Twist Magazine

The international magazine for natural fibres, yarns and fabrics

Twist

Desire for luxury Latest fabric innovations Natural evolution Future heritage

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Published by Twist 2014

1

German entrepreneur Otto Hertz (1903 – 1991)

starts his business in Brussels, Belgium, on Rue Royale, the street linking the Royal Palace of

Scabal buys Wainshiell, whose origin

Scabal introduces its fabrics in Japan

has been registered on Savile Row.

remained Scabal’s partner to this day.

in collaboration with Itochu, which has

1970

1946

1964

1953

1938

Brussels with the Royal Palace of Laeken.

1966

dates back to 1807, and since 1907

The brand Scabal is officially launched on June

At a wool sale in Australia Scabal sets a record for

J.-Peter Thissen, Otto Hertz’s

has been ever since, on Rue des Commerçants.

the previous price, and uses it to create the collection

to manage the company.

most valued associate, is elected

the purchasing price of a bale of wool, at three times

18. The business moves to the location where it

Ultimus, dubbed ‘the most expensive cloth in the world.’

Natural evolution

In the first of a three-part series on the story behind Scabal, Michael Day, who has worked at the luxury fabric and suit brand as a designer and director for 36 years, speaks to Jonathan Dyson about how the company’s fabrics have evolved across its illustrious history, and how the trend towards ever finer cloths is showing signs of being reversed.

1940’s – Superlana. 480-520 gms fancy suitings in wool of around 21 microns.

When the luxury fabric and suit brand Scabal recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, it marked the occasion with a look back across several decades of fabric innovation and evolution, not only capturing the key moments in the development of Scabal, but also providing an invaluable historical context for some of today’s key fabric trends in suitings and jacketings.

In an interview with Twist, Michael Day, who has worked at Scabal since 1978, as a designer and now as a director, observed that the weights of worsted suiting cloths, and the fineness of the

fibres being used, has fundamentally altered in the industry through the years since Scabal was first established in 1938.

“The weights of worsted suiting fabrics have completely changed, especially over the past 40 or 50 years,” he said. “In the 1960s, a suiting of 380 gms was almost considered lightweight, and some cloths were even as heavy as 480-500 gms.” Day explained that such weights were the norm because wools were then typically much coarser than they are today. “A 20.5 micron wool was regarded as normal 40 or 50 years ago, but that is now considered very coarse for a worsted suiting,” he said.

“Wools have to be finer now to get the lighter weight cloths which consumers desire. We started using 16 micron wools towards the end of the 1960s, and that was regarded as extremely fine then, and was very rarely used. But over the past five to seven years in particular there has been a real shift towards finer microns.

Today, 16 micron wools are used almost in the middle of our collection in terms of fineness, and it is now wools such as 13.5 microns that are seen as being very fine.”

He added: “One of Scabal’s best qualities at the moment is a 280 gms

weight in a bunch called Eton which was previously used for spring / summer and also autumn, but is now used for winter as well, so it’s worn all year round. In Japan, for example, six or seven years ago, the norm was to have a 320 gms cloth for winter, but now they are happy to have a 280 gms cloth in winter - we would never have envisaged that.”

“That’s the evolution and a lot of people don’t realise how fabrics have changed in that way,” he said. Day explained that Scabal has over time in many ways led the trend towards ever finer cloths. “In 1974, Scabal pioneered a new cloth, in a collection called Jewel, that was woven from 16.5 microns wool and therefore finer than the

1960’s – Elidor. 520 gms fancy designs and strong shades in pure wool.

The Diamond Chip collection is launched.

12 Savile Row is converted into a

flagship store carrying all Scabal’s

Over the coming years, more precious stones

Scabal launches its international

lazuli, are used to create exquisite fabrics.

distributed in Europe, Asia and the US.

magazine Bespoken, which is mainly

Scabal makes it possible to create the ultimate personal fabric by weaving text into a cut

length. The collection is called Initials – later to be re-named Private Line.

2006

1997

1991

2000

clothing and fabrics.

2007

and metals, such as gold, platinum and lapis

Gregor Thissen becomes Scabal CEO, as father and son work together, with J.-Peter Thissen becoming chairman of the Scabal Group.

