Spring 2014 Rodes Fashion Forum Magazine

RODES FORUM/THE SUBSTANCE OF STYLE/SPRING-DERBY 2014

Su Misura Made to Measure is the Art of Personal Elegance

A CENTENNIAL

CELEBRATION

On March 17, 2014 Rodes will celebrate its 100th anniversary!

As a fifth-generation business that has survived World Wars, the Great Depression and a host of economic swings, Susan and I are blessed to be the current custodians of this remarkable, thriving “family” business.

We are thrilled that you are a part of our celebration. The one constant through the years, and our cornerstone belief, is to offer the best service and the finest products in the world. You have allowed us to celebrate this milestone, and for that and on behalf of all the families and hundreds of people that have worked here, we say thank you.

Rodes is blessed to have amazing customers, a great “family” of employees and world-class business partners. We are part of the fabric of this great city of Louisville and are so excited to see what the future holds. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for 100 great years!

See you around town, Susan, Howard and “The Rodes Family"

d e s i g n i n g

f o r

t h e

w a y

y o u

l i v e

residential & commercial design | handcrafted furniture | design accessories 7 3 1 E a s t M a i n S t re e t | 5 0 2 5 8 4 6 3 4 9 | w w w. b i t t n e r s . c o m | f a c e b o o k . c o m / b i t t n e r s d e s i g n

Rodes 502-753-RODES (7633) rodes.com 4938 Brownsboro Road, Louisville, KY 40222 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Karen Alberg Grossman DESIGN DIRECTOR

Hans Gschliesser MANAGING EDITOR

Jillian LaRochelle PROJECT MANAGER

Lisa Montemorra DESIGNERS

Cynthia Lucero, Jean-Nicole Venditti CONCEPT DIRECTORS

Andrew Mitchell, Russ Mitchell MERCHANDISING DIRECTOR

Bob Mitchell DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Peg Eadie DIRECTOR OF PREPRESS

John Frascone

FEATURES 10 66 72 74 96

100th Anniversary Timeline Best Practices: Exceptionally Eton Profile: Lafayette 148 Essay: Cut Your Losses Art: Listen Up

BUSINESS JOURNALS FASHION GROUP PUBLISHER

Stuart Nifoussi PRESIDENT AND CEO

Britton Jones CHAIRMAN AND COO

Mac Brighton CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Christine Sullivan

APPAREL FORUM

FASHION 15 70 78 86

100 Years of Style All Tied Up Color Check Italian Style

DEPARTMENTS 2 Welcome Letter 62 Ask Jim 64 Ask Susan 76 Wheels: Great Escape 92 World Scene 98 Spirits: Made-to-Treasure 100 End Page: Speaking of Style

Andrisen Morton DENVER, CO Garys NEWPORT BEACH, CA Hubert White MINNEAPOLIS, MN Kilgore Trout CLEVELAND, OH Larrimor’s PITTSBURGH, PA Malouf’s LUBBOCK/SOUTHLAKE, TX Mario’s PORTLAND, OR/SEATTLE, WA Mitchells/Marshs HUNTINGTON, NY Mitchells/Richards WESTPORT/GREENWICH, CT Oak Hall MEMPHIS, TN Rodes LOUISVILLE, KY Rubensteins NEW ORLEANS, LA Stanley Korshak DALLAS, TX Wilkes Bashford SAN FRAN/PALO ALTO, CA FASHION FORUM MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN 11 REGIONAL EDITIONS FOR MEMBER STORES OF THE APPAREL FORUM © 2014. PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS JOURNALS, INC, P.O. BOX 5550, NORWALK, CT 06856, 203-853-6015 • FAX: 203-8528175; ADVERTISING OFFICE: 1384 BROADWAY, NY, NY 10018-6108, 212-686-4412 • FAX: 212-686-6821; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE PUBLISHERS ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ADVERTISERS CLAIMS, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS OR OTHER MATERIALS. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

Exclusive fabric by Loro Piana, “Extreme”

THE BEGINNING The Starks Company Men’s Haberdashery store opens on March 17, 1914 in the new Starks Building.

World War I begins three months later. John Starks Rodes and William H. Rapier are hired to operate the business, and the company is renamed Rodes Rapier. W. Reed Embry joins the firm as president a year later.

RODES FAMILY TIMELINE

1 9 37 The Rodes Starks Building store expands to 25,000 square feet on two floors to accommodate the increased demand for tailored men's and boy's clothing during the post-World War II boom. In 1954 Reed Embry Smith joins the company as bookkeeper, eventually becoming a buyer and later secretary-treasurer.

1 9 14

The Rodes-Rapier Company survives the Great Depression and the 1937 Louisville flood. Rodes then endures World War II by selling U.S. Army uniforms at Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indiana), Fort Knox and Camp Taylor (Audubon Park). During this time, all fabric is used for the war effort so piece goods for “civilian” clothing are scarce.

1 9 54 1 9 84

In 1984 both Rodes and the Starks Building undergo major renovations as part of the development of the Starks Court Atrium, which connects the building to the neighboring Galleria Mall (now 4th Street Live). Rodes acquires Schupp & Snyder, a “traditional” men’s clothing store located in the Starks Arcade, in 1987. As the economy thrives Rodes decides to become a regional player and opens stores in the Fayette Mall, Lexington in 1988 and in the Bellevue Center in Nashville, Tennessee in 1990.

