Strellson's clothing walks a fine line between smart and casual, writes Deirdre McQuillan
Young, hip urban males face a lot of pressure these days to put a bit of verve into casual dressing. A suit is easy and reliable, but more informal dressing can be a hit or miss affair. According to Rene Meuter, export manager of the Swiss menswear brand, Strellson, on a recent visit to Dublin, "there are too many choices when you do casual and if you have bad taste, you can look awful." Stars such as Jude Law can throw a Savile Row suit jacket over a white T-shirt and baggy jeans and look great, but not every guy has the confidence to mix and mismatch with such irreverence and style. Given that 80 per cent of men don't bother about fashion anyway, it's really only the remaining 20 per cent who actually care that much. The key is getting the jacket right.
Strellson, based near Lake Constance in Zurich, made its name for jackets and suits, particularly their travel suit, a marriage of function and fashion.
Though not as well-known nor as expensive as Hugo Boss, Strellson, which was actually founded by former Boss owners, Jochen and Uwe Holy, has a firm focus on the middle market and exports to 37 countries worldwide. Many consider it a style leader. Globally, it often shares the same environment with brands such as Armani and Boss, as in the landmark Plaza 66 building in Shanghai, the second tallest in the city, for example. "We are not a designer label, but we like being near better known labels," insists Meuter.
For their widespread advertising campaigns, they use real men, plucked from the streets, in the age group they target, and their marketing budget takes up a whacking l8 per cent of their turnover, where four to five per cent is the norm. Their suits come in three shapes, classical, slender and slim because, as Meuter explains, men buy visually and suits should look sexy. "It's important to create an emotional image for the garment."
Italian jackets, they say, are always more focused on the body, because Italian men like the feel of the garment on the body whereas "we believe that you shouldn't feel the sleeves - it's a different interpretation of fashion." The priorities are image, quality, fashion and price, in that order.
The company brings out two main and two mid-season collections a year and employs five designers and five product managers. The current spring/summer collection has classic three-piece linen suits, pinstripe jackets and dark wool business suits. But it also has good-looking casual jackets, jeans and a rather roguish safari-style waistcoat. So you could take the jacket of the suit, team it with a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans and you're casual.
What may get Strellson noticed later this season is their new "Swiss Cross Jacket". A limited edition of an all-weather rain and windproof parka-style affair, it has a detachable inner jacket with fur collar and boasts a lining made from original Swiss woollen army blankets. There's also a Swiss army knife and chain attachment. Only 3,000 are being made and the first deliveries to Arnotts are in August.
Its price tag of €450-€500 makes the Swiss Cross a tad pricier than Strellson's most expensive suit. "But", says Meuter, "the more unique you make it, the less important the price." In the meantime they've built plenty of sartorial bridges between the formal and the casual to reassure the most insecure male dresser.
Strellson suits are priced from €390-€570, leather jackets €400, sports jackets €290, knitwear €100, and shirts €70-€80. The biggest stockist in Ireland of Strellson, with its own Strellson shop, is Arnotts, Henry Street, Dublin. Stockists of the Strellson travel suit include Michael Barrie and Louis Copeland in Dublin and Fitzgeralds in Cork.