Scabal builds its new warehouse of over 6,000 m2

Salvador Dali is commissioned by Scabal to

imagine what men’s fashion will be in the 21st

century. Dali produces 12 exclusive paintings for Scabal which are still owned by the company.

near the heart of Brussels, and in the same year

Scabal makes the acquisition of a fabric mill

acquires a factory at Saarbrücken, on the Franco-

in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which has

German border, and starts to develop its made-to-

1972

1974

1989

measure system that today has 300 employees.

1973

1971

produced exquisite fabrics since 1899.

Scabal opens a showroom on Savile Row,

and introduces its fabrics range into the US. Scabal provides fabrics for several films made

The first Scabal ready-to-wear

range is launched, supported with the first advertising campaigns.

in the US, beginning a close and long-lasting relationship with the Hollywood film industry.

standard Super 100’s, with 18 microns, that was then available. To distinguish it from its predecessor we therefore called it Super 120’s, a classification that was so successful that it was, in spite of initial scepticism, adopted by the trade as a whole.”

He added: “With the same philosophy, in 1991 we launched Golden Carat, using wools with a fineness of 15.5 microns.

This was the first fabric to be classified as Super 150’s, and here again many other manufacturers followed our lead.”

Day said that over recent years, when even finer wools of 13.5 microns – used for Scabal’s Miracle and Obsession ranges, both launched in 1998; and 13 microns – used for Scabal’s Exceptional and The Star collections, launched in 2000 and 2004 respectively – were at its disposal for the first time, “new classifications were again the logical consequence. We proudly called these new qualities respectively Super 180’s [13.5

A new logo is adopted by Scabal, formed of

1991 – Golden Carat. The first ever Super 150’s, in 230 gms semi-fancy and fancy suitings.

a mix between the historical lion monogram,

A new store is opened in Beijing to meet the

modern logo used for the clothing line.

the entire range of Scabal apparel.

A new flagship store is opened in Brussels.

now asking for something slightly heavier as it means the fabric performs better. So we are, for example, using more two-ply instead of single yarns. While fabrics are still relatively fine, there has been a return to a desire for quality rather than just simply finer and finer cloths.”

He added: “Consumers in some markets are also now accepting heavier weights in summer due to, for instance, more and more offices having air conditioning. This is the case even in Europe.”

Day added that wool fabrics have also changed enormously over time in terms of design and taste. “In the 1960s and ‘70s Scabal produced really flamboyant jacketings and almost over-designed suitings,” he said. “However, now we do those sort of fabrics just to create a buzz in a collection.” He added: “Around 40 years ago, when we did fewer jacketings, they were more exceptionally fancy. Now the trend for jacketings, which today are much more commonly worn, is for the fabrics to be semi-plain.”

increasing demand from Chinese customers for

2013 2012

2011

which represented the fabrics division, and the

2004 – The Star. Super 200’s and vicuña suiting specially made to make a relatively heavy weight of 320 gms.

Gregor Thissen becomes executive chairman, as Scabal appoints a new CEO, Stefano Rivera.

The London flagship store at 12 Savile Row is redesigned and refitted.

2014

1974 – Jewel. The first ever Super 120’s suiting, in 280 gms.

microns] and Super 200’s [13 microns].”

However, Day said that there are growing signs that the evolution towards ever finer cloths may now be taking a change of direction. “There has certainly been an upgrading towards finer qualities,” he said. “But this can’t go on forever.” He noted that since Scabal’s launch of the first Super 250’s cloth in 2006, Scabal has stopped pursuing its redefinitions of the Super S grades. “It had became a numbers game,” he said, adding that many consumers are now even beginning to favour slightly heavier fabrics.

“The move towards finer and finer cloths is coming to an end – people have got tired of that evolution,” he said. “It has got to the point with some weights, such as 190 gms, where a fabric doesn’t perform. People don’t want to go back to heavy or coarse fabrics - they still want lightweight cloths and they still desire fine and luxurious fabrics. But some people are

Desire for luxury In the second of a three-part series on the high-end cloth and suit brand Scabal, Jonathan Dyson looks at the company’s latest fabric innovations, and reveals how it is benefiting from the growing shift towards personal clothing in several key global markets.

In order to meet the growing demand in luxury markets across the world for new advances in high-end cloths, the luxury fabric and suit brand Scabal continues to create new developments designed to capture the imagination of the most discerning consumer.

