Campaign for Wool

On a night when London's towers and spires are shrouded in a most Sherlockian fog, I shall roll back some weeks, to shine a light on October 1st, and the reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton, to wrap up his championing of HRH the Prince of Wales' "Campaign for Wool".

Please note a reference in the photograph above to "the finest quality wool garments" - that'll be us and our generous clothiers of distinction (read on)!!

To recap, the Lord Mayor of the CIty of London, David Wootton, is a Yorkshireman and proud of it. So he was happy to take up the cause, and in so doing, help the mills of his birthplace. During the year he held office at the Mansion House palace he hosted a rolling exhibition of designers doing their best with British wool. You may recall - and if you never knew you can find the full story in the blog back in January - that the invitation was issued to Paul  Smith, Hardy Amies, Anderson & Sheppard, Margaret Howell and your 'umble thimble thumbed tailors from Bedlam. Rumour has it, word's on the street, that our pieces were the most popular / inspired the most conversation and so it was that we were asked to create three more pieces for the wrapping up party.

Now much as this was a great honour and pleased us very much, we were anxious that our less than abundant resources were going into creating clothes on spec for one night, with no assured sale awaiting them. Philip and Martin at Crescent Trading had generously sponsored us for the earlier round of Mansion House events so we didn't want to bother them again (although we made sure they were invited to the event) and so we went to A.W. Hainsworth from Pudsey in West Yorkshire http://hainsworth.co.uk/

Abimelech (now there's a name) Hainsworth, aka ‘Old Bim’, started his clothiers business in 1783. The ancient importance of wool to the British economy and society is set out on the company's website:
"In Tudor England, wool was an important commodity that signified power and influence. So much so that Queen Elizabeth I insisted nobility took their oaths of loyalty kneeling on a woollen sack. Today, the Woolsack remains at the heart of Britain’s democracy and is now the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords, the Upper House of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The Woolsack is covered in Hainsworth cloth. "

For over two hundred years now they have been supplying the British Army with cloth. My skirt for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations this summer was made of the same scarlet wool they use to dress the Household Cavalry. Seven generations after its founding it is still a family owned company, with a host of Hainsworths on the board (though no Abimelechs currently I don't believe). So we put our case, with cap in hand, to Gill Rushton, manager of their Apparel fabrics, who had helped us solve the great Kersey hunt that had its own dedicated blog posting earlier in the year. She didn't hesitate in organising some beautiful black Barathea and some heavier facing cloth to be sent down for us to use. We were delighted that she was able to come down for the reception.

We were even more delighted and proud to have Philip Pittack and Martin Green in attendance on the night, not least because their warehouse, the source of so much of our fabric suffered a serious fire just days before. We had taken the Lady Mayoress herself for a visit and some fabric foraging. They "boys" rang us on the morning of the reception with the terrible news but assured us they would still attend. We jumped in the car wanting to make sure they were alright and bumped down Brick Lane to see them. Martin, normally a fashion plate with monocle and diamond tie pin, was stood in a puddle in gum boots and Barbour sporting a devastated demeanour, as did Philip. Behind them smouldered their life's work. What wasn't blackened and burnt or reeking of smoke was soaked with the firemen's hose and the rain that had poured through the hole in the roof.

We hoped it would be a little comfort to see their cloth made up into the white dinner jacket and tonic mohair suit later that evening. What we didn't know is that the Lady Mayoress would be wearing the suit made from fabric she had found there too. We hope they took some satisfaction from that and wish them back in business as soon as possible.

Mr Wesley preps the pieces for display at the reception. Dinner jacket in fine white wool from Crescent Trading (as is the beaters' fabric that makes up Mr Wesley's suit pictured).

Final adjustments are made in situ as my Pa reads about the people who helped us create them. Overcoat in Halcyon wool from Crescent Trading, piped in scarlet

The Lady Mayoress talks to my Ma & Pa, wearing a suit made from fabric she too found at Crescent Trading!

Gill Rushton from A.W. Hainsworth flanked by Martin and Philip of Crescent Trading - the first time they had smiled in a week Philip said. My tipsy parents shore up the group.

