NEIGHBORHOOD side streets

Dashnor Tailoring - 320 East 81st StreetOn a street peppered with tailor shops, Dashnor Tailoring remains a hidden gem. Behind its nondescript storefront is Dashnor Begaj, a tailor with an inspiring immigrant story and an impressive resume of celebrity clients. Though he continues to maintain a close friendship and professional relationship with Armani and Tom Ford and still services the high-profile clients with whom he has been working for years, he now pours his heart and soul into his cozy little tailoring shop on the Upper East Side. When asked why he decided to give up such an illustrious career working with some of the biggest names in fashion to go solo, he responded, “I’ve been successful since I was sixteen. Even when my country [Albania] was in a huge crisis, I was doing great. So why should I be afraid here? I came to this country with the idea that I’m not going to work for somebody else.”

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