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| This Months Mens File 08 - Denim and Workwear Special-Not to be missed,the best so far. Buy here |
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| See 2 other articles done for the magazine The Soul of Spencers Tenders Engine |
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| Nick asked me to to sum up my view of Denim and Workwear in 100 words!!!! A challenge I had to take-Those of you that know me will appreciate the succinct paragraph. |
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| Tender -An article I wrote for Mens File Magazine during the Summer giving a rare insight into the Design ethics and creative inspiration of William Kroll.
Tender’s Engine
By the time I
leave William Kroll’s house, founder and creator of the British Brand Tender,
following a 2 hour interview, I’m exhausted due to the overload of creative
inspiration and thought that goes behind every single product that he touches
.All designed and produced in the UK.
The Brand
name Tender has many connotations, sounding quite Folk and Craft, it is
actually taken from the old Victorian Steam trains powerhouse where the Coal
and water were carried for the engine. The best of British industrial
engineering that influenced, pioneered and fuelled the industrial revolution in
many ways. So this is an excellent starting point for the Brand.
Whilst Denim
is key in the brands origins the Indigo selvedge ,17oz Japanese Denim made in
the UK now comes as a standard to a humble talent such as William Kroll,his
expertise and Jeans credentials are proven. Initially working at Evisu Jeans he
visited Japan regularly in order to be taught the Indigo dying process in
Okayama in the South.
What inspired
me first when discovering the Brand for the first time on www.hickorees.com was the back to basics approach to
everything about the brand. A creative simplicity,. that takes inspiration from
the original thought process that went
in to historical garments and their function. It is these ideas that are then
re used to create a modern ,up to date product.
One of the
main brand ideals is that “the product is the sum of all that has gone into it ”Products
are half way points, the new owner will look after it for its lifetime and add
its own detail. In the same way that an industrial engineer makes the original
component ,it actually gains most of its character and appeal during its
working life. William lives by this belief.
So whilst
Tender the brand has an aesthetic work wear theme it is not a reproduction of
something that has come before .It does embrace the “perfection of imperfection”
as one of its running themes.
His design
influence has a very British point of view rather than US or Heritage.
Everything
William was wearing during the interview and using in his kitchen(where we were
chatting) is Tender product.
The shirt he
was wearing is a woven in the Uk, ticking stripe that has details on it that
have their origins in a 1920’s British Railway Guard Coat. The Cuff is
constructed in a peasants smock way laying on the cuff panel for comfort. The
Buttons are rubber Rugby shirt buttons that have quick release properties
rather than using traditional American workwear poppers that allowed the quick
release when worn during rodeos.
His Jeans are
Vegetable dyed in Wattle –a brown natural dye which gives a tint to the
selvedge and the weft whilst making the Garment face quite blackened and
saturated.
The details
on the jean have straight cut slope front pockets that give and ease with wear
and the trademark “Snob” Pocket is placed on the inner waist band and protrudes
above the waist-see photo. This detail was derived from 17th Century
Velvet britches and was used as a watch pocket positioned originally just below
the chest.
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The buttons
on his jeans are made individually using a lost wax process where each mould is
created individually and can only be used once. This same process is used on
his belt buckle which again William has designed specifically for enhanced
functionality.
His Glasses
are 50’s thick rimmed and made by Tender
from Cotton Pulp which is a hand finished acetate. This material came after
Bakelite and before plastic but the properties are that they are natural and hypo allergenic
On the arms there are 2 holes for the leather thong that stop the glasses
falling of whilst working.
All leather
that he is wearing-including the Work boots, belt, started off raw and has been
lovingly aged using mutton Fat-which is also branded Tender. Even the timepiece
on his wrist was designed with a
trademark face and lost wax moulded fastener.
I ask William
about his natural colour work ,something that had inspired me when reading about
the brand for the first time. He was garment dying Denim and other products
using natural dyes grown on Uk farms such as Woad (Royal Blue),Weld (yellow)and
Logwood –(black /purple) originally used for Blackcloth and was sourced along
with Gold traditionally in South American by Samuel Pepys!!!
He is using
Acacia Wattle quite extensively for the latest range which gives a nice Brown
tint on denim and jersey but he also shows me his latest knitwear range
extension which of course uses the colours of the breed of sheep to keep the
natural shades which look very wholesome. The
Welsh Black and Cheviot combination were particularly appealing together.
The Tender
range has grown extensively since 2009 where there was just a jean ,jacket,
belt and tee. Today the range has developed to some 100 plus style covering all
aspects of the lifestyle.
I am lucky
enough to gain a preview some of the S13
ranges that have been left behind from the looming selling trip to New York.
A key piece
are some Scottish Trews reference Canvas trousers. These have no side seam and
the canvas is bias cut for greater ease and comfort during wear ,but fit
perfectly into the Work wear ideals of the brand. The fabric is a heavy Canvas
produced in the Uk for a Conveyor belt Company which certainly gives the Duck
Canvas Sail cloth a run for its money. The idea is so strong that the concept
has even been developed into boxer shorts though the fabric is made much
lighter!!
Something
William promotes as a bit of light hearted visual pace for the brand is
seasonal collaborations with Print/Graphic designers that mirror the Brand
unique selling points and ideals.
For Spring
Summer 12 William worked with Chris Brown ,an old tutor whom he admired from
his college days at Central St Martins.
Coming out
for Autumn 12, he reincarnated and remoulded graphic images created by his Great
Aunt. Natasha Kroll was the creative director at the famous Simpsons of
Piccadilly as well as an astute Film Art Director, winning Baftas honouring her
work. So the creativity is clearly genetic but the images seen on Bandannas for
AW12 work as a family brand extension perfectly.
Along with every
garment or product delivered by Tender or the recently launched Trestle
lifestyle web site, you receive a personal
letter from William and a hand signed and numbered garment. This literally
introduces and hands over the adoption
of that loved product to the new custodian, so that it can be cherished for
what it is for the next chapter in its lifecycle..
I want to
become part of this Lifestyle that William and Deborah are organically creating
and living because it is new, original, refreshingly simple and above all it works.
The Tender Brand holds a hard earned position amongst its peers in the global
premium niche brand market, whilst retaining something unique amongst its
peers.
If you want
to know more about the tender brand Contact- William@madebytender.com or check out the web sites http://www.madebytender.com/
http://www.trestleshop.com/
Photos-Flora
Maclean
Blog-
andyburnsdesign.com email-
info@andyburnsdesign.com
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