Tailoring from Savile Row to Lincoln... a history

Born in the beautiful city of Lincoln, as a child I grew up surrounded by tailoring, as my father, up until the recent handover of his long running, very successful tailoring business ( formerly know as Victor Paterson), gave me the foundation of my tailoring career. In my early teenage years, I worked alongside my father on Saturdays to earn my pocket money. This was to be the start of my very successful career following in my father's footsteps.

After my school education, at the age of 16, I successfully gained a 4 year apprenticeship with a well established tailoring business in London's world famous Savile Row. During the first year of my apprenticeship at Wells (formerly known as "Wells of Mayfair"), through my skilled training which incorporated a one day a week attendance at the London College of Fashion, I was honoured with my first year's City & Guilds Diploma, and was also awarded the Silver Rose Bowl for Best 1st Year trainee. At the age of 17, I was proud to invite my supportive family to the prestigious award ceremony which was held at the Merchant Tailors Hall on Threadneedle street in the City of London.

After my successful 1st year of training I continued my success for the next 3 years receiving City & Guilds Diplomas at Distinction level for stages 2, 3 and 4 in men's bespoke tailoring and pattern cutting.

On completing my apprenticeship of 4 years, at the age of 20 I became successfully employed by a young up and coming tailor, Timothy Everest, in London. Over my 5 years of qualified employment I was cutting bespoke suits for famous clientele such as Tom Cruise; this was to be used in the films "Mission Impossible" and "Eyes Wide Shut". I was also cutting suits for the famous boyband Boy Zone for their Wembley Concert Tour. This is a small example of the type of clientele that we were making for. Other customers included top TV and newspaper journalists, fashion designers and very successful young City financial dealers.

Then at the age of 25 , I was head hunted by another very well established Savile Row tailoring business, Davies & Son. Being one of the oldest tailoring firms on Savile Row with over 200 years of history, it was a real honour to be asked to work for Alan Bennett, the current Managing Director. Davies & Son was established in 1803, and during this time were making suits for crowned heads of Europe and the rich and famous. Customers over the years to this company have been: King George V, Lord Nelson, Sir Robert Peel, The Duke of Windsor, Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, and more recently, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

During my personal history at Davies & Son I have cut suits for Ant and Dec, John Freida and Sir Rocco Forte, to name a few. I have also had the experience of producing diplomatic uniforms for Governers General and uniforms for the Queens Pikemen for Royal processions.

This is where I spent the majority of my tailoring career as a successful cutter, and this is where my career really took off! I became responsible for representing the company on an international level. My travels took me to all cities in Germany and Switzerland, and to Brussels, Paris and also the East Coast of the United States of America, which included New York, Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia.

At the age of 34 years I married my beautiful wife, a local girl from London. Now happily married and at the age of 36, my father has given me the opportunity of continuing his successful business here in Lincoln. With over 20 years of Savile Row tailoring experience, I have now come home to the family business.