Meet Our Friends: Rappahannock River Oysters

When we first moved back from London to start Ledbury we spent the better part of two months working from my family farm in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Bordering the bay, at the mouth of the Great Wicomico River, the farm was where I spent most of my summers growing up. Some of my greatest memories as a kid are pulling crab pots with local waterman in Reedville and learning how to fish along t

he oyster beds of Mill Creek.

So we have a special connection to the Bay and about a year ago I ran across a local company called Rappahannock River Oysters (www.rroysters.com) that shares that connection and takes it a step further by contributing to the Bay’s revival.

Travis and Ryan Croxton’s great grandfather started the family oyster business in 1899 on the banks of the Rappahannock River. Over generations the business died out (as did much of the Virginia Oyster industry), but in 2002 the brothers reinstated the family oysterbed lease and decided to give the business a shot.

Today, Rappahannock River Oysters (located just miles from the farm) is helping to lead the revival of the Virginia Oyster and contributing to the rejuvenation of the Bay. Their Irvington based aquiculture operation is putting Rappahannock oysters on the tables of some of the finest restaurants in the world and breathing new life into the local seafood industry.

We could not be more pleased to have Rappahannock River Oysters as our partner in our upcoming Oysters and Oxfords event this Saturday in Richmond. They’re two good guys, who have a great business and love what they do.

Not to mention, they’re responsible for some of the world’s best oysters.

So come see us on Saturday afternoon for some local seafood and some great bluegrass (thefoxhunt.net). If you can’t make to Richmond, pick up some oysters online today.

https://www.rroysters.com/Admin/Shop_Show_cat.php?catid=Oysters

Open a beer or a bottle of white and enjoy...

Premiere Vision

Outstanding fabric is not the only perk to exclusively using European fabric mills. There are also the obligatory trips to Italy and France that are difficult requirements of the job.

So last month it was back to London and then Paris for Premiere Vision and three days, 10,000 fabric swatches and some late nights with good friends.

Notes of Mention:

A Liverpool win/Curry on Brick Lane/Late night at La Palette with Robert and Mitchell/ Two days at PV/ Another Late Night at La Palette with Robert and Mitchell/Albini Spring 2012/Tess Spring 2012/Saying no to crinkle/the Stanstead Acrobat/Ryan Airs flexible check-in policy/Supply Chain Management/A Eastern European Dancefloor…

Thoughts From a Year

Believe it or not there were a few people out there who thought starting a luxury clothing business in worst economic climate since the great depression was a bad idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the market hovering around 7,000 or that it looked like burlap would be the dominant fashion trend for 2009. But, luckily there were a few believers and to those we will be forever grateful.

So I am happy to report that last month was our one-year anniversary. There have been some ups and downs, but mostly a lot of good times. We are pleased of where we are (in business and growing), but realize that there is still a long way to go.

So for those select few who read this blog I it would pass on some thoughts/experiences from our first 365 days. Nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary, but than again, business rarely is.

Being popular in Eastern Europe is not always a good thing.

72 hours into the launch of our business we had 40 Facebook friends from Poland. We of course attributed to the excitement of the Eastern European Fashion Community over the launch of our business, but then our website disappeared. Over the next three days we pieced back together what had taken us three months to build. We latter found out latter that the outage was not the result of Brook Brothers corporate sabotage (as we first suspected), but rather a team of eastern european hackers that turned our server into spamming equivalent of Chernobyl. A humbling lesson in internet security for a man who still has an AOL e-mail address.

The key to success is the right people/ensuring they all have the same name.

Ledbury would not be around if it was not for the small, but dedicated team, 75% of which have the name Paul. The Founders names are both Paul and for a short period in 2009 both their girlfriends/wives shared the same name (which was not Paul) and this made it nearly impossible to hold a dinner conversation. The second hire was also named Paul and we very nearly had a summer intern by the same name. Our European suppliers think Paul is the most efficient person in the world.

If we are popular in Portland, Maine, we just might make it.

