by SAMANTHA CONTI

LONDON — The buttoned-up Englishman is back.

From high street to high-end to Savile Row, sharply tailored suits and sepa-rates are driving the British men’s wear business to new heights as the country’s brands and designers garner increasing attention on the international stage.

Designers, retailers and brands are at once fueling — and capitalizing upon — a desire from young, media-savvy men to look dapper, sophisticated — and solvent — in uncertain economic times. Mark Zuckerberg and friends take note: It’s time to stop dressing like a schlub.

The surge in dapper dressing here has dovetailed with the rise of London Collections: Men, which takes place June 16 to 18. Newcomers Burberry, Pringle of Scotland, Rag & Bone and Jimmy Choo will join labels including Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Richard James, E. Tautz and Christopher Kane in the three-day showcase.

Brands on and off the London schedule, as well as consumers and retailers, are turn-ing to tailored clothing. This time, however, the offer is lighter, more body-conscious and, in some cases, cheaper than ever.

On the high street it was Topman that fol-lowed its heritage and seized upon tailored suits with gusto.

“We recut and remastered the suit in more fashionable fabrics for a younger gen-eration — and at high-street-level prices — and it has created a whole new arena for men’s wear,” said Gordon Richardson, cre-ative director of Topman, adding that sales of Topman suits, with their slim silhouettes, are up 25 percent year-over-year and now represent about 15 percent of the Topman merchandise mix.

The average price for a Topman suit — some of which come with an option of long pants or shorts — is about 125 pounds, or $189 at current exchange. The brand also offers a luxe range of suits with more sartorial details; fabrics woven in Como, Italy, and longer jackets, priced at 225 pounds, or $340.

Topman isn’t alone. In the fall, Debenhams will unveil Hammond & Co. by Patrick Grant, a collection of suits, formal clothing and sportswear designed by the man behind E. Tautz and Norton & Sons on Savile Row. The range, which comprises about 70 designs across clothing and acces-sories, is pitched higher than Topman, with suits costing about 299 pounds, or $451.

Marks & Spencer is also beefing up its tailored-clothing offer. Come October, it will launch a “Best of British” capsule collection, which is sourced and manufac-tured entirely in the U.K.

The collection, for men and women, boasts about 100 pieces, including Prince of Wales check and Harris Tweed suits for

May 30, 2013

Not Quite a Must C (+)Vin Diesel might be starring in America’s number-one movie, but his style choices give him the look of an extra. Page MW2

PLUS:Italia Independent Group SpA

shareholders have approved a public listing on the AIM Italia Alternative

Capital Market, a segment of the Italian Stock Exchange. Page MW2

MAN OF THE WEEK

Check, PleaseYoung British men have fallen hard for tailored clothing — suits, separates, just name it. Here, Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes channels the posh Englishman of days past, looking for love and adventure on The Grand Tour.

Jason Basmajian, Gieves’ creative director, said the collection, which will show next month during London Collections: Men, “is about how to live and dress in tailoring that is modern. Our customers’ values are no different to that of their fathers and grandfathers, but their lifestyles have undoubtedly altered.”

Here, his sand-colored Prince of Wales check, two-button suit made from lightweight super-150s wool with cashmere, with peak lapels and four-button working cuffs. For more on London, see pages MW4 to MW7. PHOTO BY TIM JENKINS

GET SMART

London Men’s BizFueled by FashionTailored clothing, smart separates drive U.K. sales.

{Continued on page MW6}

Men’s WeekMW2 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013

by DAVID LIPKE

COACH IS making a pitch for Father’s Day shoppers with a lineup of hand-crafted baseball gloves, bats and wallets that will be available in select Coach stores on Saturday and shipping from coach.com in early June.

The made-in-the-USA gloves and bats were created in a range of vivid hues, inspired by the color-blocked designs of Coach’s current summer collection of Bleecker bags. The lim-ited-edition wallets, in a run of just 200 units, are fashioned from actual vintage baseball gloves.

The stylish sporting equipment is a throwback to Coach’s early heritage in the game. “The origins of Coach go back to our found-ers’ love of the special patina and

softness of baseball gloves,” said Jeffrey Uhl, senior vice president of men’s design at Coach Inc. Many of the company’s bags and wallets today are made from a leather unique to Coach called “soft port” that is designed to resemble a

worn-in baseball glove and its burnished highs and lows of coloring.

