E
veryone needs a neighborhood
tailor they can trust. When
a hem comes undone, a button
goes missing, or getting your
favorite garment ready for
a big event, your tailor is the one
you turn to. In this modern world
we live in, the future of the tailoring
business is in the technology.
I recently discovered Los Angelesbased STITCH and was blown away
by their high-quality alterations
and design services. They have
re-invented the tailoring experience.
Whether you drop in to the LA
shop, or they come to you, this
is no back-room shop with a fleet
of grandma’s working 100 year
old sewing machines. They make
house calls and do it all with
the utmost style.
Alex Harden is the founder, owner and
visionary of STITCH and he took the
time to talk with me to give our Luxe
Beat Magazine readers the inside
scoop on their innovative approach
to the classic tailoring service.
Sherrie Wilkolaski: In this day
and age, where does STITCH find
a seamstress?
Alex Harden: Our core business is
clothing alterations; pant hems to
wedding gowns and everything in
between. As a result, we work
with seamstress from a variety of
backgrounds including, customers,
tailors, fashion designers and
dressmakers.
In terms of recruitment, STITCH has
a presence on all of the recruiting
websites but this only accounts for a
third of the applications we receive.
Since opening, word has got to the
industry and we have a number of
enquires both through our website
as well as directly. Additionally, we
have built good relationships with
the trade schools, in particular, FIDM
(Fashion Institute of Design and
Merchandising) whose alumni are
some of the most talented
professionals in the industry.
SW: Is tailoring, a lost art?
AH: Firstly, I think the appreciation
for tailoring has declined but is
back in favor. Over the last decade,
with the surge of online retail and
dramatic fall in clothing prices due
to cheaper manufacturing overseas,
clothing became disposable. As a
result, people were less inclined
to spend money altering a garment
they would eventually throw out.
However, in recent times, with
pressure to improve manufacturing
quality and to bring work back into
the United States, people are
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