Wiz Quiz: Patrick Johnson
Text: The Wiz
This week The Wiz speaks to Sydney based bespoke suit tailor Patrick Johnson of Suit Shop and who we featured in the premiere issue of The Blackmail about his current top five style icons from around the globe…
5. Tom Wolfe – Writer
Mr Wolfe is a true modern dandy, one of a handful of Americans who have a natural flair for dressing well without looking too contrived. He has a fondness of detachable stiff collars. This clearly distances him from the unbuttoned American culture where everything is made for comfort.
4. James Harvey-Kelly – Photographer
Much like the Duke and Agnelli, James has a intuitive approach to dressing. James always looks like he dressed in 30 seconds, but his natural ability to use colour and patterns means he always catches your eye. Unlike so many men his clothes look like they belong to him. Behind his carefree facade he has a vast knowledge of art, music, tailoring… elements of which come through in his dress.
3. Lapo Ellkan – Playboy
Lapo has taken the style mantle from his grandfather, the late Gianni Agnelli. Although his style is much younger than his late grandfathers, he follows the same ‘no rules except quality’ philosophy. Lapo wears Agnelli’s old suits with flair and confidence, using his own touches to create a unique look that although rooted in classic sartorial dress, is young and playful.
2. The Duke Of Windsor
He may have been a political nightmare but the Duke is said to have influenced the dress of more men in the last century than any other man. He was the jazz ages golden boy and like Agnelli, Edward did not follow rules or codes, instead he trusted his own instincts and the workmanship of quality craftsman. He would mix checks and stripes with ease, blend city and country attire and create new collar shapes and suit cuts. The Duke once asked his tailor to make his dinner suit in dark blue instead of black because he observed that dark blue is blacker than black under artificial light. Soon every style concise man was wearing dark blue dinner suit.
1. Gianni Agnlli – Industrialist
To me Agnelli is the best of modern classic Italian style. He had a playfulness, masculinity and confidence in his dress. His suits were always classic and elegant whilst he used various accessories to create his look. He did not follow any rules, mixing country elements like ankle boots with his classic Milanese Bespoke suits. He would wear his watch over his cuff for practical reasons of course. Surely the richest man in Italy wouldn’t do this for any other reason.
Check back on Monday for next weeks Wiz Quiz!
