I recently went to a wonderful consignment store in San Diego and quite honestly lost my mind. There were so many beautiful dresses that had been “gently worn,” and I couldn’t resist picking up a few. But they needed tailoring, which meant only one thing: I needed to call Sylvio! He’s a dressmaker and extraordinarily talented tailor here in New York City.
Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic helped perfect the Markasian dress I wore when I introduced Amy Grant at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022. And as Carrie Bradshaw might say, “I couldn’t help but wonder” how Sylvio got his start — and why bespoke tailoring is a lost art form. So I asked him everything, and here are his answers:
Sylvio, tailoring is such an art. How did you get into this profession?
It must be in my genes, because not only was my father a tailor and my grandmother a seamstress, my great grandfather was a tailor as well. So I’m a 4th-generation tailor. Growing up in Croatia, I remember watching my grandmother sitting in the kitchen with her sewing machine, so I was inspired by my family from a very young age.
How were you trained?
After finishing fashion school in Florida, I decided to come to NYC and then the struggle started. Realizing no one would give me a chance as a fashion designer, I decided to start tailoring in order to get clients. It opened up lots of doors, so I started creating custom pieces for my special clients — I would buy fabric, make a pattern, and create one of a kind pieces which I call Maestro Couture. That term, “couture” is used in the fashion industry to refer to high-end, custom made clothing. I come to your house with my sewing machine, and create anything you wish.
Gosh, Sylvio, that sounds expensive!
I mean, dear Katie, Maestro Couture is priceless. There is so much mass-production fashion out there, but I’m building pieces that are entirely brand-new — things that have never been imagined or created before. NYC deserves that.
What kinds of things were you doing for the Met Gala? You must have been busy!
For the Met Gala, I worked with many private clients. The theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which I loved. It was about examining Black style through the concept of “dandyism,” a term that’s derived from African style traditions — it’s about time that the fashion industry celebrates this style and these wonderful artists. I am truly blessed to work with some of the most amazing Black stylists, like Wouri, Timothy, Jason Rembert, Binkie, Raquel, and so many more.
Who are some of the well-known people you’ve worked with?
My career started with one and only Lauren Santo Domingo — who’s the definition of perfection — but now I work with Ariana Grande, Anne Hathaway, Sabrina Carpenter, Andra Day, HER, Selena Gomez, Meek Mill, J.Lo, Bad Bunny, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson…Honestly, the list is very long.
Why is it important for people to wear well-tailored clothing? How does it enhance your overall appearance?
To me, fit is all about tailoring, and a perfect fit makes people happy. You know that when you get dressed and your clothes fit perfectly, your day is just better.
How do you go about finding a good tailor?
There are many tailors out there, so it’s definitely hard to find ones that are truly exceptional. I believe that the work speaks for itself — and I believe my work does, too.
What do you enjoy about your work?
I love it all. There are always new projects, wonderful people to meet, and an opportunity to create magic. I love making my clients happy, and I get a sense of pride when I see them wearing my work.
Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic runs the NYC-based label Maestro, which he founded in 2014; he developed a reputation as a seamstress and eventually realized his skills could be harnessed for higher use. For more of his recent work, find him on Instagram at @sylvio.nyc
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