Rakelle MauriciFrequently described and voted as one of the ‘Best Dressed Men’ on social media, and a name in taking the bespoke world by storm, is Angel Ramos, or more formally known as ANGEL | BESPOKE. Formerly a real estate agent, Angel landed his feet in fashion after entering Esquire Magazine’s ‘Best Dressed Real Man in America’.
Furthermore, with his humble nature and unique style Mr Ramos is a truly inspiring icon to other gentlemen out there, not solely to those just within the industry. MFM had the opportunity to speak with Angel and discovered passion is the source of his finest creations. This is the success story behind ANGEL | BESPOKE.
So, how did ANGEL | BESPOKE begin, tell us the story behind the creation.
Prior to me being in menswear I was a luxury real estate agent with Sothebys International Realty. I did real estate for about five years and towards the end of my run I was getting the itch of diving into menswear, based on the passion that I had.
It was at that time I entered into a style contest at Esquire Magazine and thankfully was awarded the “Best Dressed Real Man in America” award. I had to just take a leap of faith and dive in. I did just that. I worked for a custom menswear company for fifteen years and in 2013 decided to start ANGEL | BESPOKE.
Where do you find your personal style inspiration?
Everyday people, the weather, travels, architecture. I love living in New York City so much because of how it inspires me daily. I’m honestly in love with the city, there’s so much history in New York that if you actually stop when you walk around, stare and in your mind date back, it almost brings tears to my eyes of even the thought of that time period and how incredible it was.
What do you get most men asking you to create for them?
It can vary and spread throughout many garments but based on orders and inspiration, my clients love coming to me for seasonal “Angel” style Sports Jackets and I love creating evening wear for clients.
We often hear many different things for a perfectly fitted suit but for you, what is the most important factor?
Fit is so crucial, however I’m always concerned about the story and what my outfit conveys. I never leave the house without asking myself, do you feel that you’d inspire someone to raise their own level of elegance?
What have you found the most challenging since beginning your brand, anything you thought would have been easier but wasn’t?
I would say trying to take on everything yourself is very hard. I’ve realised that one must always put the right people in place when it’s your company. They need to execute your vision perfectly so that it allows you to do what you’re an expert at.
As mentioned, you were named by Esquire ‘Best dressed real man’ in 2010. Did you ever see yourself that you would be such an icon when you began?
Wait, who’s an icon? I’m just so thankful God has placed me in a position that allows me to do what I love, and most of all connect with people worldwide with the same passion.
What other successes have been highlights for you?
It was so humbling when I was recently invited to be one out of five guys to sit on a panel for GQ Magazine’s National Sales Meeting. What an honour, and what an experience!
After visiting fashion fairs like Pitti Uomo, we begin to see more and more bespoke tailors emerging, each different in their own right. How is yours different from the rest, how did you build something unique?
For starters, ANGEL | BESPOKE is a lifestyle brand. We’re not tailors. What we’ve done is curate the incredible artisans to produce our garments which we have designed with our sartorial aesthetic in mind.
So, at least in America what differentiates us initially is our unapologetic style, which is largely inspired by the rich essence of the Neopolitan style fused with a classic 1930s inspired American style.
With that in mind, for anyone perhaps wanting to begin a bespoke brand, what is one piece of advice you can give; without giving away your secrets?
Do it because you love it. Do it because your mind is just so consumed with the art. Invest so much time so that what you’re becoming is an expert at what you do, not just another Joe Smith who offers the same service Robert Smith offers for cheaper.
Lastly, do you have any exciting plans for 2015 which you can tell us about?
2015 is a year which we will be really making a stronger push for web presence, but also is to launch small exclusive online collections for certain pieces a gentlemen should love in his wardrobe.