There were other contributions that made our display possible. The Bumble Bee jacket and the South Coast Special suit are both lined in sumptuous pure silk, in runny hunny golden yellow. This was generously supplied by Pongees http://www.pongees.co.uk/ and we are most grateful to James and Will for that.

Lady C, that's me, with Will at the Pongees showroom

The Toscana lamb fleece that makes the collar of the Bumble Bee jacket so snuggly was provided by waspish Malcolm at Walter Reginald by the old docks at Wapping - http://www.walterreginald.com/about

Mr Wesley in the "South Coast Special" two piece suit made from tonic mohair that came from Crescent Trading - this is what Ace Face (Sting's role in Quadrophenia) would have worn when he was older and earning more dough

The shell buttons are like vinyl records left in the sun

A flash of the pure silk lining - a pop of sunshine against the wool suiting that is more blue or black depending on how the light hits. Like a proper shiner, or the Brighton sea as the sun sets.

Thanks are also due once again to Tony Dodd the manager of Austin Reed across from Mansion House at 1, Poultry, who helped us out with shirts for the display http://www.austinreed.co.uk/fcp/departmenthome/dept/110anniversary?resetFilters=true

Much fun was had, much wine was drunk and so was I. We were enormously proud to be a part of it and cannot say too many times how grateful we are to those who helped us achieve that. We were mentioned in the Lord Mayor's speech and my mum and dad got to hear that (well, actually they didn't get to hear it, being more deaf than the marble pillars, but they were told). The next day we returned to break down the display and carry our clothes home. But not before Mr Wesley took a turn at the piano with the white double breasted dinner jacket, known as the "Bryan Ferry" -

All the News that's Fit to Print

With some big Bedlam related stories still under embargo, we'll tie up some loose ends with another monthly compendium magazine of round-ups.
We did a Sunday morning dawn dash up to Edinburgh to catch Nile Rodgers who was reading from his auto-biography at the Edinburgh Festival. It was many years ago I was last there, performing in a play at the Festival. The air was crisp and bright and clean, while the sky seemed much bigger than it does in London where it is broken up with towers and spires and con trails. With the newly invigorated touring schedule that Nile has embarked upon with Chic and the promotion for his book, it's been hard to find him in one place for more than five minutes but he was here for a whole three days. We presented him with what we hoped was indeed his finished suit. He put it on and emerged to pronounce it a fit. YOWZER YOWZER YOWZER!

Nile wasn't just in town to read from his book but had also, unbeknownst to us, been invited to compose a suite in F, along with other composers similarly assigned a key each to create a scale as listeners moved from shed to shed in the courtyard of the Summerhall Arts Centre. His suit, I told him, was our tribute to Duke Ellington. And guess who Nile's composition invoked? Strange is it not, or not, how separate intentions and inventions weave together to make harmony.

An extract from the text in the musical hut hosting Nile's  Suite in F

Conclusion of the accompanying text

Having visited the musical installation we went inside to attend a runway show by Danish designer Christina Borcher, showing at the first International Edinburgh Fashion Festival. The previous night, our old friend Pam Hogg had shown, and I was shin-kickingly disappointed that we missed her -
http://edinburghinternationalfashionfestival.com/eiff_people/pam-hogg/

I very much liked Christina's open umbrella skirts (below). We watched the show courtesy of my friend Merryn Somerset-Webb, editor of Money Week magazine, who now lives in the city. People have been extraordinarily surprised in the past that I should know Merryn, someone who can add up, and I'm not so jolly well sure they should be. Anyway, Nile had been talking about the millions of Live Aid money that still sits in a bank account that still no one knows how to distribute. There's not a lot hungry people in a dust bowl can do with a fistful of dollars, that is if corrupt agencies or militia haven't grabbed them first. With calm brilliance, Merryn then pronounced quietly (but firmly, as is her way, possessed of a natural, dignified gravitas as she is) - "Turn it all into gold, give the people who need it an ingot of gold. Everyone knows what to do with gold."
This reminded me that I have put an ounce of gold in a very safe place and now can't find it, accordingly unable to do anything with it.
http://info.moneyweek.com/information/the-moneyweek-team

oops forgot skirt

Skirt refound

We then scooted back across the city in time to watch Nile be interviewed by Irving Welsh, the genial ex-junkie author of "Trainspotting". We got to bed late and were up in the dark for the first flight back to London in the morning. Ouf.

