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Imperial began as a neighborhood drycleaning and tailoring business. Steven Saidman's grandfather, Emanuel Saidman was a tailor who was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States in 1919. Steven's father, Jerome, followed in his father's profession, but expanded the business to include drycleaning as well as tailoring, by opening a neighborhood drycleaning business in 1947. Jerome Saidman received his technical drycleaning education from the National Institute of Drycleaning (now renamed the International Fabricare Institute [IFI]), but gained the body of his skill from years of hands-on experience. Being located near the U.S. Capitol, it was natural that the specialty of Colonial Cleaners, an earlier name of the company, would be the safe and delicate care of gowns worn to diplomatic affairs and presidential inaugural balls. Emerging from that skill came Mr. Jerome Saidman's development of a specialized level of care for the fabrics and trims of bridal gowns. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company grew to a chain of ten neighborhood drycleaning stores, all located in and around the Washington D.C. area. At that time, the company handled all types of garments, including the care of regular clothing, shirts and fur and leather goods. But their specialty remained the tailoring and cleaning of formal, cocktail and bridal wear. And by this time, Imperial’s reputation had grown to regional, national and then international recognition. When Steven Saidman joined the company in 1971, he concentrated his energies on expanding Imperial’s Bridal Division. By 1989, his and his wife's efforts had resulted in Imperial’s having divested itself of all but one neighborhood drycleaning facility. With that facility now having also been sold, today Imperial Gown Restoration Co. serves Brides and the Bridal Industry exclusively. Imperial Gown Restoration Co. moved into a modern new facility in 1995, nearly tripling their existing size, staff and capacity. They proudly serve brides throughout the U.S. and Canada, and have served brides in several countries on five continents, as well as the families of three U.S. Presidents. They are the recommended care-provider of many of the finest and respected gown designers and retailers, as well as museums, including professionals at the world renowned Smithsonian Institution. Having established themselves internationally, Imperial now stands in the unique position of being able to provide new clients in new markets with the same excellent level of care that they have provided to their local, regional and national clients in the United States and throughout North America. In June 1996, Imperial celebrated the beginning of their 50th Anniversary year by expanding the period of coverage on their unique Replacement Value Warranty on Full Service preserved gowns from forty to fifty years of coverage. Imperial Gown Restoration Company has been featured editorially in magazines and newspapers, including Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Martha Stweart Living and TheKnot.com. Mr. Saidman appeared as an industry expert on Leeza, the popular NBC television Talk show, as well as appearances on CBS and Fox. Imperial is a member of The American Institute for Conservation of Historic Works (AIC), the IFI, the NCA, the BMAA and the BBB, as well as several other professional and trade organizations.
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