Savile Row and The Kooples

By Simon Crompton

" Savile Row is not particularly old by London standards, having only been erected with the surrounding streets and squares in the eighteenth century. However, tailors began populating the area in the following century and have remained there ever since. 

This led to a historic tradition of tailoring that is unmatched anywhere in the world. There is no point listing the names of the eminent gentlemen that have had their clothes made there; the list would be too long. Whether it be British royalty, Hollywood movie stars or modern rockabillies, they have all had suits made on Savile Row.

The Kooples began working with Norton & Sons back in 2007. Alexandre and Laurent were already bespoke customers of Nortons and admired both the pattern cutting and construction techniques used to make their suits. When they set up their own brand, they naturally turned to Patrick Grant (owner of Norton & Sons) and his team to both help create the patterns for their own jackets and select the best materials.

"I think those are two distinct things we can offer," says Patrick. "Our knowledge of tailoring allows us to bring some time-honored techniques to the patterns for ready-to- wear clothing, improving the shape of the sleeve and armhole for example. And then we are privileged to spend our days working with the finest fabrics in the world, so we can use that experience to help brands like The Kooples select the best materials. The cloth is what differentiates them immediately from other ready-to-wear brands. The benefits of a high armhole will dawn on the customer slowly."

Anyone popping in to one of The Kooples' boutiques (King's Road, Carnaby Street and St Christopher's Place) will immediately realize the quality of the garments that have been produced. They will find slightly heavier material, which drape well and create a better structure. They will realize the superiority of the fit as soon as they slip on a jacket. This is the Savile Row tailoring influence. "