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.
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.
There is no shortage of history in Richmond and that’s one of the things that I like most about this city… The majority of the current buildings were built in the 19th/early 20th centuries (the Ledbury showroom was built in 1866)… There has been a strong push for re-urbanization over the last 5 years and much of the buildings have been preserved and tastefully updated.. Tobacco warehouses have been turned into condos and box factories are now art galleries. The movement back downtown has been slow, but organic (there is not an TGI Friday’s within 10 miles of downtown) I’m a strong believer that we are decade away from being one of the great American cities if the push continues… (more on this to follow)
I had lunch at the Valentine Richmond History Museum a couple of weeks back and could not have been more impressed with the collection. Besides possessing one of the largest textile collections in America (think George Washington’s Cane, Robert E. Lee’s boots) there photo archive of Richmond is extensive… So as a new Richmond retailer, I thought we would give a little nod to the past and start a small collection of 19/20 century photographs Richmond men’s retailers.. the following prints are a small sample of Richmond tailors, cobblers, haberdashers over the last 150 years….
Over dinner on Friday between the appetizer and a shooting outside the conversation turned to things that we purchase and have managed to hold up over time. We came up with a decent list around the table, but we’re all surprised at how short it actually was. I thought I would share a few…..
Ariat Rambler Boots (2005)
The best pair of boots that I have owned. I've had them for five years, wear them most every day in the winter and the sole is still in great condition. Incredibly comfortable and will surely buy another pair if the unimaginable day comes where these ever wear out.
Omega Seamaster (1967)
My first raise worth remembering went directly into watch. I took a gamble and went to an antique store on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. I had my eye on it for awhile. '67, black dial, simple black band and manual hand wind. Six years (well 43) and has not lost a minute, except for a dance floor related incident that briefly cracked the dial…
Volvo S70 (1998)
My first year after college I made two major investments. For some reason at 22, I thought I needed a California King size bed and family sedan favored by soccer moms and college professors. What I failed to factor into my pre-investment due-diligence was that nine months after making both purchases I would move to England… but where the bed still remains too large to fit into my current apartment, the car is back on the road and could not be working better. Black, '98, the last year of the box frame (I argue a classic look) and 100,000 miles as of this weekend. Have not had a single problem to date, except for the BMW that I backed into six-months back…
Leather Portfolio (1963)
A year ago at the farm, I was digging through the basement came across my father’s college portfolio. Beautiful leather, monogrammed and since we share the same initials I figured I would put it too use. It’s been a great addition. Clasp still works and leather is only getting softer with time. It happens to fit a 13.5” MacBook perfectly. Another recent purchase that I managed to run over with number three, a week after I got it….
So when it came time for the first photography shoot it seemed like the ideal spot. Not only did it have the right feel, but it was a chance to bring a good group of friends together for a very entertaining weekend.
Below, a few photos that were taken from the weekend that will probably never make it to print….
