Richard James (tailor)

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Richard JamesCompany type| Private

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Industry| Tailoring
Website| https://www.richard-james.com
Interior of the flagship Richard James store at 29 Savile Row, London W1S 2EY

Richard James is a bespoke Savile Row tailors and contemporary menswear company.[1] It was founded in 1992 by designer Richard James, a graduate of Brighton College of Art and a former buyer for the London boutique Browns, and his business partner Sean Dixon. The Design and Brand Director is Toby Lamb, a graduate of Central Saint Martins.[2] Richard James has won both the British Fashion Council's Menswear Designer of the Year and Bespoke Designer of the Year awards.[3]

## History

[edit]

The first of the "new establishment" or "new bespoke movement" of Savile Row – the new, more fashion orientated wave of tailors who moved onto the street in the nineties – Richard James is credited as having done much to revitalise the reputation and fortunes of what is acknowledged to be a world centre of quality tailoring.[4]

Richard James's trademark slim, modern tailoring and bold use of colour have earned it a large celebrity following. Mark Ronson,[5] Daniel Craig,[6] David Beckham,[5] Tinie Tempah,[7] Mo Farah,[8] David Cameron,[9] P Diddy, Jude Law, Tom Cruise, Benicio del Toro, Bryan Ferry, Christian Lacroix, Sir Elton John, Hugh Grant, Manolo Blahnik, Pierce Brosnan,[10] Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Paul McCartney number amongst the company's customers.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Richard James is a founding member of the Savile Row Bespoke Association, the trade organisation that represents bespoke tailoring on Savile Row, but Richard James' fashion-led approach, marketing techniques and introduction of Saturday opening to Savile Row was initially met with concern by some of the street's established tailors.[18]

One early supporter of Richard James, however, was established British couturier Hardy Amies who had opened his business on Savile Row in 1946.[19] "Sir Hardy Amies was marvellous," recalled James. "I well recall his chauffeur-driven car pulling up outside Richard James and Sir Hardy emerging like Lady Bracknell. He'd cast a lugubrious eye over the bright pink and acid green jackets in our window before shaking his head at us in mock disbelief. And then he smiled."[20]

Richard James now has two shops on Savile Row, one of which is home to its bespoke and made-to-measure tailoring, and a flagship store in New York.[21] Bespoke suits start at £4,500 inclusive of VAT.[14] The company's ready-to-wear collections are also sold worldwide through stockists such as Harrods,[22] Selfridges, Bloomingdales, Barneys New York[23] and Lane Crawford.[24][citation needed]

## House style

[edit]

Richard James's tailoring has always centred on what has become known in the style press as its 'modern classic' style:[25] one or two-button single-breasted suits with slightly longer, more waisted jackets, incorporating deep side vents and a slightly higher armhole to give a slim, definitive silhouette. The overall design philosophy is to produce classic clothing, but to push the barriers through experimenting with fabrics and making bold use of pattern and, particularly, colour.[26] The British fashion writer and academic Colin McDowell has described James as being 'the best colourist working in menswear in London today'.[25]

## Collaborations

[edit]

Throughout its history, Richard James has collaborated on a number of collaborations with a diverse number of companies and individuals, including SpongeBob SquarePants,[27] Elton John,[15] Spencer Tunick (picture, right),[28] Condor Cycles,[29] Umbro and Tretorn.[30]

## Timeline

[edit]

1992 The first Richard James shop opens at 37a Savile Row.[31] Richard James's arrival is noticed by Nick Sullivan in British Esquire magazine: "There is an odd atmosphere these days in Savile Row. Nothing tangible, you understand. But from time to time, people stop to peer with uncertainty, with incomprehension, even with vague horror through the plate glass window of No. 37a. There's a new boy on The Row and he's causing quite a stir."[32]

1995 The Sunday Telegraph reveals that Queen Elizabeth II's cousin David Linley is measured for his Richard James suits astride his motorcycle.[33] Richard James moves to new, 2,000 square feet premises at 31 Savile Row.[34] 1996 Richard James's 'suicide' cinema advertisement, which shows a Richard James attired man throwing himself off the top of a building, is banned.[35]