The most recent innovation is Scabal’s new Imperial Trilogy suiting fabric, which features a yarn produced from Super 230’s super soft Merino wool, blended with guanaco - which comes from the extraordinarily fine and soft undercoat of the guanaco camelid of South America.

“The resulting yarn is exceptionally soft,” explained Michael Day, who has worked at Scabal as a designer and now as a director.

He added that in order to enhance its performance qualities, the Super 230’s / guanaco yarn has been combined with a Super 160’s superfine pure Merino yarn, which “although stronger and more robust, is still beautifully soft.”

The combination of the three luxury fibres - 50% Super 230’s wool; 45% Super 160’s wool; and 5% guanaco - has created a 280 gms cloth which Day said is “exceptionally soft to the touch, yet performs well throughout the year and in most climates.”

The selvedge of the Imperial Trilogy cloth highlights the three types of yarn that have been used, and although the cloth looks plain, closer inspection reveals very subtle patterns with both narrow and wider stripes.

Cloths such as Imperial Trilogy – as well as other fabric innovations such as Orchid, Diamond Chip, Summit, Expression, Ultra Silk Siberia, and EOS – are examples of what Scabal describes as its ‘special editions.’ “Scabal develops its special fabrics by selecting the rarest and most luxurious fibres,” said Day, with examples including the finest wool ever made; the exceptionally rare vicuña, from the South American camelid; and innovations such as gold, diamond and lapis lazuli fragments incorporated in the cloth.

The special edition cloths are packaged in

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Twist 2014

a luxury box and have their own fabric labels.

In addition, a quality guarantee statement is woven into the selvedge of the fabric. “The production process for such an exceptional cloth is the result of the combination of the latest techniques, on the one hand, and manual craftsmanship made in England, on the other - ideal for men who like celebrating in sheer luxury,” added Day. Alongside its special edition fabrics, Scabal continues to introduce diverse new cloth ranges in its seasonal collections. Among the introductions for autumn/winter 2014/15 is the new Heraldic range, a 320 gms cloth woven with Super 120’s Merino and 2% cashmere. The collection comprises six English patterns that feature different motifs woven into the cloth: the symbol of authority ‘Royal orb’; the stag’s head ‘Monarch of the Glen’; the ‘Tudor star’; the ‘Chieftain’ coat of arms; the crossed golf clubs ‘Noble Sport’; and the ‘Scabal Lion.’

The different motifs are light blue on a navy ground. “While those patterns have been created as a very striking suit for a dandy look, these cloths could also be worn as a fancy and very elegant jacketing,” said Day. As Scabal continues to develop new fabric innovations, Neil Hart, the global sales director for fabrics at Scabal, told Twist that the company is benefiting from the growing trend towards personalisation, and the increasing appeal of bespoke products, as a growing number of high-end consumers across the world are attracted to Scabal’s unique cloths.

“Globally, we are certainly seeing growth in the idea of personal clothing and personalisation,” said Hart. “The concept of made-to-measure and bespoke clothing is gaining appeal across all the different global markets. This trend has been around for a while, but it’s got increased momentum everywhere and seems here to stay. Even in China, where in the past everything was about bulk purchases, they now see the benefits of personalisation – and that small is beautiful.”

He added: “Brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Armani – who you perhaps wouldn’t have thought of in terms of bespoke products – are now moving in this direction. And in order to meet the growing demand these

Scabal’s Heraldic cloth for autumn/winter 2014/15

Father and son wearing Scabal fabrics for autumn/winter 2014/15: father in Fidelio pure wool suiting cloth; son wearing jacket in Super 130’s fabric from the Finest Jacketings range, and trousers in pure cotton from the Ascona collection.

brands need to have access to a wide variety of luxury cloths available for immediate delivery. So our business is growing in response to this trend.”

Hart explained that Scabal provides its customers with access to just under 5,000 stock-supported fabrics. “We give all the players internationally access to our huge library of fabrics, also online, and with that comes an ability to provide cloths on a just-in-time basis, with delivery the next day - which means that customers do not have to worry about having to invest in stock.”

Hart said that Scabal’s fabric division is growing strongly in all its key markets, adding that particularly significant growth over the past year has come in Italy and the US. He explained that in Italy, Scabal is benefiting from the growing number of garment makers producing made-tomeasure suits, with double-digit growth in Italy currently. He added that the situation is similar in France, also thanks to the trend towards more personal clothing.

