Savile Row and the Coronation / VIDEO: Gravitas: Coronation: A gift to Savile Row Tailors

Coronation is a great fit for London's Savile Row tailors

 

On Savile Row, the London street long celebrated for turning out sharp suits, tailors have been racing to prepare the red and gold uniforms that will feature in Britain's first coronation for 70 years, adorned with the new insignia of King Charles.

Reuters

https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Coronation-is-a-great-fit-for-london-s-savile-row-tailors,1512080.html

 

The salesrooms have been busy too, as customers arrive to collect such uniforms as well as suits for people who will be guests this Saturday for one of the country's most elaborate ceremonial occasions.

 

Savile Row tailors have dressed kings, queens and their offspring for more than 150 years, and their craft gets a particular boost from long-time customer Charles - a lover of the countryside who also champions the farmers, weavers and mills producing much of the fabric.

 

"It's a real honour," said Jules Walker, military tailor at Gieves & Hawkes who will be on hand from 4 a.m. on the morning of the coronation to make any final adjustments. "We're all working hard. There's a lot to do.

 

"On the day it's all going to look fantastic. We'll all be able to see our work and be proud of it. It's an historic event. So people will be looking at this for years and years."

 

Previous royal events, such as last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne or the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry to his American wife Meghan, have led to a spike in interest in the craftsmanship of Savile Row, where archives record the measurements and orders of venerable customers including Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens and Cary Grant.

 

Troops dressed in bright red wool uniforms with elaborate gold braid are an essential part of British pageantry, seen on the streets of the capital last year for both the queen's jubilee celebration and then just months later, for her vast funeral procession in September.

 

The changing of a monarch requires insignia to be replaced, with Charles' Tudor crown, buttons and royal cypher - or monogram - stitched on to the ceremonial uniforms that will be on display among the 6,000-strong military procession.

 

William Skinner at the Dege & Skinner tailoring house said the uniforms last for decades, and that the focus on repairing and refreshing the outfits rather than making new ones was in line with Charles' well-known regard for the environment.

 

The big names on the street, such as Gieves, Henry Poole, Dege & Skinner, Anderson & Sheppard and others all boast royal warrants, confirming that they dress the royal family among their clients.

 

In return they have had to steadily improve their environmental record, supplying energy bills and invoices to show how they have reduced their use of packaging or lighting.

 

'SLOWEST FASHION'

 

Henry Poole, credited with creating the dinner jacket, or tuxedo, has held a British royal warrant since the 1860s when it supplied Queen Victoria. Simon Cundey, the latest member of the family to run the business, said customers in Britain and around the world were drawn by the royal warrant.

 

"The sustainability side of that is a major part of what Savile Row has always had," he said.

 

King Charles, who has been photographed wearing the same double-breasted suits that he has owned for decades, has long been an advocate for the "slowest fashion" approach that has gained greater traction in recent years.

 

"I'm one of those people who hate throwing anything away," he told British Vogue in 2020. "Hence, I'd rather have them maintained, even patched if necessary, than to abandon them."

 

Anda Rowland, vice chairman of the king's tailor, Anderson & Sheppard, said Charles had provided a "sort of halo effect" for British menswear, with international television crews asking about his approach to sustainable fashion.

 

"It ticks a lot of boxes in the modern world, even though it's extremely traditional," she said. "And we still do things and train in the same way that we did when we were founded in 1906"

How Savile Row Tailor Huntsman Is Coronation Ready With Activities In Honor Britain’s 957 Years Of Regnal Tradition

Allyson Portee

May 2, 2023,04:37pm EDT

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allysonportee/2023/05/02/how-savile-row-tailor-huntsman-is-coronation-ready-with-activities-in-honor-britains-957-years-of-regnal-tradition/

 

Renowned Savile Row tailor Huntsman is quite active in Coronation festivities this week. They announced a tweed competition in honor of King Charles III’s Coronation and they are a part of The Campaign For Wool partnership with other Savile Row Tailors.

 

“Launching the Huntsman Tweed Competition for 2023, participants have been invited to design a tweed fit for a king!,” says Taj Phull, the Managing Director of Huntsman. “The winning design will become our exclusive Coronation Tweed, and the winner will receive their own bespoke experience with Huntsman. We feel our celebrations acknowledge the passions and principles of the King; with sustainable practices and emphasis on traditional craftsmanship.”

 

“The competition invites applicants to download Huntsman's exclusive templates, unleash their creativity, and submit their masterpieces by tagging #huntsmantweed2023 on social media,” says the company. “The winning entry will be transformed into a full bolt of cloth, from which the winner will receive their own bespoke jacket.”

 

Huntsman has been around since 1849, which means they have also been around past Coronations. “Looking back through our archive ledgers the months leading up to June 1953 are peppered with orders pertaining to the coronation; most notably that of new morning wear and military regalia,” Phull. “The dress code for 1953 was understandably more stringent and we still have an original palace issue document advising tailors of the exacting specifications for the attire of those in attendance! Although this year the dress code has been somewhat relaxed, morning wear remains the order of the day, and we're glad to again be dressing some high-profile attendees.”

 

During these past 171 years, the company has dressed kings and queens of Europe, Hollywood, and fashion designers. Anyone, no matter where in the world they live can enter the competition. Huntsman wants participants to be creative with their tweed pattern, but also keep in mind that it’s for King Charles III’s Coronation and to design in that spirit, as well as keep I mind the heritage and history of the company. Final submission had to be submitted and finalists will be announced this coming Coronation weekend, and the public will vote starting May 4th with the winner announced on May 9th. All information regarding the competition is on Huntsman’s website.

 

Another way Huntsman has been celebrating the soon-awaited-Coronation is by participating in The Campaign For Wool, working with other Savile Row Tailors to create over a mile long red, white, and blue bunting that extends throughout Savile Row, Clifford Street, Old Burlington Street and parts of St. James- and which took fifteen miles of wool fabric to create.

 

The fabric was created by AW Hainsworth and fits in line with the King’s views of eco-friendly living. King Charles has always been a proponent of sheep and sustainability. A unique talent he has is being able to identify any breed of sheep. Wool was the fabric of choice because it is biodegradable, sustainable, and renewable. The bunting is reusable and will be used for other events.

 

“The bunting, unlike its synthetic counterparts, is biodegradable, sustainable and renewable, and the bunting is reusable and will be used for future events and celebrations on the Row,” concludes Phull. “Within Huntsman, we looked to celebrate the occasion with an inclusive event that encouraged people to get creative and open a conversation about bespoke practices and design.”