Perched atop one of Commercial Street’s many shopping complexes, Y&O is a striking presence in the city’s famous retail hub. Named after promoter Shakeel Ahmed’s sons Yunus and Omar, Y&O is possibly the only store in the country that retails fabrics and apparel for men from the world’s most respected and exclusive fashion houses under one roof.

Y&O harnesses the family run company’s 40 years of expertise in men’s clothing. Capitalising on the opportunities that the new economy brought with it and decades of experience in retail, Ahmed set up Y&O as an extension of the family business. “My grandfather, father, and I set up businesses in this industry, and now Y&O is the legacy that my sons will inherit.”

A gold embellished wedding ensemble in salmon pink and an impeccably tailored suit welcome clients who are immediately ushered in to meet Y&O’s fashion co-ordinator Sagar Jaiswal.

Jaiswal, who has helped build the store’s reputation since it opened in December 2004, says, “The person Y&O targets is not just someone with spending power. We pick our clients, as they are our brand ambassadors. The people who shop at Y&O have refined tastes, and can appreciate what we are trying to achieve here.” Quality is key and quantity is incidental at the store, as Ahmed explains, “Even if I deliver one suit a day, it has to be on par with the finest suits in the world. We are trying to fine-tune our craft into an art form here. Often, though the customer might be satisfied with the garment, if we feel that we could do better, we hold it back and deliver it only when we are completely satisfied with our product.” accentuating Y&O’s tagline ‘World’s best suits & fabrics’.

Such passionate devotion to their craft has certainly helped and word of mouth from delighted customers is the primary driver of Y&O’s business. Head honchos and the crème de la crème will find beautiful fabric in the latest patterns waiting, with classy accessories to match. Says Ahmed, “Most customers are strapped for time, so we schedule about two hours with our designer exclusively for them, and the accessories and apparel they are looking for or tend to favour are kept ready.”

The cloth is always pure wool or cotton, linen or natural blends; the store is particular about maintaining the quality of the fabric. The after-sales service guarantees free dry cleaning; all material is steamed to ensure longevity. Customers are pencilled in for an appointment should they ever need an alteration well after the suit has been bought. “The suits we make can be equated with the finest bespoke suits in Saville Row, and the fabric is what distinguishes a Y&O suit. It is understandable then that the quality needs to be maintained,” says Ahmed.

Ahmed travels through Europe frequently in order to introduce new collections at the store, picking up trends and textiles along the way. Three years old and growing stronger, Y&O is adding to its extensive selection and is set to claim the spotlight as a niche fashion house that announces its clients’ success in sartorial terms.