Spitalfield; Perhaps it’s not the most attractive name for a London suburb. But its early music halls propelled Charlie Chaplin to international stardom. As a major entertainment district for many decades, fashion styles evolve in the evenings as the pub and cub scene come alive. Up and down the streets and alleyways in a mixture of classes and cultures.
Also famous for The artist Mark Gertler (1891-1939) is perhaps most admired for his 1916 painting The Merry-Go-Round, which hangs prominently at Tate Modern. He is less favourably immortalised in the 1995 biopic Carrington, in which he is portrayed as the tormented lover of the androgynous Bloomsbury artist Dora Carrington.
Spitalfields takes its name from a hospital and priory known as St. Mary’s Spital founded in 1197. Most of the area was built after the Great Fire of London and Spitalfield’s market was first established in the 1680’s. Most of the beautiful houses in and around Fournier, Princelet and Wilkes Street date from around 1685 when the Huguenots fled France, bringing their silk weaving skills.
The United States' Liberty Bell was originally cast in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in Whitechapel Road. The pavement here is extra wide – this was the main way via Aldgate for cattle and sheep to be driven into London, together with carts laden with hops for brewing and hay for cattle.
Renowned tailor to Tom Cruze and David Beckham, Timothy Everest concludes many decades of change to the area by opening up shop at 32 Elder Street, once the residence of Bloomsbury artist Mark Gertler. He politely shunned the inherent stuffiness of traditional tailoring, by, saying “moving to Savile Row would be like moving back in with my parents”
He rejuvenated British fashion icon Daks and helped prop Marks and Spencers return to traditional pound for pound quality with his outstanding “Autograph” range of men’s clothing and fashion accessories.
Timothy’s move to the area and adopting the Spitalfield flower as his signature marked a new direction for men’s clothing and accessories. Savile row is far removed from the hub of style evolution. Perhaps the beginning of a new era has begun and more tailors will follow to set up shop in Elder Street.
Now the Spitalfield flower blooms on jacket linings and ties, as though culminating centuries of historic events. And to push the boundaries of innovation even further he has re-invented Swank silver cufflinks, styled on designs from the 1940’s.
Swank Inc a popular designer and manufacturer of men’s cufflinks were incorporated on April 17, 1936. When Cufflinks peaked in the 1960’s they were making 12 million a year.
Even though these were aimed at the lowest end of the market, retailing for an average of $2.50 a pair, that still adds up to a lot of men wearing cufflinks. These days the figure is closer to 200,000, but cufflinks are making a strong comeback with gross sales having increased consistently over the last ten years, while the French cuff continues to be the most prestigious type of shirt.
Nothing in Spitalfield lays to wrack and ruin for long. It’s constantly being rejuvenated and with each new generation evolves different styles from all walks of life up and down the streets of Spitalfield.
You can manufacture fashion clothing, but style is an evolution. Ask Vivienne Westwood
To draw a comparison; The Beatles evolved, The Monkees were manufactured.
Perpetuating traditional values of English made clothing and accessories is part of our ethos.
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