Grand Designs

We are just one roll of carpet and a corner sofa away from declaring the new Michelsberg showroom open for business.

There's been no room for pashmina-clad designers flouncing about on this job and even Karen, my architect, rolled her sleeves-up and got stuck in despite a broken finger.

Huge thanks must go to my father-in-law, Les, who has done much of the shop-fitting. He's a motorbike riding man's-man, with a garden shed rammed with more tools than B&Q, and I've actually seen him hammer nails into wood with his bare hands and crush a wasp to death with his fingers.

This is in stark contrast to myself, someone who releases spiders back into the wild and has more shoes than screwdrivers. It's been quite a journey for both of us and there's no doubt we've bonded.

He took me to Homebase to buy my first power-tool (a Black & Decker Compact Mouse Sander) and I convinced him, over a bottle of 15 year old Glenlivit, to try using some hand-cream ("Unusually Rich-But-Not-Greasy-At-All-Hand Cream") generously provided by my neighbour Abi, who runs Kiehls, just below me.

Having a good relationship with your neighbours in vital and luckily I have that in spades with Jack at Jefferey West. He recently asked me to make him a waistcoat for the Victoria Quarter's Mad Hatter's Tea party last Thursday and I think it turned out rather well.



It's a flamboyant, double breasted number with peak lapels and ribbed silk buttons. The cloth is scarlet doeskin, exactly the same as that worn by Prince William on his wedding to the rather gorgeous Kate Middleton, and was produced by A W Hainsworth & Sons Ltd just down the road in Pudsey.

It's a family run firm, led by Thomas Hainsworth, and is one of the few mills remaining who carry out every stage of the manufacturing process, from raw wool selection to finishing.

It won't be long before my opening party on Thursday 23rd June, and as well as my loyal customers, I've invited friends, family and folk in the textile trade to celebrate what is the start of a new chapter for me and the business.

A great idea of Karen's was to create a montage in the waiting room made up of customer testimonials and when I emailed them to ask for a few words, was overwhelmed with the response.

It's been absolutely thrilling watching Karen's vision come to life and I'm chuffed to bits with the finished space. It's everything I wanted and more besides. My suit's have clearly got a lot to live up to!

On the Move

It's official. Michelsberg Tailoring has finally found a new home for itself and is setting up shop in the Victoria Quarter, Leeds.



Here I am with John Bade, Centre Director of the VQ, after the ink was dry on signing a lease on 24a Queen Victoria Street, literally just round the corner from my favourite shoe shop, Jefferey West.

Hands up, it's a bit of a fancy pants location, with neighbours such as Harvey Nichols, Paul Smith and Louis Vuitton, but as a wee laddie I loved coming here to spank the credit card, drink coffee and watch the pretty gals go by.

More than just a load of posh shops, it's a genuinely beautiful space with stunning frescos and mosaics from the 1900's, a glass ceiling and more marble than a Russian Oligarch could shake his silver-topped stick at, and now I'm a part of it.

It's been quite a journey. Five years ago, the business was born on the kitchen table, and many of my customers have followed me every step of the way, from a series of meeting rooms, serviced offices to even the gym and private dining room at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds!

I must say I felt rather proud on showing my father round the new gaff and pointing out the family name in gold letters. :-)



Existing customers will be pleased to hear I don't have any plans to increase prices despite the flash address (and even flashier rent) and will continue to stick to my Yorkshire roots and offer outstanding value for money.

Saying that, I'm not standing still for a moment. I will shortly be launching a new Italian style made-to measure line, alongside my British bespoke offering, for customers who prefer a softer construction with a more rounded shoulder.

I'm also working with a new team of tailors to produce a level of construction that will be up there with the finest in the world. In fact that's not entirely true. I want to it to be the best. Aim high and see how far we fall, eh?

Right now, it's a building site with sparkies and shopfitters chucking invoices at me left, right and centre. I have a feeling it's going to be beans on toast for dinner a couple of nights a week but I have no doubt it's going to be worth it, creating a fantastic environment to spoil my customers and give them the hospitality they deserve.

So a new chapter begins. I couldn't have done it without the help, support and patience of Paul Fox, of commercial property agents Fox Lloyd Jones, and David Coleman, of solicitors Lee & Priestley.

Final thanks must go to John Bade and my architect and interior designer, the extremely talented Karen Gill, who recently left behind the security of the pay cheque to set up her own practice.

Team Michelsberg, I salute you. Bring on the opening party!

Well Hung

Mr Miyagi and I both understand the importance of balance. To quote the great man, "Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good."

His words of wisdom are just as important to the craft of tailoring as they were to the floppy haired Daniel LaRusso, who broke a thousand pre pubescent hearts in the 1980's as he kicked his way to victory in the film "Karate Kid."



That said, you won't find me doing the crane, waxing cars, or having a pop at helpless insects with chopsticks. Balance, as far as I'm concerned is all about getting a coat to hang perfectly from the shoulders.

