The Musgrave Manifesto

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Gently Bentley

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

There are worse ways of spending a day than having a guided tour of the bespoke service at Bentley in Crewe. Alas, this lovely Mulsanne was not in the goodie bag I carried away. Maybe next time… www.bentleymotors.com

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Rocking with Stone Island

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

  79 Brewer Street in Soho was the destination on Wednesday March 21 for the opening of the new Stone Island flagship. Four Marketing stalwart and professional Scotsman Gino Da’Prato approved of my tartan accessories. Assisted by young Thomas Hood from Four Marketing, I grabbed Stone Island owner Carlo Rivetti, who has a fund of stories about the rise of Italian fashion in the past 40 years. Forza Carlo! Keep up the good work. www.fourmarketing.com www.stoneisland.co.uk

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Aren’t you Nigel Cabourn?

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

On March 16, idly wandering out of the delightful luxury emporium William & Son on Mount Street, Mayfair, I spied the tweedy figure of my old pal, Nigel Cabourn, on the prowl. We immediately retired to the RRL shop to check out the vintage offering at Ralph Lauren’s pet project. And then the generous chap bought me a coffee. What a gent. www.cabourn.com

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At the Luxury Briefing Awards

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Another demanding evening on the circuit saw me in the desirable company of Kate Ancketill, MD of retail trends agency GDR Creative Intelligence, Denise Shepherd, MD of Escada UK, and Caroline Lyons, GMM of Fashion Concessions at Harrods. Thank you, Miss Shepherd, for the gracious invitation to the event on March 14.

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Having a FAB time at Pure

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

I am enjoying working as a consultant with the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB), which exists to promote the interests of independent fashion retailers. At the Pure show at Olympia on February 12 I was delighted to interview on stage FAB members Sally White of White Boutique and Elaine Black of Tom Hughes, two business which coincidentally both trade in Narberth, south Wales. For more info, see www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk

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Nino Cerruti: a proper gentleman

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

It is not everyday that one has the chance to talk at length with one’s hero. So January 25 was a big occasion for me as I spent most of the day in the company of Nino Cerruti at the Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti mill in Biella, northern Italy. The menswear maestro, who is now a sprightly 82, was, of course, charming company, a superb conversationalist and a generous host. He gave me a tour of the archive of his own wardrobe that is very much work-in-progress. Let’s hope that someday the hundreds of superb menswear garments are put on show for public viewing. The most surprising revelation was that Nino had spent a good deal of his Christmas TV viewing time watching “Downton Abbey”! On my return to England I sent him a boxed set of the first series of “Boardwalk Empire”.

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