Eilene Arienza Ramirez & Hannah Torres: Tailor-made tips for success
Growing up, I was always fascinated whenever I would see my dad’s favorite tailor come to the house to take his measurements and in a few weeks, see the actual suit all nice and well-sewn delivered to our doorstep.
But with foreign brands now available in the country, we see less local bespoke suits, as consumers turn to RTW suits. Because of the dwindling demand for bespoke suits, most of our seasoned tailors have either retired, are about to retire, or have gone abroad. This was my impression until I saw my sister Berna fitting her made-to-order suit by Olpiana Andres, the first bespoke tailoring for women in the country.
Bespoke suits are more special because it is made to the precise measurements of the wearer and are customized from fabric to sizes. What got me more excited was knowing that the person behind the company was a woman who made sure our local weaves are incorporated in the suits she makes. Eilene Ramirez is the CEO and founder of Olpiana Andres. With Olpiana’s chief marketing officer Hannah Torres, she put up bespoke made-to-order suits for women.
Way back in 2012, inspired by her father, master tailor Napoleon Arienza, Eileen and her husband Tristan Ramirez founded Tino, bespoke tailoring for men.
“Growing up with my parents, there was a great sense and understanding of the craft — not because I was taught to learn it, but because I witnessed it all — a tailor working on someone’s suit day in and day out. In our house, there’s always this earthy smell of paper, pencil and chalk. Scissors cutting swiftly through fabric, sewing machines whirring and clanking. These were the familiar sounds I knew and understood. My father was not the type who would talk highly about his work. Like in any typical middle-class family, he would just work, get things done to earn and sustain our family. He didn’t promote the idea of tailoring to us, his children. I could remember he once said to me, ‘Iilan na lang kaming mga mananahi sa Pilipinas. Karamihan nag-retire na. Yung mga kasamahan ko, marami nang mamatay... ’Pag-graduate niyo, titigil na rin ako.’ Perhaps he believed there was no future in it.”
Eilene’s business partner Hannah Torres added, “We encourage Filipinos to infuse (if not totally shift) tailored clothing into their wardrobe selection. By doing this, not only we will preserve the livelihood of our craftsmen but also contribute to the sustainability aspect of clothing.”
Here are some pieces of advice from Eilene and Hannah to those who would like to get into the tailoring business:
1. You must find ways to use your talents even though you are working in a different field. For as long as you are aware of something you are really good at, you can start small and hone that into passion.
2. Have the humility to learn and always seek mentorship from credible people in the industry, even from your competitors.
3. Identify your mission as to why you want to be in this kind of business. It would be best if the mission is aligned with your core values, which will help you propel and succeed in the long run.
4. You must know how to effectively communicate and align your vision with your employees at all levels and make that a shared value with everyone involved.
5. Be authentic in elevating craftsmen — make sure to take care of them by providing them a decent salary and company benefits. They are the core assets of your business.
6. Don’t go into the “bespoke tailoring” business if you do not have a master tailor in the first place. The bespoke world is a different animal. It will eat you alive if you don’t understand the technicalities and concept of it.
7. Find a partner/ trusted person who can complement your weaknesses and is knowledgeable in the areas that you find challenging. You cannot do it alone.
8. Grow your business with replication through leading by example and constantly think of ways to scale the business. Hold each person in the organization accountable. Longevity is crucial for this business. You must constantly train and develop new talents to keep this dying craft alive.
9. Stay disciplined and focused on developing good habits that are beneficial to you and the people around you. Motivation dissipates, but habits stay.
10. Always have a grateful heart by not forgetting the people who were instrumental in helping you and guiding you to get where you are. Value relationships and family!
(We welcome your suggestions and comments. Please e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram @monsromulo.)
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