Mr Wesley with Mr Welch

Now behold that photo above, for it contains a void that artifice has now filled. Dear readers, we have the technology, we can rebuild him:

Mr Wesley is now ready for his close-up. See his new smile below.

Meanwhile I had some limelight thrust upon me when a young man was stabbed outside of the shop. I have been reprimanded for employing the cliché, "I only did what anyone would do," but more important than my hackneyed soundbite is to clarify that what was heartening about an otherwise dispiriting experience is that so many people stopped and did what they could to help rather than crossing the road. Two men in particular, whose names I did not get, did not falter in attending to the victim, despite the considerable gore. Other people gave chase and apprehended the perp while we tended to the vic. The emergency services arrived in time (and it did take a time) and CSI Bedlam was then established.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/frenzied-rush-hour-knife-attack-yards-from-tube-station-8104024.html

As a result of that incident, I confess I came over somewhat Classical Roman and concluded that when the gutters run red with blood, it truly is time to get the hell outta Dodge. But more on that in the next posting, which shouldn't be long now.

More press came grace a la belle Stephanie, our sterling friend since we were introduced through the late great Tutu and her Breast Cancer t-shirt project. Helping to compile the Sunday Times 10th anniversary edition of "Style" magazine, she proposed our t-shirt of Pussy Riot lead singer Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. That duly wound up on the "Hot List" and has since sold like a hot cake, da da indeed:

Add caption

Here's the Sunday Times piece - confess I'm coveting the Russian red Carven skirt beneath our shirt:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=433437840027172&set=a.158114807559478.27567.157642327606726&type=1&theater

The same weekend my old pal Goldie was off to Moscow to spin some rekkids so I intercepted his trajectory and gave him a couple of Pussy Riot tees to take. Arriving before him in the designated drop-off café I chose a table outside, forgetting that he can't do anything under cover these days. A middle aged man in a not terribly great suit at the table next to us came over all girlish and interrupted to ask if he could have his picture taken with him. Here's G in his Bedlam motorcycle club tee having just juked me in the ribs:

The ten year anniversary thing for "Style" magazine had me somewhat confused as I am very old and know for a fact it's been around for at least twenty. The one time editor Jeremy Langmead, now director of Net-a-Porter's menswear section Mr Porter - http://www.mrporter.com/ - published my first feature - at the time the most words ever run in the mag, which they ran over two weeks. What I think they meant to say last weekend then was "Hurrah it's the ten year anniversary of the editorship of Tiffanie Darke!" but someone edited it down. At least the redoubtable AA Gill articulated what I was thinking in his restaurant review in that / "our"issue, reassuring me I hadn't gone bonkers. It was his lovely other half, "The Blond" - Nicola Formby who, sat next to me mid hair-do at Nicky Clarke's salon all those years ago, launched my feature writing "career" when she thought the story I was telling Rupert le Coiff was so hilarious I had to write it down. My "career" has since more followed in the path of Peter Ustinov, who, when asked what was meant by his tag "raconteur" replied, "a story teller who can't be bothered to write it down". It's not so much "can't be bothered" as "haven't got two quiet minutes" these days.

There was no such obfuscation regarding the celebrations of "Luxure" magazine's fifth anniversary - it was what it said on the packet. or rather, the five covers they commissioned to mark the occasion. A marvellous bash was held at the Ivy, where we practically have our own coat pegs now - that'll be twice in as many months, no wonder there's no time for writing:

http://www.luxuremagazine.com/

We were immensely proud that of all the get ups with which his wardrobe must surely groan, CEO of the magazine Phil Tucker chose to wear Bedlam's "Tectonic" pinstripe. It was also his birthday being celebrated that night. The ballerina-coverstar who danced for the guests wore diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels. 

