Exploring... The Chalk Room

"It's nice to meet and chat with customers," Charlie Casely-Hayford begins simply as he warmly welcomes me through the threshold of Hostem's emporium of menswear treasures and curiosities before leading me its wooden staircase to enter The Chalk Room. Periodically stepping out of the House's Dalston based studio, the designer navigates his way through the sensory kaleidoscope that is Kingsland Road and immerses himself in this mesmerising microcosm of made-to-measure. He revels in it. Dimly lit adding to a sense of intimacy to the occasion whilst encouraging daydreams of discovery, The Chalk Room shines it's spotlight on cherished craftsmanship, housing an array of handpicked artisans that have the store's signature spirit bubbling in their veins. Alongside Sebastian Tarek, Fleet Ilya, Globe-Trotter, Casely-Hayford's sartorial offering shines bright. Created by British design studio JamesPlumb, Charlie's home-from-home is filled with antique furniture, intrigue and possibilities.

Since the House's inception, Casely-Hayford have forged an eloquent handwriting of modern English style that has left the collective pulse racing. The father and son design duo have carefully crafted a signature style of relaxed masculine proportions and exquisite tailoring, whilst fusing it with an injection of the raw energy of London's dynamic under belly that constantly inspires them. With each season whilst cementing the House's ethos of 'Innovation through Tradition', they explore, play and experiment with the duality of English Sartorialism and British Anarchy like no other label could. They delight in the unique design dynamic. It has created the perfect environment in which an intriguing interplay between old and new, familiar and fresh, traditional and radical. As Charlie Casely-Hayford converses, measures, pins and makes notes, it is clear that The Chalk Room is an exciting extension of everything they have built. The whims and fancies of all manner of customer are now seamlessly stitched into their own signatures.

"When most men think about buying a tailored suit, they think of the stuffiness of Savile Row. With our space here, we wanted to create an antidote to those concerns. We wanted it to be a clean, modern, streamlined alternative that was true to our vision whilst allowing men to be more experimental with the traditional boundaries of a suit.

Ultimately we create suits for men that don’t need to wear suits but choose to. There’s a real freedom in that choice. They wear Casely-Hayford suits in the way that they want to, without the constraints of convention or tradition. Everybody we've had so far have been so different, from business directors to set designers, actors and a plethora of creatives. The set designer went for a classic suit with a stunning, rare, 400g Loro Piana fabric matched with a pinball machine lining."

Exploring The Chalk Room

As he recounts previous encounters, Charlie Casely-Hayford's face lights up the dark basement space. This is an endeavour close to the heart of the House. It builds upon all of their shared experiences, takes the hand of the secretive world of bespoke and made-to-measure and leads it into an alluring advanced area.

"We wanted to retain the price of a made-to-measure service but bring it as close to Bespoke as possible. We have spent the best part of the last year handpicking suiting fabrics from all of the best mills in the UK and Italy, same with the linings. We can provide the customer with over two thousand fabric options. It’s an utterly immersive experience. It can be daunting for some but we're here to guide the customer through everything. We can do almost anything. You can get made-to-measure suiting from various corners of London and we were keen to offer something different and therefore we partnered with a couple of English mills and part of our process, if asked to do so, is develop fabric that is tailored to your whims and fancies. That's obviously at the higher end of the pricing structure but it just shows that we can go that bit further. We're working on a swatch at the moment that has silhouettes of characters from The Simpsons, same with the lining. We're having quite a few requests for using football shirts and we can do that. I like the variety. Each suit should reflect each customers identity.

Rather than follow the structure of a formal consultation, I like to keep it more like a conversation in which I jot down a few notes. After the initial chat I take measurements, ask a few more questions, pair the customer with an existing suit silhouette from the range that works with their shape and preferences, shoot images to see how it fits them and pin as we go. I find it easier to work with images rather than just text and measurements and it also means I can discuss everything with my Dad throughout the process. We go through the details of each order at every step. His experience is such a useful asset and I'm learning every day."

Decisions, decisions, decisions... The conversation between consumer and creator.

It is the perfect collaborative contract between consumer and creator. Despite not being physically in The Chalk Room, Joe Casely-Hayford is still present. He sees through Charlie's eyes. The informal yet inquisitive designer delves deep with his questioning asking about the use of the suit, weight preferences, silhouettes and what if anything irritates the customer about suits already hanging in their wardrobes. Throughout the process his ears are pricked, gaze focused and mind filled with insight. What were my requirements? It soon became clear that I longed for a sartorial chameleon. A suit that could be moulded to my needs over the course of a full year and beyond. For me, it had to be single breasted, slim fit jacket and trousers cropped at boot level in a medium cloth that danced the line between utilitarianism in black and navy with a lining that captured my imagination. Once this outline took its shape, Charlie talked me through each stage of modification and detail personalisation. From lapels to pockets, buttons to vents, linings to inscriptions, the opportunities to mould the suit to your preferences and needs are vast with Charlie, reassuringly as guide at every step.

