The Panache of a Panama

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There are very few entirely hand made products in our lives nowadays. Ones where we can saviour the provenance and take pleasure in the generations of handed down skills that have accumulated to provide us with a useful item of joy. A Panamahat is one of those little luxuries that everyone should save for, not only are they potentially life saving when in the sun but they also have that rare combination of practicality and elegance. There is just no real replacement for a fine Panama hat.

At Dashing, we are working with Pachacuti a fair trade company set up by Carry Somers over 25 years ago. Avoiding middle men, who locally take a large cut from the weavers, they work directly with the makers ensuring they earn a decent living. This has enabled hat weaving communities to move away from the coastal regions of Ecuador and set up in the idyllic forested hills where they can encourage a new generation to continue the livelihood.

Interestingly, Panama hats come from Ecuador and acquired their name through numerous sales of the hats as they were transported for distribution through the trade routes. In the gold rush era any wise prospector would pick up a hat or two along with their gold digging tools, helping spread their popularity.

The enduring appeal of the Panama hat has to do with their superb quality. Toquilla straw is hand cut, boiled, split and dried before being hand woven in a continuing spiral that can take up to 8 months for a fabulously fine example. The skills have been passed down for generations and the only thing that has really changed is the style of the shapes.

Our Dashing Panamashave additional panache through the use of our unique cloth designs. These are applied by hand to the headband, giving the already desirable hats a peerless appeal.

We have a few sizes and designs left in the shop so come and snap one up before your summer adventures begin. They will serve as faithful companions on your journey, protecting against the elements as you forge ahead.

Should you be one of those people for whom only the best is good enough then there is a chance for you to commission the world’s finest hat. Mark from Pachacuti went on a recent trip to Ecuador and met the man who is widely regarded as the finest hat weaver in Ecuador. The world record stands at close to 4000 straw picks per inch and given close to a years work he is keen to try and break this record for you.

For more information, do check out Pachacuti and to customise your own Panama band using our cloth please drop an email hereor pop into Dashing at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dashing’s Latest Cloth Collection

This spring season we really are bringing you some most Dashing new fabrics. We’ve given traditional check and block designs a techno wake up with names coined from early 90’s video games and a playful attitude to match.

We’ve found that fine Merino wool is the very best for summer and so have concentrated on the highest quality 9oz suitings. This weight is ideal for creating an elegant drape and being pure wool the fabrics not only tailor well but are extremely comfortable to wear.

First up with have ‘Berzerk’, a beautifully balanced large scale Glen check with acid green and vibrant magenta threads against a ground of neutral ecru and grey. This in a way is the most traditional design and would make a splendid summer soiree or informal wedding suit.

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Next up is ‘Pixels’, a Madras type design in greenish shades with a hot pink overcheck. Vibrant and large scale this is less formal and ideal as a daywear lounge suit for sauntering through life.

 

Tetris’  and ‘Galaxian’ as the names suggest are the boldest of our new block type design and like nothing you have seen before.

At first glance the sine wave undulating cubes in ‘Tetris’ floating against a wash of pink, green and grey may seem incongruous in a suit, yet surprisingly once tailored up the effect is mesmerising in a delightful way. We envisaged a short suit to be worn to dinner on a Balearic Isle, setting the scene for a night of ecstatic elation.

Similarly ‘Galaxian’ in a bolder, more graphic colour combination of magenta, acid green and grey would look unsurpassed when made up as a suit for summer cocktail parties.

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Lastly ‘Block Out’ woven in navy and steel Merino yarns is a serious party fabric. The weave structure gives the face of the cloth a steely lustre through which the undulating dashes of navy traverse. For nights out in the spotlight or even on stage our modern new design ticks the box.

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We are also excited to announce that we will be showcasing the latest collection at ‘Munich Fabric Start’ for the first time this season with our Agent Matthias Rollmann. The show runs from 29th – 31st January and has over 20,000 visitors yearly with 1,050 exhibitors, Dashing will be showcasing designs alongside other brands such as Fox Brothers, Alfred Brown, Ulster Weavers and Bernstein & Banleys.

