Icons: London and the tailoring tradition. This time I'll take you to discover some of the most prestigious tailors who for decades have dressed men of great style and the most famous celebrities.. The tailoring tradition in London has a very long history, but a real #brand culture has been established since the 19th century.
Walking along the famous Savile Row in the heart of the elegant district of Mayfair, you come across some of the most fascinating ateliers, while others are scattered and often hidden in sober and well-kept buildings. Savile Row contributed to the fame of this tradition, because it has always been a meeting place for highly located characters, ever since the nobles met at n. 1 at the headquarters of the Royal Geographic Society to discuss memorable explorations in Africa or the South Pole, or the fab four (The Beatles) opened their office at n.. 3 for their recordings which then culminated with the famous concert on the roof of the building.
Nobles and protagonists of international finance, importers from all over the world, actors and men of the jet set from every country of the world , they stopped off at one of the ateliers to savor trends and innovations in what has always been the city of experimentation and extravagance. The tailors' shop could host them in the most comfortable lounges to drink a scotch and choose the most beautiful fabrics with which to have their wardrobe made.
From Anderson&Sheppard, famous for its double-breasted jacket with a recognizable cut, who dressed Prince Charles, Baron Guy de Rothschild, Tom Ford e Bryan Ferry, to Gieves&Hawkes which is still one of the 3 tailors accredited by the Royal House and who led the “bespoke” on ready to wear suits, dressing characters of the caliber of Ian Fleming, Winston Churchill, the Duke of Wellington and Prince William, you pass in front of Davies&Son, the oldest tailor on Savile Row, from 1803.
Other exponents of this ancient tradition have made use of specific skills to become a point of reference in some niches of the tailoring offer: it is the case of Huntsman, a tailor who was born as a supplier of aristocrats for equestrian clothing, for both sport and hunting, passions of numerous famous clients such as Gianni Agnelli, Alexander McQueen, Gregory Peck (which had them made almost 160 custom dresses from Huntsman) coming to the charming Colin Firth.
Then again Henry Poole&Co., another historical brand that since 1846 dresses politicians and aristocrats, having invented the “dinner jacket”, that formal yet comfortable clothing perfect for business occasions during a dinner at home, concept perfectly represented by clients like Winston Churchill, Jean Cocteau, J.P. Morgan and General de Gaulle.
But there are also relatively more recent companies that have had the intuition and passion to revive historical brands with a clever branding strategy, as is the case of Mason&Sons, led by David Mason, elegant and distinguished man I have known for a long time, having visited his studio more than once, actually former designer of the famous Anthony Sinclair, inventor of the “Conduit cut” , the typical cut (named after Conduit St. , address of Sinclair's first atelier) of the jacket that dressed Sean Connery in his representations as James Bond. Today, David Mason manages a portfolio of historic British brands, from the Anthony Sinclair one, to many others.
But many other realities have made and continue to make the history of this tradition, keeping alive the attention for a category of entrepreneurs who have been able to adapt to the evolution of the market despite having a very particular historical heritage, to some extent quite stiff and complicated from an innovation and globalization point of view.
How all of this was managed, from a strategic and brand management point of view ?
Certainly values and history have always played a decisive role, but this is an aspect that unites many companies and small high quality companies. The business model was developed around the meaning of this heritage of values and history, therefore around the concept of personalization and experience. Whether it was a celebrity or a simply wealthy person who had a tailored suit made, the tailor's goal has always been to offer a relevant and unforgettable time to the customer, where he could express his character and style. And this was made “business model”, thus organizing an activity that communicates, listen, visits, organizes moments and events of knowledge of its history as well as of the materials used.
In the specific case of Mason&Sons, David Mason had the excellent intuition of building a unique positioning, collecting and recovering quite forgotten brands, but all expressions of the British lifestyle, many of these once known for dressing up or accessorizing celebrities (from Steve Mc Queen, to Michael Caine, to Sean Connery in fact), making of a mini brands portfolio its own communication.
th and ’ to transfer such business models and replicate them, but it is also possible to understand what led to the definition of a business model and to interpret a specific and exclusive development logic for one own brand. This is our task at MITO Luxury.
Author: Davide Diurisi
For information: management@mito.org.uk
Free web call session with us: relazioniesterne@mito.org.uk
