4th Generation of
Famous Warsaw tailors

Our history starts in 1894 when Edward Zaremba (1872-1931) opened his atelier in the building of the Grand Theatre – a prime location gathering the noble of the era, surrounded by modern buildings, banks, chic shops and the finest hotels. Extraordinary skills of the tailor became famous not only in Warsaw, but in the entire Europe. He was often described by the papers in Paris, London, Vienna and Moscow and was frequently invited to open shops abroad. He decided to stay in Warsaw and establish a family company that would be later run by his sons and relatives.

One of them Adolf Zaremba (1898-1969) who inherited the uncle’s talent and the famous ‘Zaremba eye’ – Adolf could perfectly match the style with the most unusual figures. A family legend has it that he tailored a suit for a duel-obsessed Tsarist officer to hide his armour.

1920s was a great time for tailors with the capital city booming and new clubs, galleries and theatres popping up. Parties at embassies and official premieres were the everyday life of the Warsaw’s finest. Orders for dinner jackets and coat tails were going in their hundreds; plus fours and breeches were very popular as men tended to practice aristocratic sports. At that time the atelier hired 15 journeymen, 2 cutters, a bookkeeper and a delivery boy. Adolf’s younger brother, Tadeusz Zaremba (1911-1998), was introduced to the family business at that time and the atelier operated under the name Bracia Zaremba (Zaremba Brothers).

In 1933, Tadeusz decided to open his own atelier at ul. Koszykowa 52. Master Tadeusz was a true VIP in Warsaw in between the world wars – his tailoring skills came together with a reputation for being a man of great class and charisma. He quickly exceeded the fame of his brother and became the number 1 choice for actors and almost all the diplomats, professors, artists and businessmen. He often commented on trends in men’s fashion. After several years the small atelier moved from ul. Koszykowa 52 to larger premises at ul. Koszykowa 40 at the corner of Marszałkowska street.

In 1956 the company’s premises were to be demolished, so Tadeusz Zaremba moved the studio to ul. Nowogrodzka 15, i.e. the current location. While the master was trying to live his usual life, the new government did not like the bourgeois elegance. Materials were rationed, a good fabric was purchased on the black market or smuggled from abroad. Although Tadeusz Zaremba frequently appeared in the TV, his company was at least once a month visited by the Secret Police. Influential customers (like cabaret stars, Zbigniew Herbert, the National Philharmonic musicians, major movie stars and PM Józef Cyrankiewicz) were unable to help. There are still special hiding places in the atelier where the prohibited English wool was kept. Bespoke tailoring gradually became very rare.

Adam Zaremba (1940-2005) took over the family tradition, which was a bit surprising at the very beginning. In 1966, Adam graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology and started working as an engineer. However, he was also a skilful tailor and cutter. He joined his father in 1970s to become a co-owner in 1976. In the late 1970s he accepted an unusual order to prepare costumes for a famous Polish-British television series about Sherlock Holmes. He did the job brilliantly. Yet, soon afterwards was the martial law – no one thought about elegance, many tailors and other artisans went bankrupt. Even more joined them after 1989 following the inflow of foreign labels. Tadeusz Zaremba died in 1998 and was buried in the Alley of the Notable at the Warsaw Powązki Cemetery. The company was run by Adam Zaremba and his wife Grażyna.

Adam Zaremba died suddenly in 2005 and the business was led by his wife Grażyna and their son Maciej Zaremba (b. 1981). With two first-class master tailors and cutters on board – Marian Kowalczyk and Jan Sułecki – the company was still the best in town and the first choice for diplomats, politicians, millionaires and celebrities.

Maciej, leveraging the family expertise and being up to date with the trends in the fashion and textiles, advises customers in choosing the style and material. He also develops the company as bespoke tailoring is once again popular.