To find out more about the show or to set up a meeting do drop us an email – Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk

Do stop by our flagship shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone to shop our new cloth, or if you prefer to shop online click here where you can order samples from the new range as well!All the very best,

The Dashing Team

 

 

 

 

Dashing’s Bespoke Nike Sneakers

Since our collaboration with Converse a few years back we have the honour of being one of the few British cloth brands to be officially endorsed by Nike and regular collaborate on bespoke creations. The Dashing team recently stopped by the Nike Lab in Shoreditch, East London to customise a pair of bespoke Nike Lab Air Force 1 sneakers from scratch. Using our latest AW18 cloth arrival, ‘Sweet‘ which features coloured reflective yarn woven using merino wool throughout the cloth. We decided to incorporate the newest design in the high top sneaker to give it a sophisticated yet casual look, making it wearable in any outfit.

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We met with Nike Lab Design Consultants, Sam and Jess at the appointment to discuss and review the complete range of unique material options to help build the ideal Dashing high top sneakers, from the laces and tongue label to the stitching and hardware.

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Through the personal design experience, Dashing were able to choose from a range of three iconic silhouettes, including the Air Max, Air Force 1 Low’s and Air Force 1 High’s.

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Dashing chose to keep the brand identity at the core, using our logo colours of deep pink and tonal greys to balance the design, along with a rich red to structure the shoe and highlight our latest Autumn/Winter 2018 ‘Sweet’cloth design which will be launching in August. The complete design process takes between 6-8 weeks, but it is definitely worth the wait if you are looking for a pair of sneakers that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

dashing tweeds, tweed, tweeds, menswear, luxury, suits, tailoring, British tailors, British tailoring, 47 Dorset street, Marylebone, nike, nike labTo customise your own pair of Nike Lab sneakers, drop by 477-478 Bateman’s Row Road, Shoreditch, London to book an appointment, and if you would like to customise your crepes using our cloth, email us at: holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk and we can arrange it for you.

Dashing Man: Robin Wight

Robin Wight is a man of ideas, action and a great deal of charm.

Working as a copy writer, Robin was lucky enough to have hit the hay day of London’s advertising scene, describing himself as an English version of the American ‘Mad Men’. Robin is currently the Co-Founder of advertising agency WRCS and president of The Engine Group.

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With a fine tall figure ideal for tailoring, Robin is without a doubt one of Dashing’s most colourful customers, a great admirer of quality British fabrics and a huge fan of the colour purple.

Interestingly Robin was not always such a flamboyant dresser and ironical it was the work place after leaving Cambridge that encouraged his exhibitionism. In the world of advertising during the 70’s and 80’s a personal identity was important especially amongst creatives, a way to be remembered and establish a personal brand. Initially Robin sported bowties and hand painted waistcoats as his ‘brand signalling device’, becoming known in the industry as the bow tie wearing Ad Man.

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Gaining sartorial confidence and enjoying the positivity that surrounds a dashing dresser, Robin dropped the bow ties on the advice of his third wife and moved on to wearing Versace’s exciting designs. Then, for a while the flamboyant colours of Ozwald Boateng’s collections took his fancy. Around this time Robin found himself gravitating towards the colour purple, not due to regal aspirations or knowledge of the historical expense of the colour but just because he liked it, and it suited him.

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Purple soon became Robin’s thing and friends would question “Where’s your purple Robin?” feeling miffed if he turned up in anything else. Always on the look out for beautiful cloth Robin found his way to Dashing Tweeds. His eyes lit up upon entering our shop and such was his enthusiasm that we offered to weave special purple fabrics just for him after he had exhausted our current stock. We recommended the tailors Graham Browne and Chittleborough and Morgan to Robin as ones that would enjoy his company and respond well to his taste and as you can see the result is splendid. When questioned as to his sartorial commitment and joie de vivre it came as no surprise to hear, “I always want to perform and purple is the stage on which I stand”.

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Swing by our store on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or if you would like to book a Made to Measure appointment, please drop us an email at: holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

Dashing’s SS18 Cloth Collection

As an island nation, holidays by the seaside are high up on the list. Lazing around on beaches or taking a walk along coastal paths is what we like to do best, with an occasional high adrenaline activity such as  surfing or sailing thrown in. The leisure dress of Edwardian gentlemen could well be divided into just two groups; tweeds worn in country fields and seaside wear consisting of flannels, linens and light weight wools.

