THERE'S an old saying in China: "Though lamb may be good, it's difficult to cook it to suit everyone's taste." And this may help explain the increasing popularity of tailor-made services in the city, which aim to please everyone pursuing quality - providing their "lamb" exactly as they like it.

Unlike their mass-produced counterparts, which by their very nature seek mainstream appeal, bespoke goods place the emphasis on the individual. The buyer can control every detail of the product, from the fabric used, the design, to the personality and emotion expressed - in other words, take an active role in the production of the item.

"The sense of pleasure from wearing a ready-to-wear wedding dress is totally different to wearing a tailor-made dress. Wearing a bespoke dress is like being a star standing at the center of my own exclusive stage - it's unique to me," says Faye Gu, a Shanghai woman and big fan of tailor-made goods and services.

In the bespoke industry women form the bulk of customers. "We find that women have a strong desire to stand out from the crowd," says Ji Peng, marketing officer of Puyor, a Shanghai-based company providing tailor-made vacations.

In contrast, men choosing bespoke services are usually more motivated by practical considerations. A suit made on Savile Row in London will last 20 years, a feat unlikely to be matched by ready-to-wear, said Eric Musgrave, chief executive of the UK Fashion and Textile Association and a former editor of Drapers magazine during an interview with The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

But a common trait among many customers who choose tailor-made services is that they have a clear expectation of what they want and are more concerned about quality than price.

Bespoke goods customers are also more patient than ready-made counterparts as it's a time-consuming process, with consulting, designing, making, fitting and confirmation stages.

And in such a detailed process, relying heavily on interpersonal communication, the relation between client and service provider tends to be closer.

"When consulting with clients, besides asking their expectation of a product, we also ask about their lifestyle and interests, which are important factors in meeting their requirements," says Tracy Li, a public relations manager with Alfred Dunhill, a brand well known for its bespoke services.

While still a niche market, bespoke fans in Shanghai can buy everything from singular scents, tailor-made clothing and holidays to a party themed after your favorite cartoon character and unique chocolates emblazoned with your picture.

Shanghai Daily meets some businesses offering individual services and their customers.

Bespoke perfume

Coco Chanel considered perfume a powerful means of self-expression, with a fragrance's floral, sweet or oriental spicy notes corresponding to the individuality and emotions of the woman who wears it.

Shanghai residents - provided they have deep pockets - now have the opportunity to have a unique scent created for them, following the launch of a customized perfume service by Guerlain.

Creating a bespoke perfume takes around six months, starting from a consulting meeting in Shanghai with Sylvaine Delacourte, fragrance development director of Guerlain, who is responsible for conjuring up the right scent to match the client.

Customers often have difficulty describing how fragrances and flavors trigger memories, says Delacourte, so they are shown cards featuring pictures indicating various scenes, atmospheres and colors and asked to choose their favorites. Next, the client is asked to touch various fabrics and say which one they like most. Finally, the client smells various spices and fragrance tones and describes the impression to Delacourte.

During the meeting, Delacourte will also ask the client to tell her about the things they most enjoy, from which the perfumer can catch subtle, yet important, personal information.

"Soon, I have a picture of the perfume in my head," says Delacourte.

She then returns to her workshop in Paris to create the fragrance. Three months later, she will send several perfume samples with different fragrant notes to China for the client to choose from.

In the following three months, Delacourte will adjust the formula of the perfume based on client feedback. At the end of the process, the client is invited to Paris to receive her unique perfume in a half-liter Baccarat crystal bottle, plus 20 60ml bottles and three 30ml bottles.



Guerlain

Price: 586,000 yuan (US$92,911) including a five-day trip to France

Tel: 6288-1688

Customized chocolate

Growing numbers of city residents are seeing custom-made chocolate - molded into a variety of shapes and decorated with everything from a name to an edible photograph - as an ideal gift for friends and lovers, often commemorating a special moment such as wedding and birthday.

"A couple who was clients of mine had met and fallen in love following an incident involving a pair of gloves," says Meg Yao, chocolate room chef at Jean Georges, which is known for its tailor-made chocolate.

"And when they came to get married, they wanted wedding chocolate in the shape of a glove, which deeply impressed me."

