Timothy Everest, Co-Founder of MbE / Bespoke Menswear

Made by Everyone… for you. A collective of passionate artisans created by renowned tailor, Timothy Everest and advertising creative, Danny Kellard. MbE brings together the best craftsman, materials and designers to create garments that showcase British style in both bespoke garments and ready to wear ranges. Their aim is to create high quality British made goods that complement the modern gentlemen's wardrobe that can be worn for any occasion. MbE also curates and champions products from other like-minded menswear brands that have British quality and materials at their core. Their ready to wear ranges draws particular inspiration from classic military and workwear styles, but with luxury hand crafted twists, whilst Tim brings his own incredible heritage and eponymous style to the bespoke and made to measure offering.

In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Made by Everyone (MbE) Co-Founder Timothy Everest about his early tailoring career, first working for Tommy Nutter before going on to create the new bespoke movement alongside Richard James and Ozwald Boateng, with the aim to make British tailoring cool and appeal to a wider audience. Our host Peter Brooker and Timothy also chat about making clothing for Elton John and The Beatles, and his recent project; MbE studio located within Grey Flannel on London's Chiltern Street.

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Photo: Richard Boll

Transcript

Unknown: 0:12

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the mentor star podcast. I'm your host people. On this episode, I'm going to talk to Tim fee Everest MBA he he is the co founder and partner at MBE, London. And I'm going to put a short clip from the MBE website here, which you can find over at WWW dot NBA dot studio. And this is what he has to say about the brand. I see us as quintessentially British exploring today's modern wardrobe through bespoke and immediate wear, embracing customization and technology. So that interview with Tim Murphy to come and I really enjoyed this one. And a little secret. I've been trying to get Tim Murphy on the show since forever. I had 1001 questions for him about his career in the movie industry and about his time as an understudy with tahmina. And because it was going to be quite hard to cram all of that into one episode, I split this interview into two separate podcasts. The first one you'll hear here, this is going to really reflect his career. And his new studio, which can be found on shortland Street, we get into all that and all of these great life stories. The second interview is more geared to his work in film, and in particular, the work he did with costume designer Joanna Johnston for a Man from UNCLE and that you can find over it from Taylor's with love, just punch that into your podcast app and you should turn up depending on when you're hearing the size. I mean, we're going to be posting that Wednesday 28th of October. Anyway, it really does serve as a two parter, and I think you'll enjoy both equally. Before we get to timofey Don't forget to check out the show notes over at menswear. style.co uk and on the social Batman's westoe all the latest fashion news is happening there. editor Craig has just written an article car costs. Keep on top of your budget people. There is certainly some sage advice in this article handy links to cross referencing prices with dealerships fuel calculators, etc. Check that article out over at menswear startup co.uk. And if you want to tell us about your brand and your journey, you can email the show here at info at menswear styled or co.uk. Okay. Let's get into it. This is a good one. Hope you enjoy it. Here's that interview with Timothy Everest MBA, co founder and partner MBE London. It's my great pleasure to introduce simfy Everest to the podcast, Timothy. How you doing today, sir? Very well. Nice to be with you. Thank you and we're about is here for you right now. I'm on number seven downstairs actually in our lounge in number seven chilsen Street just off Baker Street. Interesting. Okay, so I kind of want to get into the NBA studio. But maybe For the uninitiated for anyone out there that hasn't heard of you a little thumbnail sketch of your iPhone yours on the entailing? Well, I think there's a lot of people haven't heard of us, which is, I guess a great opportunity. Now we've been telling them for 30 years, we were part of the bespoke new bespoke movement which I created which became, I guess, Richard James and Ozwald Boateng and myself back in the late sort of 90s, we were trying to explore British tailoring and appeal to people who are buying that that time bomb designer brands are ready to wear to consider British tailoring has been really cool. And that's what we set out to do in a terraced house 30 years ago, and we're still here. So your background, I believe is in styling before it was tailoring. Is that right? Well, it was tailoring. First I flunked my education got a job with an uncle. He worked for a high street tailor. I wanted to race cars and stuff I only got as far as karts and motocross. And I came to London and one weekend while clubbing, I applied for an advert for boy wanted on