Fashion / Style

James Bond’s Tailor Cuts a Fashionable Swath Through Houston’s Elite Social Scene: Coveted Looks Denote Power

BY // 02.20.17
photography Lizette B. Soto

Just as James Bond would have required, the martinis were shaken not stirred. And in another Bond tradition on this night at the Longoria Collection, the fashion statement was all about Anthony Sinclair.

The British tailor of bespoke suits — the favorite of Sean Connery for his many James Bond portrayals— took over a corner of the luxury home goods emporium for a few days of fittings and making new friends. David Mason, whose firm Mason & Sons revived the Anthony Sinclair label in 2012, held center stage as he regaled potential customers with the story of Connery’s affection for the carefully-tailored suits, in particular the design known as the “Conduit cut.”

“They are really made for comfort as much as style. The shoulders are very natural. There isn’t much padding but they have a very nice shape. It’s what Anthony Sinclair called ‘drape and shape,'” Mason explains. “There is suppression in the waist, a little bit of flare in the seat and you do get this hour glass shape. I mean, in Connery’s case, he had quite an impressive physique.”

While Anthony Sinclair custom suits are pricey, Mason says, “To make them the way they were made 55 years ago, and we still do, it’s around about $5,000.” But as requests for the suits started coming in from around the world, the firm launched a ready-to-wear line priced closer to $1,000.

“We kept the price down by using a very limited range of fabrics but in a very, very wide range of sizes because for us, of course, fit is everything,” Mason says.

One of their most loyal Houston customers is criminal defense attorney and Bond virtuoso Zack Fertitta, who on this night was quite dashing in his three-piece Anthony Sinclair. He admits to owning a handful of the beautifully tailored suits. As it happens, Fertitta is the husband of Elizabeth Fertitta, whose family owns the Longoria Collection. So, as they say, it was a perfect fit.

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Adding to the glam quotient of the night was chef Freddy Catering’s take on martinis served in the Bond-preferred coupes on silver trays, caviar appetizers labeled “From Russia With Love,” fried calamari labeled with the 007 film title Octopussy, and more Bond-inspired treats. The party fun was orchestrated by Le Coterie.

Seen: Sylvia and Tommy Dorsey, Kelli Kickerillo and Todd Forester, Adriana Banks, Diane and John B. Connally III, John B. Connally IV, Stephanie and Julian Fertitta, Betty and Manuel Urquidi, Nellie Connally and Doug Dawson, Meredith and John Stilwell, and Katherine and Jonathan Hassell.

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