When Custom-Made Fails To Impress, There Is An Alternative
Maxim|November/December 2018

When custom-made fails to impress, there is an alternative

Jared Paul Stern
When Custom-Made Fails To Impress, There Is An Alternative

In July of 2017, when Conor McGregor showed up to pro-mote his fight with Floyd May weather wearing a suit whose pinstripes were in actuality repetitions of the phrase fuck you in white letters, the world hailed it as the sartorial equivalent of mixed martial arts. In fact, McGregor’s move was nothing new; he was, as usual, just doing it more violently than anyone else. But such forays into “extreme bespoke,” where custom fabrics are merely the starting point for creating garments that are literally one of a kind, are rarely seen at press conferences.

Duncan Quinn, the British-born, New York–based lawyer turned-designer whose signature style was once described as “Savile Row meets rock ’n’ roll,” has made similar suits for well-heeled clients, though most of the messages woven into them “were not dreamt up by an ex-plumber’s apprentice who climbed to riches on the shoulders of defeated fellow pugilists,” he notes. One recent commission contained the more refined moniker “warlord.” McGregor’s suits, made by California’s tailor-to-the-stars David August for a reported $4,000 to $10,000 apiece, were relatively inexpensive in a world where most truly bespoke creations begin at a minimum of at least twice the higher end of that range and spike sharply from there.

This story is from the November/December 2018 edition of Maxim.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November/December 2018 edition of Maxim.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MAXIMView All
Enzo on the Silver Screen
Maxim US

Enzo on the Silver Screen

Michael Mann’s new biopic of Enzo Ferrari starring Adam Driver is set to make the legend burn even brighter

time-read
6 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
Some Like it HОТ
Maxim US

Some Like it HОТ

We piloted Ferrari's fantastie new open-topped grand tourer through the craggy hills of Sardinia

time-read
5 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
THE LEGEND OF ENZO
Maxim US

THE LEGEND OF ENZO

DURING HIS LIFETIME FERRARI FORGED THE ENTIRE PANTHEON OF MOTORSPORTS

time-read
7 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
THIS SIDE of PARADISE
Maxim US

THIS SIDE of PARADISE

A landmark new exhibition of Ellen von Unwerth’s work is suitably playful and provocative

time-read
2 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA IN BELIZE 10-MS
Maxim US

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA IN BELIZE 10-MS

The famed director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now tells us why the Central American country has captured one of the world's greatest imaginations,

time-read
4 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
WEAPONS of WICK
Maxim US

WEAPONS of WICK

Meet master engraver Melissa McMinn, who created Keanu Reeves’ dueling pistols for the hit franchise

time-read
4 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
SUDDENLY This SUMMER
Maxim US

SUDDENLY This SUMMER

Model, influencer and actress Summer Soderstrom is the blonde bombshell we're keeping our eye on

time-read
2 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
VIVA LAS VEGAS
Maxim US

VIVA LAS VEGAS

We wade into the spectacle that was the reborn Las Vegas Grand Prix

time-read
3 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
DRINKING La DOLCE VITA
Maxim US

DRINKING La DOLCE VITA

From pioneering distilling methods to the massive success of Martini Racing, the story of the most iconic name in aperitifs

time-read
5 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024
FIVE-STAR STYLE
Maxim US

FIVE-STAR STYLE

With an impressive roster of ultra-high-net-worth clients, i design powerhouse Rigby Rigby is making waves Bei on the Riviera and beyond

time-read
4 mins  |
Jan Feb 2024