Shaftesbury, owners of destination Carnaby in the heart of London’s West End have collaborated with London College of Fashion, UAL (LCF) to offer two recent graduate tailors the opportunity of a lifetime.
‘Carnaby X London College of Fashion: Kingly Street Tailors’ are providing a free studio space for two entrepreneurial LCF graduate tailors who have emerging businesses. In addition, LCF will provide a programme of mentoring and business support through its Graduate Futures team. The studio space located in 26 Kingly Street, Carnaby is the existing home to three floors of established tailors who have historically made suits for rock ‘n’ roll royalty, film stars, TV personalities and the most well-dressed men and women in the world.
The judging panel included LCF alumnus and entrepreneur Harold Tillman CBE, Mark Powell celebrity Soho tailor, Kathryn Sargent, Savile Row’s first female master tailor, Tom Horne owner of L’Estrange and Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director at Shaftesbury.
Two winning tailors were selected and will take up residency this summer in their new home at 26 Kingly Street, in the heart of London’s Carnaby.
Shaftesbury launched this initiative in partnership with London College of Fashion in 2019 to help young talent in the British tailoring industry. Joshua Millard, winner of the 2019 competition, has gone from strength to strength and has now opened his first standalone store at 1 Marlborough Court just off Carnaby Street. The second winner, Sarah Hollebon, will continue to run her business of “tailoring with a social mission” from a studio in 26 Kingly Street.
Shaftesbury and London College of Fashion are proud to announce the two winners this year, Leisha Parlour and Takudzwa Chigaduro.
Leisha was born and raised in London and graduated with a degree in tailoring from London College of Fashion in 2020. She takes pride in showcasing her hometown’s vibrant and industrious lifestyle through her work, and combines this with the individuality of her clients.
Leisha’s design philosophy incorporates sustainability and experimental craftsmanship to carve a modern space in the future of bespoke tailoring. Along with Leisha’s use of collaboration and emotive design, she up-cycles second-use textiles in a refreshing style striving for longevity and circularity in her approach to tailoring.
Takudzwa, known as Tak, is a 23 year old tailor and fashion designer living and working in London. She was born in Zimbabwe and moved to the UK when she was 11. Tak completed her degree in Bespoke Tailoring at LCF in 2019, and has been working on a range of fashion industry roles since then.
Her goal is to launch her own brand, TAK, which will be a unique womenswear brand influenced by androgyny and traditional workwear. It will be an inclusive and empowering tool for self-expression for all who can identify with it, and will provide a made to order bespoke service.