Mr Wesley and Mr Tucker

Messrs. Wesley & Tucker flanked by Maxim the Russian jeweller and his wife

My favourite dress of the night, on the right

Oneself in Stephen Jones hat with Simon Salter

AND BEHOLD THE SMILE! ECCO DENTUS!!! -

You are familiar with hisshelf on the left. Josh works on the mag and is a neighbour of Bedlam, indeed shared the  knifing outside the shop experience with me

Doing the hokey-kokey - putting it in, shaking it about: Reggie, editor of the magazine, in the white suit with his angels inc. Simone in the white shimmy dress, Phil's missus

So that's your lot for now, stand by for a Bedlam Bulletin later this week (eyes crossed).

Postcard from Summer, and redirected mail

Summer's on the run, even if it did visit in disguise this year. We grabbed a blast of oven door heat in the South of France chez Mark's mum and dad, up in the hills behind Cannes, to coincide with Nile playing Juan les Pins, the chi-chi seaside resort, with Chic. This was to be Ocean's first ever concert and I'm not sure how it will ever be topped. We dressed him in a "Le Freak" tee naturally - we hadn't made children's sizes so it was more of a dress on him - and as soon as Nile's tech spotted le petit fana he was hauled up on stage. Unfazed by the long lenses and exuberant crowd of thousands he busted his robot dance, in flip-flops to boot. As the sun set on the beautiful Riviera, twinkle twinkle, a little star / stage struck monster was born -

Nile clocks the pint sized stage invasion

Getting into the groove

It took some cajoling and then a stern "OI! COME HERE!" to get Ocean to leave the stage 
and go to proud daddy (Mark in the lower left corner) 

Finding the limelight an uncommonly agreeable sensation - his face was a study in stunned joy, his body swiftly galvanised into interpretive dance when they played the opening bars of his favourite song "We Are Family" - Ocean didn't immediately understand that he was a guest in someone else's show: "BUT I KNOW THIS ONE TOO!" he protested.
Well quite, that's the thing about Nile's catalogue - you DO know them all, and can't quite believe that one man is behind so much of the soundtrack of our lives. The carrot was dangled that he would most probably get to go back on for the finale. Sure enough, flanked by the beauty of Kimberly and Folami, the Chic ladies, swept up on their soaring voices and trapped in the vortex of funk spun by Mr Rodgers, Ocean took centre stage as the show reached its peak.

The mini-groover (Ocean to Chic as Bez to Happy Mondays? http://www.happymondaysonline.com/ ) then took his bow with the band, slapped hands along the crowd at the front of the stage, and sauntered off into the wings. Worried that he might be in the way, and that heavy flight cases would soon be flying about as Kool and the Gang prepared to go on next, I shoved Mr Wesley through the hordes of happy faces to get back stage as fast as we could. Progress was slow but eventually we arrived sweaty and dishevelled in the catering area for the artists. No sign of him there so up another staircase to the dressing rooms where I asked a humourless homme de sécurité (I know, they're not paid to be funny) if he had seen a little boy. "Oui Madame," he replied, "He is through there with Monsieur Rodgers and His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco. You cannot pass. You must wait."
I'll leave you to visualise the vous-devez-rigoler look I gifted him in return for that terse instruction. At that very moment, Peter, Nile's road manager, walked out and said "Come in!"

Dragging Ocean away despite his insistence that he was needed on stage with Kool and his Gang, we discussed stage wear with Kimberly and Folami - that we hope to be making for them - before I got my own hit of  fabulous by singing a while with Liza Minnelli's piano player, the lovely Arnaud Fusté-Lambezat, but that's another story. Then we said our goodnights to wind our way along the unlit hairpin-twisty unbarriered narrow roads with precipitous drops back up into the dark hills. It was a long and scary drive in case you missed the subtext there and my tired eyes were wide with terror. In the back seat, however, one little boy, who was "not sleepy at ALL" with the adrenalin of the experience, had eyes as bright and wide as the moon.

Back at Bedlam's base camp, we were asked to provide the entertainment for a party thrown by our friend and client Matias at his house in Gloucestershire. We delivered a tip top trio - Shane Alessio on double bass, Andrea Marongiu on skins and Theo Jackson at the Bosendörfer (www.theojackson.com).  I sang a couple of numbers but Theo is not only the most accomplished pianist but has a voice to melt mountains too. Accordingly we are proud to announce another musical ambassador of Bedlam, this time one at the outset of his career. We are making him a waistcoat to wear on stage and hope our stars will rise together.

