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• john kent |
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"I loved clothes and when I left school I joined the tailors Bernards in Bethnal Green Road," John Kent recalls. " I also attended a tailoring course at the Shoreditch College in the evenings, 4 nights a week, and I must have shown some talent, as the teacher said to me 'there's a job in Savile Row for you' and that was how I moved up to the West End."
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This first job was with Ron Pescod, of Adeney & Boutroy, a legendary old tailor. "I loved working there, Ron was a great character, and I stayed with him, learning all the time, for about 7 or 8 years."
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Such was his reputation, he then received an offer he couldn't refuse from Teddy Watson, of Hawes & Curtis, then the Duke of Edinburgh's tailor. He was very happy there, until the firm was sold to Turnbull & Asser, classic shirt house, when changes lead to him teaming up with Stephen Lachter who had been running the bespoke shirt department within Hawes & Curtis.
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"We got on well together and so we decided to set up our own tailoring and shirtmaking business." In 1986 they moved into their first premises, in the basement beneath the tailors James & James in Old Burlington Street, and finally moved onto the Row itself in 2004.
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The firm has seen an increase in younger customers, and, somewhat surprisingly, reports an increase in demand for morning suits. |
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"They have the money, they've gone through the expensive ready-to-wear brand names, and are going to places like Ascot. Now, they can afford to have a bespoke outfit rather than hire a morning suit." |
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His partner, Stephen , provides the bespoke shirts to go with these dress lines, as well as less formal styles. He believes young newcomers need to learn the bespoke craft on the job - though concedes some initial formal training in sewing is beneficial. |
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He began his career after a brief stint in showbiz, on stage every night, but finally decided he needed to get a proper day job. He was accepted as a trainee at Turnbull & Asser - " and I discovered this wonderful world of West End characters". That was where he first met John Kent and 30 years on, they still enjoy their working partnership. |
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• simon cundey |
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Six generations of ancestors peering over his shoulder might be expected to put some pressure on Simon Cundey at Henry Poole, as the latest to take up the reins of management. But not a bit of it.
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"I was set upon coming into the family business from an early age," he says, with a relaxed shrug, "and enjoy dealing with customers."
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His father, Angus, is still very much concerned with the running of the firm but Simon has taken over most of the travelling, largely in America.
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"It's OK because it is all planned in advance, so that I know when I will be away and when at home, and with the family."
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He started off by testing the fashion/clothing market water by working at Ferragamo in Bond Street during his school holidays.
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"That taught me a lot about dealing with customers. When I finally left school I did a 3-year diploma course at the London College of Fashion on bespoke tailoring. They teach you about pattern cutting and the craft but little about the business aspect." |
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So to get an insight into a larger manufacturing operation, he was sent off to Chester Barrie, premier ready-to-wear suit manufacturer at the time, followed by a stint at Taylor & Lodge, top woollen mill in Huddersfield. |
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"It was during the Yorkshire winter, and it was pretty bleak, but I had a ball up there - as well as learning about the different types of yarn, the stages of weaving and finishing. You get to understand that slower methods on older machines can provide benefits in a wonderful, soft finish. 90% of the cloths we use are English." |
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Next, he had 3 months in Paris to learn French. "This was in 1989, when there were various anniversary celebrations going on. It was a great place to be, and I also met my wife-to-be, Karen, who is German. So I learnt two languages for the price of one!" |
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After that, he spent a period in Japan, where Henry Poole has had a licencing arrangement since 1964, and then finally settled in at the Savile Row shop. |
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"I started as an undercutter and progressed to the stage where I was sent off to head up Poole's activities in the U.S., building customer/marketing relations in 8 key cities. It was very rewarding and increased our sales there. The U.S. is a very important market for us, accounting for some 40% of our business. |
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"We have to go to the customers. The attitude to travel has changed, not just because of 9/11. Corporate travel has been reduced, partly because of cost and partly because executives can't justify being away from their offices and homes when they can conduct their business over the internet. |
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"But we can't. We can provide information on our website but we have to go to them for the personal fittings. That's what Savile Row is all about."
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| He has two young sons but is in no hurry to see whether they have any interest in following in father's footsteps, and will not put any pressure on them to do so. "But I enjoy the work tremendously." |
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:: Meet the Tailors:: |
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Simon Cundey |
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Angus Cundey |
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