The Wm Brown London Black Book
We asked 28 tailors, shopkeepers, creative directors and friends to share where they go for martinis, tailoring, full English breakfasts, and more, in this highly opinionated guide to London's best.
Thank god I have friends and colleagues who live in London and and know it inside-out, otherwise I would never know how to navigate what’s going on in this town. Sadly, I don’t get to London enough, and when I do, it is never for enough time. It always seems like I am missing something (or someone for that matter)—rushing around the city trying to fit everything in. Plus as a creature of habit, I pretty much do the same things every time I visit, not exploring the city to its fullest extent. So, after hearing from so many of you that you wanted more Black Books after we published one on NYC, here is our London Black Book! Yes, I have included my regular go-tos, but I have leaned heavily on my experts who know this town WAY better than I do! I hope you find this as informative, inspiring and as useful as I do. I will certainly be referencing this on my next trip. Cheerio!
CONTRIBUTORS
Louis Cheslaw is a writer and editor based in London.
Mark Cho is the co-founder of the menswear retailer The Armoury, which has locations in Hong Kong and New York City. He is also the co-owner of the English menswear brand Drake’s. Mark is passionate about men’s style and clothing, particularly the classic tailored variety. He is often cited as one of the most influential retailers in the men’s independent luxury space and is credited with introducing many brands and craftspeople that are now commonplace in the lexicon of men’s style today.
Matthew Coles is a brand specialist and photographer. He has worked with many brands in developing their marketing and creative, including Drake’s and New & Lingwood, among others.
Douglas Cordeaux is the co-owner of Fox Brothers & Co Ltd, an English fabric mill whose history dates back to 1772.
Paul Croughton is a writer, editor and consultant. As global editor in chief of Robb Report he edited the luxury bible in the US and UK and now connects stylish brands with HNW communities around the world.
Robert Ettinger is the CEO of Ettinger, a London-based maker of luxury leather goods founded by his father Gerry Ettinger in 1934.
Jamie Ferguson is a UK-based menswear and lifestyle photographer and author of This Guy: Portraits of Modern Men's Style and co-author of The Casual Style Guide. He has worked for brands including J.Crew, Mr. Porter, Polo Ralph Lauren, Canon, Omega, Drake's and Hodinkee, among others. He also publishes a newsletter on Substack, That Dusty Heat. @jkf_man
Ralph Fitzgerald is the founder of Fitzgerald Bespoke. Born in London and trained on Savile Row, he now operates his own bespoke business from New York’s iconic Chrysler Building, earning him the moniker “The Chrysler Tailor.”
Ugo Galelli is a creative director and restaurateur based in London, with a sharp eye for the food and beverage world. Drawing inspiration from Italy and the UK, he focuses on creating authentic, impactful projects that resonate with style and substance. He is also the founder of Short Road Pizza, a London pizzeria whose thin crust pies blend Italian and American influence.
Junyin Gibson is a Hong Kong-born, London-based creative known for his multifaceted expertise in fashion, art, design, culture, and music. He is celebrated for his expertise in creative direction, design, brand strategy, and storytelling, blending unique perspectives from both Eastern and Western influences. Gibson's work often explores the intersection of fashion and culture, and his ability to connect these worlds allows him to create visually compelling, narrative-driven experiences that resonate with a global audience.
Matthew Gonzalez is a Long Beach, California native and bespoke pattern cutter who has lived and worked in London for the past 18 years. He earned his Master’s Degree in History of Design from Oxford University and has worked for some of England’s most prestigious tailoring houses. Notably, in 2017, he became the first American pattern cutter in Savile Row’s history when he joined Huntsman. In 2020, he founded his own tailoring house, and in January of this year, he returned to Savile Row, making his the first American tailoring house to ever operate on the Row. His house style is best described as Anglo-American, blending traditional Savile Row construction techniques with mid-century American detailing.
