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Any Richard Anderson customers?

lasbar

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I would like to gain some information regarding Richard Anderson.

If anyone is a bespoke customer ,please share your experiences with us.
 

RSS

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I'm thinking we've talked a bit about this ... no?

If what it comes down to is the question I get most often "Do I go with Richard Anderson or Hunstman" ... the answer is Richard.

BTW ... you might might want to buy Richard's book, Bespoke. While the greater part of the book is about his introduction to and life at Huntsman ... the last third is about the firm he established with Brian Lishak. It even details how Richard and Brian quite easily took the best Huntsman talent with them ... as everyone was ready to jump ship due of the way Don Bargeman was dismanteling/destroying the place.

EDIT: On 11 September 2001 (yes, 9/11) ... Richard was on a plane about to take off for New York when the horrible events of that day happened. He was to meet Brian there and begin taking orders for the new firm. The day's events, of course, delayed the launch of the firm.

I placed my first order with them in the spring of 2002.
 

dopey

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Originally Posted by RSS
I'm thinking we've talked a bit about this ... no?

If what it comes down to is the question I get most often "Do I go with Richard Anderson or Hunstman" ... the answer is Richard.

BTW ... you might might want to buy Richard's book, Bespoke. While the greater part of the book is about his introduction to and life at Huntsman ... the last third is about the firm he established with Brian Lishak. It even details how Richard and Brian quite easily took the best Huntsman talent with them ... as everyone was ready to jump ship due of the way Don Bargeman was dismanteling/destroying the place.

EDIT: On 11 September 2001 (yes, 9/11) ... Richard was on a plane about to take off for New York when the horrible events of that day happened. He was to meet Brian there and begin taking orders for the new firm. The day's events, of course, delayed the launch of the firm.

I placed my first order with them in the spring of 2002.

Why is that? Perhaps I should have spoken with you first.
 

lasbar

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RSS;2571307 said:
I'm thinking we've talked a bit about this ... no?

If what it comes down to is the question I get most often "Do I go with Richard Anderson or Hunstman" ... the answer is Richard.

BTW ... you might might want to buy Richard's book, Bespoke. While the greater part of the book is about his introduction to and life at Huntsman ... the last third is about the firm he established with Brian Lishak. It even details how Richard and Brian quite easily took the best Huntsman talent with them ... as everyone was ready to jump ship due of the way Don Bargeman was dismanteling/destroying the place.

We have spoken about it just a few sentences and I wasn't mentally ready to give them a go.
Why? I love the history surrounding Huntsman and Richard Anderson was not providing me with the same frisson.

I have now received my first suit from them and I'm very satisfied but the next project is more delicate. They want to overcharge me on the Golden bale and it just started me thinking.

Also, Mr Webb has left for number 1 Savile row leaving only Patrick Murphy at Huntsman.
To be honest , it doesn't look good at all this drainage of talents .

I went once and had a great conversation with Brian L but I'm still a bit scared of meeting the flamboyant man himself.

I will go again and talk with them about the project and decide...
The main factor will be the skills available at Huntsman .
With the youngish guard leaving , it is making me think a little bit.
 

RSS

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Not necessary to talk first. You could say I began the answer in the paragraph following the one you highlighted. It all started in 1999 with Bargeman's takeover of the firm.

First I note that I use names as they are in the book ... even if they don't exactly match reality.
Second, before Richard talked about this in his book ... I had been informed about some if not much of it by Brian and several others.

First, there is the complete lack of ethics displayed by Bargeman, his co-owners, and their inside plant, Trevor Swift, in the way they took over the firm ... even though Huntsman's owner, Watanabe, had already agreed to sell to current Huntsman Staff members. The Huntsman staff was made aware of Swift's key role when the new owners came into the "backroom" for the first time ... went directly over him and greeted him by his first name ... with Swift responding in kind. Swift was immediately made managing director ... even though he had little experience qualifying him for the job.

The book notes that the new owners would give price breaks to "buddies" as well as Swift's former clients. What is not in the book is their frequent joking that the difference would be "made up" by Huntsman's long-standing customers who could pay the price.

But the above is only about a lack of ethics ... and not about quality of work. Still ... when a group quickly dispenses with ethics ... you can bet they have no real commitment to quality ... and will soon be cutting corners where they think it can be done.

After promising to Huntsman staff that few changes would be made, the new owners began to sack tailors right and left. Now we have both a lack of ethics ... as well as toying with quality.

For years Huntsman had made clothing using a "sectionalized" system (supposedly unique to Huntsman) of coat making ... with various expert specialists assigned to each of the various parts / stages of construction. The new owner's completely dismantled Huntsman's system of coat making ... replacing it with a system whereby non-specialist tailors were responsible for assembling coats from baste to finish.

Swift began to order significantly cheaper trimmings. Brian tells the story of one order going out with linings of such a poor quality that he would have been surprised to see them in discount ready-made clothing. The new owners wanted corners cut ... wanted costs reduced ... but not prices, of course ... well, except to their friends.

Nine months after the take over, Brian Lishak resigned saying that except for the coats being cut by Richard, Huntsman's products were "no longer something he could respect with any modicum of sincerity or pride." According to him, he was having trouble "even looking clients in the eye" ... he felt like a fraud.

Brian easily convinced Richard to go with him. Richard says he simply could not bear the heartbreak he heard each time he talked with his mentors and former Huntsman cutters Hammick (coat cutter), Hall (coat cutter) & Lakey (trouser cutter). As he notes in the book ... each of them saw how blithely and irrevocably their life's pride was being run into the ground ... with traditions of quality, integrity, honest hard work and superior quality being thrown out with the dustbin.

