Dominic Sessa Served a Killer Casual Suit at the ‘Tony’ Premiere

The actor channeled Anthony Bourdain’s effortless cool in crisp Celine tailoring.Variety/Getty ImagesNext week, A24’s hotly anticipated Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony finally hits theaters. It’s a tall order for Dominic Sessa, who plays the late chef during the formative Provincetown summer that first drew him into restaurant life. And last night, at the film’s New York premiere last, the 23-year-old actor arrived in a look that nodded to Bourdain without slipping into imitation, borrowing the No Reservation host’s knack for making tailoring feel easy and unforced.Variety/Getty Images“I wanted it to feel like a young Bourdain vibe,” Sessa’s stylist Warren Alfie Baker tells GQ. “Just relaxed, effortless and cool.” The look came courtesy of Michael Rider’s red-hot Celine, whose softer, looser approach to tailoring made for a natural fit. The red flannel shirt is the visual centerpiece: a classic tartan worn spilling out and unbuttoned low enough to reveal a bit of chest—a styling move Bourdain himself never shied away from. The rest of the outfit followed the same playful philosophy. Wide lapels added a subtle ’70s swagger, while the long, slightly pooled trousers kept the suit from feeling too stiff.A series of minor rebellious choices elevated the outfit. The shirt stayed artfully half-tucked. The collar flopped outside the jacket’s lapels. Even the slimline white leather shoes felt both unexpected and deliberate, echoing the brightness of the flannel and giving the flowy black suit another visual kick. None of those choices would have made much of an impression on their own. But together, they felt considered, intentional, and worthy of attention.Jamie McCarthy/Getty ImagesThe premiere wasn’t short on good tailoring. Sessa’s co-star Stavros Halkias looked sharply retro in a dusty pink suit paired with some tinted aviators. Even the film’s director, Canadian national treasure Matt Johnson, traded in his signature sweatpants for proper tailoring. But Sessa’s look stood out because it nodded to something Bourdain understood instinctively: the best tailoring doesn’t always come from following the rules. Sometimes it comes from breaking just enough of them.Sign up for Show Notes to get news on the latest runway shows, parties, and insider events on the international fashion circuit.Tyler Watamanuk is a contributing writer for GQ. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, and Highsnobiety, among other publications. His first book, Bigger Than Fashion, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster. ... Read More