Fidelio Tailored Clothing is an example of how a project launched with true passion can become a successful business if, in addition to love, you invest sufficient persistence, patience and dedication into it.
We have but one chance for a first impression, which means that the message we send out with our clothing is very important, especially in the business world, Damir Matešković, Director and owner of Fidelio Tailored Clothing, states for Diplomacy&Commerce. Fidelio’s clients have recognized this and that is precisely why they choose clothes tailored just for them, completely personalized and customized to their preferences. Nothing speaks of style more than clothes that fit flawlessly and compliments a person, and that is precisely what Fidelio offers.
- Judging by your resume, you seem to be a true example of a successful young man, who could be an example to others. After your primary business (owner of hair salons and company for distribution of professional hair care cosmetics and tools), you launched your own fashion line of tailor-made men’s suits in 2018. How would you rate your decision today, 4 years later?
The decision to launch Fidelio Tailored Clothing was not a decision with a business plan and strategy, but an emotional urge driven by my love of good clothes and also my personal need to stop agreeing to compromises which are necessary when buying ready-made clothes – whether it comes to the cut, colour or size. Four years later, I can say that this passion of mine has led me to a successful brand and good business in this specific niche.
- Men’s fashion seems to be more expensive and not so common. How much are Croats and everyone else interested in your suits, shoes and everything else you offer, and what does the production process look like?
Our market lacked such an offer, especially when it comes to men. Men’s need to be dressed with quality and style is getting stronger, and precisely our personalized styling service is what attracts them the most to us, with the option to have every detail of their outfit fully tailored to their wishes, whether it is a wedding suit which should match the theme and style of the wedding or a business suit that should provide impeccable elegance combined with comfort, durable and quality materials that do not crease and allow comfortable wearing. The story about the making of a suit starts with an informative meeting where we learn about the needs, desires and habits of our clients, and it continues with a meeting where we take measures, choose the materials, details and fashion accessories. All suits and shoes are made by hand in Italy within three to four weeks, after which we test the product with the client and finish the suit with our Croatian team, and do the final touch-ups before the final delivery.
- Where do you procure the materials, who does the designs and how the final product will look like?
Fidelio’s clients can choose between more than 3,000 fabric samples of renowned Italian and English suiting fabric manufacturers, and we make sure everything is flawlessly combined and personalized by providing styling services when designing a suit. The final appearance of a tailor-made suit, shoes, coat or some other clothing item from our offer is a harmonious combination of client’s desires, needs and habits with our experience, expertise and interpretation of global fashion trends.
- From a business point of view, how good of an example is Fidelio Tailored Clothing to others? What do the numbers (growth, percentages, etc.) say?
Fidelio Tailored Clothing is an example of how a project launched with true passion can become a successful business if, in addition to love, you invest sufficient persistence, patience and dedication into it. The last two years have been challenging for most entrepreneurs and we cannot say that the pandemic did not affect our business, especially when it comes to clients who need our services for a wedding. However, our advantage is that we provide personalized one-on-one service at pre-arranged times so our clients feel safe, even during the pandemic, which has allowed us to grow despite the difficult situation.
- Where can those who want your products find you?
We started working in a room within Gentlemen’s Shop in Rijeka, and during the four years of our presence on the market, Fidelio Tailored Clothing grew and became ready for the next step, so we are currently furnishing a showroom and a tailor shop at a new address in Rijeka. We expect to move there very soon. Also, due to huge interest of the market, over the past two years we have been in Zagreb once or twice a week as well. Our Zagreb showroom is located at the EU Business Club at Sky Office Towers.
- In the end, do you think that you can tell a man by his suit, or not?
As our motto states, you can’t tell a man by his suit, but it does make the first impression, which is key and often crucial. That is precisely why we created Fidelio Tailored Clothing, and we found the inspiration for the brand’s name in the Latin word ‘fides’, which means trust, security, credibility and reliability, because these values are what embodies Fidelio and what anyone who decides to become Fidelio’s client will feel.