Menswear Designer William Malcolm Suits Men Up With Confidence

illiam Malcolm was a successful but unhappy insurance man. He really wanted to design men’s suits, but had no idea where to begin. With $70,000, he finally threw caution to the wind, shut down the agency and created the William Malcolm Luxe Collection.

That was a little more than four years ago, and his business has soared with clients that include professional athletes, jewelers and car dealers. To many men, he also is a stylist, fitting them in a classic wool-and-cashmere suit that start at $1,200, shirts, pocket scarves, cuff links, shoes and matching socks.

Malcolm also remains committed to the community; he created the annual Man of Style and Substance Scholarship Contest that awards $40,000 in cash and prizes to Detroit students. He recently won a $10,000 Black Male Engagement grant for his proposal to create a yearlong program for male high school students, who will be given a custom suit, taught etiquette and how to be respectful to women.

"When a man looks good in a suit that’s made for his body and it has his name in it, it gives him a great sense of confidence," he says. "People pay attention to details. They think if he looks that impeccable and he pays that much attention to detail, he will do that in what I need to hire him for."