The scene where the intrepid astronaut Bowman walks through the stargate in 2001: A Space Odyssey and an explosion of visual pyrotechnics signals the beginning of the download of information implying that he has been endowed with the secrets of the cosmos has always reminded me of the way Lorenzo Cifonelli interacts with the world. For beyond being one of the most gifted tailors around, he is a man hyper sensitive to the vibrations of the contemporary world. He exists almost in a constant state of hyperstimulation, at the very threshold of information overload, as his mind processes aesthetic data faster than you or I can make the most rudimentary choices. Like a sewing-savvy version of Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, he constantly accepts or rejects visual stimuli at a rate far beyond the reach of mere mortals, all in an effort to constantly refine, evolve and rework his design and style concepts. He is so far ahead of the game in this regard that at one point I gave up making aesthetic decisions on my costume, leaving the hundreds of choices regarding the details of my custom projects entirely up to his confident and supernaturally talented hands.
So when he approached me with the idea of creating a limited edition custom suit, I looked him in the eye, which revealed that he was in the midst of a high-level artistic brainstorming fervor and I said "yes", without hesitation. The first step was the choice of fabric and we both found ourselves under the spell of the vintage collection of oversized Prince of Wales flannels produced by our friend Francesco Barberis Canonico of Vitale Barberis Canonico. Next comes the decision on style. What I love about Lorenzo's approach to the classic suit is that it constantly evolves through dynamic interaction with the urban environment. This means that even though they look sculptural and beautiful at rest, they really come alive and guide you to an understanding of their true nature as they move through a metropolis like Paris, New York or London. Their softness and comfort combined with that most extraordinary of creations, the Cifonelli shoulder - an engineering solution that reconciles the seemingly opposite concepts of a slender, form-fitting suit with total freedom of movement for the arms - make them the perfect tailored garment for jogging. walking up or down stairs and slipping quickly between the closing doors of a subway train. Their style, in particular, the rugged swing of its 6 x 1 cross-button stance makes you simultaneously the best-dressed man in the room while never letting you be mistaken for the most pedestrian of specimens, a businessman. Oddly enough, at Soho House, where I am often based and which serves as my metropolitan refuge during my escapades in Amsterdam, Barcelona, New York or Berlin, there is a rule against dressing up at the bar. Dressed as I always am in Cifonelli tailored suits, I have never been mistaken for a man who makes his living through commerce, as if the suits themselves would raise an eyebrow at anyone who might question their formality and respond, "Do I look like a businessman's bastard? And this sublime tension between formality and casualness makes the Cifonelli suit the only garment of its kind as comfortable with a shirt and tie as it is with a rock tee, white sneakers or ankle boots.
Pushing the beautiful mix of vintage and modern, Lorenzo decided to create a retro-themed lapel for our Metropolis suit, which featured a much more horizontal throat than his normal angular specimen that translates into a muted peak. This detail alone creates an even greater sense of casual, sporty vibe that is in perfect tandem for his choice of pleated flap and buttoned hip pockets gleaned from a shooting coat or Saharan jacket. The result is a healthy injection of bad military workwear habit, which only adds to the suit's adaptability. It has quickly become the one suit I bring with me on short business trips, which when combined with a good pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt or polo shirt, gives a myriad of styles that will make you perfect for any occasion, from formal after-hours business meetings to a fun and grungy Bushwick club.
Lorenzo's decidedly bad boy Prince of Wales "Metropolis" custom flannel suit will be made in only 6-8 pieces (depending on the amount of fabric needed per suit), then discontinued for eternity, with its pattern burned to ashes and disposed of at an undisclosed coordinate in international waters.
