Mr. Harold Tillman, 63, has long been regarded as a leading figure of the British fashion world. At the age of three, he was already wearing his first suit. At the age of 19, during the Swinging Sixties, he secured a tailoring internship at Lincroft Kilgour in Savile Row after graduating from London College of Fashion. Five years later he became the manager of Kilgour, and simultaneously discovered and employed a young designer named Paul Smith. Tillman’s know-how for industry resulted in both great success trading on the stock market, as well as significant expansion of his fashion business.

Today he owns the department store Allders and the brands Aquascutum and Jaeger. He is also president of the British Fashion Council and because of his recent achievements in this position he received compliments from the previous Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown in February. In 2009 the entrepreneur landed the 201st position on Sunday Times Rich List of the richest men in Britain with an estimated fortune of 295 million pounds.

But perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of Mr. Tillman is his smart elegance. With a respectful collection of bespoke suits in his wardrobe, he is very often the most well-dressed person in the room. Mixing and matching colours, scarves and ties is a true science for him.

Recently I had the chance to met Mr. Tillman in his office in Soho, London, for a conversation.

How would you define a good investment?

A good investment is the one you don’t worry about. It’s difficult to explain, but you can feel it.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

You have to make clear decisions. Stay focused, be consistent, don’t get depressed and take your time. You don’t get results from one day to the other.

How would you define a gentleman?

You are talking to one!

Yes, indeed!

Gentleman, the word says it all: “gentle” “man”. It is someone who is always calm, civilized and who never shouts or does anything rude. It’s very different from the Dandy of 19th century. Dandies are in extinction. They don’t exist anymore. They were absolutely well dressed – almost exaggerated. To overdress nowadays can be compromising.

More about Mr. Tillman can be found on the June issue of Brazilian Men’s Vogue.

Photo: Hermano Silva © 2010

“The everyday is infused with an epic dimension”. James Lingwood

Photos: Hermano Silva © 2010 London
Ropewalker: Chris Patfield

Thanks: Rob Watt, Circus Space, Tower Hamlets Council, Paul Bevan, Alex Mutter and Joseph Campbell

Daniel Dias and Rob Watt photographed by Hermano Silva

Some of these images are part of an exhibition that reunites the work of students of the MA Fashion Photography course at London College of Fashion. They are being shown at Everyman Cinema Belsize Park in London until 3rd February 2010.

Everyman Cinema Belsize Park: 203 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 4QG

Paul Anderson is a musician that performs in the streets of London at night. With his guitar he creates “galactic” sounds. While playing he observes the world from his corner.

When I met him, I was impressed by his work, but even more about his visions. I sat beside him and we spent hours talking about Osho, arts, inspirations and love.

This young black guy is the friend of many girls and boys that always stop there for a talk and to listen to his advices. He’s like a spiritual mentor.

Paul didn’t allow me to take pictures of him – a way to protect his art, image and work. So I asked to take pictures of his instruments and his feet, which he didn’t oppose.

Later these pictures became part of a series as homage to street artists (the truly ones). I gave them colors and showed them in public spaces. The images were back to the streets of London.

Photos: Hermano Silva

The fashion designer and blogger Juliano Corbetta is one of those guys who is always a pleasure to talk with. As the owner of the swimwear brand Butch he is starting to be known for creating men trunks that have that “Ipanema sex-appeal”.

Once a year – usually in June – Juliano presents his creations of Butch in a project for new talents at Fashion Rio. He not only shows sexy trunks on the runway but also a very nice casting of male models – always a hit.

He is also editor of the blog “Made In Brazil”, one of the coolest blogs at the moment. His blog also inspired me to create The Gentleman webpage and to write in English. MIB  (how he calls his blog) started when he was living in New York – to where he moved to study English for sometime. Later MIB became a reference to many people of the Brazilian gay and fashion scene. It is the right webpage if  you want to find out about the latest hip in Brazil.

Juliano is 30 years old and was born in Porto Alegre, in the South of Brazil. Below a quick e-mail talk with this gentleman.

Why did you decide to create a blog about Brazil in English?
This is something I never even thought about at that time. When I started Made In Brazil I lived in New York so it made sense to me to write in English. The initial idea was to create a more personal blog about a Brazilian living abroad, but I never actually wrote about myself. I ended up focusing on things which were interesting to me about Brazil, fashion and pop culture in general. It evolved from that.

