We are VERY proud to have been selected to show at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester from 10th to 13th October. Now in its 12th year, the exhibition is the North’s largest and most established annual celebration of contemporary craft. This is a curated show and the Tailoring Academy has been selected to participate as the only UK training provider offering the highest level of tailoring training outside of Savile Row, London.

There is a craft renaissance underway, and it’s not limited to our sector: people are getting tired of cheap, disposable goods that are manufactured at the other end of the globe, because they hold no real value.

The concern for our planet plays a massive role in this, of course, and it is first and foremost young people who are now actively taking a role in halting the destruction relentless consumerism has caused. Knowing how to make things that last is a powerful antidote to the unsettling feeling of losing control. Human hands are our most capable tool.

Sustainability is at the forefront of our work, and we respond directly to our students’ desire for a more resourceful way of production by sourcing our materials locally, or even producing our own cloth to use in our tailoring.

The Academy offers the highest level in UK tailoring training: the ABC Level 5 Diploma, an alternative to the traditional apprenticeship. Designed by the Savile Row Bespoke Association and approved by the UK Fashion and Textiles Association (UKFT), the double qualification opens up a route to those looking to learn traditional tailoring skills in a life changing course, delivered in real-life work environment.

Our state-of-the-art workshop is housed on the top floor of a majestic former silk mill and is flooded with light. The textile heritage is tangible and hugely stimulating in our work.