After a further fitting, a few more photos, adjustments and tweaks to ensure that it falls correctly, the suit was realised. The entire process lasted no more that ten weeks (including a holiday). Last weekend I slipped it on for a friend's wedding. It felt like an old friend itself.

Casely-Hayford made-to-measure suit worn with... 
shirt and boots by Casely-Hayford, pocket square by Muji and kilt pin by RTH.
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With prices from £1,250 the service isn't cheap but it is remarkably competitive. Continuing to delight in the duality between the realms of the tradition and innovation, Casely-Hayford are blurring the tailor's chalk line between made-to-measure and bespoke. This is an investment. An experience. A dream realised.

Tools of the trade... Sebastian Tarek

"It is a poor workman who blames his tools" is the oft recited quote in a discussion concerning blame but what does a good workman do? Quietly delighting in them of course whilst getting on with their job. In our latest feature series we aim to to showcase a cross section of the industry and shine a spotlight on their favourite tools. We'd like to begin with bespoke shoemaker Sebastian Tarek.

Ever since we first encountered the shoemaker's beautiful, bespoke and handmade men’s shoes in the eclectic surroundings of the NEWGEN MEN and Fashion East Installations AW11 we have kept a captivated eye on this craftsmen. Since the launch of his eponymous line, he has strived to to offer a bespoke service that created an altogether different type of shoe. An idea conceived and developed with his private clients in mind, a marriage of personalised service, comfort and luxury with a more relaxed and informal feeling. Here he introduces four of his favourite tools and we hear all about how some have 'become an extension of his working self'...

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Pattern Hammer

"There are no such things as absolutes in shoe making. Everyone has different names for items so it can be quite tricky. However, I call the first tool my 'pattern hammer.' It is sometimes called a 'french hammer', and in truth this one is French. Now, some things have to replaced because they have a set lifespan but items like this should last me my entire career. I'd be really upset if it didn't. I use it for many different jobs but this is the only tool that I use to hammer the upper of a shoe with so I'm so protective of it, the surface has to be super smooth so I'm careful with it. There's a story behind it actually. My Father came over from Australia and had a few appointments in Paris during the men's collections, one of which was with the Chief Bootmaker at Hermes 

At this time, I had just started an apprenticeship back home in Australia and my Father told him about me and my need for tools. He asked him where I should go to find tools because I was struggling back home. Thankfully he agreed and wrote out half a dozen items and detailed where to get them. My father procured a number of them for me, some were very specific to bootmaking so I'm yet to really use a few but the others have become an extension of my working self. The pattern hammer is one of the best examples, it's a part of me now. My old man, the massive blagger that he is, even managed to get a catalogue for the recommended French tool company and even though it has long since changed and they no longer stock most of the items detailed inside but I still use it as a reference."

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Shoe rasp

"Rasps are a nightmare to find. Some of my favourites are no longer made and it's a real problem because they are a tool that need to be replaced every year or so. I'm either using a rasp that's really had it or one that's not entirely appropriate for the job. Someone went to Japan recently and returned with this shoe rasp. You might call it a 'heal rasp' also I guess. in short, it's a 'rasp', from japan, hand cut in fact. I've not been so happy professionally for a while it is ooh soo nice. There's something quite special and particular about Japanese steel. You could get philosophically involved with the merits of it, it's not even entirely want I need or want but it has made me reflect on my work and altered how I work. It's a pleasure to work with."

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Knife

"This is my go to 'knife'. It's pretty important but there's not much more I can add. It's a 'straight knife' made by a well known German manufacturer. In my experience, the Japanese and German makers tend to be the best."

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Travelling foot measuring stick

"This is my 'Finchers of Birmingham folding foot measuring stick'. I only picked it up a few months ago. It's actually travelling one that I'm going to take with me to Australia when I go back in a couple of weeks."

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"There's another part to my Hermes story which is a nice way to end it. As the Chief Bootmaker was soon to retire he amazingly wanted to gift me something to help begin my career with. He past on his heel hammer which clearly, he had used for well over fifty years. I would never dream of using it myself but it is a mascot. From one old craftsmen to a new one, these tools are built to last. It also acts as a reminder for me not to retire. He worked right through in to his 80s, retired and died a few months later. I'm going to die in this chair, that's a bespoke shoemakers life."

Sebastian Tarek on the life of a bespoke shoemaker.

