Richard James is a bespoke Savile Row tailorsand contemporary menswear company.  It was founded in 1992 by designer Richard James, a graduate of Brighton College of Artand a former buyer for the London boutique Browns, and his business partner Sean Dixon. Richard James has won both the British Fashion Council's Menswear Designer of the Year and Bespoke Designer of the Year awards. Richard James's trademark slim, modern tailoring and bold use of colour have earned it a large celebrity following. Mark Ronson, Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Tinie Tempah, Mo Farah, David Cameron, P Diddy, Jude Law, Tom Cruise, Benicio del Toro, Bryan Ferry, Christian Lacroix, Sir Elton John, Hugh Grant, Manolo Blahnik, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Paul McCartneynumber amongst the company's customers.

EXPERIENCE

Richard James is a founding member of the Savile Row Bespoke Association, the trade organisation that represents bespoke tailoringon Savile Row, but Richard James' fashion led approach, marketing techniques and introduction of Saturday opening to Savile Row was initially met with concern by some of the street's established tailors. One early supporter of Richard James, however, was established British couturierHardy Amies who had opened his business on Savile Row in 1946. "Sir Hardy Amies was marvellous," recalled James. "I well recall his chauffeur-driven car pulling up outside Richard James and Sir Hardy emerging like Lady Bracknell. He'd cast a lugubrious eye over the bright pink and acid green jackets in our window before shaking his head at us in mock disbelief. And then he smiled." Richard James now has two shops on Savile Row, one of which is devoted to bespoke tailoring, and a flagship store in New York. Bespoke suits start at £4,500 inclusive of VAT. The company's ready-to-wearcollections are also sold worldwide through stockists such as Harrods, Selfridges, Bloomingdales, Barneys New York and Lane Crawford.
1992 The first Richard James shop opens at 37a Savile Row. Richard James's arrival is noticed by Nick Sullivan in British Esquiremagazine: "There is an odd atmosphere these days in Savile Row. Nothing tangible, you understand. But from time to time, people stop to peer with uncertainty, with incomprehension, even with vague horror through the plate glass window of No. 37a. There's a new boy on The Row and he's causing quite a stir."