Zug, Switzerland–Few would have expected a designer who worked for Hermès and befriended Juergen Teller to set up shop in a quiet Swiss lakeside town.

But bespoke women’s wear designer Sara Schlumpf has brought her love of colour and red-carpet fashion to the wardrobes of the discerning buyers of Zug, a place best known for its kirschtorte and tax breaks.

Pedestrians stop and stare at the window displays of her boutique in the heart of the picturesque old town, opposite a fairytale fountain, where the upmarket designs transport shoppers to a world where fashion dreams come true.

Sara makes clothing, mostly exquisite evening wear for modern-day princesses, better known as the power dressers of Zug, the excited brides to be and the wives of the global elite.

As you enter her store, the rails are packed with garments, all designed by Sara and sewn by her two seamstresses, working in an atelier in Baar just 10 km away.

Each item seems to be patiently waiting to be introduced to its rightful owner. Quality, colour and movement are the pillars of her designs, with customers lured inside by the colours, then seduced by the quality of the fabrics and the intricately thought out designs.

Sara has the knack of making customers feel privileged and pampered. “An outfit should make you feel special, strong and yourself,” says Sara, who sometimes feels as if she’s a surrogate therapist, listening to the desires and indecisions of her clients. She uses her sewn art to help transform them, so that “suddenly they feel more beautiful and wonderful”.

Originally from Zug, Sara studied fashion at Studio Berçot in Paris, where the teachers encouraged her to find her personality through the creative freedom they offered.

She landed a stage at Hermès  working under Tomas Maier, which allowed her to perfect her couture skills and gain access to the maison’s artisan and material sourcing contacts book.

Marie Rucki the director of Studio Berçot, worked hard to get Sara an apprenticeship with Azzedine Alaïa. However it proved impossible to convince the Tunisian designer, renowned for his preference for working on his own, to accept an assistant – no matter how gifted.

That disappointment proved to be a springboard for Sara’s own career. She set up her own label in Paris, selling in showrooms before moving back to Zug in German-speaking Switzerland.

She quickly determined to work on a small scale after receiving orders from a fashion fair in Germany. In production, her smaller volumes were turned down by ateliers in the Sentier area of Paris, known for its multicultural textile production and garment making, because of their strict minimums of 100 pieces per colour!

Fortunately, her mishap forced her to work on her own account and gave her the possibility to make no compromises in the brand’s quality and direction. Sara is a strong believer in true luxury, and says one reason why she has built such a loyal clientele is because “they can feel it is luxury; they understand that, yes, it is worth the money”.

All clothing bearing the Sara Schlumpf label is lined in silk (no synthetics to be found here), with the designer stressing that “design always has to make sense and be about quality”.

Sara is the perfect example of a boutique owner who has succeeded in fashion business by staying true to her vision and principles of excellence, and it has helped her build a desirable address book of loyal clients.

The recognition she receives combined with the fact her business recently turned 20 proves that there are alternatives to working for big fashion conglomerates.

Find out more: www.saraschlumpf.ch

BACO’s fashion editor Valentina Accardo takes you from the vibrant fabric markets of Kenya to an upscale tailor in Parma.  Read about how easy getting your own jacket made is in her personal account: 

Last winter I went to Kenya for a quick (!) getaway from the chilly Northern Italian winter, and I really fell in love with the eastern African coast. The amazing landscapes, the animals, the nature, the great Kilimanjaro and the artisan markets.

I couldn’t possibly lose an opportunity to shop my heart out! The colors of the prints of the African unique fabrics that they use for just about everything: tablecloths, sarongs, headbands, skirts and so on… It all inspired me to make my own bespoke light coat. When I came back, I went to Ixcariota, a nice tailor shop in Parma, which is run by Federica Sidoli.   After asking her opinion, I decided on an electric blue cotton lining to go with the wax-finished cotton African fabric.  In the end, we also decided to sew on some invisible metallic buttons.

Then we decided on the cut: a nice length with a feminine touch. Federica cut the fabric. After few days, while she made the coat by hand, I passed by for the first fitting. We decided to modified a little bit the shape of the neckline of the coat that  was more flattering on me. After the definition of all the details, including the color of the cotton thread to sew the buttons. I waited, I waited, I waited. And then, my coat was done!!!

