ANCIENT BRAND – FITZGABRIELS

HAND & LOCK

Hand & Lock has plied its trade as the leading embroiderer in the United Kingdom since its foundation back in 1767. The firm is regularly sought out by the Royal Household, high-ranking military officers, City livery companies and bespoke tailors to undertake intricate embroidery work and is a go-to supplier when commissioning specialist ceremonial or costume pieces. The firm’s celebrated customer list has also included a host of glittering names from Hollywood and high society, with many famous wedding dresses having been embroidered by hand by the Hand & Lock team. The firm sits under the Firmin House group, which includes tailoring, medallier and military outfitter brands.

GIEVES & HAWKES

Gieves & Hawkes is one of the grandest of the Savile Row tailoring houses, an institution dating back to 1771. The house is renowned as a military tailor of distinction and a bespoke tailor of choice to many of the world’s best-dressed men. The firm has a long legacy as a tailor by appointment to various members of the British Royal Family and other royals, with the warrants to boot. The brand was formed in 1974 when two established tailoring houses merged, Hawkes & Co and Gieve & Co (pronounced with hard ‘G’). Hawkes & Co was founded in 1771 and had carved out a reputation as a preferred tailor to the most senior British Army officers and members of the Royal Household. Gieve & Co was founded in 1887 when it took over an older studio for whom James Gieve had apprenticed, with a legacy of dressing the most senior officers of the Royal Navy. The military tradition of both houses would come to define the Gieves & Hawkes silhouette and, indeed, the English style of defined shoulders and narrow tapered bodies. Today, the firm continues to offer a bespoke tailoring service together with a wide range of ready-to-wear apparel making them a go-to outfitters for their distinguished clientele.

MAJANI

Italy’s oldest chocolatier, Majani produces masterful delicacies to please every sweet tooth. The Bolognese brand has been going strong since it first opened in 1796 and can now be found at retailers and boutiques across the world. It’s most popular, the layered Cremino, is particularly sought after as an indulgent creamy treat. No visit to Bologna would be complete without stopping by their historic shop where the rich aroma will invite you in.

MOËT & CHANDON

Founded in 1743, Moët & Chandon is one of France’s most renowned champagne brands, one of the grande marques based in Épernay. The house was founded by Charles Moët, a wine trader, who sourced the best grape crop in the region to produce his sparkling wines. The brand quickly became a favourite of French nobility and high society who greatly enjoyed the wine’s delicate but robust flavours. Moët grew to become one of the largest and most celebrated wine brands in France and, eventually, the world. Today the brand is one of the key marques under the LVMH stable (with the MH being an abbreviation of the brand).

LE PROCOPE

Dating back to 1686, Le Procope is one of the most famous and storied restaurants in Paris. A brasserie of distinction, bedecked in ornate furnishings, grand artwork and gilded decor, the restaurant has long-been held as a bastion of traditional French cuisine. Throughout the establishment’s history it has been a celebrated meeting place for Parisian society, the intelligentsia and various luminaries in artistic and literary circles, particularly so in the days that the dining room acted as a café in the grand European café tradition. Indeed, the restaurant regards itself as the oldest continuously operating café in the city. The beautiful environs make the venue a particularly popular destination for Parisians and tourists alike, keen to try the classic fare on offer or to enjoy their famous confections or ice creams. Today, the restaurant is a key institution of the Group Bertrand collection.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Vacheron Constantin is an iconic Swiss timepiece marque, one of the oldest in the world having made watches since 1755. The brand is the most exclusive of the so-called “Holy Trinity” of ultra-luxury major watchmakers (alongside Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe). The firm quickly became a favourite of Kings and Queens, besotted with the delicate and ornate mechanics of the house’s beautiful pieces, indeed, the early Fabergé eggs would contain Vacheron Constantin timepieces as the surprise within. The firm is highly prized amongst collectors with some of their most famous models being amongst the most coveted clocks and wristwatches ever made, achieving some of the highest prices ever recorded at auction.

EDE & RAVENSCROFT

The oldest tailoring house in London, Ede & Ravenscroft has carved out a reputation as the leading specialist for academic robes, legal and clerical attire, livery wear and peerage robes. Founded over 300 years ago in 1689, the firm has been the go-to supplier for the judiciary, Oxbridge universities and the Crown since, with Royal Warrants awarded. The house maintains two branches, the primary location being on Chancery Lane and the secondary is in the West End’s Burlington Gardens, giving the firm the rightful claim of being a traditional Savile Row tailor to boot. Indeed, customers, many of whom share generational legacies with Ede’s, may commission any manner of tailored piece from the team of master tailors and cutters.