We were thinking of such holidays whilst designing our collection for this summer. We chose light weight fine Merino yarns and wove them using open hop sack structures to create fine cloths that drape beautifully, keep cool and wear effortlessly. In a further alliance with coastal areas we commandeered names from the daily shipping forecast.

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MalinViking, Hebrides and Bailey are our simplest open weaves in plain warp and weft colours. The Hebrides with a navy weft and sand warp and the Malin with a rust red warp are lovely cloths for summer events, smart and just a little unusual. For the bolder seaside look stripes are always in fashion.

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Cromarty and Humber are similar elegant stripes in sandy shades of brown with a light red vertical, the later design is a more open twill structure and makes a very jolly day time suit or fashionable bag trousers.

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To finish off the collection we squared the stripes to create two check patterns, Lundy and Rockall, very similar designs with a slight change of twill structure. Checks are always the most casual and entertaining designs so choose these for a lively jacket that will put a spring in your step.

To find out more about our latest cloth collection or if you have any questions about a certain cloth, please visit our shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or drop us an email to: holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

A Walk on the Wide Side

The wide legged trouser trend is flourishing, you may have noticed your more fashionable friends already sporting the flowing look. The antithesis of uptight, clinging trousers that have dominated for far too long, Oxford Bags or simply Bags as they were called in a previous incarnation are not only flattering but also impart an effortless sangfroid to any look. Couple a pair of bags with a polo shirt and old school loafers to channel your inner Gene Kelly or jump a couple of decades, let your hair down, and with a simple white shirt and extra wide bags the cool of Bowie is yours.

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At Dashing we are constantly pioneering new wool weave structures and designs, the light weight Merinos we use for summer are exactly right for wide legged bags, they have enough body to drape in a way that is not really possible with cotton and yet are fine enough to keep you cool.

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New young fashion designers such as Charles Jeffrey are welcoming the wide legged look into their collections, taking inspiration from previous decades but through the use of modern materials making them unique to the early twenty first century.dashing tweeds, tweed, tweeds, menswear, luxury, British tailoring, British tailors, made to measure, Savile row, sackville street, cloth, wide leg trousersStylist to the stars, Tom Stubbs has become a great fan of our wide legged trousers, bringing singer David Gray in as well as featuring them in his regular How to Spend it column. Our customers are also enjoying the new cut and the fact that a single pair of trousers when worn high on the natural waist can give  a whole new fresh aspect to your look.DASHING TWEEDS, tweeds, tweed, British tailoring, British tailors, made to measure, menswear, luxury, Savile row, sackville streetWe have a whole range of colours available in small elegant weaves as well as stripes and checks. If you would like us to design a pair of Oxford Bags for you, please do drop by the shop or 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or send us an email.

 

 

Dashing Interviews: Daniele Savaré

Raised in a small town 25km from Milan, Daniele Savaré is the 53 year old creative mind behind the label, Connection Knitwear and Clothing which is handcrafted by skilled artisans in Italy. Immersed in the Mod scooter scene and a lover of vintage cars, Daniele graduated with an Economics degree in 1989 post military service, later working for over 20 years in the Assets Management and Investment Funds Industry as a Portfolio Manager.

We talked to Daniele about fashion, style and the birth of his brand with his partner Camila, which began with knits and later extended into outerwear and tailor-made clothing, combining heritage allure with modern durability, and his love of Dashing Tweeds.

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The mod subculture plays a huge impact on your life, what first attracted you to the scooter scene?

I have always had an instinctive attraction for 60’s and early 70’s sporty cars, since a child. Many of the cars I liked weren’t ‘vintage’ yet, of course. Scooters came a bit later, as a natural consequence. Being involved in the Mod scene in my teens and after some visits to the UK, where the scooter culture was much more developed than in Italy, enhanced this passion. I bought my first scooter, which I still own, as soon as I found a job in 1990.

What scooters and cars do you own?

At the moment I have five Lambrettas, of which one is a sidecar outfit, and a classic car. All of the Lambrettas (a 1957 TV1, a 1960 TV2, a 1963 LI, a 1965 TV200 and a 1966 SX225 with Watsonian Bambini sidecar) are customised. My car is a 1970 Lancia Flavia Coupè 2000, I don’t own modern cars. Before this I owned a 1971 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3S and an Innocenti Mini 1001, which was a bit tuned up.

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What events have you taken part in?

We tend to take part in local rallies for both classic cars and scooters and every now and then there are some track days. Under the mod/ scooter point of view, the event we prefer is the Brighton Mod weekend during the August Bank Holiday. We’d like to attend an event in Japan or the Far East sooner or later such as Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. We have some friends there who are very dedicated to the scooter scene, making it vibrant and full of life. Who knows, maybe one day.

Is there a particular type of music you listen to?

Mainly jazz, from Bebop to Free.

How would you describe your style and do you have any style icons?

My style during the years (we can say ‘decades’ by now) moved from a ‘purist’, or at least that’ss how I liked to define it, to being more open to other influencers like the 1910s and 1920s dandies or the vintage military and sportswear. I think that the new inputs didn’t water down the mod ‘core’ but on the contrary, it added more of an individual touch.

My first style icons were the jazz musicians portrayed in their dark suits, button down shirts and thin silk or knitted ties on the Blue Note covers. Many Italian and French actors of the 1950s/ 60s cinema were a big influence. It was a period in which good taste was so widespread that you almost couldn’t go wrong, picking this or that.

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How do you achieve your style? Which tailors do you work with and do you also buy vintage?

I like to buy vintage, especially accessories and military pieces, which are also an interesting source of inspiration. As for my own more ‘formal’ attire, I have used a few different tailors along the years. Now I especially like the Neapolitan tailoring style which is based on natural shoulders, soft-structured jackets, lean silhouettes and many small details that, in my opinion, can make the difference. The ‘Sartoria’ we work with for our tailoring collection is based in Naples, and we’re very happy with their job with all of the hand cutting and stitching.

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What is it you like about Dashing Tweeds?

I like the idea behind Dashing Tweeds, the concept of taking traditional British sportswear and fabric from the countryside to a more urban scenario, adding new life and opportunities to one of my favourite materials ever. I like the way Dashing have implemented it, in terms of quality, texture, vibrant colours. It’s the perfect cloth for a modern urban gentleman who is forward minded but with solid roots in tradition.

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To find out more about Connection Knitwear, do check out their website and if you have any questions about our collections that Daniele has used, please visit our shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or check out our website DashingTweeds.co.uk.

 

Preparing your Summer Wardrobe

One morning soon you will be awoken by warm shafts of light and bird songs, with a spring you will leap from bed and rifle through the wardrobe looking for those favourite pieces from last year, the ones that remind you of the sea and orange blossom. Only then will you discover that either the moths have got there first, or you’ve forgotten about that night in the bushes when not only you were shredded. Fear not gentlemen, we can rebuild it, we have the technology, we have the capability to create new made-to-measure trousers and jackets for you, for way under 6 million dollars, if you are old enough to log these misused quotes.

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Our new spring cloths are open fine Merinos, evoking the British seaside. We have stripes and checks as well as plains in rusty navy and a salmon. In addition, our Merino designs from last year proved such a success that we have rewoven the top choices of Seti, as seen above, and Talla.

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Ties or other forms of neck wear, with or without woggles are important additions to formalise any look. I always think a boutonnière, as the French call flowers in the buttonhole, add a finishing touch and some nature to  your suit. Don’t go in for some elaborate floral arrangement, just pick a small bud or even a fresh leaf or sprig of herb from the neighbours garden as you walk pass, a lightness of touch is key. Devil-may-care nonchalance is so much more attractive than studied vanity.

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Our made to measure process could not be easier, and very affordable at £800 for a tailored jacket and £450 for trousers. Drop by the shop, try on the block sizes and then decide what changes you would like. For the trousers we have adjusted the block to create fashionable Oxford Bags by widening the thigh and leg as well as increasing the rise, allowing the trousers to be comfortably worn up on your natural waist, although of course you can decide on any of tailoring styles and features for your better, stronger, faster new wardrobe.

