MEMBER FOCUS: Marcel Ames
Marcel Ames, Founder of X of Pentacles
Marcel Ames never saw himself making clothes. The world of fashion and tailoring was something that had piqued his interest from a young age, but as an abstract idea, rather than a springboard to something bigger. “I wasn’t very sartorially inclined,” Marcel admitted about his younger self. “It wasn’t until after college that I really started thinking about where and how clothing was made; I wanted to find clothes that made me feel good, and that were more well-made than what I was buying at the time,” he explained.
Marcel’s foray into fashion began after a tumultuous period in his life, wherein he lost his father, his parents’ home, and a position with the Richmond Police Department after an untreated concussion left him unfit for active duty. In the midst of handling his father’s estate and the loss of his father, Marcel turned to sketching ideas for clothing designs as a therapeutic outlet. When a friend suggested he pursue fashion as a career, Marcel thought to himself, “Screw it — what do I have to lose?” And X of Pentacles was born.
“It was a lot of bootstrapping my way through in the beginning,” Marcel explained. “I taught myself graphic design on my old college laptop and I taught myself how to sketch and sew through a lot of trial and error.” He started out making ties and scarves, and ultimately moved on to bigger projects before finding his niche in specialty suits for men and women. Marcel became hyper-focused on the regional differences in tailoring, and re-discovered a love for Neapolitan suit making in particular. He now works directly with tailors in Italy in order to produce his designs. “There’s a specific, distinctive style of making clothes that’s only done in Naples,” said Marcel. “And I love the human connection I have with my tailors — each person that works with the garment puts a piece of their soul into it, and I really want to highlight that relational aspect with X of Pentacles.”
When Marcel dove into the world of bespoke tailoring, he noticed that nobody in Virginia was creating truly bespoke suits, which use one-of-a-kind patterns designed from scratch to fit a person’s measurements exactly. (Custom suits, on the other hand, are designed from an existing pattern and then tailored to one’s measurements.) “People use the word ‘bespoke’ as a catch-all, but it’s an entirely unique process,” Marcel explained. “It takes about 3 to 6 months from start to finish and involves over 70 hours of handiwork, but the final garment will fit you to a T and will be something to pass on to your grandkids.” After the pandemic hit, Marcel decided to switch up his offerings a bit in order to reach a slightly larger audience. He released his first capsule clothing collection in late 2020, which has allowed him to produce ready-to-wear garments at a more accessible price point, made with the same care and quality materials. “My favorite piece from the collection is probably the Monarch jacket I just released,” Marcel said. “The design was based on my grandfather’s old Eisenhower jacket that he wore in WWII, and is the first outerwear piece I’ve created.”
Marcel is passionate about fine tailoring, but understands that there’s a lot of education involved when it comes to new customers. “There’s a big emphasis on quality over quantity with this work. There is so much more tradition and labor that goes into each piece — it’s about using your passion and turning it into something tangible.” But his excitement is palpable as he patiently explains the difference between bespoke and custom suits, and how he collaborates with the tailors in Italy. “I’ve worked in many different fields, but this is what I’m passionate about,” Marcel says. “If I woke up and wasn’t getting paid, I’d still want to keep making clothes.”
To see Marcel’s work and hear his story in person, swing by his Common Knowledge talk on June 3rd, shop his capsule collection in Room 328 on June 4th, and book your very own custom or Bespoke fitting on June 5th or 6th.