1 9 81

ECONOMIC UPSWING In 1981 Lawrence Smith becomes president of Rodes. In 1983 he purchases his mother’s (Elizabeth Embry) shares in the firm and those of her two cousins, Jack and Clif Rodes, becoming sole owner. In 1984 Lawrence “Larry” Smith, Jr. joins Rodes as manager of the Columbus, Indiana store. Larry represents the fourth generation of family in the company.

After five prosperous years, Rodes-Rapier quadruples its store size and moves to the corner of the Starks Building at 4th & Walnut Streets, downtown.

In 1962, at the direction of Hanford Smith (who is part of the commission to build the first enclosed mall in Louisville), Rodes opens its second store in Kentucky’s first enclosed mall (which is now Mall St. Matthews).

1 9 79

1 9 21 1 9 31

THE NEXT GENERATION RETAIL AND UNIFORMS In 1931 W. Reed Embry brings his sonin-law, Hanford Smith, into the business during the Great Depression. Hanford becomes president, then chairman. John S. Rodes, Jr. begins his Rodes career in the shirt collar department in 1932 and later becomes senior vice president. “Jack” serves the company for over 50 years, retiring in 1982.

1 9 71

3rd GENERATION, MALL EXPANSION As the mall concept takes hold in America, Rodes continues to open new stores: a third location in Oxmoor Center in 1971 and a fourth location in Columbus, Indiana in 1975. Rodes also makes its first foray into the women’s business in 1977. The downtown store dedicates floor space to women’s tailored suits and blouses, and Hermès scarves.

1 9 62

Reed E. Smith’s son, Reed Smith, begins working at the Oxmoor location as a sales associate in 1971. In 1979 Lawrence L. Smith ”Rabbitt”, son of Hanford Smith, joins the firm as operations manager.

BACK TO UNIFORMS In 1990, Lawrence L. Smith, Sr. asks his daughter Susan Smith-Vogt and son-in-law Howard to move home and join the family business, which is now comprised of seven stores.

1 9 90

During the next nine years, Rodes history repeats itself. The retail landscape is changing quickly with the advent of international brands and the introduction/acceptance of luxury European clothing. To fund the growth of the uniform business and begin its metamorphosis toward selling luxury brands in fewer locations, Rodes closes many of its stores as mall leases expire.

A NEW BEGINNING Rodes returns to its retail roots, selling Rodes Professional Apparel to Cintas in January 2000. In 2001 The Oxmoor Center location closes after the lease expires and Rodes is operating its Starks building location and Schupp & Snyder.

Simultaneously UPS chooses Louisville as its worldwide air hub and thus Rodes gets back into the uniform business, winning the contract to provide UPS pilot uniforms.

In 1991 Howard is asked to run the newly formed “Rodes Professional Apparel”. The uniform division gains traction throughout the decade as “RPA” garners contracts with DHL, TWA, Continental, PAN-AM, Southwest, Clinique and the Americas Cup.

1 9 97

In 1997 Rodes introduces Zegna and Canali to Louisville. Also during the 1990s it becomes clear that stores/chains worldwide are ramping up “brand” selling. In order to survive and compete stores can no longer be “everything to everyone” but have become more specialized and focused.

2 0 00

Now here we stand 100 years later… on March 17, 2014, we celebrate our centennial milestone! Here’s to the next 100!

After two years with Cintas, Lawrence asks Susan and Howard to return to Louisville and reinvigorate Rodes.

Simultaneously, in 2002 Rodes risks it all by getting into the women’s business after Jacobsen’s closure at Oxmoor Mall. And so Rodes For Her is born. Later that year, after 90 years downtown, the decision is made not to renew the Starks building lease.

Rodes For Him & For Her moves to its present location on Brownsboro Road.

2 0 10

In 2010, thanks to our great customers, Rodes climbs back from the crash of 2008 and continues to add world-class brands and associates. In 2013 Rodes For Him renovates, creating two shop-in-shops, featuring exclusive lines to this region: Ermenegildo Zegna of Italy and Eton of Sweden.

Additionally, Rodes is awarded “The Gold Standard” by Esquire Magazine as one of the top 35 specialty stores in the United States.

2 0 08

2 0 02

The company merges with She of Louisville and is now firmly fixed as the premier women’s store in Kentuckiana.

Ten years later, Rodes For Her accounts for over 50% of the business.

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Photography by Andrew Kung Hair by Katy Jo Gardner Makeup by Nick Carter, Joseph’s Salon & Spa

CONGRATULATIONS RODES ON

100

BEAUTIFUL YEARS! YOU’VE MADE A MARK ON YOUR COMMUNITY AND LOOKED GREAT DOING IT. LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER CENTURY OF STYLE!

ST. JOHN

CANALI

ESCADA

ROBERT TALBOTT

LAFAYETTE 148 NEW YORK

SAMUELSOHN

kate spade new york

ETRO

“Congratulations on 100 years of success!

Thank you for being such a great partner.