Customer E-mails. A couple of favorites

“I have an interesting story for you. I am a consultant with a Big 4 accounting firm and travel a lot. I am sitting in the very tiny Portland Maine airport and a guy walks by with the Pink and Blue Starks shirt on. I call out as he passes by, “Don’t you love Ledbury’s shirts”. He immediately stops and asks how did I know. We chat awhile about the value and quality and whished your small company much success. “

“I am pleased with everything about your product! I wear the finest hand made clothing in the world . Kiton Brioni, Fraye Isaia and Loro Piana to name a few . The opening price on shirts is $225 and the quality does not even come close to Ledbury”

Passion and fear are incredibly motivating factors.

Anyone who has started a small business can appreciate the personal financial realities that come along with it. In our early 30s, we hopefully can take that risk without life altering negative implications, but that does not make the end of each month any less real.

Weeks after the financial collapse I decided I wanted to go into shirtmaking and to fund this new adventure I cashed in my merger stock portfolio (i.e. life savings) and 401K. In retrospect, doing this one-week from the bottom of the market may not have been the best move, but timing has never been my strength and I had to take a shot.

And in my opinion, the risk has paid off. We love what we do, the business is growing and we now even pay ourselves a small salary. (Slightly above the mean poverty level)

But, the financial realities are still real. Perhaps the greatest illustration of this came in September, when we were featured in The Financial Times. The FT blew us away by featuring us in their Business Diary column. Each week, Business Diary focuses on the day in a life of a CEO. The week prior to Ledbury, the column featured the CEO of the largest private company in China and the following week Chairman of the U.K.’s largest bank. So obviously a no name shirtmaker from Virginia was an appropriate inclusion.

The day it came out, I raced to the corner store and grabbed a paper and there we were, page 14 right next to a story about the collapse of the Euro. I poured a cup of coffee and went to the cashier pretty pleased with myself and with the exposure for our young business. With a smile I handed over my debit card, which was then declined. Another swipe yielded the same result and with a maxed out credit card I was forced to put back the coffee and take only the paper.

A humbling and comical experience. I can imagine there are very few Financial Times Business Dairy CEO’s that have had less than $3.75 total net worth at the time of publication…. So real.

So there we go, a few random thoughts from a great year. Hopefully there will be many more (thoughts/years) and thank you all for your support and making this all possible.

Fall/Winter Collection

Fall is almost behind us so it seemed as good a time as any to introduce a fall collection of shirts. It’s a small collection, but a diverse mix of shirts that are part England/part Virginia.

The Starks Gingham

First off, the Starks Gingham. We took the popular summer Starks Gingham and added two new patterns for the fall colors. We love this shirt and have trouble keeping it on the shelves. The fabric is Italian woven 100s poplin that’s heavier in weight and smooth in texture. It’s a tight weave, which makes it naturally wrinkle resistant. As an added bonus, like most poplins, it gets softer and softer after each wash.

Perhaps my favorite detail of the Starks is the collar. We have introduced the Ledbury Spread on a handful of shirts this fall. It’s a true spread collar, which I think makes it great for wear casual. And if you are going to wear it with a tie (make it a solid), the bolder spread compliments the bolder pattern.

(And this is a little neurotic so skip ahead if you have more pressing demands on your time, but we designed the collar with the intention of having a nice little roll to it. The roll is dictated by the height of the collar band, the length of the points, fusing, the placement of the collar stays, etc. Long story short, when the collar breaks in there should be a roll to it that somewhat resembles the roll of button collar. Sort of a cursive L shape. You can help the process along (and this is certainly over the top) by putting pressure outward and up on the base of the color points when you first put it on in the morning.

The Gentry Check

Next is the Gentry Check. A great casual shirt made with a lightweight Zephir fabric from Thomas Mason. The shirt’s weight makes it a good one to be worn under a sweater or blazer in the winter. Deep fall colors are accented by small white checks and from a distance give the shirt an appearance of a solid. Great all around casual winter shirts.

