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When Pitamber Parmar left everything behind in Mumbai and travelled to Dubai on a journey of discovery in 1956, little did he know that it was only the beginning of what would be an extraordinary odyssey.
At a time when the emirate did not have proper running water or a reliable lighting system, Parmar, a talented and ambitious young man, opened a modest tailoring shop in Bur Dubai.
Taking his youngest son, Prakash, under his wing in 1986, he began building the foundation for what would become a bespoke clothing empire the country had yet to see.
Besides making history as the first tailor to set up shop in Dubai, Parmar broke new ground when he introduced the use of polyester threads in stitching which surpassed the cotton variety.
Fast-forward 66 years and the House of Parmar today caters to a cross-section of fashion-conscious males in the country, offering exquisitely crafted bespoke suits to reflect individual personality and style.
“We are who we are because of the journey we have been on,” says Prakash, having learned to tailor for eight years before his father taught him the craft of being a master cutter.
What goes into the making of a bespoke suit?
From the outset, the Parmars have stood by their principles of being craftsmen who create clothing by hand.
A visit to the Bespoke tailor unit in DIFC will open up a world of possibilities for the uninitiated as they confront a combination of swatches, garment designs, illustrations, accessories, colour palettes, fabric, and skilled tailors.
A bespoke suit is all about the perfect fit that may require multiple fittings during the different stages of tailoring. Bespoke’s skilled craftsmen build on top of each fitting, achieving a more precise fit in the process.
There is no limit on options, regardless of the complexities of each suit’s style, fabric or execution, as the master tailor follows specific methods and needs to create the perfect shape for the wearer. Every attention to detail is followed with religious passion and even the button holes and buttons are stitched on meticulously and lovingly by hand.
Six decades of suit making
Far from Central London’s iconic fashion street in Mayfair, Saville Row, talented tailors from India have been creating bespoke suits for the UAE’s fashion-conscious gentlemen.
As clients may not have the time to research what is available in stores or what the current trends and popular classic looks are, Parmar’s skilled master tailors invest time in creating just the suit a client is looking for. Fashionista Okey Onyegbule is one such happy customer:
The finest of these creations, which can take eight days to make, contain over 8,000 stitches and are crafted with the finest Italian wool.
The digitalisation of suit-making
By storing customer data, measurements, and history on a sophisticated computer-aided design (CAD) program, Parma Bespoke creates an effortless and trouble-free tailoring experience that reduces consultation time and aids quicker creation of custom-made clothing.
Every tiny detail and measurement is fed into CAD as it goes into the Bespoke production chain. In each section, the craftsman only attends to his area of specialisation before he passes it out to the next section.
It’s a very hands-on operation under the watchful eye of Prakash, who believes that every man should own a good suit to reflect his personality. All the while, he diligently supervises the management of the work and the craftsmanship.
“It’s all about making a power statement,” Prakash explains. “People look at you differently if you are wearing a well-made suit. They take you more seriously.”
