The modern voice of classic elegance. For those with a penchant for luxury menswear, cigars and the finer things in general, this maxim will certainly be one of familiarity. The Rake magazine’s raison d’etre is to educate and empower through style, and no one epitomises this quite like their Editor-in-Chief and Head of Brand, Tom Chamberlin.
As a flag bearer for all things bespoke, editor of preeminent menswear magazine The Rake, a husband and father to two children, journalistic inspiration to many as well as being pizza pals with Matt Damon (more on that later), Tom’s time is understandably valuable. It was important, therefore, to ensure our meeting point was one that held up to his reputation. The Arts Club — home to the Oscuro cigar lounge — provided the perfect backdrop for our interview.
Instagram doesn’t do justice to how commanding a presence Tom is in person. I was reminded of this as his 6-foot-plus frame, decked in Terry Haste bespoke, entered the lounge and towered over me when we greeted one another. I’m fairly diminutive in stature as it is, but standing next to Tom, I can’t help but feel we’d be something akin to Penn and Teller. After being taken through the beautiful space and walk-in humidor by Oscuro’s Giuliano Santilli, we sat down to converse over a couple Ramón Allones Specially Selected cigars.
Tom Chamberlin visits Oscuro at The Arts Club
EGM: Why did you select this cigar?
Tom Chamberlin: It wasn’t the first cigar I smoked, but it was the first box of Cuban cigars I ever smoked. I bought it in Havana, and the first time I had smoked it was at the Hunters & Frankau head offices, and they said it was the best all-rounder on the market. It is my go-to cigar.
Ramón Allones cigars in Oscuro's walk-in humidor
EGM: What was the first cigar you smoked?
TC: It was a hand-rolled Cuban. Davidoff had a roller from Cuba in the shop for a while.
EGM: That’s pretty sweet.
TC: Yeah. And so it was one of those cigars that I smoked. It was a cigar with no name, and I remember Eddie Sahakian took me outside to Franco’s across the road and said, “so what are you tasting?”, and said that tasting a cigar is what happens after you blow the smoke out, that’s the moment when you can kind of figure out what’s going on flavour-wise. That was my introduction to cigars. In all honesty, I probably had a King Edward when I was about eighteen.
EGM: That doesn’t really count.
TC: It doesn’t really count.
EGM: Is there a particular cigar besides this one that you find always yourself going back to?
TC: No, it really is this one but I guess Romeo y Julieta is my go-to brand as the flavour profile is just really good if you’re being indecisive. Any of the Wide Churchills, Short Churchills, all of those are absolutely terrific.
Romeo y Julieta cigars are Tom's go-to cigar brand
EGM: What’s the most prized possession in your humidor at the moment?
TC: The Cohiba Sublimes Limited Edition 2004.
EGM: And what cigar would you recommend to beginners?
TC: I think a lot of people would recommend the Epicure No. 2 which is why I wouldn’t recommend it.
EGM: Why you wouldn’t recommend it?
TC: Correct. Because it’s so boring. But weirdly enough I’d say the Montecristo Edmundo, because it’s light enough that you can bear it but big enough that people feel like they’re really smoking a cigar. There’s a real culture of smoking, stogies, you know what I mean? And if you pick an Edmundo, it’s a really super introduction to cigar smoking. There’s also the Petit if you want something a little, well, petite.
Tom Chamberlin at the Oscuro cigar lounge
EGM: What’s it been like being the Editor-in-Chief of a print magazine over the last couple of years?
TC: Great fun. For me anyway. It’s been very stressful, but I sort of thrive off that. I get a kick out of things being high tempo and I function in that environment fairly well. That kind of organised chaos.
EGM: It’s interesting as well because you went from physically working with a relatively big team, to then suddenly stopping in its tracks. It was nigh on impossible to even shoot [the covers]. There must’ve been a point where you were like, ‘fuck, what’s going to happen now?’
TC: Well, the culture shock of remote working was less for me in the sense that Wei [Koh] is often based in Singapore, so I’m used to operating on Whatsapp. I think that my major challenge was meeting the expectations of our readers. I can’t really accept that readers would allow a poor quality issue due to Covid. People were looking for something to escape to and something to rely on. I think The Rake did that. We draw on old stories and remind people of the amazing lives that they lived. And you don’t really need to go outside to do that.
EGM: Tell us about what you’re wearing today.
TC: I’m wearing full bespoke Terry Haste. This is a house tweed basketweave that he designed with Nick Foulkes. I love tweed, it’s a great fabric. This jacket in particular is completely bulletproof so it’s nice to have in the winter. You don’t need to have an overcoat. These flannel trousers are also a bespoke pair he made me many years ago. The shirt is by Turnbull & Asser, a bespoke cashmerello. I go shooting in this, it’s a terrific shirt.
EGM: Shoes?
TC: Shoes are Cleverley Hague IIs. They’re the first pair of Cleverley’s that I got. I like them because they look like cap-toe Oxfords or dress shoes, but they are slip ons and I really like that.
Tom Chamberlin wears Terry Haste, Turnbull & Asser and George Cleverley
EGM: Tell us about your favourite experience at The Rake…
TC: There’s been a fair few. I mean, recently I ate pizza on a Riva yacht in Cannes with Matt Damon which was quite interesting.
EGM: Not too many people can say they’ve done that.
TC: I know, it’s weird because at the time I was very stressed out as it was a flying visit and it felt like it was a big moment for The Rake. The French and English were exchanging friendly fire in regards to travel restrictions, but we did pull it off. Another time, I drove a £2.5 million Aston Martin DB5 reconstruct which was quite something. Those are two highlights definitely.
Tom and Matt Damon eating a pizza in Cannes. Credit @tfchamberlin
EGM: What’s in store for The Rake in 2022?
TC: More!
EGM: Go on…
TC: More women’s content. We’ve rolled out Mrs. Rake. Each year begins with our women’s issue. People are going to get an enhanced version of what they’ve known before because we do feel strongly that before Matt, the brand and idea of The Rake was very strong. I am hesitant to make too many changes on things unduly, but I will be hopefully keeping it interesting, transcending, unapologetically rakish.
EGM: New Year’s Eve plans?
TC: God that’s a great question, I don’t know. We’ll probably have a drinks party at our house. Loads of friends, always very good. And they leave promptly after twelve o’clock.
EGM: You’re a man of many words. What words do you live by?
TC: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Otherwise: be nice, and say sorry if you’re not.
Tom Chamberlin and Giuliano Santilli