My Style: Doug and Ben Burkman
Photo: Sonja Georgevich — Courtesy of Burkman Bros
What is your biggest regret?
Having fluorescent yellow hair in 1992.
Please describe your style in three words.
Easy, confident, masculine.
What is the biggest mistake one can make when getting dressed?
Trying too hard.
Do you believe in role models?
Absolutely.
What are your favourite fabrics?
Ikat, dobby, and madras.
Are there any style combinations that you object to?
Man-purses and the term metrosexual.
Which city has the best-dressed men?
Tokyo.
Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
Both.
What are the rules, if any, in the way you dress?
Yes I have some rules, the most important of which is making sure I feel like myself in my clothes at all times.
Celebrities and style...
Are not mutually exclusive.
One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
Burkman Bros. bracelets.
A man should always look like...
Himself.
Who taught you what you know about style?
My mom.
How do you select your clothing every morning?
Depends on the day; if there is an important event then I select the night before. If it is just a regular day I wear what I feel like when I open up the closet.
The three essential things a man should know about style are...
Fit, function, and formality.
Do you have any shopping rituals?
Nope, none that I can think of.
We will never see you wearing...
Square-toed shoes.
The most stylish person you have ever seen...
Our friend Michael Macko.
What is the first thing you notice on a man?
Teeth, hair, and shoes.
The one image that defined your approach to style...
I can’t really think of one particular image; I think the collection shows that we have an eclectic approach to style.
Which new designers do you follow and why?
Yosuke Aizawa’s White Mountaineering.
The only article of clothing that a man needs to pay close attention to is...
A man should pay attention to the way clothes fit.
What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
A pair of Junya Watanabe overalls that I bought recently.
Is comfort an enemy of style?
Absolutely not.
Which designer never fails to impress you?
Junya Watanabe and Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons.
Who would you like to see next in My Style?
Any of our fellow CFDA Incubatees would be great.
The best words of advice you have ever heard?
“Be true to yourself.”
