Written by Nick Hendry

London has been an important leg of The Sartorial Club’s World Tour since its inception in 2022. There is such a rich history of sartorialism in London, and so many TSC members either based there or within easy reach, that to hold an event in the city was an obvious choice. My name is Nick Hendry, I’m a Scottish journalist based in London and am proud to have been a member of The Sartorial Club since its foundation, and lucky enough to have attended all the London events. The first edition, a wonderfully eclectic evening of cocktails and quiz questions at Holland & Sherry’s premises right on Savile Row, proved such a success that those subsequent have seen even more members travel from around the city and around the world to join in the fun. The September 2024 event, for which the club took over the entirety of one of London’s most iconic shopping arcades to launch the new, exclusive TSC Club Cloth, was more than worth their journey.

Nick Hendry at the Club Cloth Lauch at The Princes Arcade

A distinct tri-color boating stripes (black, silver, and plum), is the choice of the Club and House of Tengri

A Red Carpet Welcome at The Princes Arcade

The Princes Arcade is a small gallery of boutiques which runs between Piccadilly, with an entrance next to the iconic Fortnum & Mason department store, and Jermyn Street. Given that Jermyn Street is such an important address in London’s sartorial history it seemed fitting that the entrance to the arcade located there was the one Club members used to arrive. Once names had been checked off the guestlist, attendees paused for photographs before making their way up the red carpet rolled out by the evening’s hosts, Arterton, and joining the buzzing throng of sartorial enthusiasts collected outside the Arterton Private Lounge.

Taking advantage of the Arcade, Nancy and Ksenia set up the long display table

From Mongolia to London: The Sartorial Club’s Debut Cloth by House of Tengri

In the window of the lounge, proudly displayed to all who passed through the arcade, was the undoubted star of the evening: the first-ever The Sartorial Club cloth, created for members by Nancy Johnston of House of Tengri. Nancy has already shared her story with TSC member Jack Collins, taking us down the path which led her to begin making fabric from the wool of the Mongolian Yak, so to see the finished cloth after reading her conversation with Jack was a delight for all in attendance. A length was draped over a mannequin in a style reminiscent of a Roman toga, while another was displayed on a table for guests to inspect and feel, and the overwhelming consensus was that the plum, black, and cream boating stripe House of Tengri have woven was a resounding success. From the early moments of the party conversations could already be heard in which members discussed how they were going to use their cut of the cloth. My own immediate impression was of the glorious texture and handfeel of the fabric - somehow simultaneously rugged and gentle. It felt like a true privilege to be able to inspect something so rare - a privilege we were almost denied by delivery issues which meant the length only arrived with a few hours to spare before the event, and without even Nancy or the club founders having seen it yet! They say good things come to those who wait, and this certainly was the case here.

Nancy addresses the crowd with the exciting story of why and how the Club Cloth collaboration was born

Woven and Distilled: The Artisanal Connection of House of Tengri and Savile Row Gin

A little way past the cloth displays, at the top of the arcade, was another popular gathering point: the bar, provided by Savile Row Gin. Delicious bespoke cocktails – I tried the South Side, and thoroughly enjoyed it – were served alongside classic Gin & Tonics and an array of canapés; the skill of the mixologists provided an extra slice of entertainment. Savile Row Gin have worked with most of the tailors on Savile Row itself to provide drinks at events so to have them at a TSC event shows just how far the club has come in three short years. The choice of spirits over wine also provided a poetic synergy with the theme of the evening: one of the key elements of crafting a quality gin (or whisky, or any other distillate) is purity of water; the same importance for superb water quality applies to the craft of making yarn. In Scotland we are exceptionally, and perhaps bizarrely, proud of how pure our water is - strange as it may seem, it cannot be understated how seriously we take the fact we have the best tap water - and that purity was reason Nancy chose Scotland for House of Tengri’s production. An appreciation for craft can transfer across disciplines, be it what we wear or what we drink, and commemoration of that sharing is a great addition to any party.

Signature cocktails crafted by skilled bartender team of Savile Row Gin

Kindred Spirits

More important to a good party than even good booze, of course, is good people. The Sartorial Club has always been and will always be an organisation with like-minded tailoring aficionados at its heart, and it is that shared passion which makes club events such a welcoming environment for all. No matter who you are or from where you have travelled to attend, you will always have at least one thing in common with all other guests; the shared appreciation for sartorial detail and joy found in dressing well is the basis of many great conversations at TSC events, and many lasting friendships afterwards.

From left to right: Julian, Ksenia, and Voke

From left to right: Nancy, Nick and Patricia

People were naturally, then, at the heart of the success of the latest London event. After an hour or so of mingling, catching up, and introductions, a few words from club founders Dennise and Ksenia reminded the group why we were here: to unveil the new Club cloth. We were introduced first to William Wong of Arterton, our host for the evening. Arterton have fast become known on the London circuit as suppliers to Savile Row and beyond of the finest hangers, garment bags, and other aftercare accessories necessary to truly take care of bespoke and tailored clothing. They are also the proud gateway through which some fine handmade shoe brands from Asia reach eager consumers in the UK, and their events often feature an appearance - as ours did - from World ShoeShine Champion Anders Sundstrom, who offers shoe-shines at a dedicated chair and a wealth of tips for taking care of footwear. The queue for a shine was almost as long as the one at the bar!

William of Arterton London (right), our gracious host of the evening

The Return of Chris “Quiz” Modoo

Club Chairman Chris Modoo surprised us with the impromptu, if abridged, return of his trademark quiz. After we all shamefully failed to correctly answer his tie-break question (Why DID Beau Brummell use champagne to clean his shoes? Please note, this is NOT a method recommended by Anders!) Nancy Johnston gave us a little more information on the cloth we had gathered to celebrate before a return to festivities and another chance for guests to discover the products on sale in the Arterton Showroom and Private Lounge.

Club Chairman Chris Modoo, also known as "Sartorial Quiz" Modoo

Sartorial reporter Siddhant carefully examinates a pair of Acme handwelted shoes

A Global Club: Connecting Enthusiats Worldwide

I have been fortunate enough to attend many TSC parties in three different cities – London, Florence, and Paris – and I am always struck by the international nature of the crowd. In Florence we may have all gathered for Pitti with the club event just one of many parties (and the best way to begin the week) but in the other 2 cities people have travelled purely for the club. This time around I had the pleasure of helping to welcome Sam, joining his first Club event from Stockholm after having been a member for a long while; catching up with Louis, flying over from Seattle once again to celebrate with us; reconnecting with friends from around the London community who I had never before seen at a TSC event, such as street-style-interview-master Siddhant. We were joined by representatives from the Gentleman’s Gazette – colleagues of our own Jack Collins – who had also travelled from the US, and let’s not forget the mileage done by our founders, arriving from The Netherlands and New York respectively.

For all that travelling by members, no-one managed to outdo the journey of the Club Cloth. From the steppes of Mongolia, via the mills of Scotland, to London, and then on to the various home locations of our international membership, this noble yarn can truly be called a global product. Well worthy, then, of such a splendid inauguration party. In the next instalment of the blog Jack Collins will retake the reins to delve further into the inspiration for the cloth, how the creative direction played out, and how it will now be used by Matthew Gonzalez, Savile Row’s only American tailor, to craft a beautiful jacket. Make sure to follow along.

(3) A Launch at The Princes Arcade