Man Muse Monday: An Interview With Paolo Martorano - Founder of Bespoke Menswear Company Paolo Style

 

-

At a book store I saw “Dressing the Man” By Alan Flusser, which at the time was not that old of a book and I really was drawn to it. I think back then I had to spend $70 for it. I researched Alan Flusser and was very interested in his opinions about fashion. I contacted Mark Rykken, who at the time owned his bespoke shop in NYC. By June of 2010, Mark hired me to work there. I was there until October 2010 when he joined Paul Stuart. I was his right hand man for the next 6+ years. We developed a bespoke business there and did millions in sales, some years sales tripled. We had a great success together until the company’s sale took effect and I left.

-

I realized in high school that I was very interested in formal clothing. Tailored jackets and trousers, the sportswear did not really interest me. I was drawn to the cloth and the workmanship. As boring as it may seem to people not interested in menswear, it is much more complex and interesting than casual clothing. By the time I was 17 I knew that I really liked tailored clothing and wanted to learn more about it.

-

Well, my aesthetic is really as simple as it gets. Everything I wear is based on the rules of color and proportion. Wearing colors that enrich my complexion and flatter my body. Most of this I have learned from working with Alan Flusser, and seeing him demonstrate his teachings with clients. I have been able to meet many well dressed men who I often look to for inspiration. Of course I look to people like Fred Astaire for inspiration but also recent men in history like Philip B. Miller, and Edmund Moy have style that I cannot get enough of and always find photos of them informative on dressing. The big factor in learning about style is similar to painting and cooking. You need to learn about light and perspective as a painter and any chef will tell you that making a perfect omelet is a mandatory skill. When you learn about what colors and proportions are correct for you- how to wearing a dark suit, white shirt, solid tie and handkerchief, perfectly for you—you know 85% of what it means to be well dressed. The style icons for men and women knew this about themselves and it is why their style stood out. Well dressed people show consistency more than anything else.

Unlike other people in my business I am not going to say, “I don’t talk about our clients” and then list their names. All I’ll say is, it is rewarding to turn on the TV and be able to see my shirts and suits on many men. Mostly on CNBC and Bloomberg.

We certainly know all of Alan Flusser’s books are going to be important to me. Frankly, I am biased to his writing because I appreciate the luxury factor. I very well know that his writing style turn off many people because they see it as too arrogant. Maybe one day I can bring these great lessons to a wider audience. Wall Street is one of the greatest clothing movies of all time. The Band Wagon in 1953 with Fred Astaire is one of the most inspirational clothing movies. He had a few outfits that gave designers inspiration for years.

 

I think many who know me can agree. Everything Mark Rykken said to me. He got me into this business when I was 17 and I learned everything from him.

- 

-

-

I wish I could say something inspirational, but it is checking my work email because I have a lot of emails from Europe that need to be answered ASAP.

London certainly changed my life. Staying in Mayfair, around the corner from Savile Row and actually getting to work there for a week (when I was with Richemont) was an experience I will cherish forever. I went to a lot of places in 2017, a lot of time in northern Italy, I would like to go to southern Italy next.