At the internet, bespoke tailoring, shoemaking and shirtmaking have largely been reduced to London, Italy (Neaples!) and Paris. It is somewhat understandable. These cities provide world-class crafts, there can be no doubt about that. Besides, it is also easier to communicate with the world that you have “a bespoke suit from London” than “a bespoke suit from Potsdam” … London, Italy and Paris have a unique brand power in bespoke, which supports your communication.

In other words, the bespoke reality is more diverse and interesting than the impression you get from the dominating internet discourses. There are lots of great craftsmen out there that you never hear about or read about. For instance, you will find more than 10 bespoke shoemakers in Germany, who will spend more time on getting you a pair of well-fitting shoes than John Lobb in St. James’s, not at least because a pair of well-fitting shoes is a consumer right in Germany, if you place an order with a bespoke shoemaker there.

Be that as it may, what I wanted to talk about is Kathrin Emmer, a bespoke tailor in Potsdam. She is a pupil of Volkmar Arnulf, and she has been working for a couple of other tailors too. She moved her workshop from Berlin to the basement of her nice home in Potsdam a few years ago. There she makes 20-30 suits yearly for Bernhard Roetzel and other classic style aficionados.

Kathrin Emmer has no desire to impose a certain cut on the customer, she told me. Every type of design should be possible. That said, she is, like all craftsmen, embedded in tradition. She has learnt tailoring and style philosophy in Germany. I think it means, as a rule, that shoulder construction is firm and subtle, not nonchalant. Moreover, I suppose it means that the cut is roomy, clean and comfortable, not narrow and skimpy like you can meet in Italy.

Kathrin Emmer speaks English fluently. You can read more about her at her website (in GERMAN).

Source: The Journal of Style