Joseph Guerrieri
Private Stash Atelier
101 W. Federal St. 2nd Floor Suite A.
Youngstown, Ohio 44503
O: 330-623-6772
www.privatestash.com
Hosting a wide selection of designs and a library of fabrics, our Bespoke & Made to Measure practices represent the best in craft, fit, and freedom of expression. Once an appointment is set up, one of our highly skilled curators and tailors will carefully walk you through each stage of the process to help you create a wardrobe that is crafted in the Private Stash heritage and is a true reflection of your style and voice.
Joseph Guerrieri
Private Stash Atelier
101 W. Federal St. 2nd Floor Suite A.
Youngstown, Ohio 44503
O: 330-623-6772
www.privatestash.com
Hosting a wide selection of designs and a library of fabrics, our Bespoke & Made to Measure practices represent the best in craft, fit, and freedom of expression. Once an appointment is set up, one of our highly skilled curators and tailors will carefully walk you through each stage of the process to help you create a wardrobe that is crafted in the Private Stash heritage and is a true reflection of your style and voice.
Welcome everybody to the VIP Cafe Show here. I'm here with Debbie Larson, my VIP co-host.
Speaker 2:There you go.
Speaker 1:I'm Greg Smith and that was a self-titled. We hope you're having a wonderful day and a wonderful year. This one's almost wrapping up.
Speaker 2:I can't believe it, honestly. I cannot believe this. I know every people at Time Flies, but I feel like I took a nap and now it's the end of the year.
Speaker 1:It is, it is, and we've got leap year next year and we've got presidential commercials next year.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 1:Are you? No, I'll tell you what we were spoiled this year with the weather, though weren't we?
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:Amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes, the clear days that we've had not just, yeah, man, we've had some really beautiful days.
Speaker 3:And I got spoiled.
Speaker 2:I just wore a light hoodie today and I got out of the car and I was like, oh, I need to go. Light coat, that's one thing.
Speaker 1:I know we don't like to get political on here at all, but I have to ask you a question. I was watching this thing on the dinosaurs right and it said the reason that there was one of the mass extinctions is because there was too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and it blocked the sun and it got too cold. So I'm trying to understand the science here, because we don't have a problem with too much oxygen in the atmosphere, which would cause it to be too hot. We have a problem with too much carbon emissions, which would block the sun and cause it to be colder.
Speaker 2:Which is why they say that we had an ice age. I'm sure, yes, I honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm reading a kid's book when I read this scientific things about what happened and we've pieced together, but we're so certain about it I feel like I'm talking to five year olds who's no, it happened just like this.
Speaker 1:And I was watching where ancient cultures used wind to make grain and things like that, not to make energy, but to make grain, which was energy for us. It's just interesting, I think the whole. I don't want to get into this crazy politics that's going on in the world, but I just thought that was an interesting. And you know another thing too it is getting colder and it's not because of anything other than the sun's not here as much.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Because our round earth fills.
Speaker 2:I don't believe in that. I think it's because of this new phenomenon I'm going to scientifically title I don't know some bogus. Give a bogus name to it. I thought I'd be quicker on the draw than that. But, yeah, yeah, it felt flat.
Speaker 1:It did. We got to do this. There we go, anyway, I've got. You know what I've got to do these days, what I got? A little, I had a good summer. I ate a little bit too much. Got to get a new outfit, new suit, maybe.
Speaker 2:Oh, so funny. You should mention that, because today I have the perfect first person for you to meet.
Speaker 1:Really yes, who we got.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'll tell you. Today we have Joe Guerrero from the private stash collection in downtown Youngstown. He is your custom tailor. He can design things for you from scratch. He can take a suit and let it out a little bit. He could make your favorite suit fit like it's supposed to be there again. In fact, he has a slogan, and I love this. Listen to this. Who needs a gym when you got a good tailor?
Speaker 1:That's a great slogan.
Speaker 2:And with that let's introduce and welcome Joe Guerrero.
Speaker 3:Hello, hello, hello.
Speaker 1:So, joe, how do you get involved in in in suits? How do you do this Tell?
Speaker 2:us a story Just from a kid that bounced around.