Savile Row. I wanted a job in fashion. I didn't want a job in tailoring so I thought was boring. I was what 1920 and you know, way ahead of myself. And I went and met a guy called Tommy Nutter, who was a very famous Taylor, who historically addressed the Beatles and The stones and elton john, and we're starting a new business. And I fortunately got a job fair. In fact, I was interviewed by a very nice young lady who's been my wife for 26 years, which is quite quite interesting and I left there to come to children's street funnily enough. I was interested in what was going on and was ready to wear a lot of designer brands. I ended up running a shop next two doors down from where I am now called Malcolm Levine that was bringing in brands like Armani and things that were quite new at the time. But the styling bit started afterwards. I wanted to build my boss's business, but he was quite happy having a shop so I left and I was a freelance stylist so I used to sort of dress a lot of people in the sort of boom days of, of MTV set dressing George Michael and the contemporary bands at the time. A lot of TV commercials. So for people like Ridley Scott associates, a lot of people might know or might not a lot of the film directors we know today cut their teeth on actually TV commercials and sort of commercial productions. So a lot of that. And while I was doing that, I was sort of raving around Spitalfields, I guess, and I was introduced to Derek's house and two and a half years after being out of Savile Row and look back at it rather romantic game for us. Wow. It's fabulous. But we need to communicate in a different way. So the combination of finding the house matters. Yeah, how we got what how we got into the styling is a very important part. And I'll stop in a minute, but styling really helps when we came back to films again, right investing. So perhaps, drop me in with a bit of a time line here. You started work for Tommy Nutter, What year are we talking now? I'd like to say five years ago, but it was actually very early 80s. It was a whole thing on elton john on one of the BBC chat shows last night and there was some of the clothes that we designed that he was wearing, which is rather fabulous. So yeah, that was a heady days. I was about 2021 years old. And I ended up working with Tommy on the outs as well to and his Japanese licences I could draw. So I was very naughty. I would leave a drawing on his desk and he'd say who's done that? And I go, I did, sir. And we'd end up doing stuff, which is really good. He was very generous. He was very inclusive and everything that he did, which was good. And then I went on probably mid to late 80s, late 80s to children's Street and then we started our business at 990 which was an interesting time just as this the markets have crashed the city crashed after Black Friday. So difficult time but we managed to get going. I read the book The rebel of Savile Row, Rebel Taylor of stubbornness, something Armstrong, I always want to say it's been some stronger. Yeah, it's going up. And I love the stories about elton john coming into the shop and how he would perhaps come in and have like a whole entourage take 20 or to have a good drink with Tommy. And the rumour is that the lapels are so wide, you'd have to walk out sideways through the door. And then he would be you'd be playing like a baseball stadium just in a Donald Duck costume instead of all the seats that he had held at the time. Did you have a guess? Did you have any connections to the film Rocket Man that was going on? I mean, were they giving you a call because it's such a shame. I saw Rocket Man that didn't seem to be any mention of that moment in time when he was getting all the foods made. No, we weren't and he's become a good customer of Richard James. But he did write me a very nice note because I had a very nice interview very early on when I spoke about Tommy and he just said It's so lovely. Me reminiscing about Tommy. He was one of the funniest men he'd ever met. But I remember out and coming in. So it'd been around the time of I'm still standing all that tailoring. But he's down the south of France was wearing the Prince of Wales tail coats and he's wearing the white and the pink and all that we did all of that. And then all the big stuff. And he's to come in and a member one day he came in and I think it was a pink rose voice Cornish convertible, he parked outside. Savile Row police station, so the police will say hi, Elton, and there was a load of builders on scaffolding and they will wolf whistling him and he was going Hi boys like that. And he was on very good form. He used to pop in and see Tommy and Tommy would inherited this building which had been called I think that the store was called john Michael it was all mirrored inside. But some of the mirrors you push those secret rooms and Tommy had a secret office, and Elton would come in there. And they'd have a glass of sherry and sort of have a chat about things and so on. And then we would fit him for, for for the first stage. And then we did all the the the tail coats in mores and greens and pinks and all sorts of things for him. So it was really, really good fun putting those things together. And then he wants to