Whiteley’s is a keen supporter of the tailoring industry; as trade suppliers for over 250 years, we have consistently adapted and improved our tailoring shears, providing the highest quality cut to match the evolution and expansion of the trade.

Andrew Ramroop: Ultra-bespoke Master Tailor Andrew Ramroop OBE of Maurice Sedwell

Having dressed everyone from Princess Diana to Samuel L Jackson, Andrew Ramroop has consistently pushed the boundaries of tailoring since he first moved to London from Trinidad at the age of 17.

Taking over Maurice Sedwell’s eponymous tailoring business in 1988 as Master Tailor, he has cemented its reputation for quality, style and elegance, as well as its commitment to the ideals of exacting craftsmanship coupled with exquisite customer service.

In acknowledgement of his extraordinary achievements, Ramroop has received an OBE from the Queen, and became the first Savile Row tailor to receive the Guild of Master Craftsmen’s accolade for Quality & Service and their Armorial Bearing for Skill & Integrity.

Today, Maurice Sedwell has customers in over 60 countries around the world, and is famous for Ramroop’s Ultra Bespoke service. Politicians, captains of industry and international business people from all over the world make their way to Maurice Sedwell with the knowledge and comfort that they will be dressed to perfection.

Whiteley’s is proud to have supplied Maurice Sedwell with the highest quality tailoring shears for over 40 years.

Brita Hirsch: Bespoke Tailor and Founder of The Tailoring Academy

Originally from Germany and now based in the foothills of the Peak District, Brita Hirsch is a bespoke tailor and textile engineer, with close to 30 years experience in the sector.

Having developed a drive for quality and precision during a three year traditional apprenticeship in Germany, it was during her time with master tailor Tom Reimer, Germany’s answer to the world-famous Savile Row tailors, when her skills were really honed. His love of 1940s Italian and British style and persistence on diligence allowed her the opportunity to develop her craftsmanship to the highest level.

Aside from creating beautiful handmade garments at Hirsch Tailoring, she has managed to capture the spirit of Macclesfield in her successful Kickstarter project The Great Northern Cloth, as well as launching a new Tailoring Academy to inspire others.

Her goal is to grow the Tailoring Academy to become a centre of excellence for UK bespoke tailoring training; the UK Fashion and Textiles Association are hugely supportive. As part of her gift to the next generation, Hirsch is a strong supporter of our tailoring shears, particularly our Wilkinson EXOs which are her new favourites and supplied to all new students. In her words; ‘true craftsmanship will always result in the best possible product.’

Jason MacLachlan: Bespoke tailor, head trouser and special garments maker for Sartoria Jensen (NYC), and tailoring consultant to the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theatre.

Originally training as an archaeologist in the 1990s, MacLachlan fell into tailoring almost by accident. Fascinated by living history and docent work, his interest led to his desire to create authentic historical wear. With no obvious source for clothing, he took it upon himself to learn with the help of a neighbouring semi-retired West End tailor.

It was then that he inherited his first pair of old Wilkinson shears; at the time already over 75 years old yet still outperforming his other pairs. MacLachlan has since continued to be a strong supporter of our handmade tailors shears, with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of their history and design over two centuries.

Having now been in the trade for over a decade, he has recently taken a step towards changing the status quo for students in the tailoring industry. A successful Kickstarter earlier in the year has led to his creation of a new, modern “Tailor and Cutter’ system”, entitled the “Modern Cutters’ Practical Guide”. Currently in development, his goal is to fulfill a real need within the bespoke tailoring trade, with an up-to-date cutting system that has been modernized and expanded to reflect the evolution of the industry.

As proud sponsors of the new system, we are very excited for its release in the near future.

Young Ho Kwon: Master Tailor and founder of the Accademia Alta Sartoria Europea

Young Ho Kwon is on a one-man mission to bring bespoke tailoring to the public of South Korea. Keen to ensure that the skills of bespoke tailoring can be passed on to the next generation, he has taken it upon himself to open a tailoring academy to pass on both techniques and traditions.

Having trained as a body builder and a Marine in his early years, Kwon found it impossible to find clothes to fit his frame, and had no choice but to order bespoke clothing. Intrigued by the industry and the process, he embarked on a worldwide journey to seek out an education in tailoring in the best possible places.

Several years in Italy, training in Italian-style bespoke tailoring and working as a jacket maker, was followed by a move to London, to learn the British-style bespoke tailoring at the famous Savile Row Academy.

Returning to South Korea, Kwon acknowledged the challenge of seeking out an education in the industry, and his fear of older generations not passing on their skills. Inspired by his teaching in London, he decided to open his own bespoke tailoring academy and ensure that a new generation of tailors could be properly trained and mentored.

Passionate about the trade and his tools, Kwon now provides each of his students with a pair of Wilkinson EXOs, considering them to be the perfect size, weight and balance for a true tailors’ shear.