Perfection and Production in Sri Lanka

Lakshman Guruge in Sri Lanka is busy making about 94 garments a day, mostly trousers and shirts, but also suits and other assorted garments. On average he produces about 2,350 pieces every 25 days.

Two of his tools to achieve this volume are PatternMaker and MacroGen.

“My favorite program is MacroGen. It is extremely useful to me. With Macrogen I have created a number of Macros using my advanced craft tailoring knowledge and experience to create Master Patterns for my customers using Pattern Maker 7.5.”

Getting into the clothing business was not Lakshman’s first choice, as he explains: “My initial intention was to become an aircraft engineer since I was a very studious person, but unfortunately, I had to change all my plans and undertake my fathers’ business.”

His father had started a tailoring business in 1965 and was in the tailoring industry as a professional tailor till the end of his career in 1996.

When Lakshman took over, his engineering interest prompted him to rethink the business. “I wanted to find solutions to improve the standard and quality of my business. I researched a lot of books regarding tailoring and studied hard to become the best Master Tailor in Sri Lanka.”

Lakshman’s research was prompted in part with frustration. “I was fed up with training my employees to cut shirts, trousers, suits, etc. accurately. Because, many of them were not working up to the required standard. But now I am an extremely successful Master Tailor with the support of Macrogen and the Patternmaker. My customers are now very satisfied with the speed and accuracy of this pattern generating system.”

Lakshman adds that the system “lets Master Tailors keep their cutting techniques safe and still use them to create Master Patterns for customers.”

The hard work paid off. Lakshman now holds certificates in “Measuring and Fitting” and “Cutting and Tailoring” from the Tailor and Cutter Academy of U.K. Lakshman said “I also studied the Advanced Craft Tailoring taught by Professor Andrew Ramroop (U.K).”

In 2004 Lakshman formed an association with some of Sri Lanka’s leading tailors. The association is call “Sri Lanka Master Tailors association.”

Years later, as Lakshman recalled, “In 2013,as Chairman of the association we managed to become a member of the Asian Master Tailors Association, and soon in 2014 we became a member of the World Federation of Master Tailors.”

Even as the owner of the business, Lakshman is a hands-on person. “I am personally using this program”, referring to Pattern Maker 7.5 (Professional Studio) and MacroGen4.5.