Suited & Booted founders Ryan and Calvin Smith have revealed plans to transform their Dubai-born tailoring business into a global luxury lifestyle brand, as they opened the doors to their huge new flagship in the emirate.
The Scottish entrepreneurs said the company is expanding well beyond its bespoke tailoring roots, with products including trainers, sunglasses and luxury underwear in development.
The new Dubai space reflects that ambition. Alongside tailoring and casualwear, it includes a barber’s chair, coffee bar and content and podcast facilities, as the founders attempt to create an experience built around their customers rather than simply another clothing store.
Our understanding is, from the conversations we’ve had, this is the world’s largest private tailors,”
“But the origination of this brand was bespoke tailoring. We believe that there’s been a transition through the nature of how we’ve expanded. This is now a modern luxury lifestyle brand.”
Around half of what Suited & Booted now sells is casualwear, according to Smith.
The company was founded in Dubai in 2017 after Ryan Smith spotted what he believed was a gap in the market for a more service-focused tailoring business.
“Dubai had the best of everything in the world, and the one thing I thought could have been a little bit better was tailoring,” he said.
The pair have since expanded into Abu Dhabi and Glasgow, while building a client list that includes some of the biggest names in sport.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been a customer for around two years, while the brand has also dressed Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, golfer Sergio Garcia and boxer Chris Eubank Jr.
But the journey has been far from straightforward.
Ryan recalled the early days when money was so tight that he was living in a house without curtains and struggling to afford business cards or fuel for his car.
There was, however, never a point when he believed the business would fail.
“I always knew I would make it work, no matter what,” he said. “Me and Calvin completely back each other. When one is having a quieter or bad day, the other person lifts them up.”
Calvin said that mentality continues as the pair plot the next phase of growth.
“We’ve got appetite for global expansion,” he said. “Our aspirations are grand.”
Despite already building a business that dresses football legends, entrepreneurs and celebrities, there is one client still sitting firmly on Calvin’s wish list: Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“I’ve got a plan. That’s on the vision board,” he said, adding that his dream would be to create an Ascot outfit for him.
For two Scots who built their business careers in Dubai, it would perhaps be the ultimate endorsement of just how far Suited & Booted has come.
