From tribe to farm, trader, village, city, region, and now the world, I'm learning that bespoke tailoring is alive, but is it well? Just a rhetorical question.
I watched Reza's conversation with Claudia Chan last night. They both made great points, and even though I'm not a tailor, it got me thinking. Globalization and industrialization has been the life and death of a lot of businesses, but tradesmen, craftsmen, and artisans survive. What I came away with was a better understanding of where the Tailor fits into the apparel business, whether it's bespoke or mass produced.
A bespoke customer has a particular look in mind or a designer comes up with an idea for a garment they want mass produced, but it's the tailor who figures out how to achieve the finished product. Chen talked about using pattern making software that helps her work out the patterns that will be sent to manufacturing facilities all around the world to be produced. That said, growing populations will drive increased production volumes, but it seems to me that tailors will always always be a critical part of the process.
Tailors -- Fabric Engineers 🤔
Well said Bill.
Tailors are indeed to some extent garment engineers. Though through devision of labour, some have become assemblers rather than creative technicians.
Craft is a human need. It is one way of self expression and another for self reflection. It's how we make sense of the world and ourselves.
I do embrace technology. I don't mind high volumes, as long as they don't go to waste. High volume production forces technicians to innovate, think twice, measure twice and truly cut once as the financial damage would be too much.
And I don't think machines will "take over". If they do, my job would be my very last concern :)
Reza
International School of Tailoring