This episode is a poignant one. Yes, believe it or not, this is the final episode of HandCut Radio. After three years and more than 50 episodes, we’re hanging up our microphones to pursue new projects. But, before we go, we wanted to respond to one frequent request that’s come up while we’ve made this podcast. A surprising number of you have been i…

We could think of no better way to wrap up this season of HandCut Radio than by revisiting an old guest, Mark Cho, co-founder of The Armoury and co-owner of Drake’s. We’ve called this episode “Mark Cho’s take on 2022” because a lot of the themes we explore – the ‘casualisation’ of style, the different ways men are reinventing suiting, the danger of…

This week we’re bending the rules of our New York style season slightly, by interviewing fellow Brit, Jason Jules. Regardless, his new book Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style is extremely pertinent to this season’s theme, given its concern with mid-century American style. Aleks and Jason explore Black Ivy in this episode, of course, but we also hear abou…

Imagine that you’re a young, 20-something clothing designer, and you’re self-funding the growth of your label. It’s going well and you’ve invested heavily in your next collection. Then, picture an overnight flash-flood, a warehouse filled with more than three feet of water, and half that collection being written off. Peter Middleton, the founder of…

This is the first of two ‘three years on’ episodes we’re featuring this season, with American brands that featured on HandCut Radio in the podcast’s infancy. Regular listeners will know that we’ve always admire Nicholas Ragosta and Agyesh Madan at Stòffa, and their work in building a luxury brand that’s as responsible as it is beautifully curated. …

This week HandCut Radio is coming to you from inside the pastel pink walls of F.E. Castleberry’s Greenwich Village atelier, as Aleks sits down with the brand’s founder, Fred Castleberry. Known for his creative, fashion-forward take on made-to-measure tailoring, and the dreamlike aesthetic of his campaigns, Fred has created a cult-brand with a razor…

This week’s episode of our New York City special is something of a departure from our normal service, in that it’s much more about storytelling than menswear. You can blame Aleks for this; the chance to quiz Air Mail deputy editor and New York Times bestselling author Michael Hainey on on his extraordinary career was just too much to handle. So, in…

Fun fact: when we decided to visit New York for this season of HandCut Radio, one name came up time and again: “you’ve gotta speak to Ouigi”, “oh, you’re headed to NYC, well then, make sure you speak to Ouigi…” So, we did. Ouigi Theodore is a pillar of the NYC style scene, and the founder of much-loved store, The Brooklyn Circus. He speaks to Aleks…

“The clothes that we think of as elitist came from a place of fun and irreverence,” says Jack Carlson, founder of New York based indie brand, Rowing Blazers. Over the past six years, Carlson and his team have democratised the clothes most associated with stuffy Ivy League and Oxbridge sporting institutions, giving them a new lease of life. We talk …

This week, Aleks meets Brian Davis, the founder of cult vintage American menswear store, Wooden Sleepers. Brian talks openly and honestly about the rollercoaster ride he experienced during the pandemic, which culminated in the closure of his beloved Red Hook store. He also talks about how life as a father has changed him, and why post-lockdowns, Wo…

Welcome to Season Six of HandCut Radio, our New York City Special. We’re kicking off the season with a creative heavyweight we’ve wanted to meet for years: Brendon Babenzien. Aleks speaks to the co-founder of Noah and creative director of J.Crew Men’s about why he thinks Preppy Style has been hijacked, how the Noah design team create for individual…

This week is the final episode in our four-part mini-season with Portman Marylebone. Ending on a high, Aleks sits down with Charlie Casely-Hayford, the owner and creative director at esteemed British menswear brand, Casely-Hayford London. Fellow fashionistas will doubtless know that Charlie inherited the brand from his father, the late, great, Joe …

This week, Aleks sits down with Olivia Francis, the founder of luxury men’s underwear and loungewear brand, Hamilton & Hare. Olivia is on a campaign to elevate men’s undies, and to get men thinking about the importance of their underwear drawer in a very different way; valuing quality, longevity and comfort every bit as highly as you would in a pai…

This week Aleks sits down with Paul Simons, co-owner of the iconic Ivy League style destination, John Simons on Chiltern Street in Marylebone. In the ‘60s, John was the ‘OG’ importer and populariser of the American Ivy League look in the UK and over the past five decades or so, John Simons has built up a cult following as a preppy menswear destinat…

This week’s episode is the first of four produced in partnership with Portman Marylebone (@portmanmarylebone). We sit down with Rachel Wythe-Moran and Simon Watkins, the co founders of cult design store Labour & Wait. Rachel and Simon began their careers in men’s style before opening what they call ‘their ideal general store’ in 2000. We talk to th…

Jeremy Langmead is arguably one of the most influential figures in British men’s lifestyle media today. He began his career working in prestigious newspapers like the Sunday Times and Evening Standard, before editing Wallpaper and Esquire magazines, and of course he was the founding editor at Mr Porter, where we are about to pick up the story. We q…

Our final conversation of Season Four is a fun one. Lizzie Radcliffe is the Head Cutter at Lot.1 – Levis’ bespoke denim service tucked away in the heart of London’s Soho. Whether you’re into bespoke craft, proper denim or luxury retail Lizzie’s story is a fascinating one; she joined Lot.1 following a bespoke tailoring apprenticeship with legend of …

