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Atelier des Createurs

I’m always on the look for interesting brands or stores able to provide quality items marked by great construction and fit. On my never-ending quest, I come across several brands which I share with all of you: many of them are considered luxury labels, but price and reputation alone do not assure quality. Learning how to spot those features in every item you try on is key, as it enables you to find the best value for your money. 

One of the things I’ve been enjoying the most since I started this blog, is to wander the streets of downtown Porto, carefully looking for local stores. The findings are outstanding as the city is famous for its tailors and fabric stores. So it comes to no surprise that several brands and manufacturers are choosing to open business here.

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One of my latest findings was Atelier des Createurs, a semi-industrial tailoring/bespoking establishment, located in Rua José Falcão in the city centre. A project of two entrepeneurs (one French, the other Spanish), this amazing three-storey building is the workplace of several local craftsmen and women (seamstresses, tailors, etc.). The sheer scale and beauty of the architecture (an amazing work of rehabilitation) will make your jaw drop. The building is organized as follows:

- Ground Floor: as soon as you enter a massive stairway greets you; a door on the right gives access to the fabric storeroom, staff facilities and the “cutting room” where computer controlled machinery applies the desired cut for each of the nearly 200 pieces that go into making a suit. A once handmade process is now optimized through the use of technology, but still requires the art of skilled artisans on occasion;

- First Floor: here you’ll find the administration offices and an amazing room with around 40 professionals fully committed to providing top notch suits, through a sequential manufacturing process;

- Second Floor: a room entirely dedicated to suit pants awaits you, along with the area where finishing touches are added: hand sewn buttons and steaming and pressing of suits;

- Top Floor: this floor houses the showroom where you’ll be able to see all available fabrics for your suit, as well as a few finished models to give you an idea of what to expect. Also, you can try on the so called “canvas” which are pre-finished models (with all the seams and stitched parts), aimed at giving you a sense of fit and size. One of the things that absolutely blew me away was their collection of antique books and magazines, the likes of Adam Chemisier and Esquire, dating as old as 1940. Next to the showroom lies a fitting room and a private space where clients can try on their suits and express their opinion to tailors, in order to have them altered accordingly;

The whole establishment transpires professionalism and after trying their “canvas” and getting a feel of some final products, I can attest to their quality: they’ve got themselves a new client. An average price tag of 600€ seems appropriate when talking about a fully customized bespoke suit, especially when compared to other options out there. I’m a sucker for the art of bespoking and strongly recommend you give it a try. Drop by their atelier and check their blog here!

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The ground floor: fabric storeroom, cutting room and staff lounge.

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The sewing room on the first floor.

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Second Floor: the areas dedicated to suit pants and steaming.

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Top floor: the showroom, book collection, the “canvas” suit jackets and a few fabric samples.

3 notes

  1. beyondfabric posted this
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