| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : NOVEMBER 15, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
| ||||||||
 | ||||||||
| BUSINESSWEEK LIFESTYLE
Can This Be Savile Row? (int'l edition) Trendy tailors bring a bit of edge to the staid old street Stepping into Ozwald Boateng's tailor shop is a surprise. With vibrant yellow walls, a deep red carpet, and art deco furnishings, the spacious store is downright trendy--not at all what you'd expect on London's Savile Row, the center of traditional British tailoring. The clothing adds to the surprise. Boateng's sharply tailored suits, which come in everything from a traditional navy pinstripe to purple velvet, are lined in brightly colored silk. Indeed, Boateng, who is 32, black, and decidedly cool, is hardly a traditional Savile Row tailor. Boateng is one of a group of young London tailors who are creating custom-made suits for a new generation. They have taken the Savile Row suit and given it an edge, without making it too outlandish to wear to the office. Some also offer suits starting at prices 30% to 50% lower than many traditional Savile Row tailors. Their success has been helped along by London's booming economy and by the launch of men's magazines such as Loaded and FHM. ''Men are more aware of their appearance now,'' says Gary Kingsnorth, senior fashion editor at FHM. ''In the past it was always mums and girlfriends that sorted out men's clothing.'' What does a nouveau Savile Row suit look like? Generally, the jacket has a slim silhouette and is slightly nipped at the waist. Trousers are usually flat-fronted and slim cut. The younger tailors favor fabrics such as mixes of wool, cashmere, and mohair, which give a softer, more comfortable feel than typical Savile Row suits made from stiff worsted wools. But the new-style tailors are every bit as meticulous as their traditional Savile Row rivals. Most suits take six weeks to finish and require several visits to the shop for measurement and fittings. Customers say it's worth the wait. Notes David Deane, a 33-year-old banker and longtime customer of contemporary tailor Timothy Everest: ''The fit is great.'' What's more, a traditional Savile Row suit, says Deane, could ''cost twice as much.'' STYLES THAT LAST. Nonetheless, these contemporary custom-made suits are hardly cheap, with starting prices ranging from $1,200 to $3,250. So customers expect them to last up to a decade--without becoming dated. Catherine Hayward, assistant fashion editor for the British edition of GQ, says the key to style longevity is a classic design but with details that set it apart from off-the-rack suits: single-breasted, two-button, for instance, with flat-fronted trousers, and of course, an impeccable fit. Says Hayward: ''You can have your own style. You won't be out of fashion then.'' As hot new tailors move onto Savile Row, they are bringing a fresh flavor to the neighborhood. Richard James, 42, set up his shop just down the street from venerable tailors such as Huntsman and Anderson & Sheppard. James describes his signature long-line, three-button suit with nipped waist and flared cuffs as ''almost a caricature of the traditional British look.'' The flamboyant Boateng, who did the suits for the hit British movie Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, is on Vigo Street just off the Row. Another young tailor, Timothy Everest, has his shop in a restored Georgian house on a quiet street in the City of London. Everest, who trained on the Row, favors a slim-silhouetted suit. He has his own ready-to-wear line and has made suits for such names as Tom Cruise and British pop star Jarvis Cocker. After getting fitted for a suit at Everest's, customers can pop downstairs to pick up a pair of custom-made shoes from Jason Amesbury, for $2,280. For slightly more-moderate prices, shoppers head to Marc Griffith's shop, in an unpretentious 18th-century house in the up-and-coming Clerkenwell area, near the City of London. Griffith says his double-breasted, wide-lapel suits are inspired by the look prevailing in the optimistic prewar years in London. Tailor Mark Powell, who has had a suit exhibited in the Victoria & Albert Museum, runs a colorful establishment on Brewer Street in Soho. He offers a 20% discount to customers who are members of SophistiCats, an exotic London club. As Austin Powers would say: ''Groovy, baby.'' By HEIDI DAWLEY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
|  |
 | |
RELATED ITEMS Can This Be Savile Row? (int'l edition) TABLE: The Young and Hip INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online | |||
