MADE
new york bespoke
in
MANHATTAN
E. vogel dean vogel of E Vogel, a fourth-generation family footwear business
Fast fashion be damned, bespoke is back. In fact, it never went away. Aaron Peasley meets the New York artisans who are bucking the trend for disposable everything and attracting new converts in the process. Photography Caroline West a pr i l 2014 Q A N TA S 8 3
bespoke new york
E Vogel’s tools of the bootmaking trade
E Vogel
19 Howard Street. (212) 925 2460. vogelboots.com Show ponies, polo champions and fashion insiders are among the customers at this fourth-generation family business, which specialises in impeccably crafted footwear, particularly traditional riding boots. The entirely handmade process begins with foot measurements taken from the client, upon which wooden moulds, or lasts, are carved in preparation (replicas of your feet will be stored in the archives upstairs alongside those of luminaries such as Henry Kissinger, Madonna and Daniel Day-Lewis, should another pair be required). From there, every phase of the process is tailored, from a client’s choice of shoe style and preferred shape of toe, right down to his or her name stamped on the tongue. Considering the amount of work put into each pair, these shoes should be considered an investment as opposed to run of the mill kickabouts. A pair of genteel-looking riding boots starts at $US875 ($965) and custom shoes at $US1475 ($1628), but given that the company produces as few as 2000 pairs a year, you’ll be in elite company, indeed.
In an era of unbounded consumerism, with shopping at the tap of a
smartphone, many people are searching for products not manufactured in the millions. Unique items made and hand-finished using quality materials set their owners apart in a throwaway culture. One-of-a-kind clothing, accessories and homewares impart a welcome jolt of idiosyncrasy, suggesting a simpler, pre-globalised world. The rediscovery of the handmade is trending worldwide. New York, a city with many of the world’s largest retail establishments, has hundreds of artisans and designers creating things of incredible beauty. Some, such as boot manufacturer E Vogel, are businesses that have been around for generations, making goods in accordance with processes that are almost extinct. Elsewhere, there’s a new revivalist spirit, with an upcoming generation of entrepreneurial, yet legacy-minded, individuals determined to craft products with genuine provenance. Perhaps best of all, hunting down the handmade offers travellers an intimate immersion into the city itself. In New York, many of the most interesting craftspeople and retailers occupy less-trafficked parts of the city – think hidden corners, concealed storefronts and unexpected addresses – so even if you leave empty-handed, the journey will have been of some interest. Ultimately, these creators make the off-the-rack experience feel downright prosaic and certainly help to restore some of the lustre that’s been missing in the sport of modern shopping.
8 4 Q A N TA S a pr i l 2014
bespoke new york Clockwise from right: printing particulars at Terrapin (two images); Jussara Lee clothing; Jussara Lee exterior; Terrapin boss Ted Harrington
Terrapin Stationers
6th floor, 708 Third Avenue. (212) 213 6912. terrapinstationers.com Planning to throw a lavish party? This venerable printing house has been known for decades for its high-impact cards proffered by Madison Avenue ad men, glamorous socialites and fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs. Terrapin uses exacting hand-operated methods from the late-1800s on 100 per cent cotton paper, which is pressed to achieve the beautifully rendered, raised effect that gives engraving its distinction. Rather than fade away in the email era, the family company, now helmed by the affable Ted Harrington, is thriving, in part due to playful stationery that resonates with even the most vehement technophiles. Among the company’s family crests and company monograms are slim calling cards announcing Twitter handles, and traditional correspondence cards stamped with playful salutations such as “Cool Story Bro”.
