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#3 2009-04-16 05:19:14
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
This is definitely the right stuff. I have high hopes Richmond Hill will bring us something tasty in the not too distant future.
#4 2009-04-16 05:40:17
- Just Jim
- Member
- Posts: 1159
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
RH is more behind the scenes now like The Weejun, but (like The Weejun) I bow to him absolutely. He knows his onions.
#5 2009-04-16 11:30:42
- Hill Rise
- Member
- Posts: 104
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Ian bought a beige trenchcoat back in the mid 70's when I worked in the Ivy Shop .... he took it out of the bag laid it in the road outside the shop and watched cars run over it for about 10 minutes ... retreived it, put it on and said 'that'll look alright now'
#6 2009-04-16 11:40:42
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Well, I like the look of my rumpled old Burberrys', but that's Astaire-like dedication for you, eh?
#8 2009-04-16 11:52:22
- 1966
- 1,966% Ivy
- Posts: 2382
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Not sure about tire marks but I like the intention.
#9 2009-04-16 11:55:41
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
My old Baracuta trenchcoat stunk of smoke when it turned up from the US. I think Bogart had been on the Luckies or something. Dry-cleaning made it smell hygienic but dull, if you follow. Now I'm thinking of having a selected squad of Soho reprobates come and breathe on it: a heady mixture of Gitanes, garlic, raw alcohol and greasy kebab.
Seriously, this is the stuff we want to hear, even if IS himself steps forward to issue a denial or threaten legal action.
#10 2009-04-17 11:34:17
- Gibson Gardens
- Ivy Author
- Posts: 873
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Lovely observations chaps. Yeh, Ian Strachan - a man with bags of natural style. In winter it was all navy shawl collar cardigans, white Brooks, very short 501s (and he is very bandy which made the trousers seem shorter and just added to his unique style), red socks and brown Sebago beefrolls. He never wore Bass. He also had a pair of Alden plain caps which just looked magnificent on him. In Summer the look shifted to madras half sleeves, white Levis, no socks and the aforementioned Sebagos. He was so cool and stylish and had a strong sense of what worked for him and other people. He dug Coltrane so heavily and I always felt there was a strong correlation between the intensity and unfathomability of Coltrane and Ian's own rather inscrutable intensity. He was a generous fellow, probably too generous to survive in the tough edgy world of clothes retailing. He had crappy views on many political, cultural and racial issues, but we all forgive him because he was (is!) essentially a good guy who I'd be delighted to see again. He withdrew to the Forest of Dean because too many things were imploding in his life and he found London just wasn't good for his nerves. He loved New York though and his and John's trips to stay at the Algonquin and check out the scene always caught my imagination.
He was deadpan, cool, ironic, and he lived for a Salf Beef sandwich. Oh and his favourite film was The Producers. He was a pretty good Jew for a WASP.
GG
#11 2009-04-17 12:09:03
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Ah, the Algonquin: Parker, Benchley, Woolcott - now you're rapping. I once ordered a book on the set, but it never turned up. Shame. Love Dottie Parker.
These postings are, so far, exactly what I was hoping for: myriad observations from guys who knew, worked, drank with Ian - the more on his individual style the merrier.
#12 2009-04-17 12:14:32
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
"Mr. Bialyschtock unt Bloo-oom...!"
#13 2009-04-17 12:16:13
- Hard Bop Hank
- Ivy Soul Brother
- From: land of a 1000 dances
- Posts: 4923
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ni_RtKMpak&feature=related
Love that movie, too. Here's the audition scene...
“No Room For Squares”
”All political art is bad – all good art is political.”
"Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?"
#14 2009-04-17 12:25:01
- Chris_H
- Ivy Original
- From: Watford
- Posts: 1654
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardyandjohnson/
#16 2009-04-18 12:55:33
- Just Jim
- Member
- Posts: 1159
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
I recall both Ian & John Lally also loved Portnoy.
Again it's all a part of that wider culture which they embraced.
#17 2009-04-18 13:31:38
- chetmiles
- Member
- Posts: 1099
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
Woody and Roth don't like each other apparently. Shame - I like each of them.
#19 2009-05-25 02:26:16
- Horace
- Member
- Posts: 6432
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
This is a very good thread. I like the descriptions of ol' Stracho's style. It's sounds boiled down to an essence. Clean lines and whatnot. The madras and white trou is a little harder for this American to fathom, but maybe it works or worked in London.
""This is probably the last Deb season...because of the stock market, the economy, Everything..." - W. Stillman.
#21 2009-05-25 04:26:07
- Ian Strachan's Raincoat
- Member
- Posts: 521
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
A favoured option for me now: white Brooks OCBD, blue-green hand-framed crew neck sweater, Bean denims with Canterbury belt, dark socks, penny loafers.
'Boiled down'. Yes: keep boiling.
#22 2009-05-25 04:44:12
- Taylor McIntyre
- Son of Ivy...
- Posts: 342
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
More insights from IS to come.
After far too long we now have a link to the great man once more.
#24 2009-05-25 05:36:24
- Taylor McIntyre
- Son of Ivy...
- Posts: 342
Re: The Style of Mr. Ian Strachan -
I have some great input already & am waiting to hear from Mr. Richmond Hill who has just recently sat down face to face with Ian for a chat...
Beyond that there is the chance of a Q&A with Mr. Strachan via me by phone for the forum...
... And so here's the puchline: I said goodbye to IS the Saturday before Christmas '87 & told him I'd phone... But I never did. Life moved on... Now 22 years, 5 months (-ish) later I'm finally, hopefully, going to make that call to my old Boss.
Life can really be very nice sometimes.