But the timing was perfect?
JH- Fortunately the revival of 1920s and 1930s styles that we were creating really took off and resonated with a lot of people. Our first store as Hackett was on New Kings Road. And then we moved into bigger premises in ’92 up the road. When we were in Fulham we ended up with 5 shops. We had the formal wear shop, the shirt shop, the tailoring shop, and the everyday shop etc. We became known as the Hackett Cross, even with the Taxi Drivers, because we were on a crossroads. One day I got in a cab with this ancient cab driver, about 72 or something, and he was telling me about all the famous faces he’s had in the back of his cab; Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire etc. So I said he could add me to the list now, He said: who are you? I said Jeremy Hackett. He replied ‘Who??’
Well, he might not have known who you are but everyone is aware of your brand.
JH- We grew the business eventually so we had one in Jermyn Street, a few in the city, one in Paris, another in Madrid etc. We’re building very good business in Japan now; it’s actually our best Market.
How would you describe what you do?
JH-For Hackett I always prefer the world aspirational to Luxury. Luxury is so overused in this market. When I think of the word luxury I think of things that are hard to come by, beautifully made and is a rarity whereas what we do is more essential.
You’ve opened on Savile Row with your name on the front. Is that a dream come true?
JH-I am rather chuffed yes.I worked in Savile Row in the seventies for John Michael Ingram, as a lowly shop boy so to come full circle is rather nice. To be on this side of Savile Row one has to have a bespoke service, which I am very happy to do. The new shop, we’re calling it J.P. Hackett because the people who own all the properties, didn’t want us to just be another brand. So it’s J.P. Hackett instead of Hackett. We’re on the more strict side of the row, on the left side along with Huntsman Kilgour , Henry Poole, Dege and Skinner. It feels quite surreal having my name up there too. One of the requirements to be on the Row was to be able to do bespoke- so in the new shop we will have a tailor, and pattern cutter, a trouser maker etc. When I first opened Hackett my inspiration was Savile Row. I remember serving hardy Amies all those years ago but, never did I think, that I would open a shop on the site of his old premises.
What attracts you to bespoke?
JH-I love the idea and quality of bespoke.
The craftsmanship. The cloth. The amount of people employed to make the suits, and making sure they’re made to last etc. The suit I’m wearing now was made for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee- that makes it 7 years old and it’s still in perfect condition. The bespoke industry has a lot to say about sustainability. I’ve also created a little curio corner comprising all these odd things I have picked up over the years. I still like to visit Portobello or Spitalfields Market and pick up vintage pieces of clothing and paraphernalia. I can’t walk past a charity shop without popping in, just in case. It’s the thrill of the chase.