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Wallpaper* Handmade... Sebastian Tarek

From the promising talent of Tariq Mahmoud explored below we turn our attentions to one of his teachers, Sebastian Tarek. Ever since we encountered the bespoke shoemaker's beautiful, bespoke and handmade men’s shoes in the eclectic surroundings of the NEWGEN MEN and Fashion East Installations AW11 we have kept a captivated eye on the craftsmen. Given his own excitement by the challenge of fusing his traditional skills as a maker of a timeless artisanal product with a more contemporary and relevant aesthetic, it should come as little surprise that he RCA MA tutor was so enamoured with the work of Mahmoud. Tarek has worked on the MA course for some time now and admits that "at times I get jealous of watching the students create in complete freedom, designing when only the sky is the limit." Thankfully for us, Tarek has recently been given such an opportunity through Wallpaper* Handmade. The release of the Handmade Issue signals the culmination of the the design and style publication's annual celebration of creative talent and the story can now be told. 

Each year the project starts with ideas being thrown at master craftsmen, innovative manufacturers and free to dream designers. creative connections are made, problems are solved and wishes fulfilled. Editor in Chief of Wallpaper explains, "Handmade is a testimony to great design, talent and ideas, and the determination to achieve the extraordinary. We are once again celebrating beautiful new friendships and beautiful new things." It is a celebration of new friendships and beautiful new things. 

The Handmade logo that inspired key elements of both of Tarek's shoes, the Handmade issue and a quick look at Tarek's contribution alongside the Stash bag.

Alongside Lernert and Sander putting Brioni on film, Aldo Bakker laying some skin on the ‘Valet’ chair and Paul Cocksedge making a marble bookmark, Sebastian Tarek was invited to contribute stunningly crafted shoes. An extension of his bespoke shoemaking business and approach to design, the project allowed Tarek to push both himself and his peers to create something wonderfully unique. We caught up with the craftsmen at his East London workshop to learn more about the project and to take a closer look at the result of the collaboration...

"The handmade project for someone like me is just gold dust, an incredible platform and the very idea of it being commissioned fits well with what I do as a bespoke shoemaker. I've never considered myself as someone who designs but rather I make items to people's request. Wallpaper originally asked me what I'd like to do and I went away and thought hard about it. I gave them a few ideas and the most suitable was collaborating with two people that I know personally, have worked with previously and whose work I think fit very much within the same ethos and same position, they are peers. Duffy and Claire Barrett are both London based and work within beautifully British styles and techniques."

The two designs.

By recruiting two likeminded craftsmen who marry traditional skills with contemporary design, the results are quite breathtaking. Using the handmade logo (shown above), embroidery designer extraordinaire Claire Barrett applied it to a neat creeper lace up whilst one of Tarek's good friends and master jeweller Duffy embossed it on a buckle to help create a truly special monkstrap.

The first person I worked with was Claire Barrett who runs a company called Hathawne & Heaney and has worked for a number of designers in the past and previously she was creative director of Hand & Lock who are the embroidery firm who deal with most of Savile Row's requirements. Amazing stuff. She spoke to me a while ago about working together and the Handmade project was just the ideal opportunity to do so. I got in touch, explained the project and she mentioned that she'd love to do something with blacked out gold work, the embroidery style that are more common on large military pieces. To tie it in with Wallpaper specifically we experimented with elements of the Handmade logo, deconstruct it and take portions from it. When it came back I was blown away."

"For the overall construction, I had this idea bouncing in my head for some time to make an entirely handmade creeper. I've never been hugely trend led or derivative but you do see brothel creepers everywhere and it is very much one of those shoes that is comes from the post-industrialisation age. They've never been a handmade object, benchmade to a degree but they came in to existence when manufacturing came in to place. I liked the idea of trying to make it a handmade object. It is entirely made out of leather and essentially a welted shoe  with a cork footbent which is wrapped and fixed to the welt with leather and then channelled horizontally to make the ridges."

Have you encountered a finer creeper? Barrett's delicate embroidery work and Tarek's masterful construction embody the real spirit of Wallpaper* Handmade.

The creative coming together with Claire Barrett was a first for Tarek but he has worked with his other collaborator, Duffy, previously. The result is just as special though. Thanks to Duffy's fine metal work and Tarek's touch with leather, the pair have helped reimagine the monkstrap...

"In many ways the idea evolved from an initial conversation with one of my regular collaborators, Duffy. I'm not a massive fan of the monk shoe, it is neither a real classic yet still feels a little stuffy and odd. We wanted to make it feel more contemporary and modern. I know for a fact that there are only about three buckles in circulation across British footwear manufacturing that are used for monk shoes, just another indicator of the demise of the industry. I just couldn't use one of them. Given the relative simplicity of the shoe itself we wanted to make it really decorative. Duffy took the banding that goes around the logo and reimagined the cross hatching on the buckle, there's a sense of movement throughout which I love."

The fruits of Tarek's collaboration with Duffy.

Examining the fruits of the collaborations and listening to Sebastian Tarek talk about the Wallpaper* Handmade project in general it is easy to see that the shoemaker enjoyed the creative freedom and working with like minded specialist craftsmen. Each were given the freedom to really express themselves. The resulting cocktail of traditional skills and true innovation ultimately delivers objects of great beauty. I'll leave you with Ignore This Film's documentation of Tarek making the shoes...