The Coach baseball gloves are produced in partnership with Massachusetts-based Valkyrie and come in seven different colors retailing for $348. They will be avail-able in 128 Coach stores in North America, as well as in some interna-tional markets.

The bats were made in collabo-ration with Texas-based Warstic Bat Co. and come in four hand-dipped colors. The handles are wrapped with Coach leather and tagged with a laser-etched brand em-blem. Retailing for $248, they will be available in 11 Coach stores in North America.

The heritage baseball glove bill-fold retails for $348. Each of the 200 stamped and numbered units is con-structed from a vintage baseball glove that has been unlaced, cut to shape and pieced together to create the wal-let. The same design was offered last

year for Father’s Day.To brand its affilia-

tion to America’s pas-time, Coach has installed in its 57th Street store in New York a sculpture cre-ated from dozens of baseball bats by artist Tolland Mansfield and Brooklyn-based Arc Fabrication Studios. The company also tapped photographer Steven Sebring to shoot its baseball gloves using his signature 360-degree tech-nique that utilizes 100 digital cameras, capturing the gloves being thrown in the air for coach.com.

by LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN — Italia Independent Group SpA shareholders have approved a pub-lic listing on the AIM Italia Alternative Capital Market, a segment of the Italian Stock Exchange.

The decision confirms a report in WWD Wednesday. The board also approved a capital increase to support the listing.

Group founder and majority share-holder Lapo Elkann will continue to be chairman of the board, and Andrea Tessitore was confirmed as chief execu-tive officer.

“The listing project represents a key milestone for the development of our group, which is the result of a vast team effort,” said Elkann. “The AIM Italia list-ing process requires transparency and clarity as to the objectives that we set out to achieve. Personally, I will continue to

focus on the creative development of the products and brand at an international level, which has always been my passion, to support the group’s management team led by Andrea Tessitore.”

Tessitore said there was pride in the approval of “the listing project after only six years in the business, which bears wit-ness to a success story that is now look-ing to become international and that we intend to consolidate and expand through the listing.” The executive said that the company proved that “Italian creativity, know-how, as well as product and service focus, are winning combinations in an in-dustrial project.”

Tessitore concluded saying that choos-ing to list Italia Independent nationally “is intended as a sign of trust and recog-nition for Italy and also a valid growth alternative for all small and medium-size companies in our country.”

Italia Independent is being assisted in the transaction by Equita SIM SpA, Banca IMI SpA, Methorios Capital SpA, law firm Pedersoli e Associati, Cesare Ferrero and Deloitte & Touche SpA.

The listing is expected to take place as early as next month. Elkann, an heir to Fiat’s Agnelli family, has been looking at developing the brand globally and to sus-tain growth.

Last year, the company reported sales of 15 million euros, or $19.2 million at av-erage exchange, and it has plans to hit 30 million euros, or $39 million at current ex-change, by 2015. Italia Independent, which offers men’s apparel, also counts collabora-tions with luxury Vertu phones; Borsalino; Smeg kitchen appliances, and Ferrari for a tailor-made service, among others.

Eyewear remains a key focus for Elkann, whose brand offers 200,000 cus-tomized variations of five models.

Italia Independent to Go Public

The “Fast & Furious 6” actor, whose movie is number one in America, continues to hide his age by dressing like a twenty-something. Maybe he could have pulled it off in the first installment of the series, but at 45, he would look better and equally tough in a tailored look.

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Coach Up to Bat

He should take a cue from Bruce Willis and wear a short-brimmed fedora.

The oversize aviator glasses work well for his character and his features.

The mixed-media leather and denim jacket gives him an evening flair and dresses up the look a bit.

The brand new, tight white V-neck lacks class. An aged black T-shirt would enhance the outfit.

The gray denim is the right color choice. However, the stiff fabric and extra length lead to excessive wrinkling.

The black work boot is the right choice. But when worn with a tapered bottom, it only enhances the messiness.

PARIS — Setting its sights on effer-vescent economies in west and cen-tral Africa, Carrefour SA is partner-ing with trading company CFAO to develop various store formats in eight countries on the continent.

The world’s second-largest retail-er behind Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Wednesday it has signed a memoran-dum of understanding to form a joint venture that will be owned 55 percent by CFAO and 45 percent by Carrefour.

The entity will hold exclusive

distribution rights in Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.

Carrefour operates more than 10,000 stores — supermarkets, hy-permarkets, convenience stores and cash-and-carry outlets — in more than 30 countries.