Yao is especially proud of a chocolate collection called "Art Bytes" she made for artist Xu Bing, known for using universal symbols and icons and text in his work.

Seventeen chocolate filling flavors are available for clients to choose, including feuilletine hazelnut - the most popular flavor - Baileys, Grand Marnier, cranberry, cinnamon, anise coffee and, launched this year blackcurrant.

In addition to the filling, the shape, pattern, color and even the box can be customized.

Usually, the tailor-made service starts with a meeting between Yao and the client. After learning a client's requirements and expectations, Yao gives her suggestions on how the elements will work together.

"Not all fillings go well with the pattern and shape clients prefer. For example, it's nearly impossible for a chocolatier to write an elaborate logo or name on a rough surfaced nut filled chocolate," says Yao.

Yao admits that keeping balance between taste and meeting expectation of client is a challenge.

Generally, there is a three-day turnaround for orders. However, for those wanting more than 15 boxes and certain chocolate shapes, the process takes longer.



Jean Georges

Address: 4/F, 3 Zhongshan Rd E1

Price: starts at 241 yuan

Tel: 6321-7733

Bespoke wedding dress

Lin Li, a Shanghai woman, got married last month. Everything was perfect on the day, from the wedding flowers and cake to the venue decorations. Everything, that is, except for her wedding dress. The hired dress didn't quite fit and required some pinning up, Lin recalls.

Such disappointments make some women consider a bespoke dress for what is one of the most important events in their life. Some see it as a way of showing the bride's beauty, aesthetic taste and personality, even though the dress may be worn only once.

"A bespoke wedding dress, representing love, deserves to be treasured for a lifetime. Some of my clients tell me they will pass on their bespoke wedding dress to their daughters," says Ji Cheng, a top Chinese designer, known for her bridal dress collection combining Eastern and Western aesthetics.

Five years ago she opened La vie, a studio that makes bespoke wedding dresses, targeting middle-class locals.

"I want the concept of bespoke to be affordable, not exclusive to wealthy people," says Ji.

Her clients prefer silk dresses featuring a classical Western cut and artistic Chinese hand embroidery.

Ji places great emphasis on communicating with clients. According to her, they can be divided into two types. There are those with clear expectations for their dream dress - from the design and color to some emotional information they want expressed. It is the designer's job to turn abstract ideas into a beautiful dress, says Ji.

The other group are those without a clear idea in mind. Ji usually inspires them through showing video of models wearing some of her signature products on the runway.

Nearly three months later, after series of fittings to ensure a perfect fit, a unique wedding dress is delivered to the client. And to complete the look, Ji provides suggestions on makeup, hair and accessories to perfectly match her dress.



La vie

Address: Unit 102, Zone C7, Red Town, 570 Huaihai Rd W.

Price: 30,000-40,000 yuan

Tel: 6282-5036

Tailor-made party



For guests invited to a private party - whether a birthday, wedding, coming of age or some other celebration - it's hard to forget an event that is creatively designed, well organized and strongly reflects the host's personality. And the contrary is equally true. A party with average food, decorations and music is easily ignored and soon forgotten.

Of course, many hosts choose to arrange parties by themselves but often find it's a tough job, as local housewife Wu Zhili discovered.

"Party food should be diverse and tasty, catering for the different tastes of guests. Then there's the tableware and decorations to think of," says Wu, recalling her experience. "But the big mistakes I made were to choose the wrong wine to pair with the food, and some of the food was not suitable for an outdoor party."

However, growing numbers of events teams in the city, some from five-star hotels, are providing tailor-made party service. The professionals provide suggestions based on the party venue to show the host's personality and take care of every detail from the food and wine to decorations.

Before designing a party plan, the events team from Le Royal Meridien goes to the party venue to get a feel for the place. The client is asked about the party theme, dress code and general background of the guests - for example, whether children are coming and if there are any special dietary requirements. The hotel's kitchen team, including chefs from China, Italy, Germany and France, draws up a bespoke party menu, which can reflect the party theme. Le Royal Meridian's sommelier then creates a wine menu to complement the dishes.

According to clients' requirements, the hotel can help organize live music and bar staff. It can also be arranged for waiting staff dress to wear outfits reflecting the party theme - such as a cartoon character costume or a nostalgic qipao.

