Custom Made
1. TATZU Custom-Made
TATZU offers custom-made clothing reconstructed from authentic Japanese vintage kimono.
Every piece is directed by TATZU, a Japanese fashion designer and pattern maker.
Based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, TATZU operates an atelier and works closely with a dedicated production workshop. Beyond design, we understand garment construction and build each piece from the pattern up.
Behind this process is a production network that TATZU has developed over many years.
A reuse network in Japan that continuously supplies vintage kimono.
A permanent collection of more than 1,000 kimono, haori and obi.
Long-term production partners with whom we have developed our skills over the years.
An integrated production process covering kimono selection, design, pattern making, motif placement and matching, cutting, sewing and finishing.
And on-site quality control by the Japanese designer himself.
From sourcing the materials to inspecting the finished garment,
TATZU is personally involved throughout the entire process.
The TATZU brand and designer TATZU are one.
Remade Kimono. Reborn Identity.
TATZU designs, creates and expresses.
From making the garment to how it is ultimately expressed — it is all part of TATZU’s design.
TATZU Fashion Show at Sofitel Hotel in Phnom Penh
TATZU Production Video
2. Made from the Ground Up, for One Unique Piece.
Every TATZU custom-made project begins by understanding what you want to create.
What kind of garment?
What kind of silhouette?
Where and how will you wear it?
Jackets, hoodies, shirts, vests, skirts, pants and dresses.
From everyday clothing to special-occasion pieces and stage costumes.
Once we understand your vision, we select the vintage kimono together, choosing materials that best suit the garment you want to create.
Each piece is individually designed and made to bring out the character of the selected kimono.
Rather than forcing vintage kimono into a predetermined design,
we create clothing that could only exist through the combination of that person and that material.
3. Choose Your Kimono from a Wide Range of Colors and Patterns.
Your Piece Begins with a One-of-a-Kind Material.
You do not need to choose the kimono for your custom-made garment in advance.
“I want black as the base.”
“I’d like to incorporate red.”
“I want something with a bold pattern.”
“I prefer something more understated.”
Tell us the colors and overall mood you have in mind, and we will select several vintage kimono from TATZU’s extensive collection that best match your vision.
Behind this wide selection is TATZU’s own reuse network built in Japan.
Vintage kimono arrive continuously and are individually inspected, organized and carefully managed as materials for future creations.
We can also create designs that combine different kimono or carefully preserved fabric remnants from previous production.
Different patterns can be introduced into sleeves, pockets or other details, and we can suggest combinations of materials based on your preferences.
Because no two vintage kimono are exactly alike, choosing the kimono itself is an important part of the custom design process.
We can also create a garment from a kimono that you already own and treasure. For details, please see “7. How to Order Custom-Made.”
A one-of-a-kind garment begins with choosing a one-of-a-kind material.
4. From Design to Completion: Our Production Process
How does a vintage Japanese kimono become a contemporary garment?
Once the design direction and kimono have been selected, the actual production process begins.
Develop the design.
Disassemble the kimono, wash the fabric and prepare it with careful pressing.
Create the pattern and determine motif placement and pattern matching.
Then move through cutting, sewing, finishing and final inspection.
Because every material is different, no two garments can be made in exactly the same way.
Here is how a TATZU custom-made piece is created from start to finish.
01 | Developing the Design
Based on your ideas and the selected kimono, TATZU develops the design through sketches and translates the concept into a concrete garment.
We consider the silhouette, volume and how the kimono motifs should appear on the finished piece.
While checking the amount of usable fabric, we plan the overall construction and approximate motif placement.
At this stage, we share the proposed design with you and take the necessary measurements.
Depending on the garment and its intended use, we also consider the texture and comfort of the kimono fabric when deciding whether lining is required. Details such as buttons, zippers and other components are selected together with you while considering the overall balance of the design.
Once the direction is established, we move into production.
02 | Disassembly, Washing & Fabric Preparation
The selected vintage kimono is carefully disassembled, returning it to its individual fabric panels.
Before cutting, the fabric is washed in water.
Pre-washing the fabric helps reduce the risk of shrinkage and dimensional changes caused by future cleaning as much as possible.
We think beyond how the garment looks when it is first completed — we also consider how it will perform as you wear and care for it over time.
After washing and drying, the fabric is carefully pressed before moving to the next stage.
It takes additional time and work, but we do not skip it.
Preparing the fabric with its future in mind.
That is also part of what quality means at TATZU.
03 | Pattern Making, Motif Placement & Pattern Matching
At TATZU, design, pattern making and motif placement are never treated as separate processes.
Unlike conventional wide-width fabrics, kimono fabric has a limited width and already contains a complete visual world within its motifs.
Which motif should appear on the front?
Which section should be used for the back or sleeves?
How should the left and right sides connect?
Where will each motif appear when the garment is worn?