Speaker 1:Usually we say you start from conception, but we'll skip that.
Speaker 3:Just go right into when you got into the business.
Speaker 3:I got into the business around I want to say 2016. I want to say 2016. I was in California working the nightlife industry, working the restaurant industry, and we had a really big collective of friends that was all over the place out there videographers, photographers, models, actors, actresses and I knew that I was tired of being in the industry of the nightlife and serving people food. So I was like I want to try to build something that could incorporate all of our friends and we could all get a check off of it and see if it'll blow up. And then I had made it, made a logo, and then we put it on some hats.
Speaker 3:It got in with some prominent musicians and stuff like that, and then we just ran with it and then I said I want to start making clothes and then we started making some designs and then After about a year of doing that, I was like I need to get into the retail industry and figure this out and never had to retail shops. So I got with the company and was with them for about four or five years and open to store for them in San Francisco and Was like we can be doing this on our own. I already know how to sew, I know how to do all this, so let's only try to take the dive into the deep end now. Uh-huh.
Speaker 2:And we did. Yeah, and really he tells it like, okay, he just said that in 90 seconds, but it has been a really cool journey that he's so humble. The, the company that he worked for out there fitting celebrities is, he's not. He didn't work in the back of a Box or I almost said the name of a store we all know here. He didn't work in the back of a bridal shop Like he worked with a company, Managed the stores of a company that literally fitted People that you see on tv all the time people on runway for runways and stuff and he has a the name private stash Because not looking, I'm turning into his representative.
Speaker 3:I love it. Keep it going.
Speaker 2:He has the name private stash because people would see his stuff that he would do with like thrift store clothes and they'd say, oh, where'd you get that? Where'd you get that? And he'd say from my private stash.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so it's thrown into a name. What's interesting? Yes, and first thing, it hit me when you said you used to work in night clubs and all that. So you've seen where what turns heads. Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's a good point Is that part of it. You, you did you incorporate that into designing and all that 100%, oh yeah 100%.
Speaker 3:I was fortunate.
Speaker 3:When we grown up here, our family owned pal joey's nightclub.
Speaker 3:So you start at the ranks as a clean the toilets on the weekends and then work you up to a bar back and then the dj and or the server or whatever, and as you're there you're seeing all the different groups of people that come in, how they're dressing. You can see the guys that are trying too hard, the guys that aren't really trying, just coming out for a drink, and then you see the guys I just want to see what's going on for the night. And then you go to la and it's a completely different realm than what's here. It's you got celebrities left and right at the club we I was fortunate enough to work at, and then and you see the other people, the agents, and then you see the people that are just trying to get in and mix and mingle with them and it's a cool perspective because there's just the spectrum is so wide of Just all the different outfits. You got people dressing for runway and then you got people dressing like they're just leaving their job.
Speaker 1:So if I came in and I said, listen, I've got to go from anywhere, from I've got to I've got to do a quarter-perinch too. I'm going to get married to, I want to go to a bar and I want to be noticed, or I'm giving a speech, if I tell you, you'd say, okay, you want this style and this. You could help with that.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, first thing we ask our clients is the time frame. What? What kind of time frame are we looking at for us to produce a Full custom suit? It's between five and seven weeks. Bespoke is anywhere from seven to twelve, depending on the complexity of the piece. So we we get the time frame first and then we look at when they're going and then it's is this in the summer? Is this in the winter? Because then you got to look at the weights of the fabrics, also what's appropriate for where you're going. You get guys that are going to black tie events, and is it a casual black tie event? Is it a full-blown black tie event? Because That'll make the difference from you trying to go in like a deep bordeaux suit Rather than a dark navy or all black. We build a little bio of the clients before they come in on paper and then, once they come in, we can talk a little bit more about what they need and then we go from there.
Speaker 1:We could build out a whole wardrobe like I was saying, if somebody wanted to come in and say, hey, I want to brand myself, I want to have a certain theme, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we have a. I work with an agent out in California and the first suit we did with him he brought his daughter in to design with them. She was like eight or nine and he picked the fabric, the main fabric he wanted. And then the cool features with us is you can pick your buttons, you pick your undercollar, your lining, your embroidery, all that. So he said, honey, why don't you pick the liner for me? So she went through all the books and she ended up settling on this bright bubblegum pink liner. We put that in his suit and then he's a consistent client with us. So every suit now that he gets he uses that pink liner is his, just his go-to.
