Return of the Baron

Shanghai may be famous for its tailors but trendy urbanites claim the city no longer makes them like they used to.

The situation was much different in the 1930s, when quality tailors filled neighborhoods by the truckload.

One of the most popular tailors of this era in Shanghai was George Kay. In what is today known as the French Concession, the tailor ran his own shop, making a name for himself by catering to foreign businessmen.

As fashion divas in Shanghai seek to create their own form-fitting outfits, or knock-out replicas of designer clothes, tailors are regaining ground in a world overshadowed by the mass market of ready-to-wear clothes.

And so, Kay's grandson George Kay Junior has returned to where his grandfather, a Shanghai local, began his career nearly a century ago.

Last month, Hong Kong-born Kay Junior opened Baron Kay's Tailor in Shanghai, borrowing the nickname given to his grandfather by patrons long ago. Kay Junior will continue to oversee Baron Kay Tailor in Hong Kong, which was set up by his father in 1949.

Following in his grandfather's footsteps, Kay Junior will target to foreign clientele with a shop inside Shanghai International Hotel Puxi, a newly opened five-star hotel near Shanghai Railway Station.

With generations of tailoring in his blood, Kay Junior brings new life to this age-old family-oriented business. Though he still maintains a blend of his grandfather's craft and his father's business mindset, he offers a new sense of style from fashion capital Hong Kong, and a wider application of the world's latest tailoring techniques.

"Shanghai is getting closer to being a city that wears the most updated fashion styles," said Kay Junior. "However, Hong Kong, as a metropolitan with a longer history in the fashion industry, is still one step ahead. We are working to narrow this gap."

The newly opened haute couture Shanghai shop currently specializes in menswear, particularly suits, which can be made from a selection of fabrics and wools. Matching suede and leather shoes can also be done.

Women are also invited to bring in patterns, or fashion magazines with their choice designs, for the shop to copy. Until the shop expands operations, all womenswear will be produced out of their Hong Kong location and shipped back to Shanghai.

"We offer the world's latest clothes-making reformations which we have learned from Italy," said Kay Junior. For example, he said they have adopted a suit-lining technique that makes jackets light and comfortable to wear.

As Kay Junior described customer loyalty as imperative to the business, he said his shop has an unlimited return policy, meaning unsatisfied customers can keep returning for modifications until they are completely in love with the fit of their specially made outfit.

(China Daily 12/05/2009 page14)