jump suit. So we created these jumpsuits, which I designed with big sports, we did them with teddy bear prints. And then at the time I went to Herbert Johnson and they made baseball caps, which we're not very happy about because that's for the Americans didn't know because they got lots of orders. We made tail coats, we had tails on the back of the jumpsuits that you could throw into the audience usually like military ones. It was really, really good fun because he was very adventurous. I don't remember them the lapel story because that's probably first time round when he was sort of early 70s with Tommy, but I do remember he wanted the shoulders bigger and bigger and working with the tail as well. So how the hell are we going to support these and I can remember coming down rather than nervously with a bent coat hanger to the shape around a neck to the shoulder saying could we use something like that we ended up using a canvas As at that moment about one of the head cutters refer to me as a stupid boy, which I probably was, but I remember he wanted really big shoulders. That's interesting. I mean, it's such a fascinating story. And it's kind of elements of tragedy as well involved with the whole tahmina story. I know there was an exhibition that I missed down at the Textile Museum here in London, I think there might have been about seven or eight years ago. Yeah, I helped curate that and presented it. I was gonna ask you about that. Yeah, no, I was I was asked to do that. So I helped a lot with that. And that was really, really good. And we had Yes, Cilla Black turns up and Ringo Starr turned up and he was very excited showing Barbara bark, you know, the suit that he'd had, because if the there's a fabulous one, where he's got the braided one is really, really nice. But she's done a replica, check on the bias, really nice. advice, check pockets and so on. Yeah. So it's really, really nice. And that for me was quite important. So a lot of people don't really know the history of Tommy, as a lot of people take credit for for being having worked for Tommy not to be he was the Tommy nasty. He was the person who created that style. He was the young guy, 27 years old, whatever it was, started a business with 1000 pounds each year, thousand pounds himself. 1000 I think was silver black, who used to be a big TV personality and 1000 from a barrister, and they started on Savile Row. He employed with sex and as a cutter who became a partner. And then later chigumbura Morgan joined. But he was a he was a real one offer real original and full of amazing stories. I always remember asking what was it like? And he said, Well, you know, one minute I was working as CIO under Carter for Taylor. Next thing I've got this job. I've got this business he wanted actually to work for Michael Fisher was a very famous shirt maker who made all the big shirts and the Kipper ties and I think there's a reference to Michael fish and The Italian Job. When Simon DS fitting Michael came with all those printed shirts. It was all supposed to be like this the fishes, but that fantastic label, Mr. Fish or peculiar to Mr. Fish. Then he went down to Michael and Michael. So we've got your own style. start your own business, which Tommy did. So So what was it like Tommy? And he said, Well, it was really strange. He said, I remember a couple of things. One being called over to Apple studios, which is the Beatle Studios on Savile Row, sat down by john and Paul and again, a cup of tea and they played Hey Jude and asked him what he thought. And he jokingly said, I think it's a load of rubbish and I'm sure it'll be a big hit. And the one that sticks in my mind is that he said, he came to he was late, been out, had a late night was late for work, and he came down to his shop on Savile Row. And he they were one of the first have shot windows most of them they know what Huntsman is now they would have like a modesty curtain because there weren't shops there were tables you'd go in and but you didn't really want to, to be seen and also he wouldn't put much in the windows. But he had a window and was always had extreme windows and things that Simon Doonan, who were later went to Barneys used to do. And he came in and john and Yoko was standing naked in the shop, waiting for their fittings completely stone because that's how they wore the clothes. They didn't wear any underwear underneath these three piece white suits, which are the core. It's almost like wearing bespoke tracksuit. And I said what did you think he said, Why me? I'm only from nice. And he said I nearly went home to see my muffin with that. But he said it was just kind of crazy how it just took off. But a very charming man and a very interesting view on tailoring. fascinating story. I mean, that kind of also invokes new images for me of john lennon on the zebra crossing Abbey Road that he could actually just be going commando in that outfit. More than likely, you know, I never found out or perhaps it's already out there. But what George Harrison was wearing, so they were all wearing Tommy no in that shoe apart from Georgia except him. Yeah, and I remember Tommy saying that because when I first went for my interview, he is obviously pre internet and pre