Gieves & Hawkes tailors at work at 1 Savile Row, London

London, Aug. 23: Men’s suits made by Gieves & Hawkes, “gentlemen’s outfitters” of 1 Savile Row, London, will soon be available in India, which is deemed to possess a clientele sophisticated and wealthy enough to appreciate the finest in English tailoring.

“Mark Henderson, the chief executive officer of Gieves & Hawkes, will discuss why Savile Row is eyeing the Indian market,” said an announcement from the UK India Business Council, which has organised a conference, “Next Generation India: Talent, Trends and Technology”, in London on September 1 for Indian and British captains of industry.

“They have had big success in China and they want to replicate that in India,” a council spokesperson said.

“All over the world, Savile Row stands for the very best in men’s tailoring and so it is fitting that Gieves & Hawkes should be ‘No. 1 Savile Row’, a remarkable address,” according to the company.

Gieves & Hawkes is tying up with a local partner in India, but at the moment it is not known how much a suit will cost in rupees. However, the garment comes in three categories.

In the UK, ready-to-wear costs about £800 (Rs 64,000). A category up would be “personally tailored”, where individual measurements are turned into a suit in a factory. However, the English “bespoke suit”, which is handcrafted by elderly men at the Gieves & Hawkes basement workshop in Savile Row, will not cost less than £3,500 (Rs 2.8 lakh).

Over the decades, maharajas visiting London have availed themselves of such services, which are today taken up by the new maharajas of business as well as Bollywood stars.

Since rents have been driven sky-high in Savile Row and a faltering British economy has dented the market for personal tailoring, such companies as Gieves & Hawkes are looking to India to secure their future.

Confirming that Gieves & Hawkes is drawing up plans for India, a company spokesperson told The Telegraph: “If we follow our model of engagement used in China, finding the right partner with local market knowledge is a crucial step. As a small company, we will not rush into any new ventures without careful consideration.”

She explained: “Our main international focus at the moment is supporting and driving the business in Greater China, a market we entered in the early 1990s. We have nine stores in Taiwan, one in Macau, 47 in China and four in Hong Kong and the numbers continue to grow. There can be differences trading in a country which isn’t your home market but Gieves & Hawkes values quality, fit and knowledgeable service, has universal appeal and this creates the potential for business.”

The spokesperson said: “Our business in China is focused on ready-to-wear garments, but this is no different from the UK where ready-to-wear sales account for most of our business. However, we launched our ‘Personal Tailoring’ service in Hong Kong late last year, with the service rolling out to all flagship stores this year. We certainly expect this to form a key area of growth for the business in Greater China as it has proved itself to be in the UK market since its inception in 1999.”

Among those who believe that Gieves & Hawkes is making a sound investment in India is Raj Nihalani, who runs his own personal tailoring company in the UK, Imperial Tailoring, with men’s suits and shirts made up at his workshop in Manchester.

Nihalani, who happens to be married to Archie Panjabi, widely considered to be one of Britain’s most talented actresses, commented: “Are Gieves & Hawkes doing the right thing? Absolutely! There has always been a market in India.”

He drew a distinction between tailoring in India and the UK: “In India, we buy the fabric and take it to the tailors to have it stitched. But in Britain, it is the other way round — it is the bespoke tailoring which is exclusive.”

Asked to identify stylish dressers in India, Nihalani responded: “The rich in India have always come to Savile Row. Today, I would say Amitabh Bachchan carries his suits well, as do Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham among the Bollywood stars.”

Gieves & Hawkes does boast a long history: “The company was formed from two famous businesses: Gieves, founded in 1785 and Hawkes, founded in 1771. Since then, we have welcomed a passing parade of famous customers whose names would fill a book. The magnificent full dress occasions of British State Ceremonials have been embellished and enriched by our skills, and overseas monarchs and leaders have looked upon Gieves & Hawkes to meet their own exacting requirements.”

It says: “Today Gieves & Hawkes, as the purveyor of quintessential English style, dresses individuals who are interested in the rules and references of tradition but who desire to present these in a exciting and contemporary way. We continue to represent quality, excellence, innovation and service of the highest degree.”

Next stop is more than likely to be Chowringhee.