
The Bespoke Bohemian
The story and vision for hand made, custom luxury clothing by Stephen Blase.
The world of Fashion
I have always had a passion for fashion and dressing up. When you look good you feel good, especially when you have the confidence to wear what you truly desire. There are many layers to take into account when choosing your outfit- style, fit, colour, feel. Clothing is a tool that can be used to portray certain aspect of yourself or even project a desired embodiment you are trying to step in to. A well fitting suit with a wide peak lapel will give the illusion of a man being in better shape and more masculine. A pair of trousers with a vertical pin stripe & heels will make a woman look taller and skinnier. I could go on, but I think you get the drift.
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I have spent over a decade in the fashion industry. I started in menswear as a teenager, working retail whilst I was at university studying finance and economics. I transitioned into high end menswear in my early 20's and discovered the world of Bespoke suiting. I worked with a Bespoke tailor in NZ and simultaneously was the representative for a traditional English fabric & suiting company in the UK. My position as manager of the South East Asia/Pacific region had me travelling the world visiting the best of the best the world had to offer in luxury menswear and tailoring selling English fabric to be made into suits.
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I then started a clothing manufacturing business in Auckland, NZ where I ran a small team of talented machinists, pattern makers and specialists. We were one of the last places left in New Zealand where a customer could get the entire process of clothing manufacturing done from concept to store. We offered Pattern making, cutting, sewing, finishing and pressing. This is where I learnt to sew and create clothing myself, whilst also running the business.
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I sold the company towards the end of my 20's and after a brief hiatus I went into the world of film. I was employed for the Rings of Power TV series, which at the time had the largest budget of any tv series in history. Here I learned to work with leather, metals and fine needle work but my main job here was head cutter.
Why custom made?
My love and passion for clothing lives on, but my desire to be heavily involved in the industry does not. Whys that you ask? Well, like all things we choose to consume in life, there is an opportunity cost. The fashion industry is no different. Throughout my years in the industry I learned there were a few truths that I must admit are sad to consider. Some of these are huge amounts of wastage in clothing manufacturing, exploitation of workers and pollution to the Earth, not to mention ever shrinking margins for locally made clothing due to fast fashion and the rise of cheap online ordering.
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It was clear to me that I still needed to create clothing, not only for myself but for others. When my customers learn what's possible for them when they are not confined to having to purchase a piece for their wardrobe from a store, its beautiful to watch their face light up. There is something special about wearing a piece that was created just for you, exactly how you wanted, that no one else has. The beauty of bespoke.
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By manufacturing small runs of clothing and custom made one off pieces, I am able to minimise wastage at the manufacturing stage, ensure that excess is not created and use products that are as high quality and/ or eco friendly as possible.
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The other piece of the puzzle, which from my point of view is the most important, is that when we make something unique straight from the imagination and create it to be worn in the physical world, magic happens. For me, the real prize is the satisfaction on a clients face when they are wearing that special garment that they never thought they could own. To witness the way they hold themselves, walking taller and with confidence, is the real gift.
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You see the REAL magic of a custom made piece is not how fucking epic you look, but how amazing you feel.
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To get the ball rolling on your very own custom made piece, send an email to info@stephenblase.com with what you are looking for or navigate to the bookings page to book a 30 minute free consultation to see how I can help.
