Days of future caste April 3, 2014 FILM DIVERGENT CERT 12a Three Stars IN DIVERGENT a special young woman battles against a repressive society to achieve her true potential. Based on the first in a series of “Young Adult” novels by Veronica Roth, and with a sequel already confirmed, Divergent is unoriginal but sophisticated, engaging and surprisingly fun. I don’t wish to [...]
Richard Ayaode is a Double visionary April 3, 2014 FILM THE DOUBLE Cert 15 Four Stars RICHARD Ayoade’s first film, 2011’s Submarine, shuffled bashfully through the beaches and bedrooms of suburban seaside adolescence, stopping for cuddles, puppy love and the odd mumbled voice-over. For his second, loose Dostoevsky adaptation The Double, he dives arms flailing into the chaotic nightmare of adult anomie. It is [...]
Disappointing on a biblical scale April 3, 2014 FILM NOAH Cert 12a Two Stars You probably remember Noah’s Ark from school. It’s the one where the nice man with the beard builds the giant boat to save the furry animals from the massive flood. It’s a simple, morally unambiguous story, and as such it’s is one of the best-loved tales in the Bible. [...]
Making the cut April 2, 2014 Savile Row cutter David Ward on reclaiming 200 years of bespoke excellence THE cutter is instrumental to everything,” says David Ward, one of the most respected purveyors of an ancient sartorial art. Ward has risen to become one of the most respected men on Savile Row thanks to his prowess at cutting the cloth for [...]
Looks good Tumi April 2, 2014 Melissa York talks to Jerome Griffith, CEO of global travel brand Tumi, on how to cater for the modern, tech-obsessed, pet-carrying business traveller TRAVELLING is a lot more complicated than it used to be. There was a time when a dog-eared passport, a backpack and some sturdy walking boots would be enough to take you [...]
The Chapar: Personal shopping 2.0 April 2, 2014 THE phrase “personal shopper” makes me think of Trinny and Susannah dragging sartorially clueless men around the shops in the BBC’s What Not To Wear. These were men whose wives had threatened them with divorce unless they agreed to stop wearing cargo pants with running shoes, socks with sandals or short-sleeve shirts with anything at [...]
Austin Reed launches new bespoke service April 2, 2014 AUSTIN Reed has launched a new bespoke service, offering its customers a fully made to measure suit from just £399. The tailor has over a century of expertise and has created bespoke suits for statesmen and celebrities including Richard E Grant and Alastair Cooke. The service allows you to choose from over 4,000 varieties of [...]
Getting shirty April 2, 2014 Emmett London’s creative director Nash Masood talks us through the process of designing your own shirt THERE’S no point splashing out on an expensive suit if your shirt hangs off you like a bin bag. No mater how beautifully tailored your jacket, tell tale baggy creases across your chest or too much cuff showing around [...]
Why a bespoke tie is a sound investment April 2, 2014 By Aleksander Cvetkovic AFFORDABLE luxury is something everyone covets, particularly when dressing for work. A good quality off-the-peg suit will start at around £500 and you’ll be lucky to find a decent bespoke service for under £1,000. No surprise, then, that the bespoke, handmade tie is undergoing something of a renaissance. Luxury brands like Linkson [...]
Restaurant review: Big Easy, Covent Garden April 1, 2014 Big Easy, 12 Maiden Lane London WC2E 7NA Tel: 0203 728 4888 Food: ★★★★☆ | Value: ★★☆☆☆ | Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆ Cost for two with wine: £150 @steve_dinneen “Crab shack” evokes images of rickety seaside restaurants held together by Sellotape and folksy charm; mom-and-pop joints that only make $7 a day but put a big smile [...]