Being in contact with Jenny Tiramani herself, the woman who has succeeded Janet Arnold's name, has been a great deal of use, because she pointed me in the direction of Keith Levett, livery tailor of Savile Row's Henry Poole & Co. When researching in to this tailor, I came across such an interesting blog in particular with some outstanding photos of the work at Henry Poole & Co. I felt it would be wrong not to share.
What is very interesting about Keith Levitt is that he entered his tailoring apprenticeship at the age of 15. He was taught by his grandmother ho to sew from an early age.
Keith first came in contact with Henry Poole's in 1989. His first lesson was how to sit properly and hold his tools correctly, which goes to show how important every little detail down to the correct posture is for a professional tailor. I would love to learn more about the correct ways of tailoring, however I suppose they are passed down from one succeeder to another. It is mentioned that setting a high standard of work was embedded in Keith from his masters, as the quality of work will inevitably dwindle over the years.
Within 3 years he had mastered the art of tailoring and was already working in the livery department in charge of state liveries, court dress, ceremonial uniforms and garments for the Royal stables, – most intricate work for a man so young.
What is most interesting about this article is that Keith explains that the difference and most defining factor with a Henry Poole livery garment is that it is entirely hand stitched. Most livery tailors use machines in order to work faster, but this results in a very stiff garment that does not give to a body’s shape. It is stated that with 14 stitches to the inch and 56 yards of gold lace this makes roughly 32,500 stitches for a coat and waistcoat. This is incredible!
Keith unwaveringly says it pays off to do all the painstaking work by hand as working the joins and seams by hand produces an uneven but organic garment that will settle into its fit more easily. Coming with a hefty price tag these garments are understandably made to stand the test of time.
Keith had the task of replacing all the liveries of the Royal grooms, which were last made by Henry Poole back in 1876. It is explained that as well as the eminent wear and tear factor of clothes, men are now taller and more muscular so therefore their body shape is totally different.
From what I can gather from this article,
Keith is currently the only person in the livery department at Henry Poole
& Co. What I can say here is that this really is proof of military
tailoring being a very secretive trade that not many people have
the privilege of obtaining knowledge in. I have found it immensely
difficult myself to find any information or even practitioners who will allow a
little bit of insight in to the industry. You could say that it is becoming a
dying trade in an age where tailors are failing to replace themselves.
It is said that Keith is looking for a
successor, to pass down his knowledge to, but I can imagine it will have to be
someone very special that shows the same love and extraordinary passion that
Keith has for his craft. From reading this article I can't imagine the
years of training and experience that it must take to become a distinguished
livery tailor such as Keith Levett of Henry Poole. When researching in to
military tailoring and the skill that is required, he is the perfect person to
benchmark yourself against in regards to excellence and success, for anyone
that aspires to a career in this specific discipline. I would like to do some
more research in to Keith as well as Henry Poole & Co. in the future as it
seems to be the best company to be keeping track of when I carry on my
research.
Whats interesting about this video is that when Keith mentioned that it takes around 6 weeks to complete a military/livery uniform. Thats six weeks on a professionals time schedule that has been in the industry with years of experience. Realistically there would have been no chance of me ever being able to come close to creating a coat of this standard for this particular project without any prior knowledge or experience in the field.
Henry Poole & Co.
Henry Poole & Co. first began with the success of his father James Poole making military uniforms during the Napoleonic War. In 1806 James opened a shop in Brunswick Square, moving it to Regent’s Street in 1822. Upon his death in 1846, his son Henry extended the grounds with the entrance opening onto Savile Row. He was, arguably, the first tailor on Savile Row, thus beginning the long tradition of the ‘Savile Row suit’. When Henry Poole died the company fell into the hands of his cousin Samuel Cundey, whose family still run it today.
Back in the day, if you were left handed you had to learn how to use right-handed scissors or would find yourself out of a job. Times have obviously changed. Looking around I see that Keith’s is the only workspace with livery pieces.
The Royal Warrant for livery tailoring was only granted by Queen Victoria in 1869. By this time the company had every European monarch in its books. Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde have all been fitted with a Henry Poole suit and when looking through their button archive we even come across Napoleon III’s. I find it reassuring that had Napoleon III or his descendants ever needed a button, he/she would have known exactly where to come. Today the prestigious Royal Warrant title is shared with only a couple of other firms such as Gieves & Hawkes and Dege & Skinner.
http://www.savilerow-style.com/issue022/style03.htm
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/the-spirit-of-london-a-book-for-15000-olympic-athletes-7669544.html?action=gallery&ino=10
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7159027/Henry-Poole-and-Co-founders-of-Savile-Row.html
http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/hand%20sewn%20shoulders
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