French Tailoring Thread (e.g. Camps de Luca, Cifonelli, Smalto and etc.)

[CrimsonSox]

A brief article on Camps de Luca: http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2010/12/this-one-time-at-suit-camp.html





An encouraging sign for the future of bespoke:
Quote:
Even tailors need suits: http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/S...etType=image&family=Editorial&p=camps+de+luca

 

[Supergenius]

I don't think anyone ever answered the question about Lanvin - is their bespoke service up to the same standards as Cifonelli or CdL?

 

[dirnelli]



I don't think anyone ever answered the question about Lanvin - is their bespoke service up to the same standards as Cifonelli or CdL?

My understanding is that it is, but I have yet to meet anyone who has commissioned a bespoke suit there. RJMan has a bespoke shirt from Lanvin which he describes as stellar. I own a thrifted vintage Lanvin suit, which may be bespoke or MTM, I'm not sure, but it is magnificiently made, that's for sure. So, Lanvin bespoke seems to be flying under the radar, probably in part because there is a brand premium making their prices stratospheric, and in part because their high fashion image does not serve them well when it comes to attracting a new clientele of tailoring geeks (like myself) who would potentially post raving reviews of their bespoke operations.

 

[CrimsonSox]

There's a series of 14 excellent video interviews with Marc de Luca on Rue de Experts. The first ten seconds of each video open with the same introduction, but then the videos have different content: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/expert/video/56

One of the most interesting was with Marc de Luca on how a suit should fit, and how a tailor takes measurements: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/un-costume-bien-coupe-dmlkZW8vNDg4.html

Mr. de Luca's suggestions for elegance. Note that the suit Julien de Luca is wearing fits flawlessly: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/petits-conseils-d-elegance-dmlkZW8vNDg1.html

Charles de Luca on how a shirt should fit: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/une-chemise-de-qualite-dmlkZW8vNDg2.html

The tuxedo or "le smoking": http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/le-smoking-dmlkZW8vNDgz.html

The cost of bespoke (featuring a vicuna coat): http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/prix-du-costume-sur-mesure-dmlkZW8vNDgx.html

Why go bespoke. Marc points out that many high-end RTW brands put only 15 hours into a suit (Kiton takes 25 hours), whereas Camps de Luca devotes 70 hours: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/le-retour-du-sur-mesure-dmlkZW8vNDgy.html

Caring for a suit. Air after wearing, and dry clean only once a year: http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/entretenir-un-costume-dmlkZW8vNDgw.html

The other videos can be found after the first link.

 

[Griffindork]



My understanding is that it is, but I have yet to meet anyone who has commissioned a bespoke suit there.

I thought that Lanvin was offering a made to measure product where a customer's measurements are fit into an existing block pattern. Nothing wrong with that and you can get a wonderful product, but that isn't in the same solar system as Cifonelli.

 

[Supergenius]

To clarify, Lanvin offers both true bespoke and MTM. I had heard they would be offering "bespoke" services at their new Madison Ave. men's boutique, so I contacted them. M. Julien Fouache at their 15 Rue Faubourg location replied that true bespoke is only offered at the Paris location and starts at 6900 Euro. In New York one can get a MTM suit, starting at $3700 USD. I then had some correspondence with M. Francois Ulloa at the NY store to clarify what one gets in MTM for that price, but I haven't gotten a full reply.

The bespoke tailoring is featured in a slideshow on the Lanvin website, but it doesn't provide a lot of detail. I had started another thread asking if anyone had experience with either service, but it appears that no one on the forum has used Lanvin for bespoke or MTM. I will be going to New York later this year, so will stop in and see what they offer and am happy to report back. Sadly, I won't be getting to Paris for the full bespoke treatment any time soon.

 

[Wraitii]

Very interesting thread, particularly thanks to your interventions, dirnelli. Great review on your blog too (and, as you'll find obvious, as a now former student of Janson-de-Sailly, reading reviews of Atelson, Nodus or Alain Figaret has proved being entertaining). As a way-too-young-and-poor-for-now student, I'll keep an eye on this thread for future buys...

 

[andreyb2]

There is a nice slide-show on Lanvin's web-site describing their bespoke (yes, by all accounts, this is a real thing) process.

http://www.lanvin.com/#/en/lanvin-today/ateliers/sur-mesure

Andrey

 

[mactire]

The cost of bespoke (featuring a vicuna coat): http://www.ruedesexperts.com/video/prix-du-costume-sur-mesure-dmlkZW8vNDgx.html

Funny you mention vicuna, a tailor in Ireland had to get special insurance when cutting a vicuna suit just in case there was a mistake in cutting or tailoring it [or I suppose as it awaited fittings].

This is a cross-post from a thread asking about bespoke shirts in Paris.

I will also be in Paris in August - who cares that very few French people will be there at that time? - for two weeks and am thinking of getting shirts made at Liste Rouge http://www.listerouge-paris.com/ . They have been mentioned on the forum a couple of times but not in depth.

Rather than add a new thread, I thought I'd share my experiences of Lucca here and add in a few thoughts on Paris.

Firstly for those of you planning to visit in August beware that this is a month where the city is almost empty and shut down. Even in the UK it is hard to get hold of tailors, mills and cloth agents as this is when they traditionally all take their holidays. Totally apart from that the dead heat reflected from the concrete during this month can be quite exhausting.

