Is Your Haircut an Afterthought?

Wise advise from my friends at Chez Moustache in Providence!!

Tailored Inspiration

I’m looking forward to my upcoming trip to Providence on June 14 and 15. Please read this inspiring blog post from Jen and Cheryl my new friends at Chez Moustache. It turns out they had been watching Failure Club online last year!

Save the Date

Look out Providence – Here I come!

Tip of the Hat: A Dandy Sign of Respect

It is my pleasure to tip my hat in honor of my friend Patrick McDonald.

As you can see he really turned it out – cape and all – for the opening of the RISD Museum of Art’s “Artist/Rebel/Dandy Men of Fashion” exhibit in Providence. I have a lot of hats, but my collection pales in comparison to the millinery perfection of Patrick’s.

And Patrick wasn’t the only one to turn it out; the air was electric. . .the artists, the rebels, and the dandies were all in full effect. I should know.

I see a lot of fashion as you can imagine; I’m surrounded by it at home and work. And I spend a good amount of my day stalking sartorial prey. I love seeking out the most unusual and am always searching for breathe of fresh style.

And that is exactly what I found in Providence at the RISD Museum of Art’s “Artist/Rebel/Dandy Men of Fashion” exhibit.

It is truly an  inspiring show that will thrill fashion geeks and fashionista elite alike. Through the curators’ eyes, Kate Irwin and Laurie Anne Brewer, we see a lot including the beginnings of accessible men’s fashion – I know it doesn’t compare to todays’s fast fashion, but prior to Beau Brummel this kind of sartorial pleasure was the sole province of Kings and maybe a few Dukes, not commoners like me.

This exhibit exults in men of fashion and how men experiment with fashion through shape, look, pattern and color. It was exciting for me. . .I felt validated for what I do and  inspired by the others I met.

For example check out my friend Guy Hills modern take on tweed. Not only does he experiment with color, but he has applied the most modern of technology to the most traditional of fabrics. The photo above is not overexposed – it shows off the awe-inspiring 3M technology he’s using in some of his fabric. Now that is something I could have used during the black out after super storm Sandy last fall. Dodging cars and buses as I walked my dogs in the dark would have been much safer and of course more stylish in such a suit!

But I digress. . .I had fun with my sartorial expression up in Providence as well.

When I packed for the event I borrowed from history as I often do and tried to give voice to a number of my favorite eras.

I kicked things off at the Opening Night Gala with my homage to the rat pack. It was all 1960s Las Vegas – satin white tux jacket paired with traditional black pants – with a personal nod to Harlem in the form of my white vintage Stacy Adams shoes. Of course I added an additional special flair with a super-sized pink pocket square, a slick black cummerbund and a classic 1960s style tie that has a truly millennial flair.

On the second night I donned my favorite bright plaid Vivienne Westwood cutaway jacket with my 1990s Dolce and Gabbana purple velvet pants paired with my new suede John Varvatos lace up shoes. So it’s not just color but pattern and texture. . .I love mixing them as well. Finally on the third day – Sunday – I donned one of my favorite pinstripe numbers to cheer on the tweed riders.

The entire weekend was a pleasure both sartorially and otherwise. I learned a lot from the exhibit and I met a lot of very inspiring people.

I encourage everyone to visit the exhibit this summer – it’s on view at the RISD Museum of Art – 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI – until August 18, 2013.

In the meantime I hope all my new friends and old will stop by my shop in NY to say hi and share your sartorial memories – they are the best kind!

Artist/Rebel/Dandy Men of Fashion at the Rhode Island School of Design’s Museum of Art

 

I talk a lot about my sartorial journey.

And a big part of my work as a stylist, designer and haberdasher involves helping the guys I work with find their own sartorial path. Tonight I’ll have the chance not just to talk about my journey, but to see it through other people’s eyes. I will attend the grand opening of the new fashion exhibit “Artist/Rebel/Dandy Men of Fashion” at RISD’s Museum of Art.

What does this exhibit have to do with me you might ask.

A year ago I would have said not much other than it sounds like an exhibit I’d love to see. But now I can proudly tell you that it’s a part of my personal sartorial journey.

Not only is it an exploration of men and their relationship with their wardrobes, but it’s also a celebration of many of the extraordinarily stylish guys I have admired all my life. And by some incredible stroke of luck I’ve been included in roster of stylish guys put together by curators Kate Irvin and Laurie Ann Brewer.

This incredible photograph taken of my by Bill Gentle of backyardbill.com will be in the exhibit along with the suit I’m wearing.

Of course every man is not born to be a dandy like me and not all dandies are alike. And that’s exactly what this exhibit is about – the full spectrum of men who follow my personal manifesto:

“Enjoy what you wear. Wear what you enjoy. Then go out and show the world exactly what you’re made of.”

I’m off to the museum – follow me on twitter and facebook – I’ll be updating everyone of the sartorial plumage I’m sure to witness tonight!!

Opening Tonight!!

Paul Smith Today Vintage Tomorrow

Last night we celebrated the Grand Opening of our very own QP & Monty shop in Greenwich Village NYC.

It was a great night full of family and friends.

We shot a video so you’ll have the full 360 soon. But for now please know that I am a happy man with my shop open and kickstarter in mid-stream. So until I can upload the video here’s a shot of me today – the master of my vintage universe.

But I’m not always decked out in head to toe vintage – today it’s all recent Paul Smith from the neck to the ankles! (Hat and shoes are vintage – my nod to the old school.) It’s my dream to not only wear Paul Smith, but to follow in his footsteps and build a small empire of my own.

It’s all vintage in the shop now, but with your help we’ll be able to launch Sartorial Pairings our new apparel and accessories brand. It’s got old school style, but it’s designed for new world lives!

For a preview and hopefully to order a vest or fob and chain please visit kickstarter.com and search for Sartorial Pairings!

In the meantime you’ll find me at the shop – QP & Monty – 55 Greenwich Avenue (entrance on Perry Street) in NYC.

Cheers,

Ignacio

 

Please Join Us for Our Grand Opening – Thurs Sept 20!

It Was a Good Day for a Derby

Photo by Rog Walker from a photo essay “Waiting” by Rog Walker and Bianca Pandit of speakingpixels.com

I love all the sartorial flourishes.

Clearly vests, fobs and chains are on the top of my list – that’s why I’m compelled to design them first. But I always love to don a hat. And this derby is a favorite.

I’m not sure why – perhaps because it makes me look like an Englishman, perhaps because it doubles as a hard hat thereby providing me with extra protection as I walk around the city, perhaps because I love the Avengers.

All I know is that the day I met my friends Rog Walker and Bianca Pandit for their photo essay “Waiting” – it was a good day to wear a derby.

If you’d like to see more of their work check out their blog speakingpixels.com.

And if you have an extra  moment please check out my kickstarter video by searching for Sartorial Pairings at kickstarter.com.

Made in NYC USA: It’s Not Just a Catch Phrase. It’s Real Jobs for Real People.

Photo by Andre Wagner of abstractelements.com

Everyone knows I love fashion, but it’s possible that my passion for NYC may surpass my sartorial obsessions.

I was born and raised in NYC at a time when manufacturing was still part of the fabric of city life. When people with skills like sewing and tailoring could live in the city and raise their children here. It wasn’t all rainbows and sunbeams in my home as a kid, but my mom worked hard and taught us that if we made an effort we could succeed at anything we put our minds to. She was a seamstress and proud member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.

She spent long hours sewing garments some of which ended up hanging in the finest department stores on Fifth Avenue. I didn’t always like the time she spent away from us at work, but I always loved the magic she could perform with a needle and thread. It’s with her in mind that I want to produce my capsule collection in NYC.

If you’ve been following my journey you know that a year ago I wasn’t sure where to get a pattern made or produce garments in quantity. In January I was lucky enough to learn about a new “City Source” event produced by the Garment Industry Development Corporation (GIDC) and FIT (Fashion Institute for Technology).  It’s a semi-annual event to showcase the best garment industry suppliers in NYC. I spent hours wandering around talking to the various garment industry representatives at the event.

My project was too small for some and too large for others.

I began to worry that I might have to look outside of the city to get my needs met at a reasonable cost. Then I met Zoila of Zoila’s Sample Room and I knew immediately that my sartorial dreams could become a reality. And that I could also help provide real jobs for real people in NYC USA. Real people like my Mom and Zoila and all the people in her employ. While it’s a great feeling to make my own dreams come true it’s even more fulfilling to simultaneously extend a  hand up to others.

How can you help  – look at your labels – pay attention to where your clothing is made.

According to the GIDC’s website “recent reports verified by Merrill Lynch indicate that if each American spent an extra $6.41 on U.S. made goods each week, this alone would create almost 1 million new jobs. This equates to less than one dollar per day to save the U.S.A.” And – while I know it’s also self-serving – backing my kickstarter campaign will help not just me but it will allow me to help a lot of other real people including my new friend Zoila and the women and men who work for her supporting their families just like my Mom did decades ago.

Made in NYC USA.

It’s not just a catch phrase. It’s real jobs for real people.

It’s real families living in NY, NY: a place so nice they named it twice.