1996 Richard James is awarded the Evening Standard's Eros Award as Retailer of the Year. Richard James is profiled in a feature on cutting edge British design and style in the defining Cool Britannia edition of Vanity Fair.[36]

1998' Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro wear Richard James camouflage suits on the cover of George.[37]

2000 Richard James moves to 29 Savile Row, the largest premises on the street, which becomes its flagship shop, design studio and showroom.[38]

2001 Richard James receives the Menswear Designer of the Year award from the British Fashion Council[citation needed] and the Designer of the Year award at the British GQ Men of the Year awards.[citation needed] Richard James supplies all the suits for its customer Hugh Grant's wardrobe in Bridget Jones's Diary.[citation needed]

2004 Richard James launches its trainers in conjunction with Tretorn.[30] Richard James is one of the founding members of the Savile Row Bespoke Association, which is formed to promote and protect the traditions of bespoke tailoring on Savile Row.[39]

2006 Central Saint Martins graduate Toby Lamb is appointed Design & Brand Director.[40]

2007 Richard James opens another shop, Richard James Bespoke, opposite its Savile Row flagship shop, which is dedicated to bespoke tailoring.[41]

2008 Richard James wins Best Advertising Campaign for Autumn/Winter '07 at the Wallpaper Magazine Design Awards.[38] Richard James is the inaugural winner of the Bespoke Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Council Awards.[42]

2010 Richard James launches Mayfair, its contemporary entry level line, which is made available through John Lewis (department store) in the UK and Barneys New York in the USA.[43]

2011 Richard James enters ecommerce with the launch of its global online shop.[44] Richard James launches a capsule collection in collaboration with SpongeBob SquarePants.[45] In conjunction with Swarovski, Richard James produces the wardrobe for Sir Elton John's The Million Dollar Piano shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.[46]

2012 Richard James celebrates its twentieth birthday.[32] Richard James shows its Spring/Summer '13 collection at London Collections: Men, the British Fashion Council's inaugural menswear-specific fashion week.[47]

2013 Richard James shows its Autumn/Winter '13 collection at the second London Collections:Men in January. The refurbished flagship store at 29 Savile Row is unveiled in November.[48]

2014 Richard James shows its Autumn/Winter '14 and Spring/Summer '15 collections at London Collections: Men and launches its new, significantly larger online store.[49] Richard James Savile Row eau de toilette is relaunched.[50]

2015 Richard James shows its Autumn/Winter '15 and Spring/Summer '16 collections at London Collections: Men.[51][52]

2016 Richard James show its Autumn/Winter '16 and Spring/Summer '17 collections at London Collections:Men.[53][54]

2017 Richard James unveils its Autumn/Winter '17 Camofleur collection in January during London Fashion Week Men's.[55] Real estate developer and film producer Charles S. Cohen takes a majority stake in Richard James and assumes the role of chairman.[56] Richard James Bespoke expands upstairs at 19 Clifford Street and now boasts two floors and 150 m2 devoted to bespoke and made-to-measure tailoring.[57]

2018 Richard James the man is made an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours list for services to fashion.[58] Richard James crosses the Atlantic and opens its first New York store at 461 Park Avenue.[59]

2019 To celebrate the release of the Elton John biopic Rocketman, Richard James displays some of the special pieces it has made for the star at its Savile Row and Park Avenue, New York stores.[60][61]

2020 All-round changes at the top as Richard James the man steps back from a full-time role on Savile Row and, to much interest, puts his Mayfair penthouse on the market.[62]

2021 The Savile Row store's art programme is inaugurated with an exhibition by Jamie Fitzpatrick.[63]

2022 Richard James joins a host of names from the worlds of tailoring and fashion to raise money for the Crisis (charity) with the huge Pop-up at the Cop Shop sale at the old West End Central Police Station on Savile Row.[64]

