Today’s guest of the “Expert opinion” category is Natalia Auerman-the founder and owner of the premium tailoring and repair Studio for individual requests “Queen”.
Natalia about herself:
This Studio was created by me from scratch. First, equipment was purchased for the workshop, then gradually a team of professionals was selected, after which the Studio began to take orders from Customers and sew clothing models for sale.
I am a hereditary tailor, design, creativity and tailoring were probably passed on at the genetic level))) that is why I sew myself, come up with fashion design, know about the quality of tailoring, standards, always try to understand what the Client needs, his desires and bring joy and pleasure not only from the finished product, but also from the process of visiting the Studio and its atmosphere.
Individual tailoring. Reasons for contacting the Studio and how not to be afraid to become its Client.
Many people still have memories of Soviet-era Ateliers – small rooms, not always friendly order takers, “rough” clumsy tailoring, which differs from finished products sold in stores for the worse. The Soviet days are gone, but the small space of the Atelier with a straightforward, and often does simple design left.
Then came the time of availability of foreign trips, fashionable European shopping, an abundance of mass markets and as a result, there was a glut, what previously seemed inaccessible and exclusive turned into everyday life. Over time, outlets and stock stores became not interesting, mass – market clothing gradually began to correspond to products of low quality tailoring, synthetic materials used most often did not meet the requirements for the type of clothing and its practicality. The low-cost clothing segment began to fully meet its goals: saturation, high consumption, and low quality of materials and production made these clothes less wear-resistant, which is necessary to restore the cycle of new acquisition and consumption.
However, the present time began to dictate other aspirations and other rules. Increasingly, people are beginning to think about the environment, the animal world, and the preservation of the external environment.
Personally, my opinion is that right now the culture and desire to use the services of individual tailoring in the Studio should be revived and strengthened.
What are the advantages of Atelier services, and what are the possible disadvantages of individual tailoring? This is what we should talk about and tell you about.
What are the reasons for applying to the services of the Atelier:
The first is the need to get an individual thing, using the services of a designer, the embodiment of their own fantasies or ideas about clothing;
The second is the desire to become the owner of exclusive clothing made exactly to Your standards, taking into account the features of the figure, to emphasize the advantages and if you want to hide the shortcomings of the figure;
The third is the repair or improvement of ready-made clothing. This item is very extensive and almost non-competitive for the Atelier.
Clothing repairs include:
— Fit the finished clothing to the figure, the required waist circumference, sleeve length or product length.
— Repair of everyday clothing as a result of wear and tear, for example, worn trousers, or you need to replace the zipper, or as a result of damage to the product, such as if you burned a silk blouse with an iron, made a hook or tore clothes on public transport.
— Changing the model or style of the finished product that is outdated or does not fit the style, does not perform the required functionality, or does not correspond to changes in the shape. It is for this service that Customers have recently become more likely to apply, men do not have enough additional external or internal pockets in their clothing, or it is not sufficiently ventilated or breathable, install buttons or sew zippers into existing pockets, as for women – this is a broader area of individual requests. Women, for example, bring existing dresses to the Atelier, including those purchased for very little money in mass markets in order to change the collar of the product or make the required cutout on the bodice of the product. there are cases when they come with requests to completely change the outdated model of the product by selecting and using a companion fabric. It is in this direction that the work of the designer and designer is time-consuming.
— Repair of elegant and evening dresses, exclusive clothing, restoration of embroidery, lace, beaded pattern or pattern of rhinestones, applications.
All of the above reasons encourage you to become a client of the Studio. One of my Clients, when applying to make a cutout in a dress five years ago, once said:”I Have so many good and expensive clothes, I would rather endure this than buy a new one.” And indeed, fashion is cyclical, vintage things remain in trend, always and at all times there was a basic wardrobe, you can make changes to existing clothes and it will get a new look and create a different mood.
Another thing for individual tailoring of the product, you may experience fears of sewing, it may seem that waiting will not justify the reality can be born in mind the idea of the product, the person fully represents it, but often can not fully convey his idea to another person, or the Client wants to have the outfit of a star or in a fashion magazine, but can not take into account the characteristics of their figures and the fact that the end result will have quite a different view.
Here the answer is one, individual tailoring is a creative matter!
If you are ready to sew a product, you need to understand that not every model can fit Your figure, understand the purpose of the desired product, that is, it is a cocktail dress, casual, elegant, and so on… You need to determine the requirements for the fabric of the product, natural, artificial, mixed fabrics, what kind of product care You are ready for: dry cleaning or delicate washing at home, this also depends on the choice of fabric and its pre-treatment. Choose for yourself comfort or beauty in clothing, or combine these two requirements. Decide for yourself how ready You are for some possible discomfort or Vice versa convenience – too fitted silhouette, high slits, strong neckline, zipper location, too wide, long or Vice versa narrow trousers.
I can definitely say – do not be afraid to sew in the Studio, namely in a good Studio!!!
Individual tailoring has many advantages. Clothing is ideal for the Client as it is sewn according to individual measurements, taking into account the features of the figure. The designer of the Studio takes into account all the wishes of the Client, from the General wishes for the style to the smallest details on the choice of accessories. Individual tailoring is an opportunity to choose a fabric of any composition, color, quality, manufacturer. In my Studio, before opening the product, the Client is provided with about 3-5 sketches, the product is put into operation only after the sketch is approved, the fabric of the product is selected (if necessary) and approved, all structural elements and methods of processing the seams of the product are agreed and worked out. It should be noted the gain in value of the finished product, which includes the cost of materials, complexity of work and working time of the team of specialists – designer, designer, tailor, cost overhead and possible extra charges for work with complex material (velvet, silk, lace…) or a certain color (white), with no extra charge for the brand product.
There are few disadvantages of individual tailoring compared to the advantages. These are possible sewing times from 3 days to 1 month, depending on the complexity of the product and other conditions. Also, you should not exclude a possible result that does not meet the Client’s expectations, which arose as a result of the Client’s misconception about the ratio of the figure, individual characteristics and the desired style of the product.
Given all the above arguments I want to draw the following conclusion:
Do not be afraid of individual tailoring, do not be afraid to experiment, do not deny yourself the embodiment of your desires and fantasies. Clothing made according to individual measurements of figure parameters is exclusivity, beauty, own style and this is a guarantee of quality. Take a responsible approach to choosing an Atelier, see how samples of products are sewn, which models are presented or made by craftsmen, specify the price list, you can first try repair services to evaluate the quality of work initially, check whether there are promotions in the Atelier for sewing the first product, as I did in my Studio in order to familiarize the Client with the quality of services provided. And believe me, professional craftsmen are not afraid of complex orders, on the contrary, they deliver professional satisfaction, I sew and design clothes myself and I know this truth.
Be happy, do not deny yourself the pleasure, wear clothes according to individual requests!!!
Natalia Auerman
The Owner Of The Boutique Studio, “Queen»