You are in the Special Features section - John Simons Est. 1955 - the leading figure in promoting Ivy League culture

www: John Simons

Here Digger talks to Paul Simons of John Simons about the Ivy League and Mod culture-inspired shop founded by his Dad back in the day.

Today, Paul and John are still providing quality clothing to the design and image-conscious via their shop in London's W1, a stone's throw from Marylebone.

They also promote the brand via their website and the Social Networks. 

But, back in the real world, this is soon to be augmented by the launch of the John Simons label in various shops and outlets worldwide, thus bringing the John Simons look to a much wider clientele.

Digger: Hello Paul.

Paul: Hello David.

Digger: Please tell us a bit about your and John's backgrounds. 

Paul: My Dad started window dressing and selling clothes from about 1954.

Digger: When did you come along?

Paul: I was born in 1980 and was surrounded by all of this kind of stuff my whole life, working in the shop.

Digger: I suppose you could either go one way or another, couldn't you? You could either embrace it and love it or....

Paul: My brother is not so interested in this type of clothing so, like you say, it can go one way or another. I took an interest in it and then my Dad had the other shop in Covent Garden from about 1980 when I was born. I was kind of involved in that but it was very much his shop. That closed for one reason or another about a year and a half ago and we decided to open this shop. That brings us up to the present day.

Digger: What is your passion for music and pop culture?

Paul: My particular passion is more eclectic I'd say than my Dad's who is very much into modernist jazz and everything that surrounds it. But I grew up in the era I did and was very much into what other kids were who were growing up with at that time.

Digger: Electro-pop, Punk and New Wave?

Paul: No, not really. More like Hip Hop and that kind of thing - I was strange in a way that I was musically into those sorts of things but I was always interested in the Ivy League and Mod style of clothing.

Digger: The Ivy League is obviously a very American thing. How does it translate to over here?

Paul: We don't just have an Ivy league clothes shop here. The shop grew out of my Dad importing Ivy League type clothes and so we have a mix of Ivy League and Ivy League-inspired clothes and also British tailoring as well. So we sell vintage Savile Row suits and new stuff that is more English but you can see the American sensibility in it.

Digger: Where are your customers coming from? I imagine a lot of them are just ordinary Joe Public?

Paul: Yes, definitely and that's why we don't just stick rigidly to the kind of one style or be too anal about sticking to the Ivy League style, because we like to dress everyone really. Any guy who wants some new clothes - we're happy to serve them.

Digger: What do you think of the style of the British in general?

Paul: The pop style is pretty dire - but you do get very smart guys walking into the shop. I'd say the average person on the street is pretty devoid of style. When I'm on the train and I look at how people are dressed and at people's shoes when they're going to work it's pretty awful. I think "Bloody hell, how am I going to sell any clothes today?!"

Digger: If you go back two or three generations it didn't matter if you were working class, middle or whatever, you could tell what somebody was and what they did by their clothes but also they were always smartly dressed.

Paul: Yes, I suppose there's a much more casuals style for young people these days, especially teenagers, but there is a kind of smart look that some people are following and some young guys do look very smart.

Digger: And ladies as well, I suppose?

Paul: Yes, definitely.

Digger: I went to the V&A vintage event last Friday of the month and it was almost exclusively women, which was a bit disappointing that guys aren't better represented. But these ladies really do mix their styles - 40s, 50s and 60s all within the same outfit, you know?

Paul: Yes.

Digger: Why is retro, vintage and nostalgia generally so popular in so many people's lives? It even seems to be getting bigger - any thoughts on that?

Paul: Yes, fashion is always harking back to an earlier period, I suppose. And as time moves on, people go back to the 60s and 70s styles for inspiration. I suppose they become fashionable again. Because you always have to look at what's happened before to inspire you in the future.

Digger: Do you think it's something to do with the current climate which is rather uncertain, so people are looking at something familiar?

Paul: I'm not sure about that. The market is so open now and whereas before if you wanted to find a natural shoulder three-buttoned jacket, you might have to hunt for a good few months around shops, but now you can go on eBay or other web shops and if you've got something in your mind you'll be able to find it in a matter of seconds now. So I think that's actually got something to do with it - just the ease of access.

Digger: Instant gratification.

Paul: Yes.

Digger: So obviously the impact The Internet has on your business is huge?

Paul: Yes, yes, definitely. There's customers from the Ivy Shop in Richmond who, when the shop J Simons was open in Covent Garden, they knew nothing about it because obviously it was harder to find out what had happened to people in those days. But now, since we've moved to this position, lots of those customers who lost track of us before have re-found us again through blogs and press on The Internet and Facebook and that kind of thing. So it's helped us a lot, definitely.

Digger: What are the best aspects of running John Simons?

Paul: I would say there's quite a few because we do quite a few things. Buying vintage clothing is a very enjoyable aspect of it - I've just had a parcel through the door from New York that my friend and I put together and then he's sent over to me. Then designing our new label is an enjoyable part of it. And then serving people and seeing happy customers.

Digger: And you have quite a few of those.

Paul: Yes, I hope so. We really try and make it a pleasurable experience and make sure people can get something they really want.

Digger: Lots of repeat business as well?

Paul: Yes, certainly. That's what we survive upon.

Digger: What are your plans for John Simons in the future Paul?

Paul: We're going to stay in this shop and do the same as we always have. We're working hard on our own label, so we're hoping possibly to start wholesaling our own label to other shops and to keep going as we are. We aim to get our clothes through the label out to other shops and other audiences that may not have known about us previously.

Digger: No plans for shops in New York, Paris and Peckham?!

Paul: No. Not at the moment. I think I'll be doing that by proxy by having the clothes in other people's shops, so kind of doing that but not actually myself going and opening up shops all over the world, no.

Digger: Next time I'm up there I'll come and see you. Thanks for letting us know about John Simons, Paul.

Paul: That will be great David. Thanks.