Providence, RI (Wjar) – A visit to Mark Allen’s South Main Street Luxury Lifestyle Store in Providence is like diving into the finest waters of men’s clothing.
“All the shoes are made by hand. Look at the details of this. There’s absolutely no work on the machine. People made these, and they’re 100% by hand,” Allen said.
The sea of finest fabric.
“Fee this flannel. There’s nothing like that. The buttons are mother pearls. Only the best quality,” he said.
Unique brands from Europe and nearby. He refers to a table of high quality leather bags in a variety of shapes and colors.
“This is a local company. This is a company called Frank Clegg Leatherworks in Fall River,” Allen said.
Fabric, designs mainly from Europe and unique designs
It mixed with his signature brand, Mark Allen.
His store is an old cable car theater with trucks still embedded.
“This is not a needs store. You don’t need anything here. A bag or sweater. You can get a sweater anywhere. If you want something special in your life, this is where you need to find it.”
Nowadays, shows in old cinemas are high-end fashion, clothing and design that you won’t find anywhere else.
You have a Mark Allen suit that chooses the fabric and it is tailored by a professional.
You may run more than $2,500. He doesn’t apologize for that. Allen has a full bar with a top shelf spirit and a hangout where everything is welcome.
“If I’m going to dress you, I need to know you. I’m not only putting you in a suit, you’re far away,” he said.
His passion for fashion is contagious. Mark Allen is his first and middle name. His last name is Streisand.
“And to this day, the heart of everything I do when designing or making clothes for someone is that they can help their lives become what they want,” he said.
Allen started when she was in a high school in New Jersey. There he claims he is the smallest child who dreamed of playing sports and becoming a yankee.
“And that dream came to an end soon,” he joked.
From baseball and bats to needles and threads, that’s all about Mary.
“You got to the party with all the bigger guys. The seniors were all tall, here I asked the girl that I was this little munchkin of this guy and I asked her that her name was Mary. And because it was like lightning, I will never forget it. She says, ‘Oh, you’re so cute, I’m devastated.’
His parents divorced, and his mom was an interior designer and a strong force.
“She said, you have to learn how to wear bigger clothes, and I’ll take you shopping and show you how to do something like that, and I saw the difference it created,” Allen said.
New dreams were born, including hard work, long hours and sweat.
Learn from the best tailors and designers in New York. Providence’s New York relationship with Briggs’ legendary Briggs Darity encouraged him to come to Ocean State.
He, his wife, and the little kids did just that. Allen rented his shop on South Main Street. The rest is history.
“So for the first nine months, I worked about 100 hours a week,” he said.
A man himself, supported by his wife and his mother, who moved to Rhode Island a few years ago.
The belief that suits can make men.
The old trolley tracks synonyms with his paths in his shop.
Twenty years later, he owns both buildings and has a team of UN tailors. He works to raise funds for charities and donate clothes to those in need.
“And I love it. It’s still exciting for me,” Allen said.
Oh, how about Mary? They met at a high school reunion a few years ago.
“Now, Mary, maybe 5’2, I’m 6 inches tall. I told her. You know, did you change my life? And she was so mad. And I don’t get upset, it’s amazing. You helped chart my course of life and you literally changed my life for the better,” he said.