Beautiful, unique, bespoke: only-for-me. What a luxury!

WHERE: Ixcariota Sartoria by Federica Sidoli, B.Go Santa Chiara, 7, Parma. Phone +390521230319.

PRICE RANGE: EUR200 to EUR600

PARIS–Marian Eeckhout’s studio resembles the clothes he designs: simple, perfectly cut, with an ethnic and hand sewn touch that gives each one of them a unique look. Aside from the patterned fabrics which he gathers when he can, the window ledges are filled with delightful mementos and objects: adopted stones and plants he collects from everywhere.

After spending some years in the studios of Dior Homme, Vanessa Bruno and Jitrois, he is now launching his own brand that will enable him to combine all his passions : men’s tailoring, working with recycled pieces of luxury clothing and following a sustainable fashion philosophy.  Marian Eeckhout has just received a grant and the “Coup de Coeur” reward by the KPMG foundation, in partnership with the French Association pour le Droit a l’Initiative Economique, a micro-finance association who’s mission is (among other things) to support access to funds for small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs.

Marian Eeckhout’s career is atypical: he worked in the field of decoration and landscaping before ending up in fashion. He decided to train at the Association Formation Tailleur (Tailor Training Association), whilst simultaneously working for the costume department of a national opera, a theatre, a women’s ready-to-wear brand and with a furrier, where he learned a whole new set of skills to compliment his formal training. 

As he continued to cultivate his craft at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, a school that has trained greats like André Courrèges, Alexis Mabille, Issey Miyake, and Yves Saint Laurent, Marian Eeckhout began working as an apprentice for luxury fashion houses. 

“Working as a modelist helped me to understand all facets of building a collection: from the sketch, to the prototypes, fittings, shooting, fashion show, marketing. I knew that I was doing exactly what I liked,” he said. 

All these experiences ultimately helped him refine his choices and led him to his own conclusion:  “I wanted to propose an alternative fashion, independent, at a human scale.”

In his ambitious project, the recycling of fabrics is an integral facet of his collection.

“Working in different fields of fashion, I was struck by the important potential of recovering fabrics from maisons de couture and tailors. By working with smaller quantities of fabrics, I can propose unique clothing for each size and model. And that’s what people want, to be unique! I also offer to customize already worn clothes, with small pieces of fabrics, stitches, patchworks, all according to the client’s personality,” he explained. 

His first collection possessed a strong streetwear edge. Inspired by Parisian transport, “true visual crossroads,” and his trips to Asia and Portugal, the array evoked designs by Martin Margiela, Christian Dior or Damir Doma. The young designer is hoping to settle in a showroom very soon and to seduce his clients with his beautifully cut and unique jackets made of exclusive textiles.

Marian Eeckhout’s PARIS: 

Shopping: “In Paris, I like concept stores like Colette or l’Eclaireur. I have a weakness for Uniqlo t-shirts and I love Bleu de Paname, a Made in France Parisian “workwear” brand.” 

For a drink : “During the day, I like to stroll through the Marché des Enfants Rouges (39 rue de Bretagne 75003). 
For a drink at night, I fancy Le Pick-Clops, in le Marais (16, rue Vieille du temple, 75004).”

For a party: “At my friend’s place or at Badaboum (2 bis rue des Taillandiers, 75011), Concrete (9 port de la rapée, 75012 Paris), the Wanderlust (32 quai d’Austerlitz, 75013) for its rooftop view of the Seine.”

ALSO IN THE PARIS ISSUE: Video Special: Romain Brau and Kevin Auger’s Bygone Beauties, Donia Allegue’s House of Turban’s, Ex Nihilo’s Personalized Perfumes, BACO Style: French Blogger Typhaine Augusto, Marian Eeeckhout: Recycling with Style

MILAN–Effortless elegance is something that is often innate and not taught, but we can possibly provide you with the next best thing… We caught up with the co-founder of men’s Made in Italy e-commerce Cardano Club. Roberta Frattini shares her view on what it takes to dress like a real “Italian Gentleman.”

BACO: What are some of the things that are a MUST for the modern Italian gentleman? 

