Why $3,000 Luxury Bags Are Falling Apart

Megan Markle’s Life In The UK Will Be ‘Tricky’ | Roya Nikkhah

TAKE IVY and many links in TWEEDLAND connected with the IVY obsession

 

TAKE IVY published an Interview With Toshiyuki Kurosu

• SEE ALSO HERE IN TWEEDLAND : https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2010/10/great-preppy-revolution-big-fuss-about.html
• https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2019/04/remembering-movie-tea-and-sympathy-1956.html
• https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2015/12/take-ivy-encore-english-version-2010-by.html
• https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-return-of-saddle-shoe.html
• https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2017/03/ametora-how-japan-saved-american-style.html

 

Talk Ivy: An Interview With Toshiyuki Kurosu

APRIL 20, 2021

http://www.ivy-style.com/talk-ivy-an-interview-with-toshiyuki-kurosu.html

 

W. David Marx did this interview for Ivy Style back in 2013 while researching his groundbreaking book “Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style.” As part of the research he sat down with Toshiyuki Kurosu (pictured above second from left) at the Kamakura Shirts office in Tokyo. Kurosu is legendary in Japan as one of the very first people to ever discover and wear Ivy League clothing. After joining brand VAN in 1961 at age 24, he convinced his boss Ishizu Kensuke to re-focus the whole company on Ivy style, a risky move that eventually brought the company incredible success, fame, and fortune. And as both a VAN employee and a writer for Men’s Club, Kurosu later became part of the team who created the legendary photo book “Take Ivy.”

De Gaulle: Résistance - Trailer / Yes, French youth are unexpectedly rediscovering Charles de Gaulle through the massive box office success of Antonin Baudry's two-part cinematic epic, La Bataille de Gaulle.

 

Are the French youth rediscovering De Gaulle through the Film?

Yes, French youth are unexpectedly rediscovering Charles de Gaulle through the massive box office success of Antonin Baudry's two-part cinematic epic, La Bataille de Gaulle. What began as a slow-starting historical drama has transformed into a Gen Z cultural phenomenon in the summer and autumn of 2026, amassing over 5.5 million admissions in France.

For a generation that previously knew De Gaulle primarily as a name on schools, street signs, and Paris's largest airport, the diptych—consisting of De Gaulle: Résistance and De Gaulle: Liberté—has completely reframed the historical icon.

How a 'Dusty' Icon Became a Gen Z Hero

The massive shift in youth engagement didn't happen by accident, but through a brilliant pivot in how the film was marketed and how De Gaulle himself is characterized.

• The Influencer Strategy: After a sluggish opening weekend, the production company Pathé ditched traditional movie marketing. They teamed up with massive YouTube and Instagram influencer Inoxtag, who hosted dedicated "watch parties" and live discussions with the director. Combined with targeted promotions on TikTok’s Spotlight Hub, word of mouth exploded on #FilmTok, driving youth ticket sales up by 114% just a month after release.
• De Gaulle as the Ultimate Outsider: Rather than portraying a stiff, establishment politician, actor Simon Abkarian embodies a radical, stubborn, and deeply human underdog. Young audiences are connecting with a man who was isolated, doubted by allies, and facing overwhelming failure, yet chose collective defiance over resignation. Director Antonin Baudry noted that the film emphasizes "generational renewal"—reminding viewers that De Gaulle was a relatively young, marginal general fighting an older generation telling him to bow to a superior power.

The Resonance of 'Resistance'

Pathé’s audience research revealed a striking trend: it is the theme of resistance and engagement that has deeply captivated young French viewers. In a time of contemporary political dissatisfaction, Gen Z isn't looking at De Gaulle as a nostalgic relic. Instead, they see the historical parallel of students and everyday citizens heeding a call to take action against a crisis, mirroring their own desires for agency and purpose.

By trading the textbook version of history for a gripping, modern geopolitical thriller, the film has effectively turned Charles de Gaulle into a mythological yet relatable action hero for la jeunesse.

‘It’s like the Scottish Upper East Side’: shame and snobbery as American students blamed for St Andrews classism

‘It’s like the Scottish Upper East Side’: shame and snobbery as American students blamed for St Andrews classism

 

Online comments reflect class tensions at Scottish university between those from lower-income families and wealthier US undergraduates

Patrick Greenfield

Sun 27 Sep 2026 03.00 EDT

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/sep/27/st-andrews-university-class-divide-american-students

 

When Sophie Rose Jenkins announced she would not return to St Andrews University this academic year because of her experiences of classism on campus, she did not expect much of a response. But in the two weeks since she published her story on LinkedIn, it has resonated with hundreds of others.

“Working-class students have been made to feel ashamed of their home life at university,” the former comparative literature and classical studies student wrote in a lengthy post. “Arriving at a university ranked first in the UK at the time from a background like mine, I thought I was doing everything right.

“I don’t mean for this to be a sob story but an explanation. I recognise the privilege of access to higher education, however I am also brutally aware of the hidden privilege of having unobstructed access to studying for a degree. There is a deep gap between the two, and it is never addressed.”

