Giacomo Trabalza, a tailoring fixture in Los Angeles, passed away last week. I was traveling last week and learned about it in this Styleforum thread. This leaves only a handful of old school bench tailors who can legitimately be called “Hollywood” tailors.
I am not sure whether his shop will continue on in some form. When I spoke with Trabalza in 2006 he did not have an apprentice or working tailor in place to succeed him.
We’ve seen the passing of Hollywood tailors like Anthony Gasbarri, Carmen LaMola (described by Chicago tailor Chris Despos in this Styleforum post) and Eddie Schmidt of Schmidt & Galuppo.
However, in the next few years I think there is a real opportunity for a new generation of tailors to set up shop in LA. Given the opportunity, it just might be the right time for an enterprising tailor to fill in the gap.
Additional links
– Sleevehead posts on Trabalza
Could anyone give me any information on Earl Benham? He was a very upscale New York tailor whose clientele included many celebrities from silent movie days to 1970's.
Benham's earlier career was as a George M. Cohan player, minstrel and dialect songwriter. After costuming a few Broadway shows, he established himself as a tailor in the early 1920s.
Benham died at age 89, 1976, Long Island. The Earl Benham Co. was in existence at least into the 1980s, and for some time located at 18 East 53rd Street, NY.
The Benhams wintered here in Florida for many years, and figured in the building of this town. I'd very much like to fill in more of their background.
Thank you so much, Mary O'Benar, New Port Richey Fl
Earl and wife Christine Mangasarian lived on E. 52nd St in NY and had an estate in Higganum, CT. The estate became a religious retreat after the sold it in the 60s. Earl Benham Co tailors had a shop on Madison Avenue & 53rd Street. The Benham’s only son, James, lived in Darien, CT, & received the Bronze Star Medal for sailing the Farragut out of Pearl Harbor during the 1941 attack by Japan. He died at 97 in 2017. Christine had been an actress and the sister of stage & film actress Flora Zabelle. Flora was married to actor Raymond Hitchcock. Both couples visited New Port Richey, FL, in the 1920s & early ’30s and stayed at the Hacienda Hotel. Raymond died in 1929. In NPR, FL, the Benhams and Hitchcocks socialized with local developer George R. Sims, screen actor Thomas Meighan & actress wife Frances Ring (who build a winter home in NPR-Casa Francesa), gold pro Gene Sarazen & wife Mary (who also built a winter home in NPR), & Ed Wynn (Meighan’s neighbor in Great Neck, NY) who owned a commercial building in NPR. Gary
Mary – Great question, I did a quick search and came up with some interesting tidbits which I'll write up soon. Hopefully others will contribute as well.
looking forward to whatever you can find, thanks for giving me some hope on this research. Been unraveling a local history topic for several years, and finally figured out it was Benham at the center of this town's past, but still have just bits and pieces on him.
I have seen a couple invoices and can tell you that a tuxedo from him at the height of the depression still cost $1000! So it felt rather insulting to his memory when I bought one of his ties off ebay for a dollar.
I've been in touch with his niece and it'll be great to have more info for her. Her main memory of him is "Uncle Earl always smelled nice". no doubt!
Hello!
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a fellow by the name of John Tudor (not his real name) owned Earl Benham & Co. He was Romanian.
I still have an overcoat which I designed and he
made as well as a three piece suit which is well worn. In 1985, he made a coat for my wife which I also designed.
He was …. the very best tailor.
Does anyone know if he is still in the business?
Richard Bock
Abiquiu, New Mexico
email: [email protected]
I’m fairly certain this Mr. John Tudor is the same custom tailor that has made the bespoke suits for Jude Law and Matt Damon in “The talented Mr. Ripley” . I have recently read an old newspaper article, which stated his address as the one from Earl Benham & Co on 53rd Street. John Tudor must have unfortunately passed away or at least retired as he’d be past 80 years old and the latest suit I have found from him for action was made in 2003. However it brings me joy that John Tudor continued the Benham tradition of making suits for Hollywood stars we all know.