Arrive in style - Andreas Gran

Festive season approaching.

We took the chance to follow our Menswear Designer Andreas Gran out on a black tie party: talked about Tiger of Sweden’s new Tuxedo ‘Nobel’, how Andreas prefers to wear Tuxedos and where he finds his inspiration.

Andreas wearing Nobel Tuxedo

How do you prepare for a tuxedo occasion? Any special rituals?
It’s always little of a ritual to prepare for a black tie event. It’s a little bit of a religious feeling to take the tuxedo out of the wardrobe, iron the shirt and to knot the bow-tie. It might sound a little bit cliché-esc but I always make a strong Dry Martini to sip from when I get dressed – just to get in the perfect mood.

When do you wear your tuxedo?
Always for New Years Eve. That’s a must. On fashion gala events which have Black Tie as dress code. Which is fantastic because you can get away from the huge pressure on what to wear. But I also like to split up the tuxedo and wear it more regularly. Not together as a set. Wear the Tuxedo jacket to a pair of jeans and a nice T-shirt instead of a blazer. The trousers are perfect to match with a nice sweater. A good way to spice up your everyday wardrobe with some elegance. Try it!

What kind of shoes do you prefer to wear to your Tuxedo? Opera pumps, patent derby’s or slip on’s?
I alter between classic patent shoes to sneakers depending on the occasion. I would of course not go to a strict black tie party in a pair of sneakers but sneakers is a good way to dress down your tuxedo when the dress code allows you. If you have the confidence you should absolutely wear opera pumps. It’s the most elegant shoe you can wear when you’re going to a black tie event. It’s also the hardest to pull off.

For the festive season: from who, what or were do you get your inspiration?
I am very inspired by the British tailoring and way of dressing at the moment. Everything is sharper in comparison to for example Italian tailoring when you see more soft shoulders and more unlined jackets. You can of course also get tons of inspirations by looking on pictures from old Oscars. But then you get to go back at least 40 years back in time.

This season you’ve created the new Tuxedo Nobel for Tiger of Sweden, which is the one you wear on the pictures. Can you tell us more about the Tuxedo Nobel?
The thought behind it was to make you feel powerful when using it.I wanted to emphasize the male form. The shoulders are wider than normal and are more accentuated. The waist is cut tight and the crochet on the lapel is cut high to give you a more powerful chest. It’s made in a wonderful microstructured wool from the Italian weaver Marzotto. I would say it’s the perfect Tuxedo. For this season it comes both in black and white.

Andreas wearing Nobel Tuxedo