2023 The Clifford Street store in London undergoes a complete redesign and reopens as Richard James House, featuring a first-floor lounge, a cocktail bar, an events space, a cloth library, and a fully equipped bespoke tailoring workshop and cutting room.[65]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Personal Style: Richard James – GQ Style – GQ.co.uk". gq-magazine.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
2. ^ "Why Men's Designer Richard James is Beloved by Royalty, from Diddy to Prince William". Retrieved 27 August 2023.
3. ^ "British Fashion Awards". britishfashionawards.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
4. ^ "The tailors putting Savile Row back on the map – Life & Style – London Evening Standard". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
5. ^ a b Nick Carvell, "GQ Savile Row Guide", ' 'GQ' ', May 2016
6. ^ Matthew Hambly, "Style Masterclass", ' 'Esquire' ', March 2014,
7. ^ Justin Rowlatt, "Tinie Tempah and PM Hit It Off Over Men's Fashion", ' 'BBC Today' ', 9 January 2013
8. ^ Kate Carter, "Beijing Olympic Hopefuls Kitted Out", ' 'The Guardian' ', 16 June 2008
9. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (23 April 2010). "Politicians' wardrobes: David Cameron". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
10. ^ You Tube, "The Mecca of Men's Tailoring", ' 'CBS News' ', 25 September 2011
11. ^ "Mark Ronson/Josephine De La Baume & Lauren Bush Wedding (Vogue.com UK) (Vogue.co.uk)". vogue.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
12. ^ "A La Mále: A LA MÁLE MEETS: Sean Dixon and Richard James – Savile Row's Contemporary Residents . . ". a-la-male.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011.
13. ^ "Savile Row's New Look – Articles | Travel + Leisure". travelandleisure.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
14. ^ a b Elegant-Lifestyle.com. "Elegant-Lifestyle.com: Clothing: Shirts & Suits: United Kingdom: Savile Row's Best Bespoke Suit Tailors". elegant-lifestyle.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
15. ^ a b "Elton John: News: Article". eltonjohn.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012.
16. ^ "Savile Row's Richard James pops-up – Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
17. ^ "Richard James Bespoke, London – London – United Kingdom | Qantas Travel Insider". travelinsider.qantas.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
18. ^ "It's scissors at dawn in Savile Row – This Britain – UK – The Independent". The independent. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
19. ^ "Fit for a Princess: The Hardy Amies exhibition – News – Fashion – The Independent". The independent. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
20. ^ "Savile Row: The Master Tailors of British Bespoke | The Row Blog – Contemporary Savile Row Tailors, Savile Row Bespoke, Custom-Made, Made-To-Measure Men's Suits". richardjames.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
21. ^ Pinnock, 12 December 2018By Olivia. "Richard James opens US store". Drapers.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
22. ^ "Richard James Brand Shop | Harrods". harrods.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
23. ^ "Richard James – Men's Clothing & Accessories – Men's Designer Shoes, Designer Denim Jeans, Designer Bags & Wallets | Barneys New York". barneys.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
24. ^ "Luxury Is Now Online. Shop Your Way, Anytime, Anywhere. – Lane Crawford – Shop Designer Brands Online". Lane Crawford.
25. ^ a b "Style icons | News | Design Week". designweek.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
26. ^ "Style: Another Nutter on the Row: Richard James, like Tommy Nutter before him, is shaking up Savile Row with his range of designer clothes, says Roger Tredre – News – Fashion – The Independent". The independent. 2 October 1992. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
27. ^ "Richard James x Spongebob Squarepants – GQ Style News – GQ.co.uk". gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
28. ^ "A see through suit designed by Richard James and Spencer Tunick at the Esqu – London Evening Standard". Evening Standard. London. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
29. ^ "Richard James x Condor Cycles | HYPEBEAST". hypebeast.com. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
30. ^ a b "Snippets | Life and style | The Guardian". The Guardian. 20 August 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
