Savile Row is still standing! This has been a difficult year for all of us, but here are a few pictures (taken just before the latest UK government ruling that all non-essential shops must again close…) from our celebrated street and its immediate surrounds that nicely demonstrate our indefatigable spirit of community. From top to bottom: Anderson & Sheppard, Chittleborough …
Country Life has been taking a comprehensive look at life pre and post-pandemic on Savile Row, and how our community is working to maintain its pre-eminence as the home of the best bespoke tailoring in the world. Two features have been produced in collaboration with the Row’s landlords The Pollen Estate. The first focuses on the history, culture, architecture and …
The New York Times has taken an in-depth look at how Savile Row is surviving the pandemic. Read the story here.
The UK government has announced that both its furlough Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) are being extended. The CJRS will now run until the end of March, with employees receiving 80% of their salaries for the hours they do not work. Employers will cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions for the same hours. …
The UK government has announced details of its increased funding for the Job Support Scheme, increased grants for businesses and an increase in funding for the Self-Employed Grants Scheme. The new Job Support Scheme and Self-Employed Grants scheme start on November 1st. Full details of both, plus information on new and increased grants for businesses can be found here.
The UK government has now published details of who will be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus (JRB). Details about how to make claims will follow in January 2021. The JRB amounts to a £1,000 one-off taxable payment to employers for each employee that has been furloughed and is kept in continuous employment until January 2021. Employers will have until 31st March …
The Golden Shears has launched its own website to showcase its celebrated bi-annual awards, which are affectionately known as The Oscars of the Tailoring World. Formed in 1974, The Golden Shears is promoted by the Merchant Tailors’ Company and its awards are open to bespoke tailoring apprentices and students throughout the UK. The award ceremony is the only event of …
The UK government has announced its new Job Support Scheme for employees and details of further Covid-19 support for businesses. The Job Support Scheme starts on November 1st and will stay in place for an initial six months. Details of the scheme, plus information on SEISS Grant Extensions, finance schemes, VAT deferral and more can be seen here. There is …
Founding Savile Row Bespoke Association (SRBA) member Henry Poole & Co has got together with Land Rover’s Design Officer Prof Gerry McGovern OBE to create a suitably innovative jacket fabric to celebrate 50 years of the Range Rover. The cloth, a new twist on a classic dog-tooth check, has been woven in Somerset by Fox Brothers and is inspired by …
Post-lockdown life on an ever-busier Savile Row continues apace with the opening of The Service, a neat new coffee bar and exhibition space at no. 32. The timely inaugural exhibition, Savile Row Bespoke: Tailored Casual, showcases the Row as a multifaceted destination for those in search of exceptional tailoring that is smart yet relaxed, and features a number of Savile …
Neatly coinciding with Savile Row’s post-lockdown return to work, Savile Row Bespoke Association associate member Dugdale Bros has released its new Needle Ready collection of cloth. Made in Huddersfield from a Super 120s wool and cashmere blend, Needle Ready comprises classic suitings as well as dual-faced Sunburst cloths, which means it works perfectly for both formal and relaxed occasion wear. …
The UK government has now introduced a law to ensure that furloughed employees receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages, rather than a reduced furlough rate. Full details and the UKFT’s key points to consider when making redundancies can be seen here.
Pandemic conditions are thankfully improving in the UK, but The London Academy of Bespoke – the acclaimed London tailoring school that is staffed by Savile Row-trained cutters and tailors – is continuing to supply NHS and other care workers with much-needed scrubs, wash bags and re-useable theatre gowns. Most recently, the Battersea based school – which is fondly known as …
The government has now released guidance for close-contact services operating under the Covid-19 pandemic. The document has been prepared by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. Full details …
Our associate member Kathryn Sargent offers an insight into how the bespoke process is going to be at her Brook Street atelier and our other members’ houses for the time being. Such is life with the coronavirus pandemic.
The government has now released full details of how the flexible furlough scheme for employees will work. Basically, employers can now return any employees to work for any amount of time and on any work pattern, and continue to claim the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grant for the normal working hours that said employees don’t work. Employees must agree to …
We are delighted to be able to tell you that Savile Row’s bespoke tailors are re-opening their doors today, Monday 15th June 2020. Three months after having to close their shops and bespoke workshops because of the national lockdown, a number of Savile Row’s bespoke tailoring houses have now reopened for business and are taking appointments. In keeping with …
Following on from the tremendous interest generated in sewing by the various hubs that have been making scrubs for care workers during the pandemic, UKFT has launched Sew Connect. The Sew Connect initiative aims to capitalise on the renewed national enthusiasm for sewing and help meet the growing demand for garments made in the UK. The UK fashion and textile …
No footfall, no fittings. Shears have been downed and the boards lie empty… Sadly, this is the first time since Henry Poole opened its doors at No. 32 in 1846 that the craft of bespoke tailoring hasn’t been practised on Savile Row, but our members are now making plans to provide a safe space for business to resume. Following the …
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s ‘road map’ announcement on Sunday which will explain how and when the lockdown is going to be eased, UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has issued a very useful set of guidelines regarding returning to work. Issues covered include distancing, sanitisation and working practises in general. Full details can be seen here. Further suggestions can …
The UK government has now released further guidance on the furlough Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which was fully implemented on 20th April. The latest information includes details on directors’ pay and confirmation that employees are not to undertake any work for their employers when on furlough. Full details, plus updated information from HMRC on delaying Import Duty and VAT, …
The government has now implemented a package of measures to help businesses throughout the coronavirus crisis. These measures include a three-month rent moratorium for retailers, support in paying employees’ wages and a 12-month business rates holiday. Full details can be seen here. A scheme to help the self-employed (of which there are many on Savile Row) was also unveiled yesterday. …
UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) is preparing a series of guides to assist companies during the coronavirus outbreak. The first guidelines relate to sick pay and employment and can be read here. In another development relating to the coronavirus outbreak, Savile Row landlord The Pollen Estate has decided to postpone the Savile Row Concours classic car rally, which was …
We would like to assure everyone that the Savile Row Bespoke Association and each of its members are following the coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) situation closely and are taking every precaution possible to ensure the wellbeing of our customers. Each of our members are adhering to government advice regarding the virus and, at present, are open for business as usual. You …
Two fine examples of the long-lasting qualities of the best bespoke tailoring featured on the latest series of BBC1’s the Antiques Roadshow in the form of a pair of naval jackets (one of them is pictured, right) which were made for King George VI by Savile Row Bespoke Association member Benson & Clegg. King George VI enjoyed a close relationship …
