The next target is Savile Row

 

aspiring designer,alexander mcqueen

 

British designer,16Worked at a tailor in Savile Row from the age of 18, then enrolled at Central Saint Martins.

I saw the graduation collectionVOGUE Alexander McQueen, who was unknown and liked by the editor-in-chief of…。

 

 

Arakawa saw his collection in high school and became a fan, which is why he set his sights on his alma mater, Central Saint Martins.

I thought that following his trajectory would be the best place to focus my feelings of wanting to learn and know more because I like him.

 Tailoring techniques are incorporated into McQueen's creations.I thought that tailoring was essential for aiming to become the designer I imagined.

 

After completing a one-year foundation course at Central Saint Martins, ArakawaLondon College of FashionI enrolled in the Handcraft Tailoring Course.

 Actually, I wanted to learn tailoring after studying at Central Saint Martins for three years, but I couldn't attend because of the high tuition.

At that time, I thought that I should learn the tailoring technique first, learn a trade, and go back to work while working.

 

《Central Saint Martins Certificate of Completion

 

Upon entering the London College of Fashion, I sent my résumé to every famous tailor on Savile Row.

I wonder if there is a place that will hire me who has no skills or experience yet...

I am anxiously awaiting your reply...

 

Result... whatOnly one!

There was a tailor who hired me.

that isHardy AmiesThat's how it was.

 

 

Training at Hardy Amis

It's hard to believe now, but at the time Arakawa didn't know about the Hardy Amies brand.When I started working, I looked up what kind of brand it was, and found out that it was a brand with a long history.

It's probably the reason why such a historic brand got a job offer, but Hardy Amies was at a turning point at the time, and I think I was able to slip into it at the right time.

 

Arakawa, who was lucky enough to be hired by Hardy Amis, began learning tailoring while organizing archives on the top floor of the five-story store.

The top floor was originally a working studio, but it was no longer in use and was used as a storeroom.To put it bluntly, organizing the archive is a chore.

Hardy Amis has served as a dressmaker for Queen Elizabeth of England for nearly 35 years, and has been awarded a royal warrant (royal purveyor certificate), so it is possible to create a torso (patt and cotton body attached to the figure of Queen Elizabeth). was reproduced).In addition, there were many other things that you wouldn't normally see, such as a notebook designed by Hardy Amis himself.

 

At that time, Hardy Amies was about to rebrand and change the brand logo.

Arakawa discovers Hardy Amis' autograph while organizing his atelier!

This is a treasure! When I gleefully showed it to the brand manager,

 

"This is good! Let's adopt it as a brand logo!"

 

… So that autograph was used for the logo.

It may not be an exaggeration to say that I played a role in deciding on the new logo (laughs).

 

《Hardy Amis' autographed logo》

《Hardy Amis at the time she was working》

 

《Arakawa working hard at Hardy Amis.There were days when I worked until the early hours of the morning.”

 

Encounter with Pino

 

The work and techniques of the tailors at Hardy Amis was taught one-on-one by an Italian grandfather named Pino, who is in his 70s.

Pinot from Sicily loved to chat and was a cheerful craftsman.

Pino taught me everything from how to draw the pattern to the final fitting.

Normally, a tailor's work is based on the division of labor (patterning is done by the cutter, and fitting is done by the fitter), so I was lucky to be taught everything from 1 to 10.

Among the many jobs, I have a really good memory of working with Pinot to create a morning dress worn by the British royal family.

Thinking back on my life in England, it was a particularly enjoyable and memorable event.

 

《Morning that Arakawa helped create at the time.This is Lord Freddy Windsor's costume.

 

Originally, Arakawa worked at Hardy Amis just to learn tailoring, but this encounter with Pino"I want to be a bespoke tailor"It's the trigger to think.

 

 

Continue.