I remember the moment clearly, it’s one of my highlights of 2016 and I I’m sure I will be telling my grandchildren about it one day. I was sitting in the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse in London after a work trip and a day of shopping. I was checking my emails before I boarded and I got a mail saying I had been nominated as one of GQ’s best dressed men of 2016, I had to read the mail a couple of times for it to sink in, when it did, the first thing I did was order champagne, then I broke out into a flat panic… what was I going to wear to the awards? I was contemplating swapping my flight and instead of coming home, flying over to New York , or should I just spend an extra night in London and go walk London in search of the perfect outfit.
A million ideas were running through my head, should I go trendy or should I be the perfect gentleman in a three piece suit, both which I love, but I needed to stay true to my style. I like to describe my style as classic with a twist, or subtly loud. I was going to be standing with nine of the best dressed men in South Africa and we all wanted to look good.
When I landed the first thing I did was go through my cupboard to get some inspiration, I came across my dad’s Tuxedo and had a bit of a laugh, he always gave me shit for shopping so much, so I thought about wearing his tux in remembrance and as a bit of a “look dad, it all paid off” , but how would I make it “me”.
I knew exactly who to call to collaborate with and bring my idea to life. I called up Tailor Me and went to go see them the next day. I had all the faith in Tailor me. They are exceptional tailors and idea masters not only creating pure elegance but doing it with customer in mind. They take on the classic and bring it to life and create it for the modern man.
We started chatting ideas, looking at material, lapels, buttons, shapes and cuffs. My vision started to come together. We went with a twist on the classic tuxedo, all the elements of a tux but different, the cumber band was there but not in a traditional way, the blazer was true to the style of tux but longer and edgier and the pants cropped too. All of these ideas and elements would make a statement on the night paired with a Karl Largerfeld shirt and Jimmy Choo’s that I had seen in London a few days prior.
When I got a call a few days later to come for a fitting the excitement was too much to handle, I walked in a saw the creation hanging up, my smile got even bigger. As I slipped the suit on, I could feel the craftsmanship that went into making it, I stood in front of the mirror and admired every detail. It was pure perfection. The smile was now from ear to ear. The idea and collaboration was more than what I wanted. Tailor me knew who I was and exactly what I wanted. The final creation was a Tux with a twist and I felt empowered, confidant and in a state of euphoria when I accepted my award. Thank you Tailor Me and GQ.
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