Will Savile Row Survive the Down Economy?
Will Savile Row Survive the Down Economy?
We asked Anda Rowland, owner of Anderson & Sheppard, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, what the outlook is for the Row’s traditional tailoring firms.
“We are still getting new customers and many enquiries, but it has to be said that London is not really in the mood to spend and people are traveling [to London] less,” Rowland tells Luxist. “Luckily, despite the turn away from ‘bling’ spending, there has been a renewed interest in goods that have an underlying value, which is perceived as more solid and easier to understand and to explain to the customer. There is a shift from the ‘Because I’m worth it’ attitude towards one questioning ‘Was it worth it?'”
Asked about the influx of money from emerging markets, “Speaking for Anderson & Sheppard, we have not seen a growth in customers from Russia or from the UAE,” she replies. “We have had more press interest, but it has not filtered through to visits yet. China and India are growing markets [for us] due, perhaps, to a historical familiarity with the history and tradition of Savile Row.” As for the future, “I have heard from the other tailors that they believe that their trips abroad will be more and more important over the next couple of years,” Rowland says. “They feel that customers will be traveling far less and that overseas service will help them to keep the workshops busy and running efficiently.”
Summing up, Rowland, who inherited the business a few years back from her father, is optimistic. “As a relative newcomer to this industry where most houses are at least 100 years old, I am reassured by the reaction of most tailors who say that their firms have seen it all several times before,” she tells us. “I can imagine that for many of the big designer brands that are much younger, it is harder to be as quietly confident as we are on Savile Row.”
With the falling pound, it is time to pick up some more Savile Row Suits.
Worth their weight in Gold in a Down Economy. A flight to quality if you will.
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy’s, favorite International Playboy
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Miles Davis – So What(1964)
28/10/2008 at 6:02 am Permalink
Dear MPM,
First off, love the site. Now, a question regarding Savile Row: Do you find their cuts too conservative (boring)? I mean everyone knows Ozwald Boateng is mad flash but everything else there is pretty low key–only the most sophisto girls would notice the ticket pocket and fully canvassed jacket, right? Wouldn’t an off the rack Zegna or Canali be better for a night out?
By the way, I beat you to it on the Savile row story and the falling pound, but then again, you’re a lot busier than me (in a good way). Hope you don’t mind me borrowing the “Small Town America” story…just trying to spread the word around.
30/10/2008 at 9:02 pm Permalink
Le Parvenue,
Savile Row suits have there place in every gentleman’s wardrobe. Your right Ozwald Boateng is mad flash. I rock it on the reg.
Zegna or Canali is sick too, although, I don’t rock them all that much anymore.
Ha. Yeah, I see you beat me to it, smooth.
“Hope you don’t mind me borrowing the “Small Town America” story”
Of course not.
Spread the word…For the People.
– MPM