Phispoke is a high-end custom shop in Shanghai, focusing on Italian style. The two principals, Lance Liu Qinyi and Maiko Lin Hong, complement each other. I had the honor to interview them.
Can you two introduce yourself briefly?
Lance: I returned to Shanghai from abroad in 2011, and began to cooperate with independent tailors because I couldn’t find Italian customized products. In 2012, registered and applied for the brand Phispoke.
In 2014, he jointly launched Italian handmade shirt ready-to-wear with Mr.Nova, and provided Italian soft structure suit customization service for his customers. From 2015 to 2018, because the NOVA store was taken back by the government, it was basically in a state of serving only old customers. I was fortunate to know Maiko at the end of 2018, and invested in the workshop together in early 2019.
Maiko：I was born in Taiwan Province. I started to study in Canada in junior high school, graduated from the University of Toronto, and then worked in the United States for nearly 10 years. Then I invested in the online education industry for 16 years. Later, he entered Harvard Business School and obtained Harvard Business School alumni in 18 years. Influenced by the enlightenment of the TV series LA Law, I fell in love with classic suits since I was a child. During my stay in Canada, I met Mr. Harry Rosen and became his loyal customer for many years. Today, Harry Rosen is the largest high-end men’s clothing buyer in Canada.
During my work in the United States, I traveled all over the state to buy men’s clothing, such as Louis Boston, Bergdorf Goodman, Stanley Korshak and so on.
My dress style is greatly influenced by the tailoring of Albert Goldberg, Saint Andrews (Saint ‘Andrea) and Kiton, and I like to mix French, northern Italian and southern Italian styles.
How did you start to enter this industry?
Maiko: Although I have been a lover for many years, I entered men’s wear by accident. I once saw a very textured shirt on the internet, and only after asking the seller did I know that it was a handmade product of a lover in Shanghai.
After being introduced by the seller, I had a good chat with Lance and had the same idea.
After several months of planning, the workshop finally opened in Hongkou in the early 19th century.
How is the style of the shop determined? How is product optimization realized?
Lance: We combine different elements that we like, which leads to our house style–Milan, Florenca and Naples.
Maiko: The style is solid Florentine, with wider shoulders and slightly exaggerated waistline, which form the golden ratio of the inverted triangle as a whole.
What’s the division of labor between you two?
Lance：Product.
Maiko: Lance is the workshop manager. I prefer business development and marketing.
Did you open a shop in Shanghai from the beginning? Or did you originally open a store in Taiwan Province and then open a branch in Shanghai? Why did you choose Shanghai?
Maiko: I started in Shanghai, but now I’m also planning the business development in Taiwan Province. In the near future, Taiwan Province fans can also enjoy our tailor-made products.
What do you want this store to achieve?
Lance: Bring real hand-made suits to consumers.
Maiko: I hope I can make an internationally famous brand in China, not by the way of quantification, but by letting the world know that China also has the same level of suits as Attolini. I hope that one day it can drive and stabilize Shanghai’s position in the international classic men’s wear market.
What is the profile of your clients?
Maiko: Our customers are quite diversified. There are famous people (such as Nixon family), CEOs and CFOs of enterprises, and many enthusiasts who pursue the highest-end technology, and even peers have become our customers.
Can recognize such an extreme product, our audience are people who have high standards for life and themselves. There is no shortage of female entrepreneurs to favor them.
The competition in this industry in Shanghai is very fierce. What is the foothold of Phispoke?
Lance: Your own style, quality and collocation.
Maiko: I think our products can’t be moved until we see them. Players who are new to this field may not be able to feel the difference, but the old drivers will certainly be able to see at a glance that we are different in tailoring and handicrafts. Lance’s requirements and aesthetic feeling for products are also rare in the industry. I think that most of the competition for men’s wear customization in Shanghai is on price, and there are quite a few customers who are fooling around and don’t know much about it, so there will be a phenomenon of cutting corners in quality. This is something that Phispoke is determined not to do. I think high-quality things will eventually be recognized by the market, because fans will also demand better products with the growth of age and seniority. We will be the choice of this group of people. We don’t have fancy or excessive marketing, but choose to invest energy and money in products, so that the guest wearing Phispoke can proudly say that he is wearing the world’s top men’s wear.
In the eyes of managers who mainly play Italian style, what kind of customers does British style suit?
Lance: The British customization industry has declined, and the empire will never return. Local treatment can refer to.
Maiko: In recent years, English and Italian have become more and more integrated. From Anderson & Sheppard to Gieves & Hawkes, English can’t cope with the attack of Italian. Customers finally decide what is mainstream, and men’s wear is no exception. The early Italian style was greatly influenced by the British style, but now it is just the opposite. Therefore, I think that those who actually like the English style are actually very suitable for Florentine’s tailoring, because the Chinese and Italian styles are precisely the derivative products of the combination of English and Italian. If you add a ticket bag, it will be perfect!
What do you think of the trend of customization industry? With so many new people entering the market, how can the impact on the market be resolved?
Lance: The market is evolving, customers are becoming more and more mature and full of business opportunities! We insist on making our own products!
When consumers choose customized stores, is the style of each store the most important? How is the style of each store conveyed to consumers?
Lance: The general public needs aesthetic professionals to point out shortcuts for them. It takes time to improve the overall level of domestic consumers, and it is not enough to rely on businesses like us. We need the media to be in line with the international leading level as soon as possible. I prefer the combination of traditional and modern propaganda methods. After all, what we do is the customization of traditional hand sewing technology.
Maiko: Style is really important, but consumers are also looking for cost performance, and they are also eager for more knowledge in this field (men’s wear history, peripheral goods/such as leather shoes cuff links, matching methods of colors and materials, etc.) to provide customers with all-round service and education. I think it is a successful formula.
Our main Florence style is also the rarest style in China, but it is also the most respected tailoring in Italy. Friends who like Italian style can actually try the most authentic Florentine style.
There are too many people who want to do Neopolitan style, but they may not be able to do it well, so in so many customized stores, it is really difficult for consumers to choose high-quality businesses. Many people have to pay a lot of “tuition fees” to find a suitable high order. I think that with the demand of consumers for product upgrading and the elimination mechanism of the market, the whole industry will eventually show a face that is easier to distinguish quality providers.
