Continuing with our series of Team Talks, our Head of Ready to Wear gives an insight into the development and expansion of our ready to wear venture. In conversation with Brigita Baniunaite, at The Service, 32 Savile Row.
B: I like the ensemble, Oliver. Perfect for a crisp spring morning.
O: Thanks. It’s from our new Ready to Wear collection that we’ve been working on during the lockdown.
B: Ready to wear! Isn’t it a bit unusual for bespoke tailors to venture into ready to wear?
O: Cad is certainly the most progressive tailor on Savile Row, so expanding into ready to wear made sense, harnessing the experience we have from making more than fifty thousand bespoke suits to create something modern and complimentary to the bespoke business. In fact, going from bespoke to ready to wear is a more seamless transition than the reverse; we have a far better idea of fit and sizing than the average retailer.
B: Sounds like you have some experience in ready to wear. How did you get into tailoring?
O: I started out at a made to measure tailor on Savile Row, progressing to become their ready to wear designer. I spent the best part of seven years working alongside the company owner, designing retail and wholesale collections.
B: In your experience of interacting with Savile Row customers over the years, how have their needs evolved?
O: I’d say the biggest change has been a desire for the bespoke model to adapt to the online market. Over the lockdown especially, our customers have expressed a desire to experience Savile Row virtually. By being technologically savvy we have been able to commission bespoke for customers all over the world.
B: How have you met the demands of bespoke customers whilst also developing the Ready to Wear collection?
O: Bespoke tailoring is essentially very cyclical, with our busiest periods traditionally being January to March, so developing ready to wear for the best part of last year has kept our team of tailors busy during our quieter periods. Our workshop also compliments the nature of ready to wear collections; keeping them relevant and sustainable, with seasonal rather than annual releases.
B: Sounds great. What kind of garments can we expect to see?
O: The collection will focus on a softer, deconstructed aesthetic with a more contemporary approach responding to how men are dressing today. Use of exclusive cloths, with technical finishes and modern compositions, breathes fresh air into Savile Row as a whole, while retaining a bespoke level of superior craftsmanship.
B: When can we expect the first release?
O: The initial range of garments are already available to buy online and from our Savile Row store. With a brand new Savile Row ready to wear shop in the pipeline, we are very excited about the future. Follow ups to the collection will be announced as they arrive, via our newsletter, on Instagram and through the website.
