CELEBRATING WOMEN IN CUSTOM CLOTHING, DAY FOUR

While we hope everyone will continue to celebrate the many accomplishments of women in our industry all year long — not just during Women’s History Month — today our salute to women in tailoring draws to a close. Speaking of dynamic women, thank you so much to Faith Wozniak and her team at Gladson New York and Huddersfield Fine Worsteds as well as Heather Falconer of the Falconer Agency, for pulling these personalities together for us.

Didn’t see your favorite ‘Designing Woman’ represented here? Please tell us all about her on Facebook, Instagram, or in the comments section below.

Today we’re focusing on Alexa Roberti, the Director of Sales for Rochester-based Adrian Jules, Ltd., a third-generation tailor whose focus is on enhancing the company’s B2B experience while driving sales strategy and market development (and she speaks Mandarin!). Kate Warmels is the Vice President of Operations at Amin Standard in New York City, and also just happens to be The Sartorial Club’s Best Dressed Woman of 2022. Finally, Gina Newman, of Bond and Bari Bespoke, also in New York City, dresses titans in the world of finance, real estate, politics, and business, and now also brings fine custom tailoring techniques to women with her Gina label.

Alexa Roberti

Adrian Jules Ltd.
New York

What brought you to tailoring/custom clothing?
My family’s legacy in the tailored clothing industry and, more important, the opportunity to revitalize American manufacturing and tailoring. With production moving overseas, the skilled craftspeople behind the garments are disappearing. I’m excited to be a part of bringing those jobs back to the United States and preserving the art of hand-tailoring for future generations.

New technologies and techniques give us the opportunity to transform tailoring in exciting and innovative ways, while still maintaining the traditional craftsmanship that has been a hallmark of the industry for centuries. It’s a thrilling time to be involved in the world of tailored clothing, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

How would you describe your business?
As a USA-based manufacturer, we specialize in creating high-quality, custom-made and ready-to-wear garments for businesses, private label brands, and direct-to-consumer clients. We focus on exceptional tailoring and craftsmanship, using the finest materials and incorporating cutting-edge technologies to transform the traditional tailoring industry while providing our clients with a personalized experience and garments that are truly one-of-a-kind.

What is the makeup of your clientele? 
Businesses and individual consumers. Our business clients include brands, custom tailors, clothiers, and specialty stores across North America that appreciate our commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Our direct-to-consumer clients value the quality, fit, and customization options of our garments.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 
Seeing an idea come to life as a tangible product that our clients are proud to offer their customers. We take pride in helping brands execute their vision through our tailoring expertise and high-quality craftsmanship. It’s truly special to take raw materials and turn them into finished garments that meet the exact specifications of our clients.

Additionally, being able to revitalize manufacturing and tailoring in America, while also utilizing new technologies to transform the industry.

What are the key stressors?
The pressure to continue innovating and staying ahead of the curve in terms of technology and manufacturing techniques. However, it’s rewarding to see the transformation of the business and how new processes or technology can make us more efficient.

What distinguishes your business from the competition?
As a third-generation family-owned and operated business, we have a deep-rooted commitment to provide the highest quality garments and exceptional customer service. Our USA-based manufacturing sets us apart from competitors who may outsource production overseas.

Additionally, focusing on innovation and integrating new technologies into our tailoring process, while maintaining grade six quality, allows us to work with brands and clients to create unique custom pieces and exclusive curated collections.

From an industry perspective, what improvements are needed to make custom more profitable for you? 
We always look for ways to improve our processes and increase efficiency to make custom tailoring more profitable for us and our business clients. This includes partnering with mills and merchants who provide high-quality materials at competitive prices.

Technological advancements allow us to streamline our operations and offer innovative solutions and visibility to our clients. Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance of quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness.

Now that we have entered a post-pandemic phase of Covid, have you needed to change your fashion models and/or your styling?
We diversified our product offering to include more tailored lifestyle products for a variety of settings from home to the office, such as chore jackets, safari coats, drawstring trousers, and shorts. We’ve also been focusing on luxurious, breathable wools, silks, bamboos, jersey knits, and cashmeres that offer both comfort and style. Overall, we’ve found that our clients appreciate the versatility and quality of our products, whether they’re working from home or returning to the office.

What type of training or schooling was required for you to become a tailor and/or a custom clothier?
I learned from the best in the business: my grandfather, Adriano Roberti, the founder of Adrian Jules, and my father, Arnald Roberti. I also apprenticed under our design team to learn the intricacies of the craft.

