Thirty years ago, Jorge moved from Lima, Peru to begin a new life in the United States. Little did he know that someday he would own such a reputable tailor shop in the heart of Manhattan. Within his small lower level basement, Jorge operates his tailoring business with a client base ranging from celebrities to the average, local New Yorker. Sitting behind his desk with a patient smile, Jorge described what it was like to grow up in Peru and have his father first involve him in the tailoring profession. “My father was a tailor. I grew up with the work since I was a boy learning how to sew. I like to think I am where I am now because of my father, ” he told me. When he decided to move to New York, his father saved enough money to send him, and he began dreaming of owning a business. After working for various tailors, most of which were Italian, he was given the opportunity in 2011 to buy Peppi’s from a retiring tailor. “The opportunity was in front of me so I decided to go for it, ” he said. Jorge specializes in hand finishing and stitching, but any type of alteration is received at Peppi’s Tailor. “I do everything, from sewing on a button to altering a Zenga suit. But I always like to make my changes look exactly like the original. That is the most important thing. ” From dresses to jackets, Jorge works on pieces in his shop or travels to a specific New York location at the request of a client. “I once had to go to Madison Square Garden. I usually don’t know who the client is until I get there, and in this case it was Michael Buble, ” Jorge shared. Whether doing a job in person or completing a rush service in his shop, all of his work is done by hand and given the same detailed attention. “I do the same work for everyone, every job is important. ” He proudly brought out a few jackets and showed me how he alters them, what he plans to do for some, and the stitching needed for a specific repair. In the corner of the room I could see a small curtain, serving as a changing room. Jorge's desk and sewing machine are strategically placed slightly between the curtain and the mirror placed on the other end of the room. This way, Jorge explained, he can work on his alterations while he sees how the work fits his client. Jorge did mention that it "is a very tiring job on the eyes, which not many people understand. It requires a lot of hours and focus. ” As he admiringly gazed at the racks of suits, shirts, pants and dresses lined up next to his sewing machine, he added, “But I love my job, and until my eyes give up on me I will continue doing what I love. ”
