Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Abadi.
Mike – kick things off for us. Where does this story start?
Our story started when I was studying abroad in Hong Kong. I had a job lined up in Wall Street after graduation and found myself needing a full wardrobe of suits and shirts. Taking advantage of Hong Kong’s long heritage of tailors, I was able to get great fitting pieces.
Upon returning to my university back in the USA, I saw how all of my friends were facing the same challenges of getting suits for work and that’s where the idea struck. I got in touch with my tailor in Hong Kong and asked if I could place orders with him. I spent a couple of evenings learning how to take measurements through Skype, and after receiving some fabric books from Hong Kong, my dorm room was open for business. Students would come to my room, where they would get measured, they would select a fabric, and 4 weeks later they would receive their suit.
After graduation, I went into Investment Banking in New York for a couple of years. However, the idea stuck with me and after saving up some money, I decided to start my own Tailored Suit Company. The concept originally started with a website under the Arden Reed brand. Customers could choose their fabrics and input their own measurements online. At the time, I moved to Shanghai where I spent two years setting up the production process, and finding the best fabric mills around the world.
In 2013, the company launched the first ever Men’s Mobile 3D Boutique (http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000199311). We got an old FedEx truck and remodeled it to be a showroom for their fabrics, with a 3D scanner in the back where they would get customer’s measurements. The truck would drive around Manhattan, parking right outside banks and office buildings where customers could conveniently come down for appointments.
Taking from the success of our Tailor Truck concept, the company decided to take it up a notch and open our first brick and mortar store in Copley Place Mall in Boston. By then the company had made some big improvements in the quality of their products and their fabrics, and decided to open under the Hive & Colony brand. In our Boston showroom, customers can book an appointment where they will be paired with their own personal stylist. The stylist will pre-select some fabrics among the 500+ options that are offered, to fit the needs and budget of the customer. Once the customer comes in, they will sit down in their “Fabric Bar”, drink a coffee, and go over all the customization options of their suit and shirt. Customers can design every single component of the suit, from the buttons to the lapels and lining, each item ends up being a truly unique creation. The customer will then go back to get 3D scanned and measured and 4-6 weeks later, their product will arrive.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The company has had several ups and downs and struggled with several challenges. Even though the original version of the company was a web only e-commerce model, they quickly realized the many challenges this posed. First of all, the team had dedicated a lot of time and effort to produce a very high quality product. They were using very high quality fabrics and finishing and it was difficult to show this through the website. They quickly realized they needed a way to have the customer touch and feel their product. The second challenge that they faced was with measurements. Customers were taught how to take their own measurements but a lot of mistakes were being done. The only way to guarantee a great fit was using trained tailors and 3D scanning technology. Currently, the company uses 3D scanning technology and traditional tape measures to offer the best fit possible.
Hive & Colony – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Hive & Colony, combines fashion and technology to make premium, tailor-made suits and shirts for men. The Company, which started off in the streets of Manhattan with its Tailor Truck concept, uses 3D scanning technology to transform the highest quality fabrics into suits and shirts precisely crafted to each individual’s unique measurements. In our Hive & Colony shop, you will find over 500 options of made-to-measure fabrics for suits, pants, blazers, vests, shirts and coats. You can complete the look with our line of accessories which include ties, belts, cuff-links, wallets, bags, and socks. We would be pleased to help you become the best dressed man in the room.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When we launched the Tailor Truck, we got a lot of press and that was very exciting. We were being featured in CNBC, Fox News, BBC, even an Italian newspaper picked us up. It felt great to have your idea being so well received. Equally exciting was opening our first store. Seeing your brand right next to established players such as Hugo Boss and Zegna made us feel really proud.
Pricing:
- Tailor Made Suits start at $525 go up to $2,000+ depending on the fabric.
- Tailor Made Shirts cost $130
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 Huntington Ave
Mall second floor
Boston, MA 02116 - Website: hiveandcolony.com
- Phone: (857) 288-8515
- Email: info@hiveandcolony.com
- Instagram: @hiveandcolony
- Facebook: facebook.com/hiveandcolony
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hive-and-colony-boston
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