Meet Johnny
The tailor behind New David Jone
He has cut suits in Patong since 1999, and he still takes most of the fittings himself. This is how he tells his story, in his own words.
Where it started
A scrapbook full of magazine pages
I remember as a young boy how I looked in magazines and was taken by how beautiful the people were. I got my first scrapbook as a young teenager and filled it with every picture I could collect.
What caught him was never only the clothes. It was how the people in the pictures stood, and the story they told with their pose and attitude. “Who doesn’t remember Marlon Brando or Marilyn? So classy.”
The designers he grew up with
Cardin, Givenchy and Saint Laurent
Pierre Cardin with his colourful dresses, Givenchy with his more strict and elegant style, Yves Saint Laurent for his gorgeous tuxedos, and so many more.
He still follows what the fashion houses do, and he likes it when they mix styles. For him, a suit is more than something to wear on one good day. “It also gives you an identity.”
How he works
“The more you talk to me, the more I can adjust it to your personality.”
He says he can usually see straight away which cut would suit a person and their shape. The conversation is how he finds out who you are.
The formula
Satisfied customers will return
If you make something good, whatever it is, you will succeed. It is actually a very easy formula.
He started in a single small unit close to Bangla Road, and built the reputation one customer at a time by going the extra mile for each of them. The whole story of the shop, including the tsunami and the year it took to come back, is on Our Heritage.
The family business
“She takes care of the things I am less good at”
My lovely wife has always supported me, and she is a part of our business. She takes care of the things I am less good at, so I can focus on being an artist.
In the shop
A day on the floor
Come and meet him
“Let me show you how I turn fabric into magic.”
The shop is in OTOP Shopping Paradise in Patong, a ten minute walk from Bangla Road.
