Cut From AnOther Cloth: Dhruva Chandramouli and Jenny Chim

As part of Cut From AnOther Cloth, Rikesh Chauhan interviews a series of craftspeople of colour who work on and around Savile Row. The project was conducted in collaboration with social impact company Other Box.

Savile Row is a community of individuals that appreciate all things well-made. One such thing is coffee, but would you believe me if I said you could find one of the best flat whites in all of Mayfair at a tailoring house and not a coffee shop? I popped into JP Hackett at 14 Savile Row to talk diversity with Dhruva Chandramouli, the British Indian tailoring adviser (and purveyor of said flat white) and Jenny Chim, a multi-faceted tailoring consultant of Chinese descent and the latest addition to the team.

Jenny, how did you first get into the industry?

Jenny: I studied bespoke tailoring for my undergrad degree, before moving on to garment technology and pattern design for my postgrad. When I graduated, I was looking for a job on Savile Row. I had my CV with me and walked into quite a few shops — one of the first was Henry Poole. The managing director at the time was looking for someone Chinese who could help them to work and liaise with their overseas partners. After Henry Poole, I started my own bespoke business. In between, I worked for a few different fashion houses, lectured for pattern-cutting courses at universities, and then I went on to study art history for a few years.

And Dhruva, your journey into the industry is slightly different, but similarly serendipitous…

Dhruva: Well, first of all, I studied economics at the University of Warwick, which is effectively a conveyor belt into finance. So, like a good little robot, I jumped straight on.

I worked in finance for about eight years, but somewhere within that time, I realised I was interested in menswear and started attending events on the Row. Menswear website Permanent Style was actually quite a big factor in that; its pop-up events were where I met a lot of people in the industry. So when it came to my best friend’s wedding, I was obviously the stylist, right? We ended up somehow here at JP Hackett. We came in for a consultation with Thomas, who’s our store manager, and my mate didn’t really say anything — it was me and Thomas effectively making his suit for him. And at the end of this entire process, Thomas just basically said to me, you seem to know what you’re talking about and you seem to enjoy it — why don’t you come work here?

So, what advice would both of you give to those who want to get a job on Savile Row?

Jenny: They need to know that what they’re getting involved in is a very tough trade. You have to be very passionate about it. And a lot of it is determined by luck.

Dhruva: I think you can also make your own luck. In my case, I did. I came here without expecting to work here, but I immersed myself in the community. There’s value in putting yourself out there, but there is a fine balance between putting yourself out there and then trying too hard… If you just go into it to understand other people and what they do and maybe learn from them, then you become open to the opportunities that the universe will throw in front of you.

How would you advise them to go about doing that and meeting people?

Dhruva: I remember the first time coming on to the Row, my heart was fluttering. I didn’t even really know why. There’s an aura about the place. But what I have found is that, for the most part, the people who work here are just really friendly and welcoming. You want a pro tip?

Always.

Dhruva: Go to The Burlington Arms!

What are your thoughts on the current diversity of Savile Row?

Jenny: It depends on how you want to measure it. How much is enough? Because traditionally, it is a Western, European gentleman’s service. And usually, a very discreet service between clients and tailors — both of whom would be men. It’s a difficult question, but it’s definitely a lot more diverse now compared to when I first started.

One of the things that takes a lot of people by surprise when they don’t work on Savile Row, is the amount of women that are cutters, tailors and front-of-house. While traditionally it’s been ‘for white men, by white men’, it’s actually all based on skill set and application.

Dhruva: If you look at diversity as a variety of perspectives and experiences that can speak to different people, then it’s good business to have diversity, right? You can even see in our shop, we can speak to everyone. Whether I see that as the goal or just something that makes sense and creates an environment that is warm and welcoming and works for the people who work there as well, I don’t know if going after more diversity in staff explicitly [for the sake of diversity] is better than just being more warm and open in general.

Is Savile Row too expensive to get into if you can’t afford to go to university. Does that basically rule certain people out?

Jenny: No, it doesn’t. Traditionally, if someone wanted to be a tailor, they would’ve started the apprenticeships when they were in their teens — mostly made up of working class white boys. So it’s not about wealth, as much as race and gender. It’s definitely getting better now. At Henry Poole, Maria Gomes was one of the first female tailors on Savile Row, and now she’s a master tailor.

What’s been the greatest advantage or challenge for you in your career progression?

Jenny: My demographics. It depends on the company’s objectives as well — what kind of clientele they want to attract. JP Hackett is a newer company, as much a fashion company as it is a tailoring house. Thomas [our store manager] is very much supportive of diversity, and he’s essential to my development here. So in this sense, it became beneficial for me, being a woman and woman of colour. So it really depends on the company you’re applying for — what their objectives are and how they see themselves.

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.

More from this series:

Introducing Cut From AnOther Cloth

Cut From AnOther Cloth: Chuksi Ibe and Taj Phull

Cut From AnOther Cloth: Nadia Alsagoff, Ji Hae An Sykes and Takudzwa Chigaduro

Cut From AnOther Cloth: Kouadio Amany and Marvin Diankenda