Menswear Style Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Disciplined, Dedicated and a Rationalist. Evren Ozka has long had a strategic eye for business, starting his professional career in textiles and manufacturing. At age 18, he ran his division at his family's textile companies for seven years before beginning Mallet London in partnership with Tommy Mallet. They realized a gap in the market - quality-designed shoes at an achievable price point, and the brand evolved from there. Evren is now Founder and Business Director of Mallet London and spends his time between London and Dubai. 

Mallet London has played a central role in blurring the lines between sportswear and luxury. Since its launch in 2015, there have been many significant milestones for Evren, all relative to the size and age of the journey. Standout moments for him include the brand's first wholesale order, which was from an independent luxury store, followed by getting stocked in Selfridges and Harrods, then Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and their most recent collaboration with Transport for London (TfL). 

Evren Ozka finds no better feeling than seeing people out and about wearing Mallet London. Since expanding to the Middle East, he has noticed an appetite for European brands in the region, especially those in the premium and luxury markets. With the ever-growing fashion scene where consumers take pride in their style, he believes that Mallet London’s unique designs will resonate with the people of the Middle East.

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With over two decades of combined experience in the world of watches, Danielle and Jonathan (a husband and wife team) share a deep passion for curating, creating, and connecting collectors and enthusiasts with timepieces from renowned watchmakers.

Helicon is a new dial name, launched this year by two industry veterans with more than twenty years experience in the business of selling and sourcing watches - at all price levels and from a multitude of makers - to and for collectors and enthusiasts around the world. Having been closely involved in conceptualising and developing many models, the Helicon team has built an extensive network of designers, historians, manufacturers and suppliers from the key watch centres of Switzerland, Germany, France and Japan. The help and advice of many of these long-standing friends and colleagues was called upon to ensure Helicon watches are ‘right’ from the very start – and they are confident that their quality and guaranteed rarity will ensure they appeal to collectors. Above all, however, Helicon want every owner to not only want to wear their watch every day, but feel confident in doing so without worry – ensuring a Helicon is a friend for life.

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Inspired by South America's rich heritage of unrivalled horsemanship and traditional leather work, pampeano evolved from the polo fields of central Argentina. pampeano remains one of the few brands with quality and craftsmanship at its heart. Continuing the cherished techniques of the South American artisans, pampeano uses only premium-grade, butter-soft, vegetable tanned leather and the finest, luxury natural textiles and threads available. Their craft is incorporated into pampeano's iconic pampa diamonds; shapes inspired by the peaks and silhouettes of the Andes Mountains and the extraordinary landscapes that surround them. pampeano have taken this unique traditional styling and made it available to the world, with over 300 loyal stockists worldwide, all without compromising the quality they are renown for.

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SmileDirectClub is an oral care company that exists to help more people realise the life-changing potential of their smiles. They're the creators of the first teledentistry platform for teeth straightening, and now also offered directly via dentists’ and orthodontists’ offices. With their cutting-edge technology and vertically integrated model, they are revolutionising the oral care industry, from clear aligner therapy to affordable, premium oral care product line.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview David Cran, Vice President UK, Ireland & Iberia at SmileDirectClub about the story and mission of the company which has an aim to give people a more affordable option for premium oral care to straighten teeth and improve confidence. Customers can start their journey entirely online or visit a physical store. Everyone is assigned a dental professional and given a 3D impression of how their new smile will look in 4-6 months. Our host Peter Brooker and David also talk about how clear aligners work, the brand's smile guarantee,  and working with influencers.

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Pierre André Senizergues was born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, and back when he was 15 years old he fell in love with skateboarding. So much so that he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a professional skateboarder and moved to the skateboarding mecca at the time, Los Angeles to follow his dreams. His path wasn't easy, as he got to LA, he found himself struggling to get recognition from the skate community and ended up being homeless for a while. He finally managed to get his foot in the skate scene and partake in freestyle competitions which he many won (nine European Cup Titles, five European Championships, two World Cup titles and one World Championship). Pierre then wanted to combine two things he loved, design and skateboarding, so he joined etnies, eventually buying the company. Later he added Emerica, éS and ThirtyTwo to the Sole Technology family. Pierre is still to this date heavily involved in the skate scene, in designing the shoes and giving back to the community. etnies has two amazing charity projects, one being 'Buy a shoe donate a shoe' which gives back to the homeless community and 'Buy a shoe plant a tree', which has planted 2 million trees to date.

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Based in London, Orlebar Brown was founded by Adam Brown and launched in March 2007 as a tailored approach to men’s swim shorts. OB Classic swim shorts remain the original and best ‘short you can swim in’, offering something you can wear on the beach or by the pool, yet smart enough to wear to lunch or for a drink. In 2010, they progressed from beach to resort with a full range of holiday clothes that can also be incorporated into everyday wardrobes, including polos, chinos and shirts. In addition, they offer a Design Your Own service which enables you to create your own bespoke pair of photographic swim shorts using the #SnapShorts app in-store or online. Adam came up with the idea for Orlebar Brown “by accident” in 2005 when on holiday in Rajasthan for a friend’s 40th birthday. Sat around the pool, Adam noticed that while the women in the group looked great, the men did not – which became even more apparent when only the men had to change their clothes to have lunch in the bar.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Adam Brown, Founder of Orlebar Brown about the founding story of the brand and how he launched the label with just one product, men's swim shorts.  Our host Peter Brooker and Adam also talk about dressing James Bond in Skyfall and how they were given access to explore the Eon Productions film archives when designing their popular 007 casual clothing collections.

