Orlebar Brown founder Adam Brown’s favourite things and one he ‘cannot bear’

At home with Adam Brown, who says yes to a vintage Fiat but no thanks to karaoke. The regular A Muse column appears in the winter issue out on May 12.

Adam Brown, the co-founder of Orlebar Brown loves backgammon, black truffle crisps and losing himself in the Louvre.

My style signature . . .

I’d describe it as flexible, versatile and adaptable. I never dress for a particular occasion. I dress in a way that will see me through the many things I have to do through the day right through to the evening.

The thing that I always wear is . . .

A navy cashmere crew. It's something navy and there’ll be cashmere involved. I do wear a lot of navy. It makes life very easy.

Adam Brown in his signature navy cashmere. The photograph is of his grandmother, who raised him and inspired his love of travel and adventure. Mark O’Flaherty

A great extravagance I once bought was . . .

A 1978 Fiat 124 Spider. It was moss green with a tan roof. I could ill afford anything at the time and was living on baked beans, but I saw this and any semblance of rational thinking abandoned me. It was a heap of trouble and never stopped breaking down but the times it did work, and the sun was out, made it totally worth it.

The watch I wear the most is . . .

A matte black IWC Top Gun double chronograph. I got it about four years ago. It's very understated. I don't wear jewellery and I think a watch is probably the only opportunity where a man can accessorise easily. I also have a Panerai Regatta which I quite like when on holidays because you can put brightly coloured rubber straps on easily. But 80 per cent of the time I’ll be wearing my IWC.

The fragrance I wear is . . .

I’m not a big fan of fragrance but I do have Comme des Garcons Black. The Comme des Garcons fragrances are more sandalwoody. They’re not sharp and citrusy, which I don't like. I like that rather musky sandalwood smell that's drier.

Adam Brown's go-to timepiece is a matte black IWC Top Gun. Mark O’Flaherty

You can never be overdressed, true or false?

False. I think you can be overdressed, by which I mean you can have too many things going on with your outfit. Perhaps it's that I’m a man of a certain age. I don't mix a velvet jacket with a corduroy trouser. I’m not a dandy dresser, I find that slightly distracting. I believe the person should be the one who shines through.

If money were no object, the artist I would collect is . . .

Andy Goldsworthy, the sculptor. Having just bought in the North Yorkshire Moors, my dream would be to commission an Andy Goldsworthy to put somewhere in the gardens. Also, I went to the Francis Bacon exhibition last year and I walked around saying, "god, how much would I love to own one of these". Not that I could afford that either.

Brown at his house in Cornwall. He's also recently bought in the North Yorkshire Moors. Mark O’Flaherty

I always have on hand, for when friends pop in . . .

A delicious gin and tonic, which I have with cucumber or a slice of orange, and black truffle crisps; I like the Torres brand. As for the gin, there's an artisanal brand that's made near my place in Cornwall called Tarquin's. It's a small distillery. I buy it by the case and wherever I am, there's a bottle of it.

My idea of a good time . . .

It's not snow, it's not up a mountain somewhere. It's sunny and there's water of some kind close by. I don't really care what sort of water it is. I’m happy anywhere really if I’m by water.

I’m very fortunate that I’m happy with my own company, but when I’m with friends, my idea of a good time wouldn't be particularly noisy. There might be some games, backgammon or cards. There wouldn't be throbbing music.

But don't expect me to . . .

Sing karaoke. I cannot bear it, singing karaoke – or bungee jumping, for that matter, because I suffer from vertigo. I have some very strange friends whose idea of a good time is karaoke, but for me it's like a fire in a pet shop. I haven't had enough therapy to get me to the point where I’m comfortable enough to sing in public.

Happiness is a game of backgammon; Brown doesn't travel without a board. Mark O’Flaherty

My failsafe gift is . . .

The Feu de Bois candle from Diptyque. It's probably a bit safe but people seem to like them. I tend to tread safely when gift-giving. The times I’ve given too much thought to it, I don't tend to get it right.

A game I love to play is . . .

Backgammon. When I was 17 or 18 I used to go backpacking in Europe. I would stay in Mykonos for three months, and I might just pay a pound a night to sleep on a rooftop. I always had a backgammon board in my bag, and I’d always make friends.

A film I saw recently and loved . . .

The Banshees of Inisherin blew me away. I sometimes worry at how much I enjoy these dark tragicomedy films. The relationship between Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson is wonderful, the west coast of Ireland has never looked better and the storyline totally original. And of course, there is the real star: Jenny the donkey. I am now desperate for a miniature donkey.

An art gallery or museum that I love is . . .

The Royal Academy in London or maybe the Rijksmuseum or the Louvre. I like places where I can spend hours. When I go to a city I like to make an event of going to a museum or gallery, and see different styles, different forms, different things.

A place overseas that I’m impatient to get back to is . . .

Namibia. Just before lockdown I went hiking there for nearly three weeks and felt I had only just started to see what it was about. I never imagined that the desert could take so many forms. It's a magical place.

"I’m changing my life every few years," says Brown. Pictured is his Cornwall home. Mark O’Flaherty

My greatest inspiration is . . .

My grandmother. She was the person who used to tell me stories about travel. She brought me up. I was born in Malaya and we lived in Hong Kong and Japan. She used to tell me these incredible stories of travel, and of wanting to do stuff, of not being satisfied with what you’ve got and having that rather itchy sense of wanting to have new adventures.

So I’ve recently sold everything in London and I’ve moved up to North Yorkshire. I’m changing my life every few years; starting around travel and holidays – it's all because of her.

As told to Matthew Drummond

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