The Woolrich Mill by Jackie Nickerson | Authentic American Manufacturing

The folks that know us well, know that we’re always keen to take a look behind the scenes of our favourite brands. In the last few years, we’ve visited factories, workshops, design studios, distilleries and anywhere else that good people ply their craft.

Of course, if we can’t get there ourselves, we can always take a look through the lens of those that have - like in this shoot for Woolrich, by photographer Jackie Nickerson. Nestled deep in the heart of Pennsylvania - a place pretty far from both Blackpool and London - lies the Woolrich Mill. Here, as with a lot of places along the East Coast of America, is a greater deal of history and heritage then you might expect.

Woolrich started life almost 200 years ago as a wool factory, founded by an English immigrant, John Rich. As a brand, they have a history entwined with that of the USA, producing garments through the Civil War, both World Wars, and eventually earning international fame with their hard-wearing, almost nature-defying parkas, developed for the oil boom of 1970s Alaska.

Since then, the style of Woolrich has been tweaked and their clothes enhanced by advancements in garment technology; but, the brand’s philosophy has remained the same - producing clothes with a broad appeal, that meet the demands of the modern day.

Photographer Jackie Nickerson has had the enviable task of shooting the mills for their latest campaign; capturing not just the clothes, but the elements of the unique environment that produce them. It’s the sort of shoot we love, one that steers away from stereotyped ‘fashion’ images and, instead, introduces us to the brand, by capturing the individuals, processes, and landscapes that lie beneath it.

You can find the brand’s London flagship on Brewer Street, Soho. Discover the story, as shot by Jackie, through Woolrich’s Agenda.

This post is in partnership with Woolrich. Thank you for taking the time to support the brands + businesses that make this blog happen.

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Whistles x Buddy Unisex Collection

Collaborations have been the flavour for quite some time now - and it's easy to see why; often they result in memorable partnership, and desirable collectors' pieces.

This collaboration between the UK's own Whistles and Japan's Buddy is no exception. Bringing together Whistles' clean, crisp style with Buddy's focus on colour, craftsmanship and 'make happy' product design has resulted in this very good looking range. Featuring Japanese-made unisex sneakers, wallets and bags.

Combine this with a lookbook featuring bold colours and a dog or three, and we have a certified winner of a collection. Each item being named after a few of Whistles' resident pooches.

The Whistles x Buddy collection is online and in stores March 31st. 

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Palladium City Explorers Series Visits Lyon

The popular Explorer Series by Palladium Boots continuous to evolve, with the next stage of the project seeing two London-based creatives hit the streets of Lyon, France, to experience the city's current boom of street art, music and alternative culture. While the city is famed for its swanky food, classical architecture and cafe culture, Instagram Photographer, Emmanuel Cole + Writer, Georgia LA were assigned to discover Lyon's more underground, creative side.

The two socially slick folk tag along with local collective, Paperboys, to experience the growing street art scene, a new wave of record shops, and most intriguingly, a visit to the now-derelict Palladium factory in Pont de Cheruy. If anyone from Palladium is reading this, you can take me to the factory any time! Hit the video below to experience the decaying factory that once produced the boots which were adopted by the French Foreign Legion, as their footwear of choice in the North African desert. Bonus fact - Palladium started business as a vulcanized rubber company, producing tires for the aviation industry.

While the team experienced lots the things that make Lyon a popular location for cities breaks, it's the thriving underground scene that really piques interest - the city is fast becoming a place we're keen to visit on our Euro Road Trip.

Next stop for Palladium's City Explorers series is Bristol, England, which should make for a sweet contrast from Lyon.

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A Weekender with Timex

It seems like every other weekend we have things going on this year; a trip to the forest, spending time in Brighton, family get-togethers for Easter...That's the beauty of this time of year though, and I'm never really one for sitting around and relaxing, so it's been suiting me just fine. We'd actually been planning to stay over in Liverpool to celebrate our 9th anniversary, but when the opportunity to spend the weekend in the Forest of Dean came up we had to re-jig a little.

We have a crush on Liverpool. It's our favourite city in the region, and we try to visit given any glimpse of opportunity. It's one of the first cities we visited together as a couple. There's just something special about it, with a totally different feel + buzz from the rest of the North West. For this weekend we partnered up with Timex, to show you how we might spent a typical weekend together.

Liverpool is known for its independent culture and free spirit, with many small businesses flourishing over the years, and many more on the rise and gaining credibility in the city centre. One such brand is Cow&co., a modern design store-cum-bookshop-turned-cafe, nestled just off the main shopping area. Its tiny interior doesn't hinder the amount of well designed pottery, homeware + magazines that lines the shelves - not forgetting the cafe part too. I hear their bagels are the best in town.

Ones To Watch | Takuro Apparel

Blogging is a mixture of push and pull. Some things you discover yourself - check these beer growlers - while other things people tell you about. It's a nice balance and one that yields some great finds. We always love recieving your recommendations and tweets. Takuro are one such 'push'. They introduced us to their brand and it's one we took a shine to straight away. 

Takuro are a young brand with a big heart; manufactoring mostly in the UK and with a percentage of their profits being donated to vulrable women in Nepal (Women for Human Rights - Single Woman's Group). This is a cause Takuro - which means 'The Summit of the Mountain' - and originally inspired the brand.