For many responding, her comments touched on a growing tension at St Andrews, driven by the funding model of Scotland’s cash-strapped universities. Places for Scottish students, who study for free, are capped by the Scottish government and account for about 30% of students at St Andrews. Maintenance loans and bursaries cover basic costs, but those from lower-income families are still often left with less disposable income than their contemporaries – including wealthy international students who pay much higher fees.

St Andrews, ranked second in the Guardian’s university league table for 2026, accepts one of the highest percentages in the UK of privately educated students. The British aristocracy has long adored the medieval town’s cobbled streets, wind-swept beach and grand stone buildings: Prince William and the Princess of Wales met there.

View image in fullscreen

Sophie Rose Jenkins’ comments have struck a chord with some other students. Photograph: none

But the recent influx of wealthy US students has changed the dynamic on campus, students say. Americans account for around a fifth of undergraduates at St Andrews, the highest proportion in the UK, with each paying £33,250 for this academic year, more than three times what British students pay.

“My parents were worried about me coming here. They didn’t want me to be left out,” said one Scottish fresher who is on a scholarship to study classics. “Most of the people I have met are international students. I didn’t grow up with tons of money. Maybe they can be a bit ignorant to the cost of things.”

Another said: “There’s a Pret here. You have to ask yourself why that is in such a small town.”

Aspects of fraternity and sorority culture have started to blend with the upper-class experience of British university, some students say. Regular black-tie dinners and balls are now rivalled by fashion shows and exclusive societies. A short walk from the student union bar, an interior design shop advertises luxury bed linen for students, while a popular coffee shop sells designer clothes and candles alongside speciality matchas.

“I totally see her [Jenkins’s] perspective,” said one privately educated student from Edinburgh, who was returning from hockey practice with friends. “It can be quite segregated: the English hang out with the English, the Americans with the Americans. We knew lots of people from hockey already so it’s easy to feel left out if you’re not from that environment.

“The American culture is coming in and it massively influences everything at the moment. They compete with each other. If you look at how they dress, people arrive in lectures as if they are going on a night out.”

One student referenced a well-known student newspaper article published last year about how St Andrews had turned into the Scottish Upper East Side, which said: “Our beloved Scottish town is day by day turning into a microcosm of Manhattan’s elite world; complete with intrigue, privilege, and secrets that spread like wildfire.”

Underlining the point, an American student walks past the student union loudly explaining to a friend: “Everyone is going to think you’re rich if you have a Ralph Lauren bag. But that doesn’t make you rich.”

St Andrews said it had reached out to Jenkins to better understand her experience, but she had decided not to engage for now. It said it had a robust system for reporting complaints from students, and only a handful of complaints had been made in the last five years.

“Yes, some students do arrive here in St Andrews, and at every other university, with immature, offensive and classist views. But they tend not to leave with them,” said the vice-principal Niall Scott.

“This isn’t a St Andrews issue – it’s a societal issue. Classism begins in the home or at school, not at university. Universities like St Andrews have a crucial role to play in challenging these attitudes by bringing together people from different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives, encouraging understanding, respect and inclusion.”

The debate around classism at Scottish universities is not new. In 2024, Edinburgh University offered guidance on how students should treat one another after rising claims of discrimination and classism. “Don’t be a snob!” read the advice given out to students. At St Andrews, some students said the issue of classism was not only linked to the rise in American students.

“It is generally an attitude thing. There is an idea that working-class students can’t speak about issues that are going on elsewhere in the world because they are not as well travelled,” said one science student. “At St Andrews, even for moderately wealthy people, it feels like there is an old money level above that you don’t even get to speak to.”

Rasmus, a Danish student, said he was bemused by the social dynamics at the university.

“It took two weeks for me to meet a Scottish person. They are surrounded by people here who have the money for international tuition, which is quite narrow. I can imagine that being quite a difficult experience,” he said.

REMEMBERING ...THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERETTA LONDON GALLERY / Gentlemen Hunt // Autumn/Winter 2018-2019 AW18

REMEMBERING ...THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERETTA LONDON GALLERY

IZZIE NOVEMBER 5, 2015

https://jermynstreetjournal.com/the-10th-anniversary-of-the-beretta-london-gallery/

Last Thursday we were invited to attend the 10th anniversary of the Beretta Gallery London. An elegant temple of all things country, the Gallery is located in a renovated 3 story former bank building, and sits on the corner of historic Jermyn Street, known for its prestigious members only clubs and custom shops.

The Gallery features Beretta’s Premium Grade firearms, sport clothing for men and women along with shooting related accessories. Customers can also find travel luggage and accessories, gift items, homeware, and a selection of books about the Beretta legacy, sporting life, travel and the outdoors.

“Straddling two continents and operating under the Beretta trademark, the Galleries constantly refine their philosophy and strategy, while maintaining intact the style that is signature of the Beretta brand and always operating in harmony with the rest of the company’s distribution channels.

