Andrew Almond has owned the same Lambretta for twenty years and the same motorcycle for ten. He has no intention of replacing either.
“I would say I am more of a collector than a consumer. I generally do not buy much and stick with the things I buy,” he says. “Each has a lifetime of memories attached, and seeing the world go by from the saddle each day continues to add to the story.”
It is an outlook that runs through BOLT, the brand he founded in 2013 to bring quality menswear and motorcycle style together. Andrew saw an opportunity for a motorcycle store that felt contemporary while remaining connected to the heritage and subcultures behind it. Clothing needed to serve a purpose, but it needed to look good too.
That balance remains central to his own wardrobe. He rides most days, so getting dressed starts with a look out of the window.
“I hate to be cold, especially on the road, so over the years I have worked out a wardrobe that is foremost comfortable and practical for my lifestyle.”
Practicality leaves plenty of room for personal expression. Andrew draws on too many influences to commit to a single, prescriptive style, mixing vintage and contemporary pieces according to how he feels that morning. Some things, though, have stayed with him for decades.
“I am a believer that a well-made, properly fitted garment in quality materials will always look good if styled right. Items like good shoes or an overcoat have lasted me for decades and always gain attention.”
An eye for detail
When developing clothing for BOLT, Andrew begins by asking what he can improve. Often, the answer lies in the raw materials, the production quality or the fit. Then come the smaller details that give a garment its character.
“I always start with what I would really like to see on a garment before thinking of things commercially,” he explains. “It is often the small details that make an item functional, comfortable, or feel and look good when wearing it.”
That attention to detail once extended to reproducing obscure military buttons, which he now jokingly calls “the bankruptcy buttons”. Getting things like this right takes priority over profits.
The same attention extended to BOLT’s physical spaces. During one store fit-out, Andrew asked the builders to remove all the internal corners, using wood panelling and moulded concrete.
“Very few people ever noticed, but it completely changed the feel of the space and gave it an artificial film set quality.”
For Andrew, those decisions matter even when their effect is difficult to pinpoint.
“I think you have to do what you want to do and hope that some people get it. Good design is invisible, so really you’re building trust.”
A living culture
BOLT’s interests extend across motorcycles, clothing, music, art and design. What connects them is the enthusiasm of the people involved.
“Across all our diverse interests there is a culture of enthusiasts, people who obsessively focus on the minute details, perfect the craft, and live a life dedicated to their passions.”
Being involved in those communities gives Andrew a connection to what is happening around him. He points to the underground boutiques of sixties London, whose shops became meeting places for the city’s creative communities. BOLT’s use of self-styled friends to model its clothing follows a similar instinct: to reflect a world in which it actively participates.
“If you simply look at these things through a screen you inevitably miss the underlying spirit.”
That interest in participation also shapes Andrew’s approach to motorcycle clothing. He is drawn to the way owners personalise garments over time, just as they customise their bikes. References to the past provide a starting point, but the clothes must still make sense today.
“Everything has to have relevance to the current moment even if inspired by past classics.”
Sometimes that means using newer technical materials. Sometimes it means questioning a familiar detail, such as a motorcycle jacket’s map pocket when its wearer is more likely to navigate with a phone.
Made to be worn
Andrew’s interest in clothing continues long after a piece has been designed. Wearing it reveals how the materials develop and whether its construction holds up.
“Much of my role designing clothing is seeing how it develops over time, so I am not precious about garments, the opposite in fact. Much like a ridden motorcycle, the soul of an item is exposed as it gains characteristics from wear, and how it performs is a mark of its quality.”
It is a view that extends to his scooters. While some owners restore vintage machines to showroom condition, Andrew values the evidence of the lives they have already led. He has a particular affection for scooters painted at home with brushes, recalling teenagers changing their appearance to follow the latest styles.
“They were looking to get noticed, not striving for perfection. They knew they’d be on the go so people wouldn’t notice the quality of the finish.”
The Kilsby
Andrew first encountered Tricker’s as a teenager, when a friend bought a pair to celebrate a new job. For our latest Classic Men’s Look, The Biker, he wears the Kilsby in Charcoal Suede.
“The shape appealed to me. With size 11 feet, shoes can often look big, so the design of the shoe worked well for me,” he says. “They felt solid. Once on, I did not think of them again and I was surprised at the comfort from the get-go.”
He sees the Kilsby as an everyday shoe, versatile enough to dress up or wear casually. Tricker’s continuity of place and manufacturing also resonates with his interest in the people and knowledge behind a product.
“Products often get detached from their heritage, and it’s the very specifics of these elements that make a product what it is.”
Asked what the best-made things he owns have in common, his answer is simple.
“Good design has a humane presence. You get a sense that someone made it with purpose.”
A new chapter
BOLT is now moving beyond a permanent London home towards pop-ups and collaborations. Its spaces have accommodated custom motorcycle garages, coffee shops, records and exhibitions. Andrew sees this next stage as an opportunity to build on that experience and bring different communities together.
“More than ever, people want to connect in real life, to experience things with substance and be part of something meaningful.”
There are plans for a new collection, while the next venture will involve a restored vintage sound system and a car meet. Andrew’s interest in finding the right setting continues, too.
“I do not think I’ll ever tire of searching for the perfect space. Although, visiting a chopper garage that had a carp-filled pond running through it gave me at least a glimpse!”
Andrew Almond features in The Biker, the latest in our Classic Men’s Look series, wearing the Kilsby in Charcoal Suede.
