The Australian’s Tailoring House’s roots are grounded in their hands-on approach to classic, laid-back sportswear as they open their first European retail space in London’s Soho, we speak to Tailor Patrick Johnson and UK Managing Director John Glass
“There’s no dark wood, no leather furniture,” tailor Patrick Johnson says of his new Dean Street store, a fresh and original relaxed space, aimed to make customers feel comfortable. A far cry from the more intimidating Savile Row environment London made-to-measure tailoring is known for, the space is more welcoming for the younger, more creative male client who wants luxury tailoring suited to his needs. “I love what they’re doing in Savile Row, but I wanted us to be separate from that, the energy here is changing and we’re right in the heart of London.”
With locations in Sydney, Melbourne, NYC’s Spring St, and a workshop in Tuscany, London was a natural progression for the company’s expansion. In an open-plan space with floor-to-ceiling windows, coffee table books, and neutral furnishings, with a cutting table in plain view, the space reflects their aesthetic – a made-to-measure tailoring company specialising in casual, lightweight tailoring to compliment the wardrobe of the modern male.
“We really look at whats happening in hospitality, and this is where our clients are hanging out, and this is where they’re going,” Johnson explains of the Dean Street shop.
Rather than adhering to the rules of an established design house, P. Johnson Tailors have a no-fuss process, for the man who is looking for something comfortable enough for a meeting but formal enough to socialize at an event. Each pattern is cut individually for the client, which then gets sent to Tuscany where it is hand-done, with another fitting taking place back in the shop. The turnaround for a suit is six to eight weeks, with prices starting around £1200 for a full suit. Walk-ins are welcome.
The aim is for the customer to wear his suit with the ease of someone like Gianni Agnelli, with an ideal dream customer being “someone like Kelly Slater, appealing to everyone, someone who enjoys easy dressing,” says Managing Director, John Glass. “Each employee has his own style within the company, individuality is very important to the brand,” says Glass, clad in a P. Johnson suit. Today he is in a full merino twill in chocolate brown with a single inward pleat, and side adjusters with an extended waist band (the brand doesn’t love belt loops) and a double breasted jacket with three patch pockets, and a merino polo. All topped off with Adidas NMD-XR1s. “We’d never produce anything we wouldn’t want to wear – I even wear this suit with t-shirts,” explains Glass. Glass started off as a customer himself, an enthusiastic tailoring geek whose earliest memory involves him sitting on the floor of a tailoring shop in New York whilst his father explained to him what Herringbone was.
The laid-back approach is very much a part of their Australian appeal, especially with men now caring about their t-shirts just as much as their suits, P. Johnson are creative in every aspect of design, but “keep the artisan marriage between old world production and old-world apparel and apply it to a new customer.”
P. Johnson Tailors is now open: Located on 64 Dean St, London W1D 4QG
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