Roundup
COURTESY OF ROSE CALLAHAN
Secret Empire, Jersey City
A shared love of style, fine fabrics and custom-fitted suits fueled the launch of Secret Empire, a transatlantic menswear label founded by
friends Nathanial Adams and Lee-Jon Ball (pictured above) in 2013. “We’d been thinking about starting a business together for a long time but we
wanted to do it differently, so instead of opening a shop, we launched a custom men’s suiting service,” explains Adams, who’s based in Jersey
City. “The majority of our clients come to us by word-of-mouth and they live in London, where the company is headquartered, or in the New York
metro area. We meet with them at their offices, clubs or homes, where we talk fabrics and design, take their measurements. It’s all quite friendly
and convivial,” he says. The process, from first meeting to finished suit, takes four to six weeks.
The average price of a standard two-piece Secret Empire custom suit is £1000 ($1,448) but varies depending on the fabric and embellishments. “It’s actually a little bit less than an off-the-rack designer suit,” Adams explains. “Men are getting more clued into the fact that a custom
suit is a good investment and has the added benefit that you get to design it yourself.”
In addition to suits, Secret Empire also offers custom shirts, overcoats, tuxedos and even velvet smoking jackets, usually made of fabrics by
Holland & Sherry, the iconic British textile house.
Perhaps the biggest benefit for Secret Empire clients is the personal touch Adams and Lee-Jon bring to every order. “Recently, one of our
clients asked for a plain black suit for his wedding. I knew that’s not really what he meant, because we’d worked with him before and I knew
he liked fabrics with some depth.” Adams’ suggestion – black tweed – was the answer. “We don’t tell our clients how to dress,” Adams says,
“we guide them through the process of designing their own suit – and maybe getting them a bit drunk along the way.” ◆
(201) GOLD COAST MAY 2016
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