WALK ON THE WILD SIDE OF LONDON STYLE

Visitors to London keen to see the cutting edge areas of fashion should make for the Brick Lane area, where Spitalfields market and The Old Truman Brewery are the latest sectors buzzing with young energy.

London is the acknowledged creative capital of the world, encompassing a raft of disparate ‘villages’ that have their own bubbling cauldron of originality and street style. As Armani said “ London for me has always been the capital of fashion... Every major fashion movement has come out of London. Italy, France and the USA all look to London to see what's happening. London, for me, is the point of arrival."

And the current focus is upon the East End. Here, The Old Truman Brewery is a development on the site of what was the Truman Brewery. The Zeloof family acquired this massive 11 acres site in 1995, since when they have been gradually developing the area. It is a regeneration that is retaining the big old buildings and taking in small, original businesses for shops and market areas.

It is the antithesis of Savile Row’s calm, classic image, mixing music, bric-a-brac, food, entertainment, bars and clothing outlets and attracting crowds of youngsters.

Right in the heart of this bustle is Dray Walk, so named because it is where the giant dray horses that pulled the beer lorries used to be quartered. And here is Junky Styling, a clothing emporium with an eclectic mix and a passion for originality.

Founded some 15 years ago by Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager, it has weathered the winds of change in the fashion world to retain its completely original take on clothing, and seen the rest of the world tune in to its belief in recycling.

Having started by taking garments from charity shops and jumble sales and revamping them, the company still likes taking the old and turning it into the new. It will deconstruct traditional suits and put them back together in a totally redesigned look. The end result may not be what most Savile Row customers would be able to wear, but for those seeking a walk on the wild side, this is it.

Three outfits from their autumn/winter collection are shown here, illustrating their original styling.

They describe what they do as ‘wardrobe surgery’ and are committed to a high standard of craftsmanship. Such is the level here that one recent employee has gone on to work in Savile Row.

Their website, www.junkystyling.co.uk, gives a flavour of the place. And their latest book, ‘Junky Styling – Wardrobe Surgery’ will be a revelation to many who thought they knew the fashion scene. Buy it online at £19.99

THE SCOOT SUIT SUCCESS STORY

Charlie Colllingwood is an engaging young man who wisely dropped a career in politics to pursue an interest in clothing.

“I tried politics after Uni,” he explained “but failed there. And I’ve always been fascinated by suits and shirts. I wanted to make shirts and pretty well taught myself in 2 to 3 months of trial and error.”

This may not suggest great proficiency but in fact he has built up quite a customer base, since launching his company, Henry Herbert, a year and a half ago.

“I didn’t really know how to go about it but had some leaflets printed, hired a couple of girls, and we put on bowler hats and handed out the leaflets at tube stations in the City and Green Park and other suitable areas. That’s how I go my first few customers and we’ve grown from there.”

This spirit of enterprise next lead him into suits. Having said he would like to meet customer demand for  bespoke suits to go with his bespoke shirts, his  cloth supplier advised him of a tailoring house that might oblige.

“The suits are fully bespoke, by experienced tailors. I do all the measuring and the fittings, they do the making up. Each customer has his own individual pattern and we have a minimum of two fittings. We usually take between 6 to 8 weeks for completion.”

Given the long years that most bespoke makers take in training before launching out on their own, this meteoric progress might seem a shade hasty. But the suits are indeed properly constructed, with canvas and padding, made only in good quality English and Scottish cloths.  Though they must inevitably miss the personal assessment that an experienced cutter would provide, they nonetheless look attractive and meet the demand for bespoke at a reasonable price.

“It’s scooter tailoring,” he admits, referring to the fact that he visits all customers on his  scooter. “I take everything with me, chalk, measure, cloth, etc. Many of our customers are in the City, from young men to old boys.

“My first shirt customer was Steve Norris (former London Mayor contender), who is still with us. No, we don’t make his suits.”

He finds that three piece suits are currently popular, with a collar on the vest. And he reports strong interest in double breasteds. “I’ve had one made myself, for the first time,” he said. “Its fantastic.”

Top, ready for scootering to clients; above, slim suits for young City types; and left, wearing one of his own bespoke shirts.

Based in the current young hub of London, Brick Lane in the East End, Collingwood has no illusions about his status in the tailoring hierarchy. But given his success thus far, perhaps he is already thinking of moving into Savile Row?

“No, not yet. It would be too expensive,” he says. And rides off on his scooter to the next customer, with a suit to be fitted safely in its casing.