The Rake: The shape of things to come

A new generation of female artisans is redefining what it means to be a British tailor. ALEKS CVETKOVIC talks to seven who are leading the charge.

“It takes nine tailors to make a man,” said the Elizabethan writer John Heywood. Well, Mr. Heywood, we have news for you. These days, we think it takes only seven. And not the seven you’d necessarily expect, either.

You see, we men, we simple creatures, can be depressingly narrow minded. If I say to you, ‘Oh, my tailor’s very good, you know’, I’m willing to bet that nine times out of 10 your mind will jump to a figure of a greying, pinstripe-clad, round-bellied man with a pair of well-worn shears in his hand, but that’s a gross misconception now. In reality, tailoring in London and beyond is thriving in the hands of a young generation made up by as many forward-thinking, creative women as it is men.

Savile Row, in particular, has done excellent work in attracting and fostering talent in both genders in recent years, with its apprenticeship schemes and close links to Newham College and the London College of Fashion. In fact, the majority of this portfolio is made up of remarkably talented women who started on tailoring courses or Savile Row apprenticeships just a few years ago.

We’re also keen to point out that this snapshot of seven brilliant women is merely a sample of the great female talent in tailoring (and in menswear generally, for that matter). We think you should know about these seven because they’re young and making waves, but credit should likewise go to those women who paved the way in a traditional industry, and to the dozens of other brilliant cutters, tailors, entrepreneurs and creatives working in tailoring today. We salute you all!

Special mention should also go to Kathryn Sargent, the first female head cutter in Savile Row’s history, and the Row’s first female master tailor. Anda Rowland, too, deserves plaudits for steering Anderson & Sheppard through both smooth and stormy seas for years: she was one of the first female business owners in bespoke tailoring, and to this day is one of Savile Row’s most successful and respected figureheads.

Our chosen talents here serve to prove a point that’s very close to my 27-year-old heart. Young people are more than capable of doing great things, and woe betide anyone who tells us otherwise. The women in this portfolio are in their mid twenties to their mid thirties, and while they represent the future of an industry in its various forms — bespoke and made-to-measure — they are also at the forefront of the industry today. They testify to its vibrancy and its resilience during what continues to be a hugely challenging time.

It’s been a privilege to profile them, and we hope you enjoy reading about them.

Antonia Ede, founder, Montague Ede

Anyone with a clue about Savile Row will tell you that not only is Antonia Ede a delight to be around, she’s an authentic bespoke tailor, through and through. She founded her namesake house, Montague Ede, in 2016, after an apprenticeship at Hardy Amies and several years cutting at Huntsman. Today, Montague Ede’s headquarters are just a few blocks up from the Row, in an airy first-floor studio on Hanover Street, where Antonia works with a small and equally friendly team of coatmakers, apprentices, and bespoke shirtmaker Deema Abi-Chahine.

Like many of the women in this portfolio, the motivation for striking out on her own was the opportunity to work on something fresher than a position cutting for one of Savile Row’s oldest houses would allow. “I just wanted to have the chance to be a bit more creative with clients; going my own way was an opportunity to cut something other than a blue suit,” she says. “I’ve always tried to make bespoke more accessible and less intimidating for guys, and to open up traditional tailoring to a generation that haven’t explored it before.”

Ede’s work attests to this. She’s comfortable with everything from three-piece morning suits to unstructured corduroy sports coats. Recently, for example, she created a lightly structured travel jacket for me (which has affectionately taken on the moniker of my ‘pub jacket’ because it’s such a comfortable piece to throw on) with a host of interesting features, including shirt-sleeve cuffs, an inverted box-pleat back, and bellows pockets at the hips. She did this, moreover, in a new washed wool jersey fabric woven by Holland & Sherry, which you’d expect to be a nightmare to tailor thanks to its stretch.

“Pieces like that make this job worth doing,” she says. “It’s great to be challenged and to experiment with garments that feel relevant to today. Yes, I cut a suit that’s informed by my training, but I also enjoy cutting a more Italian or American shape where it suits the client. We’re all about making clothes you’ll actually want to wear.”

Antonia’s website touts Montague Ede as a “modern bespoke tailor with a traditional background”. We think that’s spot on. If you’re looking for all of Savile Row’s signature care and skill, wrapped up in an approachable, welcoming experience, Antonia is your woman.