RICHARD JAMES INSTALLS ELTON JOHN ARCHIVE DISPLAY TO CELEBRATE ‘ROCKETMAN’ RELEASE

by Stephen Garner Jun 03, 2019

To celebrate the upcoming musical fantasy Rocketman, contemporary Savile Row tailor Richard James and Swarovski have co-curated in-store displays— in both London and New York—complete with original outfits from Elton John’s legendary career.

A long-time friend of the Richard James brand, John gave access to his personal archive to facilitate the loan of a few key Richard James outfits including his “Dot” suits and a crystal tailcoat worn during his Las Vegas residency. These showcase the brand’s craftsmanship and are injected with a sense of humor reflecting John’s charismatic personality.

Highlights in the display include a bespoke Swarovski-crystal trimmed tailcoats that were part of John’s glittering wardrobe for his ‘The Million Dollar Piano’ residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which ran from 2011 to 2018.

The ‘Dot’ collection, comprising of matching 2-piece suits and shirts are also on display in the brand’s New York store. John wore the pink/yellow dots look for his 2001 Grammy Awards performance with rapper Eminem as well as for a ‘Got Milk’ advert by the American dairy industry the same year.

These three looks will be on display at the brand’s Park Avenue store through Friday, June 07.

To celebrate the display, Richard James have created a limited run of 8 t-shirts, all featuring a Swarovski crystal rocket emblem. The t-shirts will retail at $260 and will be available in-store and online.

“I remember the first time I met Richard,” recalled John. “I’d popped into the Joseph men’s shop and was bowled over by the most striking sunflower ties. I flipped them over to see the eponymous label: ‘Richard James Savile Row’. Savile Row?! I hadn’t seen anything this fresh in years. Naturally, I got the address and headed there immediately.”

“Elton has great individual style and he’s never been afraid to express himself, so he represents a lot of what Richard James is all about,” added Sean Dixon, founder & managing director of Richard James. “He’s been an incredibly supportive friend and a customer since we opened our first store in 1992 and Richard James wouldn’t be what it is today without him. As I hope this small tribute demonstrates, it’s always an honour and a pleasure to dress him.”