Swedish brand Blugiallo recently opened their Stockholm showroom, We took the two flights of stairs up to “Två Trappor”, the exquisitely designed home of the brand and asked co-founder Daniel Apler some questions about managing a made-to-order brand in a ready-wear world.
Please tell me a bit of your backstory, I know you founded Blugiallo in Borås in 2016 but what had you done before that and what was the idea behind Blugiallo?
I am born and raised in Sweden’s textile Silicon Valley, Borås. After business studies in Lund, which is the same period as when I first met Alexander, my co-founder, I worked as a business controller.
Alexander and I shared a common interest in style and tailored suits but generally felt that the category was too traditional and inaccessible, lacking good digital solutions and the ability to fully express yourself. The idea for a business plan was born, and after a long dinner down in Bologna in 2015, the company Blugiallo was born – “blue and yellow” in Swedish. It also refers to another shared love we have - Italian football, where teams often have a color in their name. Blugiallo was incorporated as a company in Borås in 2016.
You offer tailored pieces; how do you combine tailor made clothes with a world of fast fashion?
It is a challenge, but our aim is to transform the fashion industry. With our custom made offering we want to encourage people to slow down their consumption pace, shop for clothes in a more conscious manner, and help individuals find their personal style.
What are the steps of buying a Blugiallo piece?
As a new customer to Blugiallo, you can either book an appointment for measurements at one of the company's physical showrooms or place an order online. If you order digitally, we have advanced data technology that can calculate the chest measurement, which is a vital part of tailoring, with 99.1 percent precision with a margin of error of +/- 1 cm.
During a first visit to Blugiallo's showroom, your personal needs and preferences are discussed to help them find their personal expression/style. The visit takes about 1.5 hours – going through 40–50 different measurements – and then your measurements are saved digitally on an account so that you can conveniently order bespoke garments and accessories directly through Blugiallo's e-commerce platform whenever you want.
After placing an order, the garments are delivered within 5-6 weeks, either to the showroom or directly to your home. As a first-time customer, Blugiallo always conducts a “fitting,” where they assess the fit and quality of the garments, and if there is a need for minor adjustments in the fit, this is done by the company's tailors. The measurements are then updated in the customer's digital profile to ensure that all future orders are perfect.
What is your inspiration behind your designs? You have four different collections, what are the inspirations and diversions between the collections?
I find inspiration in numerous brands for diverse reasons. While I deeply admire iconic names like Ralph Lauren and contemporary innovators like Aimé Leon Dore, our greatest source of inspiration often stems from observing everyday individuals. Rather than solely focusing on renowned designers or luxury brands, we draw inspiration from how ordinary people confidently express themselves through clothing. Whether it's the precise tailoring of a suit or a bold mix of colors and patterns, it's the genuine authenticity and individuality embodied in their style that resonates most strongly with Blugiallo.
An essential aspect of our style is ensuring excellent comfort for the wearer, allowing them to genuinely enjoy the product they're wearing. This comfort stems from the personalized fit tailored to each customer, inspired by our house cut for the specific product category. Additionally, it arises from aligning the style and quality of the product with the customer’s preferences.
Our collection setup is structured into various levels of creativity regarding materials, colors, and designs,and functions as inspiration of how we like to demonstrate styling depending on the customer’s context.
You recently started offering womenswear as well, what were the thoughts behind that decision?
Our goal has always been to make personalized garments and high-quality tailored fashion more accessible to more people. Initially, the suit was our main signature, but today our range extends from tailored jeans and chinos to knitted garments, without waste materials. Launching our concept for women has long been a dream for us. We see great potential and look forward to more women being able to create their own unique style and express their own story through tailored garments, which we’ve seen has been a gap in the tailoring segment.
You also recently opened up this showroom, tell me more about that?
We have always wanted to create a Blugiallo home, rather than a classic store or showroom. With 'Två Trappor,' we have created a space where design, decor, and architecture are a direct reflection of who we are and what inspires us. Our new home is a place where all the wonderful personalities we encounter, whether they are existing or new customers, can feel at home. The showroom is located on top of Riche at Birgir Jarlsgatan 2.
What would you say are the 3 core values for Blugiallo?
Expressive luxury
Personal service
Quality
With these values, we believe one can enjoy fashion more and not feel the need to look to new trends and garments for each season.
How would you describe the Blugiallo customer?
Over the years, we see that the community has grown and we now see many different sorts of people wearing Blugiallo, something which I am very proud of. The Blugiallo customer likes to express themselves through fashion, and is willing to invest in long lasting high quality garments. The Blugiallo customer also has belief in us – for instance, 100 % of our investors are customers.
What have been the most challenging aspects these 8 years at Blugaillo?
To get e-commerce to work – a big nut to crack for a brand offering custom tailored pieces. We tried many different ways, but landed a working solution in 2019 which made us accessible globally. We use some of the most expensive, prestigious fabrics available. Therefore, it was a challenge to get down to a reasonable price point.
What can we expect from Blugiallo in the near future?
We are also now launching our Signature Made collection. It is ready-to-wear products, yet produced with high quality garments to ensure longevity of the product, that have been developed based on our customers' desire for faster delivery and a smooth purchasing experience.
We see a big growth internationally, for instance the US is our biggest growing market. To see a version of Två Trappor in another city is something one can expect within the coming year.
