At Umit Benan’s newly revamped headquarters, where once stood brutalist concrete, fluted tan wainscoting adds a homey feeling. Replete with a bar counter, velvety sofas, vases of dried hydrangeas and large photographs hanging on the wall, the space is his very chic Milanese tailor atelier.
That speaks to the taste of Benan’s clientele: c-suite executives or just wealthy types in the know driving all the way to the southern edge of Milan to have their suits designed and crafted by him.
For his spring B+ collection, he channeled resort vibes, which are shaping up as sartorialwear’s defining theme of the season in Milan, thinking of Acapulco and Capri in the 1960s, which informed the rich hues scattered throughout — think tan on a safari jacketed suit, or burnt orange for silk pajama sets with a velvety finish.
They mingled nicely with the chalky pink double-breasted number layered over a tactile knit, crafted from cashmere threads hand-wrapped in cotton fibers, and the buttery and ivory white suits with wide lapeled blazers and double pleated pants.
“I used to talk more conceptual, but I’ve become more technical because there is so much going on here,” he said, referencing the textile-geared R&D efforts poured into every collection.
His wizardry as a tailor comes in those hidden details. A colleague joining the walkthough suggested “quiet luxury.” If that means superb, tailored clothing, Benan is all in.