research. And I didn't know anything about him at all. And but I once I met him he was he was quite young, I thought I don't want to jump into but he's kind of kind of trendy that this is kind of fashionable. So he said, you know, think about me? And I said no. I said, Yeah, of course they do. And he said No, you don't. So he got out his portfolio. And one of the first things was the Abbey Road, album cover. And he pointed that out. He said, Look at them. They're all in my suits, except for john Harrington. George Harrison. He said he's always difficult. He said it was what I think was weighing down, I think in that. Yeah, something like that. Yeah. But yeah, he did dress them all. Interesting. Well, listen, thanks for indulging me with those stories. I did a online course and my my modular essay was on tahmina as I went down to the VNA and looked at original tahmina suits, and you have to make appointments with the VNA to book ahead so that they can bring them out from the archives and lay them out. So I did a few here actually. Oh, fascinating. Well, 70s Yeah, perhaps I'll pester you again later to look at those who they are. They are stunning. I mean, he didn't he wasn't a cutter by Trade Eva was it he was he wasn't a bit like me, he could undercut and strike, but he knew about fit and form. And also, he knew how to make it. Again, something I talked about when we were talking about film. And the previous podcast is actually how to help people express themselves. So everyone thought that he just dressed the, you know, the rock and roll, you know, Gentry, but that was a small part of his business. There was some people that fashion statement was to go just for a blue suit or a Navy velvet jackets. And that was as fashionable as they needed to be. Because they wanted to go and see, Tommy, who wasn't a father's tailor. That was it was somebody younger that he could articulate as something that they would feel comfortable. And, yeah, interesting. Well, listen, thanks so much for indulging me with those stories as a real treat. Perhaps we can fast forward rather crudely to the timofey Everest of today. And we have the MB studio that is now done on shortland Street, you've been there since 2017. And I think, you know, have only been here a couple of months, we were on fashion street in 2017. We were Timothy Evers for about 26 years, we came up to 25 years, and we thought was a great opportunity to take the next step forward. And we invited a partner into our business. Unfortunately, that didn't work. And we reluctantly left our own business, which is rather sad, nearly five years ago. But in a way, it gave us an opportunity to start to rethink who we were and what we were wanting to do. And we had been for some years exploring what I called working title bespoke casual. And we were looking at how the wardrobe was changing. And we've always tried to keep tailoring relevance. As I said, probably the beginning we were trying to get people are buying designer brands and think of tailoring has been cool. So it was about the carton that the narrative. But as the wardrobe has changed, we've had to make more interesting things. You know, maybe like the shore jacket, I'm wearing a flannel today, things like that. So Tony's still relevant. So BMB studio started, we like the idea of made by everybody. The idea of having something made individually, we're all different ages, different shapes, different people. And I think the only way to be modern is to be yourself. So I think making things for people still important. So that's how MB started. And then we had an opportunity at arose about six months ago to come back to children's Street to a famous shop that's been here since 1974, called grey flannel, no Richard twos. I've known Richard for over 30 years who always kept in touch. And he said he'd like to take few more holidays. When COVID comes along. And we start thinking well, how long you know, the city area was looking very different the landscape of where our customers, some of them are coming from. And we thought two businesses together might be better. We're in what was the stockroom two months ago, we now have a lounge, carpet went down at the weekend. It's rather cool actually being downstairs, I have a new customer and yesterday ordering some bits. And he said I expected to see Christine Keeler down here. That's not what's the atmosphere we're trying to curate. But he liked the idea that you had to go through the shop to find us downstairs. Yeah, the rest of the shop will become MBA, intend to be able to grey flannel over the next few months. But it's step by step. But that's that's where we are still cutting away and making interesting things happening. I worked in retail and had an independent clothes store just outside of Cambridge and went into business with my best friend from school. And he had many iterations of different affiliates and Clothiers before that. And he always enjoyed like the kind of rebranding of himself and the new process of starting somewhere new. And he had a great eye for art deco and what could work in Yeah, in a closed shop. Do you find any of that process rewarding? Or is it more of like an upheaval, more than ever slow to do it again? Well, I