Theo Jackson and Shane Alessio

Andrea Marongiu on the drums

Don't leave your kit unguarded. The stage struck kid strikes again!

Another of our clients went for white on his mediterranean hols - Nick Etherington-Smith is pictured here at the Caserta Palace in southern Italy where he attended a party in his Bedlam evening jacket. The Baroque architectural masterpiece and a beautiful consort set off our work delightfully. Larger than Versailles, the name Caserta impinges rarely on the radar these days. Yet as well as its monumental scale and stunning execution it is not only where the Germans signed the unconditional surrender of their forces in Italy in 1945 but also did a turn as Queen Amidala's palace in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. They liked it so much they returned to use it again in Episode 2: Attack of the Clones as Queen Jamilla's palace. http://www.starwars.com/

And here is Natalie Portman on the same staircase as Nick, not wearing Bedlam but only cos we turned her down (but persevere Nat, we'll give in eventually):

So to sign-off our postcard of Summer, here were some more of our favourite snaps from late July and August. And here's some red hot news - as the season's moving on, so are we. We will shortly be announcing details of our relocation so as ever don't stray far from the trusty ticker-tape machine that feeds you your coded Bedlam bulletins.

The 1940s raffia satellite dish hat got an outing on Fréjus beach

Our lovely client and friend Megan heard me say I couldn't bear to think I'd lived in London during 2012 and not been to the Olympics. I'd've gone to Tiddliwinks by the penultimate day I was so desperate to interact. She duly offered me her spare ticket to the ladies' basketball final, USA vs. France. What a dame! And see kids, articulate your wishes, someone's always listening.

Thomas articulated his wish for a red pinstripe such as he had yearned for his whole life. It was our pleasure to create it!

Prepared for Autumn  - Peter and Jack coincided in the shop, here in their chosen suits looking magnificent I think we all agree?

Prepared for all life may offer him - new-born Nikolai already showing up his underdressed  pals. The froggy fella looks particularly mortified to be thus caught out,  the monkey's a bit on the blithe side. Bedlam's sincere congratulations to Matias and Natasha for this creation!

Head to toe in Baby Bedlam - likkle white wabbit, model's own.

As we're well on the slide to Christmas now, here's a preview of our card. Mary and Joseph dressed in towels not by Bedlam

Lights, action, music!

The July skies may be grey but we got a little glow on from the flash of spotlights this month and the shimmer of showbiz glamour. Stephanie Theobald, who conducted the Punk Cancer campaign in memory of her friend Tutu, fulfilled a long time ambition of mine, and paid me a great compliment in the process, when she interviewed me for Ireland's biggest selling glossy mag for gals, "Image"(http://www.image.ie/).
I have long wanted to be Daphne Guinness when I grow up, and to rub inky shoulders with her in an article on changing direction in life felt like a good alternative. Another of the featured subjects was Victoria Beckham, someone for whom I have long had time and sympathy. Stop your mean minded hissing and give the woman credit - first fortune spinning career, trophy crumpet love-match, FOUR kids, now second career as fashion designer that delivers both commercial and critical success. So I was immensely satisfied with that company. Stephanie retold the story of how Mr Wesley and I came to meet, as foretold by my dear friend Dezia, one time resident psychic to John & Yoko. Our bit's on the third page and apologies but you will just have to read it through a magnifying glass (or crystal ball).

Next up, Nile Rodgers was back to play a series of "summer" dates in the UK, and on June 17th we accompanied him to Lovebox, a festival in East London. It actually didn't rain that day! We still had a few t-shirts left from the ones we made for him before Christmas, and I thought maybe we could hand them out backstage to other performers, such as his friend Grace Jones. But then it occurred to me that the coolest thing we could do would be to share the love and lob them into the fans. My throwing is famously feeble and indeed the first couple I tried barely limped across the security barrier. At that point, the boyfriend of one of Nile's slinky singers only revealed he was a former football quarterback. T-shirts now flew to the furthest reaches of the throng whose appreciation surged to near frenzy. Watch us at 54/55 seconds of this clip - look, we can see us, get that magnifying glass out again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlCd_AsWwj0&feature=player_embedded#!

