20 questions with: the men behind Taylor Morris
If you ever see Hugo Taylor or Charlie Morris walking down the street, you’ll always notice the same thing: these guys have incredible sunglasses. There’s a reason for that: they own one of the fasted growing accessories brands in London, Taylor Morris. Founded in 2013, the Taylor Morris mission is straight-forward but it works. These gentlemen wanted to create a brand that was founded on sophisticated and individuality but that provided men and women around the world with an accessory that many struggle with: sunglasses. On the back of their showcase at LCM this year, we caught up with the gentlemen making the sunglasses world go around:
1.Who is the ultimate Taylor Morris gentleman?
Charlie: “If Keith Richards and Jay Gatsby had a boy…somehow.”Hugo: “Jay Gatsby.”
2. Who is the most stylish man in London, and why?
C: “I don’t agree on one single man being the most stylish, London is home to some of the most stylish men on this planet. I personally grab bits from all of them.” H: “Eddie Redymane. He always looks spot on for the occasion. Never over or under dressed. That is a very hard skill to master.”
3. What constitutes a stylish man?
C: “Classicism well mixed with modernism, some of the founding parts of Taylor Morris.”H: “The correct balance of subtlety and flair.”
4. What are three items every gentleman should own?
C: “A pair of plus fours, a well-tailored dark suit and some good quality luggage.” H: “A dark blue suit. Shirts that fit and flatter properly and at least 1 very good pair of black jeans.”
5. What are three accessories every gentleman needs?
C: “A well-made pen, Hermès tie and a pair of Taylor Morris shades…obviously.”H: “A fine pair of boots, a tasteful gentleman’s wrist watch and, of course, some Taylor Morris shades.”
6. Why are well-made accessories so important?
C: “Usually, accessories are put under a lot of use, they are not like your black-tie, that you’ll only get used a handful of times a year. Accessories are your watch, pen, sunglasses, things that get worn every day. So make sure it’s well-made.”H: “Accessories are everything to me. They can change the feel of an outfit. Accessories are also very personal, and I can often find myself developing emotional attachments to certain things.”
7. What is the ultimate gentlemanly investment?
C: “A shotgun, whether it be an over & under or side-by-side, that’s your choice.” H: “A bespoke Saville Row tuxedo. If there is ever a time you want to look your best it’s always during black tie dress code.”
8. What is the first thing you notice about another gentleman’s outfit?
C: “Probably his shades, I find myself staring at people’s faces because they are wearing an interesting pair of sunglasses. No wonder why I get so many funny looks.” H: “Sunglasses. Force of habit from work. You can tell a lot about some one from how they choose to cover their eyes.”
9. What excites you most about LCM?
C: “Casely-Hayford designs, watch out.”H: “I am very proudly British, so I love to see the creations from my fellow countrymen.”
10. Talk to us about the process behind designing the collections?
C: “Each collection has a thought-out inspiration, for example our newly launched Explorer collection was inspired by continuing to reinvent classic frame shapes and instil them with a modern twist. We’ve utilised lots of metallic lenses with very textured acetates and a variety of brushed metal work. Hugo and I go away and create several mood-boards before we go ahead and prototype a frame. It’s a very long process: over 9 months before we see a colour sample.”H: “From the seed of an idea to completed pair it takes about the best part of a year. An idea can start with an old picture, most recently I used a frame I found on Robert Redford in 1969 from the set of Butch Cassidy. We then from here make CAD then technical drawing, prototype, refine and edit, then sample, then final colour sample. It’s a labour of love and is never simple or without disagreement. However, when a frame is perfected you see the results almost instantaneously in terms of the sales.”
11. What are the 3 intricate details that always need to be perfect before the presentation?
C: “The most important to me is getting the sizing correct, one millimetre here or there out and the whole frame will be completely off. I suffer with quite bad OCD, so I seem to have built up a little fetish for all the fine detailing, when it comes to the design side of things.”H: “All metal work needs to be correctly finished in the exact tone designed whether this be matte, polished, brushed or antique. You then need to get the lens the exact right colour, a few tones here or there can completely change the desired finish. Finally the packaging has to be perfect. We love every details of our frames at Taylor Morris so nothing is left to chance.”
12. Do you still get nervous before a collection shows?
C: “Of course, anything you put that much blood, sweat and tears in to is nerve-wracking when it finally launches.” H: “Always. When you put yourself out there creatively to be judged, it’s only natural.”
13. What makes London the fashion capital of the world?
C: “Creativity for sure, London’s fashion scene right now is stronger than ever and its bursting with creativity. Make sure you get yourself down to LCM, to see what all the fuss is about.”H: “Its diversity. You can travel from one end of the city to the other and see about 15 different moods, styles and mantras about what fashion is. I am always inspired by London and what I see on the streets.”
14. If you were to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
C: “A Huntsman bespoke suit, as it would last a life time and more.”H: “My birthday suit.”
15. If there was to be one message translated across all Taylor Morris sunglasses, what would it be?
C: “It will probably be on what the company was founded on honesty, loyalty and generosity, symbolised by the three circles on the side of our frames and that there were three best friends that started it up.”H: “Honesty, loyalty and generosity. It what the company was founded upon.”
16. Who, or what, is your inspiration?
C: “I get inspired from all that is around me, we have been very lucky over the past couple of years with the places we have managed to visit, from Mexico, Sri Lanka, Iceland, China to name just a few. My friends and family play a big role in my inspiration as well.” H: “Keith Richards. He has lived his life exactly they way he wanted, doing what he loves. That is everything to me.”
17. If you could have dinner with three stylish gentlemen, dead or alive, who would they be?
C: “Keith Richards, David Bailey and Peter Sellers. You just know that dinner would be a hoot.”H: “Well Keith Richards of course, James Dean and Edward VIII.”
18. If you could have any gentleman’s wardrobe, whose would it be and why?
C: “Well right now I could really do with having David Bowie’s, as I’m off to Glastonbury in a few weeks and he has some bonkers outfits I want.”H: “Ralph Lauren’s. He is my hero and the best dressed man alive.”
19. Sum up your style in three words.
C: “Classic, bohemian, British.”H: “Traditional, bold and British.”
20. Is there one particular detail you try and continue through every collection?
C: “To provide a continued combination of premium quality products at an accessible price point.”H: “We are obsessed with finding unique handmade acetate. We like to combine colours in new ways but remaining traditional at the same time.”Visit Taylor Morris here.
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