30/09/2021
From Jamal Abdillah's bell-bottom pants to Muhyiddin Yassin's suit - Get to know this VVIP tailor
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This FIGURE never thought of becoming a tailor, let alone given the trust to produce clothing for dignitaries, including the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Tommy Yap, a bespoke tailor/designer based in Kuala Lumpur, has been involved in the field of suit sewing for the past 45 years.
"For more than five years I have been sewing suits, shirts, pants and so on for the Prime Minister. It is a great honor for me to be able to produce his clothes during that period. At first, I was nervous too but when he returned to re-order suits and other clothes, I knew I had done the best to satisfy his needs" he said when met by mStar at his boutique located at Wisma MPL Kuala Lumpur.
Telling more about Muhyiddin, Tommy, 61, described that he has a taste in fashion and knows what is suitable for different events. He revealed that Muhyiddin likes various colors when ordering suits but black, blue and brown are his favorites.
"Muhyiddin has a 'classic' taste when ordering a suit but he is also a person who follows the circulation of fashion, including color choices that are not limited to safe shades only. He was very concerned about comfort as well as letting him look attractive and tidy,” shared Tommy.
Muhyiddin is not the only VVIP customer of Tommy, instead he has several regular customers such as Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein who has been using his services for more than 25 years, shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo and many more.
Asked about the feeling of being the tailor of choice for dignitaries, Tommy said he never once took advantage of a given opportunity but instead grabbed the trust given to produce the best clothes for his customers.
“I have always believed, if we do something diligently and make customers happy, they will definitely come back to our services. If I don’t stick to that basics, how could they possibly come back to order a suit with me,” he said.
Bell-bottom suit for Jamal Abdillah
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Having no prior experience in fashion and sewing, Tommy said he started working as an apprentice at the famous boutique Ali Tailor in 1976.
Recalled by the father two, the first task he did at that time was to sweep the garbage and clean the sewing workshop before being taught how to measure and cut cloth.
Working solely on survival factors, Tommy however said he began to fall in love with the field of suit making after learning the right techniques - and since then, he hasn’t looked back.
“When I started working, I was only paid around RM40 a month and after two years, the employer increased my salary to RM350 a month, which was equivalent to the wages of a senior tailor because my skills were comparable to theirs. During the two-year period, I studied and trained hard because I did not want to waste the opportunity and guidance given to me by the employer," he said.
Tommy's efforts also paid off when he was given the opportunity to produce a suit for Datuk Jamal Abdillah when the legendary singer competed in the final round of the Bintang RTM competition in 1979.
"It was one of my fondest memories of being a tailor. I remember sewing a white and blue suit for Jamal with a cut of bell-bottom pants for him.
"Who would have thought that Jamal Abdillah today is still one of the legendary singers that fans love," he said.
Still passionate as a seamstress!
A year later, Tommy said, he decided to open his own boutique, Saujana Men's Wear in Kompleks Pertama before moving to Sungai Wang Plaza and later on to Wisma MPL in the capital for more than 30 years now.
At his golden age now, Tommy said he has no plans to retire but will continue to be a tailor as long as he has the abilities.
“This is the love of my heart and after 45 years, I am still excited and enthusiastic every time I can measure, cut and sew clothes ordered by customers.
"Every night before bed I will search on Google to see the latest trends to keep up to the ever changing trends," he said.
The success he has achieved is certainly not an easy path, said Tommy, but he is always positive and does not waste the trust given to him by customers.
"I am happy and satisfied when I see customers smiling when putting on a suit or dress that I produce and that is the impetus for me to continue to provide service," he said.
https://www.mstar.com.my/xpose/figura/2020/06/23/dari-seluar-bell-bottom-jamal-abdillah-ke-sut-muhyiddin-yassin-kenali-tukang-jahit-vvip-ini
