FOOD & DRINK

STYLE

Burberry Trench Coat.

In 1900, Thomas Burberry was approached by the British War Office, who asked him to design a coat to replace the military's current heavy coats. It was this request lthat led him to create the famous gabardine trench coat […]

OBSESSIVE HIGHLIGHTS

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STYLE

Gucci 1953 Loafers.

In 1953, the Gucci company opened its first shop in New York. Guccio noticed that the Americans loved their moccasin loafers, so he decided to make a very Italian version […]

Ettinger in 1934 – and Gerry was quite a character

Paul Smith Vintage Typewriter Cufflinks

Paul Smith has created so many classics that belong here on The Obsessive. Everything that Paul Smith creates incorporates an idea. His clothes and accessories have layers of thought and meaning; his sense of fun and mischief radiate both from him, and his products.

Haeckels

Born straight out of the soul of founder Dom Bridges, the Margate skincare company, formerly known as Haeckels, represents the the blueprint for a modern luxury brand with an emphasis on wellness, natural ingredients, recycling, giving, and investing into the community

Cohiba Robustos

The Cohiba Robustos is pretty much perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re in a contemplative mood, like Che Guevara, "A smoke in times of rest is a great companion to the solitary soldier,” or standing outside in your black tie at an awards dinner, with all the other cigar smokers.

Irvin RAF sheepskin flying jacket leather zip fleece detail

Irvin Sheepskin Flying Jacket

The most iconic RAF flying jacket ever made, the Irvin is an iconic part of British culture and heritage. It's a symbol of the struggle and eventual success against all the odds. An amazing design, the jacket provides huge amount of warmth, comfort and most importantly for airmen—manoeuvrability.

Belstaff Trialmaster

The Belstaff Trialmaster is an iconic piece of motorcycling apparel. Its waxed cotton has been protecting bikers, racing drivers, adventurers, Marxists and my dad from the elements since 1948.

Bentley GT

Given the appeal, it’s no surprise that virtually every car manufacturer capable of building something desirable makes something you could call a GT. Today, however, there is one car that arguably stands at the top of this nebulous category.

Classic Amaretto Sout cocktail glass two cherries ice cube

FOOD & DRINK

Amaretto Sour

It’s a fact of life that there’s always a bottle of Disaronno in the cupboard. But that doesn’t mean it has to stay there. A zesty love letter to the 1970s cocktail that dared to be different: sweet, sour and unapologetically almond-forward, the Amaretto Sour is having more than just a moment.

FOOD & DRINK

Suntory Hibiki

Founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii, the Suntory distillery is located in Yamasaki, Kyoto, a mountainous area which produces some of the purest water in Japan, filtered through the granite mountain rock for hundreds of years.

Falcon Enamelware

Falcon Enamelware is a British icon; it's bacon and eggs, strawberries and cream, striped deck chairs, knotted hankies on head, warm beer, picnics, summer fêtes, baking and queuing.

STYLE

Persol 649 & 714SM.

Persol 649 714SM sunglasses Steve McQueen Thomas Crown Affair movie scene

In 1968, Steve McQueen strolled onto the set of “The Thomas Crown Affair” wearing his own pair of Persols. There was a reason he wore these glasses: they were stylish but ultimately they fitted and worked perfectly. He liked function and style. […]

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ACCESSORIES

Seiko Willard

A Seiko is probably the best daily you can buy. As with so many wonderful Japanese brands and products, it’s the stories and the detail that make them so special—not to mention their reasonable price.

Randolph Aviators

Randolph Engineering is one of those US companies that believes in making the best product it can, and making it in the USA. They’ve been supplying the US military with these Aviator Sunglasses since 1982, which means that they’re proven in the theatre of war.

LUGGAGE

Rimowa Cabin Case

If you have to get on a plane, get on with one of these. Even though this design is from the Jet Age of the 50s, it still looks ultra modern. It was originally conceived by Richard Morszeck, the son of Rimowa’s founder.

