Savile Row: tailor and cutter relationship with a client

[novice]

I am curious to find out when a cutter leaves a tailor, as is not uncommon, does the clientele also generally leave the tailor for a tried and tested cutter; or do the clients remain loyal to the tailoring house and experiment with a new cutter

[The Doctor]

It's a bit of both.

I would say that most of my customers have become friends.

[Concordia]

My first serious relationship with Savile Row firm ended (or changed a lot) when the cutters left. One became a MD next door, his replacement ended up buying an old firm with a partner he got along with better, and the third guy who was sort of the customer service guru left for a similar position at another, smaller firm. I probably would have tried to keep in touch with each of them anyway, but the decision was made even easier when the third guy left-- service at the original shop fell into temporary disarray, morale was terrible, etc. They're doing fine now, but it was a rocky period for everyone.