UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SEBASTIAN DOLLINGER

Sebastian Dollinger has been appointed Creative Director at Robert Talbott. With 20 years of design experience at Eton, he brings a fresh perspective to the iconic Robert Talbott label, an intrinsic understanding of the business, and a genuine passion for design. He joins a strong executive team at Newtimes Group, the company that acquired the Robert Talbott label in 2022. Says Newtimes’ CEO Alex Angelchik, “Sebastian Dollinger’s visionary leadership perfectly aligns with our mission to redefine sophistication and style, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to men’s specialty stores, and proudly upholding our California heritage.”
Here, we chat with Sebastian about his move and plans.

MR: How did the move from Eton to Robert Talbott come about?
Dollinger: Since you last visited Eton in 2013, the company became very successful very quickly. Many would say we were the number one luxury shirt and tie company in the world. Unfortunately, as a company grows more successful, things change. And although I was certainly enjoying Eton’s success—and I wish them all the best— it no longer felt to me like a family business. Having grown up in factories (my father started taking me to Eton’s factories on school breaks when I was 13) and having learned from my father the actual craft of shirtmaking, that became my passion. It’s crazy: I still dream in shirts! I was an ultra-specialist who loved to create, but I was upgraded to a management role, meaning I was a boss, directing things but no longer making things. I knew I wasn’t happy being so far removed from the product, and felt I needed to do something else.

So after four years of managing (I still did Eton’s design collaborations, including the Beatles), I met Alex who told me about Newtimes Group. I wasn’t familiar with them: their history, their sourcing capabilities. And wow—did that information open my eyes! I realized that with my knowledge of how to make the best dress shirts in the world and Newtimes’ expertise in sportswear and knitwear, I could soon expand my passion for product. I already knew the Robert Talbott brand because they’d been a competitor…

What was it about the Robert Talbott brand that most appealed to you?
For some reason, although I never met her, I always believed that Audrey Talbott and I were kindred spirits. I researched and read everything I could find about her and just felt this was the perfect match for me. Audrey brought happiness into her designs by the use of color; she put a taste of California into everything she created. Her collections were about loving life and bringing joy. I’ve already heard so many wonderful stories about her from so many of her retail accounts and they’ve inspired me to infuse the spirit of Audrey and Robert into the designs. (Editor’s note: if you look carefully at the new Robert Talbott logo, you’ll see that Sebastian has entwined a capital A into the capital R in Robert…)

Where will the 2025 Talbott shirts and ties be produced?
They’re being crafted in Como, by a sourcing team in Florence-several dozen of the most talented women I’ve ever met. Shirts are produced throughout Europe, in Italy, Portugal, and Turkey. I was just there and was so impressed by the high level of craftsmanship. I know when I go out to the stores with this product, I won’t need to say a word. The exceptional craftsmanship will speak for itself.

Also special about our spring ’25 collection: all fabrics will be exclusive to us. I’ve designed everything on one warp, and the mills are kindly eschewing minimum quantities: 171 unique SKUs in shirtings without minimums is highly unusual. But they know me, they know Robert Talbott, and they believe in us. I didn’t expect this kind of reception and it’s really reassuring.

Are you concerned that the neckwear market is not exactly booming these days?
No. Every so often throughout my life, I heard that ties are dead but there’s always been tie business. In fact, in 2019 we saw a notable resurgence but then along came Covid…. That said, even if tie business never returns to its former levels, if there’s one company in America that’s going to sell ties, it’s Robert Talbott. We are the original.

What about marketing: will you be doing anything unusual?
We’re not quite there yet: my focus (with the valuable expertise of Nick Picchione, SVP
of Merchandising) is to hyper-focus on shirts and ties (which is our heritage), as well as on our sportswear collections. But to be honest, I don’t think we’re looking to do the coolest ad campaigns in the world. I’m not interested in seeing a gorgeous model photographed in a beautiful setting looking bored or miserable. I’d much rather see Bill Nye wearing one of our bowties! Now that would be really cool…

What are you most looking forward to in your new position?
I look forward to once again having a studio/store in Carmel. You know, in all the states where we once had Robert Talbott stores (Texas, New York, California), we still have a strong following. I can’t wait to get out to the stores and spend time with the store owners, many of whom I know from my years at Eton and most of whom are truly nice people. It seems as I get older, I have a better feel for who is real and who isn’t. I’d rather not a sell a store at all than work with people who are disingenuous.