The high-end e-tailer MrPorter has risen to be a global destination for dapper goods with Jeremy Langmead at the helm. James Gabrillo talked to the former editor of British Esquire and Wallpaper* during his recent visit to Dubai.
You've allowed men to shop sans the intimidation of luxury stores.
We wanted a website where men felt very comfortable; a man's world where nothing feels like a hard sell. With women you can say, this is the handbag of the season – and they love it. Men prefer a softer sell. In department stores, you'd have to go through the perfume hall to get to the men's floor – it's an event. In MrPorter, you go straight there.
The site has a soft spot for classics, for connoisseurship. How does it approach trends?
For us, style is more important than fashion. And looking good is more important than fads. But we still do love trends. We have a big customer base - people who want to look good and are interested in Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, classic American sportswear. Then we have those who want the latest Givenchy T-shirt. We love trends, but we look at them from our point of view.
What's the one thing men should consider when shopping? Fit? Comfort? Design?
Comfort. If you feel comfortable, you feel confident – and nothing looks better dressed than confidence. The best thing one can wear is a confident smile.
Did moving to MrPorter entail a change of mindset, now that you have to factor in profit?
It's not a change of mindset, it's adding on to it. Some people might say, 'Oh, are you not more compromised?' But, in a way, I find it less of a compromise because we're involved in the buying. We only purchase things we ourselves wear. I did have to learn the whole digital language, which at my age is hard.
Where is menswear going this year? More experimentation?
I think so, because men are getting more confident and more educated about fashion through the internet. Men are sometimes shy to ask because they don't want to seem ignorant. On the internet, you can ask all the questions you want and no one sees you. You can look at people's blogs and study what others are wearing.
Men are also wearing more pattern and colour.
Yes, it's amazing – we haven't done that for years. Some of our biggest sellers this summer are coloured trousers. A few years ago, you would never see men wearing them. I think it's really exciting. We're taking classics and reworking them.
But there are still a lot of men who back down and say: "I can't pull that off." Any tips for the everyday man?
Learn from others, which is what we do when we try to show how to wear trends – without it being scary. There's much less of a divide between generations now – lots of fathers are wearing clothes that aren't too distant from their children's. My boys, 16 and 19, always come around to borrow mine. I would have never borrowed my father's!
Do you believe in dressing down?
Of course, during the weekends. If you're comfortable, it can look stylish. Sweatpants and a T-shirt can look great.
What makes a brand successful?
Credibility. Men like a brand where they feel there's truth to it, whether it's a tailoring brand that's been going for 300 years on Savile Row or some cool dudes in New York who have set up shop, such as Saturdays Surf NYC.
Any style notes on Dubai?
I see people want to enjoy their evenings. I think that's a really lovely thing, to see people enjoying themselves. In a way, that's a very stylish thing – to celebrate life, to embrace life. It seems people work hard and play hard. It's the best way to be.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
For dressing: before you leave the house, look at yourself in the mirror and take one thing off. My other favourite: it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Asking for permission makes it easy for people to say no, and it can stop you from finding out something interesting.
