Brooks Brothers, America’s oldest apparel retailer, has a tradition of dressing some of the country’s greatest cultural icons, including 39 of the 44 U.S. Presidents. Tony Goldwyn, while not the actual leader of the free world, plays one all too convincingly on television. Last year when the actor was invited to meet President Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Goldwyn donned a Made-to-Measure Brooks Brothers tuxedo that reflected his personal style with subtle elegance and stature befitting a meeting with the President of the United States. It was a moment that defined his Brooks Brothers story.
Brooks Brothers’ nearly two-centuries-old rich history is often told through the brand’s own customers. Clothing has the ability to conjure up fond memories that perfectly capture moments in time. Every item tells a story—from a suit for a wedding or a bow tie for a formal occasion, to a father taking his son for his first Brooks Brothers blazer or a daughter borrowing her mother’s Brooks Brothers blouses for school. Customers often share similar stories about their pivotal life events with Brooks Brothers through letters, their store associates and social-media channels.
Many times, these milestones are shared directly with Brooks Brothers CEO Claudio Del Vecchio. He explained, “For almost 200 years, we have been building relationships through our dealings with our customers and their families. I receive many personal notes from customers sharing stories about their interactions with Brooks Brothers, from anecdotes as simple as the purchase of a lucky tie worn for a big interview to more entailed, often multi-generational stories about family events. It confirms that our clients view Brooks Brothers as much more than a store—rather, it’s part of who they are.”
This brought about the launch of “My Brooks Brothers Story,” a dynamic set of personal testimonials profiling seven artists and their unique interactions with Brooks Brothers and its iconic products. Brooks Brothers asked admirers including Christina Hendricks, Geoffrey Arend, Tony Goldwyn, Matt McGorry, Joshua Sasse, Graham Moore and Yara Shahidi to recount their own life events when Brooks Brothers was by their side.
The spirited campaign was captured by Italian photographer Carlo Miari Fulcis and styled by Ashley Weston. In collaboration with Vanity Fair Studio, the brand launched a virtual content hub and social-media platform that enables Brooks Brothers customers to share their own stories digitally. Exclusive images and content from the shoot are also highlighted in the Brooks Brothers fall magalog, 1818, featuring Christina Hendricks and Geoffrey Arend on the cover.
THE STORIES
Extracts from the seven artists’ experiences, from weddings to a night at the Oscars®, are highlighted throughout the campaign:
Our Wedding Day – Perhaps the most important sartorial decision a man can make is what to wear on his wedding day. Just ask Geoffrey Arend, who selected a Brooks Brothers custom-made three-piece glen plaid suit in which to marry Christina Hendricks five years ago. Geoffrey noted, “When I put the suit on, I felt like a million bucks. I looked out at all my groomsmen who were all wearing shades of awesome from Brooks Brothers and I felt like we were the coolest band of well-dressed outlaws.”
My Visit to the White House – Upon meeting the President of the United States during last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, actor/producer/director, Tony Goldwyn says, “I felt appropriately presidential when I got to actually meet the President.” POTUS, in turn, had a few choice words for Goldwyn about his Presidential appearance.
My Magic Blazer – Growing up in New York City, Matt McGorry lived around the corner from a magic store and dreamed of becoming a magician. He attended magic camp and hung out with the old men at the corner deli learning sleights of hand. But it wasn’t until his parents gave him his first Brooks Brothers navy blue blazer at the age of nine that he felt he was ready to perform. “It was my first memory of really dressing up and feeling good about it,” he says. “When I put the blazer on, it was almost like this transformation happened.”
My Made to Measure Suit – British-born actor Joshua Sasse is a man who stands on ceremony. When he enlisted in the army, his uncle drove him to London to show him how an officer and a gentleman should dress. “Even though I ended up not going into the army, it rekindled a love of tailoring,” he says. “Walking out of Brooks Brothers was the first time I actually felt someone had collaborated with me and understood what I was after and gelled that into what they were making. It is such an incredible thing to have a master tailor.” He added, “One of the reasons why I love Brooks Brothers so much is I really feel they adopt that traditional concept that less is more. The suit is the point. I’d much rather walk around my house in a suit than my birthday suit.”
My Night at the Oscars® – Usually it takes Graham Moore two or three attempts to tie his own bow tie, but on Oscar night earlier this year he got it on the first try. The screenwriter took home the Academy Award® for Best-Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game wearing a Brooks Brothers tuxedo. “I love the Academy Awards because it is such a classic event, and I wanted to wear a tuxedo that felt equally timeless. The Brooks Brothers tuxedo was just perfect.”
My Big Night Out – When it comes to getting dressed, Yara Shahidi plays by her own rules. The sophisticated teenager is just as likely to grab a blazer in the boys’ department as is she is to pull from her mother’s closet. “I didn’t like the shirts that went with my school uniform, so I’d sneak into my mother’s closet in the morning and put on her Brooks Brothers shirts,” she confesses.
The full stories are available on www.brooksbrothers.com/stories. Fans are invited to follow @BrooksBrothers and to share their own stories with #MyBrooksBrothers and take part in Brooks Brothers history.
In the Philippines, Brooks Brothers is exclusively distributed by SSI Group, Inc. and is located at Bonifacio High Street Central Square, Shangri-La East Wing, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, and Rustan’s Ayala Center Cebu (opening soon). Follow Brooks Brothers on www.facebook.com/brooksbrothersph and visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.
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