William Kissel

John Carnera and George Glasgow of G.J. Cleverley made headlines in the early 1990s when the British bespoke shoemakers acquired a cache of Russian reindeer hides at auction that had been resting in the hull of a recovered sunken cargo ship for more than 200 years. The skins, which the duo used to make dozens […]

For the optimum fit and comfort, undoubtedly a custom-made suit is the first choice. But, if you’re short on time or simply have a body type that doesn’t require special-fit needs, a made-to-measure suit is another option. For even some well-heeled gentlemen, the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure can be confusing. Here are details to […]

It is another gray afternoon in London, but the atmosphere on Savile Row is anything but gloomy. On the contrary, the world’s most distinguished avenue of fine tailoring is nearly pulsating with shoppers. A quartet of well-dressed men strides by, wearing fitted windowpane-plaid topcoats like those made here for centuries. Inside Gieves & Hawkes, the […]

For 20 years, Michael Reslan was Brioni’s top salesman and executive vice president in the United States, traveling around the country helping high-powered executives build custom wardrobes. With his charisma and strong-shouldered sense of style, Reslan also became a friend and confidant to many of them: “When you eat and drink and fly with the […]

When Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser opened their signature boutique, Doyle Mueser, earlier this year, the Fashion Institute of Technology grads were banking on the notion that young urban men (and women) would invest in bespoke clothing if it was presented in a hip, clublike environment rather than a stuffy tailor’s shop. So they took […]

The GIFT An unprecedented opportunity to select cloth from the 165-year archives of the Lanificio Carlo Barbera mill outside Milan, Italy, as well as create a signature bolt of cloth with the master weavers. A full bespoke wardrobe by Kiton, including seven suits, two topcoats, two outerwear jackets, 14 dress shirts with complementary neckties, seven […]

For most of his career, Simon Spurr has been the name behind some very big names. In 1997 he began designing a clothing line for Yves Saint Laurent, under the close guidance of Hedi Slimane. Four years later, Spurr took a similar role at cK Calvin Klein, and then at Ralph Lauren, where he headed […]

When Maxine Snider launched her signature collection in 1998, her focus was on creating spindly, light, and even a bit feminine-looking furniture inspired by delicate French designs of the 1920s and 1930s. Later, as the business expanded, she staged something of her own French revolution by abandoning the collection approach in order to concentrate on […]

Convention has never defined the work of Christian Lacroix. Before his famed fashion house fell into bankruptcy in 2009, the couturier paraded everything from 18th-century-inspired courtesan dresses and Romanian gypsy costumes to Spanish toreador boleros down the Paris runways. So it is fitting that when the quirky and irrepressible French designer decided to try his […]

While visiting Paris in 1851, a Swiss ribbon salesman named Carl Franz Bally picked up a dozen pairs of ready-made shoes as a gift for his wife. When only two actually fit, she insisted he return to France for more. Instead, Bally began the process of converting his Schönenwerd facility into a shoe factory and […]