1 of 2
X of Pentacles founder Marcel Ames sketches out each of his product concepts. (Photo by Dominic Hernandez)
2 of 2
The Virginia Beach-based King Neptune pocket square (Photo by Dominic Hernandez)
X of Pentacles
With a passion for quality menswear, Marcel Ames founded X (pronounced “10”) of Pentacles (646-389-4613 or xofpentacles.com) last year. He mostly sells pocket squares made from a silk-wool blend, scarves and ties. His designs, which include images of the James River Bridge and Main Street Station, are his own creations. He sources the fabric for his pocket squares from England, where they are traditionally screen-printed by hand and then sent to a workshop in France to be finished. Ames notes that a process called hand rolling is used to finish the edges of the squares. Primarily seen on higher-end scarves and handkerchiefs, this process involves someone rolling the edges of the material while slowly stitching it. This creates a rolled hem as opposed to the flat hem produced by a sewing machine. While this method requires more time and money, Ames says he wouldn’t have it any other way, taking pride in the quality of his materials and manufacturing. “It’s really sort of a lost art,” he says. “As these generations start to get older, you don’t find people doing [these techniques] as much.” He also sources the materials for his ties in England, but they are manufactured in the United States.
X of Pentacles founder Marcel Ames (Photo by Dominic Hernandez)
If you had asked Ames if he wanted to run his own business two years ago, he would have said no. He was on a different path, training to become an officer in the Richmond Police Department. However, with two months left in his training, he sustained a concussion, and its lasting effects kept him from returning. He had been living with his father while he trained to join the police force and returned there during his recovery. Unfortunately, on July 28, 2015 his father passed away. Ames took responsibility for settling his father’s affairs, discovering the house was in foreclosure, and his father had no will and no life insurance. Ames ended up living with his sister in Norfolk, commuting to Richmond to see the doctors treating the lingering effects of his concussion. During this time, he also couldn’t read, watch TV or look at any type of screen.
Ames’ girlfriend, Ashley Strange, told him to move in with her in Richmond so he could be closer to his doctors. Ames says at this point he was lost, practically living out of his car and feeling like his life was at a standstill: “It was a very dark time for me.”
He found that one way to cope was to start working with his hands. He knew how to sew, so he began refining the skill and also began sketching. He thought about creating some high-end accessories that highlighted Virginia. “I’m from Virginia, and I felt like at the time, we didn’t really have a lot of [high-quality fashions] that were as refined as, say, larger cities like New York or Chicago,” Ames says.
Strange encouraged him to start his own business. After initial reluctance, he decided to give it a shot.
He participated in a pop-up at Ledbury in March 2017, selling out of his pocket square selections.
The accessories average $70 for the pocket squares, $125 for scarves and ties. Ames says fashion is in the details: “You want to have something that’s good quality no matter what style it is to really serve you and last you.”
1 of 2
Rider Boot Shop co-owner Ron Rider performs a custom fitting. (Photo by Ash Daniel)
2 of 2
Rider Boot Shop's men's Fritz Chelsea Boot (Photo by Dominic Hernandez)
Rider Boot Shop
Rider Boot Shop (804-912-1783 or riderboot.com) is run by husband-and-wife team Ron and Lisa Rider with their oldest son, Jeff. Fashionable boots and dress shoes in leathers and suedes line the walls of the space at 18 W. Broad St. in Jackson Ward, and attention to product quality and customer experience is paramount.
The boots and dress shoes are designed in Richmond and manufactured in Italy. “We’re not trying to reinvent footwear,” Ron says. “These are traditional men’s patterns. Our differentiation would be the way we put the materials and soles together.” Mainly using a factory in Cortina, Italy, which is located between Milan and Como, for the manufacturing process, each pair of Rider footwear has the name of the factory it was manufactured in written inside.
