Playboys of the fashion world

Ever heard of Arthur Salinger? Never mind: if you have any interest in men's fashion, you will, writes BRIAN O'CONNELL

SEVERAL TIMES in the past decade, Mike Gibson, a landscape gardener turned fashion worker, had it in mind to open a male boutique in his adopted home of Cork. Gibson landed in the city in the pre-Celtic Tiger days. He met a local girl, ditched his family excavation and landscaping business in Edmonton, Canada, and settled into life as a sales assistant in the menswear section of Brown Thomas in Cork’s Patrick Street.

He got to know his clientele, and felt, particularly as the recession took effect, that there was a noticeable gap in the market for those who wanted Brown Thomas fashion labels at more affordable prices. Now, finally, he has his boutique.

Gibson, along with his colleague, Christofer Caprelian, a sharply dressed Italian who also worked in Brown Thomas in formal wear, opened Salingers this month. And the mix of their personalities – the financially prudent, well-travelled Canadian and the suave, somewhat flamboyant Italian – works well in their fresh approach to selling clothes.

They created the shop around a fictional character, called Arthur Salinger, a 1930s travelling playboy turned tailor. On the ground floor, the boutique is a replica of Salinger’s tailoring workshop, complete with Singer sewing machines, worktops and day lounges. The walls are papered with his interests, from surfing to travel.

Upstairs, among the vintage lamps, dressing tables and decanters of brandy, is where Salinger might hang out at night, with armchairs, large travel chests and more formal evening dress. There’s even a family portrait with a young Arthur beside a statue of Our Lady, resting on a vintage dresser, where Italian socks (available for purchase) spill out of half-open drawers.

With its chestnut-coloured woods, relaxing lounge areas and freshly brewed coffee – you might even be offered a beer on weekends – Cork’s newest male boutique is more akin to a gentleman’s club, with solid fashion advice thrown in.

The clothing is carefully chosen by the pair to reflect the reduced spending power of their clientele, without compromising on style. Many of the labels are exclusive to the shop, from Swedish denim brands to the fashion house Imperial. You can pick up a decent pair of jeans for under €100, while fitted Italian shirts will cost less than €60. They also plan to launch a made-to-measure and off-the-peg suit section in the coming weeks.

With so many high-street shops, such as Zara and Topman, now catering for the men of Cork, the emphasis here is on specialist customer service. “I find with Irish men sometimes, particularly those aged between 30 and 50, that they need help buying clothes,” says Gibson.

“Often they have never been shown how to dress for their shape or what colours really suit them. My colleague, Christopher, is an expert on that and one of the best personal stylists around. He is really patient and passionate about fashion and could spend two hours with someone just choosing one tie.”

The pair say it has been a struggle getting the banks to back their venture, and mostly the funding has come from the credit union and personal loans. They fitted out the shop themselves, hand-painting old woods and sourcing furniture from antique auctions and second-hand sales.

“We had no money to kit out the shop,” says Gibson. “We barely had enough to pay for paint. Any money we had went to accountants and lawyers and the like. The sign was expensive, while other things we just borrowed. The till, for example, cost me nothing as I’ve borrowed it from a friend’s mother.”

Gibson says he looked at the location some years ago but the annual rent quoted was between €70,000 and €80,000. Now, he says, he is paying roughly half that. “The problem, though, is that every time I turn around someone is trying to take money off me. A lot of people might have given up halfway through, but we kept going,” he says.

“We know we won’t make money straight away but we are determined to stick with it. These days, it is easier on one level as people are more open. For example, a few tradesmen I have gotten in, I had no money to pay them, so they took clothes instead of payment. That’s not something you could have done in 2005.”

Salingers, 14b French Church Street, Cork, is open seven days a week; 021-4949914