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MEET THE MAN WHO DRESSES THE POLITICIANS
Sacramento Business Journal
June 17 2014
Ed Goldman
John Boghossian is a tailor, a clothier and a walking United Nations.
He speaks Arabic, Turkish, French, Armenian and English (though with
the latter, he leaves out the occasional conjunction, preposition
or modifier). On top of this, Boghossian -- the founder and owner of
Vanini European Clothier, the downtown men's store that's specialized
in Italian-made attire since opening in 1997 -- was born in Lebanon.
"People think I'm Italian when they come in store," he says, despite
his Armenian surname and thick accent. Boghossian knows he has only
himself to blame. When he opened Vanini on L Street, directly across
from the State Capitol, he knew he'd be selling Italian clothes and
wanted the store to have an Italian name. "It was a little joke,"
he says. "There is a big lake in eastern Turkey, Lake Van. I add the
'ini' (eeny) and what do you know, we're Italian!"
We're sitting in comfortable chairs next to the wall of windows that
affords Boghossian and his clients a lively view of the big dome
and the bustling by of lobbyists, attorneys, legislative staffers
and tourists. Boghossian shows me a tiny, crinkly old photo of his
late father, who also was a tailor and also had a store next to a
capitol -- in this instance, the parliament building in Beirut. "We
both dress the politicians," he says in his low, warm voice.
One of the more notable politicians that Boghossian helped keep in
style for many years was former Assemblyman Willie Brown, who famously
went on to become the equally dapper mayor of San Francisco -- where,
Boghossian shrugs, Brown now buys his clothes (Brown is an acknowledged
Wilkes Bashford guy). Boghossian recalls meeting the take-no-prisoners
Brown one morning years ago when he came into the store, accompanied
by his bodyguard.
"He was wearing nice suit but I tell him, 'Take that tie off your
neck. It doesn't go with your suit.' He says to me, 'Do you know who
I am? I'm the speaker of the Assembly.' And I say, 'Well, do you know
who I am? I'm the king of this shop. And I say it's a bad tie.'
"So Willie Brown says, 'Already I like you, you son-of-a-bitch!'"
Boghossian says that Brown used to drop by "when there was tension
in the Capitol -- so some years he came by a lot. He'd walk through
the door and say, 'John! Where's my scotch?'"
Tomorrow, Boghossian recalls his years working in Beverly Hills as a
tailor -- and sometimes a manners consultant -- to the stars. Please
join us. Business attire is suggested.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/ed-goldman/2014/06/ed-goldman-meet-the-man-who-dresses-the.html
Sacramento Business Journal
June 17 2014
Ed Goldman
John Boghossian is a tailor, a clothier and a walking United Nations.
He speaks Arabic, Turkish, French, Armenian and English (though with
the latter, he leaves out the occasional conjunction, preposition
or modifier). On top of this, Boghossian -- the founder and owner of
Vanini European Clothier, the downtown men's store that's specialized
in Italian-made attire since opening in 1997 -- was born in Lebanon.
"People think I'm Italian when they come in store," he says, despite
his Armenian surname and thick accent. Boghossian knows he has only
himself to blame. When he opened Vanini on L Street, directly across
from the State Capitol, he knew he'd be selling Italian clothes and
wanted the store to have an Italian name. "It was a little joke,"
he says. "There is a big lake in eastern Turkey, Lake Van. I add the
'ini' (eeny) and what do you know, we're Italian!"
We're sitting in comfortable chairs next to the wall of windows that
affords Boghossian and his clients a lively view of the big dome
and the bustling by of lobbyists, attorneys, legislative staffers
and tourists. Boghossian shows me a tiny, crinkly old photo of his
late father, who also was a tailor and also had a store next to a
capitol -- in this instance, the parliament building in Beirut. "We
both dress the politicians," he says in his low, warm voice.
One of the more notable politicians that Boghossian helped keep in
style for many years was former Assemblyman Willie Brown, who famously
went on to become the equally dapper mayor of San Francisco -- where,
Boghossian shrugs, Brown now buys his clothes (Brown is an acknowledged
Wilkes Bashford guy). Boghossian recalls meeting the take-no-prisoners
Brown one morning years ago when he came into the store, accompanied
by his bodyguard.
"He was wearing nice suit but I tell him, 'Take that tie off your
neck. It doesn't go with your suit.' He says to me, 'Do you know who
I am? I'm the speaker of the Assembly.' And I say, 'Well, do you know
who I am? I'm the king of this shop. And I say it's a bad tie.'
"So Willie Brown says, 'Already I like you, you son-of-a-bitch!'"
Boghossian says that Brown used to drop by "when there was tension
in the Capitol -- so some years he came by a lot. He'd walk through
the door and say, 'John! Where's my scotch?'"
Tomorrow, Boghossian recalls his years working in Beverly Hills as a
tailor -- and sometimes a manners consultant -- to the stars. Please
join us. Business attire is suggested.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/ed-goldman/2014/06/ed-goldman-meet-the-man-who-dresses-the.html