At Dugdale Bros, we love to see long-standing textiles and tailoring traditions being passed on through the generations. Our own story is just one chapter within Huddersfield’s illustrious cloth-making history, so it’s inspiring to see young, talented individuals from the area continuing to drive this narrative forward.
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The next sartorial professional to take part in our Q&A is Joakim Hartzell, CEO of Götrich, one of Europe’s oldest tailoring establishments founded 1730 in Stockholm, Sweden.
1. Which cloth did you choose?
The Lisburn 7428 natural linen.
2. What was the project?
In the very first collection of RTW from Götrich, we focus on fantastic quality in small quantities. That means that we tailor each garment the same way as we make our bespoke products, with the same amount of handwork and the same quality of the cloth. As part of this first collection we will make a classic safari jacket from the Lisburn linen bunch.
3. Why did you choose this specific cloth?
For many reasons. We have worked with Dugdale cloth for a very long time and thus we know how lovely the cloth is to work with. The Lisburn Linen has a great texture and feel that goes extremely well with our casual tailored garments. We want this design to work in many situations, with a pair of denims during the weekend or as a more casual jacket over a formal shirt. The mix between texture and natural colour will create a very versatile garment for the warmer seasons.
4. Where did your tailoring journey begin?
It began as a customer actually. Coming to Savile Row as a young banker made me fall in love with the craft. After my first bespoke suit I could never go back, and after a while I realised that I wanted to devote more of my life to tailoring and classic clothing instead of numbers.
5. Where did you study?
I have a Master’s degree in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.
6. Who inspired you to become a tailor?
I’m not a tailor, but I employ several highly skilled tailors in our atelier in Stockholm. The tailors at Götrich have all been trained in the business over many years, and when the seven current owners of the business came in, they were all already working there.
In addition to my work at Götrich, I’m also investing in other exciting projects together with two partners from Civitus. In that capacity I’m a board member in the rainwear company Stutterheim, the watchmaker TRIWA, as well as the craft tonic maker Swedish Tonic.
8. Who is your style inspiration?
I get inspiration from many different places, such as my colleagues, our customers, my friends and family, as well as people I meet and see in the street. I tend to get influenced more by people in my close surrounding than from billboards and magazines.
9. What is your favourite part of the job?
Meeting our repeat customers is always incredibly rewarding. To see how customers build up their wardrobes with the help of our tailors, and to follow the dynamic that builds up between a craftsman and an enthusiast is really exciting. We love all our customers at Götrich, and we try to create a really welcoming and warm environment that people like to come back to.
10. Which of your pieces are you most proud of?
It’s always fun to make pieces that stand out. Last autumn we created a lovely Dinner Jacket in one of Dugdale’s clan tartan cloths which was very eye-catching, as well as a bright pink tweed safari jacket.
11. How important are ethics and sustainability to you?
Very important. It’s hard to not feel a sting of worry when you walk through a shopping centre and see enormous volumes of garments that are likely to be sold at low prices and used only a limited amount of times. Bespoke tailoring is part of the counter movement, where we try to make timeless pieces to be worn for a very long time, with durability as a central concept. We also of course take care of our customers’ garments over the years through repairs and alterations.
12. Describe your style of tailoring in three words…
Elegant, current and flexible.
13. What is your house style?
An updated yet classic British silhouette as a base, with a flexible approach based on the customers preferences. We are happy to experiment together with the customer to make sure they get their dream wardrobe. The starting point, however, is typically a classic built up and hand padded chest, a relatively accentuated shoulder, and bell-shaped waist.
14. What one piece of advice would you give to anyone wanting to start out in tailoring?
We want to find people that are genuinely passionate about the craft and the stylistic dimensions of tailoring, but that are also business minded in a way that helps bring our business forward. That could mean coming up with exciting collaborations, fun events, new patterns or designs etc. Tailoring is always an exciting mix between passion and entrepreneurship.
We have very high hopes for our RTW collection. In 10 years we hope to still have a very solid base of bespoke tailoring in Stockholm, with small collections of our best selling garments, accessories and more being sold globally.
16. If you had to choose one of our cloths for yourself which would it be and why?
I’d go for a heavy flannel since winters in Stockholm are quite fierce!
17. If you could describe Huddersfield’s reputation on the global cloth map in one word, what would that word be?
Unrivalled.
