By popular demand, here comes the translation of the article published in the March issue of Sukces magazine. Our creative director, Trent Payne from 77 Creative, speaks style, stereotypes and no excuses. Enjoy!
Trent Payne has lived in Poland for a few years. He moved here for his wife Magda, whom he met in London. He still remembers one of the first official meetings he took part in. Everybody looked elegant – women in cocktail dresses, men in suits. But something was wrong. The ladies looked beautiful, but the men looked slightly unfortunate, as though they were dressed up and wearing costumes someone made them to wear. He was shocked with their dirty shoes and badly cut jackets. – My wife would never let me leave the house looking like this – he thought.
Slim, medium height, wearing a perfectly cut jacket. He only owns three suits. It is about the quality, not quantity. Two of the suits are tailor-made from carefully selected fabrics. Made by a Warsaw tailor but the buttons came from London.
Where is his style coming from? He’s a fan of old school. His grandfather is 90 years old and has a unique style, rooted in the first half of the last century. Trent follows his style. But there is something else. – I come from the Caribbean, but I was born and raised in London, which is full of stereotypes about black people. When people see a young boy wearing trainers and a hooded top, they think he’s from the ghetto – he says and his face gets serious. – My parents didn’t want me to be looked at that way. They kept telling me: If you look good, you will be able to find a common language with the teachers. Remember you represent yourself and our family. - I took it seriously. There is no difference to me, if I’m attending my own wedding or a business meeting.
He remembers a childhood ritual – every Sunday by six o’clock in the evening he had to present to his father all of his shoes, fixed and clean. These were his trainers, his school shoes and his father work shoes. If he hadn’t done it, he would have been in trouble.
Rubber vest and a tie – these are his most extravagant fashion possessions, ideal for a burlesque party. When worn, the vest is like dolphin’s skin, adjusting to the body. His fetish item? Socks. – I love stripes, crazy colors. You will never see me wearing plain black socks.
He also loves hats. His favorite, in the 20s style, was bought by his wife in the oldest New York hat store, J. J. Hat Center, famous for their handmade pieces. Lejb Fogelman shops at the same store. You don’t need a better recommendation.
- It is not about what you wear and how much it is worth, but how you wear it – says Trent. And he swears by this rule. Everything he’s surrounded with is carefully selected, or researched. He doesn’t like chain stores or shopping blindly. Many of his things come from designers. He loves to look at them and contemplate the creative thought that brought them to live.
- I don’t buy the classic excuse that we don’t have time, or money. My favorite one is: men see the world in a different way and therefore have different priorities – he states and gives Polish men not too good a note. – Why are you in love with checked shirts and brown shoes with heavy soles, and why are your trouser legs too long? I don’t get this. If a man doesn’t know what to wear, he should ask his woman. I do so almost every day.
Trent and Magda have their little ritual before they go to the opera. She tries on her dress, puts on the lipstick. He polishes his shoes, brushes off his suit and irons his shirt. – It is a beautiful process. Why wouldn’t men adopt it? – asks Trent.