MENSWEAR

Levi’s 501

When I was old enough, my father bought me my first pair of Levi 501s. They were like cardboard, but I immediately fell in love with them. Then, in the ’80s, BBH made the Laundrette TV commercial for Levi’s and those cardboard-stiff, shrink-to-fit jeans became the cool thing again.

Red Wing 875

Red Wing have been making working boots since 1905. This boot is simply an icon of design, form and function. The name comes from the town of Red Wing, Minnesota, so called after an Native American Chief–hence the feathered wing logo.

FOOD & DRINK

David Mellor Steak Knives.

Six David Mellor Steak Knives wooden presentation box

Steak is one of those joyous, immensely satisfying meals. As with any indulgent occasion, a true Obsessive insists on the right tools and accessories for the job. David Mellor steak knives are anything but mediocre. Cast from a high-carbon stainless steel, the blades are highly rigid and strong. Most importantly, they can be very precisely ground, for the ultimate sharpness […]

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ACCESSORIES

Laguiole Sommelier Knife

Uncorking a bottle of wine is a moment of celebration for what you're about to enjoy. Sommeliers understand this, and take the opportunity to add a sense of theatre to the drawing the cork from the bottle by wielding a sommelier knife with panache.

Falcon Enamelware

Falcon Enamelware is a British icon; it's bacon and eggs, strawberries and cream, striped deck chairs, knotted hankies on head, warm beer, picnics, summer fêtes, baking and queuing.

Crab Pasta

My paternal grandfather was born in Tottenham, London, but raised in Australia. He had a pretty tough childhood, and would regularly literally have to catch his dinner.

COOKWARE

Le Pentole

Designed by the Italian Niki Sala in 1979 for Studio Progettazione ICM, the Le Pentole pans are of such a high quality that they're virtually indestructible. These pans are amazing to cook with, and beautiful too.

Boeuf Bourguignon-Homme

One-pot cooking is apparently back in fashion, so you'll be "On-trend" with this British blokey interpretation of the French classic Boeuf Bourguignon. The recipe is really very simple, but does require a little planning. It'll provide enough for a large dinner party.

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MOTORS

Land Rover Defender OCTA.

The OCTA is a Defender on steroids, defining it’s own category of vehicle—that of extreme performance on and off road. It might be a beast of a motor but it’s also elegantly refined too. We were invited to its official launch at The Kennels during Goodwood's Festival of Speed to find out more […]

More stories from Motors.

Jaguar XJ X350

Only a select few knew how special this car was. It didn’t sell in large numbers, which means there aren’t many prowling the roads. They are rare. So rare in fact that they’re being imported back to UK from Japan.

BWM 7 Series

The BMW E38 was the last car designed by Boyle Boyer—the man responsible for the effortless style BMW once had. It’s considered to be among the best BMW has made: they really don't make them like they used to.

ACCESSORIES

Snap-on 3/8 F936

When a gentleman racer friend tips you off about an object of desire for men who own and race expensive classic cars around circuits like Le Mans, Goodwood and Circuit des Remparts D'Angoulême, you know you have to pay attention.

Land Rover Defender 110

I’ve a split personality: half Porsche, half Land Rover Defender. After the sale of my beloved 50th Anniversary model, or ‘249’ as I called her (she was number 249 of a limited run of 500), there was a noticeable Defender-shaped hole in my life.

Defender 50th Special Edition

They squeezed a Range Rover into a Defender.
It was love at first sight: it was 1998, and as I walked out of Waitrose on the Finchley Rd with my newborn daughter strapped to my chest in a Baby Björn, I saw my first 50th Edition.

DESIGN

Tizio Table Lamp.

A truly great Obsessive Object of Desire transcends time and fashion, is supremely functional, and an aesthetic delight. Richard Sapper’s Tizio Table Lamp is all those things, and so much more. The Obsessive’s desk would be naked without it. Every time it’s switched on, bathing the desk in light, I enjoy a moment of wonder as I think, “That’s clever." […]

More stories from Design.