The Huntsman

The last shirt, and probably my favorite, is The Huntsman. It’s a limited edition, patterned off of an old work shirt that I inherited from my grandfather’s closet. Moleskin is an incredibly comfortable cotton fabric, woven from fine threads of long staple cotton and then sheared to create a short soft texture on one side. Most mills make moleskin for pants and jackets, which can be bulky and consequently, we had to do searching to find just the right stuff. We finally tracked down a perfect roll from a small Italian mill near Como. Dark blue, mid-weight and incredibly soft, it’s a perfect shirting fabric. Constructed with double breast pockets, a mid-spread collar and finished with mother of pearl buttons. It’s the most comfortable thing we have ever done.

Around the house

So I thought that I would take a little tour around the house and see if I could find anything of interest. The interest level is certainly debatable, but I thought a few were worth a mention.

Watches

I have always thought that a watch has a certain heirloom quality to it. I am attracted to the idea of wearing something that my father/grandfather wore while he was building a career, raising his family, etc. I think a good watch is one of those few pieces that can connect generations of men and consequently, a nice one justified.

Waltman Pocket watch: 1886

Omega Seamaster: 1967

Citizen Chronograph: 2003

Pens

I started carrying around a pen after college. I found that it accomplished two things: First, if it held a little value, I wouldn’t loose it. I’ve left hundreds of Bics on countertops and dashboards, but the financial incentive has kept these in my pocket for years. Secondly, It gave people the impression that I was more put together than actually is the case…I found, at times, this can be helpful…

Cartier Pen

Hand written notes

Very few people take the time to write handwritten notes anymore, consequently I'm always surprised/impressed when I receive one. I have a wall in my house dedicated to framed notes like the one below from one of Ledbury’s first investors.

Paul,

Appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Ledbury experience. Super 120s will no longer be an exotic menthol, but rather a fine Ledbury garment.

MTS

The Record Collection

I got my hands first turntable when I was 12, which came with a box full of my parents Motown records. Ever since then a record player been a fixture in my house/apartment . Why the records that have been played on have ranged from Motown to 90s Hip Hop to Techno (blame the late 90s). Today it’s mostly a mixture of 40-60s Jazz and early blues.

4 Ties

I consider myself lucky that a tie has never been a demand of my professional wardrobe. More often then not, I have been able to get away a button down shirt and a blazer or a suit if the occasion demands it. And it's not that I do not like ties. Some men turn them into a great compliment. I have just found that a tie makes me look like a waiter or in the case of a bowtie, a ventriloquist’s dummy. At a wedding I recently attended (black tie), two people at my table gave me their drink orders before I was able to take my seat.

But, on occasion a tie is a great and necessary addition. So in a closet of dozens of shirts I have four. Two are Hermes (navy blue and maroon) and between them I feel like I have almost every occasion covered. The other two are 80s classics that I took out on long-term loan from my father’s closet years ago. The first comes out only in November and says “Democracy is not a spectator sport” the second is from Ronald Regan’s 84” campaign and say REAGAN. The latter is a classic, but now wears a little far to the right. I have been hoping that a few years in the closet it will straighten it back down the center…

The New Addition

The Brother-in-law, the newest addition to the family and Ledbury. Loving everything about this photo….

Great Music, Right Price

So I thought Sunday afternoon was as good a time as any to share a couple of good sources of music. As an added bonus, both are free, which as a struggling shirtmaker I have always appreciated.

1. Truth and Soul Podcast (itunes): http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/truth-soul-radio/id263417896 .

Truth and Soul Records has been around for since 2004 and much like Daptone Records (of Sharon Jones fame) they put out soul/funk music that sounds like the greats from 60s. (Lee Fields, one of the artists on the label, could easily share the stage with James Brown).

The podcasts are around an hour long and consists mostly of rare funk and the occasional Latin gem from the 1960s. It’s an impressive collection. Download the Latin Workout, get about 4 minutes in and you will know exactly what I am talking about.…

2. Holiday Records (www.holidayrecords.net):

Stumbled on these guys a couple of months ago. The way it works is each Friday (this can vary), one of the members of the nuvo-surf band The Drums puts up a few songs for free download. Its fairly obscure stuff. There’s a Russian band, Palms on Fire (http://www.myspace.com/palmsonfire ) that makes 60s surf music, a French band that sounds like The Cure http://www.myspace.com/youngmichelin , and a group out of London called the Notes (http://www.myspace.com/wearethenotes ) which I think have huge potential. Some great finds and an interesting concept.