CFAO is mainly specialized in au-tomotive and pharmaceutical busi-nesses in Africa and French overseas territories. — MILES SOCHA

Carrefour in Africa Partnership

ManuelRacim to Open N.Y. Store

A Coach heritage dip-dye baseball bat.

A Coach heritage color-blocked baseball glove.

A Coach heritage baseball glove billfold.

Lapo Elkann

A NEW SHIRT BRAND is ready to enter Manhattan’s men’s wear fray.

ManuelRacim, a contemporary brand that produces made-to-measure shirts, will open its first retail store in TriBeCa on June 8.

The 400-square-foot unit, at 44 Hudson Street, is designed to evoke Twenties Paris and draws its inspiration from French interior designer Jean-Michel Frank. Customers will work with a personal style adviser who will help them choose from among 200 fabrics. They then use a digital touch-screen portal in the store to customize their shirts or shop from the company’s Web site. There are 20 collar choices and 15 button choices from which to choose. The order is submitted to a century-old atelier in the western region of France and filled within two weeks. The shirts retail for $125 to $295.

According to the Web site, “Your measurements are taken in person, and a design is conceived with our stylists to match your exact shape and aspired style. But make no mistake, age-old craftsmanship does not trans-late to antiquated pacing. Fitting is complete in 20 minutes or less, your ManuelRacim shirt is fabricated in no more than two weeks, and every design preference is stored in an on-line profile.”

Manuel Guardiola, president and cofounder of ManuelRacim, said, “After years of purchasing custom shirts in both Europe and America, we saw a void in the industry, and devel-oped a nontraditional way to integrate both e-commerce and brick-and-mor-tar into our company foundation.”

The store is hosting a private re-ception at the store on Tuesday.

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Showcasing the Best of British Menswear

londoncollections.co.uk

16.06.13 —

18.06.13

Men’s Week WWD THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013MW4

Spencer Hart“Nearly all Spencer Hart collections are influenced by music. This season is the result of listening to a lot of funk — especially James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. Listening to the music in my studio drives rhythm through what I am creating, though this collection is much more purist and uncommercial, finding where the brand really comes from — it has been more about what I wanted to do. I am also in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz in designing a unique, custom-built car, which I feel has informed my designs this season; very understated but very powerful.” — Nick Hart

cHriStopHer raeburn“This season is very arid — hot, sandy and utilitarian. It was inspired partly by the desert operations conducted during World War II, in which functionality was paramount. However, there was also an element of fun — the desert Land Rovers were a dusty pink! Our collection is similar; functional yet irreverent. Every feature has been considered — texture, layering, fabrics — each piece has been deconstructed and reworked.” — Christopher Raeburn

nicole FarHi“I was interested in exploring the idea of Botanitech — mixing the organic and the natural with the synthetic and the technical.” — Joanna Sykes, creative director

JoHn Smedley“Inspiration has come from a number of different sources, including garments worn by myriad international rowing crews at Henley Royal Regatta. Key styles are our fully fashioned pique polo shirts created by our 30-gauge, fully fashioned knitting machines.” — Ian Maclean, managing director

mr. Start“Spring/summer 2014 will be another step forward for us, beyond the formal-wear specialty we have established. The season will see softer tailoring and a more casual feel about the range; deconstructed blazers, polo shirts, intarsia knits and the addition of products including shirt jackets and blousons.” — Philip Start

lou dalton“Relaxed, unstructured tailoring mixed in with printed cottons heavily inspired by aviation. Form, structure and light.” — Lou Dalton

Designers showing at London Collections: Men this season were inspired by everything from World War II military uniforms to U.K. heroes such as James Bond.

Back to the Future

Katie eary“We are bringing it straight from the rabbit hutches of Leith, [Scotland,] courtesy of Irvine Welsh’s ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares.’” — Katie Eary

oliver Spencer“Texture, color, clean lines.” — Oliver Spencer

topman“Post-punk London meets Nashville.” — Gordon Richardson, creative director

Hardy amieS“Looking through our archives, we unearthed a working relationship between Hardy and Saul Bass in the Sixties, including an advertising campaign designed by Bass for Hardy’s range of scents and also his take on the ‘HA’ mono-gram. This led to a color palette inspired by Bass’ film artwork; specifically the poster he designed for “The Man With the Golden Arm,” and the opening sequence for Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” which directly influences the stripes within the collection. Broken stripes appear on exclusively developed U.K. woven fabrics used on unstructured tailoring and heavier canvases for outerwear. The highlights of fiery red, cyan blue and teal run through the collection, ac-centing our customary French navy, military green and bone color palette.” — Mehmet Ali, design director

