The American menswear home Robert Talbott, devoted to high quality since 1950, is coming into a brand new period by mixing its legacy of uncompromising craftsmanship with a contemporary design sensibility. The model, which started with Audrey Talbott stitching one-of-a-kind bowties in a transformed Carmel storage, continues its dedication to distinctive high quality, now underneath the inventive steerage of Sebastian Dollinger.

Dollinger spoke in regards to the problem of honoring a model with over 75 years of historical past whereas attracting immediately’s buyer, revealing the philosophy driving the model’s Fall assortment.

Sebastian Dollinger on Craftsmanship and Creativity

On Honoring Legacy vs. Modernizing:

“The bottom line is discovering the appropriate steadiness between honoring what Robert Talbott has stood for traditionally and positioning the model for the longer term,” Dollinger mentioned. “What unites each audiences is our unwavering dedication to distinctive clothes that doesn’t reduce corners. That’s non-negotiable—it’s the inspiration of the Robert Talbott legacy.”

He famous that legacy alone isn’t sufficient. Fashionable prospects need clothes that honors custom however “doesn’t really feel caught in it,” and their items have to really feel “recent, related, and sure, even enjoyable.” His method is to “let our heritage inform our choices with out letting it restrict our creativeness. We’re constructing on 75 years of excellence, not being constrained by it.”

On the Affect of Arms-On Expertise:

Dollinger’s intimate understanding of garment development, gained from years on manufacturing unit flooring, provides him confidence in his decision-making. “I perceive the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’—why a seam is positioned a sure approach, why a specific material behaves because it does,” he defined.

He additionally emphasised the worth of collaboration. Whereas his technical background permits him to “lead with conviction,” he careworn that the interior inventive staff challenges and debates design instructions. “That inventive pressure is wholesome. It pushes us to assume tougher… to reach at options which might be stronger than any one among us may have developed alone.”

On Translating the “Small-Batch Soul”:

To infuse the artisanal coronary heart of Audrey Talbott’s authentic hand-sewn ties, Dollinger maintains a easy, uncompromising precept: “We don’t produce something that doesn’t meet our customary of excellence.”

“We refuse to decide on between artistry and craftsmanship—we insist on each,” he mentioned. Robert Talbott is tackling an area the place, he notes, inventive items typically sacrifice high quality. As a substitute, they’re “infusing surprising parts—daring colour, playful particulars, trendy silhouettes—into items constructed with meticulous consideration to craft.” This consists of treating objects just like the unconventional Hefner Gown with development and ending that rivals the best tailor-made items.

On Inspiration and the Fall Aesthetic:

Transferring away from the normal temper board course of, Dollinger now collects references “virtually subconsciously as I transfer by means of the world.” He finds that this enables for a extra eclectic, genuine vary, however self-discipline stays key, particularly concerning colour concord, which has all the time been central to the model’s DNA.

For the brand new fall assortment, the road has been expanded into a whole, total-look providing, with a give attention to manufacturing in America. The technique is constructed on distinction:

• The “Body”: Tailor-made jackets, trousers, and outerwear executed in subtle neutrals and timeless silhouettes.
• The “Persona”: Knitwear, shirts, polos, and equipment that introduce the surprising pops of colour and fascinating patterns.

This method builds a wardrobe that “layers collectively intelligently, that may be dressed up or down, that journey properly,” whereas being removed from predictable.

On Longevity and Sustainable Luxurious:

Dollinger said that true luxurious is a garment that may “final you a lifetime.” His designs uphold this by adhering to an “Americana” ethos: issues constructed to endure. “Typically meaning selecting a cloth weight or development methodology that isn’t as delicate as typical ‘luxurious’ knowledge dictates, as a result of I do know it can really maintain up over years of damage. That’s a aware selection, a model philosophy,” he defined.

He clarified his view on “luxurious” and “sustainable,” noting that the phrases have misplaced which means within the trade. For Robert Talbott, sustainability means longevity, and luxurious is devotion. “To me, luxurious is if you genuinely love one thing, when you’ll be able to’t resist it. Sustainable means it endures… When it will get broken, you wish to restore it as a result of it means one thing to you.”