Re-Imagining Al Pacino in the Godfather

In this fourth episode of Re-Imagining: Movie Icons, The Africa Channel and Vanichi reimagines dapper mob lord Al Pacino from the classic film The Godfather.

The Al Pacino Look

In this hit movie of the 70’s, Al Pacino acts as Michael Corleone, an Italian who reluctantly inherits his Mafia family’s business from his father. The film follows Michael’s adaptation to a mobster and gangster lifestyle and most interestingly, his iconic dapper style.

The Al Pacino Look is a sleek, expensive look that screams power and wealth. Tailored three pieced suits, double-breasted suit, suspenders, starched white shirts, tasseled loafers, floral boutonnieres, corduroy coats, slacks, pinstriped ties, waistcoats, and of course the famous felt Homburg hat are all staples of Godfather Fashion.

Apart from his stellar performance, Al Pacino’s suits played a huge role in portraying his character’s rise to power. At the start of the movie, he wears plain light colored suits but later transitions to more expensive darker suits as he becomes accustomed to a life of crime and power.

The sleek and sharp look of the Mafia portrayed New York’s Italian dressing during that era. Movie critics believe that this factual representation of the era coupled with the rich characters added to the cult status of the movie.

The Model

Jonathan Stanton already had expectations of what to wear. In his words, “when I walked here today and they showed me the kind of suit I’ll be wearing, I thought wow, this must be Italian.”

Thanks to the designer, it wasn’t hard for him to portray the aura of a man with wealth and power. The fit and cut of the suit already made it obvious to see.

Re-Imagining Al Pacino

To get the perfect Africanize look, Jonathan Stanton wore a hand-tailored, double-breasted navy blue suit from Marcus Andrews Sartorial Luxury Collection. M. Andrews focuses on providing handcrafted shoes and handmade suits for men with a taste for power and luxury.

He also offers a full haberdashery and was really excited to be part of a re-imagined look of Al Pacino. In his words” everything I do here is for people in power and I don’t think there is another other icon for power than Michael Corleone.”

Powerful men who favors his services include Usher, NFL Star Emmitt Smith, Anthony Anderson, Blake Shelton, NBA Star Antonio Daniels, and many others.

For this look, Jonathan Stanton wears a blue Ankara shirt designed by Obioma, a clothing company that mixes the best of African fabric with Western designs. An authentic African brand, their clothes are proudly made in Nigeria and shipped from America. The name Obioma comes from an Igbo word used to describe both men and women tailors who carried sewing machines on their heads.

The term was in vogue after the Nigerian civil war when the Igbo community was destroyed and forced to make a living by mending clothes.

The editor-in-chief of Vanichi was excited to use the services of these two designers claiming the prestige that, “the most talented designers and tailors are found in Africa and the African diaspora.”

All 10 episodes, plus a bonus overview, are currently available on The Africa Channel.com and Demand Africa.