Speaker 2:What a great story for all his clients. It says Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3:Wow. So every suit he has a pink liner, doesn't matter if it's blue, red, and he's got a story behind it.
Speaker 2:It says I'm human, I have a kid, I have a, I'm a great dad and she knows she's with him yes, no matter how much time he's away from the house, or she knows that she's part of that.
Speaker 3:That's really cool too because you see them on the red carpets or stuff like that and they're doing their photos and they just open their jacket a little bit and then you could see the whole inside of it and it's a little homage to her. Whatever the client's doing, if it's a draft day suit, if it's a wedding, things like that, it's a little extra personality to it.
Speaker 1:So, now that we got everybody interested, how do they get in contact? How do they get In touch with you and in your company?
Speaker 3:Yes, simple. So they can either find us on instagram it's private stash underscore or they can go right to our website, private stashcom. We have our footwear up there, so they can browse and create a shoe on there, or Shoot us an email with some of the specifications of what they're doing, and then we usually get back to them within 24 hours.
Speaker 1:12 24 hours Talk about custom footwear, because I've heard about this. I have a buddy that swears by it. A lot of people don't even know what it is, explain it and how incredible it is.
Speaker 3:We decided to add the custom footwear to ours. Just as, like the Cherry on top, we can do everything from the shirts to the suits, to the jackets, all that. But what we wanted to do was really round off our shop. So we we partnered with a company in Spain to bring about 20 silhouettes to our clients and the thing with that is it's just like our suits you pick your leather, you pick your suede, you pick your bottom sole, the colors, and we make a full custom shoe for you from scratch. And what sets it apart is we're Similar in price, if not a little bit cheaper than something you're gonna go and get off the rack, and our quality is comparable to all the major Footwear brands, so you're gonna be getting a lot more use out of your shoe. Then you would just like a pair of throwaways you buy real quick off the rack from, like a pay less or but it's actually like, it's like a glove, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's you know every time we make a custom suit or a shoe. You get a client. They throw it on a lot of this thing. It's like it was custom made to me. You're one, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3:It's, it's cool Just seeing the people's face when they put it on, because you know it's funny here in Youngstown, la it's the same silhouette. Here we get just about every type of shape, so it's like we get the shirts. The shirts are the where we see the most like hesitation from clients when they first drive everything on Because they see it and they're like there's no way I'm fitting in that, and then they put their arms in it.
Speaker 3:And then they go to button. They're like this kind of just folds right in Contours in the body. They're like, oh my god, never had a suit like this or a shirt. It's as wild right same thing with the shoes to it. It all just comes right back to it. They did the we measure the feet, they pick everything out and then, when it comes in there, just like this is crazy. So what do you?
Speaker 1:get? What joy do you get out of this? What is it that? What happens that you go? This is why I do it.
Speaker 3:I like creating. So it's. For me, it's being able to Work with somebody who's not real familiar with any of this and then, when it comes in, seeing them Just allow. This is awesome.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna have this and then what's even better is them bringing their son in. Or you know, you get a grandfather we work with that brings his son in and then his son and it becomes generational now and you start seeing. You know, I Came to downtown Youngstown because if you want to change the way things are, you got to bring something that's gonna help change. And I could help change the way people dress, take a little bit more pride in their appearance, things like that. It turns into a whole culture change. That's what we're trying to bring downtown.
