Where did you get your suit? If, at one point, you said “online,” you’d be met with incredulous looks: Why spend so much on something that’ll look poorly out of the box and require serious tailoring? But, it’s nearly 2019, and the suit off-the-web is starting to shed its shoddier, cheaper, tawdrier implications. Online tailoring – through stylist appointments, apps helping you find your fit, and thousands of fabric choices right at your fingertips – is revolutionising the concept, with Knot Standard leading the way.
Although their physical presence consists of multiple showrooms across the United States, department store partnerships and the occasional pop-up location, Knot Standard’s roots go back to Dubai. There, now-CEO John Ballay worked in finance, and during his stay came across small tailoring shops whose quality far surpassed anything he could find in the U.S. To introduce that craftsmanship to a larger audience, Ballay partnered with Matthew Mueller to put together a portal that would connect customers across the globe with such quality. Conceived in 2010, the platform officially launched in 2012, and its brick-and-mortar showrooms followed not long after.
But these places aren’t your High Street retailers or your Men’s Wearhouses. Rather, Knot Standard views its showrooms not as traditional storefronts – there’s no inventory, stockroom, or racks filled with pre-made products – and instead, the experience is strictly customer centric, with the stylists and staff focused on providing superior service and, ultimately, a precisely tailored suit. A second key aspect – but by no means secondary – is the technological component. Their 'digital bespoke' product involves entering in a man’s measurements to create a 3D image that, then, serves as a digital pattern for a laser cutter. As well, Knot Standard’s supply chain isn’t restricted to one or two locations; rather, customers have access to roughly 7,000 fabrics from the world’s top mills. What results is thousands of custom combinations – and a finished product, ready in four to six weeks, that’s just as precise.
This business model – which has since brought more casual fare like chinos into the fold – proves to be working. For 2019, the company announced an auspicious expansion plan, one that has involved updating their website, partnering with the New York City Football Club, expanding their San Francisco store and introducing a new showroom in Los Angeles, right at the corner of La Cienega and Melrose in West Hollywood. Yet, a chain store it’s not. Its location, character and outlook might as well be summed up as 'peak L.A.,' with offerings geared toward the West Coast’s warm-to-hot seasons, an outdoor patio, and a space adjacent to luxury storefronts and a farmers market. As the company goes through the next stage of its plan and opens in Los Angeles, we had a chance to speak with Ballay:
“At the corner of La Cienega and Melrose, Knot Standard is joining a neighbourhood full of complementing luxury shops, bringing a new vibe and dynamic menswear offering to the block. The showroom has an outdoor patio for customers to enjoy, is dog-friendly, and is just a short walk from the Melrose Place Sunday farmers market. At the core, the showroom is similar to our eight other locations, in that we have a team of expert Style Advisors available for appointments. Clients will walk through more than 70 customisations, 7,000 fabrics and 28 measurements to ensure the best experience and the best product possible.”
“Los Angeles was missing a premium, 100% customisable, bespoke menswear brand, and we believe we’ve filled that gap with Knot Standard. Our product offering ranges from custom chinos and casual button-down shirts for a day on the West Side to black tie tuxedo looks for awards season, and everything in between. There’s nothing quite like the Knot Standard experience – with the highest quality fabrics sourced from the top mills in the world, in-depth research and design, and unlimited customisable details, each product is unique to our clients’ personal style, aesthetic and comfort.”
“I started my career in finance in New York and moved to Dubai in 2008 to work for a UAE government investment fund diversifying into private equity, business development and small growth companies. That’s where I met my co-founder, Matthew Mueller, who has a 20-year track record in global business, tech startups and product launches. During our time in Dubai we grew passionate about custom suits, and by 2011, the idea to transport a more innovative custom process to the U.S. began to solidify. There was a fragmentation of old-world tailors here in the U.S., but that’s all there really was. That’s when we began market-testing the idea on what would ultimately become Knot Standard in its current state. Knot Standard started as digital-first brand, but as the business, product and expertise evolved, we realised we needed to expand into brick and mortar to achieve rapid growth. We opened our first showroom in New York in 2012 in the Flatiron District and we’ve opened eight more locations since then across the U.S., from coast to coast.”
“Knot Standard is changing the industry through innovative technology and applying new thinking to a history-rich practice. We merge the best of online and in-person retail, creating a content-focused, video-supported online experience and leading clients to showrooms to meet with Knot Standard’s expert Style Advisors. With a focus on movement throughout the new web design, clients can see how pieces fit in a new, engaging way, before they arrive at the showroom, that was previously unavailable in the menswear category. When our clients come in and are measured, each individual pattern is saved and archived, so they can easily place future orders – even via text.”
Article by Menswear Style
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