James Ford

Blending his love of athletics and formal wear, James is a master of custom suiting. But he doesn’t design “your uncle’s obligatory office suits.” Instead, James is focused on crafting suits that “stand for something very, very different” — particularly when it comes to sizing for female, trans and gender nonconforming bodies. As a former four-sport athlete, the designer pulls inspiration from the “silhouettes, color palettes, construction techniques and practicality” of sportswear to inform his approach to suiting, “marrying dichotomies” of the two with every stitch. Ultimately, he’s dedicated to prioritizing his client’s needs to discover what “their suit will communicate to the world on behalf of them,” but never forgetting to strike a “balance of sophistication and fun.”

His current favorite garment is his Utility Grandma Vest because of how it blends “two things that don’t belong together.” The pocket-heavy garment, which James describes as a “fly-fishing vest meets a French Victorian couch,” is function-focused, but fashioned out of a burnt orange velvet upholstery fabric.