Stacy Glover wants you to feel special. You know, that "OMG this fits me so well I'm pretty sure it was secretly made for me" kind of special.
The self-taught fashion designer traded in his marketing chops to figure out what exactly makes the perfect pair of jeans. "Attentive listening is what inspired me to take this journey," he says. "I spent countless hours digesting the frustrations of women I knew that had issues finding jeans that fit." The result: Silowet Couture.
A play on the word silhouette, Silowet is planting roots in Miami to hopefully get rid of the dreadful muffin top. You're welcome, ladies.
The concept of couture for denim is simple: bespoke, made to order jeans. Custom measurements, patterns, hand stitching and attention to detail are all factors here. And you won't find your boyfriend's jeans at Silowet. The brand is all about showcasing figures, not disguising them. He'll elongate and slim your legs and thighs and lift your butt, sans surgery.
The Design District flagship was selected on purpose, too. The Brooklyn, New York native notes, "I knew for Miami, the denim game was an untapped niche market." Glover plans to tap into this market with private fit parties for clients that want an even more personal and intimate experience, and a web series.
We caught up with the designer to discuss the process behind making that perfect-fit pair of jeans, how to make your denim a staple that turns heads, and why bespoke denim is needed in Miami.
Cultist: What made you decide to go into bespoke denim?
Stacy Glover: At the time, my thought was simple: to globally solve fit problems for all women in need, because surely my close friends couldn't be the only ones that felt this way. The audacity of my thought. Luckily, my relentless ambition to solve problems guided me towards creating jeans exclusively for each clients' individual measurements.
After visiting Paris, I fell in love with haute couture and the painstaking craftsmanship that went into creating the amazing gowns that we all adore on the red carpets. Immediately, I knew what our destiny would be as it relates to how we would make our jeans. Denim is special to me because to date, blue jeans are the one American innovation in fashion that is arguably the most influential everyday, staple item.
Why Silowet Couture? Why now?
In a day and age where people know what they want and how they want it, the timing just felt right. I have an appreciation for demanding personalities because I am one of them. Therefore I was well aware that we had to be the company that had the thick skin to deal with the strong personalities of our demanding clients.
Before mass production and ready to wear hit the scene, my grandmother would explain to me how if one couldn't afford a tailor, there was definitely someone in your family or a friend of the family that handled clothing everyone, and they did it the same way we're doing it. I'm a firm believer in cycles and that things always have a way of coming back around, and I am happy to be one of the selective few that is curating the surge for apparel manufacturing to come back to the US. It's no secret, China doesn't care about quality; however, we do.
I'm very passionate about creating domestic job opportunities. You just don't hear or see the young generation taking an interest in the art of craftsmanship, which was once a well-respected trade here in America. So for me, I want to do my part to help restore that feeling.
So someone walks into your store with ill-fitting jeans. What do you do?
Our process is rather unique. The client meets with one of our Caretakers to discuss their specific interests. First step is for them to select the style they like, next they move onto fabrication and deciding what kind of denim they want. (This step is extremely important because the type of fabric they are interested in determines how we create their pattern. For a novice, a pattern to us is equivalent to a blueprint for an architect.)
From fabrication, they then go into one of our fitting rooms so we can take their measurements from waist down. The client then gets the opportunity to tell us if they'd like high, mid, or low rise as well as skinny, relaxed, or boot cut. After we record their specifics, we then draft a pattern based on those measurements. We then move onto having one of our expert Couturiers construct a base out of muslin for the client to come in for a fitting and confirm everything is just the way they like it. Once the pattern is perfect we then finish completing the piece. They can then stop in to pick up their jeans or have them delivered.
What -- to you -- equals a perfect fit? Is it about finding jeans that are neither too big nor too small? Or is it more about say a boyfriend cut for a square figure, etc.?
I'm glad you asked. Personally, I adore snug skinny fit jeans on women. I've come across women with boyfriend jeans and they looked amazing in them, however it's not my thing. My strength in aesthetics lends to enhancing and showcasing figures, not disguising them. Perfect fit does require a special recipe, and a few of our key ingredients entail:
• Creating the pattern with focus on structure that flatters the client's particular shape
• Implementing our unique process of building the seat in the pattern as a lifting component which acts as a butt lift built into the jeans; no surgery needed
• Thighs and legs should be elongated and slimmed
• Inseam length should be precise to client's height
• Waistband contoured to eliminate gaping issues when she sits down
Do you take a customer's personal style into account at all? Or are you trying to take clients out of their comfort zone?
Yes, we do take our clients personal style into consideration; however I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy when clients confide in me to give them a style and cut that's sure to turn heads and cause a few fender benders here and there. I'm a big energy guy, so depending on the mood of our client at the moment is how I know when to push the envelope and when to keep is simple. It's all about delicate balance.
How many people work at your store?
Excluding myself, I have eight team members employed at Silowet Couture. We have one master patternmaker, three sample makers (very different from seamstresses in the sense that they handle a client's jean from start to finish, whereas a seamstress typically does piecework), two Caretakers that handle sales, a fabric cutter, and a design assistant. I like to keep everyone pretty busy. [Laughs].
What can someone expect when they walk into your store? What kind of experience?
Our experience is truly unique. The average consumer has never been privy to the meticulous process of what it takes to make a pair of jeans from start to finish. Now, they'll have access to it live in the flesh. We take pride in educating our clients on the pedigree of bespoke. For those selective women that are looking for a denim brand that wants to solve their specific, individual problems as it relates to fit, they can expect to find their new home with us. Turning the corners of lips up is what we stand for.
Silowet Couture, now open at 448 NW 28th Street, Miami. For more information, visit silowetcouture.com.
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