RF: It s always difficult to say what is a must have for the Italian gentleman but here’s my list:

1. The artisanal tie

2. A 100% silk pocket square

3. Silver cuff links (possibly customized).

4.  Handmade shoes with matching leather belt

5. Navy blue knee-length “filo di scozia” fine cotton socks

6. A bespoke suit

7. Bespoke white shirt with initials

8. A customized shoe care box

9. A one of kind shaving brush

BACO: What are some non-tangible qualities a modern gentleman must possess? 

RF: Knowledge: we believe that real exclusivity is not driven anymore by price or big brands but the knowledge of many meanings behind an item. Exclusivity: craftsmanship is by its nature a limited edition business. Let’s be honest you don’t want a tie sold in 100 items or more. We have “one of a kind” ties. The important item in a man’s wardrobe is a sense of Timeless Elegance, never trendy.

BACO: What are some of the brands you carry with the most interesting artisanal or family history and traditions? 

RF: All our brands have a strong artisanal history , in some cases it is a very long story (Marinella, Maglia, Merola, Valobra, Acqua di Biella, …) in some other cases it is much shorter (Passaggio Cravatte, Marfin , Sciamat) but not less interesting. We want to support young artisans and help them to emerge. It is our mission and we are genuinely enthusiastic about this.

BACO: What items are a must for this summer? 

RF: This summer the must is definitely a handmade extrafine panama hat by Tesi and an elegant swim short by Petronius1926 with the same ties prints and mother of pearl button.

BACO: What is a must for Pitti? 

RF: A pair of handmade sunglasses by Bob Sdrunk

BACO: Never ?

RF: The sockless phenomenon. We hope this trend fades….it is not that elegant and not very Italian.

BACO: LOL. You aren’t the only person who thinks that. Ok, always? 

RF:  Handmade vintage sunglasses by Bob Sdrunk in June and a handmade umbrella by Francesco Maglia for Pitti’s January edition.

IN THIS ISSUE:  Africa’s Mens Wear is Ripe for Growth, PITTI PREVIEW:  Stars of Constellation Africa, Making Men’s Wear In Rwanda, Cardano Club: Dressing Like A Real Italian Gentleman , Pitti Uomo Accessories Preview, Modernizing Artisan Allure at Pitti

MILAN–On any given day at the Rubinacci atelier on  Milan’s Via Montenapoleone, high-end bespoke connoisseurs will likely see young international and Italian apprentices stitching traditional Neapolitan peak lapels alongside older, more experienced and master tailors.

Heir to the fabled label known for its power-player clientele, Luca Rubinacci is invested in infusing the brand with a fresh image to cater to the rising number of dapper dandies, many of whom follow his unmistakable style on Instagram. In addition to offering ready-to-wear and made-to-measure fashions at the new Via Gesu’ flagship store, collaborations with brands like artisanal espadrilles maker Manebi‘ and a push to hire young apprentices with an unbridled sense of style are all facets of the younger Rubinacci’s strategy to fuel the company’s image.

“Why do we hire young tailors? Because they like to make more playful, trendy even experimental things. They understand the world is changing,” Rubinacci said.

Kim, a 29 year old South Korean is being praised by one of Rubinacci’s older tailors. “This kid works hard. He’s one of the best I have seen,” an older tailor speaking on the the condition of anonymity said. When apprentices start at the Rubinacci school, they start by making hand made bespoke suits for Luca. They eventually graduate to making suits for Luca’s father Mariano.

“That’s a lot harder because my father has a more complicated figure,” Luca said.

After visiting Milan on vacation and falling in love with Italian mens fashions, Kim decided to stay. He hopes that this Italian sojourn is forever.

“I could never do something like this in my country.”

Nearby 23-year-old Federico is carefully stitching a blazer by hand. The Italian-native could have opted for a career in fashion, but he said he has the patience to make it in tailoring, where one suit takes between 80 and 90 man hours.

“I can’t find this experience in a school. Here I am working with my hands and with this experience, I can really do anything,” Federico said.

For Rubinacci, the generational mix in tailoring is crucial to keeping its old clients happy while attracing new ones.