After setting up shop at No. 13 Savile Row ... the best of Huntsman staff (current and former) made its way to Richard Anderson.

Richard Anderson is the best of what Huntsman was but lost ... plain and simple.​


I note that a couple of years later I was in a Huntsman fitting room with a staff member who had been there prior to Brian & Richard's departure. As soon as we had a moment alone together he whispered ... "You really don't want to return here again. Please take my word for it." I'll never forget the tone in his voice ... it was embarrasment. He too was soon gone.

And for the record ... this person did not mention Richard Anderson ... nor did he go to Richard Anderson subsequently.
 

RSS

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I should add that those I reference above are no longer associated with Huntsman ... having been most unsuccessful. I hear the new owner's are trying to make a come-back of it.
 

lasbar

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Rss , I really had a great time there for my first suit .

I have always wanted to get a Huntsman suit and I love the 1 button SB silhouette.

I'm not qualified enough to notice the quality of the work in a way guys like you and Manton will be able to do...
I just enjoy my suit with the pleasure of an innocent man.

What is quite disturbing is the departure of a young Senior cutter...It is raising a few questions.
In any organisation , the departure of such skilled artisan is alwats synonym of a deeper malaise in the concerned tailoring house.

I know they're used to move to different tailoring houses but a few months ater , he was not yet replaced.

The customer service is still superb and Johnny Allen is a lovely guy .

I will buy the book and call them for my Golden bale project.
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by RSS
For years Huntsman had made clothing using a "sectionalized" system (supposedly unique to Huntsman) of coat making ... with various expert specialists were assigned to each of the various parts / stages of construction.

That is what I always remember as the reason given for their higher prices. They also had, if I remember correctly, different tailors for different types of jackets.

I gather that they have not returned to the old system...probably impossible to reassemble such a team.


- B
 

RSS

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Originally Posted by lasbar
I wasn't mentally ready to give them a go. Why? I love the history surrounding Huntsman and Richard Anderson was not providing me with the same frisson.
If history is your thing ... you made the right choice. But as any prospectus will tell you ... history is no promise of future performance.

Originally Posted by lasbar
I have now received my first suit from them and I'm very satisfied... .
That indeed would be reason to stay with your tailor.

Originally Posted by lasbar
... but the next project is more delicate. They want to overcharge me on the Golden bale and it just started me thinking.
Overcharge? That is quite a relative term. I'll leave this one up to you.

Originally Posted by lasbar
Also, Mr Webb has left for number 1 Savile row leaving only Patrick Murphy at Huntsman.
To be honest , it doesn't look good at all this drainage of talents.

This is sad to hear. I would like to see Huntsman make a comeback.

Originally Posted by lasbar
I went once and had a great conversation with Brian L but I'm still a bit scared of meeting the flamboyant man himself.
Richard doesn't bite. And just to be honest ... every good cutter I've ever known had at the very least a touch -- much more in some cases -- of flamboyance about him.

And BTW ... many people seem not to know this ... but Brian is a partner even if his name is not on the door. Brian has a past agreement which forbids use of his name on Savile Row.

Originally Posted by lasbar
I will go again and talk with them about the project and decide...
The main factor will be the skills available at Huntsman.

It should be about skill and talent. In my opinion Richard Anderson trumps Huntsman ... after all, he now has the best Huntsman had to offer ... in fact that talent could hardly wait to walk out the door and over to Richard Anderson. And as RA expanded ... he hired them one by one.
 

lasbar

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
That is what I always remember as the reason given for their higher prices. They also had, if I remember correctly, different tailors for different types of jackets.

I gather that they have not returned to the old system...probably impossible to reassemble such a team.


- B


They're still charging £3900 for a suit (starting price) under the new system.

To recreate the old system will not be cost effective at all..
 

RSS

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Originally Posted by lasbar
Rss , I really had a great time there for my first suit .

I have always wanted to get a Huntsman suit and I love the 1 button SB silhouette.

I'm not qualified enough to notice the quality of the work in a way guys like you and Manton will be able to do...
I just enjoy my suit with the pleasure of an innocent man.


If you had a really great time ... if you always wanted a Huntsman suit and now you have one ... then this is all that matters. Such an experience should be about what you enjoy and love. Huntsman may indeed be the best for you.

And I will agree with you ... I love the 1 button SB silhouette.

And just for the record ... I'm more a big picture than a details man ... and I'm no where close to Manton in terms of what he knows about the details of tailoring. Although innocent is rarely the correct term for me ... in this case it applies.
 

RSS

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Originally Posted by lasbar
They're still charging £3900 for a suit (starting price) under the new system.
That is certainly more than RA charges.

Originally Posted by lasbar
To recreate the old system will not be cost effective at all.
That is my understanding too.
 

lasbar

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Originally Posted by RSS
That is certainly more than RA charges.

That is my understanding too.


I do sadly agree with you RSS and I do think that the highl pricing policy is mainly based on the Huntsman's name more than on superior skills.

Compared to Rubinacci or Norton , I must admit the all operation appeared more professionally run and their customer service is impeccable even if i did enjoy Chiara's coffee and the chats with the girls at Mount Street.

It is why I'm calling myself innocent and naive .I do sometimes prefer buying a piece of pseudo history than to make an informed choice based on pure skills and savoir faire.

It is a part of my personality , a sentimental piece of my personal jigsaw.

I will have the Huntsman's name and legend out of my system very soon and I'm sure my horizon will be broaden by another sartorial experience.

Thank you for your advice.
 

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