FRASERSHOT
FRASERSHOT STUDIOS/CROCKETT & JONES Real Innovation at Ring Jacket Four months; one fitting This 66-year-old, Osaka-based brand’s embrace of old-world style – full canvas, classic-width lapels and Neapolitan proportions, including a higher, softer spalla camicia shoulder – masks a deeply innovative approach to fabric. ringjacket.com Sleek and Chic at Giorgio Armani Four weeks; one fitting You, too, can look like a movie star – that is, if you go for Fatto a Mano suiting by Giorgio Armani, who has dressed leading men like Christian Bale, George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Richard Gere for decades, both onscreen and off. Armani’s house style varies from Wall Street, a powerful silhouette that will cut a swath through any boardroom, to Soho, a sexier, narrower version, closer to that toocool look that reinvented Hollywood glamour. armani.com Red-Carpet Ready at Dolce & Gabbana Eight weeks; two fittings Suits (and more) for true peacocks and classic captains of industry alike. Dolce & Gabbana can accent your tuxedo in sequins or whip you up something in emerald brocade – however the spirit moves you among the 500 available fabrics, including some made with 24-karat gold thread. dolceandgabbana.com Timeless Style, Your Way at Prada Six weeks; one fitting It’s not only suits; at 48 stores worldwide you can also modify the brand’s shirts and legendary outerwear. Each shop contains a VIP room with a made-to-measure expert on hand, whether your garment be made from guanaco or Guanashina. prada.com New Guard, Old Tricks at Paolo Martorano Twelve weeks; at least three fittings The 27-year-old Martorano offers bench-made tailoring (a single tailor works on a suit, from start to finish), and provides a masculine silhouette with a natural shoulder and “the comfort of a cashmere sweater”. His team travels; he once flew to Miami for a ten-minute fitting. “Some people are nice, and they’ll send a plane.” paolostyle.com Shoes Santoni Three months “Our typical customer is definitely a connoisseur,” says Giuseppe Santoni, CEO of the brand his father established in 1975. Take the coloration of shoes, for example: Santoni prepares the dyes in-house, so no shade is off limits. After measurements are taken at any of Santoni’s 29 boutiques worldwide, shoes made entirely to the client’s specifications are constructed with “crust” leathers – coloured not during the tanning process but by hand using water-based tints. Every detail is conceived and crafted in Italy. santonishoes.com George Cleverley Six to eight weeks Though Winston Churchill once called the toe of Cleverley’s shoes “suspiciously square”, it’s actually got a roundness to it, says George Glasgow Jr, who took over the firm from his father. The Glasgows travel together to supervise every trunk show – monthly in New York City and quarterly in major cities around the globe. The dedication to quality is unmatched, starting with the leather. Along with near-infinite customisation on style, Cleverley offers more than 100 shades of brown calf, plus 50 other skins, including alligator, deer and shark. george cleverley.com John Lobb The first pair takes up to nine months, subsequent pairs eight to 12 weeks John Lobb’s bootmaking roots may go back more than 150 years, but creative director Paula Gerbase is eyeing the future. “We’ve been developing a one-cut shoe,” she says. “There’s no tension, no seams around your foot. It’s really a glove-like sensation.” By appointment through the website – its shoemakers can come to you, and create any style you might like. johnlobb.com Crockett & Jones Eight to ten weeks for special orders; four months for a bespoke pair The 141-year-old marque – known for its Goodyear-welted footwear (pictured below) – is still familyrun in Northampton, England. You can pop into any one of the company’s 14 boutiques – from London and Paris to New York – for a special fitting, and to choose from a svelte selection of suedes and leathers. Each special order is personally approved by managing director Jonathan Jones – the great-grandson of founder Charles Jones. For a fully bespoke pair, head to the Paris flagship, where master craftsman Dimitri Gomez and his team pour upwards of 60 hours of meticulous handwork into each design. crockettandjones.com 39 DEPARTURES
DEPARTURES STYLE PRECIOUS THINGS 40 Clockwise from top left: Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex 8880 B S6 SQT watch, franckmuller.com Cartier Privé Tonneau Skeleton dual time zone watch, cartier.com Richard Mille RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph, richardmille. com Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Chronor watch, parmigiani.com Ahead of the Curve The distinctive barrel-shaped tonneau, first popularised in the early 1900s, is reappearing on discerning collectors’ wrists. Photograph by Maxime Poiblanc CREDIT SET STYLING GOES BY HERE CHLOE CREDIT DALEY GOES HERE