Wishing you 100 more years of good luck from Napoli.�

Gianluca Isaia

ISAIA

SCOTT BARBER

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ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

basler-fashion.com

The eighth annual Derby Divas™ event hosted at Rodes )RU +LP and )RU +HU is Thursday, April 17, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

This girls’ night out event features an evening of shopping, specialty cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and a chance to win a getaway for two at Blackberry Farm through the Derby Divas raffle. Hosts Susan Vogt, Fran Thornton and Angela Tafel, along with the Derby Divas planning committee, devote hundreds of hours planning the event each year to kick off the Derby season in style. This successful event works to raise funds to support the Norton Cancer Institute Breast Health Program through the Norton Healthcare Foundation.

Tickets are $45 in advance or $55 at the door.

The first 50 people who pay a special $125 admission fee will receive an exclusive gift bag full of beauty products and other goodies.

Proceeds help fund mammograms for underserved women in our community.

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“The Norton Healthcare Foundation is so fortunate to have been embraced by the Rodes family. We cannot imagine a more generous or involved partner. Thanks for joining our quest to overcome breast cancer…and a very happy 100th Anniversary!”

Thank you for being the quintessential American establishment of eclectic fashion in Louisville! We are honored to be partners.

Here’s to another 100 years!

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VERONICA BEARD

MARCHESA VOYAGE

RACHEL ROY

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JAPANESE, ITALIAN & AMERICAN DENIMS SUPIMA COTTON KNITWEAR MADE IN AMERICA

OF SWITZERLAND

To the Rodes family, Thank you for the many years of successful partnership!

Happy 100th Anniversary and best wishes for the future!

The Algo Family Nicolas Goetschel: VP Sales & Marketing. Naomi Habisreutinger: VP Patterns , Heinz Fischer: CFO, Doris Fischer: Accounts Payable, Sylvia Goetschel: VP Design & Production / Owner, Carlo Goetschel: President / Owner, Philippe Goetschel: Design & Production

Quality

is Always Fashionable

spring 2014

Casual Luxury for Men

CONGRATULATIONS TO RODES ON 100 YEARS OF TIMELESS STYLE CHEERS FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT STUART WEITZMAN

ASKJIM

SPRING 2014 FASHION TIPS FOR HIM

Q:

I own just one belt that reverses from black to brown. What more do I need?

Just as there are dress jeans and casual jeans, there are also dress belts and casual belts. If the leather is smooth, shiny, burnished or exotic (alligator, snakeskin), it’s best worn with dress trousers or a suit.

FYI, we love brown belts and brown shoes (leather or suede) worn with gray and navy tailored clothing!

When you’re wearing casual pants (jeans, khakis, twills), the ideal belt might be a softer leather or suede. Fabric belts are also great in spring and summer (perfect for shorts!). Don’t be afraid of color or interesting buckles, both good ways to express some fashion flair.

Q:

I always thought that jeans are jeans, but I’m told there’s a difference between dress denim and casual denim. What’s the difference?

If you own trim-fitting jeans in a medium to dark wash with no tears or abrasions, feel free to wear them out to dinner, with a sportcoat and tie if you desire, or with any kind of shirt or sweater. If you don’t own this type of denim, come into the store

and try some on! Clean, dark jeans are perhaps the single most important item in today’s casual wardrobes, because they work well with virtually everything you can think of. What’s more, many of today’s new denim fabrics contain a small percentage of stretch to ensure comfort, wrinkle resistance and a perfect fit!

If your jeans are baggy in a light to medium wash (with or without tears or abrasions), save them for casual wear and don’t pair them with a slim modern sportcoat. Better yet, buy some jeans that fit.

62

Q:

I’m seeing some strangely short pants on young guys these days, sometimes hitting above the ankle. Is this a trend?

Shorter-length pants are definitely the way to go in 2014, but showing ankle is on the extreme side. We recommend a very soft break in the leg, with the hem of the pant just grazing the top of the shoe. If this seems too trendy for you, go a bit longer, but please: no hems dragging on the floor! If your pant leg covers the entire heel of your shoe, it’s too long!

ASKSUSAN Q:

How do you choose which designers to bring into Rodes?

I am a very visual girl. My mom was my first teacher: an interior designer with incredible creativity and an eye for color and texture. Early in her career she would drag me to fabric, carpet, paint and wallpaper stores, where I would watch her choose pieces that would work together to create a beautiful room.

In order to create a store filled with beautiful product, I visit designer showrooms, watch fashion shows, and talk with vendors, our staff, and friends in the industry from across the country. My team and I see and read about countless trends and take thousands of pictures, then begin to figure out the best way to introduce them to you in Louisville.

Vendor by vendor, item by item, we start putting together the “buy” for the upcoming season. If you include footwear, jewelry and other accessories, we carry over 200 vendors in the store.

Taking into account that an appointment can last between one and six hours, you can imagine how much time we spend in New York just meeting with our existing brands!

But the real trick is discovering the exciting new designers you won’t find just anywhere. One recent example is Veronica Beard. I’ve been watching the brand closely for two years, waiting for the product offering to fully mature. I am so excited to bring the line to Rodes this season, and I look forward to helping you update your wardrobe with the best fashions the world has to offer.

Q:

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What do you like best about your job?

There’s so much to love about being a fashionista! If I had to choose one thing, I would have to say it’s the “style outs” we do around Derby time and when we’re planning to shoot for the Forum magazine. There is nothing more satisfying than starting with a blank canvas and creating a one-of-a-kind look.

