Cover How Joe’s Tailoring is built on excellence, integrity and familial bonds
How Joe’s Tailoring is built on excellence, integrity and familial bonds
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While it has been close to ten years since deciding to continue their father’s legacy, sibling trio Joanne, Joy, and Justin Koh remain strongly committed to improving the business
In this series, Tatler speaks to second-generation entrepreneurs about their business journeys. They share more about stepping out on their own, life lessons learnt through business and how they hope to keep their family legacy alive.
When it comes to clothes, nothing is quite as satisfying as finding a piece that fits like a glove—and while ready-to-wear pieces make up a significant chunk of the clothing market, these pieces don’t always fit right.
Finding garments that suit our body types has been an ongoing struggle not just today. Founder of Joe’s Tailoring Joseph Koh for one, found this a problem even back in the ’80s. “[Back then] I loved to dress up but I couldn’t find tailors that cut to my needs and requirements,” he explains. Encouraged by his sister, he took up the art of men’s tailoring and began his journey to create bespoke pieces. “I have not regretted it since,” he muses.
41 years later, Joe’s Tailoring is still going strong, thanks to his three children Joanne, Joy and Justin who decided to continue the elder Koh’s legacy. Their motivation? To make their parents proud and ensure the business’s success for generations.
Read more: Perfect Fit: The makings of a bespoke suit
Immersing into the trade
As the trio grew up in a tight-knit family, it’s no surprise that they “naturally gravitated” towards helping out the family business. Even though they had no pressure to join the business, they “genuinely enjoyed [helping out] and being a part of it”.
The middle child Joy, who’s stationed at the workshop, shares how the siblings would spend hours in the factory watching their dad tailor clothes growing up. “In a way, watching him immerse himself in the tailoring craft taught us invaluable lessons in resilience and hard work. It also ignited our passion for the craft,” she continues.
Their formative years saw them “deeply embedded” in the fashion industry. Even during holidays, Joseph would take the family to Europe to source fabrics. “I’m very thankful that every year I [had the opportunity] to go to Europe to buy and source fabrics. I would bring my family and we would have a fun time there buying fabrics and mingling around,” Joseph reminisces.
Joy continues: “These excursions always turned into delightful adventures, exploring new cities, discovering new materials and exchanging playful banter as we negotiated deals. These moments remind us of the privilege we have to work alongside our family”.
Above The Koh siblings grew up immersed in the family's trade
The Koh siblings grew up immersed in the family's trade
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The children were continually immersed in the fabric of their family’s trade over the years and as a result, developed a deep connection and appreciation for it. “Over time, our passion for the craft naturally aligned with the prospect of continuing the legacy,” Joy explains, adding that the notion of carrying on the family legacy became increasingly appealing as they matured.
Despite being born into a tailoring family, their parents always insisted that they start from the bottom, learning the craft from the ground up. The siblings began their careers as apprentices, gaining hands-on experience while getting a grasp on the intricacies of the business.
The eldest Joanne’s passion for the industry had also led her to pursue a major in bespoke tailoring from the London College of Fashion. She continued her apprenticeship in prestigious establishments on Savile Row and gained invaluable experience in the art of tailoring. As for Justin and Joy, they were fortunate to do their apprenticeship at their parent’s shop, learning the “value of hard work, attention to detail and the importance of perseverance”.
Today, Joanne handles pattern-making, drafting and sales processes; Joy oversees production management and administrative tasks; and Justin manages business development. “[The experience of entering the industry] instilled in us a deep appreciation for the craft and a commitment to excellence,” Joy shares.
Above Joseph Koh, founder of Joe's Tailoring
Joseph Koh, founder of Joe's Tailoring
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Navigating unprecedented challenges
Even the closest of families have their feuds. While the Koh family have moments of disagreements, they constantly make a concerted effort to have open communication and a willingness to listen. “Instead of letting disagreements fester, we address them head-on, seeking common ground and compromise that has everyone’s [best] interests,” Joy says, believing that a culture of transparency, respect and collaboration can help them emerge stronger as a family unit.
Over the years, they discovered each other’s strengths and weaknesses and learnt to complement each other effectively. She continues: “We recognise that the success of our family business is not solely dependent on the efforts of any one individual but rather on the strength of our familial bond and our ability to work as a cohesive unit.”
Since working together, they have gone through various challenges. For one, the siblings found themselves under immense pressure to maintain their parent’s reputation and success in the industry. This realisation, along with recognising that their employees depended on the business for their livelihoods, led them to work tirelessly to ensure that the business thrived. Despite being challenging, the trio shared that these experiences reinforced their family bond, and taught them the “true meaning of resilience and perseverance”.
Don’t miss: Getting a perfect fit with Brunello Cucinelli's very special Made-to-Measure programme
Above The Koh family believes in a culture of transparence, respect and collaboration
The Koh family believes in a culture of transparence, respect and collaboration
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Family pride
While the trio have been involved in the family business for close to ten years now, they believe that they are integrating themselves into the business, as opposed to simply “taking over”. “Everything we do is very intertwined [with each other],” Joanna explains.
Looking ahead, the trio hope to continue making their family proud. “My dad’s name is on the door. So what I want to try to do is make sure that the essence of ‘Joe’ is here,” Joanna shares. “We make sure that as [our customers] walk out the door, they [do so as] walking advertisements.”
Even today, the brand maintains the traditional methods of tailoring its garments, as the trio believe in the importance of preserving the craft. “For us, we see tailoring as more than just a profession. It’s a centuries-old tradition steeped in craftsmanship, artistry and cultural significance. We sincerely hope that we can do our part to help preserve this ancient art form for the future generation,” Joy shares.
Above The Koh siblings have been integrating themselves into the family business
The Koh siblings have been integrating themselves into the family business
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While the siblings strive to continue capturing the “essence of Joe”, they are also evolving the brand to suit the needs of the modern consumer. For one, they have begun embracing the digitalisation process, enhancing their customer experience and expanding their reach through social media platforms. The brand is also constantly introducing new elements that reflect its clientele’s evolving needs, from exploring new techniques to pushing the boundaries of the art of tailoring.
As for Joseph, it’s only his “hope and dream” that his children can take over the business. He continues: “It’s time-consuming and hard work. But, it’s a satisfying job. I just wish that if they could, I would love to see them [continue] working together as a team to bring Joe’s Tailoring to the next level.”
Credits
Images: Joe's Tailoring
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Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
