Martin Greenfield is a savant with patterns, fabrics and threads. He knows his way around a suit like LeBron knows the court, or Scorsese knows a camera — he’s been at it for almost 70 years.
A Holocaust survivor, Greenfield moved to the States in 1947 and soon found work as a floor boy at an East Williamsburg clothing manufacturer. Thirty years later, he transformed the company into Martin Greenfield Clothiers and went on to dress presidents like Eisenhower, Clinton and Obama, actors like Paul Newman and the cast of Boardwalk Empire, and athletes like Patrick Ewing.
J.Crew Menswear Director Frank Muytjens’s biggest impact on men’s tailoring began 60 years after Greensfield began his career: 2008’s Ludlow suit. It was affordable, crafted for a new generation of working professionals, and an instant success — jumpstarting a renaissance in menswear that shows no signs of slowing today.
Recently, the two greats decided to work together on the Ludlow line’s first-ever collaboration. The result, a limited run of Martin Greenfield for J.Crew Ludlows, bears the distinctive touch of both men. We sat down with both to learn more about the next great made-in-America suit.
