Savile Row’s First Female Master Tailor
Savile Row’s First Female Master Tailor
Savile Row – the Mayfair Street in the heart of central London that has long been home to numerous bespoke tailoring retailers on which its reputation both relies and grows. It houses British tailoring giants such as Gieves & Hawkes (founded by in 1974) who created pieces for prolific individuals such as Sir Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Michael Jackson. As well as Stowers Bespoke (founded in 2007 by Ray Stowers, the former head of Gieves & Hawkes) who offer traditional made-in-Britain tailoring to a client list they are yet to disclose – but I am sure does not included any members of the Kardashian/Jenner family.
Despite the great variety of different cuts, colours and styles one may find in Savile Row’s stores, this variety does not extend to the gender of its master tailors. It is only when Kathryn Sargent ‘who has dressed royalty, actors, politicians and business leaders’ (according to the Guardian) rose through the ranks to head cutter, and from there opened her first store in Brook Street in 2012, that there had been any significant female presence.
In a report Sargent stated: ‘I am thrilled to be making history, although for me being a woman is incidental, I am a tailor first and foremost.’ It is clear that her passion for her art overwhelms the potential restrains of her gender in the field, however she does not forget that her influence in the industry has inspired women. She later mentions, ‘more and more women are coming through now and are doing the training. Sixty-five percent of the newly-qualified tailors last year were women. Its more diverse’.
Although her passion for tailoring began while she was studying at a small fashion college in Epsom, Surrey, Sargent is now selling beautiful £4,200 bespoke two-piece suits from her eponymous store, right in the heart of where British tailoring was established. A great achievement first and foremost for Kathryn but also for the aspiring female tailors who now have another reason why they should follow their passions!
Savile Row’s First Female Master Tailor