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raKe“Our inspiration this season is the former racing car driver, François Cevert. He was the protégée of racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart, who looked on him almost as a son, and after Cevert’s untimely death in 1973, Stewart never raced again. Cevert had trained as a classical pianist, but it is particularly his racing career that we took as our influence for the collection — especially through our color scheme, which closely mirrors that of Cevert’s racing colors; red, yellow and blue — what we are calling Cevert Blue. He was racing in a time when the drivers were gentlemen, when to drive was a true skill.” — Clive Darby

ricHard nicoll“I have been looking at the minimal 1977 portraits by Pietro Mattioli of young patrons of Club Hey in Zurich. The collection is a precise celebration of DIY glamour, modern androgyny and the outsider’s ‘beautiful ugliness’ to establish a new standard of normal. My favorite pieces are the Linder Sterling collage prints.” — Richard Nicoll

lou dalton“Relaxed, unstructured tailoring mixed in with printed cottons heavily inspired by aviation. Form, structure and light.” — Lou Dalton

e. tautz“I am drawn to the idea of a richer men’s tailored wardrobe, like that of late 18th century, an idea that resurfaces repeatedly over time, most recently and dazzlingly in London in the late 1960s. Complex woven wools, intricate brightly colored jacquards, printed silks. Man as strutting bird of paradise.” — Patrick Grant

ricHard JameS“This season I looked at the theme of ‘sundown’ — I wanted to do some-thing based around holidays, and that point in the day where one sits down, has a drink and considers how to spend the rest of the evening. It is a moment of absolute relaxation and yet anticipation — a simple concept, but a happy one. The use of bright cocktail colors inspires memories of holidays gone by, but it is refreshed through the quality of fabric. The suits are actually made from shirting linen. Two years ago, this would have been impossible, but changes in technology have allowed us to create suits which are almost weightless.” — Richard James

Designers showing at London Collections: Men this season were inspired by everything from World War II military uniforms to U.K. heroes such as James Bond.

cHriStopHer SHannon“I was thinking about a period in my life which I was kind of embarrassed of — leaving school and going to clubs in town, in the wake of Cream and the super club, later Nineties when the grunginess had gone and people were setting up ‘clubwear’ labels. It’s such a specific period of time and a very certain look, I wanted to explore that for SS ’14, the opposite of tasteful, luxury fashion.” — Christopher Shannon

Katie eary“We are bringing it straight from the rabbit hutches of Leith, [Scotland,] courtesy of Irvine Welsh’s ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares.’” — Katie Eary

oliver Spencer“Texture, color, clean lines.” — Oliver Spencer

HacKett london“My inspiration this season has been the past heroes of the Fifties and Sixties — James Bond, “The Thomas Crown Affair,” the South of France. Colorblocking is important for us this sea-son, and we have used a lot more color, with brightly colored shirts, trousers and even raincoats in yellows, reds and pinks. There is less emphasis on “sports-wear” — but of course, the Breton stripe is always an easy classic for us, as are polka dots.” — Jeremy Hackett

rag & bone“For SS 2014, we explored modern Japanese minimalism and French workwear. There is also a nod to Nineties sportswear and, of course, military.” — Marcus Wainwright and David Neville

pringle oF Scotland“Traditional tar-tan is explored through varying treatments and scales, including a pleating effect with the tartan in three-dimensional relief to create looks that are fresh and current, but take their start-ing point from the brand’s past.” — Massimo Nicosia, head of men’s wear

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Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013MW6

men and women, Scottish cashmere and Yorkshire-made woven fabrics. Prices are 20 to 25 percent higher than the main M&S tailored-clothing collections.

At the high end, Burberry, Harrods and Richard James are all watching their tai-lored-clothing businesses rocket.

At Burberry, men’s wear and accessories generated more than half of the growth in the brand’s retail stores and concessions in the 2012-13 fiscal year.

“Our men’s business has outperformed all year long,” said the company’s chief ex-ecutive officer, Angela Ahrendts, earlier this month following the results announcement. She added that tailored clothing was a top performer. “Guys are wearing suits again. And we see lots of potential in that business.”

