Where better to learn the craft of bespoke tailoring than on Savile Row? The London Academy of Bespoke (LAB) has made a home for fine tailoring tuition here among the great names of tailoring’s most iconic street: Knatchbull, Henry Poole, Gieves & Hawkes… and LAB.
The academy’s Founder and Principal, Victoria Townsend, honed her craft within these hallowed environs, first under the guidance of the head cutter at Richard James Bespoke, Christopher Foster-Hicklin, and later as a renowned craftsperson in her own right.
“Everything about bespoke Savile Row tailoring is unique,” Townsend told Ernest Wright. “You’re making garments by hand – learning to observe and interpret a client’s figurations, transferring every detail to paper, and understanding how to fit a tailored garment. You shape cloth and canvas through a series of pressing techniques and controlled moisture, then use wooden tools to draw that moisture out and set the work. There are layers upon layers of craftsmanship and expertise.”
From master to maestro
Becoming a Savile Row tailor is a rare achievement – but to be a tailor who makes it their mission to share their skills is rarer still. It was while tutoring students at Newnham College that Townsend developed a love of teaching to match her passion for tailoring, sowing the seed of a unique learning institution.
“I had been mentored through my own Savile Row Bespoke qualification by two great people, one of whom was Chris, and the second of whom was Philip Parker, Managing Director of Henry Poole at the time,” she says. “Philip asked if I would consider teaching tailoring at Newnham College on my day off, which was such an honour. After three years, I didn’t want to stop teaching.”
While continuing to practise her craft as a tailor, Townsend forged ahead as a private tutor and as Course Director at Slims Fashion & Arts School in the Philippines. In 2016, she resolved to create something lasting at the heart of British tailoring: The London Academy of Bespoke.
The home of bespoke tailoring tuition
If you’d like to learn the skills of bespoke tailoring, you may find them at 11, Savile Row, where Townsend and her colleagues teach various areas of making, cutting, finishing and the many other particulars of the craft. Following stints at various premises around London, this feels like LAB’s forever home, right in the midst of the tailoring trade.
“I’m always bowled over by the expressions on people’s faces when they arrive at LAB for the first time, because it’s such a pleasant and calm place to be,” says Townsend. “Today we have a group visiting for one of our shortest offerings, which is an hour-and-a-half introduction to the world of bespoke – everything from the tools and procedures of tailoring and the client experience to the cloth and materials we use.”
More comprehensive courses see students completing bespoke, tailored garments, under the tutelage of skilled Savile Row tailors. “The options range from introductory beginner courses, up to our pre-apprenticeship, or our full-time, five-month coat-making course,” says Townsend. “With our full-time coat-making students, we aim for three coats including a single-breasted, a double-breasted, and something a bit more creative at the end. That repetition in class is entirely unique and key to producing progression in skills.”
Tailors of tomorrow
Part of LAB’s special appeal is that its teaching staff all remain active in the tailoring trade – as tailors, cutters, shirtmakers, finishers and pressers. But while these masters continue to craft bespoke garments to exceptional standards, they might consider some of their greatest achievements to be the journeys of their tutees.
“We have a number of students who have gone from classroom to apprenticeship, and we even have students who have now become teachers, post-apprenticeship,” says Townsend. “When searching for a place in the industry, it can feel like there’s no chance of an apprenticeship coming up at the right time, but you’ve just got to keep moving around, keep talking to people and be in the network. We are the network as well, so we will help, we will look, and we will reach out to colleagues to help students progress.”
For Townsend, a key part of encouraging students’ progression is ensuring her colleagues are all passionate educators, as well as Savile Row trained tailors. “It’s a requirement for anyone teaching at LAB to be a natural teacher and to have openness and patience,” she says. “Not everyone possesses those traits, so it’s almost like having that extra superpower in your back pocket.”
Making the cut
Savile Row tailoring firms including Henry Poole & Co. have reported a surge in apprenticeship applications over recent years. For aspiring tailors, this speaks of both the opportunities available on Savile Row, and also the level of competition to access that first rung on the ladder.
“The first thing you’ve got to figure out is whether you really want to be in the industry, and whether it’s the right fit for you,” says Townsend. “Most of our students already believe they want to be in the industry before they come to LAB, however when getting the opportunity to practise, some may decide they’re actually more interested in costume-making or another craft.
“My advice to any aspiring tailor is to start small, practise regularly and do your best to structure that practice. Offer your time for work experience, because quite often it’s an easier commitment for a company to make initially, and it’s a great way for them to get to know you.”
With commitment, practice and a bespoke education, you’ll have every chance of making the tailoring career that suits you best.
Find out about tailoring courses at The London Academy of Bespoke.
