When they began the project, Zijlmans and Jongenelis simply phoned friends in China and asked them to locate 100 tailors in the area. “If you would try to do this in Holland, it would be impossible,” says Jongenelis. “But to be a tailor in Beijing, you don’t need to invest a lot. You don’t need material — people bring their own fabric — you just need skill.” The couple ended up using the services of around 110 tailors, as some of the commissions came back sloppy.