At Harrods, made-to-measure is the fastest-growing segment of the store’s tailored-cloth-ing business. “The trend for investment pieces and bespoke tailoring can be clearly seen on the men’s wear floors, echoing the trends for couture and one-of-a-kind pieces that are pav-ing the way in women’s wear,” said Marigay McKee, chief merchant at Harrods.

Jason Broderick, Harrods’ general mer-chandise manager of men’s wear, said tai-lored clothing overall is a muscular busi-ness, with the big Italian brands, such as Brioni and Loro Piana, dominating.

He pointed to Armani as among the brands that have been strong performers for the store. “We will soon launch our ‘World of Burberry’ concept opposite these brands, and we are confident that this adjacency will be just as competitive,” Broderick added.

Richard James, who has built a multi-pronged business on tailored clothing — con-

sulting on a line for Marks & Spencer, and stocking his more commercial Mayfair collec-tion in stores such as Bloomingdale’s, John Lewis and House of Fraser — said a whole new tailoring category is rapidly opening up.

Sean Dixon, who cofounded the company with James, said they are witnessing the rise of the feather-light, casual, tailored jacket. “It looks like a formal jacket, but it has no canvas and no lining. It’s a jacket, but not

one you wear to work,” he said. “And they still make the body look good.”

The jackets come in fabrics including a linen and cotton mix and raw linen, and Dixon said some of the fabrics are so light they’re al-most transparent. They’re a challenge to make, he said, because they have to look just as good on the inside as on the outside.

Overall, Savile Row, the homeland of English men’s tailoring, is notching double-digit sales gains. According to Savile Row Bespoke, the organization that represents tailors on the street and in the immediate vicinity, total be-spoke sales in 2012 were 30 million to 32 million

pounds, or $45 million to $48 million, which rep-resents a 28 percent increase since 2006.

Off the Row, Clive Darby, founder of the London men’s wear brand Rake, which shows at London Collections: Men, and which ear-lier this year opened its first shop on Duke Street in Mayfair, said his customers are re-jecting suits in favor of tailored separates.

“We’re in Mayfair — hedge fund central — and when we opened the shop, I was ex-pecting to connect with a consumer who had to wear a suit to work. But I realized that people don’t need a ‘business suit’ to do a billion-pound deal. These are men walking around doing deals on iPads,” said Darby.

Overall, business is up 26 percent over last year, with bestsellers including lightweight wool travel blazers and Swiss pique, long-sleeve shirts with chambray fabric inside the cuffs and on the underside of the collar.

While tailored clothing has been a major driver behind men’s sales in Britain, fash-ion-driven items have also been a motor be-hind the business. Topman has a broad offer that comprises denim in a variety of finishes and iterations, with skinny jeans still a big seller, according to Richardson.

The retailer is also collaborating with Agi & Sam, a new London men’s brand designed by Agi Mdumulla and Sam Cotton, who met while they were working at Alexander McQueen, on a small collaboration that will hit the shop floor in two weeks.

The duo, who are known for their quirky digital prints and eye-popping color pal-ette, have done a 20-piece collection rang-ing from football shorts to suits called The Owls, after the avian-inspired prints that are featured in the collection.

At the high end, Harrods has just

opened a new area dedicated to men’s fashion. The Men’s International Gallery on the lower ground floor stocks brands including Givenchy, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood, Etro and Lanvin.

“Luxury continues to evolve at a very fast pace, and there is a key focus across the fashion houses in Paris on pushing the men’s market at a faster speed than women’s,” said McKee. “We’ve seen huge growth coming from the power brands of the last decade and lead-ing labels that have international appeal.”

Ed Burstell, managing director of Liberty, has such faith in the power of his fashion brands — which range from Christopher Raeburn, Agi & Sam and Lou Dalton, to Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith and Rick Owens — that he gives everyone equal bill-ing on the shop floor.

“We have a very democratic allocation of space, and that way the smaller brands are not overwhelmed,” said Burstell. Besides, “the customers have made up their minds before they come into the store. They’re in-formed, they’re free spirits, and they are not afraid to make their own choices.”

The strategy has been paying off with double-digit growth in the division every year for four years, according to Burstell.

There are those who believe that it’s more than brands and retailers fueling the men’s wear fires, and that the media has played a huge role in the style surge.

