February 28, 2005
english cut in the guardian
Finally, the British media notice English Cut. From The Guardian:
Mahon, who has made suits for Prince Charles and Bryan Ferry, offers a frank insight into the life of a top tailor. English Cut, launched last month, tells of his life in Cumbria, his twice-a-week commutes to London, and his frequent visits to New York on sales trips. He also pens a pithy who's who of the famous street, and offers tips on what to do if you can't afford the £2,000 price tag of a bespoke suit.Long-term visitors of gapingvoid might be disconcerted to find me suddenly writing about English Cut so much, having already become used to a steady diet of Hughtrain blether. Fair enough. But like I e-mailed Doc Searls recently:
I think I'm getting out the marketing/advertising business.So... anybody want to buy a $4000 suit? Posted by hugh macleod at February 28, 2005 12:31 AM | TrackBackI think the Cluetrain was right. So was the Hughtrain...
The world is a remarkably lumpy, uneven place. You might not have the necessary control to make your product the best in the world; what Seth Godin would call "Remarkable".
But what YOU DO have control over is whether or not you're holding the smartest conversation on the planet about the market you're in, bar none.
And once you do, the need to market evaporates.
Hugh, we're still waiting to see a photo of you in your bespoke suit, and a story about your fitting etc.
Posted by: Justin at February 28, 2005 1:31 AMNot so much "disconcerted" as "bored, bored, bored."
(I don't mean that to sound as snotty as that probably sounds -- it's just that I'm hoping you'll move on and go back to what I come to your site to read. It's probably more interesting to you than to your readers -- this reader at least.)
Posted by: boredguy at February 28, 2005 1:38 AMHugh, How about Thomas being the Artisan to a high-tech 3D Modeler? While reading his entry today about his exquisite hand-wrought technique it occurred to me another remarkable angle might me to have him marry the refinement of his ability to the latest in body measurement technologies. It would have the coolness factor to interest that clientele, the talking point that they were fully scanned, but they're now educated to know that machines are nothing without Thomas' fitting and fabric expertise. Cool + Beautiful. Worth the price to talk about. A new day in fine dressing. Maybe he can invent something other than suiting based on old military garb.
btw, What are you interested in now if not Malaysia or Advertising/Marketing? What's got your brilliant attention?
Posted by: Shelley Noble at February 28, 2005 2:03 AM"it's just that I'm hoping you'll move on and go back to what I come to your site to read."
Well Boredguy, fair enough, but since you decided to (A) remain anonymous and (B) not specify exactly what you're missing, I'm just assuming you're a useless troll wasting my time.
Please try to be more helpful next time ;-)
Heh. Shelley, In English Cut's world, lack-of-coolness is more rewarding than coolness.
Ever heard the phrase, "It's hip to be square"? That's what we're talking about, "in extremis".
Posted by: hugh macleod at February 28, 2005 2:16 AMYour site is "anti-establishment," while suits are the embodiment of establishment. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that 95% of the people who read you are not your target audience when it comes to selling suits.
Posted by: Barbara at February 28, 2005 6:03 AMYour archives are still broken. Dammit. I want to read your ten best ideas.
Posted by: Jeremy at February 28, 2005 7:09 AMI'm not trying to sell suits to my readers, Barb.
Posted by: hugh macleod at February 28, 2005 11:22 AMHugh,
What are you going to be doing as part of English Cut? Marketing Director? Business Manager? Or are you going to apprentice to be a cutter? The last position would be the cooler and more dramatic departure from the advertising world.
No job title, Pat. Every morning I turn up at the English Cut office and try to help Tom out, the best I can.
Posted by: hugh macleod at February 28, 2005 1:47 PMHugh
When you get your suit how about we go toe to toe with my tailor Gemma Johnson (See my blog) to see who looks more dapper. ;)
Kudos to Tom
Dave
Posted by: David McQueen at February 28, 2005 4:51 PMAbsolutely true - i watched an acquaintance build a $100 million turnover in clothing in the UK without having a marketing department of any sort and without ever running an advertisement.
Posted by: john dodds at February 28, 2005 6:40 PMHelping a small, smart, energetic company to communicate their story would be my dream job.
I've worked as a copywriter for 12 years now. 6 in an agency. 4 freelance. 2 client side in an in-house agency.
Agencies blow, once the novelty of free beer and hot account coordinators wears off. They burn you out. And you're hidden from the client, from the actual business you're supposed to be selling.
In-house is better, but you're still pigeonholed as a "creative," and ultimately distanced from the product and the marketing. And, let's face it, you find lots of folks who're just marking time.
Freelance is great when you're busy and the checks don't bounce. But still, unless you're relentless about your clients, it becomes a pure dollar exchange, and that gets empty fast.
When you join a company you do more than just "sell suits." You get the chance to help something grow. That's what it's all about, right?
Posted by: Timbo at March 1, 2005 1:20 AMHi Hugh,
As a relatively new reader of your blog, the 'English Cut' theme is something I'm use to and enjoy.
Perhaps nay-sayers would be appeased by seeing posts related to how you brain storm new ways to create buzz about the English Cut blog and the business itself. Maybe those methods could be applied to your readers' businesses or otherwise spark an idea..?
Either way, keep up the good work and the great doodlin'!
-Steve Gill
Posted by: Steve Gill at March 2, 2005 3:32 PMhi Hugh: Just came across this and thought of you:
www.obeythesuit.co.uk
Maybe you are right after all - it is all about Power!