Entrepreneur Finds Perfect Fit
Seeing Lack of Retail in Prince George's, Clothier Set Out to Suit Up Big Shots
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 4, 2006; Page D01
As custom tailor to some of the most prominent African American political and business leaders in the Washington area, Kwab Asamoah knows Michael Steele has very long arms and lean shoulders for his body type.
He knows Maryland Sen.-elect C. Anthony Muse's right shoulder is lower than his left, and he wants longer cuffs on shirts for preaching, shorter for politicking. Former Washington Redskin Rick "Doc" Walker likes three-button suits in basic blues and blacks. Other clients include ABC 7 News anchor Leon Harris, who wore a gray, pinstriped suit on the air Friday night; Rushern Baker, who ran against Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson in the Democratic primary; and Pepco regional president Thomas Graham. Maryland Lt. Gov.-elect Anthony Brown said he is planning to come in and get fitted for a tuxedo.
  Craig M. Muckle of Bowie, left, selects fabric for a shirt with the assistance of Kwab Asamoah, president and founder of Kustom Looks Clothier in Landover. (By Jahi Chikwendiu -- The Washington Post) |
"You should feel empowered by apparel," says Asamoah, 33, with a slight accent of Twi, his native Ghanaian language. "People say they want a European cut; they want an American cut. No, no, you want your cut."
As president and founder of Kustom Looks Clothier in Landover, Asamoah found opportunity in the lack of high-end chain retail in Prince George's County. He built his formal-wear business in less than two years from a shoestring operation out of his bedroom in Bowie. Baker frequently touted him as a model of entrepreneurial success in campaign stops last fall.
"One of the problems is you've either got to go to Baltimore or D.C. to get clothes like that," Baker said. "Here's a guy who's starting out in the county, doing what exactly we want."
Asamoah wants to take his niche success and build something bigger, but it will not be easy. Established clothing retailers, such as Macy's and Jos. A. Bank in Bowie Town Center, are setting up shop in the once-ignored county. The competition is likely to put new pressure on his young business. Asamoah is undaunted, confident local residents will stay loyal to his black-owned business.
"I used to be awed over Brooks Brothers. Now I want to be the 'Brown Brothers,' " he said.
Growing up in the tropical, dusty village of Kumasi, Ghana, in the 1970s, Asamoah said he was fascinated by uniforms: the white-crested dress shirts of schoolchildren, the traditional kinte cloth worn by professionals, with vibrant patterns and colors representing changing seasons.
Apparel was a status symbol, a way to distinguish oneself.
Thirty years later the uniforms are different. Asamoah's custom suits, made in a Bangkok factory and shipped to his Landover office, start at $685 and can range upward of $1,000.
More than a year ago, he said he had a comfortable six-figure salary as an IT consultant, most recently at Freddie Mac. But his true passion was for salesmanship, he said.
During an earlier stint at Morgan State University near Baltimore, where he graduated early with degrees in physics and engineering, he spent much of his time selling soap and cleaning products for the direct-marketing company Amway. He skipped parties and lost contact with friends, many of whom thought he had joined a cult or "some sort of door-to-door pyramid scheme."