For the magazine, I scour the thousands of pictures we took during market appointments to see what fashions have been trending, then I choose how to interpret those trends for

Louisvillians’ unique style. (Not everything I see on the fashion runways makes sense for our city, but I do enjoy watching the artists take risks.) Of the many options, I narrow it down to about 15 looks from a variety of vendors, both old favorites and new additions.

Then the fun begins! We play with pairings and always try to push each look to the edge. Sometimes it’s an easy process, and other times a challenge. But each look will continue to evolve as we finesse the model with hats, jewels, shoes, a hairstyle and makeup. I like the final outfits to have fluidity, but always with a twist!

It’s the same with the clients we dress for Derby: it can take some time, but it’s such a fun process every step of the way. I tend to push our clients to step outside the norm and take a risk, so when we eventually achieve the finished look, it’s an “aha” moment.

64

CONGRATULATES

RODES ON 100 YEARS

best practices

Exceptionally

ETON CRAFTING THE WORLD’S FINEST SHIRTS.

By Howard Vogt and Jim Porter

Howard Vogt poses with Eton creative director Sebastian Dollinger in Stockholm.

WE RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT ETON in Ganghester and Stockholm, Sweden with a select group of stores from the U.S. and Canada. Knowing Eton is one of the hottest brands in the luxury market, we were eager to experience firsthand the culture, commitment and quality-obsessed artisans at this amazing company.

Like most great companies, success starts at the top.

Eton CEO Hans Davidson (third generation, the company was founded by his grandparents in 1948) and senior advisor Jan Borghardt were incredibly candid about their journey. As Borghardt explains it, “The Swedish mindset discourages arrogance: you should never think you’re too great. Hans and I were making all the decisions at Eton

It’s been said there are more chemicals in a cup of British tea than in an Eton shirt…”

Hans Davidson, Eton CEO 66

and it was hard for us to let people contribute. But we realized that we might be the problem, so we established a teambuilding culture that encourages creative thinking.

An intense passion now permeates the company; our people love coming to work…”

Eton is a vertical business, managing every stage of the shirt-making process from cotton production to creative to sales. Every Eton shirt is ecologically responsible, from growing the cotton (using crop rotation to naturally enrich the soil) to dyeing the yarns to There are miles of yarn per shirt. packaging and shipping.

Each shirt requires at least minutes of Eton uses more cutting and sewing. Eton uses meters cotton per square of thread per shirt. Color clarity: there are millimeter than other luxury brands different shades of red alone! and they use only There are stitches extra-long staple made to produce one Eton shirt.

“ELS” cotton (Pima from California and Giza from Egypt), renowned for its luster, durability and softness. Only 0.7 percent of the world’s cotton is ELS! They then partner with top mills in Italy, Switzerland and France that spin the cotton and weave the fabric into their exclusive designs (they use no fabrics available on the open market).

Also unique to Eton shirts

ETON BY THE NUMBERS

18

100

150

250

25,000

68

is a notable crispness, thanks to a secret 40-step process that actually rearranges the cotton fibers rather than coating the fabric with chemicals. This allows for wrinkle resistance in the most ecologically safe way possible. “Cynics say it’s impossible to attain our level of wrinkle-free without chemicals,” Davidson explains. “It’s been said there are more chemicals in a cup of British tea than in an Eton shirt…”

We at Rodes are so excited to be part of Eton’s growth and all they are doing globally to leave the planet a better place, while still offering the some of the finest products in the market. As Eton global sales director Erik Wilkinson says about his relationship with us, “We are proud to say that Rodes now has our largest Eton shop in the U.S., installed during their beautiful remodel. We look forward to working with them for the next 100 years and then some...”

At the end of our stay in Stockholm, we received our “Eton College” diplomas, so we are now officially experts in the technical aspects of an Eton shirt!

But what we really took away from our visit was a profound admiration for the world-class business culture they have created; it’s truly the secret to their success!

Above: Steve Ramenofsky and Rodes’ own Jim Porter listen attentively as they tour Eton’s factory.

2.5-3.0” NARROW

2.0-2.5” SKINNY

ALLTIED UP!

THE FINISHING TOUCH THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

T

hose in the know view ties first and foremost as fashion accessories, divorced from the dress codes of 30 years ago.

While ties paired with suits are still mandatory in some corporate office environments, many guys don’t see them that way: to younger generations, ties in narrower widths and materials like cotton or wool are fashionable accessories that go just as well with jeans and an unconstructed blazer... or no jacket at all.

Take note that ties have been steadily slimming down over the last 10 years, from an average of 4 inches in 1994 to 3.25 inches today. Several widths (as illustrated above) are now acceptable, as long as they’re in proportion to your jacket lapel.

With the pressure off, you’re free to add neckwear to almost any outfit, for almost any occasion. There’s no better way to show your unique personal style.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JENS INGVARSSON. STYLIST: WILLIAM BUCKLEY. TAILOR: JASON SANTIAGO. MODEL: EMANUELE @ MAJOR MODELS

3.0-3.5” MODERN

LITTLE-KNOWN NECKWEAR FACTS 1.

