But their nearly crazed excitement made me curious about "shoes that look and feel like art," "craftsmanship that you can so rarely find," "amazing finish". One would have thought they were describing a Stradivarius violin had they not mentioned Gucci, Tom Ford and Armani. OK. Enough! I set out with my friend R to have a look last weekend, his second trip.
That was last week. I am still as excited. No. There's still nothing in the shop for me. I am simply touched by how much passion designer Luis Antonio Torres III has for his art of creating beautiful clothing and accessories for men and quickly scheduled to shoot him in his own clothes.
Q&A
What is your personal style?
My personal style varies on my mood, the season and where I’m at in my life. Overall, I’m passionate about Milanese and Neapolitan trends as a starting point. I love mixing colours and wearing accessories in different colours that one may not expect to be worn together but yet somehow looks really chic.
I tend to mix my taste between Italian Style and Japanese style setups. For example, I find myself reinventing new ideas on how to make a great basic blazer always stand out from the rest. Whether I choose to add the pocket square for a bit of pop, or go totally sartorial with the hand stitching everywhere, or just go totally crazy an add a hood to my blazer for the rain season in Asia.
Personally I also love the shorter jackets not only because I’m short, but it also tells a story about my trousers, which are more often than not skin tight or really tapered as all my clients point out and comment on. I love fitted jackets and shirts, as the slim fit always shows off the beauty of the cuts and the clothing.
Another element to my personal style of dress is that I’m always found sockless. I wear almost all my shoes without socks as its so elegant when a man crosses his legs wearing a suit and you can see a little bit of skin on the leg. Just adds more personal style and flair than wearing hosiery on the foot.
What are you wearing?
In the photo, I’m wearing a 100% waterproof silk taffeta fabric from Mectex, Italy, which I cut into my Saigon Rain Blazer (pictured) with a detachable hood. The jacket is navy blue and has a lovely subtle shine because of the silk yarns woven into the fabrics. It’s 100% deconstructed so it fits just like a shirt.
The scarf is made from a vintage silk fabric that I picked up in New York and has navy blue, burgundy, and white geometric details. The scarf is 100% handmade and features hand-rolled edges. The trousers are a personal favourite and are a really fun summer tartan check in red, white and blue cotton.
The trousers are my novelty trim fit, 100% handmade, and are just a must-have for summer. The shirt is a classic white Oxford shirt with long point collar. Another basic must-have for any man’s wardrobe and of course the Red Suede Driving Loafers. And of course, all items are 100% made by Massimo Ferrari Bespoke.
Who is the Massimo Ferrari man?
The Massimo Ferrari man is a guy who sees himself as an evolving individual, most likely a CEO, international executive, jetsetter, or even a colleague in the fashion business. Our guys for the most part have got taste intuitively and are seeking new eccentric styles that cannot be found any place else in Saigon.
To our men, quality is the most important element along with the cut and fit. This allows our men to feel comfortable with our products and not have to feel worried about longevity of the products, brand or customer service. The Massimo Ferrari man comes to us for our expertise and service and therefore has a long-lasting relationship with us, returning season after season.
Where do you see Saigon's fashion now?
Personally, I think the fashion in Saigon right now is on a positive upward evolution. The brand wars of the great fashion houses still remain strong and will continue to be strong. However, the meaning and essence behind the brand, quality and direction has still not been interpreted correctly to the local consumers.
I find more often than not people love buying things here because of a name, rather than buying something that identifies with their own individual style or taste. I have seen numerous cases where a man’s style or woman's style for that matter resembling nothing of the clothing or accessory they just bought et al their personalities and styles clash. Hence, the brands win again with being a name.
We’re setting out to deliver and educate our clients about brand and style however well-versed they may be in fashion. It’s always refreshing to share new tips, and help refine our clients’ personal taste and style. And trust me, I always learn something new every day. If I had to put my finger on it, I would say the biggest drawback about Saigon's fashion is the lack of individual style we see.
There’s very little self-expression and subtle flamboyancy that is so needed in order for the fashion culture to evolve here. However, having said this, that just makes it all the more interesting and timely for what our group is gearing up to do in the next year.
Where would you like to see the label go?
For now Massimo Ferrari is developing rather quickly in the local market and we have big hopes for expanding the brand label throughout Asia. We are planning on opening our Massimo Ferrari Bespoke Lounge that will only cater to our clients seeking bespoke clothing in a private setting of a lounge.
The Bespoke Lounge will feature plush leather sofas, plush leather lounge chairs, great music, dim lighting, a small cocktail service bar, courtesy private phone lines, a shoe shine service, valet, free wifi, meeting centre, and all the elements of the bespoke suits, shoes, accessories and bags Massimo Ferrari is known for. All private. We are still debating over the cigar bar, but for now it’s just on the wish list.
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