Back in January, Lala NYC temporarily relocated to London and had a fantastic opportunity to sit down and chat with legendary bespoke tailor, Edward Sexton. This extraordinary gentleman who revolutionized and united classic tailoring with fashion, dishes on the art of fine tailoring, famed clients, fashion today and working with Stella McCartney.
“I don’t follow trends, I set trends.” – Edward Sexton
When did tailoring become an interest of yours?
It was in the family blood, on my mothers side, they were all dress makers, and a quite large percentage of my father’s side would be the clothing makers or shoe makers. It was always that crafty, arty feeling within the family. I enjoyed it but strangely enough, when I decided to go into the big world, I went into catering. I really enjoyed that. I was in the kitchen. I was out there waiting on tables, it was good in a way because when I made the decision to come to tailoring full time, I had a tremendous advantage over the existing apprentices because I had a good ground. I apprenticed as a tailor, then put myself through school in the evening. I changed various jobs, I went from one company to another company and learning their various techniques while going to college. I started to moon light my own game making suits for clients in the evenings and built up a very strong clientele. Then of course, I met Tommy Nutter and we started Nutters of Savile Row. Tommy was the PR Man, the front man. I was the technician, running the locals and the clients. That’s how it all all started.
I’m sure that was very exciting for you.
You know the amazing thing. I never thought for one moment that we were making history. We were doing what we felt was missing in the trade. We were the first company to open a brand new business on Saville Row in over 100 years. All the old established companies did like that we were being there, it was totally revolutionary to them, in terms of styles. We had window displays, which none of the other companies had like a curtain across the windows, so when you walked down there, it was very forbidden. You would think what goes on in this place? Who goes there? But it was that type, it was that type of snobby and it was appropriate for the time and in the late 60’s things were changing rapidly here in London. We had Kings Roads happening, we had Carnaby Street. It was rock n roll and we were we were filling the holes in terms of quality clothing and our styles very completely revolutionary. The garments were true honor. Saville Row in the hand-made tradition.
“I put romance in a garment, you bring it to life, that’s the secret to dress.“
Now when you began tailoring, do you stick strictly to men’s clothing?
Yes, we were doing just men’s clothing but we were dressing alot of famous people. Rockstars, and one of our investors was Cilla Black. We would do the Beatles, Yoko Ono, John Lennon. Mick Jagger came along, we dressed Mick and then Bianca came on, we dressed Bianca. Then of course there was a famous model, Twiggy. We dressed Twiggy, she was very hot at that time. I went out of my way to study different techniques. You cut and create a garment for a lady as you would a man and it worked. Women were changing in their work, in the commercial world and they needed functional clothing to be taken seriously but still maintain their femininity and sexyness. Its always been a women tailored costume that is the sexiest thing in world. A man’s imagination runs wild. Its all fantasy. That’s how I got involved in doing women’s work.
How did you and Stella McCartney begin to work together?
I was working with Paul McCartney doing his world tour. Paul said to me, “You know Edward, my daughter Stella is at St. Martin’s. I said “that’s fabulous Paul, but she sould really be in the workshop doing the old fashion apprenticeship.” He’s my age and he related to it immediately. I took her through her early years as an apprentice. When she went to Chloe in Paris, which is traditionally ladies dress/couture, they couldn’t relate to what Stella tried to achieve in that house. So the chairman came to me and asked if would I consider going to Paris and being Stella’s mentor. I signed an agreement with Chloe and I went to paris for several years actually, backwards and forwards, working there and workin on collections, sorting out productuion in Italy. We were training the factories in Italy to work my way. It was tremendously successful for Chloe and for Stella.
“Its always been a women tailored costume that is the sexiest thing in world.”
Do you have a gender preference when it comes to tailoring?
I tell you the story about Chloe because I cannot do Chloe’s job, it is not my hands. And Chloe cant do my job because it’s not their hands. So to make this suit less than everything else is, is not my hands, so I don’t go there but my preference to me is exactly the same. I like to make fat men look slim and slim men look taller and stockier. I like to hide a woman’s waist or emphasize their bust, its creative cosmetics. I dont like the word cosmetics, but its creative, its very creative this work even the environment here is very quiet very focused, and thats, the way we work. We dont make a suit we build a suit, its all in the foundation of the garment, the cut, the foundation.
What would you consider to be your definitive style?
The style is style, you either got it or you haven’t got it. I love style and I love elegance. And all the other stuff you see out there is trends. I don’t follow trends, I set trends. I always go for the sophisticated elegant look. My work never dates, its timeless, its elegantly chic and its the finest fabrics, the finest hand work, the most beautiful fit. I put romance in a garment, you bring it to life, that’s the secret to dress.
How do you feel about the direction in which fashion is going today?
Well what direction is it going in? I dont see anything out there. Look at Tom Ford, just collects the line of clothing, identical as he could get it to mine.
Through all that you’ve achieved, all the succes, what is your philosophy to live by?
Peace of mind. Sounds Boring, but its what I’ve learned in life. I’ve been the other way, ducking and diving my head… it was always in a spin. Its simple now…
this was great, i thank you..
I agree it is so cool. I just found his website too, http://www.edwardsexton.co.uk. He really is the best kept secret. I want an Edwardsextonsuit
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed it!