It's a far cry from the tailoring ateliers of Naples to suburban Chicago. But for Kiton, one of Italy’s leading makers of unapologetically luxurious menswear, there’s a valid link. Which is exactly why the label is doing something unprecedented. Instead of sitting back and hoping the next generation of skilled tailors finds its way to the Neapolitan brand, Kiton created its own feeder system.

At Chicago Waldorf School, in a course aptly dubbed the Art of Tailoring, high schoolers are learning the finer points of making fine clothes. And if they choose to pursue it as a career, there’s a chance they can continue that journey in one of the world’s foremost tailoring capitals.