Goodbye off the rack hello Made to Measure

Today’s issue of WWD had a headline inside that read “From Savile Row to Main Street: Custom Suits Go Mass” I saw this coming a mile away. That is essentially a part of our business model here at Surajo Bello. We seek to offer made to measure, custom-made, and made to order products to the masses and not just the super elite. This is a newly developed market in my opinion because of the advancement in technologies and speed of production. If a customer had a choice of having a suit specifically made for him at $695 it would be pointless to buy and off the rack suit at $695, unless he needed it right then or their. So the male consumer is embracing this idea which has allowed for the development of a few new companies that specialized in delivering made-to-measure products in a timely fashion and at an affordable rate. Satoriani offers made to measure suit starting @ $995 which is more affordable then the super high end luxury brands mentioned in one of my previous articles.

This new market is a both a product of the economic conditions and advancement in technology. With declining off the rack sales and increasing made-to-measure sales it would be wise to think that the way men shop will be drastically changing in the future. I’m thinking less emphasis and production of ready-to-wear (off the rack) and more focus on customized goods and services. Another brand Josephs Custom Clothiers is about to open its first Manhattan store which will retail custom suits made in New York between $2,200 and $3,500. Mega brand Ralph Lauren has also expanded his custom made service, now offering fully hand made suits under his Purple label starting at $10,000. This is obviously a product only for the corporate tycoons and aristocrats of the world but our suits open at $1,100 for a super 120’s wool and cap off at $9,790 for a super 200 wool silk blend custom made suit.

We offer a personalized luxury service for every man and the final price of his product is controlled solely by his taste and fabric desire. Our suits are made in New York by our team of 9 skilled tailors and we limit seasonal production of suits to 45 per geographic region, which allows us to pay a great deal of attention to detail and quality. So I guess all the mega luxury brands who aren’t offering such services and products should modify their business strategy because how can you tell a customer “you can’t get that personalized” and claim to be a luxury brand when everyone knows true luxury is personalized.

The 2010 Oscar goes to

Best Picture Winner

'The Hurt Locker'

Best Director Winner

Kathryn Bigelow
'The Hurt Locker'

Best Actor Winner

Jeff Bridges
'Crazy Heart'

Best Actress Winner

Sandra Bullock
'The Blind Side'

Best Supporting Actor Winner

Christoph Waltz
'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Supporting Actress Winner

Mo'nique
'Precious'

Best Animated Feature Film Winner

'Up'

Best Original Screenplay Winner

Mark Boal
'The Hurt Locker'

Best Adapted Screenplay Winner

Geoffrey Fletcher
'Precious'

Best Foreign Language Film Winner

'El Secreto de Sus Ojos'
Argentina

Best Original Score Winner

'Up'
Michael Giacchino

Best Original Song Winner

'The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart'
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Documentary Feature Winner

'The Cove'

Best Documentary (Short Subject)Winner

'Music by Prudence'
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

Best Short Film (Live Action) Winner

'The New Tenants'
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Best Short Film (Animated) Winner

'Logorama'
Nicolas Schmerkin

Best Art Direction Winner

'Avatar'
Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

Best Cinematography Winner

'Avatar'
Mauro Fiore

Best Costume Design Winner

'The Young Victoria'
Sandy Powell

Best Makeup Winner

'Star Trek'
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

Best Film Editing Winner

'The Hurt Locker'
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Best Visual Effects Winner

'Avatar'
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

Best Sound Editing Winner

'The Hurt Locker'
Paul N.J. Ottosson

Best Sound Mixing Winner

'The Hurt Locker'
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett