How I managed to hold a decent conversation with someone in my illin‚Äô state during London Fashion Week, I haven‚Äôt a clue but at the Peter Jensen AW08-9 show, I found myself sitting next to a guy called Daniel Jenkins with whom I probably had the most intelligent and insightful pre-show chat ever (just to note, pre-show chat usually consists of ponderings about the lack of goody bags and who the heck is sitting front row…). Daniel is an owner of a boutique that focuses on modern menswear and it is in the most remote of places…. Monmouth in Wales, populated with 8,457 people. Nope, never been there either but Wikipedia is throwing up a quaint and history-laden depiction of this Welsh town.
As I was attending the show as both buyer for Brittique and press, it was interesting to chat to someone who had some very strong views about the state of British Fashion and how it is distributed in this country, especially when talking about menswear. My perception after chatting with Daniel is that the talent is there but the distribution and business side of things aren‚Äôt up to scratch and after bStore and the big department stores, there aren‚Äôt that many options for intelligent menswear shopping. Even though I‚Äôm a shamelessly Laaandon-centric gal, I can appreciate that fashion shouldn‚Äôt be relegated to the Big Smoke. A wee digression but Daniel also spoke of the rise of a consumerist, more affluent generation that is lacking in individuality, and looks back to ‚ÄòThe Way We Wore‚Äô by Robert Elms (if you haven‚Äôt read it, you must, you must, you must!) which immediately gets my seal of approval…
Back to Daniel Jenkins Ltd though (I feel like saying that with a bit of pomp and grandeur…), in a Grade II listed building on 94 Monnow Street, dating back to 1724, lies a collection of labels that aren‚Äôt widely available and for me sum up an aesthetic in British menswear that is accessible and fashionable but not intimidating. Unconditional and YMC which are the sort of menswear labels that have ‚Äòsomething for everyone‚Äô yet aren‚Äôt run of the mill are staples for Daniel Jenkins. They‚Äôre one of the few stockists of Sateyenkumar, a new menswear label launched in Paris last year and ‚Äòand i‚Äô, who do great ‚Äòclassics with a twist‚Äô. A guys‚Äô uniform of ‚Äòjeans and a t-shirt‚Äô is satisfied by Acne, Chronicles of Never and Marshall Artist. The erratic British weather gets some help with outdoorswear from Canada Goose and Griffin with practical man bags from Ally Capellino . There‚Äôs nothing ostentatious about the brands but Daniel is smart enough to know that modern British menswear is about original subtlety. Style Salvage Steve and EJ would most certainly approve…
Next season, Raf by Raf Simons, Raf‚Äôs Fred Perry shirts and Siv Stoldal will be new additions to the rosta…
A similar approach has been applied to the womenswear labels they stock with low-key pieces from Peter Jensen and Unconditional and next season, YMC (quite looking forward to these guys launching womenswear…I‚Äôm thinking English version of A.P.C…might end up looking like the female version of my boyf…)…
To end though, I had to share some of Daniel’s wit just to demonstrate that a ‘personality’ behind any business venture will surely make things happen.
Re: The Welsh Thang, Daniel had some hilarious words about the state of Welsh mens‚Äô fashion…
‘The Welsh Press itself promotes the stereotype of Builders’ crack and cargo pants topped off with a back to front hard hat. Wales had been given less of a chance than England to inhabit an individual style. Casual does not consist of looking like a surfer whose lost his board and dressing “tidy” is more than a lager shirt and white loafers. Its not a matter of education and even less of patronage. It is a question of availability.’
I love your blog. So many nice pics and inspiration! Thank you.
Love Vera
YMC actually did do womenswear way back some time ago, maybe ’95/’96 – well I have a few bits bought from the now defunct Dr Jives shop here in Glasgow, and it’s definitely for women and not unisex. I was actually thinking about this not that long ago. I will interested to see what they do again.
The stuff from before wasn’t like APC, it was more street-y. One of the things I have is a gilet which looks like a bullet proof vest! It’s very cool.
I most certainly approve! It’s a shame for me that it is in Wales though as I have no other reason to go to Wales other than this awesome store. Good luck to him though, he is swimming against the current in Wales but his wit and passion, not to mention his great stock will certinly help him make the store the success it deserves to be.
I have three friends from Monmouth. All male, all rather stylish dressers, and all exceptionally weird. I’m not sure what they put int heir tea sup there, but it’s bloody brilliant.
Lovely shop, would love the YMC, bag, shoes for myself…and have the rest for husband.
Men’s fashion I would wear myself. Neat.
I bought a Passarella Death Squad tee (which is incredibly soft!) and a vest top from the website last week. They came wrapped in brown paper and string, so cute 🙂 DJM, there are links to the specific brands on the blog entry, the general website is http://www.danieljenkins.co.uk
super*
A true gem! Monmouth is worth a visit and tho some would try to claim it for England it is Wales! Great piece and I’ll be making the effort to there. Fab bit of reporting….
A true gem! Monmouth is worth a visit and tho some would try to claim it for England it is Wales! Great piece and I’ll be making the effort to there. Fab bit of reporting….
Yes, I remember the YMC womenswear too (ahem, showing our ages DJM!), I think Urban Outfitters might be doing it for AW08/9.
I see some things I’d like to get for Mr.OM!
I want the shoes, I want the mac, and I want to live in a town with more stores.
I’d definitely go to Wales just for this one. haha
I mean retailers must really give more options for the guys and cater to the otherwise side of things.
Daniel Jenkins is a truly promising venture.
As someone who works in nightclub promotions in Cardiff I can fully agree with Daniel’s take on Welsh fashions, but I’m not sure Wales really differs much more from any English ‘regions’. After all, even our capital city is only the same population as Wigan. Wikipedia told me. If the only culture your town has really got to offer is an Oceana, what more can you expect than ‘shirt and shoes’
Firstly I’d like to say thank you for all the kind comments.
Sadly, I have to agree with Tom’s statement above. Dylan Thomas called Swansea the graveyard of ambition and it could apply to the whole of the Principality. We as a nation are shielded from open influences. I remember as a child being looked at funnily in the local newsagents for requesting i-d and the face.
I’ve just walked through our Capital this evening wearing ymc shorts something which the media keeps telling me is the latest thing, you wouldn’t have thought it by the looks I recieved!
The music point is most pertinent though, apart from a small minority who are trying to fashion something different there isn’t much going on musically. I went to university in Liverpool where a new club night launched pretty much every day covering most genres. This doesn’t happen here….
I came across Daniel Jenkins’ quaint, homely and rare delight purely by chance. After searching high and low for a particular item (Hounds tooth hooded jacket, from YMC if anyone’s interested) with no success I finally found the missing link after numerous weeks of search from possible and known retailers. What made the find even more delightful was the location. Having the privilege to inhabit the culturally inactive city of Newport, South Wales (a mere 30 minute drive from Monmouth) It was a breath of fresh air to finally find a partisan outpost to quality menswear in a sea of high street tat and shops catering for the mass. It was also a privilege to chat to someone whom, just like myself had a healthy, unabated passion for quality clothing. Daniel Jenkins was a true gent and a keen purveyor of a service that is vastly needed in a cultural and clothing desert. Hats off to Mr Jenkins, this part of Wales truly is grateful!