“There is better coverage out there, more content and blogs. Everyone can find an outlet for what they like — not just the latest, trendiest fashion,” said Mats Klingberg, the founder and owner of Trunk Clothiers in London’s Marylebone neighborhood, which stocks suits by the Italian brands Boglioli and Barena Venezia, and a selection of American, British and Japanese brands.

He sends out a weekly online newsletter to keep his dialogue with customers alive.

“Men are interested in substance,” Klingberg added. “They want to know about the details, the craftsmanship, how and where a garment was made. They’re think-ing more about purchases in the long term.”

Dapper Dressing Fuels London Men’s Sales{Continued from page MW1}

’’’’

I REALIZED THAT PEOPLE DON’T NEED A ‘BUSINESS SUIT’ TO DO A BILLION-POUND DEAL. THESE ARE MEN WALKING AROUND

DOING DEALS ON IPADS. – CLIVE DARBY, RAKE

Patrick Grant

Burberry

Topman

Sean Dixon

Clive Darby

Richard James with looks from his spring collection, here and right.

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LOOK BOOKFeaturing some exquisite photogra-phy, “Quintessentially Gentleman: The Modern Man’s Guide to Dressing, Etiquette and Everything in Between,” from London lifestyle company Quintessentially, is a guide to the 21st century gentleman’s wardrobe. Snatch a moment between shows to learn more about the heritage and inspiration be-hind some of the world’s most famous brands, whether one can wear a double-breasted suit in summer and — dapper Italians should look away now — wheth-er it’s ever acceptable to wear brown shoes. Enlightenment starts here.

quintessentiallypublishing.com/coming_soon/q-gentlemen/

UP IN THE AIRBored with the bourgeois homogene-ity of so many central London hotels? Then A Room for London atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank might do the trick. With commanding views of St Paul’s Cathedral, this whimsical, tem-porary hotel room was dreamed up by David Kohn Architects in collaboration with artist Fiona Banner. It resembles a boat washed up by a freak tide on the Thames and has proven a poetic addition to the Southbank skyline. While it may be lofty and conceptual, it’s a surprisingly cozy space. A night in the quirky room will cost 300 pounds, or $454 at current exchange, for up to two people and will be sold via ballots on a regular basis throughout the year.

A Room for LondonQueen Elizabeth HallSouthbank CentreBelvedere RoadSE1 8XXliving-architecture.co.uk/the-houses/aroomforlondon/tariff/

GLOBE-TROTTINGAround the world and back to Mayfair! Novelist Jules Verne’s famous adventurer, Phileas Fogg, is the inspiration for the Mr Fogg’s bar, which has been modeled on the house where he might have lived after his travels in “Around the World in Eighty Days.” Under the stewardship of Mark Jenner, formerly bar manager of The Coburg Bar at The Connaught, Mr Fogg’s is an off-the-wall conception where guests can encounter the wonders of the world through drink. The menu is an interpre-tation of Victorian cocktail culture, with many classics from the era revived with a modern twist. Gin fizzes, grogs, sazer-acs and pousse-cafés sit alongside drinks straight out of the pages of Jules Verne’s novel. Red Indian’s Head anyone?

Mr Fogg’s15 Bruton LaneW1J 6JDmr-foggs.com

SWEET TEETHFor the English, tea is a way of life, so it’s no surprise that the New York restaurant Balthazar — which opened here earlier this year — is getting down with local habits.

Régis Beauregard, head pastry chef at Balthazar, previously spent a decade building up the afternoon tea business at The Ritz, and he does not disappoint. Rose water macarons, delicious tarts, spice cake and freshly baked scones are all on the menu at this cross-cultural Covent Garden haunt. Balthazar Restaurant4-6 Russell StreetWC2B 7PRTel: +44-020-3301-1155balthazarlondon.com

ABOUT TIMEIn the history of fashion photogra-phy, Erwin Blumenfeld was one of the highest-paid notables, working among contemporaries such as Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn and William Klein. But since his death in 1969, he has been largely forgotten. “Blumenfeld Studio: New York, 1941-1960” is an exhibition at Somerset House marking his long overdue return to the international spotlight. It features a selection of more than 100 of his color portraits, a frac-tion of the archives from his Central Park studio in New York. Whether a cover for American Vogue or the mul-tiple, slow-exposure images of models for which he was known, each image draws the eye to his composition, and his technical virtuosity. “Blumenfeld Studio: New York, 1941-1960” Now through Sept. 1Somerset HouseEast Wing Galleries, East WingStrand

MAKETH THE MANThe Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is exploring the sartorial — and accessory — choices of royals of days past in a show that features piles of gold em-broidery and embellishment and looks closely at codpieces and pearl earrings — for men and women. “In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion” showcases prints, drawings and portraits of royals, courtiers and wealthy gentry of the 16th and 17th centuries, and puts

modern-day airbrushing and physical en-hancement into a historical context.

