There are many reasons to invest in a custom wardrobe. Perfect fit, comfort, and reduced hassle around getting dressed are three that come to mind. Luxury is right up there too. Luxury cloth is not a necessity per se, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s with this in mind that we ask you to mark your calendars on October 8-10 for our annual fall trunk show featuring Scabal, one of the world’s premier luxury fabric mills.
What is a Trunk Show?
We get this question a lot, so we’ll take a moment to answer it here. As it relates to the bespoke clothing industry, a trunk show is an event in which a vendor goes on-site to a retailer to preview and sell new merchandise before it becomes available to the general public.
Why Call It A “Trunk Show?”
Cloth wasn’t always displayed in swatch books like we have at the shop. Before car and air travel, fabric vendors would travel by train or boat to their dealers. As was customary at the time, they transported their wares to and from these events in trunks. Hence the name trunk show.
There are still some tailors – mainly based on London’s Savile Row – who service their clientele around the world using trunks to transport their goods. The prevalence of swatch books and high technology renders literal trunk usage obsolete. Still, the event that is the “trunk show” survives.
Specialty Pricing & Strategic Planning
Our trunk show with Scabal offers many benefits to our clients:
First, Scabal is offering a percentage off its regular pricing for their entire collection. We’ve cultivated an excellent relationship with Scabal over the years as their top seller in Pennsylvania, which means we have more of their collection to choose from than any other store. This allows us to cultivate these special pricing opportunities for our clients.
A break on price is compelling to begin with, but there’s additional added value here too. Traditional retail stores cycle their sales at the end end of a season when they need to get rid of inventory that has not yet moved. This means slim pickings and odd sizes, and designs that are already on their way out of fashion. For all of those considerations, the store offers reduced pricing in an attempt to incentivize you into helping them make room for the next season’s inventory.
A trunk show like ours, though, offers you special pricing at the beginning of the season from the entire collection. It’s not just the remains of what others’ have already passed on.
In the world of bespoke suits where garment manufacturing takes at least four weeks, this has massive value. You can plan your wardrobe strategically, enjoy the best pricing, and have your clothes ready to go as soon as the weather cools off.
Last but not least, a representative from the mill joins us throughout the event. He offers deep knowledge about any cloth in the collection, and brings his most exclusive collections that even we don’t usually have available. Think 24-karat gold-wrapped yarns, or Super 180’s wool with with diamond shavings infused in the fibers. These collections often have only two or three swatch sets available in the entire US.
It’s a great complement to the consulting services Henry A. Davidsen provides to begin with, and our clients highly value this interaction with a mill expert.
Next Steps
Historically, our trunk shows have been very busy. Now that we have COVID-19 policies in place regarding disinfecting and overlapping appointments, it’s even more important to book your appointment today before they disappear. Reach out to us at 215-310-0219 or email us at info@henrydavidsen.com to book your appointment for our fall trunk show today.
