Written by Peter Brooker in Events on the 8th April 2016

British tailor Gresham Blake celebrated the launch of his book, The Lookbook, in resplendent style at his Shoreditch atelier last week. Gresham Blake has created a visual journey of his last 15 years in men’s fashion and this book chronicles that journey with interviews, documenting his friendships and client relationships with people from all professions. Blake launched his bespoke, ready-to-wear company in 2000 from a workshop in Brighton, earning himself a reputation as a zany and offbeat craftsman who produced classics reworked in a modern way. 

“Gresham Blake makes elegant men’s tailoring, sharp but always with a wink and a smile.” - Steve Coogan.

During the last 15 years, Blake has matured from British tailoring newcomer to professional ace, putting a witty twist on classic suits in inventive fabrics of the highest quality. Upon arrival I chanced across Steve Coogan and Ray Winstone whom were hosting the event having themselves been long-time fans of the bohemian behemoth of English tailoring. It was certainly a night for the loud and flamboyant as dwellers and fans of Greshams rocked up in their decadent 3-piece apparel, all signature pieces from Blake's collection. One gentleman I accosted was wearing a bedazzling three-piece Blake suit tailored with a stunning montage of call girl ads.

The germ for the book itself was spawned when a photographer friend of his shot his portrait with his mouth sewn-up, alluding to his ever-talkative persona. When Blake saw the photo, he thought it looked like a book cover and decided to utilise all the photographic content that had reflected his brand over the last 15 years.

"When you start a business, you spend the first five years experimenting and learning your craft – and learning all your mistakes. I’ve always been a bit tongue-in-cheek in my approach, so there is the end-of-pier 70s British humour in the early images. I wanted to celebrate that as it’s an important part of where we are now." - Gresham Blake

Steve Coogan and Ray Winston host the 2016 Gresham Blake Book Launch in London.