Michael Hill

So this should have been up ages ago, I met with Michael Hill on March 10th, a meeting which had been in diary since before Christmas. 

A day which at the time seemed unusual, London felt as if winter had one last blast, cold grey streets quiet, those out had collars upturned and eyes down. 

But, ‘that’ news was on everyone’s lips, news watched in slow motion creep towards us.

That evening in the car on way home I kept thinking about how odd it had felt, like the London I knew was slightly askew. 

Of course, now, looking back, that was one of the last days of the ‘old’ normal, now, on everyone’s lips is the selfless work of those caring for us, our admiration and appreciation and discussions of what the ‘new’ normal will be. 

Since that meeting, I’ve run my notes round my head, thinking about how best to frame something which doesn’t now feel real, although real it was.

I see this site as a celebration, I believe in showcasing the great, the people and items I believe in. Those doing brilliant work. My background and career in the industry I hope lends a slight element of rigour – but I’d never wish to bore – rather use what I know to inform and show you the things which bring colour to my day.

The best businesses are models of their force of nature owners, owners with the confidence to showcase those that work there. 

They are never bland. Preferring to err away from negative caution.

Michael Hill & Drake’s are a great example of this. Everything is done with such warmth and a sense of openness, personality, joy and care.

That afternoon, like many others, I headed in to escape the cold and grey and stood there at the front of their store chatting with Dom & Ben, before Chris and Lucas who look after sales joined. 

I’ve known all a long time, they’re good people, the sort of guys you’d want with you when trying to take on the world, knowing they’d get the job done and keep you smiling along the way. 

All are an important part of the Drake’s experience, an experience filled with vital personality, no fawning sycophancy, and no by the line, regurgitated, luxury retail manual script, you’d be as happy buying a scarf from them as having a pint, retail at its best. 

The Savile Row store itself is a triumph, a chicly chaotic mix of the things which influence. A play on colour, texture, shape and proportion. The softness in the clothes is matched by fluid lines which make the eye wander, across the walls of art, past the plants and furniture, towards the racks of clothes. Like all the best shops it has that element of discovery, came in for a jumper, left with some jeans. 

Opening night party; roadblock. 

A proper event and rare for these things, a laugh. 

Art and fashion converged, the cool kids as well as industry, those you wanted to see and speak with, all piled in and plied with booze and chat. Stood inside and out on that most storied street. 

Back to that cold afternoon, Michael & I retreated downstairs, past his far cooler than I team, and between my riffling through the AW20 collection as he took the phone calls which come from running a brand and factory, Michael talked about what was going on at large, what we thought might happen, and what the future might look like. He also talked me through his life, from the start of his career, growing up with the industry in his blood, his time when young on Savile Row, world travels & PhD in life and business from Michael Drake through to the move into RTW and return to Savile Row. 

Michael is good, engaging company, he has that easy charm which makes you want to talk, to discuss the world and life. 

Streets of London was the angle I’d thought of before the meeting. From Haberdasher Street to Savile Row.

An East London takeover of W1S.

Because Drake’s is a London brand, bringing the best of here and elsewhere together, a slice of London life that perhaps the tourists don’t see. 

The pubs, the caff’s, the life away from cookie cutter tourist guides. People working and dreaming hard for a better future. Something a bit smart for the weekend, or little bit of fun for a weekday.  

I love walking, London in particular, it’s how I get most of my thinking and work done. Have a problem? Go for a walk. Important phone call? Walk. 

Doing so you learn the short cuts, those side streets which chop minutes and miles, you notice how people live, work and play.

When I used to go to Haberdasher Street regularly for meetings and buying appointments, I’d usually walk from home, because Haberdasher Street was in that awkward place where in my head, it was as quick to walk as it was to catch 3 buses (not a bus fan), or the overground and walk.

Walking there often meant walking back, or walking elsewhere to see friends. Doing so, you walk past London old and new, gentrified and modernised, tech hubs and proper pubs. 

You could see it all in Drake’s’ stuff, the old English heraldry through a tasteful and playful lens. 

All of which helped it be ‘that’ under the radar company, or at least it always was.

People would ask, “like your tie, where’s it from?”,

“Drake’s”, 

“Who?”

Now…“that a Drake’s tie? yeah, follow them on Instagram, nice gear, seen the new shop?”

So what happens, when the brand who made those ties worn by those who influenced those in the know becomes, well big. 

Look, it’s been big for a while, it’s Drake’s. But it was always big within certain nuanced circles. 

