Toasting 105 Years of Seersucker: Haspel Taps Sam Shipley & Jeff Halmos

by Zachary Weiss

Haspel, the first-ever purveyors of seersucker that have dressed every American president since Calvin Coolidge, celebrated their 105th anniversary of business this week at The Griffin, bringing out the likes of Andy Cohen and actor Eric West. The brand, led by Joseph Haspel’s great granddaughter, Laurie Haspel Aronson, has called upon Sam Shipley & Jeff Halmos of Shipley & Halmos to breathe new life into this American classic. “I love that it’s a family business. I like Laurie and her parents,” Halmos said. “For them, it’s not about the bottom line, which is interesting. Of course it’s a business, but they want Haspel to have the respect that it deserves to have. It’s really interesting and important…and they also love to drink and eat. They’re down to party.” And party they did.

The Griffin was transformed into a full-on bayou bar scene, apropos for the New Orleans-based brand, with music by jazz band Henry Butler & Friends. Inside, vintage were displayed atop the banquettes alongside models sporting looks created by the Shipley & Halmos design duo, who have a newfound love of seersucker. “Aside from the technical reasons, it’s a distinctively American fabric,” Shipley told The Daily. “So when it was created, it was made to keep people in the fields cool. It’s really kind of an amazing and innovative product for the time period, and we want to make sure the 105 years are represented with a respect to this history while also looking forward to the future—so expect more sportswear.”

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