think, obviously, by going into partnership, I was obviously looking to do something new and I wasn't finding a way and it was the wrong decision, I think for me and for that for that business. But obviously, I think I was ready for change. And in a funny sort of way, not being literally Timothy Everest, but Timothy Everest MBA and with with grey flannel gives us the opportunity to probably have a slightly broader repertoire, because being Timothy oberus possibly means Isn't he the guy who was part of that whole new tailoring movement, possibly, which is I think part of our history, but to be referenced all the time. You get pigeonholed as you can only do tailoring. And again going back to what we're talking about Man from UNCLE the previous podcast, maybe why we didn't get to the casual wear now. Tim speciality is he's the tailor the fact that we make casual wear, we've even made wedding dresses, all sorts of stuff is kind of relevant to now it gives us the flexibility to be a little bit more fluid in what we do and that's what we've been experimenting with the clothing. What is still tailoring you know what is the touches of the cart is that the stitch is that the fabric is all of those three things. One of the missions we're on at the moment is zoom to cocktail, not Netflix to the pub. So what could I have a zoom call in I feel really comfortable at home. But I could go to the children firehouse and look and get in not not not be asked to know your names on the list. But that that's that's the challenge for us at the moment. And also I think people have been for a while and more will be buying less or buying better. So what are they going to be investing in, rather than just consuming? So it's a very difficult but it's exciting in that sense, this new phase for us. And so how much does it cost to take your stuff down to children firehouse because I took my girlfriend and a mom down to children fire alpha last year, and I'll tell you a quick story. I was supposed to interview this gentleman who is in the walking dead. He was also in Terminator two. He was a guy that had like the steel thing put through his mouth. He goes what's up with that damn dog always bark and he was also he's also the guy and he's the one that got shot. Anyway, sorry, rambling on. So he didn't turn up. So I said, Okay, you know, bring him along and we'll have a nice breakfast and the whole thing came out to like, I don't know 250 300 quid for basically eggs and salmon and a couple of coffees. So a loose question, but do you ever have the notion to go down there and have lunch but make sure it's just you and not the followers on my daughter's hitting our social media today we're actually going to go to the inexpensive sushi bar around the corner and we were going to go there for breakfast but somewhere else now it's it's a bit of a scene there I sort of love hate it I kind of probably more love it than hated. Fortunately, we get taken sometimes by customers. That's that's the best tip to tip. But yeah, we have to reciprocate and it's never it's always three fingers. You know, even just for a few drinks it It adds up. But it is it is it's I have to say is one of the reasons that we are on the street because that gives life to the streets. It brings a lot of people here and I know from speaking to matzot trunk and you know Tyler at monocle, you know, it's an important makeup of the street now the firehouse Yeah, it's a beautiful looking story as well for anyone that coming to London. I guess Baker Street might be the closest if you get down Baker Street short walk. And then I'm sorry. And then the walk down the street. It looks like everything. I mean, red brick, but new red brick, not like yes, it's called London brick. It looks like everything's just been painted. So yeah, you're right homeland. Though, will Lloyd do cuts with me. And one of the guys who works with me, we when I first brought the guys down to say to pay like this fix is important. You know if my team don't want don't want to be here, no point being here. But they absolutely love it. They've got them, and they're really enjoying it. And we were walking past the firehouse. And earlier this year, and there were two guys on the street. And Lloyd said, What are they doing? And I said, they're taking the chewing gum off the pavement. Oh, wow. I mean, they would literally the guys in the cleaning or any chewing gum outside the firehouse, they were cleaning. And that's how it man Street has become. But it is a great Street. Obviously, it's a great men's West Street. But we've got you know, great musicians next door, we've got a ironmongers we've got great restaurants. It's a great area and the marleybone High Street and all around here is a very good catchment area. So it's a really lovely village. And I think people feel very comfortable here is very noticeable that there's activity around here. More activity than you'll probably see around Selfridges and traditional streets like Bond Street. I think it's residential, but I think people feel a little safer. I think mahkum streets and other Street has little pockets now happening but yet, john streets a very special Street. Yeah. Do you miss anything about the city? And does it feel