The London Lounge

Please forgive my enquiry I am without vast resource. I am 20 years old and aspire to become a master tailor. Currently I am enrolled in a Design school-but unfortunately the curriculum will not provide me with the necessary skills to create masterfully crafted,world class suits as by Savile Row or the Great Italian Suiting houses, Penne of the Abruzzi region of Italy. All of my research as yielded the same results- that the art of suit making is handed down from master to student. I am willing to do anything for the honor and privilege to apprentice under a master. Moreover, here in America the tradition of apprenticing and so forth seem to, as in all other parts of the world, to be in it's final throws. If you have any information that could aid me in my quest to train under a master artisan tailor please let me know, I am willing to commit my life to my goal and would love only to fulfill my desire to service with my heart and with passion.

-Thank you
Keithe

korinkahn wrote: I am willing to commit my life to my goal and would love only to fulfill my desire to service with my heart and with passion.-Thank youKeithe

Keithe,


I am sure that you are serious today, and if you still have the desire when you graduate the answer is very simple: pack your bags and head to Europe.

Goethe said it best:


If you have a dream or an idea begin it,

For in the beginning is boldness and magic and genius -


Save your money and study Italian. Go to Italy and England on your vacations. Make friends who are tailors, Get as much experience as you can with your student jobs.


All will happen for you in due course if you work towards your goals.....


Good luck!

I have become rather disenchanted with the tailors here in the U.S. for exactly the reason you allude to. They absolutely should be taking on apprentices.
This is the only avenue I have found which is presently open to you:

Bespoke Tailoring
Pre-Apprenticeship
supported by Savile Row Bespoke Ltd
NewCAD Level 2

Is this the course for me ?
Bespoke means hand crafted and individually made. Bespoke tailoring entails the personal attention of a cutter who measures the customer, creates and cuts a pattern, and directly supervises the making and fitting of the garment. If you are interested in developing your abilities towards a career in bespoke tailoring, this course is for you. The course is also suitable if you are interested in other careers in garment production.

Savile Row Bespoke Ltd
Savile Row Bespoke Ltd was established at the beginning of 2004. The four founding members of the company, all based in Savile Row, are Gieves & Hawkes, Huntsman, Dege & Skinner, and Henry Poole. The aims of the company are to protect and develop the reputation of bespoke tailoring on Savile Row, to maintain craft skills on Savile Row, and to develop a training programme for bespoke tailors. Savile Row Bespoke Ltd has advised on the design and content of this course and will deliver some sessions at College and at Savile Row. Additionally, some students will be offered work placement in Savile Row during the course.

What does the course involve ?
You will learn about basic tailoring working methods and the technical and practical processes involved in the hand production of tailored garments. The course includes;
Basic sewing skills Using sewing machines and equipment
Underpressing and shrinking Constructing canvases
Constructing pockets and details Block construction
Figuration Constructing bastes
Workshop practice Bespoke Patterns
An important aspect of the course will be the development of your ability to work in a professional and commercial context – to be able to complete tasks to a high standard and a given deadline, to present yourself and your work well, and to be reliable and self-motivated.
You will learn in a variety of ways, including talks, demonstrations, practical tasks and exercises, assignments, independent study, group discussion, and presentation and evaluation of your work.
There is regular tutorial support and review of your progress, and assessment feedback to encourage you and to help you to achieve your goals.
The course is based at East Ham Campus (five minutes from East Ham tube) in modern, well- equipped studios and garment production workshops. You will also use our library and resources centre, the FLEX, and the multimedia facilities in Learning Waves, our independent study centre.

What options are open to me if I successfully complete the course ?
It will take many years to acquire the level and range of skills and expertise required for bespoke tailoring, and the next step will be application to the one year Bespoke Tailoring Apprenticeship L2 programme. Alternatively you may choose to progress to study other specialist garment production or design courses available at Newham and elsewhere – a wide range of alterenative progression courses is available.