Speaker 1:We were talking beforehand. You let young people get involved and because you want them to get involved in entrepreneurship, oh yeah. And so tell us a little bit about that and you're, you're, because basically you're, you were paying it forward Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3:So when I started in the industry I had not really any help. I had a friend who put me on with a pattern maker and then I took my drawings to her and we're just sitting her shop all day and watch everybody do stuff. At that time I was valiant cars so I had a little bit of time in between the day where you can just go there all day and just spend the day on. You go to the work after for a few hours and then from there it turned into Buying a machine and then you start learning from people as you go. When I first started we were getting price gout overcharged on everything and taking advantage of and then you know you meet good people in the industry. That kind of can point you in the right direction. Don't use them, use these guys. They're a little bit more fair on price. This person will actually show you how to do stuff. And then you, when I started doing this on my own and we started getting things up and running, you start meeting some of these younger kids that want to get involved in fashion. It becomes almost a mentoring thing, but it also becomes a. You're going to show them what it really is Because we've had people come to the shop and they're like I want to do fashion, I want to do this and it's.
Speaker 3:Do you want to actually do fashion or do you want to just play fashion? Because anybody can just match this color with this one or this or that. But do you want to really learn the ins and outs of the industry or do you just want to be someone that's like a stylist? So your do, yeah, so it's the people that come into my shop. I tell them, because when you come into our shop it's really inviting, it's welcoming.
Speaker 3:So we have our TVs out, we have our bar, we have the whole downtown is right outside of our windows, so great view. So it's easy to get caught up in there if you're working. So I tell them when they come in this is great and all, but you're going to be back there steaming most of the day or you're going to be picking out buttons and organizing and things like that. It takes some time to be able to just stay up here all day and work with the clients and all that. You can weed out some of the people that really want to be there don't want to be there, wasting your time, and once you find the right people, it's even more gratification in the job because you find something else that actually shares the same interest and wants to help continue doing what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Now, the one thing I wanted to mention is that he mentioned that he does men and women's suits and a lot of times when people think anybody listening thinks suits, they tend to only think of men's suits because obviously that's the most and, honestly, when I see a man walk through the door or walk into a room and he is wearing a suit that is made for him, I notice. I think everybody notices. Like you said, it's a brand thing.
Speaker 2:It definitely sets you apart, and when I see a woman walk into a place that she you could tell that her, whether it's a suit, dress like a skirt, but she looks like she is the boss. That's never been me, please, but when you see it it really does something. It says that this person is noticeable in itself, but he had this. You know some creative ways of getting people to know that he does. You don't do dresses and stuff like that. We can.
Speaker 3:So that would fall into our bespoke division.
Speaker 2:Okay, so if they have an idea, then you can help make it happen. Absolutely, we get.
Speaker 3:Like I said, we get some ladies that'll call us in and say hey, I want a Chanel style jacket, but I don't want to pay 10, 15 grand for it. What's your budget? Four or five grand? Okay, let's draw something up and then get you to proof it, and then we'll start working on fabric and it's one of a kind.
Speaker 3:It's one of a kind, and then you have that pattern, and that pattern can be broken down so many ways Like, once you get the actual silhouette of it, it's a matter of where we put in pockets at. So we do chest pockets, we do inside pockets, inside pockets, so you can move it around and play with the pattern as it goes, so that one sample can turn into a dozen. A dozen samples, that's awesome. Yeah, that's what's also cool about it, because you get, like I said, the creativity of some people that come in when they first come in, because it's.
Speaker 1:So let me ask you a question. You've been doing this so long. When somebody actually takes a time to put some time in how they dress and how they look, what kind of transformation happens when they start to, oh that actually put some money into their looks, their appearances, their and it's not so much to, it's just to be human and say I'm a human, I'm here, boom, what happens there? You know, you're actually taking some transformations, with people actually taking some time and oh yeah.
Speaker 3:So when we were out in LA we would go to all these major agencies and these guys are spending 1500, two grand, three, four grand a suit. And there was a class of junior agents that were there who would shop at your men's warehouse or Indochino suit, supply some of these lower brands and get a suit for a couple hundred bucks. And we thought this is a whole market, that's just missing. So we started. We found a mill that we were able to partner with a couple other brands with and all pull from the same stock, and we were able to do that. And by doing that we were able to beat our prices down to where we can start an opening price suit at 898. So that opened up the gates for a whole new demographic of people that are shopping for suiting and shirting and things like that. We're seeing a lot more young professionals coming to us.
