We keep being reminded of the importance of heritage, integrity and provenance in the things that we buy and the latest venture between three sought-after men's fashion and accessories brands in London is committed to the upkeep of these values. Whilst waving the flag for British luxury, jewellery designer Hannah Martin, ready to wear tailor E. Tautz and shoemaker Lodger have come together for a one-off collaboration called The Modern Gentry. The trio have set up camp at Alma in London for talks and appointments offering the chance for customers to understand the lengthy processes involved in the making of their products with a view to purchasing product exclusives. To accompany the three designers, a beautiful light sculpture courtesy of Yorgo Lykouria has also landed in The Grade I listed Alma showroom. This pop up store offers a Christmas shopping experience far removed from the manic scenes on nearby Oxford Street. Here, we speak to Hannah Martin, Patrick Grant of E. Tautz and Nathan Brown of Lodger to find out their views on British luxury and what 2010 will bring for them.

Dazed Digital: How did you get involved in this collaborative event with Modern Gentry?
Patrick Grant: It started as a conversation between myself and Hannah about bringing together different facets of handmade British gentleman’s kit.  The idea has taken shape over about five months.
Nathan Brown: Lodger was approached by Hannah Martin to work on the idea of what a Modern Gentleman requires.  She had already gotten E. Tautz on board, and a modern shoemaker seemed the perfect fit.  We were very excited about joining in. 
Hannah Martin: The Modern Gentry started from a seed of an idea I had when doing a long stint of filing at my work bench. As soon as I talked about it with my business partner Mr Morse it grew and grew. As the other brands came on board each brought their own ideas and contacts. It's been a meeting of minds! It developed out of the values we believe in for our brand. Between us, Nathan and I are continually discussing the ideas of timelessness and craftsmanship, and the art behind the product we create. This was the idea behind the Modern Gentry.

DD: The exhibition explores the definition of luxury but what does British luxury mean to you?
Patrick Grant: In my mind luxury is about scarcity. It is about those things that many men want but very few can have.
Nathan Brown: Beautiful design, thoughtful craftsmanship, impeccable service. This is what British luxury means to me personally.  The remarkable thing is that none of these ideas touch on the concept of "modern".  Although that can be encapsulated in the design language, the values for true luxury are timeless.
Hannah Martin: British Luxury in my mind is about integrity, timelesness and craftsmanship. It is about creating something that will last - in both quality  and style. Something that will be handed down to the next generation. We are surrounded by fast fashion, flash in the pan trends and impossibly cheap products. British luxury is the antithesis of this.
 
DD: What can we look forward to seeing from you in 2010?
Patrick Grant: More double breasted finery and maybe a little tweed goodness.
Nathan Brown: Lodger will be expanding into wholesale and will be available in 8 countries around the world, from Europe to Japan.  The introduction of our first Ready to Wear collection for export allows us a new avenue to showcase the Lodger values to friends and customers around the world.
Hannah Martin: 2010 is looking packed so far! We are launching a new collection which will be introduced slowly throughout the year. There are some amazing couture pieces included in this - which I cannot wait to create. They will all be one offs and like nothing I've ever done before. We have also been spreading our wings internationally so will be starting to work with partners in New York and Tokyo. Collaboratively  we will certainly be taking the Modern Gentry forward, and plans for working with Carolyn Massey and Hannah Marshall on AW10 continue.

The Modern Gentry at Alma, 8 Vigo Street W1S 3HJ until December 12, 10am-6pm.
A short film by each collaborator will be celebrated with a launch at SHOWstudio.com on the December 4.
For private appointments call 020 3174 0120