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COVER

Autumn – Winter Trends : In the whirl of London
Ties with history
N°12, Savile Row
Meet the Michelin Guide Publishing Director

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Autumn/Winter 2007/8

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“Private Line” integrates the text of your choice & Box packaged by hand in Brussels

This is SCABAL
Luxury likes contrasts
Scabal cultivates luxury in its own way. Uniquely. A company that juggles cloth and clothing, and which maintains a genuine family structure, even with its 600 employees worldwide. Luxury likes contrasts, especially when they are well woven.

The story begins in Brussels, in 1938, with a cart brimful of high-quality fabrics, travelling the streets from tailor to tailor. Today, the process is still the same, the only difference being that the cart has been replaced by highly sophisticated international transport companies. From humble origins, the company has become an internationally renowned supplier of luxury fabrics, with more than five thousand different articles to choose from at any time and new collections containing over 500 additional designs coming out every season.

Scabal has also become a producer of mens ready to wear, made to measure, and hand made garments. A full range of accessories (ties, shirts, belts, knitwear) is also on offer. Scabal is not afraid to see things on a grand scale. It developed in Europe, before investing in the American and Asian markets in the 1970s. Scabal is now available in more than sixty countries, but is still a company with a family feel to it – despite its 600 employees around the world – in which employees still describe the Chairman as "Father Thissen”.

At Scabal, the human hand still reigns supreme. Even if Yorkshire’s machines do the weaving, it is still people that who manipulate and control them. Depending on the season, up to 800 individual lengths are cut, packaged and distributed daily from the Brussel’s headquaters to the world’s leading tailors, retailers and designers.

The most prestigious ranges are even individually packed and presented in luxury boxes, along with their certificate of authencity, signed by the Chairman himself. Everything is done in-house. Scabal is one of those companies that takes charge of the process from A to Z - not far from the fabric stocks, a few floors above, Scabal’s packaging is hand assembled. The labels are printed, embossed or hot-gilded. The fabrics are brought together, again by hand. The hand is everywhere, and it is here that the company’s strength is most evident. Though it is the hand that cuts, that weaves, the eye plays an equally important role. The machines may roll and unroll the fabric, yet it is the eye that ensures complete quality-control, metre by metre, across the whole width, for every fabric and every roll. And it is the eye that checks the garments individually at the end of the chain, before they are sent to their future owner.

It is this combination of eye and hand that makes the difference. A Scabal garment is a genuine made-to-measure item. The personalised garment is at the core of Scabal’s success. There are no fewer than eighty possible options for a jacket and trouser, from the cut itself to all the details that make the suit unique : special pockets, open buttonholes, topstitching or personalised embroidery for a monogram. The customer designs his suit himself, as Gregor Thissen, Scabal’s CEO, explains : “The customer is his own designer. He is placed at the centre of the creative debate, but it is the behind-the-scenes work that makes the personalisation possible”.

Though factories are normally associated with mass-production, Scabal has created a unique production facility whereby the garments are made on an individual basis. Here too, the eye and the hand play a key role.

A.M.

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View of Huddersfield (England)

The Scabal group across the globe

In Brussels, Scabal deals with all their international orders, marketing, logistics, accounting and human resources. All the stock of fabric is held in Brussels, where Scabal also has its own printing facility.

Scabal has production facilities in Saarbrücken (Germany) for the Ready-to-Wear and Made-to-Measure collections, and in Italy for the Accessory line.

Most of Scabal’s fabrics are produced in it’s own mill located in Huddersfield (England), a town long-famous for its weaving tradition.

A worlwide network of subsidiaries and independent agents handle the sales and distribution of fabrics and garments.

J.D.

Integrated process

The manufacture of a made-to-measure Scabal suit employs every European section of the group. Each stage is of the utmost importance – this is why Scabal has establishedan international network, in which each department specializes in one area of expertise, all of which combine to complete the garment.

1. Gentlemen of taste who are eager to acquire a Scabal made-to-measure suit can visit one of the 400 outlets around the world that carry the Scabal mark. Here, under the watchful eye of a clothing specialist, the customers may choose the cut, fabric, lining, buttons and other personalised features that will make the garment unique and perfectly match the desired image of its wearer.
2. The customer’s measurements and personal choices are then sent to Brussel’s headquarters, where the order is processed and the fabric cut.
3. The cloth, as with most of the 5,000 fabrics offered by Scabal, will have been woven in England, in their Huddersfield mill. Here, the craftsmen work the fabrics like goldsmiths, in an atmosphere where know-how and innovation always goes hand-in-hand.
4. The fabric then travels onward to Germany, where the Saarbrücken craftsmen assemble them with unrivalled precision.
5. From Germany, the garment is then sent to the customer via the Brussel’s logistic centre. So, only three to four weeks after the first in-store measurement, the customer is invited to try on his made-to-measure suit.

