When I was younger I used to love going to stay over at Grandma’s house every Saturday night. I would wake on Sunday mornings to the smell of Grandma’s baking knowing that it wasn’t long until I would be sitting in front of the television set to watch the classic Land of the Giants. It was a show that I used to love, I would often pretend to be one of the small characters in the back yard.

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Godfather - is how many would describe the leader of a gangster or mafia organisation who are in charge of certain areas or cities committing crimes and killings.

So looking at the above sentence would you take offence if someone described you as being the Godfather of your profession?

I would describe Klaus Nienkamper as the Godfather of the furniture design industry; and I’ll tell you why. Yes a Godfather and his organisation may allegedly perform the above but they also show great qualities in the meaning of family. A Godfather will always put his family first and make every decision with their family in mind, constantly looking out for them and his customers [the extended family]. Klaus is a man very much like this and after forty years in the industry is still to this day always putting his workers and clients at the forefront of his mind. This may go somewhat to explaining just why this legend is at the top of his game with a company whose reputation is world renowned.

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There is an age old saying that fashion changes like the weather, one minute a trend or style is in and the next it is more out than George Michael in a public restroom. If indeed fashion does change like the weather and with today’s global warming effect making weather so unpredictable, fashion should be constantly updated rather than just being all about Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter.

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I have just received the third email of the day informing me that I have been super poked by one of my friends and it is only 10am. I stop what I am doing and immediately switch browser windows, open on my Facebook page, and look to see who it was. It was my friend James who is actually sitting at the other end of the room, when I look up he is smiling and waving in sarcastic excitement. I think it is fairly safe to say that social networking sites seem to have taken over people’s lives as the main form of communication between friends, relatives and even “friends” you have never met. People are finding themselves with bigger addictions than Amy Whinehouse as they communicate through sites such as Myspace, Bebo and Facebook, myself included.

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In the last few years, modern men have become labeled with the tag metrosexual as they adopt beauty regimes that contain more products than a M.A.C. store counter display. I myself have tried to become one of these modern-day, metrosexual men who have helped the male beauty industry grow by over 30% in recent years. Throughout my metrosexual period, I’ve tried moisturising, favoured expensive hair salon experiences over backstreet barber shops, and even worn “guyliner”—all to be seen as “with it.” It is now coming to light, though, that women of the naughties are having a rethink and have decided that they want “real” men back in their lives. Even James Bond has forsaken us metrosexuals and ditched the smooth, polished look presented by Pierce Brosnan in favour of the raw, rugged, masculine image of Daniel Craig. Woman have decided that while they still want their men to take care of themselves, they shouldn’t show it and instead should present the image of masculine men who ooze testosterone and “real man” sexiness. So what does that mean for us metrosexual men who secretly enjoy our new, beautified lifestyles filled with manicures, facials, and that just-cut salon hairstyle?

Designer James Patmore realised the predicament metrosexual men are facing and set about designing a gentlemen’s dresser that could accommodate these new problems we modern men face. The Armadillo dressing table looks like a high-end work desk that transmits more masculinity than Popeye post-spinach. Wood strips housed upon a steel frame are at varying lengths, providing that rugged look, while sliding the strips reveals secret compartments to house male grooming products. Patmore’s Armadillo name was inspired by an advert he once saw as a kid, with the slogan, “crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, armadillo.” Patmore thought this slogan was ideal for playing with the stereotypes of masculinity.

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