In the US, Scabal grew at more than 15% in 2013, with similar growth anticipated for 2014, according to Hart, who said that Scabal is reaping the rewards of recent investments in its sales operations in the US. Scabal created the new role of national sales manager for the US at the start of 2013, with Craig Wertheim, who came to Scabal with strong experience of the fabric merchanting business in the US, taking up

this position. In addition, Scabal has opened a new office and showroom in New York.

Scabal is also growing strongly in Canada, for which Wertheim is also responsible.

Scabal previously operated through a distributor in Canada.

Another market in which Scabal has invested in its sales operations is the DACH region of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where Matthias Rollman, who has been with Scabal for over ten years, took up the new position of regional sales manager earlier this year. Elsewhere in Europe, Hart said that Scabal is seeing continued growth in the UK, where a new sales manager, Andrew Goldberg, joined the company at the end of 2013. In addition, Hart said that Scabal is growing significantly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia following a recent change in distributor there, with growth also strong in Bulgaria and Hungary.

Scabal has also expanded its presence in China, with two distributors now, and at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics (October 20-23), Scabal will have two stands, one for each distributor. In Japan – where Scabal works with its long-time partner Itochu – Hart said that the market has been “picking up over the last few years. We have seen positive signs and our figures are up.” Other important markets for Scabal fabrics include Russia and the former Soviet Republics, India, and the Middle East.

Hart added that the exceptional quality of Scabal’s fabrics is highlighted by the

The new Imperial Trilogy suiting fabric from Scabal is composed of three different fibres 50% Super 230’s wool; 45% Super 160’s wool; and 5% guanaco.

continuing presence of Scabal cloths in some of the world’s most successful films, and in suits worn by several major international celebrities. Recent examples of movies featuring Scabal fabric include Kingsman: The Secret Service; Mission: Impossible 5; Legend – a new film about the Kray twins; Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street; and French actor Gérard Depardieu in United Passions. Scabal cloth has also been worn recently in the musical Miss Saigon.

Celebrities wearing Scabal fabric over recent months have included Roger Daltrey from The Who, and Kate Bush in concert.

• Page 44 - Twist looks at some of the highlights of Scabal’s new fabric collections for the forthcoming season.

Twist 2014

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Future heritage In the third and final part of our series on the high-end cloth and suit brand Scabal, Jonathan Dyson outlines the latest developments in the company’s finished product ranges, as well as its retail ventures in different parts of the world.

The luxury fabric and suit brand Scabal is continuing to evolve its range of finished products, as well as capitalise on its increasingly strong international retail presence, as it looks to benefit from a strong growth in demand for luxury menswear in many parts of the world today.

“We feel menswear is an increasing market,” said Stefano Rivera, the Scabal CEO. “Several studies predict substantial growth in the men’s luxury sector.” He added: “I think it’s sociological. Men today really know what they want. First, they look for the product online and then they go to the store of their choice. The offer is more easily available, anywhere in the world. The younger generation is more conscious about their look.”

While fabric remains at the heart of the Scabal DNA, its finished products – which comprise made-to-measure garments, readyto-wear clothing, and luxury accessories – are an increasingly important part of the Scabal business.

Scabal’s made-to-measure garments are created from the company’s stock of around 5,000 fabrics, and produced in a way that personalises the suit to the highest possible degree, with a large number of measurements that are captured for each customer, and around 200 different style options to choose from. The suits are produced at Scabal’s own factory in Germany, which has specialised in the manufacture of made-to-measure suits since it was established in 1937. The factory was acquired

by Scabal in 1989.

Wilfried Redant, the international marketing leader at Scabal, said that this long experience, combined with its offering of exquisite fabrics, and an exceptionally high level of personalisation, gives Scabal “an unparalleled position in the made-to-measure suit market,” adding that another key element is its service, with short and consistent delivery times of three weeks, and an express service of even less, resulting from the

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Twist 2014

Made-to-measure shirts from Scabal.

‘We feel menswear is an increasing market’ flexibility of being made in Europe.

Redant added that made-to-measure shirts are also an important part of the Scabal offering. “As a suit and fabric brand, we are perhaps underestimated in this area,” he said, adding that Scabal’s shirts are made in Italy from a wide range of exquisite cotton and linen fabrics, with a high level of quality and detail and in a wide range of colours and shades.