J.S.

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SCABAL NEWS

N° 12, Savile Row

“N°12” Garment by Scabal

The world’s most prestigious tailors are located in Savile Row, London, a street strewn with legends and captivating anecdotes.

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Scabal is pleased to announce the creation of its “N°12” Collection, a premium range of garments handcrafted according to the strict bespoke-tailoring traditions of “The Row”. The launch coincides with the refurbishment of Scabal’s London flagship store, located at number 12, Savile Row.

Above all, it’s British No doubt that Phileas Fogg, who lived at number 7, would have done all his clothes shopping at Scabal and, as the perfect gentleman, would have worn “N°12” with pride. The hero of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days” would find complete satisfaction at Scabal, such are their efforts to satisfy customers, who value detail and are driven by a constant search for perfection. An eminent member of the famous Reform-Club, Mister Fogg was known for his refinement, his taste for travel, but also for his rigour. The story tells that his servant James Forster was dismissed “ for bringing him water for his beard that was heated to 84 degrees Fahrenheit degrees, instead of the requested 86 degrees”. As a replacement, Fogg engaged a young Frenchman named Jean Passepartout, whom he instructed in the fine art of English etiquette, of which Fogg was a master.

So, if our dear Phileas was indeed English etiquette personified, it seems highly likely that Scabal would also have been his trusted companion. Indeed, the exceptional quality of Scabal fabrics is the foundation of a clothing collection intended for gentlemen who like contemporary elegance and can recognise quality. In this context, the fabric is to be cherished. The fabric collections have long-since been imported from Great Britain. With the passing of the years, the English style has seen many adaptations in its evolution to a more modern style, without ever forgetting its elegant roots.

The new line, “N°12” represents this trend perfectly. Tradition re-examined and modified according to today’s taste. The Autumn-Winter 07/08 season announces the launch of “Scabal N°12”, a line of top-of-the-range garments, which stresses the importance of tradition.

Scabal CEO Gregor Thissen presents “N°12” as “the latest addition to the Scabal range”. He adds : “Our wish is to combine our unequalled tradition of fabric with the originality of the hand-made garment. The principle idea was to create a very prestigious range that blends modern comfort with traditional elegance. We paid particular attention to the presentation of the “N°12” garment in order to highlight its exclusiveness.”

Matthias Rollmann, Director of Finished Products at Scabal, agrees : “We attach the greatest importance to details and finish. These are two elements that are characteristic of the noble tradition of hand-made clothing - for example the buttons are double-stitched, first with cotton thread, then with silk. The armholes are sewn and stitched by hand so that the shoulders and chest keep their shape, with an elegant aspect that only hand-made clothing provides.” Rollmann continues : “Cut by hand, the Scabal “N°12” garment fits the shape of the body to perfection. The soft shoulders contribute to the silhouette’s refinement. All sections of the garment, even those hidden from view, are prepared and put together by hand. The inter lining is made of layers of cameland horse-hair, pre-washed to guarantee the stability of the garment. All of these components contribute to the comfort, lightness and elegance of the garment.”

It is my “N°12” ! Personalisation is at the heart of Scabal. And the “N°12” Collection is no exception. Jackets, trousers, waistcoats and coats are available in many different styles. Moreover, the “Scabal N°12” garment is available with your choice of lining and buttons, your name embroidered in the lining, open buttonholes and many other personalised options. According to Gregor Thissen: “Given the artisanal nature of the manufacturing process, a “Scabal N°12” garment’s creation is spread out over six weeks, a waiting period that we intend to maintain in the interest of the garment’s quality. This is the price of excellence and the excitement of anticipation.” Equal in terms of elegance and comfort, a “N°12” garment is perfect for both the mature businessman and the young man with refined taste – it’s the ultimate man’s suit.

Savile Row revival

Scabal’s flagship store re-opened its doors at 12 Savile Row on 2 April of this year, and welcomes clients in a relaxed and elegant environment, in which contemporary design and tradition work in perfect harmony.

Neil Hart, Sales Director for the UK market, spoke exclusively to Bespoken.

Bespoken : The new look for Scabal’s London store coincided with the launch of the N°12 line.

When did the two projects come together in your mind ? Neil Hart : We wanted to give the flagship store a makeover for some time. We also wanted to use the store to communicate more effectively what Scabal stands for – modern British luxury – and for that reason some slight re-designing and new merchandising was required. Our wish to have a superior, hand-made garment line was also in our minds for some time, so it made sense to try and combine these two new and complementary projects. Through good organisation, and a good deal of luck, we managed to achieve it !

What were the main areas of the shop designer’s brief ?

We wanted to create a warm, friendly and luxurious environment to showcase our complete range of products – from cloth through to garments, along with some of our accessories. At the same time, we wanted to send out a very clear signal about what Scabal stood for, namely modern, British uxury. We insisted very strongly that the colour, materials, furniture as well asthe overall feel of the store, needed to reflect this.

