Sean O'Flynn Bespoke Tailors

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be offered a few days of work experience at the bespoke tailor Sean O’Flynn’s just off Saville Row. Having known about the prestigious nature and exquisite quality of Saville Row tailor’s for years I was really intrigued to have a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of how such an establishment operated. At Sean O’Flynn’s the formal, lavish showroom is actually only a small part of the whole operation. Like the majority of other Saville Row tailor’s, it is in the basement where most of the hard grafting happens. One of the seamstresses was incredible. She could complete a bespoke shirt in a mere 3 hours and her precision and attention to detail were faultless. From the stiffness of the collar and cuff lining to pockets with a gentleman’s hand embroidered initials, each shirt was undeniable a labour of extreme love and craftsmanship. Having experienced working at Austin Reed headoffice, this experience could not have been more polar opposite with so much hands on work and an intense worker-product relationship with each garment. The closest I got to a garment at Austin Reed was a photoshop mock up. With the cost of the exquisite natural fabrics and the tight time schedule I was understandably content to just observe the making and assist with ironing, taking and fetching shirts from the ‘button-hole’ lady a few streets away and general errands. The experience made me question which direction I would like to aim for after finishing my degree and whether I would prefer to be more involved with a creative process rather than operating within a more computer based office environment.