Now, it’s, real life big. 

The move into retail on corner of Clifford Street certainly helped, as did stores in New York, Seoul & Tokyo plus tie in with Paris’ Beige Habilleur, but, it’s the past 2 years, culminating in the move the Savile Row which has sent Drake’s into another league.

Often, breaking through leads to early adopters falling by wayside, those that want to be known for liking something first move onto the next thing. 

With Drake’s this isn’t the case, they’ve been slow and steady in their growth. There is a consistency in leadership and taste which matched with careful expansion has kept people interested.

So that was the angle, all neatly tied up.

Then was going to add in quick explanation about Michael Hill being that consistent presence. How Drake’s is in his blood. How his head and heart push this business through. 

Michael Hill the charming embodiment of Drake’s, past, present and future. 

I mean, look at him, he looks like Drakes. The clothes’ best advert is the man who runs the show. 

A slightly ruffled, sophisticated take on Elegant English Europa. Shirt collars outside of sweatshirts, the Swatch watches, pockets stuffed with soft scarves, a sense of ease, of comfort, style.

A talented, worldly and ambitious man.

A man of great personality. 

A man you could trust with a secret or two, have a drink or three with and solve countless problems.

A man with an opinion, a point of view away from the obvious.

A man given his circumstances and position in world, I think is quite grounded, humble and intriguing, the ego has not landed. It doesn’t need to. 

Often people ask, what makes successful people, well successful? Is there some magical self help book? No, but there is a common thread, a sense of curiosity and desire for knowledge, mixed with a strong sense of when to be stubborn and stick with the plan. 

In some it is perceived to be a confidence thing, but confidence can be fragile and faked. This is something different, it’s an unteachable art which most successful people seem to have mastered.

Michael Hill is no different. With each season as Drake’s expands beyond ties and hanks and shirts, you can see the steely self determination mixed with almost a painter’s view of the world. How it shapes theirs and how it can be shaped to their design. 

And if I stopped there, great. 

But, we’ve all had a bit of time.

Time to think, to reflect.

& well I think that’s doing the story disservice, to Drake’s and to Michael. It’s less neat and far more interesting.

People keep saying to me that Drake’s and Michael in particular are the new British Ralph Lauren. 

Well possibly, and there’s no coincidence that James Harvey Kelly is shooting campaigns for Drake’s and now Ralph and others. 

Ralph creates a world, so does Michael, but the company I think of each time I walk into Drake’s is another.

A company which took that London melting pot and created a world. A company which understood the value of collaboration and much more.

The Duffer of St. George.

Duffer at its height created the zeitgeist, captured that moment and put a certain insouciant and entirely British take on life at the forefront of the imagination of those who mattered.

It was cool, and they knew it. 

But, they didn’t care. Jason Jules used to talk of the Duffer family tree. It spread its branches into every important brand of the 90s and early 21st century, those that were important had been through the Duffer finishing school.

In 20 years’ time you’ll be able to say the same about the Savile Row University at number 9.

Because Michael, like a great chef, knows that you aren’t defined by the singular act, but by the team: his brigade. 

Fashion is a collaborative business, it requires unseen armies to help it function, to be successful. 

Which makes Michael so interesting because of his willingness to promote those around him, to publicly showcase their talents and personalities, knowing full well that such exposure will lead to many flying off and doing their own thing. That takes personal confidence and self assurance. 

It also means that little pockets of Drake’s and Michael’s influence can be found across the industry. 

Like Cicero and his diligent farmer, planting trees for future generations. 

Again this was like Duffer, where there was a force of personality which seeped into every part of the business, it was there in the clothes and the store, and came from those who launched it and those who worked there. 

Kenneth Mackenzie, boss of the imperious 6876 and one of the most significant branches of the Duffer Tree, said that “Duffer were self made, irreverent, fearless entrepreneurs of a classical yet modern way”.

Look at the parallels with what Michael Hill is trying to do with Drake’s. Although in this case it is a form of start-up disruption with an essentially legacy brand.

Michael does it in such a clever way. Drake’s has always mixed English and Italian takes on clothes. Colour but done earthily, texture but subtle. Soft and playful, following tradition but thumbing nose at it. 

Bringing Luke Walker on board was a masterstroke. Luke brings that knowledge of how ‘high’ fashion industry works. He comes from outside the traditional menswear world, but his work at Dunhill, Lanvin et al and his taste at large has been deeply influenced by what men actually wear across all occupations whether working or playing. 

