Fokke de Jong takes a pristine cashmere jacket from a rail in his new store, Suitsupply, in Mayfair, and in one dramatic gesture, rips out the lining. “You won’t find this kind of workmanship for this price anywhere else in the UK,” he says, motioning to the fi nely stitched inner construction of cotton, wool and camel hair. “It’s made using an old-fashioned Italian technique that gives a more comfortable fit.” The 34-year-old Dutchman is on a mission to give the cheap suit a good name with his Europe-wide Suitsupply chain. The formula is simple: high-end suits with a starting price of less than £200 for ready-to-wear and a mere £300 for bespoke tailoring – something that may have agitated a few folks on nearby Savile Row. “They probably frown on us a bit, but I don’t really care what they think about it,” says de Jong. Business has been so brisk in the three months since the London branch launched that he confi dently predicts another six to eight UK stores will open within 12 months, eventually growing to a chain of 30. Read the full story here. (Sunday Times)
