Arel Studio

What Arel Studio does

Arel Studio is a privately held, craft-intensive costume house and tailoring business operating from a 9,000 square foot studio at 242 West 36th Street in Manhattan's Garment District. Founded by Russian-born master tailor Ilya Fatakhov around 2004, the studio functions as a custom manufacturer of theatrical and film costumes for Broadway productions, television series, and motion pictures, alongside a full-service custom tailoring operation for individual clients. The company employs a team of over thirty European tailors, producing custom garments from concept through execution for clients including productions such as Aladdin, Frozen, Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Severance, and Ocean's 8, as well as named celebrities and the Metropolitan Opera.

The studio generates revenue through three primary streams: project-based custom costume production for entertainment industry clients (one-off manufacturing engagements with Broadway shows, TV series, and films), bespoke tailoring services for individuals (suits, tuxedos, formalwear, bridal, and bridesmaids attire), and consumer-side eveningwear retail, including in-stock gowns from Jovani, Terani, and Marsoni currently discounted 40-60% off retail. In 2016, the company extended into bridal and evening wear via two sub-brands, Terani Couture and Jovani Couture, operating through OEM/licensing partnerships with the parent brands. Distribution is almost entirely direct — the Manhattan studio operates by appointment only, and marketing relies on word-of-mouth referrals and earned visibility from celebrity and designer collaborations rather than paid or digital channels. There is no public pricing, no disclosed revenue, no external funding, and no indication of digital or AI-enabled operations.

Name

Arel Studio

Legal name

Arel Studio

Website

https://arelstudionyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arel Studio is a privately held Manhattan costume house and custom tailoring business, founded by master tailor Ilya Fatakhov around 2004. It produces bespoke theatrical and film costumes for Broadway, TV, and film productions, alongside consumer bridal, eveningwear, and tailoring services, employing 30+ European tailors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Tailoring and Theatrical Costume Design

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors (31521)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Couture / Small-Batch Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Costume, Dancewear & Performance Wardrobe Care (HSAJAGAJ), Luxury Haute Couture (CRAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Theatrical costume production
• Custom tailoring services
• Film costume design
• Eveningwear retail
• Bridal gown design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Costume Production: Bespoke theatrical and film costume design and manufacturing services for Broadway productions, TV shows, and movies; collaborative design process with costume designers and celebrities
2. Eveningwear and Bridal Sales: Sale of evening gowns, dresses, and bridal wear from established brands (Jovani, Terani, Marsoni) as well as custom orders; current discounted stock available at 40%-60% off retail pricing
3. Tailoring Services: Full-service custom tailoring for men's and women's clothing including suits, tuxedos, formalwear, dresses, gowns, and bridal attire

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Arel Studio designs and produces custom theatrical and film costumes for Broadway, television, and movie productions, and operates a full-service custom tailoring studio for men's and women's clothing. The studio also sells evening gowns, dresses, and bridal wear from designer brands such as Jovani, Terani, and Marsoni, alongside its own Terani Couture and Jovani Couture bridal and evening wear lines. Services are delivered from a 9,000 square foot Manhattan studio by appointment, supported by a team of over 30 European tailors.

Product overview

Arel Studio is a single unified business offering theatrical and film costume production combined with full-service custom tailoring. The core offerings include theatrical tailoring for Broadway and stage productions, men's and women's custom tailoring, and eveningwear. In 2016, the company expanded into bridal and evening wear through two sub-brands: Terani Couture and Jovani Couture, both offering custom bridal and evening gowns. The company operates from a 9,000 square foot studio in New York's Garment District with a team of over 30 European tailors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Terani Couture: Custom bridal and evening wear line launched in 2016.
• Jovani Couture

Products and services

• Theatrical and Film Costume Production Custom theatrical and film costume design and production from concept to execution, serving Broadway shows, television series, and movies including productions such as Aladdin, Frozen, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Severance, and Ocean's 8.
• Men's Custom Tailoring Full-service custom tailoring for men including suits, tuxedos, formalwear, casual wear, coats, jackets, custom shirts, and ties.
• Women's Custom Tailoring Full-service custom tailoring for women including dresses, gowns, bridal wear, bridesmaids attire, and mother-of-the-bride outfits.
• Eveningwear and Bridal Sales Sale of evening gowns and dresses from designer brands such as Jovani, Terani, and Marsoni, with both current discounted in-stock inventory (40%-60% off retail) and the ability to order any style from any supplier.
• Terani Couture Custom bridal and evening wear line launched in 2016 by Arel Studio, offering bespoke gowns and dresses.
• Jovani Couture Custom bridal and evening wear line launched in 2016 by Arel Studio, specializing in formal gowns and dresses.

Named customers31 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Terani CouturecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2016In 2016, founder Ilya Fatakhov launched the first collections of Terani Couture - custom bridal and evening wear lines under this partnership
• Jovani CouturecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2016In 2016, founder Ilya Fatakhov launched the first collections of Jovani Couture - custom bridal and evening wear lines under this partnership

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Amsale: Established bridal and eveningwear designer and manufacturer. Comparable to Arel's Terani/Jovani Couture bridal lines as a broader bridal industry incumbent with showrooms and a more developed brand footprint.
• Monique Lhuillier: Luxury bridal and ready-to-wear designer with celebrity clientele and red-carpet presence. Comparable to Arel's bridal/eveningwear and celebrity custom work as a high-end couture bridal and formalwear brand.
• Jovani: Major eveningwear and couture brand whose gowns Arel Studio stocks and sells. Comparable as an upstream supplier and brand peer in the eveningwear/bridal space, with broader wholesale distribution than Arel's bespoke retail.

Regional players

• TDF Costume Collection: New York-based theatrical costume resource operated by The Actors Company. Comparable to Arel in serving Broadway costume needs, though operates primarily as a rental collection rather than a custom-build shop, positioning it as a partial competitor for costume sourcing.

Direct peers

• Barbara Matera Ltd. Iconic New York City theatrical costume house with decades of Broadway and Hollywood credits. Directly comparable to Arel as one of the few specialty costume shops serving the same Tier-1 Broadway and film client base.
• Michael Andrews Bespoke: New York City custom tailor and bespoke menswear specialist. Comparable to Arel's tailoring business in serving high-end individual clients with made-to-measure formalwear and suiting in the same Manhattan market.
• Parsons-Meares: Long-established New York City theatrical costume house supplying Broadway, opera, and film productions. Direct competitor to Arel Studio in the same niche of theatrical costume production for stage and screen, with comparable craft-based, custom-build model.
• Eric Winterling Costumes: Los Angeles-based theatrical and film costume shop producing custom costumes for Broadway, television, and major motion pictures. Comparable to Arel in offering full-service theatrical costume design and execution with a similar high-end craft orientation.
• S. Cohen Bespoke: NYC bespoke tailor specializing in custom suits and tuxedos with a similar craft-driven, appointment-based model. Comparable to Arel's men's tailoring service for clientele seeking high-end made-to-measure formalwear.

Emerging players

• The Tailory New York: Modern NYC custom tailor and made-to-measure formalwear brand. Comparable to Arel's tailoring business as a New York-based bespoke formalwear provider, though with a more digitally-native consumer acquisition model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arel Studio