Nowadays your blog is like a reference to many people, especially in the fashion and the gay scene. Why do you think it happened?
Possibly because it was the first blog with a gay tone to be written about Brazil in English, and maybe also because of the way I write and edit all the information and pictures.

Tell us which kind of guys are wearing your creations of Butch.
Definitely confident guys. We offer a pretty big range in terms of cuts and sizes in order to cover different ages and body types.

What does a bathing suit has to have in order to be sexy?
I don’t think bathing suits necessarily need to be sexy, but they should make you feel sexy or at the very least make you feel comfortable.

Who would you like to see wearing your clothes?
David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and maybe a few Brazilian actors.

Which is the sexiest beach in the world?
That is not something I usually think about, but I am going to choose Ipanema.

Butch trunks can be purchased on-line to Brazil and overseas at getbutch.com.

Photos: Butch and Vicente de Paulo

Image source: Gawker.com

I had the chance to interview the American fashion designer Marc Jacobs  for a Brazilian magazine some months ago. He was in São Paulo to open his new store in town. I remember he was very friendly, smart and nice. On that day he was wearing something that now is his trademark: a black skirt from Comme des Garçons. Below four questions that I’ve asked Marc especially for this blog.

Please tell us about the skirts you have been wearing…
It started in the last summer when I was in the office working and I couldn’t go out for shopping. I asked to my assistant to shop some funny pants in the streets of New York for me to have some fun with it. I was many days indoors and I wanted to see something new. He came back with this skirt that is half short and asked me what I thought about it. I tried and everybody in the office was laughing because I was wearing a skirt! I really liked that and I was very happy (laughs). I still wear pants, but much less than before.

How do you define a true gentleman?
Someone who’s honest, fair and generous. Someone that trusts in his own style. I believe that what I always admired in someone, be man or woman, is that he does what pleases him. That he doesn’t wear for others, but for himself. One of the most stylish things that can exist is confidence. Confidence in your own ideas, in your sensibility and opinions.

What someone has to do to become your friend?
I don’t know. I like to meet people and I don’t define criteria, neither have a receipt. We have few friends in life. One way to find them is with patience through the time. You really don’t know how people are until you have a lot of experiences with them.

What the ideal party has to have?
A good mix of people because everything that is monothematic can be very boring. It has to have people from different cultures and different sensibilities. The mixture is the most important.

Naomi with the photographer Maurício Nahas, at a photo session for “Poder” magazine.
Photo: Hermano Silva / The Gentleman

The interview with me and my coleague Suzy starts. The time is short and Naomi has to talk with us while a team brushes her hair and do her make up. After a while the adult woman appears, the same Naomi we know from the magazines. As we joke in Brazil, “My Saint Lord of Make Up!”. Naomi is another.  When she’s almost ready, she finishes the make up herself with some more tricks, as a good supermodel she is.

This self-consciousness towards her image maybe is the reason for the power she got in her business. After each photo, Naomi looks to the notebook positioned in front of her like a mirror. She knows what a good picture is and asks – gently – to the photographer delete the ones that she disliked.

I was very curious to know what was her definition for a real gentleman. To her, “the gentleman must have discipline, manners and power”. Does anyone disagree?

His pupils are always concentrated on his explanations. They respect him, even though he is very young. Zé danced in many Brazilian companies until he decided to become a teacher – where he found his bliss. He instructed the dancers of Debora Colker Company and Grupo Corpo, and also gave lessons to Marília Pêra, a famous actor in Brazil. But he always stays focused on the classical ballet – something more and more rare these days.

Considering his retro lifestyle, I decided to interview him inspired by the Proust questionnaire, but with other kind of questions…

Who are you?
I don’t know yet. I’m still in the process. 

What is you beauty trick?
The beard that I am wearing now. I started to attract atention and now it’s working. 

Is it?
Super. If I knew it, I would have done it before.

Who would you take on the back seat of your bike?
Someone that needed a ride.

Aren’t you afraid of being cheated?
Being cheated? (laughs) Yes…

What do you do to feel alive?
I work, have sex. But not as much as I would like to. And I dance.

So you are dancing like crazy?!
A lot!

What do you do to change the world?
I teach what I belive I know.

Photos: Hermano Silva / The Gentleman