This week, Aleks sits down with one of London’s most intriguing young tailors, Fred Nieddu. Fred is a freelance bespoke tailor, pattern cutter and head cutter at Timothy Everest, a fresh-thinking tailoring house in Shoreditch, east London. Alongside his tailoring work, Fred also takes on a lot of work for big TV and Film costume departments, includ…

Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney are the co-founders of Thom Sweeney, arguably Mayfair’s coolest tailor; offering bespoke and made-to-measure suiting, as well as a luxurious ready-to-wear collection that spans everything from double-breasted blazers to quilted cashmere parkas. The business is now 19-years-old, and Thom and Luke have built their brand…

In this interview, Aleks sits down with an old friend and long-time mentor, Christopher Modoo, who’s worked in London’s West End menswear scene for over 20 years. From designing for Savile Row tailors to consulting for heritage brands, Chris has done the lot. He’s also the co-founder of ready-to-wear tailored trouser brand, Kit Blake, so the pair e…

This week, Aleks sits down with a good friend and former colleague, watch writer and photographer, Justin Hast, who works with a number of luxury watch brands on their content and communications. Both Justin and Aleks came up through the magazine ranks together, and the pair reminisce about old times, explore how the watch industry is evolving, and…

Luke Walker is a freelance menswear designer and creative, with a wealth of experience designing for both global designer brands and cult-favourite independents. He’s also embarked on the process of creating his own brand, L.E.J, which is gaining much plaudits from fashionistas just a few seasons in. L.E.J focuses on the intersection of ‘utility an…

This week, we present the first ever watch interview on HandCut Radio, with Nick and Giles English, co-founders of Bremont, a thoroughbred British watchmaker headquartered in Henley-on-Thames. The pair are natural born adventurers and horological innovators, so Aleks quizzes them on their love of flying, the vision that’s underpinned Bremont from d…

This episode is an important one. André is an actor, writer and menswear-head who’s known for his louche, creative personal style. This week, he makes the case for slouchy style and waxes lyrical on jazz and hip-hop. He and Aleks also discuss the industry’s unfortunate lack of diversity, and André’s combined passion and honesty makes for powerful l…

Aleks sits down with an old friend and Season One alumnus, Scott Fraser Simpson, the founder of Scott Fraser Collection. The pair discuss Scott’s early obsession with the mod-scene, his compulsive need to collect and the music that influences his clothing designs. Scott also touches on the need for retailers to be responsive in fashion today, and w…

To kick-off season four we visit Jojo Elgarice, founder of Rag Parade in Sheffield, an eclectic vintage menswear store known for its wide-ranging collection and careful eye. We spent the day with him a couple of weeks ago and it was one of the most enjoyable days we’ve had working on HandCut Radio this year. He’s a ball of energy; full of jokes, qu…

James Sleater is the co-founder of Cad & The Dandy, a modern British bespoke tailor with shops on Savile Row, in the City, Stockholm and New York, plus outposts in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Cad & The Dandy's winning formula is thoroughly impressive; in a good month the brand cuts around 400 suits, more than most tailors make in a year. We c…

For the final episode in Season Three, Aleks sits down with award-winning British fashion designer, Oli Spencer, who’s two brands, Favourbrook and Oliver Spencer, are both thoroughbred menswear gems. Oli began his career selling waistcoats on Portobello Road in the ‘90s, and has grown his business to half-a-dozen London stores, a buzzing e-commerce…

In the second of our two bonus episodes created in partnership with Thomas Mason, the HandCut team explores the brand’s unique fabric archive filled with over 800 leather-bound fabric catalogues dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, and held in a temperature controlled library by the Albini Group in Italy. In addition, Aleks chats to Maurizio Coln…

This week’s guest is a New York based journalist and author who needs little by way of introduction. The brain behind New York Times best-seller, Men and Style, David Coggins is widely recognised as an intelligent and urbane voice in high-end men’s journalism. His website, The Contender, distills his passions as a writer, covering travel, men’s sty…

In the first of two dedicated bonus episodes, HandCut partners with the Albini Group in Bergamo, Italy; the shirting mill responsible for protecting and maintaining the Thomas Mason brand today, and for weaving all luxury Thomas Mason fabrics. In this episode, Aleks takes a quick walk through the mill floor and sits down with Head of Communications…

What does it take to become a bespoke hat maker today? And what makes a man want to pursue a craft, which is pretty niche, even by the standards of this podcast? That’s what we set out to discover this week, in a sit-down with LA-based hat maker, Cody Wellema, founder of the Wellema Hat Co. Cody has more or less dedicated his life to the noble art …

This week, Aleks sits down with Andreas Larsson, the creative director of Scandinavian tailoring brand, Berg & Berg, which offers well-dressed men “a contemporary approach to classic style with a Nordic point of view”. We’d not met Andreas before, so we simply wanted to know what this means, and how he approaches his work as a designer and clothing…

