LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The countdown continues for the running of the 149th Kentucky Derby, and for many, that means putting the final touch on fashion choices.

One father-son duo, co-owners of Modelle’s Custom Clothiers in Louisville, is designing luxury suits for men attending the Kentucky Derby.

What You Need To Know

  • Bhagwan and Raj Manwani are father-son co-owners of Modelle’s Custom Clothiers

  • Modelle’s has been operating since 1972, and the original storefront was in Oxmoor Center Mall

  • Their luxury suits can take 4-5 weeks for master tailors to complete

  • The business specializes in custom suits, shoes, smoking jackets and accessories

Modelle’s Custom Clothiers will continue to work the Monday and Tuesday of Derby week to put the final touches on men’s suits. The business has done so since 1972. 

Customizing a Derby suit is no small task. It takes 4-5 weeks for master tailors to finish at Modelle’s. Bhagwan Manwani, co-owner of Modelle’s, goes over final touches with customers like how much length to leave for pocket squares.

“Let’s do it this way… let me show you,” Bhagwan Manwani said to a customer.

Manwani takes every detail seriously with customers, especially with long-time patron Joseph Scott, who has been getting his suits custom from the business for 35 years.

“I’m a little conservative, so I’d put about this much [length for the pocket square],” said Scott. 

It’s not long before Bhagwan’s son, Raj Manwani, joins in. The father-son duo are co-owners of Modelle’s Custom Clothiers in Louisville. Bhagwan was born in India, moved to the United States when he was 19 to work for his uncle.

The original Modelle’s was inside of Oxmoor Center Mall before it moved to the Jeffersontown neighborhood on Daventry Lane. The Manwani’s helped Scott with a pastel yellow suit for Thurby this year.

“Yeah, I like this! I just have to get a fresh cut and shave,” said Scott. 

The suit is Italian linen, which took 27 measurements to perfect. It has special customizations, including extra buttonholes on the sleeves and neckline, according to Bhagwan. 

“Somebody might tell him [Joseph] that you lost a button. He says ‘no, this is a custom suit,’” said Bhagwan Manwani.

The Manwani’s are a minority-owned business, and Scott appreciates that. The suit even has his name stitched inside of it. 

“And these guys, they look like me and operate in integrity and do good work and that’s just good grounds to do business with,” said Scott. “Just having a great suit and being at any event, it makes a difference, Great job as usual!”

Just like that, Scott was on his way to looking and feeling his best during Thurby with a suit made just for him.

“Derby season is the biggest and best season of the year. We do about 100 suits [in a season],” said Bhagwan Manwani.

The Manwani’s want people to know you don’t have to go to the big cities to get a luxury suit.

“We have all the same fabrics that New York, Chicago [have]. They get it from the same fabric mills that we do and we have all the best fabrics in the world,” said Raj Manwani. “All of our suits are handmade and hand cut from Zegna to Scabal.”

The options of suit patterns and textures are endless at Modelle’s. They use nothing but superfine wool ranging from Super 100’s to Super 200’s. There are even cufflinks with a Kentucky touch.

For the Manwani’s the work isn’t finished after Derby week.

“The Monday & Tuesday after Derby, we’ll start working on weddings, so we just stay busy in the spring and summer,” said Raj Manwani.

But no matter how busy things get, it’s Manwani’s late mother that keeps the need for this legacy going. 

Modelle’s say their luxury suits range from $1,000–4,000. And between the father-son duo, they’ve attended 45 Kentucky Derby’s. That’s 30 Derby’s for Bhagwan and 15 for Raj.

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