Interview With Kevin Seah – One of Singapore’s Finest Bespoke Tailors

Ong Chin Huat pays a visit to Singapore’s leading bespoke tailor, Kevin Seah Bespoke and discovers a treasure trove of exceptional men’s suits and shirts as well as a host of other gentlemen’s accoutrements.

Considered as one of the best bespoke tailors in this city-state, Kevin Seah has carved a reputation as the go-to guy if you require well-made suits, fitted shirts and a host of other men’s accoutrements which are a prerequisite if you wish to cut a dashing figure in the boardroom or anywhere else for that matter.

Using fabrics sourced and specially curated from leading premier English and Italian mills such as Loro Piana, Harrisons of Edinburgh and Fox brothers among others, all Kevin Seah suits are never fused and 100 per cent finished by hand with hand-stitched button holes and fully pick-stitched seams alongside the best buttons and lining.

Their shirts, on the other hand, are made using the finest materials from Testa, Acorn Fabrics and Grandi & Rubinelli and never leaves his workshop until the patterns are perfectly matched and feature 1/8-inch French seams sewn with hand-shanked mother-of-pearl buttons.

Luxurious Magazine sits down with Kevin Seah in his store on Boat Quay in Singapore and speaks to the menswear maestro on what makes a Kevin Seah suit so special.

LM: Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you came about starting The Kevin Seah Group?
KS: I started as an apprentice with a tailoring company that specialises in women’s tailoring. At the age of 14, I knew I wanted to be a couturier doing high fashion and I went straight to being an apprentice after high school. After 2 years in the army, I started my first job as a wedding gown designer. In 1999, I started my own first shop, KEVIN SEAH ATELIER designing wedding and evening gowns.

After many years, I began to explore men’s tailoring in Singapore and that was when I wanted to bring style and level of bespoke tailoring with my couture background into the market.That was the birth of KEVIN SEAH BESPOKE and The Kevin Seah Group.

That was the birth of KEVIN SEAH BESPOKE and The Kevin Seah Group.

LM: What made you want to become a tailor and specialise in men’s clothing?
KS: I wasn’t very satisfied with the level of tailoring and style of menswear in Singapore. I wanted to create well-made clothes using the finest fabrics and the highest level of tailoring for me for like-minded people around me.

LM: Tailoring and more specifically suits remain the bread and butter of your business. Could you tell us what are the elements which go into making a well-fitted and high-quality suit?
KS: The most important aspect to me is the ingredients. Start with good quality fabrics and you will find the drape and feel of the fabric makes a lot of difference. Bespoke tailoring is also about understanding what the clients like and their personal style. That is our top priority. After an initial discussion, we proceed to choose a fabric and then taking about 30 measurements to create a well-fitted suit. We do not fuse our Jackets like most ready-to-wear or lower-end tailors.

We still believe in making a suit in a traditional way where it’s hand-cut and made up with minimal sewing machine work. Up to 80% of a bespoke Jacket is entirely hand stitched.