Patrick McDonald’s recent visit and discussions of dandies reminded me of a friend of mine who epitomizes the modern dandy. I spoke with him a few days ago and then sent an email interview. Unfortunately I did not get a response in enough time to include it in this posting. Kelvin is friends with Patrick and comes from the same New York Dandy scene. In our conversation he mentioned “there aren’t many of us left” which leads me to believe there was/is a rich scene of dandies in New York that begs for more investigation. Kelvin has been featured in many articles, including the Sartorialist blog and the SF Gate. On one of his last trips to Paris he was asked to be a model by a well known boutique.
Kelvin is always precisely dressed. When I first met him, it had to be 100 degrees out, but he appeared oblivious of the heat as he wore a deeply layered outfit consisting a dress shirt, vest, and well tailored suite. He was also wearing multiple neck ties, tied into a bow, a colorful handkerchief, and a picture of Anna Piaggi pinned to his jacket. I have never seen him, or heard tale, of him without a dapper hat. He has two signature style elements that always fascinate me. The first is his use of color. He, as I can relate to, believes that every color matches. Secondly, Kelvin will often wear multiples of the same articles of clothing. For instance, one scarf is nice, but he wears two, three, or more at a time. Like the other dandies we have talked about, Kelvin’s presence is much more than just his appearance. Perfect diction and strategic gestures executed with nonchalance create an atmosphere that bends and forms around him. It is unmistakable and mesmerizing.
No comments:
Post a Comment