Azernews.Az

By Carmen Valache

Having opened shop only six months ago, Imperial Tailoring's bespoke suit boutique has already consolidated its client base in Baku and promises to become the next big thing in the capital's fashion scene.

When I walk into Imperial Tailoring's boutique located in the Kempinski Hotel, I feel transported into a universe where haute couture reigns unchallenged. The dim lighting keeps the visitor's focus on the rich velvet tapestry, leather couches, Art Deco design and, most importantly, on the suits on display. General Manager Jacky Nenwani, an energetic fashion consultant, welcomes me with a smile, and invites me to sit in the back, while his elegant assistants offer tea and coffee.

Clearly passionate about what he does, Nenwani is keen to explain the distinction between Imperial Tailoring and a regular tailor's. "This is not a shop," he says. "It is a fashion boutique of bespoke suits that works on an appointment basis. Our suits, shirts and ties do not have sizes, they are all made-to-measure for every individual customer. The top priority is to protect the privacy of our select clientele, which includes diplomats, government leaders and business executives."

Imperial Tailoring's dedication to customer service has been cultivated for over 20 years, ever since founder Sammy Kotwany opened the first boutique of its kind in Moscow. Hailing from India, Kotwany, a fashion entrepreneur with a background in textile and spinning technology, and a penchant for English fashion, heeded a piece of advice he received in the early 1990s about the potential of the Russian market. In 1991, he opened his first boutique of bespoke suits in Moscow and never looked back. Today, the company boasts 11 such boutiques located in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the most recent of which opened earlier this year in Baku.

Imperial Tailoring works with the finest fabrics from renowned brands, and also has its own brand, which is produced in a company-owned factory in Italy. The brands in its portfolion - ErmenegildoZegna, Charles Clayton, Scabal, Fintes, are only overshadowed by the fame of its clientele, which includes Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russian artist Nicas Safranov, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, and Yemeni head of state Ali Abdullah Saleh.

When asked about why he came to Baku, Nenwani tells me that "We identified Azerbaijan as a high-growth potential market, one in which we already had contacts and in which there is a keen sense of fashion and a growing purchasing power. Our target client is a wealthy individual with good taste in clothing, and both the locals and expats in Azerbaijan display these qualities. In addition to that, our market study revealed that there is no competition for the type of holistic fashion services we provide, especially in our price range. So we very well could become the number one made-to-measure luxury suit boutique."

While he cannot reveal too many details about his clients because of the private nature of the services he provides, Nenwani assures me that the company has consolidated its client base during the short time it has been in Baku and that their goals are even more ambitious "I would like to make a suit for President Ilham Aliyev one day," he confesses. "But until we get there, we will continue to focus on quality, because ours is a word-of-mouth business, and client satisfaction is our utmost priority."

In order to preserve quality and client satisfaction, Imperial Tailoring follows a simple, but tested strategy in its dealings with clients. After an initial call, an appointment is made for a consultation at the boutique or at the client's location of choice. A general assessment follows, in which the client informs about his preference and receives advice, and then his measurements are taken and he chooses from among the thousands of samples of fabric the boutique works with. An order is then placed and the suit is stitched at the company's workshops in London or Moscow, only to arrive in Baku one month later. "We cannot deliver the suits any faster, because otherwise we'd compromise on quality. It takes about 40 hours only to stitch a good suit, and there is much more workmanship required for the finished product."

Given their track record in neighboring countries and their fast progress in Baku, Imperial Tailoring seems off to a great start in the fashion-hungry Azerbaijani capital. Before leaving, Nenwani entices me with samples, cufflinks, ties, made-to-measure crocodile-leather shoes and invites me to bring my male acquaintances to visit. After such a visit, I surely will!