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If you have any questions or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment to add more summer weights into your wardrobe, please visit us on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7NDt or drop us an email on: holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

 

The History of Colour

For men, wearing colour is much more than just a mood thing. You may be feeling blue or having the luck of a purple patch but the colour of your attire is much more important than mere whim.
 
We have lost the subtle associations of the value of colours over the years, the fact that to obtain enough purple dye for Marcus Aurelius’ toga, over 100,000 Murex snails had to  be ‘milked’ of their prized mucous secretions puts this into perspective. Equally, cochineal red dye used for the red coats of British soldiers up until the mid 19th century relied on a small army of Mexican farmers. Eighty thousand insects, each about a half a centimetre long had to be prized off spiky cactus plants and ground up just for a kilo of dye. A worthwhile investment for army generals who choose red uniforms primarily to disguise blood stains of the wounded. The shocking sight of a bleeding friend could dampen the fervour of your assault.
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Colours, now without monetary associations are still charged with social implications. I find it hard to look at bright orange with out thinking of Guantanamo Bay prisoners and softer shades of saffron cause an inverse Pavlovian response as my ears prick up for the passing bells of Hare Krishna’s. Yes, colour is fraught with so much social coding that it is understandable why many benighted folk retreat under the cover of black. To wear colour well you need a greater deal of sophistication than our average goth or chromatic objector, but the rewards are manifold and both your own life and those around you will be enriched.
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As with so many art forms learning a few simple rules makes it easier to get started on your polychromic journey. Music  provides a good analogy, jumping into dissonant, twelve tone compositions is unlikely to win over your friends, even Boulez and Stockhausen started with simple scales. Leave a clash or even a riot of colour till your have mastered harmony. Start with a simple tone you like, all skins have different hues, it is easier to wear brighter colours if your skin is darker but perhaps start with your eyes and choose a darker shade of blue, green or brown. I have noticed that brighter blues have been becoming more popular over the last few years. The colour I call Pitti blue (after its popularity at the menswear shows in Florence) looks good on most people, it is more vibrant than navy and anything you with wear with it tends to pop out in a pleasing way. Our Seti cloth is slight brighter than navy and the colours of the Japanese yarn stripes are a great start for colour harmonies if you experiment with combinations of shirts, socks and neck wear.
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Ties are a traditional way to apply colour as well as providing coded signals of your interests, clubs and education to the informed. Whilst I’m not advocating a change to traditional formality in the workplace, quite the opposite, I wish I saw more classic gents wearing three piece pinstripes, bowlers and red carnations when I visit the square mile, I do think that your off duty attire should become a time for you to enjoy playing with tonal compositions.  
 
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The trend for brighter menswear is a last gathering pace again, not some much as in the love children of hippies but in the more sophisticated intercourse of tech sports wear and tailoring. Some have named this trend ‘Athleisure’ a bastardisation whose rightful heir is of course Dashing Tweeds.

If you have any questions or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment, please visit us on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or drop us an email on holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

Tie the knot in Dashing

The wedding season is approaching and if you are the groom, best men or just a friend of the bride then now is the time to start thinking about your outfit. I wrote a while ago about the changing trends towards less formal attire,  grey morning tails are moving aside as colourful clothes, sometimes  with a theme, are becoming increasingly popular for weddings. Luckily however, a tailored look is still the aspiration and as men throughout generations have discovered a well fitting suit makes you more look masculine, more elegant and more desirable should you be intending to hitch with a bridesmaid.
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We have found that country weddings with a tweed take have been popular, but if you are a guest for such an occasion then your old shooting suit simply won’t cut the mustard, even the game old birds will not be impressed. Tweed fulfils many functions from camouflage through to urban cycling but one of the main characteristics of the fabric is a sense of enjoyment. We have some takes on classic Glen Urquhart and Glen Coigach inspired designs such as our Chattanooga and Charleston Checks as well as our Dashing Explorer range that transcend this country wedding brief.
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The other trend we have observed is young grooms coming to us for their first made to measure suit. They are looking for an investment piece that they will enjoy for many of their married years. Tailored garments are often sparse in their wardrobe and so ideally the jacket can be worn after the wedding with other trousers or jeans for a smart dress down look. For this brief we have a whole range of creative yet subtle fabrics mainly in our fine Merino worsted quality. Our navy Seti design has proved very popular so we have rewoven this. The subtle hints of colour in the dip dyed Japanese cotton stripe provide both the sophisticated originality required for a wedding as well as the freshness for a night out in town. We also have a whole range of lighter weight Merinos in stripes and checks that when tailored well will elevate you from possibly dreary to dashingly dreamy.
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You may well be reading this with the anticipation of welcoming a new son or daughter in law to the family, the father of the bride or groom plays a pivotal role and whilst you do not wish to steal lime light from the central players, it is desirable to show the youth how to dress with a nonchalant aplomb that befits a man of wisdom.
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We have a new cloth in a navy and black peak design which looks artfully interesting without seeking attention and fits the brief well. Of course, if you are renowned as a colourful bon viveur, and your audience would feel cheated if you did not excel yourself with a creation so joyous and exuberant that earth worms sing open harmonies at your arrival we would also be delighted to help make the special day superlative.
If you have any questions regarding cloth for your wedding or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment, please drop us an email on holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

