Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed

A witty and candid inside account of life on Savile Row, where the world's finest handcut suits are made, this is also the true-life story of a boy who left school to start work on a pittance and rose to the pinnacle of his profession. In 1982 for a ￡2,000 (approximately $3,100) yearly salary, the 17-year-old Richard Anderson became an apprentice at Huntsmans, the most venerable of Savile Row tailors, and 19 years later, he opened his own eponymous business on the world-famous "Golden Mile," where he hand-cuts exquisite suits for a global clientele. Training in the art of making pants and coats that could cost as much as $15,000 was a grueling game, but Richard persisted to become the youngest head cutter in Huntsman's 150-year-old history, and here he reveals the consummate craftsmanship and perfectionism that goes into a handmade suit and the years of sweat and work it takes to learn it. Readers are introduced to an extraordinary cast of characters who peopled Huntsmans from the boardroom to the backroom, as well as clients who range from politicians to music icons and Hollywood movie stars.