman Marylebone. Ending on a high, Aleks sits down with Charlie Casely-Hayford, the owner and creative director at esteemed British menswear brand, Casely-Hayford London. Fellow fashionistas will doubtless know that Charlie inherited the brand from his father, the late, great, Joe Casely Hayford OBE, who sadly passed away in 2019 and was one of the most influential British designers of his generation.Today, Charlie is continuing to evolve the business in his father’s stead and speaks to Aleks about how the brand continues to be informed ‘by a conversation between father and son’. We also touch on the brand’s deft blending of high fashion and tailoring craft and explore how Charlie finds inspiration in both high and low culture – and everything in-between.If you enjoy listening, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation. Please do rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or subscribe to HCR on Spot

This week, Aleks sits down with Olivia Francis, the founder of luxury men’s underwear and loungewear brand, Hamilton & Hare. Olivia is on a campaign to elevate men’s undies, and to get men thinking about the importance of their underwear drawer in a very different way; valuing quality, longevity and comfort every bit as highly as you would in a pair of shoes or a handmade suit.We hear about her decision to leave advertising to establish her own business, talk about the highs and lows of life as a sole founder, and explore the art of making boxer shorts without compromise. Thank you as always for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the episode!Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation. Please do rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or subscribe to HCR on Spotify, either action helps to boost us up the podcast charts.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.This episode is produced in par

This week Aleks sits down with Paul Simons, co-owner of the iconic Ivy League style destination, John Simons on Chiltern Street in Marylebone. In the ‘60s, John was the ‘OG’ importer and populariser of the American Ivy League look in the UK and over the past five decades or so, John Simons has built up a cult following as a preppy menswear destination.Today, Paul manages the business day-to-day, and we sat down together to hear the brand’s story from the horses’s mouth. We chat about John’s early years in business and the significance of the Ivy look, Paul’s experience of growing up as an ‘Ivy kid’ and we explore the cultural differences between American and English Ivy style too.Follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation. Please do rate and review us on Apple Podcasts too, or subscribe to HCR on Spotify — either action helps to boost us up the podcast charts and we really do appreciate the support!---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James

This week’s episode is the first of four produced in partnership with Portman Marylebone (@portmanmarylebone). We sit down with Rachel Wythe-Moran and Simon Watkins, the co founders of cult design store Labour & Wait.Rachel and Simon began their careers in men’s style before opening what they call ‘their ideal general store’ in 2000. We talk to them both about why they left the seasonal world of fashion to move at their own pace, what they look for in a well-designed product, and why a slow, guarded approach to growth has served them well for all these years. We really enjoyed this conversation, and hope you’ll enjoy an interview with a slightly different kind of business this week.If you enjoy listening, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation. Please do rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or subscribe to HCR on Spotify, either action helps to boost us up the podcast charts.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of Jame

Jeremy Langmead is arguably one of the most influential figures in British men’s lifestyle media today. He began his career working in prestigious newspapers like the Sunday Times and Evening Standard, before editing Wallpaper and Esquire magazines, and of course he was the founding editor at Mr Porter, where we are about to pick up the story.We quizzed Jeremy on just what it was like to launch the first seriously big multi-brand e-tailor, heard about some of his many challenges and learnings along the way, and we get his take on the perils of navigating digital media in this frankly crazy landscape. All that and more besides over the next 45 minutes.If you enjoy listening, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio, and get involved in the conversation. Please do rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or subscribe to HCR on Spotify, either action helps to boost us up the podcast charts.---HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, the London based creative office of James Allen. Our theme music is by Joe B

Our final conversation of Season Four is a fun one. Lizzie Radcliffe is the Head Cutter at Lot.1 – Levis’ bespoke denim service tucked away in the heart of London’s Soho.Whether you’re into bespoke craft, proper denim or luxury retail Lizzie’s story is a fascinating one; she joined Lot.1 following a bespoke tailoring apprenticeship with legend of the game Edward Sexton, and over a seven-year period, she’s taken Lot 1 from being just herself in the corner of a Levi’s store to a dedicated denim tailoring workshop with five craftspeople working on her team.She’s also been instrumental in rolling out Levis’s bespoke service around the world, in cities like Paris and Toyko. We loved chatting to her, and thought this would be just the episode to sign off with this year. As always, we hope you enjoy, and we’ll see you for Season Five in the spring.---Show Notes:Lizzie Radcliffe — Website[05:15] Edward Sexton[05:48] Davide Taub, Gieves & Hawkes[09:09] Brompton Bikes[09:22] Rapha[13:40] Ametora: How Japan Saved Am

This week, Aleks sits down with one of London’s most intriguing young tailors, Fred Nieddu. Fred is a freelance bespoke tailor, pattern cutter and head cutter at Timothy Everest, a fresh-thinking tailoring house in Shoreditch, east London.Alongside his tailoring work, Fred also takes on a lot of work for big TV and Film costume departments, including all the menswear for Netflix’s The Crown. So, he and Aleks chat through his round-about root into tailoring, the strange world of movie wardrobe departments, and why Fred thinks it’s crucial that craftspeople don’t get set in their ways.As always, we hope you enjoy listening. And, for more insight into Fred’ work, you can look us up on Instagram @handcutradio.--- HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, a London based creative agency. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.

Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney are the co-founders of Thom Sweeney, arguably Mayfair’s coolest tailor; offering bespoke and made-to-measure suiting, as well as a luxurious ready-to-wear collection that spans everything from double-breasted blazers to quilted cashmere parkas.The business is now 19-years-old, and Thom and Luke have built their brand from the ground up. In this episode, they talk Aleks through how they met and the winning formula they’ve developed over the years. As always, we hope you enjoy listening.---Show Notes:Thom Sweeney — Website | Instagram[03:05] Timothy Everest[05:24] LCF Pattern Cutting Course[10:43] DAKS[16:39] Graff[20:49] Thom Sweeney on Mr Porter[20:57] Toby Bateman[31:24] #TrueCharacter Campaign with Matt Smith--- HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, a London based creative agency. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.

In this interview, Aleks sits down with an old friend and long-time mentor, Christopher Modoo, who’s worked in London’s West End menswear scene for over 20 years.From designing for Savile Row tailors to consulting for heritage brands, Chris has done the lot. He’s also the co-founder of ready-to-wear tailored trouser brand, Kit Blake, so the pair explore why Chris’s latest venture has made such great strides so quickly.Chris isn’t short on an opinion, so this conversation is a curious romp through the sartorial world. As always, we hope you enjoy.---Show Notes:Christopher Modoo — Instagram[03:12] Kit Blake[03:52] Thomas Pink[06:00] Edward Green[06:18] Roderick Charles[06:32] 40 Savile Row[07:11] Richard James[07:17] Cad & The Dandy[07:17] James Sleater on HCR[07:20] SuitSupply[07:58] Ede & Ravenscroft, 1689[12:12] Chester Barrie[12:21] Edward Sexton[13:52] Richard Wheat[15:22] Kit Blake, Aleksander Trouser[16:49] L’Etiquette Magazine[26:53] Ozwald Boateng[28:06] Adret[35:03] Richard James--- HandCut Ra