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Sounds of summer



I have three uplifting music recs to make this summer.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the cinema for the first time in over a year and it was so worth it. (It was also pretty empty.) We saw Summer of Soul, a wonderfully observed documentary revisiting the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Never heard of it? That’s because it was completely overshadowed by Woodstock. TV producer Hal Tulchin’s 40 hours of footage were relegated to a dusty basement for 50 years until Summer of Soul’s director Ahmir Thompson (aka Questlove) decided it was time to edit, update and air them.

Wow. Everything about it is fantastic – the clothes, the music, the performances, not to mention the emotional recollections from people who were there. (more…)



Is an edit of OG vintage pieces enough to make Banana Republic relevant again?



I’m slightly obsessed with all these MOR American companies trying to make themselves great relevant again. After J Crew’s appointment of Noah’s Brendon Babenzien and Gap’s new Yeezy Gap partnership, Banana Republic just launched its latest initiative, a delve into its heritage and a refresh of brand perception.

Last Thursday it launched BR Vintage, a 225 piece curation of original Banana Republic safari jackets, khakis, baggy military shorts and tees from the 80s to early 2000s. The vintage collection was available online, with the Flatiron flagship store selling an additional selection available in-store only. It sold out within days (more…)



The Tank Must de Cartier for a new generation



Tank Must de Cartier

I’m a complete sucker for a classic Cartier watch, especially one reissued from the archives. This month sees the relaunch of the Tank Must de Cartier, a discreet unisex style originally released in 1977. Created at the height of the quartz watch era, it was designed to appeal to the new young Cartier customer, with its diminutive proportions, entry price point, brightly coloured dials and vermeil (gold-plated silver) hands.

Fast-forward and we’re again seeing this new youthful customer embracing old-school watches. (more…)