The Birmingham Tailor

Since establishing his Birmingham shop in 2000, Ali Cheaib has been meticulously altering, repairing, and reimagining his clients’ most beloved garments—transforming wardrobe dilemmas into perfect fits. Now, after more than two decades on the second floor of 139 W. Maple Road, Cheaib is preparing to move his thriving tailoring studio to a new, custom-designed space in downtown Birmingham. The relocation to 280 N. Old Woodward, Suite 107, is set for the first week of July and will offer customers enhanced convenience with ground-floor access. Cheaib’s career in tailoring began in Lebanon, where he was raised in a family deeply rooted in the craft. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1997, he followed local advice and opened his Birmingham shop, quickly earning a reputation as a premier tailor. Today, his business employs a team of five skilled tailors and seamstresses and holds contracts with luxury boutiques in the Somerset Collection, including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Prada. While his client list reads like a who’s who of fashion and film, Cheaib points to two moments as defining highlights of his career: being credited for his tailoring work on the blockbuster film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he altered costumes for stars such as Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, and Amy Adams; and his company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which his team produced over 15,000 face masks — including 2,500 surgical-grade masks—for local hospitals. “It’s all about opportunity at the right time,” Cheaib reflects. “I’m a guy who believes in the universe — when luck comes to your door, just be there to open it.”

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