How long did it take ?

It took several months to identify the right shop designers. We spoke with a number of leading companies and asked them to submit their plans for our consideration. Once we had selected the company, things moved quite quickly. We saw them in Brussels and I met everal times in London to go over the plans for the project. There were also much emailing and phone conversations. The physical work took around three weeks, with a whole army of builders/painters/ electricians working 24/7. The speciallymade furniture was produced off-site and brought in at the end when the major construction works had been completed.

What was the public’s reaction to the new look ?

Savile Row can be quite a daunting place. We wanted to provide a relaxed and informal environment, yet at the same time provide a highly professional and attentive service. We deliberately keep both double doors open, even in winter, to entice customers to come and look around. A key feature is the sitting area in the centre of the store, where we like to feel that a conversation can be enjoyed between our sales staff and the potential customer, to find out exactly what his needs are and where perhaps Scabal can help. For those customers who prefer a little more privacy, we have created a separate VIP room at the back of the store. So far, our loyal customers have warmly welcomed the change, but we have also seen a new breed of shoppers visiting our store, which is very encouraging for the future.

Any events planned to celebrate this re-opening ?

Currently we are going for a “soft” relaunch, though we have plans for a number of small, intimate events in-store for a select number of key existing and potential clients later in the year.

How important is Scabal to Savile Row ?

Scabal has actually been on Savile Row for ore than 40 years and it was in 1991 that its then cloth showroom became a fully fledged Scabal flagship store. Scabal has supplied, and indeed continues to supply, the leading tailors on Savile Row, such as Henry Poole , Gieves & Hawkes, Huntsman, Anderson & Shepherd. They often bring clients to our store, since we have the complete Scabal cloth collection available, in addition to a number of cut lengths of cloth in our more expensive fabrics, such as Gold Treasure or Diamond Chip. Scabal is seen as one of the main players on the Row, not only because of our flagship store, but also through our Scabal cloth bunches that are highly visible in all of the establishments on Savile Row. Our presence on the Row clearly underlines our origins and our attachment to British style and fashion. The “N°12” range is exclusively available in 12 cities worldwide : London, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg, Astana, Maastricht, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Nüremberg and Bucharest. In the coming months, more stores will be adding the “N°12” range.

For more information, go to www.scabal.com

J.S.

“Scabal has actually been on Savile Row for more than 40 years”

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SCABAL ACROSS THE WORLD

Harry & Larry

In 1954, Harry Rosen and his brother Lou opened a menswear store in Cabbagetown, Canada, with only $500. 53 years on, Harry Rosen is now a 16-store operation across the country and is, quite simply, where gentlemen of good taste go to look their absolute best.

A tradition passed from father to son, with remarkable parallels to the Scabal story… Harry’s son Larry was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2000, having worked his way up in the company for more than 20 years. He found some time in his busy day in Toronto for a talk with “Bespoken”.

Bespoken: Larry, what was the dream that drove Harry and Lou back in 1954, armed only with $500 ? Larry Rosen : The story of how the store began is now legendary – they faked it, stacked it full of boxes, made the store ook full, while selling the concept of made-to-measure clothing. But, right from the beginning, Harry never faked his philosophy, which was about servicing customers, understanding and then satisfying their needs. It was, and still is, all about good-quality clothing to complement who you are – made-to-measure, well-advised good-looks is why we now have a € 150 million annual turnover.

What can the gentleman of good taste expect from a visit to your store ? We’re talking about assisting men to develop a confident personal image – you come in, we offer you the right stuff, and we stand by it. You leave Harry Rosen happy with your look, and we’re happy. Harry Rosen organised two fund-raising runs in spring 2006, in Toronto and Vancouver, in support of prostate-cancer research. Can you tell us a little about this ? We believe that a company such as ours should always give back to our community, so we consulted with our associates, asking how they felt we should “ive back”. We decided that, as we are dedicated to gentlemen, the under-funded area of prostrate-cancer research needed our support – and the run-offs we organised have raised, to date, around $1,500,000, and the donations keep coming in, to fund research progress which is very, very important.

You use many Scabal fabrics in your range – a working relationship that you’re obviously comfortable with ? Yes, we do a lot of Scabal business – we have tremendous respect for the company, as we believe that their values and ours go hand in hand. Our customers appreciate the enormous variety of luxury fabrics offered by Scabal, along with their unique collections, such as “Summit”and “Tribute to Dali”. In fact, several years ago, we organized a succesful Dali event in a number of our stores throughout Canada, where we were able to show a number of the originals that Scabal had kindly loaned us. I believe that this was the first time that the pictures had been shown outside Europe. Although your father Harry stepped back from day-to-day operation of the company in 2005, he is still very much involved as executive chairman in an advisory role.

