The three Velsvoir brothers; Zak, Talha and Zubair are the men after our own Velvet heart. We got to interview these three Londoners on their love for Velvet bowties and a good cup of tea. Velsvoir is the epitome of men’s luxury accessories, handmade in London comprised of bowties, where it all started, lapel braces, neckties, cummerbunds and triptych ties. Based between London and Dubai, Velsvoir was born from one tweet, which started the brothers’ journey, “initially, from the humble black velvet bow tie where Velsvoir all began, which has now extended to a myriad of accessories and bespoke waistcoats.”

With such an unusual name we had to ask these unique designers about its meaning. ‘Vel’ originates from velvet, which was our first and signature collection. ‘Voir’ means to see and ‘Soir’ means night – so together it forms the adage ‘to see velvet at night’.” Zak, Talha and Zubair told Velvet that, “fashion and, more importantly, style always played an important part whilst we were growing up and presenting oneself in the best possible way.” Describing their styles as “generally sartorially inclined but with a different slant individually.” We asked the brothers to elaborate on their individual styles and this is what they replied. “Talha’s style is based around British heritage and the classic gentlemen, Zubair has a more minimal and monochrome style akin to Scandinavian structure and style and Zak has a more dandy approach, taking different parts of various styles but bringing them all together in a uniform way.” If they had to describe their staple wardrobe pieces they would include, “a crisp white shirt, fitted blazer and a range of bow ties, slim neckties complete with vibrant pocket squares.”

Inspirations for Velsvoir designs come from, “travel, music, art and history” the brothers tell Velvet. Their latest collection, which was shown in January for London Collections: Men AW15 “showcasing a strong sartorial silhouette centred around a crisp winters day bathed in sunlight. Shades of navy and grey were used, in addition to pinstripes of varying widths,” they described. All three play a collective role in the Velsvoir brand but, “Zak is the Creative Director so all design processes start and end with him. Talha is the Managing Director, heading up operations & commercial development, whilst Zubair looks after our international strategy and PR.”

Some of Velsvoir’s recent collaborations include Chivas Regal, where, “we styled the team with bespoke pieces for the annual Chivas Legends Dinner with Sir Patrick Stewart at the Burj Khalifa. We also designed bespoke uniforms for Library, a Private Members Club in Covent Garden, London.” When we asked these stylish gentlemen to give their opinion on how the London fashion scene compares to the fashion scene in Dubai they sai, “London is great for emerging talent and has a rich history of heritage and tradition. With Dubai it is exciting to be part of a nascent industry and inspiring to see the development of modern styles and perspectives of the region.”

Speaking of the typical Velsvoir man and a woman they said, “We think Velsvoir is a lifestyle choice. Those that are active, with an attention to detail and a desire for flair.” All three brothers agreed that the first black velvet bow tie is their favourite, “it’s where it all began.”

In the end, the Velsvoir designers joked about their spare time with a question, “Is there such a thing as spare time?!” Then admitting in true English spirit, “Nothing beats a nice cup of tea! “ We finally asked the Velsvoir brothers what we could expect from them in 2015, “We have a few more collaborations in store, which we are excited about. We shall hopefully be back for Fashion Forward next season and also London Collections: Men.”

www.velsvoir.com