Kniže Vienna

[VRaivio]

What's the word on Knize? There's precious little info about the maker online and I'd like to know more. The London Lounge must be the right place as I don't speak German, so Stilforum is off limits.

[Badden]

I've visited the store a couple of times, but on each visit have (very politely) been told that they're far too busy to accept new bespoke customers, and veered me towards their MTM Kiton and Brioni offerings. I'm uncertain on whether this is just a tactic to sell more of the higher-margin RTW stuff at the expense of bespoke.

FWIW, the bespoke does look quite nice - soft shoulders with a bit of drape but less than A&S / Rubinacci. Prices are in Cifonelli / Camps territory - about 6,500 euros incl. VAT.

[Concordia]

I've never had anything made there (or knowingly seen anything that has been). But I did get a chance to walk through the shop once.
I was expecting slightly off-center, maybe stodgy stuff, and was stunned by the beauty of suits in the display cases. Then I found out that they were all Brionis made to sell OTR.

[Noble Savage]

Spent a few minutes in the Prague store. Could not discern anything distinctive.

[alden]

Knize makes "Knize Ten" a great cool weather fragrance. Worth a try when tweed weather emerges......soon!

Cheers

[VRaivio]

...just found a bit more info and photos on Kniže along with other Viennese tailors. In Japanese, though, but we can read most of it with Google's translation service.

http://daisukeyamashita.blog28.fc2.com/ ... y-559.html

[Scot]

I was in the charming Vienna store a couple of days ago. Lots of nice, and expensive, RTW on show but the salesman admitted, more or less, that the bespoke business was on the point of collapse owing to their difficulties in finding decent tailors!

[Mark Seitelman]

. . . but the salesman admitted, more or less, that the bespoke business was on the point of collapse owing to their difficulties in finding decent tailors!

When I corresponded with a member of the Knize family who has since died, he indicated that the New York City branch closed in the 1970's due to the lack of tailors.
See https://askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/t ... 195/page-2

I have a hunch that this was not the real reason for the NYC closure. In the 1970's the New York City tailoring scene was still strong with mostly Italian tailors. I believe that the Knize New York closed due to an aging customer base and a shift in taste away from old world and heritage craftsmanship and tradition to the new and "hip" designers sold in ready to wear at Barneys and other venues.

[andreyb]

Very interesting -- especially given that the owner's son founded his own atelier, "Niedersuesz",

I wonder if it also has problems finding tailors?

Andrey

[andreyb]

A little googling found this article, dated 2017.

It ends with:

Rudolf Niedersüß’ son, Bernhard Niedersüß, runs nearby Niedersuesz, an old tailor shop, which now is more of an exclusive made-to-measure service.

At the moment the famed outfitter doesn’t take in new customers for their bespoke suits. They don’t have the capacity, that is, they cannot find the skills, Mr Niedersüß told me.

So you do not have to consider, if you will spend 8.000 euro, the current cost of a bespoke two-piece suit at the venerable outfitter.

So it seems that Knize bespoke is indeed dying.

Andrey

[Loden]

Dear Andreyb,

it is also about austrian renting law (believe me that is really strange). The lessor is entitled to increase the rent to market value, if the the lessee passes away or the company is sold. The premises is huge and it would be awfully difficult to pay the market value rent.

Yours

Ingmar

[Noble Savage]

Knize has just closed its store in Prague.

[alden]

Anyone know if Knize Vienna is doing well?

[davidhuh]

Anyone know if Knize Vienna is doing well?

Dear Michael,

it is probably 15 months or so when I was there last time. The wooden floors creak as they always did, the interiors are mostly unchanged since 1909 when Adolf Loos designed the interiors. The owner Rudolf Niedersuesz is now 84 and still running the business - he was in good shape and charming when I was there. I'm not his client, as I'm not often enough in Vienna.

The question is what is going to happen in the future. His son Bernhard who was seen as his successor opened shop at Annagasse 1 in Vienna. May be this is due to his father getting remarried with a young lady and having two more children, now aged ten and twelve. The lease at the traditional Graben shop is likely to go up if the old master tailor would have to retire. What I hope is that the shop will survive somehow - it is itself a museum and worth a visit.

Cheers, David

[Loden]

Dear David,
dear Michael,

I am living in Vienna and do know that the rent of the premises, which is huge by the way, would increase tremendous if the company would be sold or Mr. Niedersuesz passes away. Actually two very small window displays from Knize and CM Frank, the company of Bernhard Niedersuesz, opened a few months ago in the 4. disdrict in the Argentinierstraße, very near the center of Vienna. I doubt, that a new owner of the company Knize would be able to pay a market rent for the premesis.

Cheers

Ingmar