Michael Hill is the creative director of Drake’s, a menswear brand that has embodied the concept of “relaxed elegance” since 1977, and operates a flagship store at No. 9 Savile Row.
Mats Klingberg is the Swedish-born founder of Trunk Clothiers, a multi-brand menswear store on Chiltern Street in London's Marylebone.
Mickael Korausch is a French entrepreneur based in East London, known for his expertise in modern formalwear. He is the founder of la Bowtique, specializing in handmade bow ties, and the author of Modern Black Tie, a definitive guide to contemporary black tie etiquette.
Kimberley Lawton is the founder of LAWTON, a luxury tailoring house blending timeless craftsmanship with modern sartorial precision. Based in London with Yorkshire roots, she is known for her sharp, rock ‘n’ roll-inspired aesthetic and dedication to bespoke and made-to-order menswear and womenswear.
James Massey is the Managing Director of Massey Style, a leading London based PR and communications agency specialising in the luxury sector.
A UK-born Swiss citizen, Lara Mingay is a leading London-based public relations expert and key opinion former who founded her company, LM Communications, in 1997. Today, Lara is a global leader in strategic brand development and communications strategy within the luxury goods sector.
Patrick Osborne-Fox is the Director of Global Sales at Fox Brothers & Co Ltd. He has worked in the textile industry for 9 years, and for 8 years in menswear before that.
Austin Pollak is a former lawyer turned fashion model. Prior to moving to London with his wife five years ago, he lived in Florence, where he managed the commercial operations for the bespoke tailoring house Liverano & Liverano. His favorite pastimes are dining out, and enjoying a good cigar and classic cocktails with friends and family.
James Priestley is the Shopkeeper at William Crabtree & Sons, an independent retailer on New Quebec Street selling tailoring, knitwear and accessories for men. @williamcrabtreeandsons
Lucas Nicholson is The Commercial Director for Permanent Style, having previously been sales manager at Drake’s. He lives in Southwest London with his wife and enjoys the simple things in life: a good meal, a great outfit, time with his loved ones and a glass of great wine.
Simon Mills is a journalist and editor who splits his time between West London and West Oxfordshire. He writes for Wallpaper*, The Times, Air Mail, Country Life, Esquire and the Evening Standard and also authors a weekly substack "Male On Sunday". He has two daughters, a schnoodle called Wilma and a Land Rover Series III.
Anda Rowland is the owner and director of famed Savile Row tailoring house Anderson & Sheppard. She opened their Haberdashery, offering everything but the bespoke suit, in 2012.
James Sleater is the owner of two of Savile Row’s most storied houses, Cad & The Dandy and Norton & Sons. James’ companies straddle the divide between the youngest and the oldest of tailors, helping to revive the fortunes of Savile Row by attracting new customers and protecting the craft of tailoring with a team of over 200. James also owns the Savile Row coffee shop The Service, which provides the street with a hub for customers and tailors alike. In addition, James also owns the Swedish heritage brands Götrich & Co and Baron.
John Sugden is owner of Campbell's of Beauly, a Royal Warrant-holding classic store in the Scottish Highlands, specialising in knitwear and tailoring.
Buzz Tang is the co-founder and “artistic storyteller” of menswear purveyor The Anthology, with specialisation ranging from traditional bespoke tailoring to a contemporary perspective on ready-to-wear. Before embarking on the journey of creativity and innovation joined by like-minded talents and artisans, Buzz worked as a fabric merchant on Savile Row whilst being a fashion student who majored in footwear design at London College of Fashion in London.
Geoff Wheeler has been a cloth merchant since the late 1980s, working on Savile Row and across Europe. For the last eight years he has been a sales manager at Huddersfield Fine Worsteds. He was the appeal chairman for UK tailoring charity BTBA in 2016, and for many years has delivered talks on textiles and tailoring to students at the London College of Fashion.
William Wong is the owner of Arterton London, a specialist menswear shop that does everything but clothing. @arterton