gennaro paone: former head tailor of rubinacci

[TheFoo]



I can't believe I'm getting involved in a debate with you, but since I have a lot of work to do, I promise this will be my last post in response.

There are a lot of worthwhile customers on the internet -- many of whom are clothing enthusiasts. Much of Steed's business, in fact, is run off of clothing enthusiasts who found out about them though Vox's photos (this was told to me by Edwin). Not everyone on the internet is a sampler who's only in it for two orders.

I have no desire to interview potential customers for a business I have no ownership in, asking them to show their closet, experience with bespoke clothing, and intentions for the next 12 years.

I also have no desire to tell a tailor how to run his business.

I imagine the people ordering are very much like me: people who are interested in one or two garments in the beginning, and if those turn out well, they may order more in the future. You know, kind of like everything you buy. You don't go to a restaurant with the intention of visiting for the next two weeks, before you've even tasted your first meal.

It's really not that complicated.

Please, be happy with your Rubinacci clothes. No one is telling you to do otherwise. I hope you don't continue to passively aggressively discourage people from ordering from a man who once cut for you -- and you said you respected -- by putting up ridiculous claims that the tailor needs to commit to regular visits half way around the world before even knowing if there's interest. And that customers need to commit to 12 suits before receiving their first one. Or passing along insulting claims from the son of his former employer, who said he never really cut for them and that he's too old or unskilled (a claim that has been privately refuted to me by some Rubinacci customers who visited just last year). Seriously, if this is how you treat people you like and respect, I'd hate to be your friend.

What a pile of idiotic drivel.

I have zero interest in dissuading people from using Gennaro. I do, however, despise the ADD-riddled, misty-eyed naivete that runs rampant on this forum and which is exemplified by your posts. By self-admission, you have no longstanding working relationship with any tailors. Yet, you are advising Gennaro on how to build his U.S. business, and your approach is exactly the same which has led Ambrosi and Solito to reputational ruin on this side of the Atlantic.

Rubinacci, Gennaro's ex-employer, and the venue through which his work is best known, never materially benefitted from notoriety on this forum (or through my blogs, for that matter). They just got lots of phone calls and people dropping in to spend hours chatting up Mariano only to buy a single pocket square (unless the Victory square I blogged about was sold out).

Anyway, where do you get off accusing me of nefarious incentives? You're the one with a commerical fashion blog and trying to order a couple of suits from Gennaro.

 

[LA Guy]

All this leads me to believe that @mafoofan has never owned or operated a small business. Not every customer is an ideal one. And getting some strong repeat customers is, and has always been, a numbers game. Anyone with a modicum of success knows that it is a grind.

His comments about Styleforum also suggests he doesn't know how the internet works.

 

[TheFoo]



All this leads me to believe that @mafoofan has never owned or operated a small business. Not every customer is an ideal one. And getting some strong repeat customers is, and has always been, a numbers game. Anyone with a modicum of success knows that it is a grind.

His comments about Styleforum also suggests he doesn't know how the internet works.

Ah, another disinterested party.

 

[David Reeves]



All this leads me to believe that @mafoofan has never owned or operated a small business. Not every customer is an ideal one. And getting some strong repeat customers is, and has always been, a numbers game. Anyone with a modicum of success knows that it is a grind.

His comments about Styleforum also suggests he doesn't know how the internet works.

Would this count as an unpaid "commercial thread"?

 

[David Reeves]



Ah, another disinterested party.

We are all interested Foo!

 

[Grammaton Cleric]



What a pile of idiotic drivel.

Yet, you are advising Gennaro on how to build his U.S. business, and your approach is exactly the same which has led Ambrosi and Solito to reputational ruin on this side of the Atlantic.

What approach is that? One that involves him taking a long flight, meeting new people, taking initial orders that may not be of oligarchic proportions, and following-up accordingly. How in the world does that strike you as idiotic??

What led to Solito and Ambrosi's 'downfall' had more to do with their dishonesty than anything else. You, of the 'my former Facebook friend has cheated me' posts, should know that.

 

[Cantabrigian]



...suggests he doesn't know how the internet works.

I don't know how the internet works either.

But I now know how TVs work.

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[Cantabrigian]



NM, debating this against Matt feels somehow crazier than Matt's claims. I'm not going to get caught up in this thread.

Do you even blog, bro?

 

[David Reeves]



What approach is that? One that involves him taking a long flight, meeting new people, taking initial orders that may not be of oligarchic proportions, and following-up accordingly. How in the world does that strike you as idiotic??

What led to Solito and Ambrosi's 'downfall' had more to do with their dishonesty than anything else. You, of the 'my former Facebook friend has cheated me' posts, should know that.