Do neither of you plan ever to retire ? When I’m 75 as my father now is, I hope still to be working in an advisory role too, perhaps to my own three sons. I just hope that I am able to do as wonderful a job as my father did. So, we’ll see...

For more information on Harry Rosen, go to www.harryrosen.com

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Wool runs in THE blood

The art of fabrics by Scabal

The comfort of super-fine wool, the softness of cashmere and the elegance of silk. The seduction of the one-off design and the allure of subtle colour. At Scabal, the art is in the fabric from which the garment is born.

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Scabal has been a pioneer with regards fabric innovation

In the beginning, there is the raw material. It is the comfort of natural fibres that still inspires elegant wardrobes. The art of weaving is about including and understanding the subtlety of the mixtures - silk, mohair, cashmere, wool, etc. Then the work begins with the colours, a never-ending story.

At Scabal, fabrics are born that bear its name, synonymous with prestige and quality. They’re used by the world’s leading tailors, retailers and designers.

Scabal has been a pioneer with regards to fabric innovation. Early on, Scabal understood that the most interesting evolution as regards fabrics lay in their increasing lightness. Scabal was the first to distribute and promote the famous Super 100’s, Super 120’s, and Super 00’s as well as other fine wools. This grading system refers to the fineness of the wool fibre. Recently, Scabal has launched “Summit”, a Super 250’s, woven with the world’s finest wool. This cloth is produced according to traditional artisanal methods in Scabal’s own mill in Huddersfield, England. At the end of the production process, the Summit Collection is given a special “paper-press” finish, which further increases its comfort and splendour. At Scabal, the quality of the materials and the creative design are the foundations of the garment.

As good as gold

Famous throughout the world, Scabal is a purveyor of international style and elegance that has invigorated the male wardrobe. Scabal provides the perfect combination of made-to-measure and ready-to-wear garments. A universally recognised skill - even by Hollywood stars, who frequently order their garments using Scabal, in particular, the cloth worn by Daniel (007) Craig, in Casino Royale. It should be noted that the famous spy On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, created during the Cold War by Ian Fleming, has iconic status. Copied, parodied, caricatured, James Bond nevertheless remains a reference point as regards male elegance. Without doubt, the most coveted male image on the market !

Today, the Scabal label, with a flagship store on the famous Savile Row, Mecca of British elegance worldwide, is associated with the world’s most prestigious establishments, and is pushing back the limits, with increasingly refined fabrics.

Within the Scabal collection, one discovers exceptional fabrics, such as “Gold Treasure”, and “Diamond hip”. Another contains the mystical “Lapis Lazuli” stone, without forgetting, of course, a unique wool-mohair blend that’s ultra-fine. Some years ago, Scabal bought a remarkable bale of mohair wool n South Africa. Undoubtedly the finest, most expensive mohair ever, it was baptized “Kharisa” by Scabal, which means “exceptionally soft” in Bochimane. This wool (a combination of Super 180’s and mohair) once woven provides an exceptionally soft and luxurious fabric.

These exceptional qualities were obtained via rigorous genetic selection of goats over 100 years, with the South African climate and nature providing the rest. More recently, Scabal launched “Gold Treasure”, a Super 150’s 22-carat gold thread, made from an exceptional Australian merino wool. A unique collection, heavily promoted on the Gulf coast by Luis Miguel, the most famous Latin American singer who has sold 50 million albums and won seven Grammy Awards. Clearly, this entertainer also adores “Diamond Chip”, a Super 150’s and silk combination, containing diamond fragments that are sprinkled into the wool after washing and combing. The fabric obtained is remarkably light and visually dazzling.

Also waiting to be discovered is “Yangir”, a fabric that’s even softer than cashmere. This precious cloth takes its name from a wild goat that lives in the mountains of Mongolia, Turkestan and Nepal. Its wool is of an exceptional softness, and is extremely rare – with its production barely exceeding a few hundred kilos per annum. The ‘Golden Fleece’ of the 21st century. Cashmere also comes from the undercoat of a goat that lives in the Himalayas. It continues to be the focus of all desire, a fabric from which the goat-sheering provides only limited quantities.

The cashmere that Scabal has chosen for its “Romance” collection, has passed through a rigorous selection process, in which only the longest fibres are retained, in order to produce a light fabric. This 100% fine-combed cashmere is ideal for naturally elegant jacketing, be it for summer or winter. Scabal pushes even further the luxury component by allowing you to personalise your own individually made length of cloth. The “Private Line” collection integrates the text of your choice, for example your name, and the text is woven as a discrete stripe. What could personalise a suit more than having your name written into he garment ? The possibilities are endless…

In spite of its international dimension, Scabal knows how important it is to remain true to offering a personalised product and service, whether it be within their cloth or garment collections.

R.B.