In the early part of the 20th century, tailors in Shanghai gained a reputation for excellent workmanship. But there was no place for such an elitist skill after communism arrived in 1949, and many tailors fled to Hong Kong to set up shop.
Tailors from India have also come to Hong Kong to start businesses. Both sides of the industry have largely followed the tradition of the family-run business model with a dependence on in-house training, use of the internet to expand business opportunities, and a focus on customer service above all.
Overseas tourists are the mainstay of Hong Kong's custom tailors and keep their businesses kicking. 'Fifty per cent of my clients are tourists from the United States and Europe, with locals making up the other half,' said Nick Daswani, co-owner of Bobby's Fashions, an Indian tailor business set up by Mr Daswani's father 55 years ago that now employs three salesmen and 100 tailors.
The increase in the number of individual visitors from the mainland has not benefited the company's business. 'Mainland Chinese prefer designer brands to custom tailoring,' said Mr Daswani.
Professionals from the banking, finance and legal fields have a particular taste for bespoke suits. Lincoln Chang Chung-ho, the manager at Ascot Chang Company, which has been in the business for more than 50 years at Prince's Building in Central, said: 'Our clientele is mainly from the United States, and I have started to see the trend that local Hong Kong demand is shifting from a taste for brands to a preference for quality.'
A typical customer profile was hard to define, said Mr Chang, who has been in the business for seven years. This was partly because of a natural discretion in the trade about asking personal questions. Most of his clients are professionals, including financiers, doctors and lawyers, as well as some celebrities such as film director John Woo. Some clients have specific ideas about the cut or material they want, while others rely on advice from Mr Chang and his team about the latest styles and colours.