You have to try things in business, sometimes that one suit can pay your rent that month, sometimes you do projects at a loss to keep going, I have certainly been there. Some tough times but I have always done right by my clients.

5 years later its a completely different story. I have a very comfortable living for myself, my wife and kids and I enjoy my work, So I am quite happy.

 

[TheFoo]



What approach is that? One that involves him taking a long flight, meeting new people, taking initial orders that may not be of oligarchic proportions, and following-up accordingly. How in the world does that strike you as idiotic??

What led to Solito and Ambrosi's 'downfall' had more to do with their dishonesty than anything else. You, of the 'my former Facebook friend has cheated me' posts, should know that.

See, if you've never met with or worked with any of these people, you'd come to just that sort of simplistic conclusion. The truth is, Salvatore Ambrosi is not a bad person. He just got in over his head. He and his father are absolutely geniuses at making pants, but evidently have no clue about how to operate an overseas business in the U.S. Salvatore would be the first to admit that.

Rather then schedule regular visits, he would send out e-mails to first gauge interest, or ask me to post on Styleforum to ask around. Hence, all of his visits were ad hoc. You never knew if he was going to come back in two months or two years. So, instead of showing himself to be a reliable presence, which is what the Savile Row tailors have done, he made everyone doubt they'd be able to get a hold of him after wiring payment.

Luigi Solito is also not a dishonest person. Again, he just got in over his head. Also, he was inundated with one-time orders, so it very quickly stopped making economic sense to keep visiting, leaving certain U.S. clients hanging.

Anyway, the point is that establishing reliability is key to winning high value clients (i.e. ones which can offer recurring business). Just look at successful business models in the same market. Look at the ones that fail (see above). It is not a difficult analysis.

 

[gdl203]

Who are the Neapolitan tailors who visit the US right now? NSM is the only one I can think of and their prices are very similar to Gennaro's.

Sartoria Formosa comes to NYC every 6-8 weeks. Prices are in the same ballpark as well.

I do not have 12 suits from them yet.

 

[David Reeves]



I don't know how the internet works either.

But I now know how TVs work.

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

Adorable.

 

[TheFoo]



Do you even blog, bro?

http://dieworkwear.com/

 

[9thsymph]

What a pile of idiotic drivel.

I have zero interest in dissuading people from using Gennaro. I do, however, despise the ADD-riddled, misty-eyed naivete that runs rampant on this forum and which is exemplified by your posts. By self-admission, you have no longstanding working relationship with any tailors. Yet, you are advising Gennaro on how to build his U.S. business, and your approach is exactly the same which has led Ambrosi and Solito to reputational ruin on this side of the Atlantic.

Rubinacci, Gennaro's ex-employer, and the venue through which his work is best known, never materially benefitted from notoriety on this forum (or through my blogs, for that matter). They just got lots of phone calls and people dropping in to spend hours chatting up Mariano only to buy a single pocket square (unless the Victory square I blogged about was sold out).

Anyway, where do you get off accusing me of nefarious incentives? You're the one with a commerical fashion blog and trying to order a couple of suits from Gennaro.

It took a while, but didn't Ambrosi and Solito get back on track? Ambrosi seems to being doing quite well with the Armoury collaboration, no?

 

[David Reeves]



See, if you've never met with or worked with any of these people, you'd come to just that sort of simplistic conclusion. The truth is, Salvatore Ambrosi is not a bad person. He just got in over his head. He and his father are absolutely geniuses at making pants, but evidently have no clue about how to operate an overseas business in the U.S. Salvatore would be the first to admit that.

Rather then schedule regular visits, he would send out e-mails to first gauge interest, or ask me to post on Styleforum to ask around. Hence, all of his visits were ad hoc. You never knew if he was going to come back in two months or two years. So, instead of showing himself to be a reliable presence, which is what the Savile Row tailors have done, he made everyone doubt they'd be able to get a hold of him after wiring payment.

Luigi Solito is also not a dishonest person. Again, he just got in over his head. Also, he was inundated with one-time orders, so it very quickly stopped making economic sense to keep visiting, leaving certain U.S. clients hanging.

Anyway, the point is that establishing reliability is key to winning high value clients (i.e. ones which can offer recurring business). Just look at successful business models in the same market. Look at the ones that fail (see above). It is not a difficult analysis.

I just think unless he has backers/cash he does need to take risks and go out and just get the business. If He's smart/lucky he will make a profit, if he isn't he won't but you have to start somewhere. It was kind of soul destroying for me at times to one year be in charge of the make up of the Prime minister of U.Ks suits to fishing around for someone to buy a shirt under my own name. I look back on it as a pain barrier I had to go through.