Percival x Slazenger Goes Stateside
The Racquet Country Club on tour
By now, you’ll have seen the beautiful shots of our Percival x Slazenger Racquet Country Club. Our second Lookbook just dropped from across the pond, way out west in La La Land. Samuel Macon, our LA based Producer, was kind enough to send us this little postcard introducing the guys wearing the hell out of our new collection in the images.
David Browne is a native Angeleno, an artist and a designer. When he’s not raising two burgeoning young tennis players he’s lovingly restoring his vintage Porsche and trying to find time to hit a few balls with me (do you fancy swapping lives for a few days, David?). He’s been a fixture in the LA art and fashion scene for 20-plus years. I met him when he had his well-ahead-of-its-time store, Driftwood. He’s a sweetheart and legend. Find him at @davidbrowne.
@davidbrowne wears: Athletic Resort Cuban Shirt & Athletic Resort Cuban Shorts (left) & The Racquet Country Club T Shirt (right)
Ah, Driftwood. Legendary vintage clothing store on Sunset Boulevard. We love London and we’d never move, but in another life… right, who’s next?
Sasha Rodionov is a Russian-born, LA -based cinematographer and director. We met at the wonderful @OysterTennisClub and have been hitting on and off for the past few years. Unfortunately he’s very good and beats my ass every time. Here he is if you fancy a beating – @rodionovsanya.
We’re sensing mild animosity and jealousy here. Moving on quickly, Samuel.
James Cornelison is a musician and member of the band Lake Street Dive. He’s a great dude. I only met him recently when we linked up at Live Ball, a highly social tennis community in LA that goes by @LVBL. The first time we played together he ripped his knee wide open and kept playing… that’s when I knew we’d get along. Follow him at @cornelisonjames.
@cornelisonjames wears: Athletic Resort Cuban Shirt & The Racquet Country Club Cap (left) & Mega Waffle Quarter Zip (right)
So we’ve got a legendary local artist and designer, a Russian-born tennis ace / cinematographer and director, and a rock-hard musician. What about the court, though? That tennis court looks like a dream.
It’s a private court nestled in the trees — part of a meticulously maintained 1930s estate located in Tarzana, California, where the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains meet the hypnotic sprawl of the San Fernando Valley. Five friends (including me and our beloved friend and wardrobe stylist Jardine Hammond) met at the dead-end of a private road, punched in the gate code, and entered this lush tennis oasis. After our long, cold and dreary Los Angeles winter (for us it was really bad), the day of the shoot was the first real scorcher of the summer. Despite the heat, it just felt right to be in the sun. on the court, sheltered from the pulse of the megalopolis, quiet save for the rhythmic THWACK of our hits and the occasional expletive.
Well, Jesus Christ, that was like a scene-setting opening paragraph of a classic novel. Find yourself a producer who can casually use the word megalopolis and hit a backhand return right down the line. We’ll wait…