Lately Luca Rubinacci has been working on making linen jackets ready-to-wear blazers and suits that have flamboyant foulard printed silk lining depicting Southern Italian landscapes or Napoleonic victory scenes, in order to lure a younger set, but at the same time, makes men his father’s age feel like they are keeping abreast of current trends.

“Sometimes the most interesting thing about a suit is something you don’t show right off the bat. It’s only when you open up your jacket or put your hands in the pockets that you see that something is happening. For a 50 year old, this is a younger jacket. For a young man it is a sophisticated jacket.”

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Rubinacci: Grooming Young Tailors to Reach Next Gen, Costumery At World’s Oldest Opera, Gherardini: Preserving Icons, Musella Dembech: Father and Son, Brunello Cucinelli: The Solomeo School 

Robbio, Italy--The 27-year-old journalist-turned-cravat extraordinaire Gianni Cerutti will go to the ends of the earth to find textiles – some that haven’t been dusted since Italy still had a monarchy.

Silk factory bankruptcy auctions, fabric store basement blowouts and estate sales – from here to the UK — are all fair game to him.

Clad in a classic Neapolitan double breasted suit, crafted with 19th-century puckered shoulders and paisley tie, Cerutti himself is a sight to behold.

“It all started because I was unsatisfied with not being able to find the tie of my dreams,” he told BACO, emphasizing the word unsatisfied.

In fact, at age 13, he would hide from his parents, put on the most mature voice he could muster and call tie purveyors, pretending he was a serious client.

“Why did I do it? Because for me it was a game that fed my dream to one day have the tie I really wanted,” Cerutti said, surrounded by a sea of fabrics and rolls of vintage materials he salvaged from warehouses and factories throughout Europe.

Cerutti runs Passaggio Cravatte with his girlfriend, Marta Passaggio, who the company is named after. Marta sews the ties Cerutti designs by hand in their workshop in a town called Robbio, which lies about an hour outside of Milan.

A large portion of Cerutti’s sales are brokered through his website and by appointment at Milan’s Four Seasons Hotel.

Strangely, about 90 percent of Cerutti’s clients hail from the United States, while the others are from Hong Kong and various European nations. In Italy, however, the brand has yet to take off.

“Italians are afraid to do something different. Americans are always looking to be different and it is great to be the reference point of style for clients who have become regulars,” he added.

Italy, he complains, is also lacking the creativity that it once had in the 1930’s, an era that Cerutti personally has an affinity for.

“Designers then weren’t afraid of more bold lines, colors and prints. They had a level of creativity that you just can’t find today,” he added.

Rooted in traditional Neapolitan sartorial techniques, Cerutti’s customers can match their desired vintage textile with an almost obsolete seven silk fold, which requires about 1.7 by 1.2 meters of fabric for just one tie. Most ties today are made by sewing several smaller pieces of fabric together.

“Nobody makes ties like this anymore. Making ties from one piece of material is a sign of prestige,” Cerutti said.

“These are really the Rolls Royce of ties,” Cerutti said.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Marta Ferri: The Contemporary Atelier, Lorenzo Borghi: Old Style Milliner, Freccia Bestetti: Too International for Just Italy, Brunello Cucinelli: The King of Cashmere, The Mini World of Ginevra Dondina, Passaggio Cravatte: A Treasure Chest of Ties 

___________________________________________________________

WHO: Gianni Cerutti
, Marta Passaggio

WHAT THEY MAKE: Bespoke vintage silk ties

HEADQUARTERS: Robbio, Italy

PRICE: EUR135 to EUR175

WHERE TO BUY: By appointment at Milan’s Four Seasons Hotel or on www.passaggiocravatte.com

MILAN–A little over a year ago, through a tip from our sharp-eyed fashion editor Valentina Accardo, I made a Facebook connection with a blazer label named Blazè.

When I met two of the three stylists-turned founders Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri and Delfina Pinardi in Milan (the third Sole Torlonia lives in Rome), I was instantly romanced by  the craftsmanship, history and personalization behind the label. Their British Navy-inspired contours, rounded pockets, golden buttons and their luxe silk, linen and cotton blended materials were like nothing I have seen on the floors of fabric and yarn trade shows like Milano Unica or Pitti Filati.

