Australian custom tailored clothing brand, InStitchu and venture studio, Dovetail have launched a wholly-owned subsidiary of InStitchu, Taper – a technology company designed to democratise the made-to-measure garments and reduce costs, uncertainty and environmental impact.
The idea to create Taper was born from the success of InStitchu’s software development to manage all aspects of its tailor-made brand both online and across its 14 showrooms in Australia. The cost reductions and service improvements, combined with higher business visibility and insight gains, caught the attention of partners and retailers, who wanted to license the technology.
InStitchu co-founder, Robin McGowan said, “Made-to-measure businesses are complex, costly and prone to mistakes. It’s a business model that is impossible to scale without the right technology to track and provide insights into every aspect of the business and supply chain.”
InStitchu co-founder, James Wakefield added, “It’s hard to achieve profitability, particularly at scale. That is why most companies in the sector are relatively small. But technology can transform the industry by allowing profitability at scale and democratising custom, tailored garments across the global apparel industry. Taper was born to deliver this transformation and respond to existing demand.”
Dovetail brings vast experience in building high-growth technology companies, including Afterpay and Cashrewards, taking on the role of InStitchu’s design and development partner for Taper.
Dovetail co-founder, Nick Frandsen said, “We have extensive experience identifying great ideas and helping founders materialise and scale them with the right technology and business design support.
“Robin and James have a deep understanding of their market and how technology can reshape the made-to-measure industry. Together we will scale their vision globally and transform the segment.”
Large retailers in the United States and Europe are already utilising Taper’s technology to offer custom, tailored garments as an additional product category and revenue stream.
Taper’s software can benefit players of all sizes and the entire supply chain by reducing errors and costs. A significant benefit of the technology for retailers is stock reduction. Growing custom clothes sales minimises the cost and risks of holding products that consumers do not necessarily want.
One of Taper’s key goals will be helping large format retailers and department stores launch made-to-measure product lines to help them better service their customers when it comes to style, fit and price.