Fashion
The clothes may make the man, but it's the accessories that make the money man. Whether you're a Silicon Valley VC, a globetrotting deal pro or the biggest of the big-city rainmakers, these pocket-based assets can help seal your many deals.
by Nick Kolakowski , Photography by Jimmy Nicol , Fashion Editor: Jennifer Lee , Chris R. Morgan
Aspiring Up-and-Comer
You're young and hungry. You have all the tools in your head necessary to conquer the world (and, consequently, some massive tuition loans to cover). And now you must persuade your elders to place at least some of their sweet, sweet assets into your capable hands. Take a giant leap in that direction by sporting a set of fashion details that emphasize a sense of refinement and taste well beyond your years -- from your Maurice Lacroix watch to your mother-of-pearl and onyx Links of London cufflinks and your bullskin Asprey wallet. And make sure to keep your Penhaligon's mini-notepad, encased in sterling silver, beside you at all times -- it's just the tool for taking copious (and conspicuous) notes while studying at the feet of your masters.
(1)Black bullskin classic coat wallet, $500 by Asprey. (2)Barbell cufflinks, $275 by Links of London. (3)Masterchrono watch, $2899, by Lacroix. (4)MOTO Q 9h Global, $299, by Motorola. (5)Sterling-silver notepad $180, by Penhaligon's.
Globetrotting Private-Equity Man
First impressions are everything: What’s true in the boardroom is doubly so at passport control, where you, Mr. Globetrotting Private-Equity Man, might well find yourself subjected to a barrage of pointed questions — at least until you brandish the Samsonite black-crocodile passport holder that veritably screams: "Hey, look! I'm here on business!" For the traveling, multitasking man of means, the trifecta of a GPS-equipped Nokia, a lightweight Vertu (single-button operation being a plus during the juggling act of travel) and the Van Cleef dual-time-zone watch (so 12:49 a.m. in Yangon equals 1:19 p.m. in New York the previous day? Really?) will also see you through even the most arduous red-eye flight. And the finishing touch disembarking from said flight: a few sterling-silver collar stiffeners, to help pull your whole act together.
(1)Nokia N95, $699, by Nokia. (2)Ascent Ti phone, $6,300, by Vertu. (3)UX premium micro-PC, $2,500, by Sony Vaio. (4)Monsieur Arpels Dual-Time Watch with steel case and strap, $8,900, by Van Cleef. (5)Sterling-silver collar stiffeners, $70, by Penhaligon’s. (6)Sterling-silver cufflinks, $490, by Bottega Veneta. (7)Black-label passport holder, $99, by Samsonite.
Big-City Rainmaker
With apologies to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the rainmaker is different from you and me — his pockets less encumbered by the trappings of the workaday world. Granted, he does of course bear the cellphones and PDAs that adhere to the palms of lesser titans, but for the financial man of massive means, the most vital tools are also the most elegant: an Asprey cardholder and money clip, Harry Winston cufflinks and handmade Daniel Roth timepiece. Still, room must always be retained in the pockets of your bespoke suit for the one piece of technology that truly matters to sealing the deal: your silver Dunhill fountain pen. With a retro-style clip and an 18-carat white-gold nib, it will more than suffice when it comes time to scrawl your name on the dotted line.
(1)Diamond-button micro-pavé 18k white-gold cufflinks, $8,000, by Harry Winston. (2)Silver Windsor lighter, $600, by ST Dupont. (3)Engraved silver money clip, $190, by Asprey. (4)Card case with steamer stripe, $550, by Asprey. (5)Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Retro Date, $154,550, by Daniel Roth. (6)Sentryman Diamond-Patterned Engine Turning Ballpoint, $585, by Dunhill.
Midwestern Industrial Banker
Even in these economically uncertain times, the magnate of a Midwestern industrial bank prides himself on staying steady and unflappable — and for a style guaranteed to blend in with the Rust Belt crowd. After all, when you’re guiding $30 million in FDIC-insured assets, you need a Ghurka briefcase roomy enough for both a laptop and legal-size folders, an IWC watch with self-winding movement (can’t keep the plant manager waiting) and a lacquered ST Dupont rollerball pen that will not fail when it comes time to ink the deal. Most important of all? That Luigi Borelli umbrella, which will keep you and your assets safe and dry
in even the fiercest of (real-world) storms.
(1)Barrister briefcase, $1,895, by Ghurka. (2)Catskin burgundy billfold wallet, $375, by Asprey. (3)Navy-and-red umbrella, $295, by Luigi Borelli. (4)Da Vinci Automatic in rose gold, $10,000, by IWC. (5)Olympic Extra-Large Diamond Rollerball Pen, $470, by ST Dupont.
Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist
For those in need of business accoutrements to impress a roomful of techno-geek geniuses, elegance alone isn’t enough — everything on your person must represent the cutting edge’s cutting edge. Whether it’s your iPhone, stuffed with contacts and six months’ worth of e-mail (competing for gigabytes with the entire Lynyrd Skynyrd back catalog, but that’s your little secret), your noise-canceling Motorola H12 headset or your Tumi pocket plug (to deep-charge your gadgets before that epic presentation), your accessories are as much about the speed of their processors as the fineness of their leather. Then corral them all in your Tumi briefcase — sheathed in ballistic nylon — and it’s on to the next road show.
(1a)Motopure H12 Bluetooth headset, $99, and (1b)MOTORAZR2 V9m, $299, both by Motorola. iPhone, $399, by Apple. Pocket plug, $135, and Townhouse Tennyson Attaché, $1,495, both by Tumi(4)Manero Retrograde watch, $5,652, by Carl F. Bucherer.