Wynwood Tailors’ New Approach
A bespoke suit from this Miami startup will have you looking and feeling your best
Spirituality is a big part of what makes Wynwood Tailors unique.
“Everything is energy” says Wynwood Tailors founder Rodrigo Cabrera about his approach to bespoke menswear. The energy individuals carry, influenced by how they feel in their clothes can have a big impact on their life. “Clothing is something that you can use to express yourself” and self expression is important for self esteem and feelings of vitality and wellness. For Cabrera fine tailoring is an expression of self love. Wynwood Tailors’ personal approach engenders a sense of connection, and the custom element encourages creativity.
Wynwood Tailor’s founder had a rebirth of his own in Miami. Embracing the health and fitness lifestyle trend he lost weight and started feeling better about himself as a whole person. Because of this he began to enjoy his clothing more. What he created was a virtuous circle, the clothing inspired his well being and vice versa.
According to Cabrera this is a wider trend in the luxury goods industry. “I have an intuition that all luxury brands are going to go into spirituality” and that “sacred geometries” will be increasingly important in design. “Less walls” will be put up between these sorts of concepts.
A New Home In Miami
Wynwood is an odd place to buy a suit.
For one thing, the entire culture is built around an iconoclastic art form, graffiti. The fashion is more street wear, and famous sneaker shops exist alongside a thriving alternative nightlife. There’s no chance Brooks Brothers is moving here anytime soon. Paradoxically this is what inspired Wynwood Tailors founder Rodrigo Cabrera to start his business in this neighborhood and in Miami as a city.
I first met Cabrera out at a local Miami Beach Spanish restaurant called Barceloneta. He’s the best advertisement for his brand’s bespoke tailoring, despite the late spring heat he wore a perfectly fitting suit. Sitting on the terrace he explained the concept of Wynwood Tailors and I was intrigued. A few more beers and I regretted that I’d recently made a purchase at Suit Supply.
Wynwood Tailors’ story takes us from the old world to the new. Cabrera made a name for himself as a technology entrepreneur in Spain. His life, however, came to an inflection point when he married his wife in the Czech Republic. It was time for a change, and they moved together to Miami in support of her bridal startup. Her work inspired him to take the leap into his passion for men’s fashion. They “wanted to try the American dream.” Wynwood represented this creative energy in a tangible way.
His dream involved a passion for handmade clothing outside the traditional paradigm. In Spain growing up he loved going to the tailor. Cabrera, inspired by his new home, wanted to incorporate fresh ideas into this passion. “One good thing in Miami” Cabrera brings up in an almost hushed tone, “Is that people have more freedom of choice than in Europe”.
Miami, however, is a challenging place for formal wear. The weather can be brutally hot and the culture is unapologetically casual. London, Paris and Madrid may have established bespoke cultures but the South Florida scene is in its infancy. Cabrera has taken this and stitched together an opportunity. The suits he produces keep up with the temperatures, using the finest light weight fabrics.
The Company is also not shy about more modern designs. Wynwood Tailors, doesn’t mind “breaking the rules a little bit” according to Cabrera. He loves to see gentlemen pair their suits with sneakers and try out different fabrics and linings.
One of his clients, a lawyer, takes things to extremes. This anonymous legal eagle only wears the most ostentatious attire, in an effort to stand apart from the more quotidian members of his profession. He also loves colorful linings and small details like unseen monograms. Wynwood Tailors has the capacity to indulge his taste for the outrageous. The same is true for a myriad of billionaires, who bring Cabrera to their homes for fittings and his unique take on men’s style.
Formal men’s wear is mired in old world tradition where subtle variations in pinstripe can feel like pink cameo to the initiated. There are established players, ones you’ve heard of like Zegna, Armani, and Huntsman. Cabrera says that his more holistic approach, however, set’s Wynwood tailors apart.
A Holistic Commitment to Quality
Just because Wynwood Tailors has a new age bent, doesn’t mean they don’t bring old school know-how. For each bespoke suit they take forty points of measurements. This is important because as Cabrera points out, “we are not symmetrical.” Off the rack suits are designed to fit a wide range of body types so they will require expensive alterations that probably will never look as good as custom.
To really understand Wynwood tailors you have to visit their shop. It’s hidden on the top floor of an office building and the inside feels like James Bond’s personal dressing room. Rows of dinner jackets and suits line the walls, a leather sofa provides comfortable seating for perusing fabrics, and a bar cart offers libations. To get an idea of what to expect, mannequins line the walls in Tuxedos. I felt the urge to hang out even though I am not in need of a suit.
This is indeed an expensive product and one that is a bit out of step with the modern world, so why do people need or want this service?
The first answer has to be practical. These fine pieces of clothing fit better and last longer. Rodrigo uses the analogy, owing to his background in IT, of Apple vs. PC products. On paper the PC is cheaper, more powerful and the better value. In reality however, tailoring is more like Apple. The user experience is far better and the product will last far longer.
Then we get to the more philosophical level, an almost Aristotelian one. As much as we want to deny that aesthetics are important, there is an ancient connection with goodness. Looking good will make you feel good, and maybe even be good. Art fills the gap between the sensual and spiritual world. A custom suit, more than a consumer product, is art.
There are certain moments when you wish for something higher, to transcend the mundane and truly be the best version of yourself. From a wedding to an important business event, Wynwood tailors can help you accomplish this.