Ben Westwood designing mens suits
Ben Westwood, former photographer and son of British fashion legend Dame Vivienne Westwood, cuts quite a dash in the capital with his inimitable “wild west” style – a style he is now translating into a menswear range for leading London suit-makers, Cad & the Dandy.
“We specialise in bespoke tailored suits, shirts and overcoats – but that does not mean we are too staid to indulge in a touch of trend-setting,” said Ian Meiers, co-founder of Cad & the Dandy, whose salons in Savile Row, the City and Canary Wharf are the preferred ports of call for modish gentlemen everywhere.
Inviting Ben Westwood to share his creativity with Cad & the Dandy is not the first foray into unconventional fashion for Mr Meiers and his partner James Sleater. Last year the former bankers turned phenomenally successful suit-makers played host to former World Boxing Champion and renowned snappy dresser, Chris Eubank, who designed his own striking “off the peg” collection for the Cad & the Dandy salons.
Now it is the turn of Ben Westwood to follow suit, as it were. He has hit the headlines with some avant-garde designs like two wacky jackets which were snapped up off of the catwalk by punk rocker, Adam Ant, whose ‘come-back’ has been taking London by storm.
Chris Eubank in Cad and the Dandy suit
Westwood – who says his design inspiration is “tribal culture, Red Indians and pirates” – wowed fashionistas with his de
but at London Fashion Week last year. Since then his “street fashion” has been stocked exclusively at the way-out Shoreditch boutique, A Child of the Jago, owned by Ben’s half-brother Joe Corre (son of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren). Proving particularly popular are his Clint Eastwood-inspired wax coats.
This will be Westwood’s first “showing” among the more traditional tailoring portals of Savile Row.
“We just love the exuberance of Ben’s work – it’s the perfect foil for the more formal wear we deal with in our bespoke tailoring service,” said Mr Meiers. He added that Westwood’s Cad & the Dandy range is more sober, classy and city-chic than the hard street fashion for which he has become known – “but it certainly has an edge”.
The ability to cut their cloth to suit city slickers of all persuasions – particularly those with attitude – is what has enabled Cad & the Dandy to measure up to the best in the realms of aristocratic attire since the company began just three years ago, earning them the MacWorld Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010.