Adam Brown will be sharing his best advice on utilising data insights to understand customers and minimise business costs at Vodafone’s #ThoseWhoDare virtual conference on Thursday 20th May 2021. As part of its ambition to support SMEs, the week-long event will feature keynotes from over 30 dynamic and game-changing entrepreneurs. Register your attendance here.

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SWAY London is a new brand born from the ashes of Lockdown with the aim of becoming an internationally recognised, luxury lifestyle streetwear clothing and accessories brand. A distinctive casual to smart causal collection that is alluring, embodying the feminine and masculine with elements of sport. Brainchild of founder Mark Winter who, together with his business partners Terence Burrows and Pino Grillo, have more than 50 years’ experience working with major brands and events. SWAY London offers a fresh, new, high-end look to streetwear, fusing quality and luxury to create stylish pieces. Each piece is designed by Mark with the aim to create a collection that is as close to being 100% sustainable as possible and offering a great quality feel through premium fabrics such as organic cotton. The brand’s debut collection, launching with SS21, encompasses a large range of stylish pieces. Embedded into the SWAY London brand is the Phoenix, a mythical creature that is born from its own ashes, creating a recognisable symbol and iconic looks, which also reflects on how the brand was created; through the ashes of the first national lockdown.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Mark Winter, Founder of SWAY London about the story of the brand which was thought up and launched during lockdown. Mark decided to put his spare time towards a passion, and set out to build his own streetwear brand with a story behind it. Our host Peter Brooker and Mark also talk about the meaning behind the phoenix symbol, the challenges of building a business through both the pandemic and Brexit, and why they launched with a pre-order model.

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SPOKE is a vertically integrated online menswear brand. They use an eCommerce model to give men exactly what they're looking for: properly made clothes that really fit, without the luxury markup. Their  clothes are cut in more sizes, from the very best fabric and trim - then sold direct to the consumer, at a great price. SPOKE'S wishlist wasn't big. They just wanted clothes that fit, felt and looked great. They didn't need to stay obsessively on trend and didn't need an endless carousel of changing styles. Most of all, they didn't need to buy them in an over-decorated retail palace teeming with other people and annoying shop assistants.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Ben Farren, Founder of SPOKE about the founding story and ethos behind his menswear brand. With a focus on shape and fitting, the brand offers over 400 sizing variations within their trousers category.  Our host Peter Brooker and Ben also talk about financing and raising capital, the benefits of product marketing through social media, selling through the direct mail channel, and the problems with standard garment sizing.

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Throughout the years Uskees have been in the clothing business, they’ve noticed a change in the relationship with what we wear; a shift to a faster, quicker model built on ever changing trends and cutting of corners. Founder, Paul Clapham created the brand to provide an alternative to that shift. From sourcing through to design, they use high quality, organic materials - putting a passion for craft at the centre of everything they do. Traditional techniques are shown the respect they deserve, so that the lessons of the past can be used to create something for the future.  The Uskees range centres around traditional workwear styling, brought up to date for the modern consumer. Classic work shirts, over shirts and jackets head up the core line of pieces, with a focus on utilitarian silhouettes and functional design.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Paul Clapham, Founder of Uskees about his background in fashion retail and eCommerce, and how his 'built to last' workwear brand was born. He was attracted to the simplicity and aesthetic of work garments which go against the disposable clothing attitudes the 'fast fashion' industry has brought to the masses in recent years. Our host Peter Brooker and Paul also talk about repairing clothes, inspiration and history behind their designs, the meaning behind the brand name, and what it has been like growing a business through the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Cut&Pin Co-Founders, Martin Parker and Alan Baker, both share a vision to create a wardrobe collection of everyday pieces, designed and made with integrity at their core. Having both worked in fashion and witnessed first-hand the impact the industry can have on the planet, aligned with a burning desire to fill a gap in the menswear market, they both felt the time was right to launch a brand that married style with responsible sourcing, creating pieces that will stand the test of time. They believe in stepping away from the treadmill of fads and trends, creating products that are seasonless and offer the versatility of a modern wardrobe. Whether working from home, going to a meeting at the office, attending a lunch date, or just having a beer with your mates, Cut&Pin clothes are designed to work around you.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Martin Parker, Co-Founder of Cut&Pin about each of the Co-Founders' skills and backgrounds, and the founding story of their sustainable menswear brand. They had frustrations with the impact the clothing industry was having on the environment, and so they set out to create a fashion collection with this in mind. Our host Peter Brooker and Martin also talk about how to raise capital to launch a business, the difference between deadstock, recycled and organic materials, the challenges of operating through Covid-19, the importance of garment sizing, and being inspired by David Hockney.

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