In the heart of Barcelona, just yards from the Plaça de Catalunya on the Passeig de Gràcia, the boulevard that is home to the city’s prime luxury retailers, is a tailor of great distinction and renown. Bel y Cía was established in 1842 as a bespoke outfitter for the best-dressed and most distinguished Catalan gentlemen. A full-service tailor and shirtmaker, the firm is particularly known for their Teba jackets – an unstructured, notchless blazer designed as a shooting jacket and which has become an iconic piece of casual, tailored menswear. The house, commonly known simply as Bel, stocks all manner of accessories and menswear, including the finest quality cashmere and knitwear, ready-to-wear tailored pieces and shirts for both men and women.
Tag Archives: EYEWEAR
TOM FORD
Tom Ford is a modern icon, an American fashion designer who is considered to be one of the world’s greatest couturiers and a leading tastemaker. He founded his eponymous label in New York City in 2005 having previously been the creative director at Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, where he transformed the brand into the global powerhouse it is today. Ford first emerged as a serious design talent whilst at Perry Ellis where he worked alongside his peer, Marc Jacobs. His signature style is overtly modernist, embracing sharp lines and angles, minimalist colour palettes and defined silhouettes, however Ford manages to pay homage to traditional methods and drapes in order to accentuate the figure. This style has won the label a great many admirers, with the brand being a go-to for the best-dressed members of High Society, silver screen stars and titans of industry. Indeed, Ford has regularly been sought out by Hollywood studios to craft bespoke pieces for their wardrobe departments, even dressing Daniel Craig’s James Bond – the manifestation of the British style, the Savile Row suited gentleman. Ford, a customer of Anderson & Sheppard, is an aficionado of the Row and its sartorial legacy. He has carefully studied the tailoring art and the English-style, borrowing heavily from the tradition for his own tailoring service. A full-suite fashion house, the Maison is now split between its beauty and cosmetic offer (owned by Estée Lauder) and the fashion business (under the Zegna group).
VUARNET
In 1957 two Parisian opticians introduced a new, specialist lens to the market, designed specifically for skiers, the Skilynx lens was revolutionary. It would filter out the extreme reflection often experienced from snowy terrains whilst providing clarity and shielding the eyes from the elements. Having fitted them to sunglasses, they offered their product to the French ski team and at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Jean Vuarnet won the gold medal in Downhill skiing. Wearing the Skilynx glasses, a partnership was born that would define the brand’s pedigree for ever more. Vuarnet agreed to lend his name to the enterprising start-up and the name would come to be synonymous with high-quality, luxury performance sunglasses.
ZILLI: A LEATHER JACKET EMPIRE IS BORN
The Zilli story begins in 1965 with the foundation of the iconic brand which, today, is synonymous with luxurious apparel and stylish, tailored pieces, especially leather apparel. It was then that a collaboration would begin which would shape the direction of the Maison Zilli line – a collaboration between a French entrepreneur and an established Italian tailor with a reputation for sleek and elegant designs for discerning customers.
PERSOL: ICONIC SUNGLASSES AND THE EPITOME OF ITALIAN STYLE
Epitomising Italian cool, Persol is a heritage luxury eyewear brand that has been a go to for the great and glamorous for over a hundred years. They offer a broad range of sunglasses and other optics, including many iconic silhouettes. The brand was founded in Turin, a city synonymous with high design and luxury fashion and Persol is no exception, with a reputation for quality craftsmanship and elegant style. Today, the brand is part of the luxury eyewear behemoth, Luxottica, alongside stablemates including Costa, Oakley Oliver Peoples and Ray-Ban.
ISSEY MIYAKE: A VISIONARY JAPANESE FASHION HOUSE
Issey Miyake is a high-end Japanese fashion brand, named for the late designer who founded the house in 1970. The designer behind the eponymous label was a known for his innovative and technology-driven clothing designs, a brief which continues to influence the label’s collections today. Miyake was born in Hiroshima in 1938 and lived through the atomic bombing of the city as a child. This experience had a profound impact on him and his work, and he often spoke about the importance of peace and harmony in design and in culture.
CAROLINA HERRERA: THE DARLING OF NEW YORK FASHION
Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer known for her elegant and sophisticated designs. She is also known for dressing some of the world’s most famous women, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. Herrera was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1939. She began her career in fashion as a publicist for Vogue magazine. In 1981, she launched her own fashion line, which quickly became known for its classic and timeless designs.
LONGCHAMP: THE LUXURY PARISIAN BAGS AND LEATHER GOODS BRAND
Longchamp is a French luxury leather goods company founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company pioneered luxury leather-covered pipes before expanding into small leather goods, such as handbags, wallets, and belts. Today, Longchamp is known for its high-quality, stylish, and affordable products.
BENTLEY MOTORS: THE ULTIMATE IN BRITISH LUXURY WITH PERFORMANCE TO MATCH
Bentley Motors is a British luxury car manufacturer founded in 1919 by W. O. Bentley. The company is headquartered in Crewe, England, and is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Bentley is known for its high-performance, handcrafted cars, which include the Bentayga, Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Continental GTC.
LOUIS VUITTON: FROM ILLUSTRIOUS TRUNKMAKER TO GRAND FASHION HOUSE
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton or LV, is a French luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label’s LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, perfumes, watches, jewellery, accessories, sunglasses and books. Louis Vuitton is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses. It sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end departmental stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.
FITZGABRIELS 