A few weeks ago we announced our collaboration with Global affairs magazine Monocle. It all started back in January, when the Financial Times interviewed Monocle editor, Tyler Brûlé, in it he cited Sunspel as the ultimate underwear essential. After just a few months and a lot of development, during which we created these unique underwear styles, we launched this collaboration which is close to our heart. The designs were based on iconic British style in the 1960s as photographed by David Bailey. To learn more about the collaboration, click here

To celebrate the collaboration we held an event in our Soho store, with a selection of Sunspel and Monocle guests attending. Below are some photo highlights from the evening, to see all the photographs visit our facebook photo album

Sunspel has been making simple clothing special since 1860. Our design ethos of ‘review and refine’ has led us to develop fabrics and make luxury clothes that are worn and loved all over the world. Our inventory of designs, papers, letters and records are constantly being reconsidered in great detail, and new styles and collections are being born in the true ‘review and refine’ way that defines the essence of Sunspel.

These patchwork t-shirts were conceived in the design room at our Long Eaton factory, on the cutting table, we began collaging a carefully selected array of archived fabrics from the very recent to the distant past; a French stripe for the pocket, a finer stripe for the arm and so on. Each stripe has its own story, some inspired by iconic looks of London fashion in the 1960s, others informed by everyday staples like classic tea towels and kitchenware to refined patterns found on traditional schoolwear and gentlemen’s ties. All our stripe reports have been scrutinised and perfected to have the best proportion, size and colour – and all using our luxury Q82 superfine cotton fabric.

These t-shirts are a playful re-appropriation of a classic t-shirt into something totally unique. The designs have then been expertly crafted by our machinists and the result is an exclusive collection of 10 t-shirts that represent a literal patchwork of Sunspel’s history in a thoroughly contemporary design.

These 10 collectable t-shirts are the most recent additions to the Sunspel product range. Only available in limited numbers, they’re certain to be future classics. Right now, though, they’re an opportunity to own part of Sunspel’s unique heritage.

Exclusively available in Sunspel stores now.

Sunspel are featured in the latest issue of I-D Magazine, in an Editorial shoot inspired by the original Levis advert staring Nick Kamen in the 1980s, this iconic clip also featured Sunspel Boxer shorts.

I-D Magazine

Spring 2012 Issue 318

Photography Mark Lean

Styling Elgar Johnson

Boxer Shorts by Sunspel

We’re not the only ones fanatical about craftsmanship. At the Sunspel store in Soho, we’re featuring specialist book aficionados, Ideabooks, and English shoemakers, Cheaney, to accompany our clothes.

Our most recent addition is the exquisite Mingei pottery from our friends at the Shussai Kiln in Japan. Five friends founded the kiln in 1947, near the the banks of the Hiikawa River in the Izumo region.

They had one aim – to make simple, utilitarian crockery for everyday use. English potter Bernard Leach was an overriding influence. Leach believed the true importance of pottery was its shape and texture rather than the print or decoration; and that, ‘Enduring forms are full of quiet assurance. Overstatement is worse than understatement.”

The kiln celebrates the purity of the unknown artisan and the natural beauty found in ordinary, everyday objects. Disregarding the need for elaborate decoration or finishes, the beauty is found in the honesty of its functional qualities.

Sharing Sunspel’s ambition to keep manufacturing local, all the materials for the pottery are made for and by the people of the Izumo area. The clay and glazes are sourced from the local area and transformed into the plates, cups, jugs and bowls you can now find in both our stores.

READ MORE:

• SUNSPEL SOHO STORE
• SUNSPEL SHOREDTICH STORE

Dominic West is a man used to a challenge. An actor with a back catalogue of some heavy duty roles, he’s illuminated  the darker corners of the troubled psyche that most of his peers would rather ignore. He’s played the drunken, obnoxious but strangely lovable detective, Jimmy McNulty  in US hit series, The Wire. He also starred as Iago in Othello, Oliver Cromwell in The Devil’s Whore, Fred West in Appropriate Adult, Hector Madden in The Hour and Theron in 300. Enough said. The boy’s got form.

(Dominic West as Hector Madden in The hour, with co stars Ben Wishaw and Romola Garai)

No real surprise then when a group of fellow thrill seekers upped and headed for ten days of hardcore paragliding in Northern India, Dominic West was in.

The group headed for Kangra in the Himachal Pradesh region and were led by flying supremo, Jim Mallinson.

At 12 000 feet in the air, regulating body temperature is a top priority. For the trip the team chose Sunspel fine Merino thermals.  Dominic  wore the Sunspel  merino base layer (also favoured by polar explorer, Ben Saunders).  These have a natural wicking quality that traps moisture away from the skin while still hugging the body – brilliantly effective in cold and extreme weather. The fabric is made from entirely natural materials and is incredibly soft and comfortable. The thermals are based on a classic design modernised  with  our own performance fabric where hollow fibres capture moisture and insulates the body with supernatural efficiency.

