LONDON — Saman Amel and Dag Granath, founders of the Stockholm-based tailoring brand Saman Amel, have been friends since they were 9 years old. 

“He was already articulate about wanting to have a couture house; back then he desired to make womenswear, but that shifted later and there has never been an alternate. That is his entire world and it really has grow to be my world as well,” Granath told WWD while sitting in one in every of the elegantly interiored rooms of 5 Carlos Place, the London townhouse of luxury retailer Matches.

The brand has collaborated with Matches on an exclusive capsule collection featuring 21 pieces ranging from 440 kilos to three,685 kilos, featuring silk canvas jackets, cashmere-blend sweaters, linen trousers, cotton-poplin shirts and denim jeans in earthy tones that modify amongst creamy whites, coffee brown, charcoal black, with one exception: baby blue.

Saman Amel was officially launched in 2015 as a bespoke tailoring business, where Amel serves as creative director and the numbers guy; meanwhile Granath oversees operations, strategy, communications and client care.

“Five years ago, the client was at the beginning, barely older. It’s predominantly guys, but there’s quite a number of women as well. He was a bit bit older, quite informed about bespoke and craftsmanship, but coming to us to have something which is a bit bit softer, but a navy jacket and grey trousers are still the bottom,” said Granath, sitting in a charcoal notch lapel silk canvas jacket and cashmere-blend T-shirt with matching trousers, accessorized with a black and gold belt that coordinated along with his Cartier Tank Louis watch and gold wedding band.

“We’ve really seen a shift where, at the beginning, thoughtful consumption and sustainability has grow to be such a prevalent thing in people’s lives. This has been incredibly necessary for us because a few years ago, you actually had to clarify why handmade jackets cost a certain price. Now, we actually don’t need to clarify that to the identical extent,” he added.

The casualification of the workplace for the white collar sector has rapidly increased the variety of clients who’re coming in asking to look “put together and chic, but not formal,” said Granath.

Nevertheless, on the flip side of the business, women and younger people from creative industries are entering through the door, corresponding to artists and writers, who at the moment are exploring tailoring for the primary time.

“They [women] definitely don’t need things which might be made for them with a female touch. They need things which might be masculine and once you’re working with a person, it’s nice to have the ability to bring some femininity into what you do, that’s really what makes it interesting and sexy. If you’re working with a lady, it’s nice to bring out the masculine parts of the stuff you make — plenty of women’s tailoring has small lapels, super small pockets and lightweight fabrics,” said Granath.

Seventy percent of Saman Amel’s clients are internationally based. Sweden makes up about 30 percent of the business.

Trunk shows in Latest York have grow to be an quick hit for the brand with clients coming in from everywhere in the U.S.

“I truthfully think when Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, became a global phenomenon, that basically moved plenty of clients in our direction because people were becoming more concerned about craftsmanship,” said Granath.

As Granath went onto college to review literature and economics, Amel took the route of going to Italy to begin conversations with suppliers.

The corporate now consists of a team of six, but growth is on the horizon.

“The largest challenge in an organization like ours, which is so based around personal interactions and relationships that we have now with our clients and with our community, is constructing the team and hiring people quickly, which is a extremely bad idea,” explained Granath, declaring that the last hire was a 12 months and a half ago, their youngest client at 19 years old, who had been getting fitted for Saman Amel suits for nearly five years.

Granath and Amel own the business with no outside investors involved. 

“I’m not saying that’s the way in which it’s going to be ceaselessly and plenty of our clients definitely have the financial ability to grow to be investors. We have now plenty of people who are showing interest, but I believe independence and being true to what you do is something that brings joy into our lives. I don’t wish to get that energy compromised,” said Granath.