MP learns about menswear at Arts Society Horsham lecture

For our lecture on St Valentine’s Day, we were being dazzled by the dapper looks through the centuries of menswear fashion from dandies to teddy boys!

The lecturer Russell Nash provided an expert guide on a tour of Savile Row and Jermyn Street where many of the talented tailors, cutters, hat makers of London had established themselves since the Regency period, with names such as Henry Poole, Anderson & Sheppard, Thomas Burberry, Hardie Amies who designed and created bespoke garments for kings, princes, notably the Duke of Windsor, politicians and celebrities of the day.

We also learnt about the influential designers such as Montague Burton, Tommy Nutter, Cecil Gee and John Stephens (‘King of Carnaby Street’) who contributed massively to the cultural shift in the post-war period and into the 1960s of the new youth culture who were eager for self-expression and identify.

Today, the legacy of Savile Row which epitomises the very finest of British menswear fashion lives on with many talented designers such as Ozwald Boateng. Finally, the tribute goes to Alexander McQueen who was apprenticed at Savile Row and became an international phenomenon and success this century.

Among the audience on the day, we had our local MP Jeremy Quin (Con) who was invited to learn more about the Arts Society of Horsham. He addressed the audience after the lecture and expressed his appreciation of our work and his enjoyment of the lecture.

There was a real buzz in the foyer at The Capitol afterwards where many members chatted to Russell with questions on the subject. There was also a follow up email from one of the members who shared her story of being the first female men’s fashion buyer for Selfriges in the 70s and that the lecture brought many memories of her career in the menswear business.