Bespoke tailoring for presidents and business executives
More presidents, royalty, high-profile celebrity stars and successful men of all professions in need of perfectly bespoke suits in the CIS are turning by default to Sammy Kotwani, the founder and owner of the Moscow-based The Imperial Tailoring Co. that specializes in the production of bespoke suits in Russia and other CIS countries. “My job is to meet clients, help them decide exactly what they want, cut the cloth, sew and re-fit the suit, until it is spot on,” the 41-year-old senior bespoke tailor, the first-ever Indian tailor in the job on the CIS market, told TRCW.
While Kotwani cannot reveal exactly who he has fitted over the past 20 years, his illustrious clients list is a veritable “Who's Who” in Russia and other CIS states (see www.mytailor.ru/russian/html/clients.htm). “In the time it takes to make a suit, I get to know clients and see beyond the celebrity. And when I see them in a newspaper or on TV wearing the suits I had made for them, I get a real buzz,” he noted.
The beginning of the road to greatness
Growing up in Mumbai, Kotwani loved arts and clothes, and therefore, after winning a place at the Sasmira Institute of Fashion, he focused on becoming a designer. “I quickly found that I was fascinated by tailoring, the skills and techniques it needed.” He said he often took to wandering along the famous Savile Row Street in London and admiring suits, and by asking around, was able to find a tailoring company that needed someone to run errands. “I began spending all my spare time with tailors. There were no formal apprenticeships available then, but I knew what I wanted to do. I decided a tailor was the right job because I love meeting people,” he added. “With just three months on the shop floor under my belt, I was accepted as a trainee tailor in 1990.”
“I couldn't have created a better job for myself if I'd tried, as this profession has everything that I love: the tailoring, fashion, travel, and finally, the chance to meet a variety of people.”
Today, Kotwani's job begins with a long chat with and measuring of clients. Some men know exactly what they want, while others are happy for guidance. “I love men's fashion, so I keep a close eye on trends, monitor catwalks and our in-store styles. We have personal tailoring, so there's lot of inspiration around,” he added. “After choosing the cloth, comes the measuring tape. Usually, I take about 25 to 30 measurements, which include everything from the more basic inside leg, to arm-hole depth and back of neck. I also look at how someone stands and his body shape. This is because nearly everyone is in some way unsymmetrical, like one leg or arm being longer or shorter than the other.”
Kotwani said he usually notes his clients’ unique specificities such as being slightly stooped or utterly straight, like most of his military clients, or perhaps, having a bit of ‘a stomach.’ "Using all this information, I cut out a pattern from light card that becomes a template, which we can use for years working with this particular 
client.” Then comes the crucial part - cutting the cloth. The etiquette is never to use someone else's tailor and you always know if yours have been used, especially on paper. “With each bespoke suit costing from $1,500, it needs to last long for clients. So, when cutting, we usually allow extra cloth for wider seams, so that it can be taken in or let it out over the life of the suit to make adjustments for the changes in the clients’ physiques.”
Next is the sewing stage. “Tailors are split into coat makers and trouser makers and most of our sewing is done by hand. The suit is first sewn loosely so I can get the customer in for the first fitting,” he added. “During the first fitting, we spend about an hour in a mirror-clad room discussing the finer details of what the clients want. Thereafter, the suit is taken apart, re-chalked and sent back for altering for the next fitting. The whole process takes between four and six weeks.”
Now at the top of the Olympus
Now Kotwani is a ‘roving tailor,’ traveling around Russia and also Armenia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, to see his major overseas clients in the CIS. “I couldn't have created a better job for myself if I'd tried,” he said, laughing. “This profession has everything I love: the tailoring, fashion, travel and the chance to meet a variety of people.”
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