Enjoy..

Summer Shoot

We’re a young business and the idea of paying top dollar for models is not necessarily appealing. So you will have to forgive us for the shots of with cut off heads/faces, which are all of our friends/wives/etc.. But, in all honesty, with photography I prefer to focus on the product. The shots of Mathew McConaughey, shirt off, staring at you from the pages of GQ has always prompted me to put down the magazine rather than pick up the product.

That being said, we needed some photography and someone to wear the shirts. So about a month ago I was at an engagement party for a good friend and struck up a conversation with his father who is old neighbor of mine. Halfway through a casual conversation, it stuck me that he would be a great fit for the shoot. A fact, that I quietly mentioned to my girlfriend, who then proceed to tell him that “I wanted to take his photo”…. a comment that prompted a defense that its not as creepy as she made it sound….a point that was followed by awkward silence and another trip to the bar.

But, he had such a great look that I followed up a couple of weeks later and he agreed to give it a try. And I could not be more pleased with the result. We spent the afternoon in Jackson Ward (see below) and he was a natural. At the end of the shoot our photographer basically asked if he could represent him...

Thanks to Mr. Banks of Banks Coin Laundry and Chris from Comfort for letting us their space. The shoot was followed by dinner at the latter, which is quite possibly the best restaurant in Richmond.

Broad Street/Jackson Ward/Pop-up Shops

One of my favorite areas of Richmond is called Jackson Ward.. It‘s just North of Broad street, which at one point was the epicenter of Richmond retail and commerce. It’s about 10-block area that following the civil war became an epicenter of entrepreneurism/music/culture. I spoke to someone recently compared it to the Harlem during the renaissance of the 1920s/30s. One of the most interesting aspects of Jackson ward is the architecture that is a mixture of residential and retail from the 1850s-1920s. It has fallen on hard times over the last quarter of a century, but over the last 5 years and group of art galleries/developers/restaurateurs have moved in and have managed to stimulate a small revival. A First Friday’s Art Walk now brings thousands of residents to the area the first Friday of the month.

So we decided to get involved and throw together a pop-up store a couple of Friday’s back. We had a couple of coolers of Urbock Stout (Bacon Beer) left over from a beer tasting a few of weeks back and set up shop for the evening. We teamed up with Eurotrash, which in my opinion is the best woman’s boutique in the city, and threw a party. We had an open bar and appreciated the chance to put some volume behind the new Black Keys album and some early Elmore James that’s been on repeat for the better part of a year. About 200 people come through door. A good night….

The Staple Singers

It's Sunday morning. It feels appropriate.

Summer

It gets hot in Virginia in the summer. After nearly a decade away I had somehow forgotten this fact, which is perhaps how I ended up in an apartment without central air (in retrospect a mistake) . But, even with the heat it’s a rarity that I’m going to break out the shorts and I’m not quite prepared for the short sleeve button down. So the overall goal of the Summer Collection was to make some light, breathable shirts.

Very pleased with how things came together. The highlight fabric has to be what we used for the Parker Gingham. On color, you cant go wrong with these in the summer, but we wanted to use the lightest fabric we could find. And we got it. It’s the kind of shirt where you find yourself continuing rubbing your arm and as an added bonus the tight weave makes them surprisingly wrinkle resistant.

I’m a big fan of Oxford Cloth, but an Oxford makes for a heavier shirt in the summer and needs a few washes to wear in. So we wanted a white casual shirt and went with the lighter pinpoint with a button down collar. It’s a classic American casual shirt that’s great for the summer.

Lastly, fabric aside, we added a new spread collar on top of the Starks (my personal favorite). The Anglo-American is an incredibly versatile spread collar, but there was demand from friend’s back in London to go wider. Went through a couple of variations of this before we got it right. It’s a fuller spread (but not full cutaway) with a nice roll… More of these to come in the fall.

Iceland vs. Ledbury

I have always been a big fan of Iceland. The people are friendly, the women are beautiful and there’s great nightlife…. So until late 2007 it seemed like the country had all figured out. Then, an Icelandic banking collapse nearly took down the entire global financial system. But, we all make mistakes, so I had forgiven the small island nation and looked forward to a trip to Reykjavik with a stronger dollar. But then, out of nowhere an Icelandic volcano erupts, sending an ash cloud over Europe and basically shutting down intercontinental commerce. Now, I’m not sure if these events are a sign of Iceland’s imitate invasion of Europe, but I mention them because Iceland, and its deviant behavior, played a part in turning the Ledbury Spring Collection into the Summer Collection.

So after a slight delay, I’m pleased to report that the Summer Collection has arrived….

Good Things

Navy Gingham (soon to be available Summer Collection) + Mint Condition 63 White Vespa = Perfection

Suckers

In a bizarre twist of fate the same night as the Ledbury D.C. Launch Party, my college roommate Austin and his band Suckers where playing a sold out show with Local Natives at Rock and Roll hotel a couple of miles down the road. The launch party went late so I was not heard down to see the show, but I have heard nothing but positive things.

I’ve been listening to Austin and his cousin Quinn play together since their first album as The Noise about 8 years ago and I have always been widely impressed. Now as Suckers, with band mates Brain and Pan they’re in top form…and the press seems to agree with strong reviews from everyone from Rolling Stone (Hotlist) to Pitchfork to MTV (2010 Artist to Watch).

So the debut Album is out on June 8^th and I would highly encourage you to pick it up (suckersmusic.com, itunes, wherever). They have a unique sound and a creative approach that I have no doubt will lead to big things in 2010 and beyond.

D.C. Launch (Cont)

Thanks to everyone who came out to the D.C. launch party last Wednesday at the Ledbury Pop-up in Georgetown. It was a great night and we had over 300 people (and a few animals) come through the door. A banjo, a fiddle, a full bar and packed changing rooms. Special thanks to Tucker for putting it all together and all of those in D.C. who spread the word. We appreciate the hospitability and looking forward to heading back that way.

Washington D.C. Launch

Looking forward to heading up to D.C. next Wednesday for the launch Georgetown pop-up store. Have a great empty retail space and we are kitting out with all of our antiques, photos, taxidermy, shirts etc…. going to have a little live bluegrass, a couple of drinks friends and customers and preview the Spring collection. Should be a good night and it would be great to see you there. If you would like to join please RSVP to Tucker at tuckerbayliss@ledbury.com.

Urban daddy was nice enough to do a little piece on the pop-up today. See below:

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URBAN DADDY: THE SHIRT LOCKER

The law says you have to wear shirts.

Taste says you should try to wear nice ones.

And because the process of acquiring them should be as painless as possible, we wanted to let you know about a place with some taxidermy on the walls. One where you'll hear the sweet sounds of bluegrass and, oh yeah, the clink of ice cubes inside a gratis glass of whiskey...

Introducing the Ledbury Shirts Pop-Up Store, coming to Georgetown next Wednesday to put some cocktailing into clothing yourself.

Upon arrival, you'll find you've gone back in time about a century, and moved a few clicks farther from the Mason-Dixon line. Instead of sterile racks of shirts, you'll see saddles, vintage maps of London and late-1800s photos of Richmond, all shipped up from Ledbury's tobacco-warehouse-turned-showroom. (Blame the Surgeon General.) You'll order up a bourbon from the bar in one corner and take in the stylings of the bluegrass banjo player in the other. Presumably, you should expect the Kentucky delegation to walk in shortly thereafter.

Then, and only then, will you begin to peruse the tables of smart summer shirts, the kind that Faulkner might have worn while contemplating the eccentricities of his family. As for your two Southern shirtmakers, they met at Oxford before apprenticing with one of London's top tailors and hatching their plan at a pub on Ledbury Road.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.