I am the subject of the My Design London page in today’s edition of the capital’s Evening Standard newspaper.

In Liz Hoggard’s piece, I talk about some of the places which help make this the greatest city in the world, from our local patisserie WA Cafe and picture framers For Art’s Sake to Mayfair jewellers/art space Belmacz, Hackney Road’s Two Columbia Road and M. Goldstein and the galleries Richard Saltoun and Chelsea Space.

Copies of the Standard are available free to commuters on Greater London’s transport system. The piece will be posted on the Standard’s site soon.

Tags: Belmacz, Chelsea Arts Club, Chelsea Space, Evening Standard, For Art's Sake, Liz Hoggard, M. Goldstein, My Design London, Richard Saltoun, Two Columbia Road, WA Cafe

“Anyone who has wondered how the Britain of utility furniture and wartime rationing managed to evolve into Cool Britannia will find this a remarkable book.”

Elizabeth Guffey, State University of New York at Purchase

My case study Tommy Roberts: From Kleptomania To Two Columbia Road forms a chapter in new book British Design: Tradition And Modernity After 1948, which is published by Bloomsbury Academic tomorrow (October 22).

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bernat Klein, British Design: Tradition And Modernity After 1948, Cheryl Buckley, City Lights Studio, Fiona Andersen, Henry Rothschild, Janine Barker, Jon Wealleans, Kleptomania, Mr Freedom, Owen Hatherley, Practical Styling, Primavera, Thomas Heatherwick, TomTom, Two Columbia Road

//Tommy Roberts, 1987. Photo: Christopher Clunn//

Sad to note the anniversary today of the death of Tommy Roberts, flamboyant design entrepreneur and subject of my book Mr Freedom.

//Dedication (right) with (left on cover-flap) list of abiding interests (courtesy Eve Ferret + Mark Summerfield) and Brian Aris portrait//

//Roberts opened Kleptomania with Charlie Simpson in Kingly Street, central London, in 1966//

//Neon arch sales counter display designed by Jeffrey Pine for Mr Freedom, opened with partner Trevor Myles at 430 King’s Road in September 1969//

Here – with a selection of images from Mr Freedom – is an extract from an essay I have written about Roberts’ role in the development of design in Britain for Chris Breward and Ghislaine Wood’s book British Design: Tradition & Modernity, which will be published by Bloomsbury next year.

It is arguable that wider recognition for Tommy Roberts’ audacious innovations in the promotion of street style, furniture, gastronomy, home-wares, interiors and collectables was undercut by his refusal to observe the sensitivities of England’s post-war design world.

Roberts adopted an ebullient public persona to match his stout physique and broad Cockney accent. “I’m the most vulgar man in fashion, darlin’!” Roberts proclaimed to the no-less outrageous Sunday Times fashion editor Molly Parkin in the heyday of his Pop Art fashion and objects emporium Mr Freedom.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Chris Breward, City Lights Studio, Eve Ferret, Ghislaine Wood, Jeffrey Pine, Keith Roberts, Kilburn & The High Roads, Mark Summerfield, Molly Parkin, Mr Feed'Em, Paul Conroy, Practical Styling, Sunday Times, TomTom, Two Columbia Road

//Clockwise from top: With Joe + Duke Brooks; Jimmy Page + Jeff Dexter; Joe, Duke + Pippa Brooks with Tommy Roberts; Caz Facey with...J+D! These photos: Pippa Brooks.//

There were big smiles for Tommy Roberts at the midsummer’s eve party to celebrate the publication of my new book Mr Freedom – Tommy Roberts: British Design Hero.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adelita, Amber Butchart, Bruce Marcus, Caz Facey, Chris Salewicz, Clive Jennings, Daisy de Villeneuve, Derek Boshier, Eve Ferret, Gerald Tilling, Hamish McAlpine, Ian Bodenham, Ian Johns, Jan de Villeneuve, Jane Roberts, Jeff Dexter, Jenny Ross, Jimmy Page, John Ingham, John Pearse, Johnny Deluxe, Julie Logan, Justin de Villeneuve, Katherine Higgins, Keith Roberts, Kevin Rowland, Kirsty Hislop, Laura Kitty, Leslie Poole, Liz Egglestone, Mandi Martin, Mark Powell, Mark Summerfield, Martin Cole, Natalie Gibson, Nick Abrahams, Nick Logan, Nisha Thirkell, Pamina Caruso Brassey, Paula McGinley, Pete Barrett, Pinkitessa, Pippa Brooks, Robert Ashton, Robert Orbach, Siobhan Fahey, Tapper Zukie, Trevor Mill, Two Columbia Road

//Swathe with repeat print of American footballers, Jane Wealleans for Mr Freedom, 1970.//

//Jane Wealleans print on brown crepe.//

Here’s a sneak iPhone peak from yesterday’s photoshoot for my forthcoming book about Tommy Roberts.

Tommy’s son and accomplished photographer/cameraman Keith set up a studio in a room at his furniture emporium Two Columbia Road and shot around 50-plus garments and artefacts to go with the 300-odd images already planned for the book.

I snapped these on my phone in downtime; forgive the quality – hopefully they convey the flavour of the exercise.

Keith photographed a cornucopia of goodies, including two pairs of Mr Freedom’s famous winged boots, a carrier bag for Tommy’s 80s shop Practical Styling, a suit from his 70s boutique City Lights Studio (lent to us by another design hero Lloyd Johnson) and much more besides.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adelita, City Lights Studio, Derek Morton, Jane Wealleans, Keith Roberts, Lloyd Johnson, Mr Freedom, Practical Styling, Tommy Roberts, Two Columbia Road