As customers value the experiential aspect of brands more than ever before, forward-thinking companies are reaching their customers in new and interesting ways. Recently I met a Savile Row tailoring company
who are doing things a little bit differently to others...
On my recent visit to Henry Herbert (HH) tailors, I had the pleasure
of meeting William, who kindly invited me to the Grays Inn Workshop to discuss
the fascinating world of Henry Herbert tailoring over a cup of tea. Despite not meeting the
founder of Henry Herbert Charlie Baker-Collingwood on this occasion, it is clear that he
is very entrepreneurial with a lot of creative ideas to bring a fresh
perspective to the traditional tailoring industry. Charlie set up Henry Herbert around seven years ago,
and all HH bespoke
suits, shirts and other garments are handcrafted in the workshop using only the finest
fabrics sourced from mills in England and Scotland.
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| Image Credit: Henry Herbert |
However, there is an interesting twist.
Customers
are welcome to visit Charlie and William at either of their central London
studios, but HH also have a very unique approach to visiting customers wherever
and whenever is most convenient for them...Watch the short film below to see how HH tailors travel around London to meet clients on custom built Vespa scooters!
The Savile Row by Scooter Service offered by Henry
Herbert is a lot of fun for customers (and for Charlie and William, too, I’m sure)
and less stuffy than some people may expect Savile Row to be. With
each of the Vespa's conveniently custom built to have fabric on board, William
and Charlie have made their service more accessible to people without losing
any of the traditional tailoring quality for which Savile Row is renowned. A well dressed man hops off a
Vespa and appears at your door, you choose the fabric, cut, length and feel, then
a few weeks later, a beautiful garment appears on your doorstep. Now that's what I call outstanding customer service!
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| Image Credit: The Holborn Magazine |
The character of Henry Herbert himself was once master of the
royal wardrobe to both King Charles I and King Charles II, and his name has been resurrected
by Charlie in
order to continue the tradition of fine English tailoring, in an affordable, personable
and non-intimidating way. On visiting HH at Grays Inn Road, I couldn’t
help but admire the wonderful illustrations of Henry Herbert, which were sketched
on the walls of the workshop using approximately 30 marker pens. I
also noticed one of artist Hormazd Narielwalla’s Dead Man’s Pattern skulls displayed
in the workshop, and it is these quirky touches, along with the friendly and involving nature of the company, that ensure a visit to HH is always a welcoming and enjoyable experience.
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| Image Credit: Henry Herbert |
Henry Herbert caters to a very broad range of clients, yet
as a younger business with a youthful team, it is fantastic to see the company attracting a wealth of younger customers with
their unique tailoring services. During
my conversation with William, I met a very satisfied HH customer attending the
final fitting of a new bespoke suit to celebrate his graduation, and he expressed his pleasure in being
able to invest in an exquisitely crafted bespoke suit from a slightly more contemporary tailor.
So what next for Henry
Herbert? Well, I read in Drapers that a HH tailor currently visits New York once a month
to pick up orders, and with growing interest overseas, it looks as if HH Vespa's may become a familiar sight on the streets of New York...New York residents,
keep your eyes peeled!
Many thanks to William for inviting me to the workshop.