The Manaslu rucksacks are neat, tradional in its looks, and are that are clearly pretty durable too for both commuters and outdoors folk. It's a brand we'll be keeping an eye on, as I'm sure they'll be expanding the range soon.

See their full range here. Nik

You can find Nik at - Twitter | Instagram | Heavy Denim

Outfit | Planes, Trains + CAT Boots

Hollie wears - Zara Coat | COS Dress | Topshop Leggings | Boots c/o CAT | COS Mittens | Longchamp Bag | Zara Scarf

The best things about Christmas is getting time to spend with Hollie. I never shy away from the fact that my working life can get pretty lonely at times - I usually try to combat this by going to the gym, getting out on my bike or nipping to Hollie's parents' for a coffee. The door is always open for me there. So this gone Christmas we agreed to see each other as much as possible. Granted, it either involved grabbing coffee, beer shopping, eating Toblerone or watching John Candy's filmography on our new smart tv, but it was pretty spot on. Planes, Trains + Automobiles people!

A coffee break usually ends up with us heading out to "the wall" - the light was pretty perfect on this particular day. Hollie's on her feet all day at work so these CAT Boots have been a blessing – she's all about the comfort. Trainers, boots, sandals....anything flat really. So much so she even received this really sweet book for Christmas by Hannah Rochell. It's well worth checking out if you're into footwear design + illustration. A few weeks in and the CAT boots are still her no.1 choice.

Eeeeee I don't know, she makes it look so easy.

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Outfit | Masculine vs Feminine

Hollie Wears - Topshop Boutique Coat | J.Crew Jumper | Whistles Jeans | Boots c/o Palladium Boots | Watch c/o Skagen | Longchamp Tote Bag

It's commonly said in menswear that, "it's all in the detail", but surly that's also the case for a lot of womenswear too? If it wasn't then why would be be drawn to certain pieces, especially those that really need to be seen in person to appreciate. Maybe my enthusiasm for men's gear has rubbed off on Hollie – she always seems to have these cool subtle details within her everyday outfits. Pin-dot earrings, contrasting cuffs, self-colour patterns, unusual shapes....She blurs the lines between masculine and feminine dressing seamlessly.

The Skagen watch and Palladium boots are both perfect examples of what I mean. Both taking inspiration from styles traditionally worn by fellas, but giving them a modern androgynous vibe. The combination of the rich tan leather strap and oversized ultra-simplistic face on the Skagen watch is a winner in my books. It's all in the detail right?

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Visiting Best of Britannia | Farmiloe Building London

Last week, we were invited to Best of Britannia - a showcase of British-Made products from independent + small companies. Located in the historical Farmiloe Building, in the heart of smart and trendy Clerkenwell, it’s an event that offers equally impressive sights on the stands and on the walls. We met some old friends and made some new ones. Our pals at Albam were on hand to show us their new Made in England socks, and we met up with Pantherella to grab another pair of socks in return for a couple of photos. Socks, it seems, are something the UK is proud to produce.

Of the many brands on display, a couple which caught my eye were: Trove, with their ultra-thin leather wallets; Walsh, the Bolton-based trainer brand; Susannah Hall's perfectly fitting tweed jackets; and the impressive origami stand of shoemaker Hetty Rose. Another which caught out attention was the handmade bags + leather accessories by Charlie Borrow.

Drinks were, again, high on the agenda it seemed. A sip of spiced single malt (with cracking label design) from Albion Racing Club on our way in, and a glass of Boodles Gin on our way out. Finally, we had the chance to meet well-known, well-liked, and well-renowned fellow fashion writer Grey Fox. Always nice to put a face to a tweet.

Over the next few weeks we'll be looking into exploring and sharing more from these new discoveries. We’ll be back at Best of Britannia next year and I’m sure the brands we met will be too, hopefully after a successful 12 months of business. - Nik

You can find Nik at - Conrad's Beer | Twitter | Instagram

Outfit | Done With Summer?

Hollie wears - ASOS Denim Mac Dress | Maxstudio T-Shirt| J.Crew Jeans | Bass Saddle Shoes | Foverever 21 Glasses | Longchamp Bag

Wearing - Universal Works Trousers | Nike SB Janoski c/o SS20 | Uniqlo Socks

The weather is really starting the screw with my outfit mojo. One minute it's all good and sunny, the next we have a monsoon situation. The idea was to take a few photos in the lovely northern sunshine, but sadly we had to cut it short and take cover. All is not lost, we did manage to get a few before the downpour.

It's no secret that I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to denim, I think my enthusiasm has finally rubbed off on Hollie. She decided to get in on the act, keeping things simple with this lightweight "chuck-on"by ASOS, J. Crew worn-in denims and saddle shoes by Bass. A kept it basic too, sticking to a denim shirt and navy trousers. These two-tone Nike SB Janoski were a pick-up from last month; they're a little different from my usual style but I'm really feeling the tonal upper. I'm in skate shoes though I've probably missed my chance to actually learn to skateboard this summer.

Coated Looks:Tyler Slim Mens Denim Thin Finn