What qualifications do I need to get on to the course ?
You will preferably be 16-18, although 19+ applicants can also be accepted on to this course. You need some previous experience and evidence of interest in making garments, and 4+ GCSEs are desirable but not essential. Please complete and return a NCFE Admissions form and you will be invited to an introductory session of the course in February 2006.

Length and start date of the course
The course starts in September and February each year, and is timetabled 10am – 5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 18 weeks over three terms. The next course starts in February 2006, and you will receive a course handbook and detailed timetable at the beginning of the course.

Cost
This course is free to UK residents and people from EU countries. Materials and equipment to start the course will cost approximately £40, with an average of £5 per week needed for materials.

Contact
Admissions enquiries Admissions on 020 8257 4446 or email admissions@newham.ac.uk
Course enquiries Andy Jaggernauth on 020 8257 4342, andy.jaggernauth@newham.ac.uk


Bespoke Tailoring Apprenticeship Programme

This new training programme, comprising three levels of study, has been jointly developed by Savile Row Bespoke Ltd, Skillfast-UK and Newham College to address the skills shortage in the bespoke tailoring sector.

Savile Row Bespoke Ltd was established by a group of prominent tailoring companies at the beginning of 2004. The four founding members of the company, all based in Savile Row, are Gieves & Hawkes, Huntsman, Dege & Skinner, and Henry Poole. Its aim is to protect and develop the reputation of bespoke tailoring on Savile Row, to maintain craft skills, and to help create suitable training provision.

Together with Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for the clothing industry, and Newham College, a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Textiles Manufacturing and Design, the following training programme has been developed:

Bespoke Tailoring Pre-Apprenticeship course

This is an 18-week course studied three days per week at Newham College. The course introduces the working methods and technical / practical processes involved in the hand production of tailored garments. The course will include some sessions delivered by Savile Row Bespoke Ltd, and will equip students with basic hand and machine sewing skills and an understanding of pattern cutting and garment construction.

An important aspect of the course will be the development of the student’s ability to work in a professional and commercial context. This includes completing tasks to a high standard and within a given deadline, to present themselves and their work well, and to be reliable and self-motivated.

The course is free to UK and EU nationals. Students on the course are expected to qualify for an Educational Maintenance Allowance.

NVQ Bespoke Tailoring Apprenticeship course

Students who successfully complete the Pre-Apprenticeship course will progress to the NVQ Bespoke Tailoring Apprenticeship course. This one year course will be delivered mainly at Newham College, where apprentices will develop their practical and technical skills for future employment in the industry. Apprentices undertake work experience at a tailoring company towards the end of the course, enabling employers to identity those most suitable for further specialist training at advanced level.

The course is free to UK and EU nationals. Students on the course are expected to qualify for an Educational Maintenance Allowance.

NVQ Bespoke Tailoring Advanced Apprenticeship course

The qualification for this course, like the previous qualification, has been developed by Skillfast-UK in consultation with the sector. Advanced apprentices will be employed in tailoring companies, and develop their specialist knowledge, skills and understanding to a professional level. The course will also involve some study at Newham College. It is expected that all apprentices successfully completing this course will find employment in the sector, easing the present skills shortage.

Anderson & Sheppard traditionally take on a few apprentices. Most of the other big houses known for this appear to have gone in on the joint project listed above, and might not be formally employing entry-level workers anymore.

I don't recall any specific mention of apprenticeships, but Thomas Mahon's blog www.englishcut.com may trigger a few more ideas.

Additionally, Keithe, you may wish to consider the program offered by the tailoring houses of Buenos Aires, and which I mentioned in my posts under "City Guides". It is, I think, roughly comparable to the newer program offered in London. Although tuition may be charged, the cost of living in Buenos Aires is much less than in London, so expense may balance out. On the other hand, the tailoring tradition in Buenos Aires, derived largely from Italy, is not, of course, Savile Row.