And as an Austins customer and someone who's watched this story unfold from the 60's onwards your place in all this should be recognised too. I'm just a footnote.

- JG is more important than he might realise I think. Nice chap.

i can't stand to think of when charlie davidson retires either...

^They don't seem to bothered



http://www.modculture.co.uk/forum2/index.php?topic=6351.8

The thing I havent quite understood yet is if, say Baracuta or whoever, were to step in as an investor of sorts, what process would be done to help JSimons?

Help pay his rent?  that won't happen

Send over some fellas to the city council to persuade them to lower his rent?  unlikely

Not exactly sure what realistic steps can be taken to help JS, but hopefully he won't become another victim of "the changing times"

The most do-able and realistic idea would be to move out of Covent Garden into a better priced neighborhood

Why not just have a Webstore?

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious here but has John considered getting in touch with the Japanese at all ? I'm a relative outsider as for the IL style myself, but I have to say their take ( re-Van etc ) seems very fresh as opposed to some of the stuff I've seen in his shop ( if that'd be a fair comment ).

The "Ivy style in Japan" thread I really like ( photos ) and I've mentioned the neo prep thing too in that respect. What I mean to say is that it could all be a bit more playful perhaps, imagewise, if you see what I mean. The Japanese seem to have a better understanding when we're talking presentation, to my mind anyway. I also think they've managed to update the look nicely, *if* I'd wear IL  I'd go for the Japanese take full stop.....

I hope this helps although I doubt it will do....

Alex

It would be best if Ben Sherman or any other "name brand" have no involvement in JS, because they do not fully understand the product(s). If JS is to continue in a similar way then IMO corporate financing is not the way to go. It needs either a White Knight and or a consortium of individuals with a passion for the style and pooled resources, but not driven by high profits. Having said this nobody wants to lose money.

Resources are not restricted to money and include time, contacts, ideas "what have you".

After 40 years of trading, I am certain that there are likeminded individuals out there who are in a position to carry JS forward.



RH

RS
Thanks for the welcome.  JS has done a great job over the years and he has been responsible for introducing IL/American Trad whatever, to probably three generations. A large majority of these individuals have remained faithfull to the religion and periodically drop in to "top up".

Travelling means that I sometimes go several years without visiting the shop and I must be very honest, I think that over the past couple of years it has lost it's edge. May be it is time for "The Man" to step to one side and act as a Mentor and pass the responsibility to younger blood.

As NS sang

everything must change
nothing stays the same
everyone will change
no one, no one stays the same

There is no reason why JS as a store cannot keep evolving in the same way that the Jermyn Street retailers continue to do so and that will be done by not making dramatic changes of direction. Keep the faith.

RH

RS, I agree.

Numerous The Ivy Shop “spin offs” have failed over the years and they shifted away from the IL ethic to catch the market. Essentially the core of JS stock is very similar to the original Ivy Shop in 1965. Nothing wrong with that!!

JS has done better than anyone else at moving forward with such a limited format as Ivy League and with a rigid set of rules such as, materials of construction, patterns, designs blah, blah.

IMHO Ivy League is almost anti fashion (nothing wrong with that) and it doesn't have the luxury of the "fashion world" where anything goes and it usually does eventually. With almost unlimited choices, fashion will almost always be more contemporary than IL.

However, having said that, fashion is cyclic and periodically the wheel turns and suddenly, IL has it's day in the sun for a season or two. That doesn’t make IL any better during that brief period; it’s just in sync with the High Street. I think that this cycle is every 10 to 15 years give or take a nano second. With every generation IL gets to be hipper for a year or so, instead of being just plain hip.

Remember, the original epicenter of the IL look was the NE States of the USA and it took WW2 to take it global. Hence it’s popularity in post war Japan, where there were hundreds of thousands of military personnel based. Brooks Brothers first overseas stores were in Japan.

Same goes for the UK, especially London. Military personnel used to visit the music clubs in the early 60s (the Scene, Flamingo etc), and GIs introduced punters to loafers, OCBD shirts, chinos, sack suits, parkas (not really IL) etc.

I believe that this “cyclic phenomena” is one of the reasons why IL and Modern Jazz are so closely linked and the music gives the edge the IL sometimes requires to give it the attention that it deserves.  ie Blue Note.

The term “Modern” Jazz refers to an art form that is over 50 years old, which is a contradiction. but one that can happily live with!!! As with IL, periodically, Modern Jazz reaches a wider audience then it slips back into the background.

As I don’t earn a living from clothes or music, these cycles have little or no effect on me, indeed I prefer the periods when both are subterranean.

Hope that this doesn’t sound like a rant and these are of course personal opinions and if anyone wishes to steer me to greener pastures I look forward to reading the postings.


   
RH