London - August 18, 2005

Copy Cats

Couturiere

Last few days of sale! Everything must go! Quick: run, trample over your best friend and act like the greediest bitch of the century for some last-minute reductions!

The bargain rail might seem like a dream at first, but upon closer inspection you’ll discover the heap of slashed-price Marc Jacobs stock is only available in size 2 or 22. So unless you live off oxygen or Krispy Kremes, you probably won’t fit into any of it.

Pay a visit to Takako Sato and Kumiko Hamae, two ex-fashion designers behind Couturiere, the men’s and women’s tailor. Highly skilled and surprisingly affordable, these two are calm and collected (they listen to opera while they work) and they can turn a size 14 into an 8 in no time.

They can also create a bespoke dress or suit. Or replicate a designer jacket. Because sometimes you have to fake it to make it.

And this way you save a small fortune (and your best friend) in the process.

Couturiere, 2nd floor, 33 Brook Street, W1 (0207 493 1564).