Designer Forum New York Recap

This weekend I attended Designer Forum New York, a menswear trade show sponsored by the Custom Tailors and Designers Association, the oldest trade organization in the US. The event allowed me to finally meet two cyber-colleagues in person: Ivy-Style contributor Zachary DeLuca and author G. Bruce Boyer. Meanwhile, the clothes on display (such as the above ties by R. Hanauer), included some bright preppy garb and licensed collegiate stuff.

Ivy-Style contributor Zach DeLuca was down from Cambridge for his second fitting of a custom suit. He’s promised a full report when it’s done. He stopped by the show on Saturday; it was his first time at a menswear trade event. “I’ve never had so many straight guys look me over,” he said.

DeLuca was dressed in a vintage charcoal suit from Richman Brothers — three-button with natural shoulder, hooked vent, et cetera — a blue buttondown, wingtips, and vintage tie from Langrock:

Amid all the sartorialists doing the quadruple lutz (patterned jacket, shirt, tie and pocket square), DeLuca and I — both in charcoal gray, rep ties and solid oxford shirts — looked like agents from the health department inspecting the lunch spread.

Bills Khakis was there, along with several preppy lines from the South, including Southern Proper, a menswear collection started by two young ladies. This look was theirs:

Along with these bow ties, including emblematics with cigars and bourbon:

Peter Millar showed these colorful wool scarves made from necktie material:

Next winter, Vineyard Vines will bring out flannel trousers embroidered with mistletoe and Santas clinging to anchors:

They will also introduce shetland crewnecks and an unstructured flannel sportcoat with 3/2 roll and patch pockets, a sign that the menswear market is increasing its tradly offerings.

Vineyard Vines’ inspiration board was called “Head of the Charles” and was very vintage collegiate:

There were two companies that hold apparel and accessories licenses for major universities. Pennington and Bailes showed collegiate critter pants, promising the Ivy colleges soon:

Smathers & Branson specializes in needlepoint belts and accessories, and also hold licenses for many colleges. The Ivies agreed to belts and keychains, but not flasks:

On day two Bruce Boyer and I toasted our promotions last week to Contributing Editors at The Rake (the third musketeer with that title is Nick Foulkes).

At the Holland & Sherry booth, the company president showed us fabrics including a $5,000-per-yard vicuna, which means for a custom suit you’re looking at $20K just in materials.

Here we are. I think I may look slightly better in black and white. — CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD

11 Comments on "Designer Forum New York Recap"

  1. Gregorius Mercator | January 18, 2010 at 3:10 pm |

    I’m sorry but I just don’t like embroidered trousers one bit – I think they look gaudy, ostentatious, and affected.

    Those scarves look great, though, and I’m definitely digging the ensemble in the last photo.

  2. The guy wearing Anderson & Sheppard or the other guy?

  3. Mr. Boyer’s turn-back cuffs are pretty nifty.

  4. Hanauer is also doing some nice silk D-ring belts.

    Seeing Mr. Deluca’s tie put in mind the negative response many readers had to the Langrock jacket in one of the early pieces. I am thinking that the fondness I have for Langrock will not be universal any time soon.

    When it comes to embroidered pants I live by the words “Better crabs on your pants then in your pants”

  5. You’ve got a good memory, Mr. Sharp, though I’m sure the dislike for that jacket had to do with the era of its origin, not its maker.

  6. The jacket cut reminded me of Press. The Tweed is most likely a rare defunct variety. I think it was the chamois that made people apoplectic. All in all it was a nice authentic piece. If the readers who reacted negatively to the jacket associate all Langrock products with it, my ability to acquire IVY treasures will continue.

  7. Gauntlet cuffs? Controversial…

  8. Indeed, I think even I saw that kerfuffle on Style Forum.

    I asked Bruce what they were called, and he didn’t know. He said, “Sleeve cuffs.”

    I said, “Michael Anton would know.”

    Bruce said, “What’s more, he’d know the Italian for it.”

  9. A lot of those pictures on the VV “Inspiration Board” are from a couple of Fall 2005 J. Crew catalogs. In my opinion, those are some of the best catalogs ever printed, especially by J. Crew.

    I think it’s interesting to see that companies like Vineyard Vines and Southern Proper are still, presumably, doing well. I thought the ship was going to sale on that stuff two or three years ago, but somehow it’s still around.

  10. Guys – excellent collection of wonderful sources of product and inspiration. There seem like a ton of new companies dedicated to their founder vision of style popping up all over. Hope you can continue to profile those laboring to keep traditional clothing relevant today.

    How about an interview with the ladies of Southern Proper?

  11. I’m not thrilled with needlepoint accessories that are made in Asia. Preppy seems to have gotten off course.

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