When looking at a brand whose marketing is driven largely by social media, you wouldn’t necessarily think to set the product quality bar particularly high. But think again. Musika Frère, the bespoke menswear label from Aleks Musika and Davidson Petit-Frère, was born of Instagram banter between the sartorially saavy duo in 2013, both of whom had become heavily entrenched in suiting at a very early age.
Miami-based Musika came off a stint as a Made-to-Measure specialist for Tom Ford prior to the brand’s launch, and it’s easy to see a nod to the powerhouse designer in the brand’s current capsule collection, as well as other items floating around their small but well-appointed showroom on West 37th Street in Manhattan.
“Texture and construction are always key,” says Davidson as he walks me through their freshly unveiled ready-to-wear capsule collection. He’s not kidding; supple fabrics from Loro Piana and other high-level Italian suppliers abound, and a closer look at each piece reveals an impeccable eye for detail and finishing. Suiting starts at roughly $2,100 for made-to-measure pieces, but depending on fabrics, the sky is the limit.
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Both Davidson and Aleks are quick to admit their surprise when suppliers like Dormeuil and Loro Piana welcomed their business.
With a close eye on quality, the firm currently produces all its suiting and knitwear in Italy, whereas their shirts and ties are produced in New York—and their first few pieces of denim and leather goods are out of Los Angeles
“We’re sticking with the craftsmen we know and trust for now, but for us it’s always about putting quality first” states Musika. “If we find one of the best tailors in the world in Turkey or Indonesia, then that’s who we’ll use. I’d rather have the best tailor from a place like that, than a mediocre one from Italy just to be able to say he’s from Italy, and we think our clients appreciate that.”
