Urbane Inquiry presents…

Marlon Gobel , designer

After positions with designers, such as Thom Browne and Michael Bastian, designer Marlon Gobel is lifting up menswear rules that force men to the look the same everyday. His latest fall/2011 show featured elegant suits, mother of pearl buttons and eye-catching patterns. As one of the most elegant and unique designers of today, Gobel talks about messy bow ties, wearable art and how keep your tie from falling in your soup. 

How would you describe the Marlon Gobel man?

Guys either dress metrosexual, or they don’t care about dressing. I’d like to make that over. I think it’s horrible that straight guys, gay guys, any guys have to sit there and look at the clothes on the rack and think ‘What will people think of me?’ unlike girls who change their clothes every day and take on the spirit of their clothes. Guys don’t. Guys are encouraged to dress as mundanely as possible and be as safe as possible. I think the only reason that happens now is because every major designer has decided to pull back and give guys either a khaki, gray or navy option.

I think that my guy wants something unique and cool, and he wants to feel special but doesn’t want to be the center of attention. He’s rebelliously athletic. He has a man glamorousness to him. He has a bit of flair, but you still see him through the clothes. He’s wearing Marlon Gobel, but he doesn’t look like Marlon Gobel. He’s still Scott, Tom or Chris. When he’s buying my clothes, he’s not buying it because he needs another blazer or another pair of pants. You go to Old Navy or Banana Republic for that stuff. He’s buying something he thinks is unique, special and cool. 

What are your wardrobe staples?

I think every guy should own a beautiful set of ties - a bow tie and a regular tie. A bow tie for more formal occasions. There’s something really cool, even if you mess it up, about a bow tie. If you look at some of my models, the bow ties are a little skewed and tied together like a mess. It’s very cool. It’s like ‘I care, but I don’t care so much.’ It’s very masculine in that way. Every guy needs a beautifully tailored jacket. When a guy is in a suit that’s too big for him, he looks like he’s wearing his grandpa’s clothes. There’s a transformation when a guy wears his size, not the size he thinks he is. 

What are some of the valuable lessons you learned working with other designers?

First of all, any great artist or designer should work as an apprentice with other masters. The great thing about being an apprentice is that you really learn how to do it in the best way from the person who is best at what they do. It was like taking a master class. 

Thom Browne’s clothing was beautifully made. I would sit with the tailors and learned how to make clothes in a way you don’t normally take the time to learn. It was all about quality. But it was all gray. It was all very strict. 

I wanted to smash the things I learned together to create a line where the clothes told a story and had a meaning but were totally understandable. They could be an electric purple pair of trousers, but they’re corduroys. You wear them with a polo. You have a look without trying too hard. Everyone tells you that guys don’t like color. I’m going to tell you that is so not the case. Guys love color. They just need someone to say it’s OK.

Your last collection’s pieces were so identifiable and unique. What was your inspiration and thought process behind it?

It started off with guys being strangely secretive. Guys like to keep weird secrets, secret handshakes, secret codes. The show started off with letting go of your secrets because they’re not as embarrassing as you think they are. That got me into the idea of a secret society. It’s a place to go hang out with other guys, but also a place to have a secret order, but it’s mostly about camaraderie. I wanted to make a show like that. Guys love getting compliments on what they’re wearing. They want to wear the same thing as the dude next to him because he looks cool.  

How did your runway show come to feature those bold Christian Louboutin shoes?

I would go to the Christian Louboutin stores and see these spectacular pieces of art in the windows. They are so iconic. We all know what they look like. When women wear Louboutins, she’s so proud of her shoes. No one cares about her dress, just her shoes. So I thought to myself ‘Hey, I would want a pair of shoes that make me feel that cool.’ Dress shoes don’t have to be your dad’s dress shoes. So Christian put bells on the shoes. As men walked in their beautiful blazers, they got the attention they wanted without having to ask for it. It was beautiful to see those red soles on guys. 

As you mentioned, you have some hand painted pieces in your collection. How did you come to intertwine menswear with that medium of art?

My job as a designer is to create silhouettes guys feel good in. But when you walk through Bloomingdales, you see every company makes a velvet blazer. I have this 1970s velvet painting in storage, and the paint gives the velvet this incredible beauty. It gives guys a way to wear art, but it’s not avant garde. They’re not pushing the envelope. Guys wear Ed Hardy. They’re not afraid of rhinestones and color. We wanted to give them these great story moments on these clothes. 

What were your favorite pieces in your last collection?

I would have to say the hand painted blazers were my favorite, especially with the Louboutins to go with those blazers. One of my favorite looks was the opening look, which was a velvet plaid, but worn out in areas. It looked like a really preppy camouflage. There’s something really beautiful about it because it was really unique, but really not over the top. 

What do you dislike about modern menswear?

I dislike the rules in modern menswear, like if you wear color, you’re gay. When you wear the same dirty T-shirt, unfortunately people are going to judge you. They’re going to think you probably live in a dirty house and don’t take a shower. Dressing beautifully doesn’t have to be a luxury. You don’t have to have 30 shirts, just maybe three great shirts you know you’re going to look good in every time. But what’s wrong with menswear is that it caters too much to what is going to sell the best or the fastest. 

What did you wear today?

I wore my own trousers. I wore a tie tucked in because I’m an athletic dude running around. It’s always flopping around flying over my shoulder. If you tuck it in your shirt, it doesn’t fall in your soup, and it doesn’t get caught in the sewing machine or paper shredder. It’s been also rainy so I also wore a rain-proof blazer. It’s a very practical jacket. I also wore my Louboutin sneakers in the rain. Why not, right?