--What is the most important aspect of your creations?

It's whether the garment has a sense of airiness after delivery. It's not about whether the stitching is good or not, but rather that it fits well, creating a layer of air between the body and the garment. If you don't care about a good fit, you can get away with cheaper brands. I want my clothes to look elegant when worn by customers, enveloping them in a layer of air. However, there is a body type that I am particularly good at; I work easily with people with sloping shoulders and a slim stomach. For someone who is 160cm tall, I make the length longer to create a dignified look.

For example, if someone with a belly chooses a ready-made garment, the garment will fit around the stomach, resulting in broad shoulders, but I focus on covering that area. There are also many other body types, such as those with a hunched back or slumped shoulders, and it is the tailor's job to accommodate these physical details that are not normally considered acceptable. Ready-to-wear clothing is complete if it looks good on the wearer. However, a tailor must also take on the additional task of adjusting it to fit the body shape. Everyone's body is different, so we have to do things differently each time. We realized that we have to break the rules. And we're starting to understand how difficult that is.

--I'm curious about the difference between a tailor and a so-called fashion designer.

I'm conscious that the finished product shouldn't be immediately recognizable as Kenjiro Suzuki's clothes. My goal is to create clothes that make the wearer think, "I don't know why, but this person is so elegant."

The King of Morocco ordered 400 outfits from Smalt every year. As a member of royalty, he had the opportunity to meet many people, so it was not acceptable for him to wear fashionable clothes that clearly indicated the brand. It's not the clothes themselves that are important, but the person wearing them who looks elegant. So if people who wear tailor-made clothes are recognized as elegant by those around them, that's a victory for the tailor. I think that's the difference between tailor-made clothes and fashion. --If you were offered the position of designer for a men's brand, would you accept? I would decline. I couldn't do it. The job of a designer is special, and while fashion today is particularly business-oriented, there are certainly people who can create something from scratch. But I don't think I could do that. I think the important thing is to follow what has come before and make the wearer look elegant. It's not that I'm obsessed with old things. I've studied the trends of each era, but I'm not tied to a specific era or style that I like. For example, I've gotten to the point where I can tell something from the 1910s just by touching it. Many people involved in Japanese tailors seem to be particular about that, but I'm not. Customers don't want old things; they want modern clothes for 2014. Of course, it's true that you can't create new clothes without knowledge of old things, but I don't think you can create anything new if you're stuck on that. --Please tell us about your future plans and prospects. I regularly travel to Japan for order meetings, and currently 60% of my orders come from France. I hope to increase the number of orders from France in the future. I also want to hire French artisans and be able to handle larger orders. I want to expand by hiring more people while maintaining my own unique style. I'm currently in the process of reaching out to Smalt's artisans.

However, I believe that quality must be maintained. I can't leave everything to others; I need to include the artisans' own handiwork. Products created in this way have a rich atmosphere. It's like the grain becomes finer, and the finished product exudes a sense of unity and brilliance. When a craftsman puts effort into something, that atmosphere is reflected in it. If I want to preserve that atmosphere, I have no choice but to hire people I hire myself rather than outsource. Hiring more people will increase production, but if they're not used to learning in the same environment, quality will inevitably decline. I want to prevent this from happening.

I also want to develop customers from a wider region, not just Paris. Three days ago, someone came from Geneva to place an order, and the day after tomorrow, someone is scheduled to come from Luxembourg, so the business is gradually expanding. Plans are also being made for an order event on Savile Row, which I think would be exciting.


Kenjiro Suzuki is a Tokyo native. After graduating from a vocational school, he worked for an apparel manufacturer. He moved to France in 2003, graduating top of his class from A.I.C.P., a pattern-making training school, and obtaining a national qualification. After training at the local tailoring house, Arnis, he furthered his training as a seamstress at Camps de Luca, and has been working for Francesco Smalto since 2007. In 2009, he became the first Japanese chief cutter (overseeing all processes, including measuring, pattern making, and cutting). He decided to go independent in 2011 and founded "KENJIRO SUZUKI sur mesure PARIS" in 2013.