Banner Business Sponsored by The Boston Foundation
When Jeff Lahens joined the team of 9Tailors to help with marketing in 2017, he never would have imagined that he would become the CEO years later.
Known as “the people’s choice for modern suiting,” 9Tailors works to create “premium bespoke clothing, customized to every body and identity. They are firmly committed to inclusivity and are positioning themselves as leaders in modernizing one of the world’s oldest traditions to fit real people for real life,” said Lahens.
The business is also working “to be the ultimate custom and bespoke tailor of the people — suiting the community in confidence by way of exceptional custom clothing,” he said.
Born and raised in Haiti, Lahens resides in greater Boston and is committed to making sure that his work uplifts “individuals and whole communities to bring more focus to Boston, its businesses, its creatives, and all the good that Bostonians bring to the world around them.”
Lahens acquired 9Tailors from the previous owners.
“I just want to make sure I focus on one brand, and so I joined as an employee, as their chief marketing officer during the pandemic. [The previous] owner decided to sell the business, and approached me indicating … that she wants to sell it [and] would I be interested to take it over? It was a no brainer for me because I wasn’t planning to go anywhere else. I put so much into the brand already. So it made sense to continue the work [that] has been obviously done, and also … brand it in a way where I feel it can really continue to flourish,” he said.
Now that Lahens has acquired 9Tailors, he talks about how he is working to put his own stamp on the business, which includes embedding inclusion into everything he does.
Lahens shows his dedication to being a fully inclusive company through his diverse team, both in-house full-time staff and contractors, as well as partnering with other creative agencies, who he brought on board for his rebranding campaign, such as the Black-owned Boston-based marketing agency Proverb Agency, founded by Daren Bascome, who led the creative charge for the full rebrand, and owner and operator of Thunder Road Projects, Malakhai Pearson, who was the creative director for the brand shoot.
Each of these companies brought together a full crew of diverse creatives to help with the relaunch.
Lahens strives to make 9Tailors Boston a welcoming space for everyone “to find their own unique sartorial identities in a customer-first, beautiful showroom in the heart of Boston’s Leather District.”
“Yeah, I think this [will] continue to be [an] inclusive space for us. I’m always going into retail as a brick-and-mortar guy first. Even in the world where folks were pushing for online offerings, I was wanting … for brick and mortar. So, I think for us, it creates an experience in a space that people can find themselves,” he said.
Along with inclusivity, Lahens is planning to relaunch the business as “9Tailors Boston” to show his love, dedication and commitment to the city and its people, while “offering the highest quality custom garments — suiting, separates, and knitwear — to all people, no matter their gender or expression.”
Lahens also talked about the importance of his family, his wife, Dr. Charmain Jackman, and their two children, being his biggest supporters.
He faced obstacles when he decided to acquire 9Tailors, which included gaining the necessary financial resources.
Lahen said there weren’t enough resources, but he “was fortunate enough to have enough of a network of folks” who have seen his work. “That’s my value … [and] “the fact that I was also purchasing our business from somebody that trusts me as well. We came out with a way to make sure that it’s feasible for everybody,” he said.
“Going into a bank [to] tell them that you want to buy a business, you have to have some sort of backing that shows that you’re worthy of that business. … So those are things that were obstacles, the resources,” he said.
With over 20 years of experience in the fashion retail industry, Lahens has a strong foundation in retail management, marketing and fashion styling. He shares this expertise as a professor at Lasell University, where he teaches young creatives about the business of the creative industry.
When asked about what his advice would be to Black and other entrepreneurs of color, Lahens offers the same advice that he gives his students.
“There’s a lot of hard work that you [have] got to put in. … You don’t see it instantly, but you can see progress. You can see what’s not working and try to take a step back and see how you can fix it. So I think what I’m asking, you know, my class to do is work on the things that work — on the little things,” he said.
He also recommends working on your craft, while simultaneously working on the business part.
“Work on your reputation — how people see you. Build credit with your work, in terms of produc[ing] and develop[ing] yourself. Work on the audience but also work on the business end of it. Develop a good network. Have a list of folks [you] can reach out to, maybe for technical questions or resources … and have [a] mentor, but also have people you look up to,” he said.
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