Who have you enjoyed dressing most?
MP - I would have to say when I was 28 and going to Broadmoor Prison to dress Ronnie Kray. I know it’s a cliché, but seeing all the pictures of them, and then going to see him in prisoned he’s wearing your suit (and looking very good in it), it was a great feeling. He knew how to wear a suit. It was a late 60s suit I made for him, circa 67 or 68. Looking at the Krays in that period they were still dressing like they were in the early 60s. They never actually were very fashionable they were just wearing classic 60s style suits, which I suppose, was a very easy thing to do.
''Another person I was proud of dressing was George Michael, when he wore my stuff I thought he looked pretty impressive.''
Naomi Campbell was great fun. I designed a few suits for her so joined her at Paris Fashion Week. She wore my stuff the whole week and I ended up meeting Karl Lagerfeld and people like that. Lots of very iconic fashion people around; and being around her wearing my clothing was a pretty exciting thing to be doing in your early 30s.
What do you offer a customer these days?
MP- In the shop now I’ve got suits, shirts, ties, vintage tiepins, braces, and hankies, knitted ties. I also started selling a range of true vintage ties as I thought it was more style relevant. They work really nicely even with the more modern suits I do. I do off the peg, made to measure and of course bespoke.
What next?
MP- I’m looking at doing a big trunk show in New York soon, doing made to measure and bespoke. I’m doing it in collaboration with my factory, Wensum. I’m looking at doing it on the lower east side of New York, in either a pop up shop or a hotel. That’s the next plan. Probably in September or October at the latest.
What’s the last thing you’d like to say?
MP – Lets go to the pub and get a few pints in.
Mark Powell Bespoke Tailoring
2 Marshall Street, Soho,
London
W1F 9BA
Ready to wear suits: £850 2 piece, £990 3 piece
Made to measure suits: Start from £1400 2 piece, £1950 3 piece
Bespoke suits: Start from £3300 2 piece, £4000 3 piece
119