Sometimes you really don’t know where life will take you. And sometimes only a leap of faith can lead you to a career that was all along tailor-made for you. As in the case of Napoleon Arienza, founder of Tiño Suits & Tailoring. Now 73 years old, the guy has made bespoke suits for many Filipino men including high-ranking public officials like former Philippine President Joseph Estrada, and high-profile businessmen like Danding Cojuangco.
Arienza was only 17 when he decided to leave his hometown of Surigao del Sur in the 1960s to look for a brighter future in Manila. He wanted to find a job that could finance his college education. “Nagpasama lang ako sa isang kaibigan na lumuwas ng Maynila kasi hirap ako’ng mag-Tagalog noong araw. Wala din kaming kamag-anak sa Maynila,” the third among six children tells ANCX.
He ended up working as an errand boy in a tailoring shop. And watching the tailors going about their daily grind got the young Napoleon interested in learning their craft. “Parang maganda ata ang trabahong ito,” he thought to himself. “Kasi nakikita ko ang mga tailors, wala sa initan ng araw, hindi pinapawisan, ang damit nila magaganda.” The money was also a come-on. “Pagdating ng sweldo, ang laki ng kinikita nila kumpara sa minimum wage earner.”
The tailors would give Arienza little tasks to do at the shop, which encouraged him to learn the ropes of sewing. The men also advised him to try it out in other tailoring shops so the probinsiyano could pick up a new skill or two.
There were rows of tailoring shops along Avenida, Rizal back in the day, and Arienza would bravely take his chances and apply for jobs, even if he was only armed with the basics. The goal was to increase his skill sets and learn different sewing techniques.
“Pinipintasan nila ako. Sabi sa akin, ‘Bata, hindi ka pa ata sanay.’ Sabi ko, ‘Bagong luwas pa lang ako ng Maynila. Pakituruan nyo naman ako.’ At tinuruan naman nila ako hanggang sa nadagdagan na ang aking kaalaman.” He started with short pants, moved on to long trousers, and then to other more complicated items of clothing.
Arienza would work his way from Claro M. Recto to Grace Park in Caloocan. “Karamihan sa mga tailoring shops doon napasukan ko,” says Arienza proudly.
In the mid-1970s, his job search led him to a tailoring shop in Harrison Plaza, the famous commercial complex in Malate, Manila that specialized in making coats. “Meron doong tailor na napakabait, taga-Meycauayan, Bulacan,” Arienza recalls. The bagito wanted to learn how to make coats so he volunteered to do errands for this future mentor, from ironing tasks to stitching.
After three months of apprenticeship, Arienza worked in other tailoring shops until he landed at an outfit called Fashionland Corporation. “Doon nag-umpisa ang aking swerte,” says the old man. There, he got promoted to master cutter position and his earnings allowed him to finish a Banking and Finance degree.
The stint would lead to a master cutter post at Rustan’s Makati. But the 1980 fire at Rustan’s would cause great damage not only to the famous Manila department store but to its employees. Arienza was one of many who lost their jobs.
With a growing family to support, the tailor had no choice but to keep on: he started doing freelance work. And then, thru the recommendation of a client, he got the chance to experience a month-long training in Italy for the esteemed luxury menswear brand Brioni.
It was thru this training that he learned the more advanced techniques in making bespoke suits. “Ang pinakamahalagang natutunan ko doon ay yung tamang lapat ng suit sa katawan. Kasi hindi pare-pareho ang katawan ng tao,” he says. “Doon itinuro nila kung paano gawing maayos ang tahi.” Brioni has made suits for Hollywood icons like Clark Gable, John Wayne and Rock Hudson, as well as contemporary stars like Brad Pitt, Pierce Brosnan and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Arienza was eventually hired to work at the Manila franchise of Brioni where he would have his personal brushes with celebrity. This was when he became the personal tailor of then-President Estrada. Does he remember any Erap quirk?
“Gusto niya na ang barong niya may malaking butones kasi nahihirapan daw siya sa maliit na butones,” Arienza recalls. “Yung suit, siyempre dapat flattering at maganda ang lapat sa katawan.”
Arienza also made the suits of the late San Miguel Beer Corporation chairman and CEO Danding Cojuangco. “Every month, apat na suits ang binibili niya,” the tailor recalls.
Arienza worked in the local Brioni arm for two years. In the early 2000s, he moved on to running a small tailoring shop of his own. The business was able to support the family and send his four children to school. But in 2010, Arienza thought of retiring. “Sabi ko sa mga anak ko, ‘tapos na kayo [sa pag-aaral], titigil na ako.”
But his youngest child, Eilene, who recognized her father’s prized skills and rare gift, thought it would be such a waste if the younger generation Arienzas won’t be able to continue the enterprise her old man started. Wanting to preserve her father’s craft and at the same time boost the quality of life of their beloved craftsmen, Eilene and her husband Tristan Ramirez decided to establish what is now known as Tiño.
According to Arienza, the name perfectly captures what the brand stands for. “Tiño means sureness of touch in Spanish,” the old man offers. At Tiño, bespoke suits—which can cost anywhere from P54,000 to P200,000 depending on the material—are finely made to the precise measurements of the wearer. They’re tailored to be comfortable, the master says, and built to last long.
Realizing tailors are a dying breed in the Philippines, what with the proliferation of ready-to-wear clothing, Arienza has found a new motivation to continue the family business. He wants the keep the tradition of tailoring in the Philippines alive. Her remembers attending the World Federation of Master Tailors a few years ago and notes that, “ako lang ang mag-isang Pinoy doon. Madaming nag-attend na taga Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Japan.”
He realized how some Filipino clients these days even travel as far as Rome, London and Hong Kong just to have suits made—unaware Tiño could cater to their needs. Arienza is positive Filipinos can compete with international brands in terms of quality. “Talented tayong mga Filipino. Kayang-kaya natin pantayan o lagpasan ang gawa ng ibang bansa,” he says.
Arienza is confident he’s been providing his grandson, Ryan Legaspi, the necessary training so he could take over the reins of the business when his lolo finally decides to retire. The old man started to train his apo when Ryan was just fresh out of grade school. “Dati wala talaga akong interes [sa tailoring]. Ginagawa ko lang siya dahil inuutos sa akin ni Papa,” the young Arienza admits. “Papa” is his lolo Napoleon; Ryan was practically raised by his grandparents.
Initially, the boy was eyeing a career in the culinary arts. But after getting his basic training in tailoring from his lolo, he found himself enjoying the craft clothes-making. The young Arienza also figured it would be more practical to work in the family business than look for a job elsewhere. So after high school, he decided to get formal training at the Slims’ Fashion and Arts School. He is now Tiño’s senior cutter.
After almost 60 years of working in the fashion industry, Napoleon Arienza is confident he could soon pass on the torch to the new generation who will continue to uphold what he’s stood for all these years: excellent craftsmanship and, yes, just like what his brand says, that sureness of touch.
Tiño is located at G/F Herco Center 114 Benavidez St. Brgy. San Lorenzo, Makati City
Photos courtesy of Tiño Suits