Michael has enabled his team to create clothes which tell stories, stories yet to be written and aching to be done so by their wearers. Yes, there is the badge of menswear, including the tasteful new ‘D’ monogram  - thanks for that, perfect for me – but it’s about more, it’s about life.

Michael Hill, I believe loves life and it shows. The clothes are writ large with colour, with feeling, humour and passion. 

They speak of books and films, art, wine, food and places. If we look at social media – perhaps the ultimate symbol and medium of the self – we see a world interested in, those finer things which remove us from the daily worries, a world washed with bright colour, sunlight casting dappled textures, well that’s Drake’s. It never feels planned, more a natural extension of who Michael is and who they are as a brand.

Drake’s’ patterns and fabrics were always distinctive, whether bright or quiet, they had, understated, quite small ‘b’ British, good taste. 

With personality. 

Drake’s has cocker spaniel personality. It leaps about, chasing its tail and dying to show you what it’s found, but it’s never forced. It’s from sheer excitement, a joy for life.

Clothing with personality sounds a bit maiden aunt, with a side of hippy jazz loving loner. 

Those wags in the corner, forcing their taste in boldly awful prints writ large in polyester and loathing.

This is more about showcasing your own personality, using print and colour and texture to show the world (quietly) who you are. 

It’s about the individual within the collective, how we live life well amongst us all. 

It’s about making things well, with passion, not trying to create a brand and ending up doing so. 

For me though, the most intriguing thing is what it means for the future, long term and short.

The past couple of months, mixed with the past couple of years have shown us we’re in a pickle, politically, economically, and in terms of health, the nation is being tested. 

It’s scary. The future is - apologies for the obvious - uncertain. 

So, why am I optimistic? 

Well, firstly, you have to be, otherwise what else do we have?

And as a nation, we always pull through, going over the heads of those in charge to create a future and climate which is fresh, exciting and vital.

British icons are born in moments of difficulty, our greatest creative works need grit to start them off. 

The shiny, new, and flash, just don’t work here. Cool Britannia will always top tropical St Tropez. 

At the start of this year, you could feel the momentum building again, things were starting to move, people were starting to take difficulty and use it to their advantage, it felt liberating. It still does, and I believe that, we will use the tragedy of the past 4 months as fuel for great things. 

So whilst this article is about Michael, and yes, his taste in all of those highly tasteful, magazine worthy, insta crushing things is highly interesting, because they showcase the man and in turn influence his work.

What really fascinates me and what it is really about is Michael and his/your/my industries future. Because I feel like things are only just getting started, for him, and for us all.

I keep thinking about Michael’s work & his place in a broader, cooler Britannia.

Michael’s commitment to the personal growth of his team, to be part of something bigger and have the people and businesses around you operate at the top of their game and you at yours.

That wonderful driving sense of being respectful of tradition but not bound by it. Making beautiful things a priority, things made to make people smile and to make you smile. 

And how we are all going to use our work, our art, to shape a better future.

As ever, I asked Michael to answer some set questions. His answers as ever are a clear picture of the man. They show his love of his work and of his life & I believe his commitment to making the future a positive one.

Hello, what do you do?

I help to run Drake’s, ideally spending my time focusing on the product side of the business, and our evolution. 

Where’s home?

Home is just outside a village in south Devon called Blackawton, when I’m not living above the factory over on Haberdasher Street. 

What do you collect?

I don’t feel like I’ve set out to collect anything, though I can appreciate it may look like I collect drawings, both figurative and abstract. It’s never been a conscious thing but certainly always something I’ve been drawn to.

Any heroes?

Hill & Drake I suppose; my father Charles; and Michael, whom I spent many fulfilling years working for.

Favourite dish?

Wild salmon cooked over charcoal with Rösti and Bearnaise. A special early memory. 

Hidden Gem?

The wonderful Thomas Bushnell at The Fourth Floor in Clerkenwell. Not that my hair is anything to go by.

What’s underrated?

The Gin & French – half gin, half Noilly Prat. Easy, perfect. Then everyone we’re currently relying on to keep the county going! Supermarket workers, delivery drivers, healthcare workers...

Four British items?

A Richard Slee sculpture, blackcurrant jam on toast, a tweed jacket and Savile Row, of course !!

What’s next?

Whatever the new normal will be, please! Will feel forever grateful to be back at work, we’re so fortunate to work with great people and wonderful textiles & products.