This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Meet Mr. Richard Lieberman (@gastromauteur), a creative writer, director and strategist, living in an 18th century cottage with panoramic views of the Chilterns, outside Henley-on-Thames. Oxfordshire is home to his rural idyll within the UK. Story-telling is his stock-in-trade.
He helps lifestyle brands find and communicate their human angle by asking “Why?”. Quickly followed with “Why not?”.
His style is casual, but considered; understated and urbane; flecked with boho flair.
Richard, what does it mean for you to be a Modern Gentleman?
Interesting question – loaded with cultural baggage. Delve into etymology, and the term ‘gentleman’ is rooted in Latin and Old French. At its essence is good and noble conduct – not just status or style.
In 2022, these qualities speak louder than ever.
The ‘masculine’ component is irrelevant: what matters more are the personal and conscious choices every individual can make.
To act with humour and humility; dignity and discernment; kindness and consideration; resilience and (most attractively) generosity of spirit.
I try to cultivate these attributes in myself, and admire them hugely in others.
When it comes to style, where do you mostly get your inspiration from?
I’m a temporally-displaced Italophile, born three decades too late.
So, I gravitate towards the jet-set glamour of 1960s’ and 1970s’ southern Europe. Show me a Slim Aarons’ snapshot that doesn’t reel you in…
Gunter Sachs, Gianni Agnelli, Alain Delon, Marcello Mastroianni: they nail carefree nonchalance down to a tee. Cross the Atlantic, and Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Ralph Lauren mix sartorial ease with comfort in their own skin. Each embodies a magnetic allure.
But inspiration is everywhere: life teaches us so much, when we’re open to its lessons.
As Steve Jobs once said: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”. I think the same about ‘style’: it’s a way of being that transcends fashion or attire.
Style is how we are.
What’s your personal style signifier?
My tastes have changed little over time.
At 21, I bought my first classic car: a 1970 MGB GT in Old English White – 145 bhp Oselli engine, full-house rally spec. The only giveaways were Minilite wheels and a competition exhaust you could hear for miles…
Automobiles figure highly, and rotate frequently. My current calling-card is a near-mint Mercedes-Benz 190E; or, what I rate as the Rolex Oyster of classic cars.
At 24, I stumbled across a 1960s’ Omega De Ville. Manual-wind, date-view, graphic dial, in stainless-steel. It’s a tactile delight, and I doubt I’ll let it go.
I discovered scarves in my early teens. Silk, cashmere, cotton: the weather dictates which. Falconeri and Paul Smith have served me well.
A love of pocket knives I inherited from my maternal grandfather; he’d have appreciated my Atelier Perceval ‘Le Francais’… Handcrafted in Auvergne’s Thiers, it’s inspired by a 17th century couteau that its makers claim ‘will give you as much pleasure in cutting a sausage as a tournedos Rossini’. I won’t disagree.
Oh, and I can’t see me ditching my Havana Brown, Giorgio Armani AR8096 5026/53 sunglasses anytime soon.
What are your favorite wardrobe essentials?
In cooler months, I live in a selection of lightweight, slim-fitting, cashmere polo necks from Uniqlo. They’re warm and hard-wearing. No bothersome bobbles or dry-cleaning fuss here.
I’ll always make room for solid-colour shirts in shades of blue, grey and white: they go with – and under – anything. I mix and match fabrics by season.
The same goes for T-shirts: simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.
My artisan-made, 100% Alpaca poncho takes up space, but it unlocks my inner Francis Mallmann. Shame it doesn’t fit with my most ubiquitous ‘accessory’: a thick, cotton apron in faded, midnight blue. Dusted with decades of use and pizza flour…
What are your main passions and how do you cultivate them?
Cars, cooking and cinema have gripped me from childhood.
Julia Child was an early tutor. She showed me that food is more than fuel: it’s an everyday luxury, even with the most basic ingredients. Chasing perfection is a fool’s errand, but every meal is an opportunity to express myself creatively.
Driving, for me, is a form of meditation, regardless of the vehicle. Mastering the controls, achieving precision and efficiency: they require a certain feel for your machinery. I enjoy that interaction – preferably in something subtle and rear-wheel drive. Any variant of the Lancia Flaminia coupé would suit me fine… But if you’re offering, I’ll take a Citroën SM too.
Movies are entertainment; film-making is art. John Schlesinger’s gritty, 1969 classic, ‘Midnight Cowboy’ opened my eyes to the distinction, and I’ve never looked back. Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grande Bellezza’ is a film to live by. I’d be glued to it – even without sound.
What does your ideal Sunday look like?
Rise late for a little exercise: yoga or a brisk walk – something to get the system moving and build an appetite.
Take the car into town and grab a coffee, before hitting the market. See what’s on offer and plan the day’s meals from there.
Head home to cook.
Music on; Sébastien Tellier sounds good, as I write. A sip of wine precedes a languid lunch. Relax in the garden or watch a film after.
Perhaps a long, hot bath to unwind.
Ease into the evening, and a food show before dinner.
Settle down to read or indulge in an online game: ‘bookmarking’ classic cars…
Describe an interesting trip you have taken and tell us and what’s the next destination on your bucket list.
Tuscany is my spiritual home, but Provence runs it close. In my mind’s eye, I’m back at a special spot: un vieux cabanon, high in the hills of the Luberon, overlooking Roussillon and Mont Ventoux.
It’s warm, fragrant and calm. Lavender-scented; ochre-rich. The vista expands your horizon. Life moves slowly dans ce coin. Time to savour. Colour, flavour, passion, zest: they all capture and caress.
Food and wine and sun abound.
South America calls me for similar reasons. A taste-tour of Mexico could be an inspiring place to start. Watch the ‘Taco Chronicles’ on Netflix, and you’ll understand why.
Tell us what can never be missing in your liquor cabinet.
I’m a sucker for dry, tannic, Northern Italian reds. The Wine Society’s Bricco Rosso SuagnàLanghe is great value and pairs well with the sort of food I like to make and eat. Robust, yet refined.
For a post-prandial treat, I turn to Bepi Tosolini’s liquid gold: Grappa di Tocai Castagno Barrique. It’s a soft, smooth speciality, made from Friulano grape skins alone. Their resulting distillate is then aged for a minimum of two years in chestnut barrels. Such a beautiful, burnished hue – with a balanced, woody flavour. Squisita!
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