like a homecoming for you? Can you said you worked on children's street before? Yeah, no, it does. It's very funny. It feels again to say to my daughter, it feels very familiar. I just ran into someone who used to be chairman of Watford football club. So we were having a coffee and chatting about john of hours ago. It's quite funny. He was telling me his stories. And I was telling me my stories about going to parties and things. So it's quite familiar. Unfortunately, most of the people have either got no hair or got grey hair like me now that I'm so I remember but the pace is very similar. I mean, I'm probably been very rude. But I always remember we used to joke when Mr. Sun so I was going to the malla Porsche usually turns out a sports car on a Saturday with a different different partner. And we'd have to firstly congratulate him on his new car. And then secondly, have a nod to the new 20 year old and then they come in and shop that's still that's still going on. You still see people turning up going across the monocle cafe buying a coffee it's quite old fashioned in that sense. People come along and and they buy on impulse. I think most people now I guess shop online and probably have you know maybe watch one of your podcast or they've been on the blog and they've researched something they consume. They will maybe made up their mind and then they'll drill down so you know the best value ratings and so on. This streaks quite interesting. You people come with no agenda. And that's really exciting. They come in and they, they want to be served. They want you to help them. And this is all the people I've been talking to women coming in, who've been coming for some time they hadn't first have no idea. So come in, come in to the firehouse for lunch or go for a coffee and I walk in and see Richard or Graham, and now me and we go out with something. And that's, that's part of coming to children's Street. Afternoon. You do, I do have this romantic idea that you and also Boateng and Richard James are all in this whatsapp group together talking about you know, various celebrities or films that you've tailored for. Does any of that go on? Or is it a little bit now? I I I don't see Oswald as much I used to I get I get on. I've always tried to keep in touch with everybody. I saw Richard quite a bit A while ago, I still see him being Welsh as well. or half Welsh. I'm not sure which side of me is Welsh. We sort of get on quite well, but I know I think it was it's a birth you know, all parts of the makeup of our business. So it's important that we keep in touch but to know we don't talk very much about customers just generally about the row and generally about things going on really. You know, we've shared a few projects though Richard night, I think he does some stuff at m&s and I stopped at m&s, and we chatted about that, but know that it was very important. I see it very upset when traditional saburo used to moan about Oswald in particular about his purple suit in the window, how terrible is disgraceful. And I said, Well, how many of your customers who turned up and said how disgraceful this and then they've ordered a suit from you. They're not going to necessarily go there. He's actually talking about Savile Row, which people weren't. So that was the important thing was to talk about tailoring. Yeah. I'm sure there should be a whatsapp group. And there should be some good stories. Yeah, I hope so. Maybe Well, listen, I don't know how to engineer it. I would certainly love to wave the magic there if I can. I've been in touch with Edward Sexton as well and writing and aforementioned book on bondstar. Listen, I'll see what I can do. And hopefully I can get people to agree with me or that could be your next mission. Listen, Timothy, thanks so much for taking time out of your day. And what people were listening to this podcast might not realise I already grilled him for half an hour on his film career but you very kind to indulge me some stories there. MBE studio is the place to go where we can have a look at the website and also on the Instagram, which I presume maybe your daughter is running is MB, underscore London. A great place to check out and have an idea of the style. So Timothy, thanks so much for taking time out. And best luck and I'll hopefully be in the area soon and bring in a monocle coffee. Yeah. And I'll buy you a drink at the Firehouse. Don't worry. Yes. That's. That's what I was groping for all this sparkling water. Imagine Shall we get a martini I thought would be appropriate for what you're doing. Sounds perfect. Okay. Thanks so much, Timothy. No, thank you. I appreciate you talking to me. Thank you. Right. Thanks a lot. Perfect. I'll let you go and take care of yourself. Well, how about that? Timothy everis. I could literally talk to you for hours, which is probably the stuff of nightmares for you. But what a treat that was me. How often will you get to hear those stories. Anyway, make sure you're supporting the good guys and head over to NBA dot studio and treat yourself or your loved one. In the meantime, thanks for tuning in. If you like what you're hearing, do leave a review on your smartphone there. It does help out he goes around here and until next time.