Savile Row tailoring, a great speaker for the V&A crafts conference

We have now booked our final speaker for the Heritage Crafts Association spring conference and I am delighted to have Mark Henderson chair of the Savile Row Bespoke association giving the opening speech.

Savile Row tailoring is renowned the world over as something of quality and heritage along with a certain restrained and timeless style, way out of the budget of most but never seen as ostentatious consumerism just good taste. Mark was for twelve years, until March 2009, Chief Executive and is currently deputy chairman of Gieves & Hawkes, based at No 1 Savile Row

Mark has a long experience of marketing luxury products but also cares passionately about craftsmanship and is currently a mentor for the crafted scheme. As chair of the Savile Row Bespoke association he has campaigned tirelessly to preserve the quality end of the business particularly bringing new apprentices in to the row to learn the traditional skills.

I have not heard Mark speak so am particularly looking forward to hearing what he has to say on the day. To hear Mark along with Alex Langlands from Victorian Farm, Sophie Hussain from Mastercrafts, Stewart Linford furniture maker, Gail McGarva boatbuilder, Tanya Harrod the leading crafts historian and commentator and meet many of the movers and shakers of the world of craftsmanship book your place at the V&A craft conference here.

Mark does a short piece in this entertaining Australian News item about the Prince of Wales wool campaign where they turfed over Savile Row and brought sheep to town.