My dazzling man of mystery

Today I’d like to talk about the man I’d most like to have lunch with. ALL lunches. He is my true style icon, He’s a brand, but more - a lifestyle, and one I relate to in every respect. He is the American dream! He sells the image first and the clothes second, so that you don’t just want to wear him, you want to be him. That’s pretty revolutionary, I think. Can you guess who he is?

His is a luxury lifestyle, but not an unattainable one. You’ve seen the ads - country estates with genteel people playing croquet on expansive lawns. It’s a fantasy of how life is supposed to be. Yet we don’t need to be wealthy to buy into this lifestyle. That’s the genius: what he sells is attainable - if not to all then at least to many.

Some would say he is not a designer at all, that “real fashion” needs a cutting edge. Why? My soul-mate of the cloth is about relaxed style and comfort that is also refined. Clothes you want to wear forever. I have followed his lead. And Wine country is to Red House what the Hamptons are to my design hero. We both try to impart a little of the beauty of our respective environments into each shirt, jacket and sweater.

My dream for Red House is to create an empire as my hero has done. Like him, I will do nothing to dilute my brand’s dedication to quality, luxury, fine details and customer service, even as the business grows. And then I’ll work on buying the estate properties. Or maybe just one megavilla in Napa where he and I will have poolside lunches, trading observations on our visions… now THAT’S inspiration! This pillow is in honor of my hero. Can you guess who he is?