Wherever we have gone, craft has been at the centre of our purpose. And as long as there are men and women prepared to use their hands to outperform anything that technology is capable of when it comes to making clothing, accessories or art, The Rake will be here to celebrate it. There’s no such thing as an A.I.-handmade shoe, and nor do I think there is a desire for one. Let our reporting stand as a riposte to this latest, slightly unnerving, epoch in the human story.
This issue of the magazine is not so much a renewal of vows as a reaffirmation of our mission. The actor on our cover is Bill Nighy, a student of the stage and now very much a star of the screen. Nighy is beloved for the remorseless empathy in his performances, and while his fame is rooted in his acting work, the menswear industry also admires him for his support of British bespoke tailoring and his standards of dress, which are eschewed by others in his profession.
This issue’s centre of gravity, however, is our feature on artisans and the tools they use in their work. Five leading craftsmen — a tailor, a shoemaker, a gunsmith, a hatter and a goldsmith — take us behind the scenes of their masterful work, where the methods they employ and the tools they use have often been passed down several generations.
This issue signals the return of spring, when the magic of nature will inspire even the most creative of types to even greater heights. May you feel equally motivated to try your hand at something creative, to dedicate your energies to making something tangible, memorable, something you can be proud of, or something that brings you joy — and, even if for a moment, grounds you in the same world as the specialists you see in these pages.
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