LIFESTYLE - MILEN KRASTEV - MAD TAILOR - FASHION

Bulgarian Makes
Costumes
for World Celebrities


Sofia, December 10 (BTA) - He is known as the Mad Tailor in the US. His unique pieces of art have impressed celebrities, among whom Ben Stiller, Janet Jackson, Megan Fox, Jason Momoa, Kourtney Kardashian and Sting.

Milen Krastev was born in Varna in 1974 to Ginka and Varban Krastevi, both rowers. He trained at a sports academy to be a rower, then proceeded to graduate from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. Despite his education Milen chose to skip sailing the seven seas. Instead, he stayed in Varna to become a tailor, he told BG Voice.

He was 15 when he made the first ever piece of clothing for himself. It was a pair of Bermuda shorts. His fame grew as he started sewing jackets, trousers and winter apparel. The $50 price-mark did not stop Bulgarian teenagers from buying his products back in the day.

"I was earning so much, I did not know what to do with my money. Gradually I learned to sew anything I was asked to. At the time textile was available everywhere. The train station was just five minutes away from my home, so I just rode my bike there to buy the fabrics I needed. Then I would ride back home and immediately start cutting and sewing," reminisced Milen.

He immigrated to San Francisco, California, in December of 1999. In 2003 he received his Master's Degree in Design from the Academy of Art University and worked for several companies as a tailor. Concurrently he taught sewing and fashion at his alma mater. Ten years later he travelled to New York to focus on his own career. "In New York, fashion houses were close to each other. Ralph Lauren was on 39th St., Carolina Herrera was between 37th St. and 7th Avenue. And I was right there in the middle, my studio was on 38th St.," said Milen.

Working for four years in New York City gained Milen the nickname the Mad Tailor. His fame led to him designing apparel for celebrities. His clothes have been worn by the likes of Ben Stiller and Janet Jackson. The star of Aquaman, Jason Momoa, wore Milen's belt for a role in the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.

April O'Neil, played in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film by Megan Fox, wore a snake-skin jacket designed and made by the Mad Tailor. His apparel has been featured on the cover of Vogue. He was last commissioned by Sting to create a number of stage costumes, jackets, coats, T-shirts and accessories.

Nowadays Milen, his wife Jenny and their three kids live in Whitefish, a small town in Montana. "I only talk to my kids in Bulgarian when I'm yelling at them, but they don't understand a word," laughs Milen.