Louis XIV began wearing a lace cravat at the age of seven, igniting a trend that spread across France.

2.

In the early 1700s, leather collars called “stocks” were worn around the neck to protect major blood vessels and encourage soldiers to hold their heads high during battle.

3.

Published in 1818, Neckclothitania or Tietania contains the first printed use of the word “tie” in reference to neckwear.

4.

The long, thin necktie style still used today was born during the industrial revolution, when factory workers needed simple, unfussy neckwear that wouldn’t come undone.

5.

When soldiers returned home from WWII, the Bold Look (characterized by ties that were up to 5 inches wide) showed their eagerness to break free from the conformity of military uniforms.

6.

Since September 2007, doctors in British hospitals have been banned from wearing neckties because they are laundered less frequently than other clothing items.

7.

In their book The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie, physicists Thomas Fink and Yong Mao assert that there are exactly 85 possible ways to knot a conventional necktie. Of these, Fink says, “just over a dozen are sufficiently handsome or different from each other to be worn.”

8.

International Necktie Day (or Cravat Day in Croatia) is celebrated each year on October 18th.

profile

Sleek

IN ALL SIZES

LAFAYETTE 148 EMBODIES MODERN SOPHISTICATION.

BY JILLIAN LAROCHELLE

approaches design from a global viewpoint, and his world travels have directly inspired the vivid colors and interesting prints used throughout his designs. This season, look for relaxed, rounded shapes like drop-shoulder sleeves to soften sharp lines, and wide, cropped pants or long, slim skirts to balance voluminous a-line tops.

Since it was founded by businessman Shun Yen Siu in 1996, the brand’s namesake headquarters at 148 Lafayette Street in Manhattan has been the home base for its design team and also houses a sales showroom and marketing department.

Lafayette 148 owns and operates its own factory, allowing maximum flexibility, rapid turnaround time, and unparalleled oversight of the entire production process. The designers themselves are even on hand to make sure every detail is executed exactly how it was imagined.

Though Lafayette 148’s production facility in Siu’s hometown of Shantou, China,Dizzy’s is stateClub-Coca of the art,Cola, the Jazz at Lincoln Center nearby schools were anything but. Outdated laws deny many children in the area access to a public education, so in 2007 Siu spearheaded the restoration of an abandoned school and founded the School of Dreams. Enrollment quickly expanded from children of Lafayette 148 employees to include children of all local workers; it now serves over 300 students from preschool through 6th grade. The company recently purchased two buses to provide the children with safe transportation, launched a free lunch and snack program to promote healthy living, and continually raises funds to keep books and equipment up to date.

Though Siu has since passed away, those at Lafayette 148 and the School of Dreams continue to live by his philosophy: “Quality on the inside will reflect everywhere else.”

T

he brand’s mission is to provide enduring designs for its clients’ multifaceted lives, so iconic pieces like the white shirt and perfect-fitting pant are important cornerstones in each collection. But it’s the combination of these pieces with luxurious knits, laser-cut leathers and special handembellishments that truly sets Lafayette 148 apart. Styles are offered in a full range of petite, missy and women’s sizes, giving women of all shapes the opportunity to be effortlessly chic.

At the helm is creative director Edward Wilkerson, who designed for Calvin Klein and Donna Karan before beginning his tenure at Lafayette 148 in 1998. Wilkerson

9

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LAFAYETTE148NY.COM

essay

RE-EVALUATE YOUR WARDROBE AND

Cut Your Losses

By Hans J. Gschliesser

while vacationing in the Scottish Highlands. Blame it on the single malt if you must, but why hold on to it longer than The Macallan ages in its cask?

Clearly, guys tend to fall victim to what economists and psychologists call the Effect of Sunk Costs. Yes, you made a monetary and mental investment when you decided to buy it, but now that it no longer holds any real value to you, why not just toss it?

If you’re like most of us, you don’t want to appear wasteful, but what do we gain by holding on to stuff we never wear?

Suggestion: rather than let your underused clothes languish in your overcrowded closet, how about getting a great return on those investments by donating them to a local non-profit?

If you find the process too overwhelming, call a professional advisor (e.g. one of our sales associates) to help rebalance your wardrobe. Not only will your fashion-savvy consultant suggest what should stay and what should go, he’ll also offer some great ideas on how to update your overall style.

The net result: an uncluttered closet, an uncluttered mind, and the spiritual dividend that comes from helping those in need. My new axiom is out with the old and in with the new.

Or to paraphrase my college roommate: it’s not how much you own, but how much you wear.

I vividly recall my cocky college roommate (an accounting major) lecturing anyone who would listen: “It’s not how much you make; it’s how much you keep!”

Those words, delivered with the hubris of youth, still resonate for me.

Unfortunately, they do not apply to my overstocked clothing portfolio, as I’ve been practicing a buy-andhold wardrobe strategy.

It’s gotten so bad that when there’s a special event on the horizon, I become so traumatized at the prospect of retrieving the right tux from that entangled black hole that I run out and rent one (despite owning several already).

The painful truth: No matter how good an investment it was seven years ago when your waist was as trim as the economy, some things no longer fit. Forget about squeezing into those artfully distressed but now uncomfortably tight jeans that have strolled in and out of style several times over the years. Forget the suits with the big shoulders and flowy pleated trousers: even if they still fit, they’re far too outdated to be respectable.

We understand: you were simply caught up in the moment when you bought that ridiculously loud red tartan sportcoat

74

GETTY/LASSE KRISTENSEN

WHAT DO WE GAIN

BY HOLDING ON TO STUFF WE NEVER WEAR?

IT JUST FITS.

wheels

Great Escape

MARLON BRANDO-STYLE ANTICS CIRCA THE WILD ONE MAY HAVE PREVAILED DECADES AGO, BUT TODAY’S MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ATTITUDE. BY DAVID A. ROSE My eagerness to experience this cruiser was rewarded with a fantastic ride as we continued to tour the breathtaking roads through the Catskills. This beautiful machine delivers enough power to impress any rider, but with a smoothness and stability that provides optimal comfort.

After riding all day we had clocked a few hundred miles exploring the hills and dales of the Northeast. We pulled into the hamlet of Rosendale, NY and checked into the 1850 House, where we would spend the night. This historic place offers the comfort of an inn and the hospitality of a pub, and has been in operation since 1850 (as its name implies). The enchanting 12-room inn was the perfect place to unwind after such a long day on the road.

When taking a trip like this, it’s not so much about the destination as it is the journey.

Experiencing the beauty of nature by bike is an incredible way to see the world. And since motorcycles have evolved over the years, these sophisticated machines are safer and perform better than anything Marlon Brando or Steve McQueen might have ridden. As Kawasaki’s tagline puts it: “Let the good times roll.”

I-STOCK

I was recently invited to tour the Catskill Mountains of New York and the Berkshires of Massachusetts and Connecticut, courtesy of Kawasaki Motors. I’ve been around motorcycles for many years and consider myself an experienced rider, so I gladly accepted. While I was preparing my gear before the tour, however, it was obvious that my attire was outdated.

The classic black leather jacket and blue jeans would appear archaic to the executives of one of the world’s premier motorcycle brands, so I swapped them for some coollooking new Rev’It gear. Now I’d be protected by all the latest safety features, like reinforced ‘‘body armour’’ in the shoulders, elbows and knees, and kept warm and dry by Rev’It’s high-tech textiles. With my updated look I transcended the 1970s and joined the 21st century. This trip was going to be one to remember.

The first bike I rode was the 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS. Although this lightweight and agile sport model is intended for the relatively inexperienced, all the newest technology it utilizes makes this machine a satisfying and exciting ride at any skill level. Our leader, Rob Doyle, took us on a thrilling route over back roads, complete with enough sweeping turns and variable elevation changes to make me glad I was on such a nimble machine.

Despite the challenges, there’s no better way to experience a landscape than by motorcycle. As I became one with my machine, leaning into corners and accelerating out of them, the texture of the air and the colors of the foliage seemed enhanced.

We stopped for lunch in the quaint village of Phoenicia, NY, where we enjoyed Mexican food at outdoor tables to further absorb the atmosphere of this charming place. The food was great and the town was lovely, but I was anxious to get back on the road, where I would exchange my Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS for a 2014 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT.

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COLOR CHECK

SPRING 2014 BRINGS A FRESH TAKE ON PRINT AND COLOR. DISCOVER THE LUSH HUES OF THE TROPICS, SET ON STUNNING VERANDAS UNDER A CANOPY OF PALMS AT THE MOORINGS RESORT & SPA IN ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SERGIO KURHAJEC HAIR/MAKEUP: CLAIRE BAYLEY STYLING: WENDY MCNETT / WIILLIAM BUCKLEY

BRING ON THE

BLUES

BE PLAYFUL WITH PLAIDS, SETTING EXOTIC BRIGHTS AGAINST BOLD NEUTRALS.

IT’S A SHORTS

STORY

Style

A CRASH COURSE IN EASY ELEGANCE, FROM THE WORLD’S MOST WELL-DRESSED MEN.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JENS INGVARSSON. STYLIST: WILLIAM BUCKLEY. TAILOR: JASON SANTIAGO. MODELS: EFREN @ MSA, JHANELLE @ MAJOR, EMANUELE @ MAJOR.

ITALIAN

Brown Shoes PAIR PERFECTLY WITH GRAY OR NAVY SUITS IN A MODERN SLIM FIT.

Spring Layering GETS YOU THROUGH THE SEASON IN STYLE, WHILE WHITE TROUSERS BALANCE COLOR ON TOP.

Tailored Outerwear DOUBLES AS A BLAZER WHEN WORN WITH A DRESS SHIRT AND TIE.

PLAY WITH

Prints & Patterns IN BOLD COLOR (AND SKIP THE SOCKS).

Lightweight Knits LEND AN EFFORTLESS COOL TO SLIM COLORED CHINOS.

world scene

BY DONALD CHARLES RICHARDSON

Experience life’s little luxuries.

TOUJOURS PROVENCE

BRUNO PRECHEMINSKY

Quietly sequestered among the vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields in the South of France is the sleek, modern, nearly 750-acre Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort. Here, golfers are welcomed with two championship 18-hole courses and the Leadbetter Golf Academy, featuring the world’s top instructors. Spend the morning improving your swing, then pass a lazy afternoon at the infinity pool (with a breathtaking view of the Southern Alps), or get pampered in the elaborate and opulent spa. Since you’re in France, you should do a lot of eating and drinking. Terre Blanche makes it easy with four restaurants that serve fresh local dishes and superb wines (the rosés are especially excellent).

Finally, retire to one of the elaborately homey villas scattered among the pine trees, where you’ll find seclusion and every contemporary comfort. It’s like having your own private Provence.

A COUNTRY PORT

foothills of the Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee, has been a favorite American destination for generations.

Along with the comfortable cottages, award-winning food, and vast number of activities offered at Blackberry Farm, food, beverage and wine director Andy Chabot has assembled a commanding collection of 8,500 wines. The rare vintages include 25 madeiras and 20 ports. Chabot introduces guests to these notable after-dinner wines with flights: side-by-side tastings of three, such as the 1834, 1863 and 1875 madeiras, or ruby, tawny and white ports. For the true port connoisseur Chabot suggests VV from Niepoort (released only twice in the history of the company, just 999 bottles of this tawny port were produced), which he describes as “an elegant way to ease out of the evening.”

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IMAGE BY BEALL + THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

BLACKBERRY FARM, a stylishly pastoral resort at the

Bespoke Publishing for the Connoisseur

"Louisville's Finest Magazine" slmag.net

world scene

PICTURING THE WILD WEST

For more than a century, cowboys and cowgirls have gathered at the Cheyenne Frontier Days to compete at the rodeo, dance the two-step and recreate the Old West. There’s also an art show. This July more than 60 of the country’s contemporary artists celebrate America’s frontier past—its culture, its magnificent scenery and the western way of life—in paintings, sculptures, wood and alabaster carvings, and Navajo weavings. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show begins with a preview, followed by a reception at the Wyoming Governor’s Mansion. A western dinner and cocktails are served throughout the evening while the sale takes place, and guests dance the night away to the sounds of a live band.

M

EASY RIDER

ission Motorcycles has recently introduced the Mission RS, an innovative and high-performing electric motorcycle. Merging stunning looks with state-of-the-art technology, the Mission RS has a 120 kW (160 hp) electric motor integrated with Mission’s InfiniteDrive, which offers control and performance levels never before seen in any electric vehicle. The result: a pure motorcycle experience. Marchesini competition-legal and race-spec forged magnesium wheels are included in the optional GP Package, making the Mission RS ready to compete on the world stage. Production of the Mission RS is limited to 40 editions; naturally, each bike purchased is hand-delivered within North America.

ON THE WATERFRONT

This summer, experience the great outdoors at Miami’s Viceroy Hotel. For evenings there’s Fifty, a new rooftop indoor/outdoor lounge perched atop the 50th floor. Recline on chaise lounges or hang out at the bar and private pool and stare at the stars (or the city lights). During the day, head for the 15th floor and make a splash in the 300-foot infinity pool (Florida’s longest), an 80-person hot tub (the world’s largest) and a wading pool, which together add up to a water complex the size of a football field.

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Congratulates Rodes for their dedication and commitment to excellence for

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art

Installation view of Soundings: A Contemporary Score at New York City’s MoMA. Inset: Janet Cardiff, The Forty Part Motet , Fuentidueña Chapel at The Cloisters

Listen Up!

Sound installations are a growing trend in the contemporary art world. Some attribute their popularity to the globalization of music through the internet. As Mark IJzerman, a sound artist/composer and writer for Everyday Listening, a website that posts various sound and art installations, sees it, “[The internet] makes way for music that uses sounds in different ways, which is why people’s ears are open to a wider variety.

Sound is all around us, but we’re often not truly aware of it in the same way as the things we see because sound is temporal, fleeting. Learning how to focus on ‘active listening’ takes time and concentration, maybe more than looking at a painting, for example.”

Garnering recent attention was Janet Cardiff’s Forty Part Motet, presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s The Cloisters. This exhibit was The Cloisters’ entrée into contemporary art, and it was a first for Cardiff as well, since the exhibit was previously shown only in stark, modern rooms; this time, the backdrop was the beautiful Fuentidueña Chapel. Associate curator Anne Strauss referred to the work as “a contemporary artist deconstructing a renowned 16thcentury piece of music, transforming it into her own masterwork presented in a 12th-century setting.”

The exhibit was breathtaking: 40 speakers set up in an ovu-

lar shape each played the recording of a singular voice from a member of the Salisbury Cathedral Choir. Together, the voices sang the 40-part motet Spem in alium numquam habui by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis. The 11-minute performance opened with a verbal introduction by the artist and played continuously during the museum’s operating hours. Guests were encouraged to walk around the room and listen to each speaker—separately and collectively—to gain the overall sensory experience.

New York’s Museum of Modern Art also featured an exhibit in this emerging genre last year. Soundings: A Contemporary Score was MoMA’s first major exhibition of sound art and featured the work of 16 contemporary artists. The museum’s website described the exhibit: “These artistic responses range from architectural interventions, to visualizations of otherwise inaudible sound, to an exploration of how sound ricochets within a gallery, to a range of field recordings—including echolocating bats, abandoned buildings in Chernobyl, 59 bells in New York City, and a sugar factory in Taiwan.... The exhibition posits something specific: that how we listen determines what we hear.” Intrigued yet?