Based on your preferences, we place the actual garment patterns over the kimono fabric and determine the final motif placement while considering the balance of the entire piece.
Where the available motifs and fabric allow, we also carefully engineer pattern matching so that motifs flow naturally across separate garment panels.
Take a shirt pocket, for example.
Rather than simply placing a pocket on top of the body, we adjust the cutting position of both pieces so that the motif appears to continue seamlessly from the body into the pocket.
Because every vintage kimono has a different pattern, the same method cannot simply be repeated from one piece to the next.
If the position or appearance of a motif needs to change significantly from the original concept, we will confirm the adjustment with you before cutting when necessary.
We do not simply place motifs. We design them as part of the entire garment.
As both a fashion designer and pattern maker, TATZU considers pattern construction and motif placement simultaneously, creating a new composition from each vintage kimono.
04 | Cutting
Once the pattern, motif placement and pattern matching have been finalized, each individual garment piece is cut.
Every vintage kimono is one of a kind.
Once the fabric is cut, it cannot be restored.
Before cutting, we make a final check of the motif placement and the balance between the front, back, left and right sections of the garment.
Making the most of the limited fabric available, each piece is precisely cut according to the pattern and planned motif placement.
It is the moment when a kimono that has lived through time begins its journey into a new form.
05 | Sewing
The flat pieces of fabric now begin to take shape as a three-dimensional garment.
Vintage kimono fabrics — including silk and many other materials — vary in thickness, softness, structure and texture.
For this reason, every piece cannot be sewn in exactly the same way. The sewing method must respond to both the characteristics of the material and the design.
Each section is precisely assembled to preserve the silhouette created through the pattern, transforming flat fabric into a three-dimensional garment.
Even a difference of just a few millimeters can affect the final silhouette and finish.
Consider the collar of a jacket.
By creating a subtle difference between the outer and inner collar patterns and considering how the seam will roll when assembled, we can create a cleaner collar with the seam less visible from the outside.
How should a curve be shaped?
Where should ease be added?
Where should volume appear when the garment is worn?
When necessary, we place the garment on a mannequin to evaluate three-dimensional balance that cannot be judged from a flat pattern alone.
The inside of the garment matters just as much.
Seam allowances and edge-finishing techniques are selected according to the material and construction area, with durability and resistance to fraying in mind.
A beautiful silhouette. The strength of a real garment.
What you can see, and what you cannot.
Together, these details determine the quality of the finished piece.
06 | A Production Team Built Through Years of Working Together
Behind TATZU’s clothing is a production workshop partnership built through approximately ten years of working, learning and developing techniques together.
The relationship goes far beyond simply handing over a finished design and asking someone to sew it.
TATZU has shared approaches to pattern making, sewing and material handling directly with the production team, developing techniques together through the creation of many garments over the years.
Pattern makers who understand TATZU’s intentions and develop patterns together.
Skilled sewing staff who understand the characteristics of each material and transform it into a finished garment.
And an instinctive understanding that can only develop through years of working together.
A production system in which designer and maker have developed their skills together.
This is the foundation behind TATZU’s clothing.
07 | Finishing, Inspection & Completion
After sewing, each piece is individually checked for silhouette, sizing, construction, motif placement and overall finish, followed by any necessary final adjustments and inspection.
For customers who can visit us directly in Phnom Penh, a fitting can also be arranged when necessary, allowing us to check the garment on the body and make final adjustments before delivery.
For customers ordering from outside Phnom Penh, the garment is completed according to the measurements confirmed in advance.
Through these many stages and the work of many hands, a vintage kimono is reborn as a new garment.
Motifs that once existed within the original kimono take on a new composition within a new silhouette, moving again as contemporary clothing.
Because the material itself is one of a kind, exactly the same garment can never be reproduced.
No two garments are ever the same.
OPTION
Custom Embroidery
TATZU can also arrange embroidery depending on the design and material.
If you would like to add a name, initials or an original graphic, please provide a clear JPG or PDF file.
As a general guideline, embroidery should be within approximately 10 cm in diameter.
We will review the material, design and embroidery placement before confirming whether the requested embroidery can be produced.
5. The Designer Is Present Where the Garments Are Made.
TATZU’s production system did not exist from the beginning.
TATZU’s approach to clothing began in Japan, with the study of textiles and dyeing and a deep understanding of materials themselves.
After becoming independent, TATZU moved to India, living there while working directly in production. This included involvement in loom-woven fabric production and natural dyeing, gaining hands-on experience across the process from the creation of the material itself to the finished garment.
TATZU then traveled throughout Europe, meeting designers, makers and people working in production, encountering different approaches to design, craftsmanship, aesthetics and quality.
Materials. Design. Pattern making. Sewing. Production. Quality.
Working within real production environments across different countries developed the perspective required to bring all of these elements together into a finished garment.
Then came Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Rather than stepping into an established production environment, TATZU built the current production system by meeting local makers directly and developing it garment by garment.
