Here's Harland Miller, 46, author, artist and one of the real men in the latest Dunhill Voice campaign. Founded in 1893, Dunhill suits have been worn by all the best-dressed British blokes, from Winston Churchill to Daniel Craig. For spring, the menswear label selected three successful English chaps, of varying ages, to celebrate achievement - the others are journalist and broadcaster, Sir David Frost and young violinist, Charle Siem - and allowed them all to dress themselves, in the latest Dunhill kit.
Manbag sales are on the up (Burberry recently reported a 27% increase) so it's no surprise to see both Frost and Miller carrying this increasingly popular gentleman's accessory...
And, hooray! Harland Miller's novel, Slow Down Arthur, Stick to Thirty (published eleven years ago) is being turned into a film. Set in Yorkshire in the 1980s, it tells the story of a teenage boy's friendship with David Bowie impersonator, Ziggy Hero. I may be from t'other side of the Pennines but this funny, poignant book brings memories of all those Saturday nights spent in crappy pubs and clubs flying straight back, like David Beckham in the LA Galaxy off-season. And obviously, I completely agree with Jarvis Cocker's comments, 'Right up my strasse, the shittier the circumstances the bigger the dream. Smashing.'
The talented Mr Miller is an artist too. That's Not My Age is particularly fond of his paintings inspired by 1930s Penguin book covers:
There's one on the wall at Soho House, LA:
Who said it was grim up north?
PS Dunhill have made videos to go with the campaign too. My favourite is Not Yorkshire where Miller talks about what it feels like to come from a small town, click here to see it.
Soho House photo: Remodelista