SELECTS03 Studio Furthermore Product DesignersIain Howlett and Marina Dragomirova of Studio Furthermore are constantly experimenting with different materials. The latest is a kind of ceramic foam,.Toast Oxford cotton twill shirt dress, £150; toa.st A.P.C. Kerlouan jacket, £230; apc.frPHOTOGRAPHS PELLE CREPINBased in London’s Shoreditch, Iain Howlett and Marina Dragomirova, the design duo behind Studio Furthermore, have created a practice based on craft and a hands-on approach. Though they are product designers by trade they have, from very early on, strived to be involved in the making side of their designs – and always look to experiment with materials in their studio. ‘For the past couple of years we have been focusing more on ceramics, but we work with glass and metal as well – different materials,’ Howlett explains.Their latest fascination is with foam, which they have sought to recreate using materials ranging from porcelain to aluminium. ‘Material is normally something with mass and volume – foam basically has the volume and not the mass,’ Howlett says. It was this counterintuitive interplay that they wanted to probe further. Dragomirova adds that it was through research that they discovered a surprising document – essentially a recipe for a ceramic material used in aerospace for satellites and space telescopes – that allowed them to push on with their project. They ended up making their own version of the material in their studio since, as Dragomirova puts it, ‘We wanted to work with ceramics but we didn’t want to go the usual way.’The resulting material might not have been space grade, but it enabled them to develop their own unique approach to ceramics. As both Howlett and Dragomirova explain, they like to work in a way that amalgamates the classical with a contemporary process. It is through this scientific prism that they see the concept of elements playing into their work – with both agreeing that fire is probably the most fundamental to their work, since it is through the kiln that their pieces acquire their final shape.The duo hope that they can intrigue their audiences as well as add something to the discussion around the materials that they use. ‘It is nice when you see this kind of surprise when someone expects it to be soft – then they pick it up and it’s a heavy metal object,’ says Howlett. studiofurthermore.com For Alfred Dunhill’s in-house tailoring team, it’s all about ‘continuity and evolution’ – the confidence to do the unexpected that only comes from a true master of their craftPHOTOGRAPHS PELLE CREPINCRAFT COLLABORATIONAlfred Dunhill Bespoke tailoring With every element hand cut and hand finished in London by a master tailor, an Alfred Dunhill bespoke suit is made for one client alone, incorporating their precise measurements and personal specifications, working exclusively with only the best mills to offer a choice of over 4,000 of the finest fabrics…But you knew all that. It’s not simply in the tiny details, the finishing and the subtle touches of quality where the ethos of the brand is stamped, however: it can also be found in the relationship between client and tailor itself – which includes an approach that is unique and appropriate for each individual.It is, suggest the in-house tailoring team, all about ‘continuity and evolution; where one element adds to another. Everything is interconnected and continuous. It’s about discretion and understatement – discreet luxury.’ By way of example, take the weaver Maria Sigma, seen elsewhere on these pages, who was one of our featured makers at the Home of Craftsmanship, Hole & Corner’s collaboration with Dunhill at their London flagship store, Bourdon House, for London Craft Week 2018.Having spent her residency during LCW demonstrating her skills to visitors on her own portable loom, Sigma found herself with an intriguing woven textile design that, thanks to her time spent sharing techniques with the in-house tailors at Bourdon House, led to a new collaboration.The result was a beautifully tailored jacket, using Sigma’s own textile and made to her exact specifications. It’s that confidence to do the unexpected that only comes from a true master of their craft: a gentlemen’s tailor designing and creating a one-off women’s jacket from textiles made in situ? Why not? That’s the real essence of bespoke. dunhill.com