A Man's Journey (p.s.- you have to look the part.)

He's survived bankruptcy, two marital breakdowns and a persistent habit of referring to himself in the third person: Ozwald Boateng remains a force to be reckoned with. The first black tailor on Savile Row and former creative director of Givenchy, Boateng this month releases A Man's Story, his 12-years-in-the-making film of his remarkable career. "I'm not nervous about the film, I'm excited - it's like the first time I sold a suit," he explains to GQ.com, sitting in an elegant café in London's Mayfair. "I was always the youngest one around. When I went to Paris for my first catwalk show I was always the kid. Now I'm 45 years old. I've got mileage in the tank." Here he explains how men should wear colour, why Giorgio Armani still inspires him and why everyone should follow the sartorial example of ageing rockers… Confidence can sometimes be misconstrued as arrogance. I had a suit made for me when I was five. It was double-breasted, mohair and purple. My mother was very particular about clothing - it always used to have to go back into the plastic and it used to drive me insane. American Vogue's André Leon Talley came to my second showing in Paris. He came to me afterwards and said, "I really like what you do." I said, "Yes, I'm a tailor". He replied, "No you're not. You're a couturier, you're a designer - you're much more than that". At that point I had a realisation that I was a fusion of two things. That's why I came up with "bespoke couture", this fusion of two different elements. Anyone can wear any colour.The question is about finding the right shade. There is a momentary trend to dark colours because when the financials are not that great, people go for black, navy and grey. Shirt collars are very important to me. Putting a very soft shirt collar with a formal suit doesn't work for me at all. I haven't been to a job interview since I was 16 years old. When I was approached by Givenchy it was more like a courtship. Will Smith introduced me to Jamie Foxx. Obviously at that point [when Foxx was nominated for an Oscar for Ray] there were a lot of people who wanted to dress him and there were a lot of politics. Our relationship and his love of what I did changed that. On the day we were in the Four Seasons and ended up going through the kitchens and taking the catering lift up to his hotel room. We're in Jamie's room and he puts the suit on. That magic is what I work for. I took a little bit from the movie and put it into the suit, so when he stood up it was definitely Jamie but it reminded everyone of the film. The shoulder line is key on a bespoke suit. Once you have a strong understanding of that, the rest flows from there. The idea of an ill-fitting suit is something I cannot register. If I register it once then it goes off and destroys! It starts interfering with the mainframe of my computer. It's like dust in the lens - you grow accustomed to the dust and it starts building up. Dressing well on a budget is about what we call "strategic shopping". Spot what you like and then be first in the queue when the sale comes. Be patient enough to rummage through the rails. Sort your basics out and then save up for the key pieces. Make sure you always spend money on shoes though. The most common style mistake men make? The guy who sits down with his buttons closed and doesn't know he has to relax the jacket. I understand that the harness of the jacket creates [a particular] shape but there are some rules. Release the button. If your suit is not handmade, get the other elements really right. Make sure your shirt is pressed and has that sharpness of line. It demonstrates that you pay attention to the way you look. Style is about consistency and not having just one great day or one great photograph. Paul Bettany always looks good. He's got a good presence about him. I haven't seen him slouch and it's easy to slouch. What's funny about men is when they enter the world of casual and it's not their natural state. Casual just doesn't mean jeans and jacket - think how the whole thing fits together. It requires you to delay in the mirror and consider whether the whole outfit works. The key thing is about being comfortable and enjoying what you're wearing. I've seen some old rock stars wearing old pieces and you think "God, you're still wearing that now!" But because they're so established in themselves, their confidence radiates out from them and you accept them. Casino - that movie really sang for me. It was beautifully shot and you could feel the colours jump off the screen. They must have been in my store when they did that film! The suits were immaculate and there was real attention to detail about the clothes - when [De Niro's] sitting down he doesn't want to get his trousers creased. If you love what you wear, that's what you do. Men are evolving all over the world. In Russia they're finding their own voice and fashion. Initially it was just brands for brands' sake. Now they're more opinionated. It's still driven by the women - the men are not as discerning - but that is changing. The rulebook says for black tie it should be a black suit with a satin lapel. But there are lots of things you can do to make it different. I like to play with the traditional themes - it doesn't have to be black, so I've got my signature dark purple tux. It's a bit boring that the women have all the opportunity and the guys don't. Americans have an uncompromising belief in themselves. You go to the States and talk to designers who have got 30 businesses. Here, you're not allowed to do two things. You can't imagine how it feels as a designer taking your daughter to a shop when she doesn't like anything you pick for her. You feel like saying, "Hang on, Daddy does this for a living." We're going to have to set up a system of bespoke promwear for the boys. I'll do a deal with some High Street [chain] and educate these 16-year-old guys. We can't afford for their first experience of a suit to be one with really wide lapels and buttons that are just thrown on the jacket. My best-dressed British man is Sir Ben Kingsley. What I love about him is that he can do anything - he was Ghandi! But then he was absolutely genius in Sexy Beast. He's quite a unique individual. Giorgio Armani is my template. He is 77 and he has energy like no-one else. I'm just getting started