Paul Smith is one of the most successful mens’ fashion designers in the world, and a titan of British industry. After a bike crash as a teenager, Paul's rise in the world of fashion was slow and steady but ultimately unstoppable. From a tiny shop in Nottingham, Paul now operates over 300 stores worldwide, and still oversees every single area of the business himself.

In today's episode, Paul tells us about his Bespoke by Appointment service; why the most dangerous thing you can do is follow trends; and what to do if you ever receive a live pigeon in the post.

Our guest on today's podcast is Ross Bailey, the founder and CEO of Appear Here. 

Ross left school at 16, and soon found that his infectious enthusiasm lent itself perfectly to the world of business. His first true entrepreneurial venture, founded when he was just 19, is the one that he still heads up today. Appear Here is now the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term retail spaces – a kind of Air BnB for commercial property. A major driving force in the pop-up sector, the company works with thousands of established brands and fledgling businesses every year, and has just overseen a very successful expansion to Paris and the US.

Today, Ross tells us how a Jubilee-themed party accidentally kicked off the entire business, what it’s like to be a CEO of a multinational company at the age of 25, and why he never wants to hear about another clean-eating start up ever again.

Our thanks once again to Mark's Club for playing hosts.

Our guest this afternoon is Nicholas Coleridge, the Chairman of both Condé Nast and the Victoria & Albert Museum. For many years, Nicholas has been the figurehead of the international magazine industry, acting as both an adoring cheerleader and a hardnosed innnovator.

As a former editor of several high-profile titles, and the departing managing director of one of the world's most influential publishers, Nicholas knows the industry from cover to cover – and might just be able to predict the next installment in its turbulent modern history.

In today’s episode, Nicholas discusses his greatest journalistic scoops and stunts; what not to do if you want a job at Condé Nast; and why magazines are best enjoyed in the bath.

Our thanks to Mark's Club for their hospitality.

In this week's episode, we talk to Wilhelm Schmid, the CEO of German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne.

Though Wilhelm’s background is in the automobile industry, he has, since a very young age, been obsessed with watches. He’s in the right place, then – based in the famous watchmaking town of Glashütte in Germany, A. Lange & Söhne is perhaps one of the most celebrated and venerated watch brands in the world.

Today, the CEO tells us how a watch can possibly cost 2 million euros, why smart watches are doomed by their very nature to fail, and why gentlemen are still so in thrall to measuring time.

Our thanks, once again, to Mark's Club for playing hosts.

David Gandy is the most successful British model of his generation, a fashion entrepreneur in his own right, and an investor in several menswear start ups. He's joined today on the show by Terry Betts, the former Buying Director at Selfridges and now the head of business development at Thread, the revolutionary online stylist. 

In today's episode, these kingpins of the fashion industry tell us why menswear has exploded in the past decade, how the rise of influencers could be a dangerous thing, and why we may all soon be getting our clothes delivered from a blimp.