Nick Sullivan is men’s fashion and media heavyweight. The Creative Director of US Esquire has over 25-years of experience in media and in menswear at large – he’s been a senior figure on Esquire’s editorial team for 16 years alone. He’s also one of relatively few journalists who appreciates both classic style and high fashion, and has found space f…

Very few brands out there are as special as Husbands right now. Paris’s chicest tailoring house occupies a unique position in the new community of brands taking root in the French capital. Nicolas founded his boutique in 2012, following over a decade working in law and then communications, and this move into menswear has given him a new lease of li…

This week, our guest needs no introduction. Matt Hranek is the founder of the William Brown Project, editor of WM Brown magazine, a creative director, photographer, author of A Man & His Watch and a self-confessed ‘street hustler’, to boot. In other words, he’s about as busy a figure in indie menswear as it gets. Aleks caught up with him a few week…

Mr Olie Arnold is a pivotal figure on Mr Porter’s editorial team – and a thoroughly nice chap, to boot. He started his career working on FHM at the height of its powers, and has worked through the media industry’s transition from print to digital with considerable experience in both channels. Today, at Mr Porter, he’s responsible for overseeing muc…

Milad Abedi has to be one of the biggest personalities in European menswear. Young, energetic and fiercely opinionated, the Stockholm based photographer has a clearer view than most of where menswear’s at right now, thanks to his frequent travels shooting throughout Europe and beyond for a mixture of magazines and clothing brands. He took some time…

To kick-start Season Three, we could think of few menswear aficionados better suited than Ethan Newton, co-founder of one of Asia’s coolest indie menswear emporiums, Bryceland’s & Co. Ethan’s reputation within menswear precedes him. Together with his partner, Kenji Cheung, Ethan has created a brand with cult status to indie menswear-heads. Brycelan…

Mark Cho's contribution to classic menswear is among the most significant of the last decade. Nine years ago, he co-founded The Armoury, a menswear emporium with shops in New York and Hong Kong that is now a mythic destination for admirers of timeless men’s clothing. Known for its faultless service, dependable buy and meticulous approach to product…

Like many guys with a passion for clothes, Greg Lellouche’s first choice of career wasn’t menswear. Instead, he embarked on a successful career as an investment banker, but all the while an idea was slowly forming in his mind. Looking for a change of scene, he left the corporate world in 2013 to create an online store where other men like him could…

This week, Aleks sits down with Agyesh Madan and Nicholas Ragosta, the co-founders of New York based brand, Stòffa. Stòffa is known for creating refined made-to-measure outerwear, knitwear and trousers, offering clients the backbone of their casual wardrobe with superior attention to quality and fit. Moreover, Stoffa is a brand with a conscience, M…

Patrick Grant is an award-winning British menswear designer and a champion of British manufacturing. In 2005, he quit a career in engineering, remortgaged his house and sold his car to buy Norton & Sons, a failing Savile Row tailoring house. He’s since transformed it into one of the Row’s most elegant and successful bespoke tailors. He went on to e…

Aleks sits down with Paul Croughton, the editor-in-chief of Robb Report US, one of America’s most respected luxury lifestyle magazines. An experienced British journalist, Paul began his career in London, cutting his teeth on magazines like Heat and Arena, before he moved to The Times newspaper and finally across the pond to Robb Report. He and Alek…

Benson & Clegg is one of those undiscovered gems in British menswear. Founded in 1937, today the company is a discreet Royal Warrant holding bespoke tailor on London’s Piccadilly Arcade. The house’s Head Cutter is a warm-hearted craftsman called Oliver Cross, with one heck of a story tell. His route into bespoke tailoring is nothing if not conventi…

Alice Walsh is the founder of Alice Made This, a modern accessories and jewellery brand that champions British manufacturing and precision engineering. A former industrial and product designer, Alice began her career working at Tom Dixon, before freelancing for various design studios and ultimately deciding to do her own thing. A struggle to find s…

The duo behind Stockholm-based tailoring Brand, Atelier Saman Amel, are two of the most down-to-earth individuals in menswear. Dag Granath and Saman Amel met as toddlers, and have been friends (and latterly business partners) ever since. Atelier Saman Amel is now nine-years-old, and during that time the pair have worked tirelessly to create a dynam…

Gauthier Borsarello is a vintage collector, curator, a menswear designer and a journalist. One of the pivotal figures in Parisian menswear, he’s charming, opinionated and sure of his convictions. This week, he and Aleks talk about his various projects; from running Le VIF Vintage to launching and editing L'Etiquette magazine, the problems of ‘Insta…

In Season One, one brand came up as a favourite of our guests more than any other: Drake’s. Mr Michael Hill is the man responsible for this popularity. He is Drakes’ Creative Director, and it is his vision that has transformed the brand from a humble tie maker in London’s East End, to a globally recognised menswear brand with two factories and shop…

To close Season One, Aleks sits down with Gianluca Migliarotti, filmmaker, petrolhead and co-founder of Pommella Napoli. A proud Neapolitan, and a creative spirit, Gianluca tells Aleks how he grew up immersed in Naples’ tailoring culture, how he fell in love with Pommella Napoli’s bespoke trousers and took the business on two years ago. He also wax…