Menswear·Retail·Merchandising·Product Development·Wholesale·Global
For over twenty years I have bought, merchandised and built menswear for Britain's most demanding houses. Today I tailor it by hand, as founder of The London Dandy.
I have spent over twenty years in menswear, from the shop floor to the buying office. I have held senior positions at Harrods, Ralph Lauren and Mr Porter, alongside smaller, characterful businesses including Hamilton & Hare, The Duffer of St. George and Tessuti. My work spans buying, merchandising, wholesale, retail management, digital fashion sales, marketing and product development, across luxury, mid-market and high street. Today I am the founder of The London Dandy, a made-to-measure private tailoring service for men. Whether building a buy, launching a brand or cutting a cloth, the obsession stays the same: getting the details exactly right.
Thirty years across luxury, mid-market and high-street menswear, told in reverse.
Made-to-measure private tailoring for men, a London-exclusive collaboration with Italy-based manufacturer Lubiam. Authorised supplier of all Loro Piana fabrics. Trained in professional tailoring and pattern cutting in Italy and the UK. Showroom in Connaught Village (2016–2017), then Canary Wharf (2017–2021).
Menswear fashion and wholesale agency with exclusive representation of specialist Made-in-Italy menswear. As Sales Manager UK & Eire for Lubiam (May 2014–Oct 2021, 15 seasons) I grew the business from 3 to 38 accounts, with clients including Harrods, Selfridges, Matches, Louis Copeland, Jules B, The Chapar and The Rake, plus private label for Hackett, Harrods and New & Lingwood.
Selected consultancy: Pulco Studios (padel and racket-sport apparel, Pitti Uomo Jan '24, marketing, collection development, wholesale introductions and investor relations); Gentleman's Journal retail pop-up manager, Burlington Arcade (2019); and The Rake buying and selection coordinator (2019).
Men's underwear and loungewear. Store sales +167% in year one and +55% in year two. Managed the Chiltern Street flagship, weekly buying and all visual merchandising, led wholesale expansion across Europe, the USA and the Middle East, drove product and collection development and created a custom boxer-short program. (Business closed Feb 2024.)
Collection and brand development.
Autograph and formalwear; contributed to product-feedback seminars with the buying and design teams.
Purple Label, Black Label, Polo and RRL. Flagship brand ambassador.
£5M budget, 50 brands, 40% of global Mr Porter business: formalwear, shirts, ties, knitwear, casualwear and denim. Launched Patagonia, RRL and William Lockie, and developed the in-house "Mr P" range.
€28M division, 25% of RL Europe retail. Polo sales +30% in year one (+€4M), with 5 direct reports. Launched flagships in Paris (2010), Stockholm (2012) and the Milan relaunch (2010); led the Rugby brand launch in Europe (Covent Garden, 2011) and the first standalone RRL store in Europe (Mount Street, 2011).
7,000 sq ft, £14M turnover, £6M OTB across 25+ brands. Casualwear +40% (£5.7M to £8M); Polo shop-in-shop +67% (£3.6M to £6M). Launched Belstaff, Brunello Cucinelli, Bamford & Sons, Canada Goose, Ma.Strum, Michael Bastian and Vilebrequin. Key role in the 2008/09 menswear refurbishment and the 2008 Harrods.com launch.
Led a team of 20 and launched made-to-measure suits from Canali, Corneliani and Brioni.
Reseller of authentic accessories by Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Fendi; leather-goods specialists trading on the eBay platform.
Affiliation marketing, with mailings of up to 100,000 per month.
Wholesale clients including Aphrodite, Drome and Sefton; managed the logistics of opening the Shorts Gardens (Covent Garden) shop in 2001.
Premium branded menswear: Armani Jeans, Canali, C.P. Company, Hugo Boss, Pal Zileri, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Stone Island and Versace. Helped win Drapers Record's Menswear Independent Shop of the Year.
First branded-menswear job: Burberry, Calvin Klein, Gant, Hackett, Henri Lloyd, Lacoste and Rockport.
Names I have introduced or relaunched into the British market.
For consultancy, wholesale representation, product development, or a made-to-measure enquiry through The London Dandy, do write. I read every message and reply personally.