ACCESSORIES

Dunhill Rollagas

The exterior design of the Rollagas is simple, functional and, with its concealed hinge (introduced in 1971), instantly recognisable. Yet, strangely, the look of the lighter is not patented

ACCESSORIES

Seiko 6139-6005

It may not have officially been sanctioned by NASA, but when Colonel Pogue secreted his Seiko 6139-6006 watch in the pocket of his spacesuit, it became stowaway on a rocket— and a legend was born.

El Casco M15 Stapler

The M15 stapler is a precision made desktop accessory that is a joy both to use, and just to stare at. It's a hand polished chrome object of beauty; even the adjuster screws have knurled heads.

ACCESSORIES

Zippo 1935 Replica Lighter

That familiar "clink" when you open your Zippo, followed by the grind of the wheel on the flint as it ignites the flame, the smell of lighter fuel burning, then "clunk" shut.

HOMEWARE

The Blanket

Thick woollen blankets are exceptional at trapping body heat to keep you warm, which is why the military always use them. Being wrapped in an army blanket stopped my grandfather from freezing to death and kept him alive after swam out to the evacuation boats at Dunkirk.

The Interview.

Welcome to The Interview, a new series of in-depth interviews with inspirational people behind the brands and the products that we are obsessing over. Photographer Ray Massey was first exposed to light in Somerset in the South West of England. Thirteen years later, he discovered photography whilst experimenting with a pinhole camera made from a coffee tin during a science lesson […]

What to read now.

Billingham Hadley Eventer Bag

If Dr Who had a bag, it would be this one. The Billingham bag is the Tardis of bags. It’s amazing the amount of kit you can get into one.

FOOD & DRINK

Mariage Frères' Thé

Sent to the east by the royal court of Louis XIV, Nicolas and Pierre Mariage’s trip created a tea dynasty that’s still going strong today.

Bialetti Espress Moka

Inspired by washing machines that had a boiler base and top tub, the Bialetti Moka Espress coffee maker hasn't changed since 1933.

Stories you may have missed.

FOOD & DRINK

Negroni

The origin story or stories for this simple clever cocktail are, as usual, not to be taken too seriously. The fact is, who really cares who invented it? We’re just happy that someone did.

Eames Lounge Chair

Charles and Ray Eames were people who didn’t just design beautiful things: they invented new ways to make them. They were people with vision and ideas, and everything they did falls into the world of The Obsessive.

Pankhurst Moulding Cream

Pankhurst Moulding Cream’s hold is firm, but not stiff, and it's not gloss or matt. It's understated, smells nice and washes out easily. It makes you look like a member of the well-groomed club.

Classic Martini Olives top down view

FOOD & DRINK

Martini

The drinks has been applying the word ‘Martini' or ‘tini' suffix to almost anything. The Obsessive always looks for the authentic original version, the classic 1922, with a gin-to-vermouth ratio of 2:1 and the simple addition of a lemon twist or olive.

Unpotted Brown Shrimp

Brown shrimps are a seasonal shellfish that is locally-abundant on the shores of the North West. Food copywriter and friend of the obsessive, Lyssa Firth, shares this simple and delicious recipe.

Lesca Lunetier

Inspired by the frames of Corbusier, in 1964 Joël Lesca set out with a clear vision—to craft distinctively French glasses. The rest (as they say) is history.

Francesco Maglia

It rains a lot in the UK so it’s no surprise that we love a “brolly”. Francesco Maglia has been elevating umbrellas to art since 1854. Each piece combines generations of artisanal ability with the finest Italian craftsmanship.

FOOD & DRINK

Monmouth Coffee

It’s a strange feeling, being photographed by amused French and Italian tourists, as you queue outside this tiny Covent Garden coffee shop. To Europeans, and particularly the Italians, good coffee is a human right.