This year, Savile Row will mark 50 years of the Golden Shears Awards with a two-week celebration during London Fashion Week, honouring its long-standing role in nurturing British tailoring talent and craftsmanship.
In a landmark showcase, Savile Row tailors will come together to proudly display work from past entrants and winners of the awards, highlighting the industry’s enduring commitment to apprenticeships and the training of the next generation of bespoke tailors.
The work will be exhibited in the windows of Savile Row’s renowned tailoring houses, offering the public a unique opportunity to engage with the legacy and future of British tailoring.
Dubbed the “Oscars of the tailoring world,” the Golden Shears Awards are held every two years to unite skilled fashion students and apprentice tailors, offering a platform to showcase both creative vision and technical excellence. Founded in 1974 by Robert Bright, MBE, the competition proudly marked its 50th anniversary this year, continuing its legacy of celebrating the next generation of UK tailoring and fashion talent. To mark the occasion, winners and entries from across the UK will be displayed in the windows of Savile Row houses, including Henry Poole & Co, Dege & Skinner, Huntsman, Richard James, Knatchbull and clothsurgeon.
In addition, London Academy of Bespoke will host a two-week dedicated exhibition about the Golden Shears Awards, its history and past winners at 19 Savile Row, W1. The exhibition is free to attend.
Presented by The Pollen Estate in collaboration with the Savile Row Bespoke Association and the London Academy of Bespoke, the celebration honours the legacy of the Golden Shears while looking ahead to the future of tailoring.
We caught up with Mila Dastugue, a proud Golden Shears Winner who is now an Undercutter at Thom Sweeney. Watch the video here.
Tailoring houses on Savile Row hosting the Golden Shears window displays:
Gaziano & Girling, Davies & Son, Dege & Skinner, Norton & Son’s, Richard Anderson, Richard James, Edward Sexton, Knatchbull, clothsurgeon, Huntsman, Henry Poole & Co., Holland & Sherry, Gieves & Hawkes, Hackett, Scabal, Cad and The Dandy and The Service.
Partners:
2005 – Joanne Baker Waters, Golden Shears winner – Now works at Jo Baker Waters – Edward Sexton window (35 Savile Row)
2007 – Roxanne Jones, Golden Shears Winner, was at the time at Dege & Skinner and currently works at Dege & Skinner – Norton & Son’s window (16 Savile Row)
2007 – Jordan Heard, Silver Shears Winner, was at the time at Huntsman, currently works at Huntsman – Huntsman window display (11 Savile Row)
2009 – Rory Duffy, Golden Shears winner from Henry Poole & Co., currently works at The Handcraft Tailor Academy – Gaziano & Girling window (39 Savile Row)
2011 – Yingmei Quan, Golden Shears Winner from Welsh & Jefferies, currently works at Welsh & Jefferies – Scabal window (12 Savile Row)
2011 – Ichiro Suzuki, Silver Shears Winner from Royal College of Art / Henry Poole & Co., currently works at Not Just a Label – Cad & The Dandy window (7/8 Savile Row)
2013 – Emily Squires, Golden Shears winner from Henry Poole & Co., currently works at Henry Poole & Co. – Henry Poole & Co. Window (15 Savile Row)
2015 – Joe Holsgrove, Golden Shears Winner from Denman & Goddard, currently independent bespoke tailor – Davies & Son window (38 Savile Row)
2015 – Dionne Reeves, Silver Shears Winner from Huntsman, currently works at Gieves & Hawkes – Gieves & Hawkes window (1 Savile Row)
2015 – Vanessa Black, took part in the Golden Shears awards from Huntsman, currently works at Huntsman – Holland & Sherry window (31 Savile Row)
2017 – Riki Brockman, Golden Shears Winner from Gieves & Hawkes, currently works at Solomone Browne Bespoke – clothsurgeon window (40 Savile Row)
2019 – Iona Knight, took part in the Golden Shears awards, now at Dege & Skinner – Richard Anderson window (13 Savile Row)
2021 – Thomas Carr, Golden Shears winner from Richard Anderson, currently works at Huntsman – Knatchbull window (32 Savile Row)
2021 – Judith Ekblom Jarrold, Silver Shears winner from Maurice Sedwell, currently works at Maurice Sedwell – Hackett London (14 Savile Row)
2021 – Jon Pickering, Rising Star Award from Dege & Skinner, currently works at Dege & Skinner – Dege & Skinner window (10 Savile Row)
2023 – Mila Dastugue, Golden Shears Winner from Wimbledon College of Art, currently works at Thom Sweeney – The Service (19 Savile Row)
First prize: The Golden Shears – Joanna Spreadbury – Huntsman, Apprentice
Second prize: The Silver Shears – Tilda Jonathan – London College of Fashion Student
Third prize: The Rising Star – Kasia Hughes – Connock & Lockie Apprentice