Conjure up a mind’s eye image of a male bohemian artist and you’ll probably be picturing Rosti before you read any further. Prince Rostislav Romanov, or Rosti to his friends is a true artist; creative to the soul. He expresses himself mainly through the medium of oil paint landscapes, but his artistic talents leap forth when leafing through the drawings of his hand made paper sketch books and through his new skill of applique on a Dashing cap.

I’ve known Rosti for a few years now, he first dropped into our original shop just to complement us on our use of colour in our weave designs. Then a year or so later, when we setup our in-house workshop we were in a position to make his sartorial dreams come true. Having studied fine art at Falmouth, Rosti has a love of nature, landscape and colour. Scattered throughout his spacious house in Tenterden, Kent are books by favourite influential artists, Milton Avery, Philip Guston, Gillian Ayres and llya Repin to name a few.

As befits the dreamy country setup and the romance of creatives, the action takes place in a shed at the bottom of the garden. I waited with eager anticipation, camera in hand, as the doors squeaked open. The rich waft of oil paint hit me as I entered and to my delight Rosti’s painting den was a cacophony of colour and controlled chaos.

On one side litho printing rollers, then around a central chair, tables strewn with paints of every hue and palettes at the ready for work on the current canvas. As Rosti paints wearing his beloved artist suit in our Motley design he listens to his vinyl collection and notes the albums he’s played on the back of the canvas; a charming addition to the artwork. The suit is ideal for painting as the design features inherent colour splashes. Rosti wanted to be able to wade in the marshes while sketching so the baggy trousers are cut high off the ground and the double breasted teba jacket has generous pockets. 

Rosti’s love of nature is evident as we stroll around the grounds of the house he shares with wife Fotini Georganta and their son. The garden dates back to Tudor times and is home to the most splendid trees including huge redwoods, beeches and chestnuts. I’d forgotten making Rosti his coat in our Gallant Check design from a few years ago which looked gloriously autumnal when paired with this three piece ochre herringbone suit and it’s elegant double breasted waistcoat.

As with so many great artists, talent comes with a degree of angst and in Rosti’s case alcohol became an early vice. Following art school Rosti headed to Russia, the home of his aristocratic heritage, his great grandmother was Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. In his own words he moved to the land of cheap vodka where ‘my alcoholism found me’ and drifted around with friends. A wakeup call occurred on a trip to San Francisco. His friend not being home yet, Rosti tried to check in to a hotel but his grunge look of the time led to refusal and a night on the streets. Luckily, rehab in South Africa proved a success and Rosti’s sobriety has allowed his natural creativity to shine. Dressing well, with integrity and quality is a delight for Rosti and I was delighted to really see how much he loves to wear the clothes we have tailored.