ATHENS – George Papadogamvros followed his grandfather and father, both tailors, in the same career path, and then took the family tradition to an entirely new level. As a designer, his name is synonymous with the finely tailored men’s suit, and in his postmodern atelier in Kifissia he creates suits/works of art that satisfy even the most demanding customers and famous faces from a variety of fields including politics and sports.

Papadogamvros spoke to The National Herald about the handmade, bespoke men’s suit, the latest fashions, and his celebrity clients. As he told TNH in a previous interview, the secret of success for a designer is “plenty of work, good taste, and love what you do.”

About choosing a bespoke suit over ready-to-wear suits, Papadogamvros told TNH that “first of all, when a man chooses a bespoke suit, this is a point of no return, that is, he will never go back to the readymade. What does it mean, however, when a man chooses a tailor-made suit, it means that it will be an exact fit to his body, it embraces him, and will be what he asks for [after that]. For bodies with some peculiarities, those can be hidden to show a much more elegant suit.”

When asked what the fashions are this year for men’s suits, Papadogamvros replied, “the fashion this year is for pastel colors and form-fitting suits.”

TNH: Are there any particular changes from last year, especially in men’s attire for weddings?

George Papadogamvros: For weddings, the location plays a great role, whether the wedding is taking place in the islands, for example. The color scheme of the wedding also plays a major role, of course.

TNH: With such a labor-intensive process and so much attention to detail required, how far in advance should clients contact you about a bespoke suit for a wedding?

GP: For me, I would prefer it if clients come in three months in advance due to the great workload.

TNH: Are you seeing changes in the business since Greece now seems to be recovering from the economic crisis?

GP: People are now more optimistic and they see a light at the end of the tunnel.

TNH: You dress some very famous people, including the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Giannis Antetokounmpo among many others, how is dealing with celebrity clients different from clients who are not perhaps as well-known publicly?

GP: For me, I treat all my clients the same and the best advertisement is word of mouth.

TNH: In a previous interview, you mentioned expanding into America, how are things progressing, so far?

GP: I am on the right path and with the help of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, we are progressing.

TNH: What are you working on next?

GP: The next step, I am opening a new store with shoes in Kifissia at the beginning of March.

TNH: How difficult is to express each person’s uniqueness through his stylistic choices?

GP: It is one of the keys to our success to highlight personality and affirm the uniqueness of a person through the style they choose.

Each of our creations lies in following the philosophy: every single customer of mine is unique!

Like, for example, Sakis Rouvas, our Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, etc. They each express their personality individually.