The Savile Row Cutter

The last few weeks have whizzed right by me leaving little but a confused, exhausting blur in its wake. However, one recent bit of post sent from blog friend Hormazd Narielwalla has helped provide a much needed change of pace. Whenever I've been able to grab a few moments rest, I've reached for The Savile Row Cutter to help transport me to a different world, the enchanting world of bespoke tailoring.

Now, regular readers should be familiar with the captivating work of Hormazd Narielwalla. After successfully completing a Masters in Fashion Enterprise & Design at Westminster, he assumed a position at the prestigious Savile Row civil, military and sporting tailor, Dege & Skinner, where he soon developed an appreciation for bespoke tailoring. I first encountered the work of Narielwalla gracing the walls of "A Fairytale About Fashion", an exhibition which ran during the festive season of 2008. His Dead Man’s Patterns project was a design story that took its inspiration from a set of bespoke patterns belonging to a deceased customer. In his quest for artistic creativity, he forages for forms in historic tailoring archives and through his visuals narrates previously untold stories. His second publication entitled The Savile Row Cutter takes his bespoke love affair one step further.

Released next month, The Savile Row Cutter documents the tailoring memoirs of Michael Skinner, Master Cutter and Chairman of Dege & Skinner. It charts Skinner's progress from apprentice tailor through to Managing Director and Chairman. Michael Skinner’s enthralling career started in 1952 when he joined the family firm as an eighteen year old and he has since trained a great number of the bespoke tailors currently plying their trade on the Row. Told through his craft and written ‘in conversation’ with Michael, Narielwalla's text provides a fascinating insight into the life and work of a Master Tailor who has been at the forefront of bespoke tailoring for more than fifty years.

London’s Savile Row is renowned for bespoke tailoring. It continues to be the focal point of gentlemen’s tailoring and the reason is dedicated craftsmen like Michael Skinner who help keep its tradition alive and standards high. For anyone as equally enchanted by the world of the Row and its talented inhabitants, The Savile Row Cutter is a must read.