If you're interested in bespoke tailoring and based in or around New York City, Hamin Kim, founder and cutter behind Hameen, is holding a trunk show this week in Manhattan.
Earlier this morning, someone asked why wealthy people don't just go to a good tailor and buy a good suit. The answer is simple: the best tailoring nowadays is not always done by famous companies. And, in any case, most people are only familiar with ready-to-wear luxury names like Tom Ford and Cucinelli, not tailoring names.
I wrote about Hamin's work last year in the context of how to spot good tailoring. Her work is bespoke and benchmade, which means she drafts the pattern from scratch using the client's measurements, then adjusts the garment through a series of three fittings. Aside from the long seams, which are always traditionally done by machine, all the operations are done by hand.
By making a garment this way, she can shape it to fit the customer's build and posture. In the photos below, you can see how the canonical sleeve falls without a ripple, even when the person's arm is curved. The jacket button can be easily fastened with one hand because nothing pulls, and yet, the jacket has a ton of shaping. The trousers on the second slide could be cleaned up a bit, as the back is slightly collapsing, but the photo was taken during a fitting. The pattern is otherwise cut very well for a first draft.
In the last twenty years or so, South Korea has emerged as one of the most interesting and vibrant places not only for fashion in general but also for bespoke tailoring in particular. The region has always had strong tailors, but this new crop of craftspeople — including Hamin — combines top-level bespoke work with good styling. Hamin's house style is broadly soft and minimally structured, yet with a lot of shape provided by the minimal use of canvas and strong ironwork. The result is a soft, natural shoulder line, a slightly full chest, straight lapels, and modest quarters. The silhouette would be good for people who like the idea of tailoring, but want something softer and more relaxed for semi-casual environments.
If you're interested in Hamin's work, you can check out her trunk show in NYC this week. Her contact info is on the third slide below. You can also follow her on Instagram at the handles hamin.kor and hameen_official.
As usual, this is not a paid post, as I don't do paid posts. I get nothing from making these announcements — no money, kickbacks, freebies, discounts, store credit, or whatever else. I only make these announcements because I'm passionate about craft-based clothing, and it's my pleasure to promote real craftspeople. If you have questions, please reach out to Hamin directly, as I am not her representative.
Video