“Fashion was hugely important to court life and entry to the inner circle was largely driven by personal appear-ance,” said exhibition curator Anna Reynolds of Royal Collection Trust. “The rich and powerful were the trend-setters of the age and used clothing to send out messages about their taste and status.”

“In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion”Now through Oct. 6The Queen’s GalleryBuckingham PalaceSW1A 1AAroyalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/in-fine-style-the-art-of-tudor-and-stuart-fashion-QGBP

The latest hot spots for down time during the upcoming men’s shows. By William de Martigny

LONDON — Admittedly, commit-ting to an outside table in London, even at the height of “summer,” is a gamble. That said, if you like your odds, a handful of new openings in the capital are worth taking your chances with the frequently inclem-ent weather.

Under a railway line in ever-hip Haggerston/Hoxton, Beagle has a daily changing menu from James Ferguson (ex-Rochelle Canteen) and a spacious outdoor terrace on a pe-destrian-only thoroughfare.

At Bird of Smithfield, Alan Bird — who was at The Ivy for more than 15 years — has five floors of fun and food, including a terrace on which to enjoy his passion for British ingredi-ents.

Take a pew under the outside awning at newly opened hotel and restaurant One Leicester Street and share some of chef Tom Harris’ small and larger plates of British fare that change daily.

In the regenerating area sur-rounding the new Central Saint Martins Campus in Kings Cross, Shrimpy’s Deluxe Dinette & Terrace has all-day outside dining during the summer months; wash down a tuna tostada or a soft shell crab burger

with a frozen margarita or Pisco sour. From the folks behind Lardo,

the hugely popular pizzeria nearby, Coppa sits atop a rooftop overlook-ing London Fields and serves food inspired by travels to Naples in wooden cabanas (which are blessed-ly bookable), or on deck chairs — but it’s only open on weekends.

The Rooftop at Boundary has been weatherproofed, so if (when) it starts to rain, you won’t have to abandon your shared plates of Mediterranean tapas or glass of Pimms.

It’s been open since last year but Sushi Samba’s open-air bar on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower, under the spreading leaves of a magnificent orange tree, is still the best place to look out over London’s skyline with a cocktail in hand.

— JULIA NEEL

■ Beagle, 397-400 Geffrye Street, E2 8HZ. Beaglelondon.co.uk ■ Bird of Smithfield, 26 Smithfield Street, EC1A 9LB. Birdofsmithfield.com ■ One Leicester Street, 1 Leicester Street, WC2H 7BL. Oneleicesterstreet.com ■ Shrimpy’s Deluxe Dinette & Terrace, The King’s Cross Filling Station, Goods Way, N1C 4UR. Shrimpys.co.uk ■ Coppa, Hothouse Rooftop, Martello Street, E8 3QW. Coppalondon.co.uk ■ The Rooftop at The Boundary, 2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DD. Theboundary.co.uk/rooftop/■ Sushi Samba, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY. Sushisamba.com/location/London

London After-Hours

Dining OutWhere to eat outside when (or if) the sun shines on London.

The “Quintessentially” book cover.

Mr Fogg’s bar.

Inside A Room for London.

A portrait from “In Fine Style.”

Treats at Balthazar restaurant.

TO ATTEND: patricia_reidy@fairchildfashion.com, 212.630.5926 TO SPONSOR: kristin_mcfadden@fairchildfashion.com, 212.630.4425

For a full list of speakers: wwd.com/summerdigital

SPONSORED BY:

LONDON // JULY 11, 2013

. CHRISTOPH BOTSCHEN, MYTHERESA.COM

. SUSANNE BOTSCHEN, MYTHERESA.COM

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

JORDAN NASSERH&M

STEPHANIE PHAIRTHEOUTNET.COM

DANA GERSJIMMY CHOO

FEDERICO BARBIERIKERING (FORMERLY PPR)

JUSTIN COOKETOPSHOP

MATT HISCOCKASOS.COM

JOSÉ NEVESFARFETCH.COM