Autumn in New York...Churchwell Style

Dr. Andre Churchwell in Central Park, Oct 20, 2012

Well look who came to visit right before the big storm - before all the leaves were blown away? Why it was Dr. Churchwell, of course!  He could be called the flaneur of Central Park here.  

Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?  The song by Vernon Duke performed by Ella Fitzgerald is our soundtrack today....

What I most enjoy about Dr. Churchwell's well developed style is that he's bold with color and comes up with the most wonderful combinations...and he has so much fun with it.  It takes a creative eye to see color this way.



Clothing notes:

Hat:  custom made pinch crown pork pie styled after Fred Aistaire
Suit:  bespoke maroon window pane by Len Logsdail, in a hacking style with turn back cuffs and slanted pockets
Shirt:  custom shirt from Turnbull & Asser
Tie:  Drake's from FM Allen in Nashville
Pocket Square:  Drake's for Alan Flusser
Vest:  with lapels in suede
Shoes:  Northampton by Stephen Kempson
Glasses:  Ralph Lauren

Fine and Dandy Shop is Open in NYC!

Enrique and Matt, the proud shopkeepers, in front of Fine and Dandy at 445 West 49th Street, NYC

My good friends at Fine and Dandy Shop have been cultivating a great menswear accessories business online for years now, and they recently set up a "brick and mortar" shop in Hell's Kitchen!  I visited them last weekend and I thought the store looked fantastic.  Their pieces are mixed with all their antique displays and budding collection of vintage photographs of men, and it felt like the perfect place to hang out.   

The headline could read:  "From Online to On Your Block: The Future of Retail Today"  right?   I wish them all the best!

Photos are snapped on my iphone using instagram.  You can follow me there @rcallahanphoto

And the Tie Selector has a home, too!

Dandy International Press Alert!

Some international press happening recently.  First, S MODA, a prominent Spanish newspaper, quoted me in a feature "The New Dandies", along with my friends Dandy Wellington, Massimiliano Mocchia di Coggiola, and Steven Hitchcock (photo by Anne Hugus):

Then Dandy Magazine in Paris asked me to send another set of portraits - this time to celebrate fall!  

Now I am getting together a selection of winter dandies... 

Dr. Keith Churchwell at Len Logsdail's in NYC 

Mickael Loir in Paris

Raymond Chu on Doyers Street, NYC 

Winston Chesterfield near his home in Westminster, London.

Dandy Wellington - Film Teaser

At last week's Dandy Talk we played this one minute teaser for the second short film for The Dandy Portraits produced by Rarebit Productions, my film company with Kelly Desmond Bray.  What a surprising treat it was to see it projected in front of an audience!

This time get a peek into the life and philosophy of Dandy Wellington, a man of many talents, and may bow ties.  We follow him from his home in Harlem, thru the streets of Manhattan, to the downtown speakeasies he frequently plays at with his vintage jazz band.

The first in the series on Sean Crowley can be viewed here.

Dandy Talk - My View

My view from the stage at the Dandy Talk on Oct 5, 2012

Left to right:  Matt Fox, me, David Zyla, Thomas P. Farley, and Nathaniel Adams

A hearty "thank you" to everyone who came out to the Dandy Talk event last Friday a the National Arts Club!  It was an overwhelming turn out, and everywhere I looked I saw smiles of friends, colleagues and curious strangers.  When I think back to when I started The Dandy Portraits, I could not have imagined that I would be at such fulfilling evening - with so many people interested in a subject that has fascinated me for years.

Special thanks to David Zyla for envisioning the evening, my fellow panelists, my very good friend Naomi White for photographing, and of course Dandy Wellington and His Band and Hendrick's Gin for keeping the party going.

Did I mention the super smart crowd?  They asked some great, thought provoking questions - about how things like ethnicity, sexuality, and class come into play with dandyism, what the connection might between vintage enthusiasts and dandies, and if there can be female dandies?



One of the great delights for me was getting big prints made for the first time!  I printed eight images 20x30 inches, and I think they can go even bigger - BIGGER!   I can see the exhibition now, can't you?

We screened the short film on Sean Crowley I made with Kelly for Rarebit Productions, and a trailer for our new short on Dandy Wellington.

Bruce Boyer (center) spinning a good yarn with Shannon Hill (far left) and tailor Len Logsdail and his wife.

Adorable Matt Fox before we went on stage.  

Patrick MacDonald, always a pleasure to see you!  Sorry I took such a bad shot...

I was happy to finally meet the designer Ignacio Quiles.

The men who inspired me to start The Dandy Portraits - Allen Crawford, AKA Lord Whimsy, and my guy, Kelly Desmond Bray


The Doyle Mueser connection:  Natty, Amber Doyle, Mike Davis, Jake Mueser, Dandy Wellington



And why not a little portrait session in a forgotten corner of the beautiful Tilden Mansion?  Keith Tritto and Jamesy were happy to oblige.

Do I look happy or what?!

Dandy Talk: Mise en Place

Thomas, Nathaniel, Matt, Dandy Wellington, and Enrique, NYC, Oct 2012

Last night we readied ourselves for the big Dandy Talk this Friday.  The National Arts Club is expecting a maximum capacity crowd (yipee!).  So we all hobnobbed about our take on dandyism, manners, personal style, and how it all connects.  As per usual Natty had some perfect quotes and historical references at the ready.  

The most serious I've ever seen Matt.  Deep in discussion about Beau Brummell, no doubt.

When we were saying goodbye, the variety of neckwear, color, and patterns struck my eye.

Just Dandy

Dandy Wellington after a show at Bishops and Barons, NYC, Aug 2012

Dandy Wellington and His Band will be performing after my Dandy Talk this Friday, October 5 at the National Arts Club.  What I love about his band is that they create a wonderful atmosphere where ever they play.  It feels classic and joyous and intimate.  I can't wait to see these well dressed men (and sometimes ladies!) perform in the grand National Arts Club!