Orzel Meets... Wythe

We are now at the stage where we are limited to what brands we can bring into the store, it's a small space, and also I like to keep things tight as it helps us to maintain strong relationships with our current family.

HOWEVER, when I first saw Wythe I knew that we had to try to get them onboard! I contacted the brand, and was delighted when they agreed to meet us in Paris. Our friend Dominic and I who were over in Paris buying went to meet Peter Middleton (right) and Michael Parenti (left) who run the brand and got on like a house on fire! The quality of the clothes is next level, putting on the shirt felt like sticking on your favourite childhood blanket!

I was delighted they agreed for us to be the first UK stockist, and even more delighted when they agreed to sit down for a chat.

  

MP - I was lucky enough to have a front row seat to Wythe’s creation. I remember Pete explaining to me the idea of the oxfords and was like “hell yeah I’d wear that shirt.” And then hearing how he wanted to approach building a collection was something I had a lot of confidence in. I knew how his approach to designing clothes and designing fabric differed from most brands out there. I used to rep a handful of textile mills and trim factories and saw how brands, old and new, would build their collections and it just wasn’t interesting to me. A large majority of them are buying the same fabric from the same mills and it becomes a little tired. I hadn’t even seen the clothes yet but that was something I knew would set Wythe apart at the very least. I handle wholesale along with what feels like operations and “product coordination.” I don’t know, it changes daily.

PM - I had always wanted to start something of my own, but it felt very daunting to have a "brand". As Mike said, I really started with the Oxford shirt and was only planning on making the one style of shirt. It ended up being way more successful than I thought it would, and I made the decision to roll that money into our very first season (FW20) and here we are ten seasons later. I do all the design, sampling, production,deal with the bank, and vacuuming/dusting.

PM - America, in a word. Everything I design is inspired by something ive seen or heard or dreamt of that could have existed on the back of a logger, farmhand, blacksmith, miner, etc. Generally I am looking at archival photos and reading books about the 1910s-1960s. Vintage also plays a big part in what jackets and shirts and pants look like. In general I am not trying to copy or replicate vintage garments, but make a version that I would like to wear today.

PM - This season is a little bit of a continuation and crossover of our previous two fall seasons that were inspired a lot by the trappers/hunters/guides of the Adirondacks (a somewhat remote mountain range in New York) and loggers of the Pacific Northwest.

MP - The corduroy we sourced from Japan is indigo-dyed and then the jacket is made in Los Angeles. We did a very small run for ourselves a few years ago and we loved em. They’re so cool. Otherwise the Sand Dunes Sunrise flannel is killer. That’s my favorite flannel we’ve ever done. Our flannels are so soft and the soft colors compliment the fabric so well.

PM - Flannels now and forever.

MP - A good oxford. It’s a shirt I wear more than anything. A close second is a denim snap shirt.

PM - As much as it pains me to say, I agree with Mike here

MP - I’m always listening to Phish. Always. Right now in particular I’m in the summer of ’96. Fun year. Non-Phish answer is a lot of My Morning Jacket.

PM - Currently a lot of older Texas Folk music like Townes Van Zandt and Willis Alan Ramsey

MP - I usually have The Office on in the background at home.

PM - Rewatching The Secret Garden

MP - Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles

PM - Gabriel García Márquez's "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" but previously Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-aid Acid Test"

Wythe is available now and shifting fast. Please check it out and come try on a flannel if you can :)