Not Dead Yet
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COURTESYCHASEWINFREYFALL STYLE Bloomberg Pursuits August 31, 2020The onsetofa globalpandemichashastenedthemostdire
predictionsforthesuit.Afterall,thepowerbrokersandtheir
powersuitscannolongerpower-lunch.Instead,they’re
workingfromhomeinGreenwich,Conn.,theHamptons,or
whereverthey’vemooredtheiryacht.Evenamongnonexecu-
tives,thetailoredsuit’scurrencyasjobintervieworwedding
day requirementhasdisappeared,seeminglyovernight.
Plus,a suitrequiresexpertisetomake—andItaly,where
moresartorialknowledgeexiststhananywhereelse,was
forcedtoshuttersomeofitsfinestclothingfactoriesand
ateliersearlyintheoutbreak.
Nowthatthesecraftsmenhavereopened,theday-to-day
measuring,fitting,andconsultingworktheydois backon
as well.Sohowaretheymanagingthiswhileface-to-face
interactionis stillcurtailed?Andwhentrunkshows,where
tailorsfromLondonandItalyvisittheirclientsabroadfor
salesandfittings,havebeencanceled?The storied Florence tailor Liverano & Liverano had to
slow production but found a silver lining. “We had a lot of
time to focus on strengthening other aspects of the busi-
ness,” says creative director Takahiro Osaki. “We built a new
website and saw record growth in online sales.”
Jake Mueser’s shop is open in New York’s West Village on
a very limited basis; to conduct fittings over Zoom, he sends
a sample jacket to a client in the correct size. “At first, I was
very skeptical we could do that effectively,” he says. It turns
out to have been a great success. “By having the client try on
the garment and take a few basic measurements, we can work
with our pattern maker to achieve the desired fit.”
Paolo Martorano, who also makes bespoke suits in
New York, sanitizes his showroom before each client visit,
and he accepts only one appointment a day. But the results
have been good. “We’ve been able to maintain enough
business to keep our entire staff—from our master tailor onAt the top of the made-to-measure market, suitmakers are finding
creative ways to survive—and, sometimes, thrive. By David CogginsMueser takes a client’s
measurements in
his Manhattan shop