Sandqvist Alva Backpack In Navy
Anything inspired by Swedish landscapes and the lifestyles of those who live there is bound to win over the menswear world. And that’s what Stockholm-based accessories brand Sandqvist did when it launched its Alva and Hege backpacks last season. For SS16, the bags have been given a new look in navy. The Alva is the smallest of the two. Rendered in heavy cotton canvas and vegetable tanned leather, it features the familiar single buckle fastening and enough space inside for a 13″ laptop and an iPad, in addition to an inner zip pocket and adjustable straps. Both available exclusively at Sandqvist’s London store and at sandqvist.net, priced £139.
Brooks England 150th B17 Anniversary Saddle
There are few times you can ostentatiously copper plate something and get away with it. Fortunately for West Midlands-based bicycle saddle manufacturer Brooks England, a 150th Anniversary is one of them. To celebrate the milestone, Brooks has released a series of its most popular saddles complete with copper frames and hand-hammered copper rivets. It’s probably not the outcome John Boultbee Brooks imagined for his horse harness workshop in 1866, but a great way to ride nonetheless. Available at Brooks England, priced £105.
Chivas Regal Art Of Blending
What’s more stylish than drinking whisky? Blending your own in London’s oldest whisky shop. Market leader Scotch producer Chivas Regal knows what it takes to become a master blender and the brand is at last ready to share that knowledge. Between May 12-15 at Milroy’s of Soho, ticket holders can spend an hour discovering the traditions, craft and expertise of whisky, before taking home their own blended bottle. Along the way expect to knock back a host of Chivas’ own blends. Good luck finding the tube after. Tickets available at EventBrite, priced £25.
Baracuta G9 Minshull Harrington Jacket
While we all welcome some sunny respite from freezing temperatures, it can mean the sad and sudden hibernation of some of our most prized outerwear pieces. Cue heritage menswear brand Baracuta, which has reworked some of its most popular styles in lightweight and compact Japanese polyester. The G9 Minshull Harrington version retains the features that made it a menswear icon – Fraser Tartan lining, ribbed cuffs and button-down front pockets – packaged with a sportier, more casual vibe. Available at baracuta.com and at the Baracuta flagship store in London, priced £180.
Alma1938 Leather Gym Accessories
For all the high-tech gadgets and activewear the fitness industry turns out, excessive sweat means exercise is rarely ever truly stylish. Here to change that is luxury leather specialist Alma 1938. Building on a solid reputation for crafting bespoke leather interiors, furniture and furnishings, the experts at Alma’s heritage workshop have begun wrapping everything from kettlebells to medicine balls in orange grain leather. Your #gains never looked so good. Available at Alma 8 Vigo Street, London, priced £250 for a pair of dumbbells.
Swatch Pop Watch
Anyone alive in the late eighties/early nineties is likely to have owned a Pop watch. It was the in-vogue accessory of its time thanks to the quirky modular face, which can be detached from the strap and clipped to anything from a T-shirt to a gym mat. Now Swatch believes it’s time to bring one of its best-loved inventions back. We’re all for a revival, especially when one of its options is a minimal black and white colourway. Available at Swatch, priced between £54 & £57
Browns x Myswear Installation
Designer boutique Browns has become the first stockist of customisable luxury footwear label Myswear. As a result, the store has got its hands on the label’s back catalogue of 16 different shapes and over 80 materials. In a ‘rich kids of instagram’ version of Nikeid, shoppers can build their own models through an interactive kiosk within Browns’ South Molton Street store. Those looking for the ultimate in personalisation can also make their mark on the one-off designs with an embossed monogram. Available at Browns’ South Molton Street store in London, priced priced between £250 and £7,000.
