TRIBUTE TO DOMENICO SPANO: CLOTHIER, GENTLEMAN, FRIEND

“Fashion is not an exact science, but rather a vehicle to develop your own style. Be an individual, don’t follow anyone else. If you have style, it will show.”
—Domenico Spano

MR magazine is heartbroken to report the passing of Domenico (Mimmo) Spano, a renowned custom clothier, true gentleman, and caring friend. In addition to his elegance and creativity, Mimmo was greatly respected for his humility, candor, charm, and ability to connect with just about everyone, from celebrities and CEOs to NYC’s homeless. His compassion and empathy were as much his signature as his felt fedoras, paisley scarfs and the white carnation that adorned his lapel.

Born and educated in Italy, Mimmo had just graduated from military school in Florence in 1970 when he met Rina, his American-born wife who was studying there. Just days after meeting her, he proclaimed they would marry; despite no job prospects and a minimal command of English, he followed her back to the States. “I am an incurable romantic,” Mimmo once told a reporter. “I always follow my instincts and dreams, without worrying about consequences. For what is life without dreams?”

As luck would have it, Rina’s dad was a successful custom clothier on 57^th Street and Mimmo started his career as a bookkeeper in his shop, eventually absorbing skills from the tailors. When his father-in-law passed, Mimmo answered an ad in The New York Times for a bilingual tailor and took a job at Dunhill, overseeing made-to-measure. From there, he managed the Alan Flusser custom business, and then went on to oversee custom clothing at Bergdorf Goodman and then at Saks, where he was said to be the store’s top salesperson with a client book of 1000+ steady customers. In 2009, Saks presented Domenico Spano with their first ever Men’s Wear Icon Award.

That said, Mimmo would be the first to point out that he was not a tailor; he’d get upset when people assumed he was. “I’m a stylist, and a designer. I don’t even know how to sew a button. Fortunately, I have talented tailors who work under my direction.” It also bothered him when the suits he created were called strong-shouldered. “This is a misconception,” he’d explain. “The suits I design have a soft natural shoulder, slightly extended but with no padding. My jackets also feature some waist suppression; they’re fitted but never tight.”

Mimmo was frequently featured in Bill Cunningham’s street shots for The New York Times. His signature look (bold patterns, double-breasted jackets, braces, bowties) was inspired by 1930s Hollywood and such sartorial role models as Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. In an interview with writer Ron DiGennaro, Mimmo expressed his mission: “What I try to do is recreate those same (1930s) textures in the fabrics I design but make them lighter and smoother. I like the cloth to give the appearance of loft but without the weight. But I don’t believe in year-round clothing: fabrics should be appropriate to the season.”

On a personal note, as editor of MR magazine, I was fortunate to have interviewed Mimmo several times since he went out on his own. We became friends, meeting for the occasional lunch at Keen’s on 36^th Street, where we’d always get the best seat in the house (thanks surely to Mimmo’s sartorial splendor). Although we were on opposite sides politically, we talked about everything else: industry gossip, current events, book reviews, the peculiar behavior of cats, the homeless characters he’d meet on the subway (and would often help out…) Although his clothing suggested ‘man about town’, Mimmo was actually a homebody who loved his quiet life in suburban New Jersey: listening to classical music, cooking, gardening, reading classic literature (Dostoevsky, Victor Hugo, Dumas, Dickens), going for long walks and bicycle rides. He was enormously proud of his two talented daughters, Elisabeth and Cristina, and was beyond thrilled to welcome a beautiful granddaughter.

“It is a sadder, and decidedly less elegant world without Domenico Spano,” says Tom Mastronardi, himself a men’s style icon. “Not just because we will miss his peerless personal style; the suits, the hats, the uniquely Mimmo-centric flourish and charm — although we certainly will miss all those impeccable trappings. Rather, for me at least, it is the loss of his unfailing kind-heartedness, the enthusiasm of his greeting upon even the most casual encounter that I will most miss; the gentle thoughtfulness that marked him as a true gentleman, and a cherished friend.”

A memorial service for Mimmo will be held at Crestwood Funeral Home on November 11^th, 12:00 – 3:00 pm, 445 W. 43^rd Street, New York, NY 10036