Through my background in finance and Mandarin, I bring a unique perspective to the business and our work with global partners.

If you were to create a vision board that reflects your personal aspirations regarding your career, what might it look like?
Goals include expanding our business and continuing to innovate in the tailored clothing industry. I’m inspired by the quote, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do,” by Steve Jobs and “Innovate or die,” by Peter Drucker.

Kate Warmels

Amin Standard
New York City

What brought you to tailoring/custom clothing? 
I was itching for a career change when I started hearing about a company called Trunk Club. I quit my salaried job for an hourly position on the custom operations team and quickly moved into management.  From there, I made the best decision I have ever made for my career: I moved to New York City to work for the custom clothing manufacturer Trands USA. I moved on to bespoke manufacturing with Ten Acres. Now, I am on the retail side at Amin Standard.

How would you describe your business? 
Amin Standard is not only brick and mortar. We are also an elite traveling tailor working with athletes, celebrities, and TV shows such as “The Bachelor,” as well as high-end clientele.

We have business all over the U.S. Our unique position as a hybrid model allows us to cater to a variety of demographics in different locations. We are known for our tailored fit and ability to curate anything from a bomber jacket to a tuxedo.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 
Hands down, the client’s reaction. Seeing the confidence that a well-fitting suit gives a client is the best part of what I do. When I worked in manufacturing, we helped retailers with orders and made sure quick deliveries happened for special events like weddings. But we never got to see the final product. Being able to deliver the finished garment and see the client’s reaction is the highlight of my current job.

We have also started to make suiting for women. I love bringing confidence to other women and showing them the power of a suit.

Gina Newman

Bond & Bari Bespoke
New York City

What brought you to tailoring/custom clothing? 
After working in politics in Washington, DC, I was ready for a change. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I aspired to a career in fashion in New York City. I jumped into the industry with both feet and learned on the go. For a decade, my business partners (Viktoria Giese and Lesly Bavaro) worked together in the menswear industry. We all knew we wanted to be independent businesswomen while also raising families, so we created Bond & Bari Bespoke. Through years of hard work, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to our clients, we’ve built a thriving company.

How would you describe your business? 
I help clients create signature wardrobes that align with their personal brand. My business model is simple: low overhead, high quality, and no gimmicks. We don’t advertise or do any marketing. We rely strictly on referrals.

What is the makeup of your clientele? 
NYC’s most accomplished Wall Street titans, real estate moguls, politicians, athletes, business owners, and up-and-coming executives.

A few years ago I started a namesake label, GINA Bespoke, for women. What started out as a fun, creative experiment has turned into a real business. I’m so lucky to design clothing for some of the most incredible female superstars in the world of politics, real estate, and entertainment.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 
Being my own boss. Viktoria, Lesly, and I have essentially grown up together. We set out to create a company that’s empowering, uplifting, and fulfilling.

What are the key stressors?
Supply chain issues are always top-of-mind. The rising cost of goods has impacted every small business, including ours. We will never sacrifice quality, so we work hard to minimize our expenses.

What distinguishes your business from the competition?
Bond & Bari is like a family. Our unparalleled personal service allows us to craft our clients’ wardrobes based on their individual lifestyles, taste, and budget. We will never push clients into the newest trend, yet we will always guide them to take a fashion risk here and there.

We are one of the only all-female-owned and operated custom companies. We now have three locations: NYC, Westchester, and Palm Beach.

From an industry perspective, what improvements are needed to make custom more profitable for you?
I would love to see more local manufacturers, quality cotton shirts at a better price, and lower CMT costs.

Now that we have entered a post-pandemic phase of Covid, have you needed to change your fashion models and/or your styling? 
My suit sales are up 200% over last year. I am also seeing a huge demand for formalwear. Clients are more open to bold colors and patterns they wouldn’t have considered pre-pandemic. Custom is no longer about formality. It’s about fit and fun, which has been a breath of fresh air for our industry.

What type of training or schooling was required for you to become a tailor and/or a custom clothier? 
The most important aspect of training to be a custom clothier is your willingness to learn. After almost 20 years in this industry, I am still learning new techniques to measure, style, and fit. Every factory you work with is different. You have to be flexible and trust your eye and your tape measure.

If you were to create a vision board that reflects your personal aspirations regarding your career, what might it look like? 
My biggest goal is to create a public/private tailoring hub in the garment district. I’m worried the tailoring trade in NYC will die out in a generation or two. The labor pool is shrinking and we are losing the art of apprenticeship. There is a huge opportunity to teach this artistry to young people in our community and keep those jobs local.