Bell-bottom blues

Whether I like it or not, the truth is that I’ve been around long enough to see apparel brands come and go, resurrecting themselves and becoming “now,” with smart marketing gambits hinged on heritage and tradition. Back in the mid-1960s, my father would play golf in Munsingwear Penguin shirts. Fred Perry was like the “uniform” of Wimbledon back in the ‘70s. And the first time I played tennis, I was donning a Lacoste piqué top. It’s really a matter of what brand made it to these shores, and that’s why I was happy to see the British “workwear lifestyle” brand Lee Cooper finally make its formal mark here in the Philippines.

Founded in 1908, when it was called M. Cooper (M for Morris), and exclusively produced workwear and supplied the British armed forces, the brand evolved into a hip lifestyle brand in the late 1960s when it sponsored a Rolling Stones’ tour, and was the choice of such counterculture heroes like Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin — remember the days of bell-bottomed blue jeans? The Lee is actually Morris Cooper II’s tribute to his wife’s name Leigh. As a brand, having celebrated its centenary in 2008, it rivals such American brands like Levi’s; it’s just unfortunate that the brand never enjoyed a first wave of popularity here in the Philippines.

But as the saying goes, it’s never too late. And being British during the Lee Cooper launch took on special meaning, what with the successful London Olympics just having come to a close, followed by Andy Murray’s first tennis major win at the US Open. From brightly colored skinny jeans, to casual men’s and ladies’ tops, to an interesting array of basics, to more flighty evening apparel for the women, and your bread and butter work jeans — the Lee Cooper line should be an exciting choice when visiting your favorite department stores (the free-standing boutique is still in the works).

Suspenseful novels that take on a variety of subjects — great reading hours guaranteed.

Am certain Lithuanian immigrant Morris Cooper, working out of his London East End store in 1908, would have had a wide smile plastered on his face to see the Manila show put up to announce the entry of the brand he created.

Family legacy, mind games and fleet street blues

From World War II comes a family saga as only Jeffrey Archer writes them, while the debut novel of Mark Allen Smith brings a twisted, different type of protagonist to the mystery thriller genre. As for Lionel Shriver, after having trained her eyes on domestic dramas, she now targets journalism and terrorism.

Sins of the Father — Jeffrey Archer (available at National Book Store) Harry Clifton is back, in the second book of a trilogy known as The Clifton Chronicles. When we left Harry in Only Time Will Tell, he had assumed the identity of an American who was on board the ship that had been attacked by Nazi torpedoes. Upon his arrival in New York, he was arrested because it turned out that Bradshaw himself was a fugitive from justice. Book two follows Emma as she seeks to find justice for Harry, and the exploits of Emma’s brother Giles Barrington, during World War II. And oh, did I forget to mention that Harry could in fact be the elder half-brother of Giles, making his relationship with Emma fall under a cloud that’s somewhat dissipated by the fact that Emma gives birth to Harry’s son? Yes, this is Jeffrey Archer territory as only he can create it — with the Barrington baronetcy hanging in the balance!

The Inquisitor — Mark Allen Smith (available at National Book Store) Our anti-hero/protagonist Geiger calls himself an “information retrieval expert,” which in this day and age, is a euphemism for one who systematically extracts truth via torture. Think back to the Inquisition, the Mafia code of honor, and one realizes just how rich a history this particular profession enjoys. Harry is a computer geek/journalist who acts as Geiger’s partner, and when a 13-year-old boy named Ezra is brought in by a “client,” all hell breaks loose as Geiger decides to protect Ezra, and attacks Ray (the client), and takes on Ray and his cohorts in a deadly game of hide and seek. That Harry has to take care of a sister who’s mentally challenged only adds to the kind of misery both Geiger and Harry are courting as they try and get to the bottom of why Ezra is such a hot commodity. Gripping, and tension-filled read!

The New Republic — Lionel Shriver (available at National Book Store) Best known for her domestic drama We Need to Talk About Kevin, Shriver’s newly published novel is a stinging satire about terrorism and journalism — and the intimate relationship between the two. Leaving corporate law to be a freelance journalist, Edgar Kellogg is assigned to Barba, a desolate province of Portugal, where a secessionist movement (SOB) has been wreaking havoc. Edgar gets this plum assignment when Barrington Sadler, the so called expert on the SOB and Barba, has suddenly gone missing. We meet the motley crew of foreign correspondents assigned to Barba, and Shriver slyly puts them in the spotlight, almost wishing for death and violence to justify their being there at all. When events point to the possibility that Sadler “manufactured” the news reports, we see where Shriver’s cynicism wants to take us. An absorbing tale.