Inspiration Point
The designer pays homage to the cool cats of the 1960s for Paul Stuart’s spring ’19 collection.
Paul Stuart’s first wholesale line channels a Rat Pack vibe.
This spring, Javier Suarez, creative director of men’s shoes and accessories for Paul Stuart, is channeling Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack gang for the retailer’s first wholesale collection. “It was a time of effortless style,” said Suarez, who turned to the 1960 film “Ocean’s 11” for direction. “It was an attitude, when streetwear was about casual elegance and style.” Suarez is reinterpreting classic footwear styles of the era such as the Venetian moc. This time around, the designer does it both casually in suede with a rubber bottom and more formally with a metal bit trim. While Sinatra and other Las Vegas icons preferred suiting up, their contemporary — and fellow trendsetter — Steve McQueen was known for his sporty weekend wear. “He was a rebel guy with a lot of personality,” said Suarez, who pays homage to McQueen with the Game, a white calf and suede shoe with a natural-color cup sole.
“I was looking for a period of time when dressing up or dressing casual was about being elegant.”