A bespoke jacket should resemble a tranquil lagoon without a ripple or crease anywhere on the surface of the cloth. When viewed from the side, the bottom of the coat should point slightly downwards and when viewed from the front, the lapels should sit close to the chest and the fronts fall away gently after the point of buttoning.

If we all had perfect posture and the physique of a Dolce & Gabbana underwear model then there's a chance 'the lagoon' might be achieved with an off-the-pegger. In reality, most of us have to contend with all manner of things that Mother nature has thrown at us, as well as the self-inflicted bumps and lumps that have appeared due to too many long lunches and getting to know Auntie Stella.

It is these imperfections, often called 'figurations' in the trade, that upset the balance of a coat and must be identified during the measuring stage and then provided for when the garment is cut.

They come in many guises - an erect (upright) or stooped posture, shoulders that slope severely, or, where one 'drops,'(slopes) lower than the other. A sway stance whereby a customer stands with his hips forward, a prominent chest, big thighs, skinny legs, moobs, muffin-tops, the list is endless..

Over the years I've probably spent more time checking out men's bodies than Graham Norton and never really switch off my tailoring radar. For example check out the picture below.



Yesterday, I attended a Speed Awareness Course after being caught on camera speeding. After only two minutes in the conference room, I'd spotted that the bloke in front of me had square shoulders (meaning they hardly slope at all). Had he been wearing an off the peg jacket, chances are a horizontal crease would be lurking just under the back of the collar. In fact you can see it happening on his jumper.

The cure for this would be to do a 'square back neck' in the cutting room. Rather than go into what this physically means, all I'll say is that there are many wonderful things that can be done with a pair of shears and some wadding to hide away our little faults and emphasise the good stuff.

This desire to flatter the figure and achieve balance continues throughout the fitting stage where small notches of white thread are sewn into the garment (as can be seen below) to act a bit like mini spirit-levels so we can make sure the garment isn't lopsided and if so, have a marker with which to make adjustments.



But at the end of the day we can't achieve miracles. Someone with a fifty inch tummy is never going to look like Leonardo DiCaprio in one of our suits no matter what we do. As one of my coat-makers once said, "James, I'm a tailor, not a bloody surgeon." Spoken like a true Yorkshireman.

It's a small world

Dear Friends - on Saturday 26th February at 12.51pm, my second daughter came into the world at great speed weighing a healthy seven pounds and eleven ounces.

Introducing, Miss Elizabeth Jasmine Michelsberg. :-)



Sitting back afterwards with a cup of tea, feeling the happiest man on earth, our paediatrician popped in to check on our little lady...and it was the wife of one of my customers, for whom I made his wedding suit in 2008!



It really is a small world and I could even remember his suit - a three piece in a lovely grey birdseye!

For the next two days, I'll be helping my wife get to grips with what we've gone and done, and then I'd better get back to work as I have a feeling these ladies will grow to have expensive tastes, like their father!

What Ho!

I'm halfway through Stephen Fry's second Autobiography and it's an absolute gem. When it comes to penning polished prose, he's a master and it's a joy to see our beautiful language used with such fondness and aplomb.

As an actor, he was marvellous as the towering, mustachioed 'Melchett' in Blackadder - perhaps the best sitcom ever? - and I also enjoyed his performance as 'Jeeves,' the infinitely wise, dexterous and diplomatic valet in 'Jeeves & Wooster.'

Whilst Blackadder simply reduced me to tears, with Jeeves & Wooster, it was all about the clothes and the lifestyle.



Set in the 1930's, it's focus was on Bertie Wooster, a spoilt, but rather endearing member of the idle rich. His day would begin propped up in bed with tea and toast, whilst Jeeves would draw a bath and help select appropriate dress for the day's high jinx.

This usually involved smoking, drinking Champagne, more smoking, tootling around in an Aston Martin, lunch at The Drones Club, attending raucous parties in New York apartments, or, frolicking with comely young ladies in various Jazz and Swing Clubs.

All very well but let's get focus on the really good stuff - his wardrobe. Dashing, dandified, and for the most part effortlessly elegant. To me it echoes the more positive traits of his character: unrelentingly optimistic, inwardly confident with an air of jaunty nonchalance about it all.



The 1930's was very much about making men look masculine and achieving a 'V' shaped silhouette. Shoulders were padded with wadding to make them look as broad as possible, emphasised further with the use of peak lapels, chests built up with heavy canvas, waists nipped in and the sleeves tapered slightly to the wrist.

Trousers were high waisted 'a la Simon Cowell', often with two forward pleats and turn-ups. Turn-ups? I hear you gasp. Trust me - in a years time they'll be everywhere - Pitti Uomo in Florence (the big menswear show) was recently full of them.

It was a golden period for double-breasted suits, which I adore, despite the inconvenience of having to keep them buttoned up all the time. Waistcoats were a must, often with lapels and boating blazers and Plus Fours were also very common.