Producing clothing internationally means working across different languages, cultures and attitudes toward work.
Having lived and worked abroad, TATZU learned English through experience and today communicates technical production details directly with the production team in English — from design intent, materials, patterns and specifications to sewing, sample inspection and corrections.
The goal has never been to impose one set of values on others. Instead, it has been about understanding different cultures and perspectives while building a shared understanding of the quality standards required.
If something is not understood, we talk again.
If there is a problem, we examine it together.
If something does not work, we correct it and make it again.
Respect people. Never compromise on quality.
That continuous process has built the long-term relationships behind TATZU’s production today.
And even now, Japanese fashion designer and pattern maker TATZU remains based in Phnom Penh and directly involved in the production process.
Depending on the project, TATZU personally checks patterns, sewing, sample construction and finishing on site, making adjustments where necessary.
And every finished garment is personally inspected.
Designer and maker communicate directly, translating the original design intent accurately into the finished garment.
An understanding of materials developed in Japan. Experience gained in India and Europe. And years of garment production built in Phnom Penh.
All of it comes together in garments made to Japanese standards of quality.
That is TATZU’s approach to quality control.
6. Previous Custom-Made Works
Every custom-made piece we have created began with a different request and a different material.
To date, TATZU has created more than 200 custom-made garments reconstructed from vintage Japanese kimono.
No two materials are the same.
No two motif placements are the same.
A garment created for one person, from their vision and a one-of-a-kind vintage kimono.
A selection of previous pieces can be found in our Custom Works archive.
We will continue adding past and new projects, together with the stories behind their creation.
You can also discover many more TATZU custom-made pieces on Instagram.
［→ View Custom Works］
［→ View More on Instagram］
7. How to Order Custom-Made
To begin a custom order, please first tell us what you would like to create and the general direction you have in mind.
Providing information such as the following will help us move through the consultation more smoothly:
The type of garment, such as a jacket or dress.
Your preferred silhouette or reference images.
Preferred colors or patterns.
Where or how you plan to wear the garment.
Your size and measurements.
Whether you require pockets.
Whether you require lining.
Any necessary details such as buttons or zippers.
Based on your ideas, we will suggest vintage kimono that suit the garment you would like to create.
We can also create a garment from a kimono that you already own and treasure. In this case, the kimono must be shipped to the TATZU atelier before production begins. Shipping costs to our atelier are the customer’s responsibility.
Once the kimono has been selected, we consider its characteristics and the amount of usable fabric while working with you to develop the silhouette, motif presentation and detailed specifications into a complete design.
You do not need to decide every detail from the beginning. We start with your vision and develop it together with TATZU.
One garment in the world. Created from vintage kimono.
Reference Prices
Custom-made prices vary depending on the design, specifications and selected kimono.
Jackets — from US$400
Hoodies — from US$300
Vests — from US$250
Shirts — from US$150
Skirts & Pants — from US$250
Dresses — from US$400
These prices are for reference only.
Other types of garments are also available upon request.
After reviewing your requirements, we will provide a quotation.
Final pricing may change if the design or specifications are modified.
Production Time
Estimated production time is approximately 2–4 weeks after the design and specifications have been finalized and payment has been completed.
The exact lead time depends on the design, specifications and current production schedule. A more detailed estimate will be provided with your quotation.
If you are able to collect your order in Phnom Penh, you can try on the completed garment at the TATZU atelier. Final adjustments can be made when necessary before the garment is handed over.
Orders from Outside Phnom Penh & International Orders
Customers outside Phnom Penh and overseas are welcome to consult and place custom orders online.
Your garment will be produced according to the measurements you provide and shipped to your specified address once completed.
Shipping methods and costs vary depending on the destination. Shipping costs will be confirmed in advance and paid together with the cost of your order.
Please note that alterations after completion are generally not available for orders from outside Phnom Penh or international customers.
Payment
Payment can be made by credit card through our online store or by bank transfer.
Payment instructions will be provided together with your quotation.
［For custom-made consultations and quotations, please contact us using the form below.］
8. For Brands & Businesses
TATZU’s material sourcing network and production system extend beyond individual custom-made garments.
We also provide OEM and production services for fashion brands, shops and businesses.
Based on the designs and specifications provided by the client, Japanese fashion designer and pattern maker TATZU reviews the project and communicates directly in English with the production team in Phnom Penh, coordinating the process from pattern making and sample development to production sewing, finishing and quality control.
You can also commission only the specific production stages you require.
Projects can be produced using vintage kimono from TATZU’s collection, and client-supplied fabrics are also accepted.
In addition to apparel, we can discuss production for bags, interior products and other items according to your requirements.
Experience developed through one-of-a-kind production, combined with a production system built over many years.
Together, they allow us to translate your design and quality requirements into finished products.
[→ Learn More About OEM]
