In an insightful interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Zahir Rajani, founder of The Sartorial Shop, shares the journey of transforming Canada’s bespoke fashion landscape. Zahir’s passion for personalized, high-quality fashion led him to create a brand that redefines how Canadians approach custom-tailored clothing. With a focus on craftsmanship, innovation, and a customer-centric approach, The Sartorial Shop has quickly become a leader in bespoke fashion, offering tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of its clientele. Zahir discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a brand in this niche market and his vision for the future of bespoke fashion in Canada.
Zahir is an authority when it comes to bespoke/custom garments and the sartorial world, with over 15 years of experience creating custom clothing.
Prior to re-opening the family business, which has gone from having a local footprint in Vancouver to a large presence across North America, Zahir was a high-level real estate executive with extensive experience across the US and Canadian markets. Most recently, he was responsible for over $200,000,000 in annual revenues. Zahir is an expert in contract negotiation, scaling operations, and systems implementation. He is highly experienced in all aspects of running an organization and always displays a high level of business and legal acumen.
Zahir enjoys high-level creative thinking and problem-solving, while also enjoying the opportunity to roll up his sleeves to do what is needed to ensure success across the team and organization.
He previously successfully navigated a large commercial income producing portfolio of over 7.5 million sq. ft. through COVID-19 pandemic with industry leading occupancy rates in Canada.
Zahir thrives in dynamic, challenging and fast-paced environments.
The Sartorial Shop has an impressive legacy. Can you share the story behind your rebranding journey and how it aligns with your vision for the future?
The Sartorial Shop’s legacy is rooted three-generations deep and therefore a core part of my family’s history. The rebrand came about as a way to offer my family’s history an opportunity to jump out of the past, thrive and be a part of the future of the North American fashion industry, and hopefully some day, the global fashion industry too. To help achieve this, we took the time to whiteboard a plan, and the first step in this plan was to refresh our name and have it accurately reflect what we are setting out to do. Shifting from Rajani Bespoke to The Sartorial Shop came after several significant milestones: after one year of immense growth and the need to scale. The second step was to move into Vancouver’s downtown core, and now that we’ve done that I feel we are now ready to even further our ambitions.
From initially offering mostly custom suits, we now offer a full line of both custom and bespoke clothing. Our vision for the future is to bring artisanal quality garments to the market and to the hands of each and every person looking for lasting quality pieces that are truly made for them — for their body and with their preferences in mind.
Bespoke suits vs. made-to-measure—what sets these two approaches apart, and how do you ensure your clients receive an unparalleled custom experience?
The primary difference between bespoke and made-to-measure lies in craftsmanship and individuality. Bespoke suiting is truly an art. From drafting a unique pattern to the symphony of stitches which bind with the fabric and transform into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Made-to-measure, while still offering a personalized experience, follows a more standardized approach.
There are so many differences, but to really demonstrate on a technical level, take for example the number of measurements required for each approach. With made-to-measure garments, only three to five body measurements are taken while, bespoke garments require well over 30 measurements, and about the same in postural notes – at least that is how we do it.
Unlike made-to-measure, bespoke garments are fully custom-designed and custom-made. Determining the customers’ needs (is it for a wedding, business, another occasion?), the type of item needed (a suit, a jacket, a skirt, etc.), and the fabric (personal taste and weather are among the factors in the selection) are all parts of the process.
The quality of handmade custom garments is meant to last a lifetime, but the decreasing quality offered by retail chains today just does not measure up. We’ve differentiated ourselves by simply doing things differently. We offer the quality that others don’t and we offer pricing that’s in line with each of our many offerings.
Bringing the Florentine Cut to Canada is a bold move. Can you tell us more about this exclusive style and why you chose it as a centerpiece for your brand?
As mentioned above we mean business when we say we do things differently, and being bold comes with the territory.
The Sartorial Shop is the first and only to offer this style of suit and suit jacket in Canada. It is a style that is really only mastered by a select few master tailors in Florence. It is an extremely difficult pattern to draft, cut, and ultimately sew. This means these suits we are now offering will be designed in Canada (or wherever our clients may be) but they must be fully handsewn and finished in Italy.
The idea behind this suit style is to maintain simplicity from the outside, while being extremely complex on the inside. This idea really encapsulates how Florence was built. The Florentine Cut is a unique jacket style known for its dart-free front panel, extended shoulders, and simple aesthetic; it was popularized by Maestro Antonio Liverano. Other great tailors of Florence also played a role in creating this cut as well, including Messers Vestrucci and Seminara.
Part of the reason we brought it to Canada was to help expand the offerings within the market and also to provide people with something new and exciting. We all feel good when we look good, but we feel even better when we’re wearing something iconic or avant-garde. People are always looking for the next best thing and what’s better than an iconic Florentine style? The look is trendy because it’s new here but timeless and classic just like Florence.
To help launch the Florentine Cut in Vancouver, and Canada, for the first time, we are also going to be hosting Master Florentine Shoemaker Mario Bemer.
Your journey from one industry to the next has been inspiring. What advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to successfully transition between sectors?
For me, making this decision to “jump ship”, if you will, was an empowering one, and it can be for you once you step through that door. In my case, the desire for a career change was simply something I could not ignore any longer. I got to that point where I was 100% certain of it. If you’re certain that you need to make a change, then my advice is to do it, trust the process & be patient.
To do well, you must have a clear vision and stay consistent with it. Things take time to develop, to flourish, but time can deteriorate one’s confidence and motivation. It’s very important you remain steadfast and keep that vision clear in your mind and to trust the process. Often a little extra patience is the difference between success and failure.
As The Sartorial Shop expands in 2025, what exciting new developments or offerings can your clients and the Canadian market look forward to?
We have a few exciting things that we’ll be closing the year off with, which will continue well into 2025, and platforms that we’ll be looking to both build and grow on. Firstly, we have Master Florentine Shoemaker Mario Bemer joining us for an exclusive trunk show in Vancouver (and Canada) for the very first time. Easily regarded as one of the best shoemakers in the world, we are extremely proud to be able to host Mario. Secondly, we will be touring the country with our own trunk shows, starting with Calgary, and then working our way east. Our goal is to make our garments, our offerings, and our unique process available to everyone across the country, and one way to do that is by traveling and hosting what we call a “trunk show”. Finally, as we always do, we’ll continue to work on new and exciting offerings to our already existing line up, including new styles, patterns, fabrics, and exclusives.
