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POWERLIST 2008
Another client, media consultant Richard
(right), and Patrick (again) in two more
Christopher Childs creations
working for somebody else. ‘Most clients say,
“Well Chris, I don’t know who Hunter & Lords
is, or Chester Barrie, but I do know you,” so
they were more than happy to keep dealing
with me when I moved on to do my own thing.
That’s because it’s such a personal service.
You sit down with the client and have an in-
depth chat about what they want from their
suit, from colour, to button and lapel position,
cut, etcetera, and they feel comfortable with
you and usually want to keep that going. It is
a real one-on-one thing.’
The north London-born 40-year-old
started his career at high street designer
clothing chain Woodhouse, and it wasn’t long
before his hunger and drive landed him a job
working for Mulberry at Harvey Nichols.
‘I really got into tailoring there because
some of the suits were made by Mark Powell,
who is probably better known for directing
Absolute Beginners. He had his own bespoke
company. That’s when I started to get into
cuts and fabrics,’ he recalls. ‘At the time I had
a tin-tin hair cut and I used to wear a waistcoat
and tartan trousers. To see me coming back
to Tottenham each evening must have been
weird as I looked like Little Lord Fauntleroy.
You could say I stood out,’ he says, followed
by that laugh again.
But even though it is not a look he would
sport today, Chris has no regrets about some
of the styles he has worn throughout the years; have the guys who want something a little bit complaint from Savile Row tailors that
he believes it is all part of the job. ‘To do what more tailored and are willing to spend £1,400 labelling clothes cut from a template as
I do you need to have a love for fashion fi rst to £1,600. Then there is the customer who is ‘bespoke’ is misleading.
and foremost,’ he says. ‘I am not just a person willing to spend beyond that, and that’s when ‘A fully bespoke suit is where everything
who does tailoring. If you ask me about Dries you go for a fully bespoke suit, where the is done by hand,’ he says. ‘When something
Van Noten or Ann Demeulemeester [Belgian whole garment is made by hand, and you are is done by machine you may think it is
designers] then I will tell you about that side spending between £2,000 to £2,500. much better, but what some people fail to
of things. I know about contemporary fashion ‘One thing I really have beef with,’ he understand is that when it is done by hand
as well as the high-end fashion and bespoke. I says, ‘is when guys go into places like Giorgio you can really pull the thread or loosen it, you
am engulfed in all of it.’ Armani or Prada and they pay between seven can really take your time to get every detail
His job involves a lot of detailed and nine hundred quid for a suit just because just so. It will also fi t you to a T. Once you
planning and labour and he revels it is Armani or Prada, as opposed to getting have one made, you instantly understand the
in it. ‘It takes about 80 hours to a suit especially made where they can appeal. It is just different.’
put together a bespoke suit, choose everything from the lining to the
as there is a certain amount of buttons and the cut.’ Pics: Tony@Black Ink
fi ttings etc, but I love the challenge He also has strong views on the word Make-up: Kim Douglas
and the pressure of what I do.’ ‘bespoke’, and whether it is Suits: Christopher Childs London
So what would a good really worth the extra 121 Kingsway,
suit from Christopher cost. London WC2B 6PA
Childs set you back? ‘That word is a t: 0207 953 8115
And what do you get bit of a grey area at e:
chris@childstailoring.com
for your money? ‘Well, the moment,’ he
there are the guys who says referring to
are happy to spend the Advertising POWERLIST PROMOTION
£700 to £800, which Standards Christopher Childs London is offering
is the majority of Authority a free consultation and 10% off the
my clients,’ he recently regular price for any Powerlist reader
states. ‘Then you dismissing a who orders a suit before 30 November.
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