Departures India Spring 2020

34 DEPARTURES STYLE

34 DEPARTURES STYLE SARTORIAL INTERESTS IT’S BEEN WELL PROVEN that the best way to stand out from the fashionable hordes is to sport something tailored perfectly – both to your physical form and your tastes. “Made-to-measure is suited to that,” says Bruce Pask, men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. “Pardon the pun.” While opportunities for customisation extend far beyond suiting, these days that’s still where the most exceptional, wardrobeimpacting offerings are found. Here, some of the best. Suits Ultimate Power Dressing at Stefano Ricci Six weeks; one or two fittings The first choice for some of the most elite gentlemen on the planet comes with the attention that only a tightly knit family business can provide. Recently, it celebrated a customer’s 1,000th order with a complimentary tuxedo. “We did the buttons with gold and diamonds,” says creative director (and Stefano’s son) Filippo Ricci. The company has 67 shops, in business capitals like London and Milan, as well as in destinations more familiar to oil barons than bankers, like Seoul and Baku, Azerbaijan. It will send tailors all over the world, and soon VIP clients will be invited to spend the night at luxe accommodations for fittings at the original Florentine atelier, where a warping machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci is still in active use for the silk passementerie – in shades once favoured by the Medici family. stefanoricci.com Unimpeachable Expertise at Anderson & Sheppard Eight to 12 weeks; at least three fittings At the legendary Savile Row tailor, it’s bespoke only. “We cut every customer his own individual pattern,” says Colin Heywood, the managing director of the 114-year-old firm whose loyal customers have included Cary Grant, Tom Ford and Prince Charles. What’s delivered is traditional care and craft (making a jacket requires thousands of stitches, each done by hand) with a slightly more modern aesthetic: higher armholes, lighter canvas, minimal padding in the shoulders. The gents are the tsars of tweed, working with top mills to develop proprietary fabrics like its glen-plaid merino from the Johnstons of Elgin mill. They make biannual visits to cities like New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Seoul. anderson-sheppard.co.uk Style on Demand at Ermenegildo Zegna Four to six weeks; one fitting Zegna creates workhorse suits for the man who needs to look elegantly pulled together every day and often Shirts Turnbull & Asser Six weeks; one fitting This shirtmaker, founded in 1885, is famous for its collar – it has a slight curve over the collarbone – but what really appeals to customers is the attention to detail. Eighteen body measurements are taken at a single fitting at one of its stores in London or New York, during which clients can choose from more than 1,000 fabrics. turnbull​andasser.com Charvet Five weeks; one fitting At the oldest shirtmaker in the world, colour is everything: It has over 5,000 fabrics to choose from. Charvet’s Paris-based tailors record 20 measurements at a client’s sole fitting, as well as his choice from among 80 collar options. charvet.com Pink Shirtmaker Eight weeks; one fitting The company, which has more than 80 stores worldwide, has a workshop solely for its bespoke shirting, which involves a selection of 400 fabrics. thomaspink.com into the night. The company is fully vertically integrated, “from sheep to shop”. Measurements can be taken at home, at the office, or at any Zegna store. Each year, Zegna takes on around 100 personalisation projects, which allow clients to customise their own suiting fabrics. zegna.com The Sky Is the Limit at Hermès Eight weeks; one fitting Under Véronique Nichanian, who was charged with bringing the storied house’s menswear into the modern era, much of the work is still done in the atelier at 24 Faubourg St-Honoré. In fact, 24 is the name given to the house’s most popular style of suiting – but if you prefer a look from an earlier collection, Hermès can make it. Before your fitting, during which ten points of measurement are taken, you can choose your suit’s lining from the fabrics used to make Hermès scarves. hermes.com

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. ring​jacket.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 35 DEPARTURES