After 17 years at H. Huntsman, the last of them as creative director, Richard Anderson established his eponymous business and shop at 13 Savile Row in 2001 with former Huntsman managing director Brian Lishak and Clive Gilkes. As the first bespoke tailor to open on the Row in more than fifty years, the firm is the youngest of the 'proper' tailoring houses on that hallowed street and has the reputation of being “More Huntsman than Huntsman itself."
Asked to describe his house style, Anderson said, “I still cut clothes the way I did at Huntsman, where I was taught by Colin Hammick and Brian Hall with a very old system called the Thornton system, which is based on a hacking coat. It keeps the armholes really quite high for two reasons: one is movement, so if a man’s on a horse, or he’s shooting, he can lean forward, but it also gives a long line through the sides. The great thing about the system is the balance between the back, the forepart and the sleeves - it makes every man look a little bit taller and slimmer. I try to get as much shape as I can, with a natural line through the side seam, rather than cutting it in [at the waist] and having it flair out. I like to keep the chest quite natural, and also we’re very particular about the collar being anchored onto the neck. There needs to be something in the shoulder - we build up our own pads with wadding and canvas – but there’s hardly any roping because I like to have it one continuous line. It’s what I’d call a natural shoulder” (As evidenced by the photos, Mr Anderson’s “natural shoulder” is a far cry from the “natural shoulder” as cut by Thomas Mahon, say, or by the Neapolitan tailors, yet they all confusingly use the same word).
-Words by Mansel Fletcher
-Photography by Chloë Lederman
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4 comments:
Is it fair to say that he's the only "proper" tailor on the row for 50 years? Is Boateng not a proper tailor? Just because he makes forays into "fashion".
Nutter's opened in 1969 (only 43 years ago). With Edward Sexton as cutter.
It's marketing speak, in my opinion. Nutter is long gone and though Sexton is still doing good work he is not on the Row.
You make a good point about Boateng, though he describes himself as a fashion designer so I guess I could make a case for either side of the argument.
Richard Anderson's my outfit; they're really good at what they do and have enormous enthusiasm for the work. However you describe them, they're the real thing!
It's a pity he's standing with his hand in his pocket--makes the shirt show beneath the jacket button. A sartorial "no no."
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