Like art, sound installations can be exhibited in various forms. As IJzerman says, “It can be a sculpture in which sound is a dominant factor, or a knitted sculpture which reacts with sound when you touch it. Sound installation art is very much intertwined with both the exploration of music and sounds, but also sculptures and interactive systems.”

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PHOTOGRAPH: JONATHAN MUZIKAR, © 2013 THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK. INSET: THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART/WILSON SANTIAGO

THE NEWEST CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITS ARE HEARD, NOT SEEN.

BY ELISE DIAMANTINI

T H E U LT I M AT E T R O U S E R

spirits

Made-to-Treasure RESORTS AND RESTAURANTS OFFER GUESTS ONE-OF-A-KIND DRINKING EXPERIENCES.

BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

Jimmy Russell.

Often the restaurant will craft a signature or private selection cocktail. Chef Marc Murphy's bar/restaurant Kingside, in Manhattan's luxe new Viceroy Hotel, features a custom Michter's Whiskey (aged in a custom deep-char barrel) in its own barrel-aged Manhattan. At Emeril Lagasse's Las Vegas venues, he drops a custom Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare single-barrel reserve into three seasonal cocktails: The NOLA Mule, the Bourbon Milk Punch and the Autumn Pomme. Bam! Such exclusivity isn't reserved for whiskeys: Herradura tequila offers a Buy the Barrel program to restaurants around the country, including several Richard Sandoval properties in New York; at contemporary Japanese eatery Shibuya in Las Vegas, you'll find exclusive sakes dubbed Neo-Tokyo and Hachiko; and at Four Seasons Milan, you can order a custom Italian (sweet) vermouth.

"It's wonderful to see people come back and select new barrels for seasonality or specific food pairings," says Morris.

"Restaurants and resorts are finding they're selling out so fast that they're saying, 'we've already got to do this again.'"

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IMAGE BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

IT'S NO LONGER ENOUGH to order a standard blended whisky, or even an 18-year expression of your go-to Scotch before dinner. The latest trend: custom barrel selections and blends exclusive to specific restaurants, bars and resorts.

Such custom and one-off bottlings have been around for years through high-end liquor stores and private tasting societies. But as the cocktail and fine drinking scenes evolve, more bars and restaurants are clamoring for a customized spirit.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon offers two programs for restaurateurs and beverage managers: A single-barrel selection, and an unusual two-barrel blend, which sees the venue working directly with master distiller Chris Morris to create an exclusive whiskey, the selections winnowed down from over 100 possible barrels.

"As far as I know, we have the only program like this," says Morris. Destinations like The Cloister at Sea Island (Georgia), The Edison in Los Angeles and the St. Regis in Atlanta have taken advantage. "It's so fun to watch the dynamics of each account: Some want a sweeter blend, some spicier. It's always unique; you can't replicate a two-barrel batch."

Michael MacDonnell, beverage director at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, concurs: "Uniqueness is one of the top selling points. Nowhere else in the world has it, and when it's gone, it's gone forever." The resort offers an exclusive Knob Creek sin-

THE LATEST TREND: CUSTOM BARREL SELECTIONS AND BLENDS EXCLUSIVE gle-barrel reserve Bourbon and TO SPECIFIC is now offering the first-ever RESTAURANTS, BARS AND Russell's Reserve select single RESORTS. barrel from Wild Turkey Distiller

Khakis Are About Purpose.

Bills Khakis Have More Purpose Than Most.

The individuals to the left make some of the finest khakis in the world.

Each face represents a job. A livelihood that not only supports a family, but fosters a sense of pride that is difficult to measure in economic terms.

This introduction wouldn’t be possible without customers who measure quality and value on their own scale.

On behalf of everyone here, thank you for wearing Bills Khakis!

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TROUSERS

KNITWEAR

SHIRTS

JACKETS

“

ON MATTERS OF STYLE, SWIM WITH THE CURRENT. ON MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE, STAND LIKE A ROCK.” — THOMAS JEFFERSON

WHETHER YOU’RE BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS IN PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAM JOB OR ENJOYING A NIGHT OUT WITH YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS, BEING SURROUNDED BY THE RIGHT LIFE-GIVING CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES CAN EQUIP YOU WITH THAT JUJU TO MAKE EVERYTHING GO YOUR WAY.” — CONNIE WANG & MARISSA ROSENBLUM

“

YOU CAN HAVE DRESS FOR IT. — Edith Head

Speaking

Style of

“

“GOOD CLOTHES OPEN ALL

DOORS. — Thomas Fuller ’’ “Good design, much like good ballet, must look completely effortless. No one wants to see how hard you’re working.”

— JAMIE WOLF

INNOVATION! ONE CANNOT BE FOREVER INNOVATING. I WANT TO CREATE CLASSICS.” — COCO CHANEL

WHATEVER YOU WANT

IF YOU

“NINETY PERCENT OF WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PERSON IS HIS CLOTHING. SO OF COURSE IT MATTERS!” — TOM KALENDERIAN

’’

“STYLE IS A LUXURY, AND LUXURY IS SIMPLY WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.” — Deborah Needleman

“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” — Oscar Wilde 100

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RODES FORUM SPRING 2014