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• andrew ramroop |
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Andrew Ramroop of Maurice Sedwell seems to have been born with a wish to become a tailor. "From as early as I can remember, I wanted to create clothes, and at the age of seven I made my first pair of tiny "pants" as we called them in Trinidad, as the Americans call trousers."
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By the age of 11, he was hanging around the local tailor's shop in his holidays, and they took him on as an apprentice before he was 14, and then when he was 17 he was on the ship sailing for Southampton.
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"I wanted to be a Savile Row tailor."
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During this meteoric development of his career, he had proved an apt and willing student, so that when he arrived in London , by then 18, he was taken on by the venerable Huntsman. He worked on facings and fittings here but realised he wanted more expertise. |
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"I enrolled for a full 3-year course at the London College of Fashion to cover all aspects of bespoke tailoring. I paid my own fees, which were a lot for me at that time."
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But the college soon appreciated that he already had considerable knowledge and told him that a 2-year course would be sufficient. An added bonus here was that he developed a skill for teaching, so much so that the college were to offer him a full time position some years later.
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"It came at a time when I was working for Maurice Sedwell and it was a great temptation in terms of finance and other benefits. And I did tell Mr Sedwell that I wanted to leave. But he offered me the option to acquire shares in the company - and I still wanted to be a Savile Row tailor. And so I stayed."
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It has proved to be a good decision. As Maurice Sedwell retired, Andrew was able to develop and diversify the company to the extent that it now provides a range of services, including women's wear, leather and suede garments, semi-casuals and shirts, as well as suits. He travels constantly, seeing customers around the world. |
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He is rightly proud that at the 2005 World Congress of Tailors in Berlin, as the lone representative of Savile Row, he was judged the "Most Creative Tailor" by the international gathering. |
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• john davis |
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"I left school and was working as an accountant - and found it very boring," John Davis recalls. "I thought I might become a hairdresser instead but then I met my girlfriend's cousin, who was wearing the best suit I'd ever seen - and he had made it!"
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This chance meeting lead to John and his dad telephoning a number of Savile Row tailors that the cousin had suggested - among them Huntsman and Kilgour.
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"I went for an interview at Huntsman but the apprenticeship then was for 7 years, which scared me a bit. Then, I went to Kilgour's and met Fred Stanbury, a lovely chap. He said 'come and give it a try' and I started there the following week."
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This was in the 1960s, when Kilgour's was one of the largest of the tailors, with a staff of around 40 tailors and some 20-30 apprentices. He stayed with them for a 3-year coatmaking apprenticeship and after that went to Harrods, to learn fitting in the new young Way-In department , and from there to the Take 6 retail chain in Carnaby Street and Kings Road .
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"I wanted to be in the fashion scene. It was Swinging London and I had a great time. I learnt to be a good salesman at Take 6 - but then I finally had enough of that scene, and decided I wanted to go back to tailoring."
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Rejoining Kilgour, this time as a tailor, he also made jackets in his own time for some of his young fashion contacts. One of these sharp styles was worn by someone who worked for Mr Fish, the then top name in fashion shirts and kipper ties. Mr Fish was so impressed that he asked John to join him. |
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"It was a great experience. I was making clothes for all these celebrities, and also for fashion shows. So to my tailoring skills, I added this experience in the modern, creative field." |
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After Mr Fish went out of business, John returned to Savile Row, working for a number of the established names over the years, and ending up at Tobias. He eventually took over the company, which he now runs mainly from home.
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"Most of my clients prefer me to go to them," he explains, "and for others I use the fitting facilities at Davies & Son, where I also do some tailoring for Alan Bennett. It's a good arrangement." |
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:: Meet the Tailors:: |
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Andrew Ramroop |
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John Davis |
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