Speaker 3:So with these junior agents out West, they come in. They're spending six, seven hundred bucks on a suit, pony up for an extra two, three hundred bucks and you could be in the same suit. Your boss is in, pretty much. So they come in. We start. First thing I ask them is what do you have in your wardrobe and they'll say I got four or five suits. They don't really fit me that great. So it's like, all right, bring them in, let's see what we can do, because you're going to pop for eight, nine hundred bucks on a suit. If you got four or five at the house that are in pretty good shape, we can clean them up and make them fit just as good as a tailored suit. So then we take that money and we can, you know, put that into shirting, put that into suiting, get you some nicer ties, get you some pocket square, so we can really round up your wardrobe. A lot of times they bring in four or five suits. We might use two of them.
Speaker 3:The other two are just so beat. So then we'll save those and if we can clean them up, we use them and donate them to certain charities to help people and other things like that. But yeah, the guy gets the first suit and he's just so stoked on it and you could tell the way his appearance is how we we get guys. When they come in, we'll have them bring a suit in and then you see how this feels. And then we have our suits that are there that we fit in. They throw it on. Oh my God, this is night and day.
Speaker 3:And then the piece comes in and it's like you could see them standing more erect, you could see them walking with their head a little higher, and then it turns into a whole personality thing where you went from feeling maybe not as confident in your pieces to now you're feeling like the CEO of the company. And now, when you're in the company, like those junior agents that were at those agencies, they're walking around and they might see one of the top dogs walking around and they just open their jacket and they go. You got the same guy we got to do. Now. It creates a conversation that you might never have inside an agency that big.
Speaker 1:And another thing too I think what it makes be is that when people start paying attention there, their appearance it makes difference.
Speaker 3:You just hold yourself to a higher standard now Makes you want to constantly keep dressing up. It makes you want to get your haircut different, maybe keep up with your hygiene a little better things like that. But it turns into a total package thing I tell my students at YSU.
Speaker 1:I say, when you get up here to speak, if you don't believe in you, don't believe in yourself, why should I believe in you? And that's the same thing here. If I was going to go buy a car and you say it's okay mileage and it's all right down the road, and the other guy, oh, this is the best car you've ever had. So it's like that. So taking that time and spending a little bit of money on yourself, it not only helps your own psyche, but it helps those around you.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, because then you get your friend. That's the way it is. Where'd you get that? You're out shining us a little bit. I laugh, because one of the things I tell my clients is you don't want to be the guy at the wedding. When you're all standing around with your buddies and everybody's like man, you look so sharp, you look good too. And then there's that one guy who you know doesn't look that great and he's like I don't really ever get dressed up. This is like a one and done type of thing. Why would I what pop for? But every man should have a good trick.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to spend all that money. I'm going to go to Sears. Right and I can say that because Sears isn't around anymore.
Speaker 3:And then you feel a little. That guy starts feeling a little man, I look like I don't look like that.
Speaker 2:But here's. I think the thing is there's people who are good at what they do. They could be a great accountant, they could be a great lawyer. When I had a step end a couple days pretty long in the courtroom and I'd watched people come in and go, I'd watched their lawyers come in and go and it was interesting to see these different lawyers come in I'm just going to use that as an example or an accountant, and these people are so good at what they do. They're late up, late at night, their parents and then by the time they come in they're frazzled. They're for girls through the hair up or guys. Some of the lawyers come in looking pretty pretty, just not lawyerly, but they're good at what they do. They're good, they're a good lawyer, but, having that, they're not good at going shopping.
Speaker 2:So many people, especially if they're a little few pounds overweight, they hate shopping. They don't want to go in because things fit them weird and then they feel like it makes them feel worse Trying to go shopping and find something that fits them right, then to just not go at all and just say, hey, I'm, you know just. And then we all make excuses like, oh, I don't really get dressed up or like you said. But from what you've said, that comes times I've talked to you. Don't just make a suit and you're not going to be like. That's why I think your slogan, or that just that line, is so fitting, because you say who needs a gym when you have a good tailored? Not that it's saying don't go to the gym, but it's very accepting right off the bat to say hey, we all have gained a few pounds, lost a few pounds or whatever, and there's a story behind. He told me the story behind, like one of his customers actually said that and that's where he got that tagline.