This macho look was taken to even dizzier heights by gangsters of the time, such as Capone and Bugsy Siegel, who combined the above with bold and broader pin and chalk stripes, wider trousers, and of course, a Fedora and cigar.



A discussion about the 1930's wouldn't be complete without mentioning a prominent London tailor of the time, Frederick Scholte, who developed what became known as the 'London Cut,' or, 'Drape Cut,' favoured by the likes of Cary Grant.

Without getting into too much technical detail, he, like the Italians today, preferred 'soft-tailoring,' using less construction in a garment. He also incorporated extra material around the shoulders as he felt it made men look slimmer. An extreme of this can be seen in the image below of 'Zoot' suits, which I think you'll agree should never be allowed to come back to haunt us.



Yes, the 1930's was a good decade to have fun, and if the dark nights, cold winds and Christmas credit card bills are weighing you down, then a dose of Jeeves and Wooster is just the ticket.

In fact, I've gone one better and treated myself to a 'Bertie Special' - a new suit complete with double breasted waistcoat, washed down with a Vodka Martini. Pip Pip!

A new home for a new year.

Remember when our Queen had her 'Annus horribilis'? The year was 1992 and Prince Andrew divorced Fergie after she was caught sucking her boyfriend's toes, then Diana spilt the beans about Charles & Camilla in her tell-all book, Princess Anne divorced Captain Mark Phillips and to cap it off, Windsor Castle caught fire.

Well, December has been my 'Mensis Horribilis.' My daughter had a week in hospital with pneumonia, I got the flu, my diary was annihilated by the snow, my parents house has been ravaged by extensive water damage and I've been mucked around and blatantly lied to by commercial property agents during my search for a new showroom.

That said, we are now fit and well and the New Year has got off to a great start thanks to a wonderful stay in the Lake District. The picture I've taken below is the view from Orrest Head, above the town of Windermere, which inspired Wainwright to devote his life to walking these fells.



The short but steep climb was the perfect way to walk off a long lunch of black-pudding, pork belly and sticky toffee pudding, washed down with a couple of pints of Tag Lag with a fine malt whiskey and coffee to finish. The venue was the Drunken Duck in Ambleside, pictured below, and I'd also recommend The Punchbowl Inn at Crosthwaite.



It's now back to work and I'm delighted to say we have moved into new offices at Calls Wharf in Leeds, pictured below.





I'm chuffed to bits with the new set up. The location is awesome and easy for my customers to get to, it's right by the river, has great feng shui and is the perfect place to base myself in the short term whilst I continue my search for long term premises.

So here's to a great 2011 for us all. Oh, and I forgot to mention I've got another daughter due next month. :-)

Michelsberg Debating Competition

Hats off to Yorkshire's legal eagles who yesterday stuck two fingers up at the weather and bravely stomped through the snow to take part in the grand final of the Michelsberg Debating Competition.

Twenty eight trainees from fourteen of the biggest legal firms in Yorkshire took part, with Adam Roney & Pete Mills (Eversheds), Maria Akbani & Victoria McClintock (Pinsent Masons), Adrian Mansbridge & Claire Farrell (DWF) and Emma Deighan & Max Swindley (Cobbetts) winningse their respective qualifying rounds and securing a place in the final, held at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds.

After canapés and a much needed glass of mulled wine, competitors and their supporters settled down to do battle, the motion for the evening, "This House Believes there must always be the poor."

Judges for the evening's festivities included Andrew Stubbs QC from St Pauls barristers chambers, Khadim Al' Hassan, from No 6 barristers Chambers, Paul Aber from College of Law York (sporting the most magnificent moustache for 'Mo'vember), and myself.

What came next was everything I'd hoped for. People spoke with confidence, humour, passion, intelligence and conviction, vehemently challenging each others arguments throughout the proceedings. I have nothing but respect for people who are willing to stand up in front of an audience with minimal preparation and come under fire from some of the sharpest legal minds in the business.

As a debater you need to be able to think on your feet, roll with the punches, get the crowd on side and shoot down your competitors. After the dust had settled, the deliberations began and it didn't take long for us to unanimously decide that Adam Roney of Eversheds was 'best in show'.

Here he is pictured below, second from the left, with judges Khadim, myself, Paul and Andrew also in the line up. His prize, a Michelsberg bespoke suit for his troubles, well worth a few chillblaines and a increase in blood pressure.



Best team was Adrian Mansbridge and Claire Farrell of DWF, pictured below. They also did exceptionally well in their qualifying round, where teams came under extreme pressure from judge Andrew Haslam of St Pauls Chambers, 'slugger extrordinaire,' who has iron hands, elegantly wrapped in a pair of velvet gloves. :-)



It was agreed by all that the event had been a real success allowing lawyers in different firms to get together, have fun and flex their little grey cells. I will be repeating it on an annual basis and am looking at turning it into a National competition (including 'War of the Roses,' perhaps, North Vs South).

Thanks to all of you in the participating firms who helped to make this happen and here's to the next one.