If you liked Reagan, now you can dress like him.

File under bleh!

Handmade Tale
BY BRENNER THOMAS
Jan. 28, 2008
Hickey Freeman is out to prove that Italians do not have a monopoly on handmade tailored clothing. The heritage brand's latest model, the timely named Presidential, seen in an exclusive preview to DNR, is an entirely hand-sewn garment made from premium textiles that marks the company's first push into super-luxe and highlights its continued commitment to dress America's power brokers.

"Few [tailored clothing] brands can produce at this level. It was time that we show our customer what Hickey Freeman can really do," said Paulette Garafalo, president of Hartmarx's luxury group.

Ranging from $3,000 to $4,000, a 50 percent premium over the brand's core collection, Presidential suits will be made in the company's factory in Rochester, N.Y., and will require some 203 steps to produce, 45 more than a typical Hickey Freeman garment.

The edited swatch book, with only 55 fabrics, is the most high-end the company has produced, and will include Italian and English cashmeres, flannels and worsteds ranging from super 150s to super 200s.
Garafalo said the line, which enters a market occupied by well-known brands like Kiton and Oxxford, may not be a cash cow but will elevate the brand. "It's not like there's a hole in the market at this level, but it will allow our customer to trade up."

Hickey Freeman has long been a favored brand of the American establishment. The Made-in-America suits have graced the backs of President Eisenhower, President Johnson and President George H.W. Bush in addition to those of countless other politicians and captains of industry. It's no surprise, then, that the Presidential Collection is modeled after the style of one of the country's most dapper commanders-in-chief, Ronald Reagan. "We have a photo of President Reagan at a press conference wearing a true power suit, which we used for the inspiration for this collection," said Bruno Castagna, the company's executive vice-president of design and longtime master tailor.

Available both off-the-rack and custom, the Presidential Collection will be sold to select accounts for fall delivery and will be stocked in Hickey Freeman stores this spring.

Originally Posted by farfisa23

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an entirely hand-sewn garment .

We need someone to cut one open...

Also, now that the country is swinging left again (Obama!!!) is it the right time to bring out a Reagan-esque suit? It sounds like an Audacity of Hope on HF's part.

Originally Posted by farfisa23

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Also, now that the country is swinging left again (Obama!!!) is it the right time to bring out a Reagan-esque suit?
I don't know, sounds like BO wouldn't mind being cut from the same cloth as Reagan .

Originally Posted by farfisa23

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now that the country is swinging left faster than ever

fixed/repaired/corrected

There's only one man to blame for this, and if you explained it to him in large print on a single piece of paper he still wouldn't know what you're talking about.

Originally Posted by farfisa23

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File under bleh!

Handmade Tale
BY BRENNER THOMAS
Jan. 28, 2008
Hickey Freeman is out to prove that Italians do not have a monopoly on handmade tailored clothing.

Did I not get the memo on England sinking to the bottom of the sea or what?

I clicked on this thread expecting to find Conne comparing Reagan and Poppy Bush.

:disappointment:

Presidential dresscode ( on the catwalk )

I think they have 3 of these on display in their 5th Ave. window.

Originally Posted by lakewolf

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Presidential dresscode ( on the catwalk )

"Do I look good in this dress? Does ****** look fat in this dress?"

"Well it sure makes you look very presidential honey."

^^

Looks like Vladimir is having a hard-on under his dress while watching at George modelling it

While some will disagree, from a marketing perspective, having a luxury product coming out of Rochester, NY is a non-starter. I know that to the type of people that frequent these forums, the quality is more important than the image, but it's not the way the world works. Kiton is Napoli, soft clothing, laid back understated luxury and all that other crap. Brioni is "Roma Style", structured, kick your ass if you get out of line, more formal elegance.

HF is....................... Rochester.

When you are selling that type of product, you are not simply selling the product on it's merits, you are selling an image. As great as the suit may be, it is being made in a factory that spits out inexpensive dept store suits also. They need to have a separate workshop for those suits. Maybe pull a Thom Browne and have a factory in LIC make them and label them "Hand Made in NYC", they has a hell of a lot more marketing currency than made in Rochester. Also, have some shirts and ties made under the HF label (by someone who knows what they are doing) that would be worthy of the suit, not that Marshall's quality stuff they sell now. Lastly, do a boutique within the store that is exclusively this higher end stuff, with the salesmen wearing it head to toe (and maybe have them adopt some Italian accents). Just because the suit is well made does not mean that it will be perceived as such. Get the high end male shopper thinking about HF and it'll benefit the other HF lines.

It's good marketing.

H-F already had a "Hand Tailored" line of suits available at its stores and select retailers, such as Bergdorf Goodman. It is a hand tailored suit. However, H-F had no marketing to set it apart from the regular H-F collection. I do not recall any print advertising. (H-F runs print ads for its boys' collection.) It had no marketing to make this line exciting and different.

I'm assuming that this new line is the "Hand Tailored" line with some marketing. In essence H-F did no marketing of the "Hand Tailored" line, therefore, the consumer did not know that this was a handmade suit in the same league as Brioni and company. The only marketing was on the sales floor if there were a knowledgeable salesman who could tell the difference between the machine made "Collection" and the handmade "Hand Tailored."

It is great that an American company is not ceding its luxury end of the business to Brioni, Kiton, et al.

Originally Posted by Mark Seitelman

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It's good marketing.

H-F already had a "Hand Tailored" line of suits available at its stores and select retailers, such as Bergdorf Goodman. It is a hand tailored suit. However, H-F had no marketing to set it apart from the regular H-F collection. I do not recall any print advertising. (H-F runs print ads for its boys' collection.) It had no marketing to make this line exciting and different.

It is great that an American company is not ceding its luxury end of the business to Brioni, Kiton, et al.

They did not mention anywhere that there will be a marketing push behind this new product.

the Hand Tailored line is very nice and well made, but you will have a hard time convincing the average big money consumer that a suit made in Rochester (home of the $500 Hickey Freeman outlet suits) is worth every bit as much as one made in that magical land of "Napoli". There is a reason that Toyota sells luxury cars under it's Lexus line and not it's Toyota line.