Simon Montford
Growing up in a large house in the Chelsea section of London, Simon Montford was exposed to the finer things British culture has to offer. But his life was not without some bumps in the road. When his parents divorced at the age of seven, and his mother remarried, Montford was promptly sent off to boarding school. “It was quite a traumatic experience,” recalls Montford. Through the rather abrupt childhood transition, what stands out most for Montford, is a compelling attachment to his favorite toys. “I remember being told that I could pack only a couple of toys. I chose two identical Hot Wheels, one red and one white,” says Montford. “They were my most prized possessions during a difficult time. I felt connected to them because they were familiar objects from home. I don’t know what happened to them, but I’d love to stumble upon them one day.”
Montford’s connection to the lost innocence of his youth, the toys and culture of that era, has followed him into adulthood. As the founder and CEO of Vibio, a website for collectors and people who wish to display the things they love, Montford is turning his life’s passion for nostalgia into a career. ‘It seems that many of my most prized possession maintain a steadfast link to my childhood.”
Take Montford’s personal style for instance. “When it comes to clothing and accessories, I am inspired by a mixture of influences, but in particular I love two iconic Steve McQueen movies, ‘Le Mans’ (1971) and ‘The Thomas Crown Affair.’ (1968),” says Montford. “McQueen was so well dressed, and had such an incredible sense of style.” Along similar lines, Montford considers a pair of Asprey Cufflinks in the shape of two sterling silver Ferrari wheel spinners, among his most treasured possessions. Not only are they “wearable works of art,” he says, “but they were used as gadgets right out of a scene in the James Bond movie, ‘Goldfinger’ (1964). In the scene the spinners extended from the wheel of Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 to shred the tires of an overtaking car.”
“I was mildly obsessed with James Bond as a child” admits Simon. He didn’t stop at cufflinks and actually purchased a Ferrari 308 GT4 in the 1990s, because it was reminiscent of the car in the movie, ‘The Spy who Loved Me’ (1977). “It’s styled by the same design house,” says Montford, who toyed with the idea of becoming a car designer while at art college in London before he became a serial tech entrepreneur. He founded his first start-up icollector in 1991.
While Montford maintains great enthusiasm for his 1:18 Scale 1965 Cobra Daytona Coupe by Exoto, his Marc Ecko Brigs Gent Watch and his 1:18 Scale 1955 Mercedes Benz, as a boy he didn’t treat said objects with the same physical passion. “The truth is,” he admits, grinning boyishly, “I was obsessed with smashing my toys up and making them explode and crash and stuff. But I’m not like that anymore.”
So how does Montford view his very English upbringing today? “From looking at my collections on vibio you will see that I own a top hat and tuxedo, traditionally worn by Brits at formal occasions. However, in the UK, I’m regarded as a little bit eccentric, even by British standards! I’ve always done things differently,” explains Montford, who was expected to go to Eton and Cambridge like his father, but studied art instead at St. Martins in London. “I could have followed in my father’s footsteps but working for a corporation was not my thing. Instead I chose a very different path.”
As the founder of a company that focuses on what people own and want, one would expect Montford to be materialistic, but he maintains a different point of view. “While I derive enormous pleasure from my possessions I’ve never felt overly attached to them,” says Montford, “because I view objects as being transient. Why get obsessed with ownership? Enjoy them while you have them but remember that one day they will be passed along to the next person in line, either as a gift, inheritance or purchase.”
Check out Simon’s profile on vibio and follow him on twitter.
As the founder of a company that focuses on what people own and want, one would expect Montford to be materialistic, but he maintains a different point of view. “While I derive enormous pleasure from my possessions I’ve never felt overly attached to them,” says Montford, “because I view objects as being transient. Why get obsessed with ownership? Enjoy them while you have them but remember that one day they will be passed along to the next person in line, either as a gift, inheritance or purchase.”
Check out Simon’s profile on vibio and follow him on twitter.
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