Ben Sherman: Mod-ern Magic
- May 5, 2016
- 3 min read
Ben Sherman caught up with Ben Hanlin 'magician extrodinarre' to talk about music, magic and Kim K.
First up was what the brand meant to him whilst he was growing up.
Ben said that his mum used to buy him Ben Sherman shirts in the main, in his memory, red and white gingham ones the most. He remembered feeling like the coolest kid in town back then and has recently started buying from Ben Sherman again as he feels they have really upped their range recently.
So as you know, if you like to shop from Ben Sherman and really know about the brand, they were inspired by the American Ivy League. So they asked Ben who inspires him? His answer?
Penn and Taylor inspire him from the magic world, along with Derren Brown. He said that even to get a fraction of his success would be incredible. Talking outside of the magic world he's really inspired by comedians Jack Whitehall and Mickey Flannigan.
Ben Sherman then asked Ben why he thinks Ben Sherman has had a strong 50 years as a brand.
His response was that men's clothing is really limited in the UK, which even I have to admit, it is, I feel sorry for all the guys out there, there is few shops that really nail men's clothing and he feels that Ben Sherman is definitely one of the brands that have successfully done just that. They offer a whole look and cater to a persons that really takes pride in their appearance and are after a sharp, distinctive look.
First piece of clothing he really remembers saving up for and does it still pull through today?
A leather jacket when he was about 15/16 years old and blew all of his savings and birthday money, as of whether it's pulled through today, he's actually just got rid of it!
Ben had a little story to share on his first purchase from Ben Sherman as well.
He remembered filming the first episode of 'Tricked' where he was wearing a Ben Sherman Parka through most of the footage. It was the opening episode to the series début. Now he says that wherever he goes around the world a picture of him in his Ben Sherman Parka will pop up.
Ben's favourite musicians/bands?
Well his uncle is actually in the band Stereophonics, so naturally they're one of his favourites. The first ever single he bought was 'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis but he's recently just bought the new Last Of The Shadow Puppets Album and is looking forward to new stuff coming from Tom Odel and Jake Bugg. He's recently into The Small Faces and Al Green.
Favourite track of all time?
Bob Dylan 'Hurricane' sprang to mind when he was asked this one. He discovered it when he was at uni after watching the film Hurricane and said that he probably listened to it for the whole four years of uni as it was difficult to update your iPod back then.
Good gigs he has been to and the best of his own gigs/shows and any stories from them?
Ben went to Stereophonics last year and he went to Streets and Reading Festival back in 2006 which is memorable to him and also Paul Weller at V Festival. As for his own shows he performed at the London Palladium the other week to a standing ovation. The show aired last night on ITV at 8 pm. One of his best gigs however was when he flew out to a yacht in Cannes to perform for Kim Kardashian where he stayed up all night swallowing needles. I'm sure that Kim K wasn't expecting a trick quite like that!
Ben's favourite Ben Sherman key pieces are the suits because of the perfect cut and the fit feels good.
In his opinion you can't get any better for off the peg. He's also a big fan of the button down oxfords and the Chelsea boots.
Ben Sherman's looks have defined many eras so what's Ben's favourite one?
The Mod look is Ben's favourite look because it's so different from everything else on the high street. He loves the silhouette and the overall vibe.
Who would Ben collaborate with and who does he reckon Ben Sherman should try collaborating with?
Alex Turner. Of course.
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