We got back to the hotel a little before midnight when Mark did the fitting on Nile's suit, the 3-piece made from the most dazzling white wool on earth, bleached any more the fibres will weaken. I chose Japanese goldfish shell buttons for it to protect him with their lucky charm and to symbolise the godlike status he holds in that country (indeed, in any country that honours musical talent).

Mark and Nile after the Lovebox festival

A few weeks later, the day after Independence Day when Nile played at Kew Gardens, he came to our shop for a photo shoot for Jocks & Nerds magazine http://jocksandnerdsmagazine.com/, in the suit. Sam Christmas took the photographs and you should check out the portraits on his website, A1 class - http://www.samchristmas.co.uk/
Mr Mark Webster conducted the interview. As it happens, he interviewed me back in 1897 for a TV show (it was an early TV) on the hot happenings in London nightlife called "01 for London". Jocks & Nerds is a supremely cool publication. It is sponsored by Levis but you wouldn't know that unless you knew that if you know what I mean. There's no naff branding. It is given away free in the coolest shops in the world and we're hoping soon to be amongst their distributors.

Just visible are the hands of Sam Christmas who did the shoot. Mark Webster was the journalist for the interview.

Fifty Shades of Grey between them phwoar!

Also playing at Kew Gardens with Nile was M People, and so there Mark was reunited with his old school friend Shovell who plays percussion in the band. At the same time I was reunited with the wonderful Tony Rémy who now plays guitar for them - he used to honour my jam sessions (such as Mark Webster covered all those years ago) with his talent http://www.tonyremy.com/ :

Tony Rémy, Mr Wesley and Shovell in his Bedlam Motorcycle club t-shirt

After all that excitement, it was back to the more prosaic tasks of daily routine. I was in the queue at the bank when my mobile rang and someone asked if the shop was open that day. I explained I'd be back as soon as I could and with the utmost patience, and a dedication to scopin' out the sitch with the stitch that greatly impressed me, the voice said no stress, he'd wait at the Oval Lounge and have a coffee. Soon as I returned a handsome young buck presented himself. He revealed that his friend was often extolling our store so he had come along from Notting Hill for a visit. He was always on the look out for clothes to wear on stage. This naturally beggared the question, "Will the sun ever be back?"
No, rather, but of course, "And what manner of stagecraft do you practise?"
He teased the game out further, "I'm in a band."
So I had to ask next how does this month's precipitation fall compare with other years? Alright, alright "Which band would that be?"
"Razorlight."
Jolly good! Gus is their new guitarist and Bedlam is looking forward to kitting him out. Here's a musical interlude courtesy of the 'Light then for Independence Day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9NhncU5_CE

From a different musical era, a different vintage, is Sir Michael Wilmot (above) for whom we completed the commission of a joyful pink jacket. Back in the 60s he used to "own" The Kinks and The Who. Rub your eyes and read that again.

Stephanie Theobald's other half Jake Arnott then kindly invited us to the party at the Ivy to launch his new book. Mark was kicking himself to realise he missed talking to a Great Train Robber - Bruce Reynolds. But we did have a most entertaining exchange with playwright Simon Blow. Jake is wearing our Signor Zoot suit in his publicity shots and on the dust jacket - you can see it here illustrating a piece he's written himself - http://bookoxygen.com/?p=1915
It was also used in the hard copy of this fulsome review in The Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-house-of-rumour-by-jake-arnott-7922392.html

The sun may have put his hat AND coat on and gone wandering off but light and warmth were not absent form Bedlam's world this month as two separate parties, unrelated to us or to each other, on whom we have no dirt or other hold, have expressed interest and more in investing in our label. Beyond that I shall remain sensibly circumspect for the moment but be reassured that every black cloud has indeed a silver lining. When it starts to thunder, don't run under a tree. You'll find your fortune falling all over town, best make sure that your umbrella is upside down. Sing it for us Louis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-2ke4UzZ38