Tailoring for Women

Last week I put the finishing touches to this glorious red dress and sent it on its way to New York for a client who will attend the Tony Awards on Broadway in a few days’ time. She will not feature on any of the artiste lists at the ceremony as her involvement in theatre is as an investor. An unsung but essential (more…)

I think it was the blues singer Corey Harris who said,  “in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been”.  Last week I spent some time re-visiting an old friend with a view to making a new one.

This knee length dress in wool crepe was commissioned last year.  It came from the first client via our TfW blog who wanted a simple elegant piece to make an impact during a special viewing at Christies; the international auctioneers of fine art.

As an inspiration she suggested looking at the French designer André Courrèges,  famous for producing immaculately tailored sporting clothes in the mid 60′s.  He became known as the socialites’ couturier, and his clients included the Begum Aga Khan, Princess Lee Radziwill, and the Duchess of Windsor.  His signature silhouette for a dress was an “A” shape that bypassed and concealed the waist.

This rich red dress is made from double wool crepe selected at Joel & Sons. The fabric has a deep texture that can be indented by topstitching, a technique similar to quilting that was favoured by Courrèges.

Wool crepe has a characteristic crinkled granular appearance produced both by the special type of yarn used, and the distinctive way in which it is woven.  It also dyes well in any range of deep jewel or soft pastel colours, with the texture of the fabric enhancing its hue.

This cloth has many attractive properties for a tailor or couturier.  From a design and construction perspective the relaxed weave allows a slight “give” in all directions, making it possible to shape and mold the cloth into sculptural lines that follow the contours of the body.  Newly developed stretch linings are compatable with an outer crepe layer to accommodate any movement.

For the wearer it creates a garment that is comforatable all year round.  It will also be durable, perfect for travel, easy to care for, and equally suitable for boardroom, day or evening wear.

There is a re-emerging trend for dresses as they seem to offer the ideal solution as an alternative to the more conventional skirt and jacket combination.  They are easy to accesorize and to wear with other separates.

Returning to our crimson friend above, in a short while it will return to the closet with a new companion to share the rail.

It was sad to read in the press over the weekend of the demise of the great fashion house Hardy Amies.   Reports in the Guardian and the Times painted a very gloomy picture, but somewhat different from the experiences I remember from when I had the good fortune to spend some time with them a few years back.

The talent throughout the business was outstanding and none more so than in the making rooms.  To quote from one of my past clients, the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, “their performance just blew my mind!”

I remember working alongside “Pino” in the tailoring department who had a great rapport with the clients and the workers.  He had many years in the trade working on long runs of fashion lines and also in the more intimate setting of the bespoke cutting rooms.  This brought an authoritative mix of skills and solutions to the design briefs and his exhortations to “…work to a system!”  still ring in my ears along with sound of the old treadle machines.

The company also has many different facets therefore I find Jeff Banks comments in the Guardian a little puzzling when he talked about the brand becoming ‘mumsy’.  Bespoke, made to measure and accessories for men and women were all part of the mix.  And as far as the 2008 collection is concerned,  from its imagery, I am sure that there would be many a consort who would like a ‘mum’ like that on his arm.

If the company is finally broken up, I hope that the next incumbent to fill 14 Savile Row will bring as much to the trade as Sir Hardy.

Photo: thanks to www.elegant-lifestyle.com

With my first trip to Japan to research the design of the ‘kimono‘ imminent, our latest commission couldn’t have been more appropriate.

These are samples from an elegant dress we created recently for the Minister of Culture at the Japanese Embassy, Minister Mizutori, (now Director of Finance for the Japanese Foreign Ministry).  The garment was required for the formal ceremony at Buckingham Palace when the new Ambassador, Shin Ebihara, presented his credentials to Her Majesty, The Queen.

Minister Mizutori is a prominent figure in Japanese diplomatic circles and she is widely acknowledged as having achieved much by the innovative ways in which she has promoted Japanese culture in the UK.

There are certain protocols that have to be observed when dressing for this kind of event such as the length of sleeves, acceptable décolté , and how to fit in with other attendees.  Also, the fact that it was during the middle of the day made for a brief with some additional challenges.