Meet Shanghai’s ace Indian tailor who got the measure of Chinese NBA star Yao Ming
Tony Daryanani had a long road to China, but a lifetime spent honing his skills has seen him make bespoke suits for a constellation of Bollywood and sports stars
It was the summer of 2008. May 12, to be precise. Like everyone else in his Shanghai neighbourhood, Tony Daryanani, who owns a tailor’s shop in the heart of the city, was glued to his television screen as it flashed images of the deadly earthquake that had struck Sichuan province.
It was impossible not to be touched by the horrors the quake had caused. A nation was in mourning, and Tony felt he had to do his bit.
He took out an advertisement that said: “Throw in your old suit and get a new one made for just 1,000 yuan.” He wasn’t prepared for what followed.
“The next day a crowd queued up outside my shop,” says Tony, who goes by his first name. He spent the following days taking measurements for new suits and collecting old ones. “That was the busiest weekend I have had in Shanghai. As the crowd grew bigger, there came a point where I had to tell them I would accept only one suit per person.”
The old suits were given to charity groups working in Sichuan. “Sometimes, it can’t be just business as usual,” he says, admitting he had to bear losses. But Tony also got more than he bargained for – many of those who had lined up outside his shop are regular clients now.
For a man who struggled to find a foothold in this city of dreams – he made ends meet as a waiter, bar manager and a host of other jobs – Tony has come far. Hailing from the Sindhi community, he has carved a niche as the only Indian tailor to succeed in the challenging Shanghai market.