Kathryn Sargent made history on 6 April, 2016 by becoming the first female master tailor to open her own shop in London's Savile Row. Making waves, and headlines, in a profession traditionally dominated by men, we caught up with Kathryn to talk about her career, her clients and the importance of nurturing new talent…
How did you start out in the industry?
I discovered my passion for tailoring while studying at fashion college and decided there was only one place to learn the real art of tailoring and that was Savile Row. I learnt not only the craft and how important each step in the process is, but also the importance of the client and the personal service.
I started as an apprentice at Gieves and Hawkes, No.1 Savile Row and worked my way up. It was here that I became the first female Head Cutter in the history of Savile Row. This was the culmination of 15 years’ hard work at the firm where I was lucky enough to work alongside many great craftsmen, including Robert Gieve, one the last members of the founding family to work in the business.
Was it always your goal to open your own tailoring house?
As a tailor it was a long held ambition of mine to open a tailoring house, and in 2012, I opened the Kathryn Sargent atelier, now located at No 6 Brook Street, Mayfair, and am delighted to now return as the first female master tailor to have my name above the door and open my own store on Savile Row, where the journey began.
How has the industry changed since you started out?
The rules of men’s dress have evolved and are now less rigid - clients like to express their individuality more.
Young men were once taken to their father’s tailor for their first suit, now, they have an interest in style and fashion and do a great deal of their own research ahead of meeting you.
I work with my clients on a personal level and offer advice to create garments and outfits that reflect their personality, and I am delighted to say that a good number of my clients are women. There are more women in professions looking to have the highest quality tailoring made for them, many of the tailors historically only provided a service for men.
Do you think the industry has become more diverse over the years?
Absolutely! There has definitely been an increase in interest over recent years and that has attracted a great deal of talented hard working young people from different backgrounds, mixed together with the more experienced master craftsmen (and women) in the different houses, so these are very exciting times - Savile Row has a strong future.
I am also a firm believer in supporting up and coming new talent within the bespoke trade. As well as employing my own apprentices, I am also a technical judge of the Golden Shears Award and an external assessor of the post-graduate tailoring course at the National Tailoring Academy in Dublin, Ireland.
What’s the biggest struggle you’ve faced in your career? Did gender ever play a role?
As in any profession, it’s hard when you are first starting out, you have ambitions but need to gain the necessary experience to reach them, so it required lots of hard work and dedication to my craft in order to progress up the career ladder.
For centuries, women have been present in the tailoring workrooms as finishers and assistant tailors, but now there are a new generation of women making their way to the top of the business in client-facing roles.
What does a typical working day look like?
Not one day is the same! On my journey to work I am always inspired by the streets of London, in particularly, Mayfair, which feels like home for me. I then start by going through the diary to check over my appointments and to ensure that all the fittings and garments are ready. I then like to do the work that requires the most concentration in the morning, such as cutting a paper pattern for a new customer or working on a garment that I have fitted the day before. It is always exciting as I thoroughly enjoy the work and the interaction with my clients, you never know who is going to be in town when and who you might meet.
What advice would you give anyone wanting to pursue a career in tailoring?
Being a bespoke tailor or cutter takes time and training, there’s lots of information available on what it takes to do the job and how to learn the craft: you have to have some natural flair, but it is important to practice, be patient and absorb as much you can from the people who are training you once you have entered into the trade. There is an SRBA (Savile Row Bespoke Association) apprenticeship scheme and I am launching anew website for training in May.
Tell us about your new store...
I hope the new store on Savile Row will act as an immersive story telling experience whereby visitors can walk through the craftsmanship process behind how a bespoke garment is made. From the consultation and fabric selection, right through to the measurement taking, cutting and finishing touches process – I want to take my clients on a journey.
A bespoke suit or garment is a real timeless investment, that should last a good 15 – 20 years and it is only right that its owner is able to understand the story behind how it was crafted in order to truly appreciate it.
The new Kathryn Sargent store at 37 Savile Row, W1S 3QD will be sister to the established atelier at No 6 Brook Street. Find the shop at: 37 Savile Row, Mayfair, London, W1S 3QD
Follow Kathryn @kathrynsargentbespoke