Strong suit: Business booms for Indian tailor in Russia

Clothier Sammy Kotwani has been flooded with big orders even as the war rages in the region

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects sanctions against Russia to cause its economy to contract by 8.5 per cent. However, Sammy Manoj Kotwani, a Moscow-based Indian tailor who specialises in suits, is not particularly worried.

Kotwani, the owner of The Imperial Tailoring Company—a massive 3,300-square feet alterations boutique located in the heart of Moscow—claims that business has grown by 32 per cent since the conflict began.

"My Russian client base has increased because it can no longer get its suits from European tailors because many countries have stopped doing business with Russia," said 53-year-old Kotwani while speaking to DH. "The local Russians are placing big orders. I am one of the few lucky ones making money in this crisis. It's sad but true."

The Imperial Tailoring Company, which lies barely 2 kilometres from Saint Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's Mausoleum, has been making suits for many local and international high profile clients.

"I came to Russia in the 1990s. At that time, I used to go to the homes and offices of my clients, who were all diplomats working in embassies, for orders. Eventually, I made relations with many expatriate businessmen through the embassies and started making clothes for them," said Kotwani. "In 1994, my younger brother Jimmy joined me in Moscow, then my youngest brother Andy followed his footsteps in 1995, after finishing his studies."

During the Russian financial crisis of 1998, when several expatriates left the country, Kotwani started making suits for local Russians.

"When the expatriates left, we started dressing all the local politicians, and business grew immensely," said Kotwani. "That's when the plan of setting up The Imperial Tailoring Company came up. Finally, I opened this store in the year 2000."

Kotwani started his career in Mumbai when he joined the Synthetic & Art Silk Mills' Research Association (SASMIRA) and got a DMTT (Diploma in Man-Made Textile Technology) and DMST (Diploma in Man-Made Spinning Technology). Deeply impressed by English fashion, Kotwani continued his learning process in the best design schools in London for a few years. Then, from Ethiopia and Kenya to Congo and Angola, he sold suits across sub-Saharan Africa between 1988 and 1989.

Talking about his decision to move to Russia, Kotwani said, "The reason for coming to Moscow was simple—its cold weather. I felt that I could sell more warm suits and topcoats here. It's a whole year of business here because of the cold, which is impossible in Africa."

Today, Kotwani's tailoring empire includes stores in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Almaty, Astana, Baku, and Kyiv (the last had to be closed due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict).

Interestingly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, then a famous actor and comedian, shot scenes for his 2011 movie Sluzhebnyy roman. Nashe vremya at the Imperial Tailoring Company flagship store. Zelenskyy is seen trying out different suits and neckties, looking for the best fit in the movie.

So how does the Imperial Tailoring Company manage to stand out amid brands like Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci?

"It's because of our top-class service," said Kotwani. "Every half a year, a customer can bring his suit back to us, and we repair it free of cost. We check the suit, buttons, and zips for wear and tear, clean it, press it, and change the lining if required. We even alter it if the person has gained or lost weight. No one offers this service but for us."

Meanwhile, Kotwani maintains links with India through his interactions and engagements with the Indian diaspora in Russia. The President of an Indian cultural centre in Moscow, he regularly hosts events for Indians living in Russia.

(Kartikeya is a journalist from Delhi passionate about covering culture, politics, conflict, food, and human interest stories.)