Image by Feather & Stone
On a day that’s universally regarded as ‘her day’, you’d be forgiven for feeling like you play best man to your bride’s gown. It probably feels like she spent more time looking for it than she did looking for you? No doubt you’ve heard everything about it, and nothing at the same time?
What you mightn’t realise, though, is that it’s your prerogative to invest just as much in your dress for the big day, and Australian menswear designer Mark Ferguson, of leading bespoke brand Wil Valor, urges you to take full advantage.
“What some people realise, and it’s important that the bride realises this, if you get an amazing dress and couple it with a hire suit, or one that’s ill-fitting, or not the right colour combination, or something’s missing, it actually brings the dress down,” Ferguson says. “When they’re side by side, he really has to complement her. He needs to be on par to make sure the bride looks her best.”
Image by Britt Spring
With more than 1,000 impeccably-dressed grooms to his credit, former NBL star Ferguson has quickly established himself as somewhat of a fashion godfather and the first choice for many Australian sporting legends, television personalities and star CEOs. But despite an expansive little black book of A-List advocates, Ferguson insists that Wil Valor is a hero for the everyman.
“Wil Valor is the man you already are or the man you aspire to be: cool, stylish, sophisticated and knowledgeable.” He’s the perfect gentleman; with DiCaprio charm and Clooney charisma. He knows that a well tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men. “He’s the man you are when you feel confident in what you are wearing.”
Image by Stewart Ross Photography
Ferguson’s approach requires minimum effort from the groom (“all I need is their body”) and promises unmatched results. “We find out who they are, what their aspirations are, what they want people to perceive of them, how much presence they want when they walk into a room… All those sorts of things. Then we make fabric and style suggestions from there. I’ll push a person’s style boundary to find out where their limits are, and then we’ll pull it back a little bit. It’s an evolution.”
While a bespoke suit is undoubtedly more costly than hiring or purchasing off the rack, Ferguson says there are countless advantages, including personalised service from an expert, superior quality and distinction, and a guaranteed perfect fit.
From Wil Valor, though, Ferguson promises something special.
“We don’t really sell clothing; we sell confidence. That’s the way I like to do it.”
To find out more, visit wilvalor.com.au
Those first 2 suits pictured are amazing!