Each Blazè jacket is made-to-order and crafted by a Milanese tailor and bears unique details like handmade gold buttons, one’s initials embroidered on the lining, rounded pockets and plenty of other pockets for gloss, iPhones and credit cards.

And after chatting in Corrada’s Liberty-Era apartment, eating chocolate cake with them and having a jolly old time trying the jackets on myself, I simply could not help it. I did what no unbiased journalist should ever do: while interviewing them, I put in an order to buy for myself (fyi, it has never been my policy to solicit anything free… at least not as a journalist).

A jacket with my own personalized initials – S.C.- hand sewn in gold thread, the smart iPhone and lipstick pockets and the ornate golden buttons … I saw my daughters wearing my Lady Anne weekend blazer 20 years from now. And certainly meeting these ladies in person and communicating my own taste and body shape issues, was just the icing on the delectable sartorial cake.

Their motto “All You Need Is A Blazer” is ringing more and more true today. It is no surprise that Vogue, W and Style.com have all featured Blazè after they showcased their fall winter 2015/16 during Milan Fashion Week, and their jackets have been spotted on fashion mavens like Caroline de Maigret  and a number of A-list Italian stylists.

Unabashed by its elitist, jetset, DNA, the label’s name, Blazè, is a play on the french term blasé.  The building blocks of the label were directly inspired by the founders’ passions: horseback riding, seafaring and their fascination with Britain’s Victorian Era – specifically, the type of uniforms worn on the Royal Navy vessel, the HMS Blazer, on the occasion of the royal visit of Queen Victoria herself in 1837.

“The blazer is a piece of your wardrobe that is versatile and can be paired with jeans or even with an evening gown,” Rodriquez D’Acri said.

Timeless indeed, these coats are contemporary yet reminiscent of items that could have washed up in a faded Louis Vuitton trunk from the ill-fated Titanic.

“We believe in personalization,” said Pinardi. “All big brands are produced in huge amounts. We are selling limited edition items,” she added.

For the 2015/16 fall winter season, the trio has added the “Cocoon,” “Robe” and “Colonial” models to their overall array, which is crafted with Savile-Row-inspired materials, as well as duchesse and raffia. One-of-a-kind vintage buttons are also a new feature that they have added to further emphasize the allure of exclusivity that just cannot be found among more commercialized, vanguard brands.

WHO: Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Sole Torlonia
WHAT THEY MAKE: Made to order blazers for women
WHERE THEY ARE SOLD: Through private appointment at www.blaze-milano.com, Fiacchini in Forte dei Marmi
AVERAGE PRICE: EUR700 to EUR1,200

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Blaze': A Blazer Revolution, CB Made in Italy’s Cecilia Bringheli, RACIL: Smoking the French Way, BACO STYLE: Lidia Pellecchia’s Sartorial Style , Female Sartorial Style: From the Atelier to the Runway , Puglia’s Tagliatore: Amping Up Women’s Wear 

Florence, Italy–Slim-fit jackets made just the right amount of stretch and fine Italian fabrics, make Tagliatore’s women’s wear just as appealing as its men’s line, which is popular here on a national level.

A company born from a family tradition in the southern Italian region of Puglia, prides itself on its collection that is 100 percent Made in Italy with a distinct character weekend casual character.

The soft and hugging forms, the fitting silhouettes and the revers are all fundamental elements of  a Tagliatore garment. While the brand’s men’s line has become a go-to ready-to-wear brand for an under-35 male demographic, its women’s wear line is growing as well and now represents about 30 percent of its entire production.

“We created jackets and coats for women who look for a masculine but very fitted style. It is not easy to find a men’s-style sartorial jacket shaped for women. It’s like a second skin,” said Pino Lerario, the creative mind behind Tagliatore.

WHERE TO BUY: http://www.tagliatore.com/store.html

–Valentina Accardo 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Blaze': A Blazer Revolution, CB Made in Italy’s Cecilia Bringheli, RACIL: Smoking the French Way, BACO STYLE: Lidia Pellecchia’s Sartorial Style , Female Sartorial Style: From the Atelier to the Runway , Puglia’s Tagliatore: Amping Up Women’s Wear 

BACO tracks the female sartorial look from the atelier to the runway this season. See how the trend evolved in our gallery: