Once upon a time, exclusivity wasn’t just an idea used to justify higher prices. Limited didn’t come in numbers reaching 1,000. The excitement of snagging the freshest garms was about waiting for them to be finished, not waiting in line.
Few people feel as strongly about the decline of custom-tailored clothing than Sean Sullivan and his partner T. Their company
The Old New York Way combines reverence for the old methods of construction with an understanding of what sets the wearer apart from the masses in today’s market. Born in the Bronx and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Sullivan learned the craft of cut and sew tailoring while following the rise of hardcore rap in the 80s and 90s. The two influences—quality-driven, traditional craftsmanship and hip-hop flair—blend seamlessly in The Old New York Way’s range of custom garments, launching this August.
“Exclusive to me is very limited or one of a kind,” Sullivan explains. “So if there is only one tailor popping out suits or custom jackets to a very small crowed of people who can afford it, then it’s exclusive. A line designed for major production is not exclusive. More dressed-up or manicured pieces made in pattern houses used by everyone then shipped to 500 stores with a price tag 100 times more then development cost—that’s not exclusive. Individually designed patterns and tailored to fit is exclusive. Tailored suits from yards of fabric to cut and sew done by a tailor is exclusive.”
There is, of course, is a long and true tradition of exclusively tailored in hip-hop culture The name that rings out most prominently is Dapper Dan. His work is ingrained in the culture’s folklore, and his moniker is repeated to this day in rap lyrics. But while the name may be remembered, an understanding of what it represents has laregely fallen by the wayside as the prestige of custom clothing has dwindled.
Now, “custom” is a marketing ploy, not a badge of quality. Streetwear boutiques offering the latest graphics to match the latest sneakers offer some “differentiating” looks, but not to the bold degree of Dapper Dan and his progeny.
Yes, casual culture was built off a notion of exclusivity in the manufactured, but was as much about eye and travel as anything else. To buck the trend, Sullivan wants to bring the old New York back. Along with his partner Teddy, he’s developed a line that merges the traditions of custom street apparel with a more contemporary aesthetic.
As he explains, “You can’t touch a trade.”
