Londoners are accustomed to seeing placard-waving demonstrators on the streets of the capital. Last year saw student demonstrations in the West End and the Occupy London camp flourishing around the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Never, though, have they witnessed protesters as immaculately dressed as those who took to a Mayfair street this week.
The protesters were on Savile Row, the Golden Mile of Tailoring, and their target was the retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, which they blame for the growing encroachment of fashion chain commercial properties in the area.
The US brand, which already has one outlet on Burlington Gardens, plans to open a children’s store on Savile Row and, for the declining numbers of bespoke tailors on the street, this is an affront too far.
Savile Row’s association with quality tailoring goes back to the nineteenth century and among the famous names to have been measured up and suited are Lord Nelson, Edward VII, Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire.
While bespoke tailors like Gieves and Hawkes, Hardy Amies and Ozwald Boateng still have commercial properties on Savile Row, there has been a decline in traditional tailoring in recent years.
This is due to a combination of changing fashions and rising commercial property rents in Mayfair. Some accuse Savile Row’s tailors of falling behind the times – a bespoke suit can cost £3,500 and take ten weeks to make – but others blame brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Superdry and Victoria’s Secret for pricing them out of the market.
Savile Row adapted to changing times in the 1960s when Tommy Nutter took a commercial property on the street and attracted customers like Mick Jagger and Elton John. However many feel the arrival of sweatpants, lingerie and now children’s clothing is lowering the tone of the area and damaging business.
This led to this week’s remarkable demonstration outside what was once the headquarters of the Beatles’ Apple Records. In a nod to the past use of the commercial property, the smartly suited protesters carried placards bearing the slogan ‘Give Three-Piece a Chance’.
Others declared ‘Tweed not Greed’ and ‘Abercrombie & Fitch? No Thanks.’ Among their complaints are the topless male models parading around the store and promotional material featuring naked torsos which, they claim, is spoiling the ambience of Mayfair.
The protest was organized by the magazine The Chap which issued the statement; “Many foreign visitors come to London to see where Beau Brummell had his waistcoats made, which we are pretty certain was not Abercrombie & Fitch.” Musical accompaniment was provided by “chap-hop” performer Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer.
They fear that if Abercrombie & Fitch is allowed to open its new commercial property, it will open the door to other mass market retailers. If this happens, protesters warn, Savile Row will eventually lose its exclusivity and be like any other street populated by chain stores and global brands. And this could spell the end of two centuries of bespoke tailoring.
