Voyage Savannah

Rising Stars: Meet Thane Zrongo

October 17, 2023

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thane Zrongo.

Hi Thane, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I was born in New York, where I learned to sew at a young age. I have a very slender and tall frame, which made finding clothing challenging. Finding formal clothing that fit well was even more so because I am one size smaller than the average chest size most stores carry. This was a natural starting point for me to look into altering clothing to fit. After that, it was off to the races. I consumed every book and spoke with every person I could about textiles and clothing creation. After a number of years, I began making my own clothing from preexisting patterns and then began to draft my own. Many of my early outfits were loud to the extreme and consistently attracted a fair amount of attention. I now refer to it as ‘shameless self-advertising’, but it was what drew my first clients to me. After a few years creating custom garments for clients in NY, I moved to Savannah, GA, and began working on a consultation basis. I would meet with clients in their offices and homes, creating an experience that was like a tailor shop but able to move from location to location. This worked well because I would routinely return to NY twice a year to see my old clients. While a very unconventional way to do this, it allowed me to visit with people all over the country.

At the moment I still travel to meet with custom clients, but also have a ready-to-wear line, which is available online or at select stores. It started as a very small operation, mainly myself working one-on-one with clients, and now is steadily growing into much more than that.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

It has been a far cry from a smooth road. The nature of business is that it is a brutal process with a steep learning curve. Each decision is what defines everything that follows, so you are held responsible for any decision that you make. The hardest part of the process has been both the craft itself and balancing the artistic side with the commercial side. Every creative business has this balancing act. Without the art, the broker goes hungry, but without the broker, so does the artist. Being the same person is an unparalleled give and take. There are many things that I would like to see or have created that are not viable as a piece that the public would purchase. Practicing the art of tailoring and clothing design is very time-consuming. It can be difficult to both create and hone the necessary skills while also accomplishing the day-to-day tasks that come with any business.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

The most notable work that I do is handmade garments. This is known as bespoke; a client will want a garment made of the highest caliber materials and with craftsmanship that is only attainable through hand-crafted clothing. Every part is chosen with the utmost care. The buttons are often genuine horn, the linings are silk, and the fit is unrivaled. Sometimes, hundreds of hours go into one piece. I specialize in men’s formal wear, such as suits, tuxes, and shirts. I will often design a suit from the ground up, creating a pattern sculpting it to the body until the fit is impeccable. Occasionally, I will design the fabrics that go into the garments when the customer is looking for that additional feature that will truly set the piece apart from any other. The other side of designing and garment making is ready-to-wear. These are the clothes that you can purchase in almost any store. I work as the creative director for my eponymous line, which is sold under the Thane Zrongo label. We strive to create garments that are made to last and made using ethical practices with deep roots in high-end tailoring.

Something that people often overlook is that clothing and textiles are an underrated form of art. Someone has to design each pattern, how it fits together, what it weighs, and how it drapes. Every piece is not only something that you put on your body; it’s a memory and an experience all in one. The work that I do is designing clothing, but is so much more than that. I feel an immense honor that my work can be a part of people’s lives in such a tremendous way. That is undoubtedly the part that I am the most proud of.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future are to continue to meet with clients up and down the East Coast and expand our ready-to-wear line. This month, we are launching our Legacy Collection, which will feature the steadfast pieces that customers can use year after year. This collection includes the 725 Line of shirts which are all made from stunningly soft pima cottons. We’ll be taking this collection to shows all over the country and look forward to it being available in stores in the coming years.

Contact Info:

Instagram: instagram.com/thanezrongo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThaneZrongoHouseofGrandDesign

View the article on Voyage Savannah: https://voyagesavannah.com/?post_type=interview&p=79031