Dapper and Suave: Style counsel.

Finally tying the knot after being together for 15 years, Rob and Jason moved from South London to Dorking in 2012, attracted not only by the creativity they encountered on visits, but also by the natural beauty of the Surrey Hills.

They pretty much live by their company motto of “Do Well, Live Well and Dress Really Well”. And while sartorial chic is a personal code of honour for them, it’s not their sole concern. “We really enjoy working with people to help them grow their businesses with training on key areas like social media, customer service and range display.”

The natural environment is still high on their list of reasons to live here. “We love being surrounded by nature and the views of Box Hill and St Martins Church. And whenever we’re blessed with some downtime, we enjoy the peace and quiet of our garden and the company of our two cats”.

Sounds like the purr-fect paws (geddit?) to refresh and recharge their distinctive style talents for the benefit of us lucky locals!

In 2015, two stylish gents set up Dapper & Suave. Working out of their HQ in Dorking, founders Rob and Jason (who describe themselves as “makers, stylists and market hosts”) began developing a distinctive creative vision that now straddles style and design across two businesses.

The first, Dapper & Suave, sells handmade accessories, design items and wellness products from what Rob and Jason call a “shop in a box”, which appears at their regular live events. You can also find their shop-in-a-box online at Etsy.

Cravats, pocket squares, bow ties, and hair accessories all feature their trademark taste in colour and pattern, while unique design drawings grace cards and self-penned story books with illustrations by local artists. Candles and unisex skin care products make up the wellness range.

Founded more recently, Curated by Dapper & Suave does exactly what it says on the tin. Through “pop-up department stores” at various locations across Surrey, Rob and Jason showcase “friendly, unique and creative businesses” alongside their own brand. They also have an online directory for between events.

“Until our full-time jobs disappeared in the pandemic, Dapper & Suave was a passion side-project. But since then, it’s become our primary focus, and we’ve had a really exciting time lately, dramatically expanding our handmade product range.”

Rob & Jason have considerable commercial experience to draw from. Rob, who previously worked in high-street and franchise retail, now teaches Merchandising and Supply Chain Management at the London College of Fashion – beat that for a stamp of credibility!

Meanwhile, Jason’s history in event management eventually led him to retail, giving his passion for service the opportunity to flourish. Intriguingly, he also held a decade-long job at the House of Commons. Working in the Sergeant At Arms department, he was even responsible for opening the Committee Floor of Portcullis House.