Lisa, Ron and Jeff Rider (Photo by Ash Daniel)
When it comes to the shoe trade, it’s in the Rider family’s blood. Ron’s father entered the business out of high school, working his way up from salesman to buyer and then becoming a wholesale distributor. Ron followed a similar track, also working his way up in the industry starting at a young age. Originally from Baltimore, Ron and his father had the idea to lease space inside of Franco’s Fine Clothier in Richmond and manage the shoe department. While this idea didn’t work out, Franco’s founder, Franco Ambrogi, did offer a job to Ron managing the department. Ron says he was looking for a new challenge and a new city, so he accepted the position, remaining at Franco’s for about 15 years. During this time, it was Ambrogi who introduced Ron to Italian manufacturing and allowed him to explore what would become the Rider brand of footwear. Ron says he noticed a lack of variety at the time in high-quality boots: “We just wanted to have a good solid selection of boots that rivaled what the companies were putting out there in dress shoes, not just one brown leather boot for the season. I wanted to do five, six colorways and different suedes and things like that, and the only way to do that was to make it yourself. So Franco gave me the opportunity and the permission if you will, because it was his money, to try. It’s one of those things where one thing leads to another, and customers actually liked it.”
Before Rider Boot Co. opened its retail shop last year, the initial idea was to sell the footwear wholesale. However, it became apparent that a retail storefront would be more feasible, especially with Jeff Rider (who has a marketing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University) following in his parents’ footsteps and honing his business skills.
There are two categories of pricing for Rider’s shoes. An average price for what you’ll mostly see around the store is $375. Another range of Rider-brand footwear averages $200 to $225 for men.
When it comes to the shoes, Ron says customers decide for themselves what they like most about the products and that the shoes speak for themselves. He and his family enjoy fostering the casual atmosphere of the shop and selling a high-quality product. “That’s probably as important as the merchandise, providing an environment that’s just laid-back and open and represents our family’s view of the way people should be treated,” Ron says. “We just do our thing and people come in, and hopefully they like what we’re doing.”
1 of 2
Shockoe Atelier jeans are manufactured on site. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
2 of 2
The gray mélange York blazer features suede detailing. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Shockoe Atelier
Recently celebrating its fifth anniversary at 13 S. 15th St. in Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Atelier (804-269-0851 or shockoeatelier.com) began as a custom-made luxury designer jeans business and quickly garnered attention in Richmond as well as a national spotlight. Two years ago, co-founder Anthony Lupesco rolled out a line of jackets made from materials sourced in Italy and designed in Richmond. While the jeans are still produced inside the store (you can watch the process through a large window in the back of the retail area), the wool jackets, some of which are blended with materials including alpaca and cashmere, are made in a small workshop in Northern Italy.
Shockoe Atelier co-founder Anthony Lupesco (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Lupesco’s parents have more than 40 years of experience in the industry. His father, Pierre Lupesco, ran a factory in Italy and is also a founder of Shockoe Atelier. Pierre has worked with top European high-end brands including Ted Lapidus, Isaia and Belvest. In fact, the father of the person Anthony now works with in Italy to produce the jackets also worked with Pierre.
Lupesco says the jackets are durable, making sure they incorporate texture and depth. “Even though they feel super soft, they can handle some wear and some abuse,” he says. Lupesco says these jackets are meant to last 20 to 30 years, or even longer if properly cared for.
There’s currently a small selection of jackets, including the York blazer in gray mélange made from a wool and cashmere blend sourced from the Italian mill Loro Piana. The woodland version of the York blazer is a wool, silk and cashmere blend with leather detailing. The Khaki Peak blazer is a water-resistant cotton and linen blend, with details including horn buttons, leather loop closures and pick stitching. On average the jackets cost $600.
Today, jeans are becoming a more popular choice for weddings as well. “I can’t tell you how many couples we’ve hosted here,” Lupesco says. “Usually it’s the groom … he ends up getting something that looks a little formal or they go full-on denim, it just depends on what kind of wedding you’re having.” Lupesco says the shop sells a lot of black jeans for weddings. “The advantage of a jacket or jeans is you can continue to wear them after the wedding, whereas the tux is more difficult to find opportunities to wear now, unfortunately.”
Lupesco’s approach to manufacturing encompasses what he has learned from his parents in the art of luxury tailored goods mixed with his experience creating thoughtfully constructed denim made by hand inside of the Richmond shop.
“What we’ve tried to build here is more of an artisanal method of manufacturing,” Lupesco says.