31. ^ "The tailors putting Savile Row back on the map – Life & Style – London Evening Standard". Evening Standard. London. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
32. ^ a b "The Interview – Richard James | The Gentlemans Journal | The latest in style and grooming, food and drink, business, lifestyle, culture, sports, restaurants, nightlife, travel and power". thegentlemansjournal.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
33. ^ Sherwood, James (9 November 2010). "The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
34. ^ "Savile Row – Articles – Departures". departures.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
35. ^ Prettejohn, E. (2007). Art for Art's Sake: Aestheticism in Victorian Painting. Yale University Press for The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. p. 194\. ISBN 9780300135497. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
36. ^ "Couture club: Meet the men behind the bespoke-casual revolution – Features – Fashion – The Independent". The independent. 18 September 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
37. ^ @HellsKitchenMag (22 March 2012). "Register" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 August 2023 - via Twitter.
38. ^ a b "Richard James ad campaigns | Fashion | Wallpaper* Magazine". wallpaper.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
39. ^ http://www.thetailoringdirectory.co.uk/news/abercrombie-fitch-in-savile-row-it-doesn-t-suit-us-say-traditional-tailors-evening-standard-16th-august [dead link‍]
40. ^ "Richard James Savile Row Suits American Expansion". Avenue Magazine.
41. ^ "Shortlist". Archived from the original on 17 October 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
42. ^ "Fashion News, Women's Style Tips & Fashion Trends | Grazia Daily". graziadaily.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
43. ^ "John Lewis ramps up younger branded offer as sales soar | News | Drapers". drapersonline.com. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
44. ^ "Richard James tailors to global consumers with new ecommerce store – Luxury Daily – Internet". luxurydaily.com. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
45. ^ "Richard James x SpongeBob SquarePants launch party – GQ Style News – GQ.com (UK) – GQ.co.uk". gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
46. ^ "SWAROVSKI – Sir Elton John shines in Swarovski in 'The Million Dollar Piano' Show". brand.swarovski.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
47. ^ "Richard James Menswear Spring/Summer 2013 – London Collections: Men – GQ.co.uk". gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
48. ^ "Savile Row tailor Richard James London Collections: Men interview for Autumn Winter 2013 – GQ.co.uk". gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
49. ^ "US fashion brand Carfina at Summer '15 collections". Cision. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
50. ^ "The return of Richard James Savile Row – Perfume Society : Perfume Society". perfumesociety.org. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
51. ^ "Richard James Autumn/Winter 2014 Menswear show report". British Vogue.
52. ^ Carvell, Nick (16 June 2015). "4 big summer trends you need to know from LCM". British GQ.
53. ^ "Richard James At London Collections: Men Autumn / Winter 2016". esquire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016.
54. ^ "Richard James Spring 2017 Menswear Fashion Show". Vogue. 12 June 2016.
55. ^ "Richard James unveils AW17 – Dust PR London". dustpr.com.
56. ^ Hounslea, Tara (March 2017). "Property investor acquires majority stake in Richard James". Drapers.
57. ^ "Richard James increases Savile Row footprint". 12 October 2017.
58. ^ Broeke, Teo Van den (3 May 2019). "Richard James: The Rebel of Savile Row Receives OBE". British GQ.
59. ^ Conti, Samantha (9 May 2017). "Traversing the Atlantic: Richard James to Open First New York Store".
60. ^ O'Flaherty, Mark C. "Richard James pays homage to Elton John's outré style". Financial Times. London.
61. ^ Fraser, Kristopher (24 May 2019). "Richard James celebrates Rocketman and Elton John". FashionUnited.
62. ^ Cary, Bill (6 November 2020). "British Fashion Designer Richard James' Penthouse". Mansion Global.
63. ^ "Jamie Fitzpatrick art work at Richard James". ArtRabbit. November 2021.
64. ^ "Tailors of Savile Row Join Arms for a Pop-Up Shop in Support of Crisis". 10magazine. December 2022.
65. ^ "Savile Row Tailoring House Unveils The House Of Richard James". Forbes. March 2023.