"We try to meet all customer requirements and help them overcome any limitations brought by the venue," says Jessica Zhou, PR manager at Le Royal Meridien.



Le Royal Meridien

Address: 789 Nanjing Rd E.

Price: As per requirement

Tel: 3318-9999 ext 8036

Bespoke suit

The bespoke suit, finely tailored in an exquisite environment by a master craftsman, has been always out of reach for most people due to its high price and lengthy tailoring process.

However, city men are discovering that a tailor-made suit can be a good investment and provides a perfect fit around unique contours.

Zhang Zhiyuan, a businessman aged around 45, started buying bespoke suits last year at Bespoke AT Alfred Dunhill in Shanghai.

"As I'm entering middle age, I've developed a little bit of a belly and it's nearly impossible for me to fit into ready-to-wear. Tailor-made suits fit me well and make me look younger," says Zhang.

As Richard Walker said in his book "The Savile Row Story," the normal man "is not symmetrical but lopsided, and as individual in detail as a sack of potatoes."

At Bespoke AT Alfred Dunhill, the meticulous process begins with a two-hour consultation between tailor and client.

"Although it's a bit time-consuming, the communication between tailor and customer is necessary," says Tracy Li, PR manager at Alfred Dunhill.

Li says this meeting provides a chance to discover customer's actual requirements - not simply the fabric and colors they like but also their lifestyle and working environment, which helps the tailor select an appropriate cut and fabric.

For example, if customers normally live and work in south China, with its warm, humid climate, the tailor may recommend fabric based on wool or cotton but with silk added, which lets the air in better, says Li.

And for clients who go on frequent business trip, wrinkle-resistant fabrics are recommended.

Then the tailor guides the client through a choice of more than 2,000 materials and colors; a range of silhouettes, whether single or double breasted; and advises on style.

This is followed by a series of fittings until the garment is finally finished.



Bespoke AT Alfred Dunhill

Address: 796 Huaihai Rd

Price: starts at 47,000 yuan

Tel: 3395-0810

Tailor-made vacations



Daisy Ding, a Shanghai native who works in PR, was recently planning her vacation but finding it a frustrating experience to get what she wanted.

In the past, Ding had opted for a package trip from travel agencies, but felt constrained by sticking to an itinerary. "I felt annoyed having to come down to a hotel lobby early in the morning to depart on a tour. For me, a vacation is a time for complete relaxation, and that involves waking up naturally.

"Also, doing spontaneous things, like going to a chateau in Bordeaux for a glass of wine, is impossible with a fixed travel package," says Ding.

She tried to plan her trip herself but found that too time-consuming and complicated, so sought the help of a travel company offering tailor-made trips.

"Being flexible, private and personal are three main characteristics of tailor-made travel services," says Ji Peng, marketing officer of Puyor, a Shanghai-based company offering tailor-made vacations for clients.

Puyor's tailor-made service begins with a personal vacation advisor, who assists the client in planning their vacation - covering everything from the destination and resort to detailed dining options during the trip.

"Each client has their own unique background and own expectations of the holiday. The first consultation is vital so we can ensure a trip is truly customer-oriented," says Ji.

Based on client preferences, the company has arranged trips as diverse as a culinary trip sampling herbal cuisine in Longjing, a small village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, famed for its tea; a one-day volunteer stint as an "elephant nurse" in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for a family; a tour for youngsters watching black snub-nosed monkeys in Yunnan Province; and a private Zen conversation between a Buddhist monk and a customer seeking greater inner peace.

The bespoke traveler can choose their departure time and point, and if the schedule isn't to their liking, they can get the accompanying travel assistant to change arrangements at any time.

"Most of our customers highly prize their private space. Therefore, we try to arrange a place where the natural landscape is as beautiful as in popular tourist areas, but where there are fewer people. Options include private houses and farms of local people, where the client can relax and at the same time experience the authentic local lifestyle," says Ji.

While Puyor can arrange trips around the world, they focus on destinations such as Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and the Maldives.



Puyor

Price: As per requirement

Tel: 400-099-8989 (English service available)

Email: info@puyor.com