In advance of my trip I phoned a couple of makers including Charles Demagne Maison Lucca and Maison Courtot. Courtot & Lucca do a trial shirt or fitting shirt known as an ''essayage'' in French, I also confirmed that M. Lucca & Courtot did CMT. M. Lucca advised me to have 4m of cloth just in case the shirt needed to be re-cut after the try-on. He asked for the exact dates of travel so he could measure on a Thursday or Friday and have the trial shirt ready on Tuesday [like most outfits that open on a Saturday he does not open on a Monday].

All went as planned and I had the try on where he increased the collar measurement and took in the body a bit, I don't like slim shirts, don't have the build for it and had asked for a traditional fit. About five weeks later the shirt was ready on my return to Paris, and I washed it a couple of times and wore it in to see him. I was happy with the fit and finish and especially liked that the buttons had been handsewn without requesting so, the crowsfoot style is called 'pattes d'oie' or goose feet in French. Gussets on the side seams and non-fused collars and cuffs are his standard.

Extra handsewing such as embroidered initials is available on request 'broderie a la main'. A shirt with cloth from Albini, Canclini, Testa, Alumo etc. starts at E220 at Lucca, E230 at Courtot.


Also if you fancy rummaging for cloth theres a place at the foot of the Sacre Coeur called Au Bonheur des Dames that sells old season shirtings from YSL and other fashion houses, mostly from Albini [invoices were left inside the rolls] for E12/m @ 150cm wide.

I had an advantage as I speak French, I don't know if the other shirtmakers speak English but M. Lucca has good English.

 

[poorsod]

Mactire, do you have the address or website for Au Bonheur des Dames? I'm planning to be in Paris in a month or so and this seems like a place I'd like to check out.

 

[HighToned]

Mactire, do you have the address or website for Au Bonheur des Dames? I'm planning to be in Paris in a month or so and this seems like a place I'd like to check out.

I think it's Bonheur Des Dames (32 Rue Stephenson, 75018 Paris)
I will check Monday to be sure....

I don't think anyone ever answered the question about Lanvin - is their bespoke service up to the same standards as Cifonelli or CdL?

I asked 2 or 3 times to visit MTM or Bespoke atelier of Lanvin to the PR in charge of menswear by email (an directly to him during Paris fashion week.)
And he refused each time... They don't open workshop to journalist or blogger !

Like Mr Dinerlli says I don't think they want to show anything.

I know for sure that Camps de Luca are doing Hermès bespoke suits...

At Cifonelli or at Camps de Luca, I saw many casual and amusing jackets.... Mr. Wei Koh got pretty amazing jackets at Cifonelli and Camps de Luca. (Lucky him... )
One time at Cifonelli, a customer bring his own jacket to be reproduced. They're ok with it.


My next visit will be at Japanese tailor called Kenjiro Suzuki http://kssm-cecilia.com/
He worked at Arny's, Smalto, Lanvin Atelier mesure, and Camps de Luca....He just start is own business in Paris !

 

[mactire]

Mactire, do you have the address or website for Au Bonheur des Dames? I'm planning to be in Paris in a month or so and this seems like a place I'd like to check out.

Voila, ca commence a se compliquer un peu! Having checked google maps the location that I visited them at appears to have changed to 3 Rue Pierre Picard, 75018 Paris. But they also appear to have a second location on 1-3 Rue Livingstone which is nearby. They sell through ebay.fr but don't seem to have any shirting cottons listed: http://myworld.ebay.fr/margaux_tissus/

I found the place by chance and that area and the Marché St Pierre is a bit of the old Paris of Van Gogh or Orwell, as in higgledepiggledy and unkempt. The same place has lengths of cloth from old tailors shops as well that change all the time. Give yourself a couple of hours to wander up and down those few streets to dive into a few places, there's a few brocantes around the corner too. The spot above I found by chance and by rummaging through their stuff.

For what its worth I don't think the big multi-story cloth merchants there like the Marché-St-Pierre and Aux Reine des Tissus are much good as they're focussed on selling upholstery and repeatable lines, whereas the smaller ones sell job lots and ends, a lucky-dip really. In the bigger ones they carry the cloth for the big merchants esp. Dormeuil but all their stock is black or navy and there are no steals or deals.

http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/material-world-paris-fabric-stores/

Also for the full range of linings, threads, trimmings and also vintage and new cloth I highly recommend Drapiers Lafayette Saltiel http://www.lafayette-saltiel.com/ Metro: Grands Boulevards & Bourse. The owner Virgil Viret is an absolute gentleman and a delight to meet and discuss cloth and tailoring with. He speaks perfect English as well. Saltiel closes for lunch and opens Mon-Fri.

 

[Kuro]

Camps de Luca photos courtesy of HT: http://www.high-toned.fr/2013/09/visite-de-camps-de-luca-a-paris/

 

[HighToned]

Camps de Luca photos courtesy of HT: http://www.high-toned.fr/2013/09/visite-de-camps-de-luca-a-paris/

Thank you Kuro...

I visited Camps de Luca, last week. I met Julien and Marc de Luca... They're both very kind.
Camps de Luca's place is beautiful, there is a nice atmosphere in the workshop.

I saw many beautiful suits....
They're really focus on Bespoke suit and bringing the best quality.

They said that they're trying to organize Trunk shows around the world to meet more customers.

 

[Kuro]

^ I visited CdL earlier this month and agree - Marc and Julien are friednly and likable and the clothes are beautiful.