Cubitts | London (UK)

By default many consider prescription glasses necessary rather than desirable. However London-based spectacle company Cubitts, with their unique and contemporary frame designs, have set out to change this.

Situated in King's Cross, the company was founded two years ago by Tom Broughton, 32 and Joe Bell, 25 after the pair found themselves frustrated with the complexity and cost of purchasing prescription glasses. This encounter prompted the duo to simplify the process by offering value without compromising on quality and craftsmanship.

Inspired by their surroundings and London's engineering history, the business was named after siblings Thomas and Lewis Cubitt, the architect and civil engineer who helped shape King’s Cross during the mid-1800s. The Cubitt brothers left a distinctive mark on the area and many of their designs, including the Granary Building (part of The Goods Yard complex), the newly refurbished Great Northern Hotel and most famously King’s Cross Station, still stand strong today. The connection between Broughton, Bell and the Cubitt brothers is strong; the firm even started out in Broughton’s flat on Cubitt Street, the former site of the brothers' old building yard.

With a straightforward selection and purchase process, Cubitts offer a range of eight individually designed frames in four colours available with either optical or sunglass lenses. All frames include pin-drilled hinges, round temple tips and the Cubitts logo that was inspired by the butterfly rivets still found outside nearby Granary Square.

Menswear outfitter Albam Clothing stock the full Cubitts eyewear range, just place an order and collect your prescription spectacles within seven to ten days. Before you buy, check out the Cubitts virtual try on and home trial service, both available online.

Triplstitched Contour Print Shirt | London (UK)

Up-and-coming menswear label and IDMC° favourite Triplstitched, work out of their Enfield factory in North London where they design and manufacture contemporary casual shirts using vintage machinery. Founded by co-founder of design and sourcing firm Eden & Eden, Scott Eden and Managing Director of Hong Kong-based menswear supplier The Limeys, Ben Marden, the pair work with a wish to return shirt production to the UK.

Triplstitched have sourced, shipped and restored shirt-making machinery from around the world with a promise to manufacture the garments from their London base using tried and test construction methods. Eden and Marden boast classic pieces of machinery in their factory including a Reece S2 buttonhole machine and a Union Special wide flat felled chain stitched armhole machine, developed to create the distinct aesthetic produced by American shirt icons. And although the machinery may not be able compete with their speedier modern counterparts, the finished Triplstitched garments are produced with a distinctive appearance.

With an arsenal of contemporary classics, the Contour Print is inspired by the quintessentially British Ordnance Survey Map. The classic two finger button down Oxford shirt features an print developed in-house that was created after Triplstitched re-drew a section of an 18th century map formerly used by the military to chart areas and territory. 

The shirt was then produced by Heathrow based IVO, a family run printer who used a rotary printing press to transfer the print pattern into the 100% cotton fabric and finally sanforized for a softer finish.

Available from at Triplstitched.

Selected Goods by Bermuda Trips | London (UK)

This well curated selection of small goods is by London based online store Bermuda Trips. The ever-changing assortment is selected by owners Dean Edmonds and Natsumi Sashida and consists of objects made mostly in USA, England or Japan. Expect an unique and vintage clothing and stationary including a USAF surplus helmet bag, a dead stock metal pencil holder with eraser, tie dye socks and rare Snoopy and Mr. Natural sew on patches (pictured).

All available from Bermuda Trips.

Metier 2007-2013 by Laura Braun | London (UK)

In a world dominated by corporate character and conceptual branding, it is sometimes easy to forget that there are real personalities and names that sit behind everyday products.

Documented by London based photographer Laura Braun, Braun’s debut publication Metier showcases a collection of small-scale independent and specialist businesses in London alongside portraits of the people behind them. The idea grew from Braun's interest in the faces behind a craft who, despite unglamorous routines, take pride in their creations. Over a six year period (2007–2013) Braun shot a series of portraits and interior photographs in unique London businesses full of character and history and her work offers an insight into the working lives of people who strongly identify with their profession.

Laura Braun’s ‘Metier’ can be purchased from Paper Tiger Books.

Dante Shoe Horn by Brooklyn Museum | Aoyama, Tokyo (JPN)

Based in the Aoyama neighbourhood of Tokyo (Japan), Brooklyn Museum is predominately a leather accessories and stationary brand with a modest ethos that will not be influenced. Brooklyn Museum’s design approach is straightforward yet focused, their mission statement “What is a really good thing for people to use” sets out to not only deliver good design, colour and aesthetical appeal but focus is also directed towards ease of use and functionality. A proven track record of combining Japanese craftsmanship with years of experience is behind Brooklyn Museum, they continue to inherit technology without having to extinguish the goodness of handmade.

To use Brooklyn Museum goods regularly is at the forefront of their design; the Dante Shoe Horn being an example of their multi-task thinking. Handcrafted in Japan using French cowhide with contrast stitching, the shoe horn handle has five key clips allowing everyday use and offering convenience.

Available from Trunk Clothiers online and their London store on Chiltern Street.