The making of men

It’s not the most prudent of admissions, coming as it does from a fashion designer. Some might even say I’m shooting myself in the foot, but here’s the thing. There is a Life beyond Clothes. And fast cars, fabulous villas and impossibly fat bank balances. Life in fact lies in none of these things.
No matter how wow, wow stuff is, its just stuff. Life lies elsewhere. As does Style. The sort that doesn’t merely stop others in their tracks, but seduces their hearts and minds for good.

 There is a certain charm to the well dressed. Taking care of your appearance, whether it is your sartorial choices or the hours spent at the barber shop and gym are a wise investment.  But a closet full of labels and a body that would turn Adonis green are no compensation for a cardboard personality.  Style demands that you make it all your own. And that includes what you wear. It’s about mixing it up. Wearing a $10 fruit of the loom t-shirt with a $5000 belt. It certainly isn’t about looking like you just bought page 123 of GQ. The best-dressed men may take hours to choose the right tie but when they wear it, they do it with absolute nonchalance. It’s the paradox of everything that matters but nothing does. A delicately struck, devious balance of carefully constructed insouciance is the unspoken secret, men who stand out, possess.

 Success is Sexy but it too must be worn lightly and with Grace and Generosity.  There is nothing more unattractive than throwing your wealth or your weight around. Nothing makes me cringe more than those who see belittling waiters or boasting about their yacht as some sort of sign of superiority. It smacks of ill breeding and insecurity. And what use is your position on the Forbes 500 if it makes you poor enough to need to exert authority over all and sundry? Manners and kindness are always the minimum qualification when it comes to manliness. A lack of them is a fatal error.

A man of any worth knows that his worth comes from sterner stuff than position, privilege and possessions. Value doesn’t lie in ‘I have’. It resides instead in ‘I am’. It is a meld of personality, character, intelligence and charm. It is a triple whammy of Brain, Balls and Soul.  It comes from a life FULLY lived, one that has seen constant change, innovation, adventure and learning.
At the end of the day the man maketh the man.