Ask South Africans who have moved to Cape Town from other parts of the country about Capetonians themselves, and you’ll often hear the word ‘clique’ used.

I think that’s a criticism we have to take on the chin, because we’re often pretty set in our ways. Imagine the determination needed, then, to arrive in the city when you can hardly speak or write English, and to buckle down and make a success of yourself.

One man with such a story is Cartel House’s Master Tailor Sajid. Orphaned in the early years of his life, he was raised by five different tailors in Pakistan, each specialising in a specific aspect of tailoring and alterations.

Unschooled and barely able to write, Sajid went about his craft in Pakistan until the political scene became too much for him to handle and he made his way to Cape Town.

After a prolonged, frustrating set of stitching in and around the city, Sajid, by chance, met a member of the Cartel House team. As the gent watched, Sajid cut a suit using nothing but a tailor’s soap and a heavy looking pair of old school scissors.

There was no denying that there was something special about the smiling man.

Sajid was in a class of his own with regards to tailors in Cape Town, and it wasn’t long before he was a member of Lock Stock & Barrel – Tailors & Purveyors of fine apparel.

He has since opened up a store on the mezzanine level of Cartel House, 113 Loop Street. Supplying everything from pocket squares and boardshorts to hand cut suits and coats, and offering the suavest suit alterations in Cape Town, Sajid’s story is a testament to what one can achieve through any amount of adversity.

Lock Stock & Barrel hand-cut custom suits and shirts locally, using fabrics and style options of the client’s choosing, collaborating with independent brands who share a passion for the artisanal.

If you happen to be a Cartel House member, you receive discounted pricing on tailored garments, as well as the added benefit of having the house tailor just downstairs.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cartel House membership, though.

For only R1 000 a month, you get all of these perks:

• Free Boost Bar Fitness Classes
• 50% Discounted Boardrooms and Day Pass Bookings
• 20% Discount on one 30 minute Blokes Wash and Cut per month (Gents)
• 20% Discount on one 30 minute Blokes Manicure per month
• 10% Discount on a custom-made clothing item from Lock Stock & Barrel
• Locker with business address
• 10% Discount on Weylandts Purchases
• 5% Discount on Kojabu Purchases
• Members Lounge
• Invitations to Social Events

Not too shabby, right?

A membership means you get to utilise everything that Cartel House, Cape Town’s premier shared offices and co-working space has to offer, and you might even bump into a certain Seth Rotherham.

You can find out more about the bespoke services offered by Lock Stock & Barrel here, and check out what sets Cartel House apart from the rest here.