First of all can you introduce yourself to our audience and explain a little about your background/ career to date?
I’m a freelance fashion journalist and creative strategist. I work with brands to shape their storytelling and creative output. My background is in men’s magazines, I worked as an editor at The Rake for the first few years of my career, before being one of a team of four to launch The Jackal. I also host a men’s style podcast, HandCut Radio.
What is your connection to TWC & how did you cross paths with the brand?
I don’t remember exactly, but TWC has been on my radar for years. I think perhaps I met Adam and Charlotte at Pitti Uomo in Florence a while back. I have a huge interest in modern craft, so any brand that champions quality and is genuinely thoughtful when it comes to design is good with me.
How do you define your style?
Good question. I actively try not to define it, really. I don’t believe in rules and I don’t see the value of being prescriptive. I’m a passionate believer that clothes are a form of personal expression, so one morning I might want to wear a raglan coat, hoodie and track pant, because that’s how I’m feeling and the next I’ll be in a three-piece suit, rollneck and loafers.
What drew you to select the pieces that you chose to wear from TWC’s collection?
I’ve been getting into vintage Levi’s of late, particularly the 550s relaxed fit – you can pick pairs from the ’80s and ‘90s up for next to nothing. TWC’s relaxed fit jeans have the same sort of generous, slightly retro silhouette which has always appealed to me. The ecru colour is gorgeous too – easy to dress down but also smart enough to pair with a tweed sports coat. The shirt I chose is a gorgeous shade of indigo; the perfect purple-cum-royal blue hue. You just know it’ll fade beautifully over time too.
What would be your pick for one desert island album?
That’s an impossible question to answer, I’m afraid. At a push, I could give you 10…
What do you enjoy the most about your work?
Fundamentally, I’m extremely lucky. I make a living from telling stories, which is what I’ve always wanted to do. The job is most satisfying when I get to tell the stories of craftspeople, creatives or brands who really deserve to have a spotlight shone on their work.
What did you enjoy seeing during this year's Men's Fashion Week?
There was so much to enjoy. Zegna’s recent collections have been superb – just directional enough but not unwearable. I’m also a huge admirer of Virgil Abloh’s work for Vuitton. His work isn’t always easy to understand, but there’s always a cultural or ideological agenda underpinning it if you know where to look. I love that; he turns high fashion into an intellectual exercise.
Which item of clothing could you not live without?
A navy double-breasted blazer with brass buttons. It sounds stuffy but if you know how to style a blazer in a modern way, it’s incredibly useful.
Image courtesy of Kirk Originals, shot by Debra Hurford Brown
Do you have a style mantra?
I do, it comes up often on my podcast: Clothes are for the man who wears the clothes. That’s my way of saying dress for yourself, and not because you feel you should pander to anyone else. Style is about personal expression, not about trying to fit in.
What are you reading at the moment?
A few things. Fiction-wise, I’m working my way through a modern translation of the Norse myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland, a medievalist who’s work I enjoy. I’m also reading The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, which is proving to be extremely useful as a self-employed individual who’s just battled his way through COVID-19 lockdowns.
What does modern luxury mean to you?
Luxury is something you can work on, service, and restore. Something with a character that changes over time, but which you can use to death and then bring back to life with a little TLC.
Aleks wears our Camp Collar Short Sleeve Shirt (Ikat) and our RELAXED FIT - Selvedge Denim Jeans - Natural Raw
Which aspects of menswear do you feel remains eternally relevant?
Denim and a sport coat.