As for strategies and plans for the future, the Gallery concept is to be expanded into Europe’s leading capitals, with each store always occupying positions of unquestioned prestige that result in a successful compromise between prime location and high traffic. And finally the positive fallout mentioned above. A full range of our firearms, apparel, accessories and decorative items is on display in the Beretta Galleries of New York, Dallas, Buenos Aires, Paris and Milan and London.” Franco Gussalli Beretta

Val Trompia, a northern Italian river valley in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, has been mined for iron ore since the time of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, Val Trompia was known for its ironworks; after the Renaissance it came to be a center for the manufacture of weapons.[4] By the mid 16th century Val Trompia had forty ironworks, supplied by fifty mines and eight smelters. The birthplace of Beretta is in the village of Gardone located on the banks of the Mella river, in the middle of Val Trompia (i.e., between the upper valley and lower valley).

The Beretta forge was in operation from about 1500, although the first documented transaction is a contract dated October 3, 1526 for 185 arquebus barrels, for which the Republic of Venice was to pay 296 ducats to Maestro di Canne (master gun-barrel maker) Bartolomeo Beretta (in Italian).The original account document for the order of those barrels is now stored in the Archivio di Stato di Venezia (in Italian) in Venice.[6] By the end of the 17th century, Beretta had become the second largest gun barrel maker in Gardone.

Under the guild system, the knowledge of gun barrel fabrication that was bequeathed to Jacopo (1520/25 – …) from his father Bartolomeo (1490 – 1565/68) was then passed on to his own son Giovannino (1550 – post 1577), and to his grandson Giovan Antonio (1577 – post 1649) and so on until guilds were abolished by Napoleon after his conquest of Venetian Republic in 1797.

Beretta has been owned by the same family for almost five hundred years and is a founding member of Les Henokiens, an association of bicentenary companies that are family owned and operated.

In 1918, the Beretta Model 1918, one of the first submachine guns in the world, was fielded by the Italian army. Beretta manufactured rifles and pistols for the Italian military until the 1943 Armistice between Italy and the Allied forces during World War II. With the Wehrmacht's control of northern Italy, the Germans seized Beretta and continued producing arms until the 1945 German surrender in Italy.[4] In that time, the quality of the exterior finish of the weapons diminished and was much more inferior to both the pre-war and mid-war weapons, but their operation remained excellent. The last shipment of Type I Rifles left Venice for Japan in a U-boat in 1942.

After World War II, Beretta was actively involved in repairing the American M1 Garands given to Italy by the U.S. Beretta modified the M1 into the Beretta BM-59 rifle, which is similar to the M14 battle rifle; armourers consider the BM-59 rifle to be superior to the M14 rifle in some ways, because it is more accurate under certain conditions.

After the war, Beretta continued to develop firearms for the Italian Army and police, as well as the civilian market.

In the 1980s, Beretta enjoyed a renewal of popularity in North America after its Beretta 92 pistol was selected as the service handgun for the United States Army under the designation of "M9 pistol".

In the 1970s, Beretta also started a manufacturing plant in São Paulo, Brazil. A contract between Beretta and the Brazilian government was signed, under which Beretta produced Beretta 92s for the Brazilian Army until 1980. Later this plant was sold to Taurus, who continues to manufacture the Beretta 92 under the name of PT92 using the same tools and labour which Beretta used, without the need for a license from Beretta, since the design is based on the original Beretta 92, for which the patents are expired.

Beretta acquired several domestic competitors (notably Benelli and Franchi) and some foreign companies (notably in Finland) in the late 1980s.

The Vatican Bank has been for years the main shareholder of the Pietro Beretta's group[ and during the 80s it also had a relevant stakeholding in the Italian leading tecnology group Finmeccanica

The friend of Princess Diana who says Earl Spencer's book wants to 'settle some old scores'

 

Catherine & Diana: The inside story of how the Princesses of Wales shaped the modern monarchy

by Ingrid Seward (Author) 

 

'Catherine and Diana. Two women, born twenty years apart, who never met, yet found themselves bound by a title, a ring and a man named William.'

A title in use for over 700 years, the Princess of Wales is one of the most senior positions in the British royal family. In her new book, bestselling author and pre-eminent royal commentator Ingrid Seward dives into two of the most recognisable and iconic holders of the title: Catherine and Diana.

 

Whilst they never got the chance to meet, both married into a family known the world over as The Firm. Two princesses, born twenty years apart, they inhabited distinct worlds - from their differing childhoods to meeting their Prince, from their approach to motherhood to defining a world-famous position, Catherine and Diana stand unique in the world.

 

Whilst Diana's character was both grand and vulnerable, Catherine's is more contained. Whilst Catherine's marriage is one of unity, strength and shared values, Diana faced hers alone. The late Queen described Diana as 'one of us', but it's Catherine who has been accepted in hearts and minds by all.

 

Through comparing and exploring their lives and loves, Ingrid tells the inside story of their relationship to the crown. With in-depth research and having interviewed Diana, Ingrid shares what defines and defined their role as Princess, and just what kind of personality from outside the family ends up on the inside.