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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
I love Steve Coogan. I first saw him the night after he won the Perrier award in Edinburgh in 1992, when he appeared as one of his many alter egos, Manchester bombshell Pauline Calf. He was tremendously funny and I have been a huge fan ever since.
In my opinion, Coogan’s most famous creation, the quintessential Little England broadcaster and denizen Alan Partridge, remains one of the funniest characters on television, eclipsed only by Coogan’s role as himself in Michael Winterbottom’s film. The tripI have a childish weakness for anyone who can do impersonations and enjoy few things in life more than watching an actor “play” Roger Moore. Next month we will see Coogan in his first major West End role in a revival of Stanley Kubrick’s play. Doctor Strangeloveanother collaboration with Armando Iannucci, with whom he has worked for 30 years. He takes a break from rehearsals to talk about the project, which will see him play four roles (compared to Peter Sellers’ trio), and a career that has seen him alternate between comedy and more serious roles.
Lately, Coogan has become a style icon, or at least his wardrobe has come to represent a style that characterizes the British man. The rumpled sheets, tan blazers and Ray-Ban sunglasses of The trip They were the center of many discussions about modern wardrobe and what might be appropriate for the mature man to wear. For this reason, I am delighted that It should appear in this fall’s men’s style issue.which I hope will be a useful and accessible guide.
In our tailors directory, for example, we look at the bewildering array of suit-making services in London. While many of our readers are eager to try out a bespoke suit, many say they feel overwhelmed when trying to decide who and what will best suit them. Are they looking for something traditional and highly structured, or something softer, lighter and looser? Aleks Cvetkovic has compiled an index We hope this helps. From the sleek, elongated lines of Edward Sexton to the stately cuts of Kent & Haste, we hope this answers everything you wanted to know about suits but were afraid to ask.
Not interested in a three-piece set? Perhaps a black hoodie is more your style. Mark C O’Flaherty has discovered how the sportswear staple has become something akin to high fashion. Likewise, at Sunspel, the T-shirt specialists are debuting a bespoke service to help men (and women) find the perfect fit. We’ve sent Louis Wise will try it.
In the 13 years since he founded his menswear brand Ami Paris, Alexandre Mattiussi has introduced womenswear, accessories, leather goods and jewellery, and has grown his business into a global brand valued at €300m. His recipe for success has been to provide a core line of trousers, shirts and utilitarian basics at an attractive price point. His trousers in particular are highly recommended by many of my colleagues.
“I am not a niche designer, I am not an intellectual designer, I am not a conceptual designer.” He tells Jessica Beresford“I want to dress as many people as possible, in a very inclusive way.” Ami’s success reveals a truth within the industry that many brands seem to fail to hear. Why not make clothes that people actually want to wear?
Finally, Our cover story takes you on a journey through Croatia.on board the Jadrolinija ferry with Leon Dame. It is always a pleasure to feature my favourite supermodel on these pages: Dame is one of the few people in the world who could wear a garbage bag and still look super stylish.
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