Scabal’s range of ready-to-wear clothing is also continuing to evolve, and following the appointment earlier this year of a new artistic director, Detlev Diehm, who has worked for a number of leading men’s fashion companies, Scabal has been pushing the look and feel of its ready-to-wear suits in a new direction.

“Diehm has taken our 77 years of heritage in making suits, and placed the Scabal suit into a different light,” said Redant. “This has been the most important development that Detlev has driven so far. We have mainly worked on the shoulder area of the jackets, retaining the elegant look they had before but with a softer shoulder, giving a more relaxed feeling about it.”

Looking ahead, he said that as Diehm continues to evolve the Scabal suit, the company will continue to “try to find a fully contemporary approach to tailoring on the whole.”

Complementing the made-to-measure and ready-to-wear ranges is Scabal’s accessories range, which now encompasses shoes, belts,

ties and leather bags, all hand crafted in Europe by small, specialised companies working on an exclusive basis. Redant said that while Scabal is keen to continue to offer the full range of luxury accessories products, it is now taking a fresh look at its accessories ranges. “Through Detlev, the accessories range is moving to a more focused direction – rather than enlarging the collection, our main goal today is to narrow it down into a more specific vision of what Detlev believes is the modern ‘Scabal man’ of today.”

Scabal is also continuing to expand its more casual range of ready-to-wear clothing, featuring chinos and fitted jeans, teamed with cardigans in cashmere with patterned elbow patches and wool with shawl collars. Also featured are Merino wool socks, leather clip braces and nappa leather messenger bags.

In addition, the outdoor collection features padded jackets and coats, with a striking shearling jacket in sheepskin and chocolate brown leather.

“We are continuing to expand our range, and in the future we will see if there are new target groups beyond the ones we are currently serving that we would like to address,” said Redant.

Helping drive the evolution of Scabal’s finished products ranges is the company’s continued retail activities. Scabal’s flagship store on Savile Row in London underwent a major refurbishment earlier this year, with the new look reflecting the new Scabal store concept, designed to present the best of modern British luxury.

Redant said that Scabal’s presence on Savile Row is an important part of its identity, with the first Scabal showroom on the Row opened in 1972, while prior to that Scabal first had a Savile Row presence in 1953 when acquiring the Wain Shiell cloth business - a brand that had been on the Row since 1907. “We are proud to have our own store on Savile Row, which lies at the heart of London’s renowned sartorial heritage.

Known as the golden mile of tailoring, it has been supplying the finest suits to discerning gentlemen since the 18th century.”

Complementing the Savile Row store is Scabal’s Brussels flagship, which was opened in 2012 and lies on Boulevard de Waterloo, which is home to many of the world’s leading luxury brands. The outlet had previously been owned by a Scabal customer since the 1950’s.

Another key Scabal store in Europe, though not a flagship, is Scabal’s Savile House outlet in Paris, which lies on Avenue George V, and

Father and son wearing Scabal garments and accessories for autumn/winter 2014/15: father in Fidelio pure wool suit, with shirt, Brighton tie, Brisbane belt and Aosta handkerchief; son wearing an Eton Super 130’s 3-piece suit, with shirt, Liverpool tie, and Bradford handkerchief.

Inside Scabal’s Brussels flagship store.

was opened in 2009. “Rather than being a typical retail store, the Savile House concept is a private space with no shop windows, allowing skilled tailors to receive people at the premises, and provide a base from which they can also visit customers at their offices or homes,” explained Redant.

Outside of Europe, in 2012 Scabal opened a flagship store in Beijing, which was the company’s first outlet in Asia. In addition, Scabal has partner stores in Geneva, Kiev, Moscow, Ankara and Baku, and shop-inshops at Le Bon Marché in Paris and KaDeWe in Berlin.

Redant said that Scabal has no immediate

plans to open additional new stores in the near future, but instead is aiming to capitalise on its recent expansion. “We really want to make sure that the quality and service at our current stores is optimal – it is not mega expansion that Scabal is looking for.”

He added that over the next three to five years Scabal will be continually working on product presentation, across all its finished products areas, as well as its fabrics. “We’ve now built the stores, and it is now a question of how to make sure that our products are presented so that they offer the best customer experience for the people coming into each of our outlets,” he said.

Twist 2014

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