Howells.

I was chatting with Simon Whybray a few days ago, who said something that I really liked while talking about the London restaurant Meat Liquor. I’ve not been yet, so I asked him what it was like and why he loved the place. He explained that why he liked it was difficult to put his finger on, and in fact most people claim there are better burgers to be had in London. But there was this intangible element that was implicit in the brand; he suggested it was its confidence.

I love the idea of a brand having confidence but which is communicated so subtly that it’s difficult to even see it. A confident brand is like that guy you know who is understated and humble, can make a gathered crowd laugh, and also has a nice hairstyle.

This made me think about other brands that convey real confidence without desperation or inauthenticity, and what were the elements of the organisation that contribute to the feeling. Rapha and Mr Porter are both extremely confident brands, but are both fashion-oriented and frankly quite obvious examples.

Can you think of any confident brands? Airlines, food, FMCG, travel, and technology are all sectors who must have their own confident brands, so if you think of any I’d love some suggestions in the comments.

As a self-proclaimed non-fashion expert, I sure am writing quite a lot about fashion today. But I just wanted to quickly talk about my new jeans, by Hiut.

It’s a new company, created by Howies founders David and Clare Hieatt, based in Cardigan. Cardigan used to be home to Dewhirst–a clothing company–which laid off 400 after its plant was moved to Morocco. All the talent and experience of making jeans laid dormant.

David hired three as denim grand masters, and now create jeans in two styles. I picked the Organic Denim slim fit, and they are superb: really fine quality and a great fit.

The product itself is just one part of the company’s broader story, which is thoroughly documented on their site and via the blog which is carefully written by David himself. The imagery used feels as homely as the brand feels, and the wording throughout is transparent and honest.

And a nice touch is the idea of a HistoryTag. I just logged my pair of jeans, and behold there are pictures of them being created (by Elin, who signed the inside).

I’m excited by the company and I’m looking forward to picking up another pair soon.

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People who know me don’t know me as Fashionable Dan, so I can’t indulge in the finer points of being a Mr Porter customer.

But I love everything about the brand. Mr Porter is the sort of brand you end up having when you really give a damn about your company.

The investment the company has made at every customer touch-point makes the brand shine:

• The website doesn’t just look great but is functionally brilliant (it’s important to have both). And anecdotally (since I’ve never actually handed over my card details) the experience doesn’t end at the check-out. The way in which your order is packaged, along with a personalised thank you note, is a simple extension of the online experience.
• The company spent a lot of time and money on the branding, even commissioning a custom typeface which has become unmistakably Mr Porter.
• 99% of the site’s success is down to editorial content of unrivalled quality. This is a driven by a permanent, on-site staff who create stories and produce wonderful videos like this.

Of course, high fashion is a high-margin industry, and Net-a-Porter is a successful cash-flush company, so it’s easy to get the best people and agencies on board. But even in a small way getting these three elements right and caring deeply about them is such a simple way to kick-start a business, and I’d love to see Mr Porter’s thinking replicated in other consumer industries that generally suck: food, travel, or finance.

I feel the same giddy feeling about Rapha who have also created a pitch-perfect brand. Monocle too, if you see it for what it is.

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