Speaker 1:So it's interesting, but I do think that there's people who can be going to the gym and have a bad suit and it makes you look horrible.
Speaker 2:Because just because you're good at one thing doesn't mean you're good at shopping. It doesn't, and so you become a personal shopper and a tailor. Is is what you explain, and I love that, because you could be the best at whatever your career is, and still not a good shopper. You don't know how things fit. This one lady gave me a tip. She was a personal stylist and she, just off the cuff at a party, gave me a tip that I have kept and literally used over and over again for years. One little thing that I would have never known had not a personal stylist told me.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. So that's awesome. So again, tell people how they can get in touch with you and go to our website, private stashcom or combine.
Speaker 3:See us down at the shop. We're appointment only, but somebody's always down there and we're not going to turn away anybody at the door. If you want to check it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome, that's wonderful.
Speaker 2:So, joe, just for people listening, tell him how, tell us how old you are.
Speaker 3:I'm 36.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so he's done a lot, and his and then he stepped outside because he's it's not like he comes from a family of tailors. He comes from family of entrepreneurs, but they're not a family of tailors.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And so this is really something, and I you know how you and I are both entrepreneurs, and so to I really value and respect anybody who steps out and says, hey, I'm gonna do this, I have a dream, and he's willing to go through the work of me.
Speaker 1:You know the thing is. It's funny too. We were talking about young people getting involved, and they always I want to do what you do, and it's always. Do you want to do what I've done? To do what I do?
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, it's good to see how the finished product is. But again, if you would have seen lunch, yeah but there are people that have that fire.
Speaker 1:When you see that you just can't help it out, Help them. This is wonderful. We have something we call rapid fire. So we need to ask you a few questions that are really important. And number one do you like beer or do you like wine?
Speaker 3:It depends on the occasion. Yeah, where I'm at, I like having a nice glass of wine with dinner.
Speaker 1:Waiter waiter.
Speaker 3:I like red. Obviously it depends on the event or what we're doing, but Andy's Italian.
Speaker 2:Yeah, red Italians, yeah, I like a good red wine.
Speaker 3:I like sipping on a beer, though for hanging out watching a game or something like that.
Speaker 1:You know what?
Speaker 3:kind, I like Stella Stella.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay the.
Speaker 3:Belgiums. Okay, let's see.
Speaker 2:Miracle Whipper Mannies.
Speaker 3:Manny, oh no actually hold on.
Speaker 1:I take the back Miracle Whip oh yeah, Miracle Whip. Okay, White chocolate or dark chocolate.
Speaker 3:I like dark chocolate.
Speaker 1:There you go. Okay, let's see what and this is a very important question there's actually two Best pizza place, you feel.
Speaker 3:Best pizza place Avalon downtown.
Speaker 1:Avalon and best french fries.
Speaker 3:Oh best french fries.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is tough. There's a lot of good ones.
Speaker 2:I just had another good one yesterday.
Speaker 3:Best french fries. Does the Campfield Fair Count? All right, there's a one of the trustees from somewhere. They have a tent that does the french fries at the Campfield Fair. I can't remember the name, but they're like hand cut, they're perfect. They give you a huge portion too. It's all just one price, one portion Awesome.
Speaker 2:And there's a trustees.
Speaker 3:It's like I don't want to get the name wrong. I think it's like Beaver Township or something.
Speaker 2:Oh God, one of those places, okay, yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Again, we want to thank the Havana House for allowing us to use their great location and if you need a great cup of coffee or a great smoke, or you just want to hang around and meet some amazing people, havana House is the place to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot of people don't know that they brood, they, they roast their own coffee. Youngstown Coffee Company is roasted here in the back of Havana House in their own thing and they are amazing local guys, great coffee.
Speaker 1:Yep, so thank you very much for being here Again. Plug your place one more time.
Speaker 3:Come on down to Private Stash. 101 West Federal Street, youngstown Ohio. Yeah, you can follow us at privatestash underscore or reach out to us at privatestashcom on the internet.
Speaker 1:All right, Thanks everybody. Thanks a lot.