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For more destinations brimming with the bespoke, the hand-crafted and the unique, turn your hand to qantas.com/travelinsider
60 Bedford Street. (212) 242 4128. jussaralee.com When Brazilian-born designer Jussara Lee graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, she eschewed the conventional luxury brand route that many of her contemporaries took. Lee opened her own downtown atelier, which has forged a stellar but under-the-radar reputation for couture-like, effortlessly cool clothing. Her contemporary clothing for men and women is distinguished by rigorous silhouettes, precise tailoring and exceptional fabrics such as cashmere and hand-dyed silk. As with most custom fashion, the details are ironed out during the fittings, which require about 20 separate measurements. Lee’s emphasis on the perfect fit, however, doesn’t come at the expense of style – she has an indelible grasp of the Zeitgeist, as evinced by her soignée West Village store, which also offers a lower-priced ready-to-wear line along with a sprinkling of other independent labels. 8 6 Q A N TA S a pr i l 2014
jussara lee exterior photography: luigi stavale
Jussara Lee
bespoke new york
Martin Greenfield
239 Varet Street, Brooklyn. (718) 497 5480. greenfieldclothiers.com A truly bespoke suit is constructed from hand by a single tailor based on the detailed measurements taken from a client’s physical form, and perfected through multiple fittings. Brooklyn-based Martin Greenfield, the elder statesman of American suiting, is renowned for his dapper cuts, irreproachable attention to detail, and warm personality. Little wonder he’s worked with presidents and Hollywood productions, including creating many of the costumes for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. While trained in the Savile Row tradition, Greenfield and his devoted team are equally skilled at creating slimmer, more modern suits (having worked with contemporary fashion designers such as Band of Outsiders and Rag & Bone) as they are producing traditional silhouettes. After the final fitting, one of Greenfield’s suits usually takes about two weeks to finish.
LaCrasia Gloves
8a/306 West 38th Street. (212) 686 5428. lacrasiagloves.com It could be said that the ultimate luxury on a bitter New York winter’s day is simple: sliding one’s hands into a pair of handmade, cashmere-lined gloves. This vestigial workshop, which has outfitted show business in gloves for decades, is one of only a handful of custom glove makers left in the US. Over the years, the company’s remarkable couture-quality pieces have graced the arms of Jackie Kennedy, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga. This is the antithesis of the department store experience, as staff members diligently take detailed arm and finger measurements before fashioning a one-of-a-kind pair based on these specifics. Visitors should call ahead for an appointment and give some thought as to the materials they’d like: the team has experience fabricating anything from the outré – elbow-length sequinned leather gloves, perhaps? – to classic, lightweight, cashmere-lined leather gloves that will easily slide into the pocket of a winter jacket. 8 8 Q A N TA S a pr i l 2014
Elder statesman of American suiting Martin Greenfield; and sewing machine (below right); Lacrasia Gloves (below left)
bespoke new york Clockwise from far left: Barbara Shaum; tools at Barbara Shaum Leather; Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry (three shots); Barbara Shaum Leather exterior
Barbara Shaum Leather
60 East 4th Street. (212) 254 4250. Redolent of leather, brass and the glory days of the East Village, Barbara Shaum’s emporium of sandalry feels hidden in plain sight, situated among the neighbourhood’s health food shops and bodegas (grocery stores). Shaum, who has been in business for more than 50 years, was the first woman to be served at McSorley’s Old Ale House, the historic East Village tavern. She presides over a gallery and workshop where she creates the handmade sandals and leather belts that have caught the attention of style magazines such as Vogue. Design-wise, her footwear skews traditional with about 25 sandal styles to choose from, but she lets customers play around with the details, skins and finishes. What’s unimpeachable is the quality and the sense that you’ve purchased something very few others get to wear, surely one of the biggest luxuries around in a cookie-cutter age.
Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry
303 Fifth Avenue (by appointment only). (212) 689 7209. raygriffiths.com Australian-born Ray Griffiths is among a handful of contemporary designers putting personalisation and true luxury back into fine jewellery. Griffiths’ pieces are distinguished by their intricate, Fabergé-like crownwork, use of exuberant and rare stones, and historical references. Having cut his teeth at Sydney’s Rox, where he learned all about the craft, Griffiths moved to New York and has become known as one of the city’s last fine-jewellery experts. He serves some of Gotham’s most discerning denizens as well as anyone interested in an heirloom bijoux or commissioning a one-of-a-kind showstopper. For airfares and holiday packages to New York call Qantas Holidays on 1300 735 542 or visit qantas.com/holidaysaustralianway 90 Q A N TA S a pr i l 2014