WE INTERVIEWED JAMES TO FIND OUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO PLAY IN THE DHAULADHAR MOUNTAINS AT 17000 FEET.

Where did you guys fly from and to?

We flew in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh in north India, exploring most of the range which stretches 100km from Dharamsala to Mandi and goes up to 5000m (17000 feet).

How long did it take?

We did a ten day tour.

How long was a single flight?

With  Dom and Ru our longest flight was about 35km from our camp at Phooladhar to the Taragarh Palace for gin and tonic. That took about two and a half hours, but we did some longer flights too that took us up to around 3500m or 12000 feet.

Impressed that you made time for a G&T. Do many people fly in the region?

The flights we did with Dom and Ru were reasonably tame, but considering how inexperienced they were at the beginning, they were really impressive. Before Dom arrived in India, his longest flight was a 15 minutes soaring flight up to about 200 feet above the Wiltshire hills. His second flight in India was over three hours at 12000 feet.

(Dom West paragliding wearing Sunspel)

That’s pretty amazing  progress. These guys must be super fit?

I put it down to a few factors – good but safe kit, a fantastic flying region, great weather, excellent guides, giant cojones on their part and, of course, Sunspel merino undies that stopped us from freezing our balls off!

Sounds like an extreme sport. Is it?

To be honest we only scratched the surface of what can be done in that region on a paraglider. I’ve made 5-hour flights  from Bir to Manali  in 2 hours that took me up to 19000 feet and covered over 100km. And then flown back the next day. The same journey by car takes about 12 hours since you have to drive around the mountains. But it is necky stuff. If you go down you could be in deep trouble. At best you’d be looking at a walk-out that would take days.

How cold was it during the day and night?

On the ground, it was warm during the day – somewhere around 25°C. At night it would get down to near freezing. Flying high, definitely below freezing.

Did the merino wool help?

Absolutely. The base layer kept us warm as toast when we were in the air and when we were sleeping at the camp. The great thing was it didn’t get stinky or sweaty when we were hiking to a remote take off or landing place.

What did you see up there?

Amazing views, of course, as well as fantastic birds and wildlife. My favourite of all the soaring birds is the lammergeier, or bearded vulture. It drops bones to smash them, then eats the marrow. Very clever.

What were you doing when you weren’t flying?

Um. I’ll have to run this one past my lawyer… Let’s see, we visited some local 8th- century temples. We also got to hang out in McLeod Ganj, where the Tibetan government-in-exile’s headquarters are. It’s also where the Dalai Lama lives. We tried to fly there and almost made it but landed 10km short. We also visited a fire temple with natural flames coming out of the ground. An ancient sect of yogis have a monastery there. Then there was G+Ts at the Maharaja  of Kashmir’s Taragarh Palace and a stay at the Maharaja of Patiala’s palace in Punjab (the prince, Tiku is an old mate I met through the climber, Will Stanhope).

Would you ever do it again?

You bet. I’ve done it for the last twelve years and see no reason to stop!

Jim Mallinson  first went to India in 1988 and has been back every year since. Fluent  in Hindi and a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian religion, he’s made Bir his autumn  base for the last ten years. His film Temples in the Clouds about a vol-bivouac adventure in the Bir region, was released in July 2008 and won the Matinales  du Off prize at the 2008 Coupe Icare. James is an accomplished XC pilot in the UK, holding the distance records for most of the flying sites near his Wiltshire home, and an occasional member of the British team. In 2011 he captained the victorious South in the inaugural North South Cup.

Photograph of President Kennedy wearing a polo shirt, taken in 1959 by Mark Shaw

President Kennedy at the Wheel of the Coast Guard Yacht “Manitou” by Robert L. Knudsen, 1962 (NARA)

President Kennedy and his wife Jackie

Daniel Craig wearing Sunspel black crew neck t-shirt in the latest GQ Magazine.

Sunspel has teamed up with book experts IDEA Books for a special selection of collectable and rare books for the new Sunspel store in Soho. The books’ subjects include Kate Moss, David Hockney, Bruce Weber and ‘A Gentleman’s Wardrobe’, to name a few. The perfect reading material to accompany our luxury basics. With a long history in innovation and an attention to all things good taste – we think this is a natural addition to the Sunspel family.

READ MORE

• New Sunspel store in Soho
• Idea-Books

This shoot includes a variety of Sunspel Products, including the Classic boxer short, Archive inspired henley, our unique cellular fabric vest and exclusive liberty print boxer shorts.

We are opening a new store! And are looking for new staff members. Click here to apply for a range of new positions.