Blake - When NASA Met Tweed

Blake London - Old and New Combine in a Jacket

Imagine what would happen if NASA met tweed. If you're imagining an astronaut playing golf on the moon in a pair of tweed plus twos, then you're slightly off the mark. No, think more along the lines of mixing the inherent qualities of tweed with some whizz-bang NASA-type technology. That's what Blake London are doing, chums - "rebooting the blazer" no less, as London-based founder Darius Pocha puts it.

Blake London was founded last year and is named after poet William Blake. Blake's jackets are made in the UK and are fully-canvased with hand-stitched chests and hand-padded lapels. Working with heritage manufacturer Rayner & Sturges, they're selling ready-to-wear and made-to-measure blazers from Alexander Boyd, Artillery Lane, Spitalfields, London.

The jackets have a contemporary fit that was developed with Savile Row master cutter John DeBoise. All Blake's cloths are from British mills.

Pushing the Boundaries of Jacket-Tech

Yes, but where's the NASA technology, Tweedy, old man? In the lining, sir - a special lining that regulates temperature so you don't have to hoik your jacket on and off because of the vagaries of the British weather.

Blake London has collaborated with one of our oldest friends, Fox Brothers, to produce an original West Country tweed cloth based on one of their archive designs.

The dashing Douglas Cordeaux is modelling it a treat above.

Wanting to incorporate a cloth without a machine-made feel, Blake's range also includes a jacket in Harris Tweed woven on a single-width loom (below).