About 360 MAGAZINE

If you aren’t familiar with Paul Stuart, it is a men’s and women’s clothing brand based in New York City that was founded by Ralph Ostrove in 1938.

Behind the brand’s success is its most helpful team, that in which includes Javier Suarez.

Suarez, who is the Creative Director for men’s shoes and belts, was first appointed to position last August. With him, he’s brought several decades of experience, along with genuine relationships with key manufacturers for the industry in Italy and England.

He started his career with Bally of Switzerland and then Cole Haan, that in which soon led to him spending the next 27 years launching and growing the men’s shoe business of Salvatore Ferragamo.

He brings a unique and rare sense of style to shoemaking, especially in the current retail climate where quantity is unfortunately valued over quality.

What’s different that he does is that unlike larger footwear companies that rely on factory machines, Javier prefers the artisanal families that turn his work dream into reality.

“The strength of Italian production is the wealth of craftsmanship, the people and families that have been doing this forever,” Javier says.

As an expert in shoe design and making, he brings his talent to a comprehensive narrative to Paul Stuart.

“It’s a wardrobe of shoes: we carry the Paul Stuart customer from his work day to his weekend, and on to special formal occasions. It’s a complete collection of footwear with the same characteristics and quality craftsmanship the brand is so well known for in our tailored clothing,” he continues.

His inspiration on the new collection to was the evolution of the iconic nature of the Paul Stuart Style where the standard style were renewed to fit today’s tastes in fashion.
“Shapes, materials, and designs are kept classic but updated to keep up with a modern contemporary sensitivity,” he adds.

Javier’s absolute favorite styles from the collection are The Monaco and The Bandaccio. The Monaco is a brogue wedge sole suede oxford that works perfectly for work and play with super comfort and sharp style. As for the Bandaccio, it is a double buckle zippered combat boot that is handcrafted and has a hand custom polished bravura with “combat” ready Goodyear construction.

Javier believes that the direction in today’s men wear surrounds the idea of innovation–less formality and street wear. “We offer a wardrobe of shoes from casual sneakers to formal wear, keeping a keen eye on a Paul Stuart style sensitivity…it’s again more about the expectation and needs of the consumer than trends for the sake of trends,” he shares.

When asked about the collection and how it ties in with the apparel collection at Paul Stuart, Javier states that the collection connects with everything they do in apparel.

“Paul Stuart’s as a destination for fine tailoring now offers a complete range of innovative elegant and unique dress styles in a coordinated color palette. Antiqued calf, textured grain leathers and sophisticated suede colors compliment the use of texture and color in tailored clothing and sportswear,” he says.

Since 1938, Paul Stuart has been the leading arbiter of taste and style for luxury menswear and womenswear here in the U.S. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the brand outstandingly continues to design and create an exclusive collection of men’s and women’s tailored clothing, sportswear, and accessories.