Dashing Tweeds x Nike Lab

We’ve witnessed a huge rise in the number of sneakerheads in today’s culture, but something that is new is the level of customisation that’s offered. Luckily, creative initiatives such as Nike Lab have now allowed individuals to personalise their sneakers from start to finish.

Our first collaboration with Converse showed the potential of our cloths for sneakers and since then the hype has boomed. We have since teamed up with Nike Lab in Shoreditch, and supplied them with three different types of cloth’s from Dashing, including our Threadbare cloth which proved popular amongst sneakerhead, Kal Seth who produced a unique pair of Nike Air Force 1’s at the lab which featured Dashing elements in his creation. We talked with Kal to find out more on his obsession with sneakers and how he came about designing his distinct pair of Nike’s using Dashing Tweeds.

Kal was born and raised in New York and still lives there. During the day he is a Director of Information Security for a large retail company but he’s also a photographer and sneaker junkie in his personal time.  Kal has been a trainer collector for 20+ years.  He loves many silhouettes but the Nike Air Force 1 is his personal favourite, which is why the fit of the Nike Lab in London and Dashing’s cloth came hand in hand on this creative basis.  Especially being a native New Yorker, the shoe is extra special as Kal grew up with it and it represents all of the NY urban boroughs.

The Nike Bespoke Labs which are only in NY & London allow you to design your own Bespoke Air Force 1’s with the finest, premium materials.  Kal has designed quite a few since the inception of the program.  Due to his line of work, Kal travels frequently to Europe. He tries to stop in to the London lab whenever the opportunity is there.  Typically Kal likes to theme his designs in London to reflect something English.  That’s part of the reason he wanted Dashing’s tweed, as a result of it’s British heritage and tradition in the culture, which is evident in his Robinson Crusoe and Daniel Defoe customised sneakers using our cloth.

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Kal chose our woven threadbare cotton jacquard, which was inspired by the clothing worn similarly by Robinson Crusoe in English writer, Daniel Defoe’s infamous novel.

Kal mentioned ‘It was love at first sight. I decided to make the bespoke themed around the Robinson Crusoe material, the story & the Island. In effect, the “Crusoe” Bespoke. The entire upper is comprised of this threadbare jacquard, I really wanted it to be the main concept of the shoe to highlight the Robinson Crusoe inspiration. I wanted something comfortable to sit in so went with navy nubuck sockliner; coupled with red nubuck on the insoles. I had “Defoe” lasered on the right insole for the respective author’s name and “1719” on the left insole for when he wrote Robinson Crusoe. The jacquard is such an amazing material, pictures do not fully translate’.

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More of his designs and love for the British themed bespoke sneakers with Nike London can be found here:

http://www.nicekicks.com/black-cab-bespoke-nike-air-force-one-high/

http://www.nicekicks.com/nike-air-force-1-bespoke-royal-air-force-kal-seth/

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For all of the sneakerheads out there, stop by Nike Lab in Shoreditch at 477-478 Bateman’s Row Rd, London EC2A 3HH and get a one-on-one appointment with dedicated Nike design consultants to completely customise your sneakers from the sole to the laces, choosing your own Dashing cloth!

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