GOLDEN OSCARS FOR TAILORING NEWCOMERS

Highest ever standards shown at the trade's biannual awards, reports Editor Marie Scott

Savile Row and the sober business suit may go hand-in-sleeve together but this year’s Golden Shears Awards demonstrated just how original and fun bespoke tailoring can be -  while still retaining truly bespoke credentials.

This competition takes place every two years, aimed at encouraging young trainees in the business. With a prize of £2,000, plus the Golden Shears Award and a strong career boost for the successful entrant, it is one of the highlights of the tailoring calendar and attracted a record number of entries this time. 

Left, winner of the Golden Shears, Yingmei Quan, with her trophy.

As a judge at one of the early Golden Shears events, I have watched it grow over the years since it started in 1974, both in size and quality. This year’s was undoubtedly the best ever.

Down the catwalk at the Merchant Taylor’s splendid hall in the City came outfit after outfit displaying a professionally impressive standard of tailoring. But they were also inventive without being silly, made imaginative use of fabrics, took inspiration from a wide variety of wardrobe staples and were so likeable.

Unlike the last such event, womenswear entries did not bring an excess of dressmaking effects. Indeed, the tailoring of the ladies garments was particularly good, to the extent that it was a ladies coat that took first prize.

There were still some pretty whacky ideas in the men's outfits. Design students have trouble coming up with wearable new ideas for men, but the second prize winner, Suzuki, showed how this can be done. Interestingly, it was in the use of fabric, as in the winning garment, that gave it originality, still using the traditional three-piece suit as its basis.

The winning coat is shown below, a splendid piece of work by Yingmei Quan, meticulously matching a difficult pattern, and with flawless details. Right, Ichiro Suzuki gave a highly original effect to this grey material with drawn thread stripes for the jacket, giving a novel twist to the three piece suit. Bottom, coordinating jacket and trousers won the Rising Star award for Lucinda Holbrook-Hasse. All photographs by Jon Bradley.

And the young competitors, some still at college, some on training courses, some employed in the Row, brought a verve and excitement to the occasion that is a welcome addition to Savile Row’s image.

Welsh & Jefferies is the proud Row tailors behind winner, Yingmei Quan, where she has been continuing her training, and where she is now launching a Ladies Wear section. She received a cheque for £2,000 as well as the Golden Shears trophy. See right for further details.

Second place and a cheque for £1,000 plus the Silver Shears went to Ichiro Suzuki, doing an MA at the Royal College of Art, and working part-time at Henry Poole.

And the Rising Star Silver Shears award, plus a cheque for £1,000 went to Lucinda Holbrook-Hase, training at Inkberrow Design (see below).

Further information and some wonderful pictures of other entries will be featured in Savile Row Style Magazine, due out in June.

Right, Silver Shears winner, Ichiro Suzuki, and below right, Rising Star, Lucinda Holbrook-Hase.

Awards behind the scenes are due to Simon Cundey of Henry Poole, who as chairman of the event must take much credit; plus founder of the competition in 1974, Robert Bright, still very much involved; Katherine Green of the Merchant Taylors' Company, who excelled in organising the show; and to the judges, Deborah Meaden of TV Dragon's Den fame, Jeremy Hackett of Hackett's, Gerry McGovern of Land Rover, tailor Charlie Allen and designer Roubi l'Roubi.

And we mustn't forget the technical judges who had the uneviable task of selecting the 24 finalists from the great number of entries - Richard Anderson, Allan Bennett of Davies & Son, Peter Day of Denman & Goddard, Patrick Murphy of Huntsman and Brigitte Steputtis of Vivienne Westwood.

LAUNCH PAD FOR WOULD-BE TAILORS

Five of the 24 finalists in the Golden Shears Awards came from Inkberrow Design Centre, a veritable hive of textile and fashion courses based in the Midlands town of Redditch.

Established nearly 20 years ago, it has gained a reputation for the variety and calibre of its courses, and to have this high number of students get through to the final shows the sterling work that it is doing.

Its tailoring academy provides private and City and Guilds courses. With training places in the Row itself now limited, such outside centres of learning are increasingly important - but also limited. Many colleges run design and fashion course, but tailoring is less available. It requires a practical knowledge on the part of the teacher and more dedication from the student.

In addition to tailoring, Inkberrow runs one, two and four day workshops in millinery, fashion, fashion illustration, theatre costume, pattern cutting, corsetry, machine embroidery, soft furnishing and interiors. Students are accepted for all levels and with flexible hours available, costs reasonable. For further information, go to www.inkberrowdesigncentre.co.uk.