Meet the tailors

From an early age Terry Haste knew what he wanted to do with his life; in 1971, at just 15 years of age, he started as an apprentice at Savile Row firm Anderson & Sheppard.

In the mid- 1970s Haste joined the royal tailor Hawes and Curtis where he met John Kent and Stephen Lachter. During his time there, he became Head Cutter. He then moved to work as head cutter at rock and pop tailor Tommy Nutter in the 1980s, and in the early 1990s he set up the bespoke department at Hackett. After a number of years at Hackett he moved to Huntsman as Head Cutter and Managing Director. At this time Haste was a judge for the Golden Shears Award.

In 2004 he left Huntsman and established an independent business before accepting the invitation to join with Kent and Lachter in 2010. Clientele Jack Nicholson, Charlie Watts, Elton John, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Lord March, Harold Tillman, Alexander McQueen.

After five years he transferred to the West End, furthering his knowledge of cassocks, frock coats and gaiters for the revered Ecclesiastical and Court tailor Adeney & Boutrey (estd 1775), where he made breeches for the then Archbishop of Canterbury.

In 1966 he moved to Military and Royal tailor Hawes and Curtis.

In 1966 he moved to Military and Royal tailor Hawes and Curtis, as a full cutter to Edward Watson- the then owner of Hawes and Curtis Ltd. Kent took over from Watson when he retired and became the Managing Director. It was here that he met shirtmaker Stephen Lachter and Junior Cutter Terry Haste. At this time The Duke of Edinburgh patronised Hawes and Curtis where Kent had the privilege of making for His Royal Highness. Kent continued to tailor for The Duke of Edinburgh KG up to his passing; his services have previously been recognised with the Royal Warrant.

In 1986 together with Stephen Lachter, Kent set up his own eponymous business. In 2010 they were joined by their old colleague Terry Haste and opened a shop in New Burlington Street before moving to large premises at number 7 Sackville Street. Clientele HRH Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Donald Sinden, Sir Alistair Cook, Sir Terence Rattigan, Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, Tony Curtis, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Lord Mountbatten and Arnaud Bamberger.

Suyamba Kumaresan has worked at Kent & Haste since January 2018, enhancing her bespoke cutting and fitting skills by working closely with John Kent and Terry Haste. This unique, extraordinary experience benefits clients greatly.

Alongside this, she has worked closely with the house tailors to further her proficiency in cutting and fitting.

Now, she is a full cutter and has her own steadily expanding list of clients. She is also taking care of all K&H ladies’ bespoke tailoring.

Before starting at Kent & Haste, Suyamba received a 1st Class Degree from the BA (Hons) Bespoke Tailoring Course at London College of Fashion, part of University of the Arts London. During her studies, she explored both men’s and women’s bespoke tailoring. This enabled Suyamba to learn the intricacies of both the design and make aspects, including traditional Savile Row construction methods and modern style with artisanal detail.