VR: Your age and occupation?

Products from Pukimo Raivio

Sartoria Nervesa, navy suit, size 48 EU
Cesare Attolini, light tweed jacket, size 50 EU

JM: 35, bespoke shirtmaker/founder of Hume London (a bespoke tailoring business) /co-founder of Quailors (a community of LGBTQ tailors to improve representation and support young talent in the industry).

VR: Your educational background?

JM: I first studied at London College of Fashion before going on to study bespoke tailoring at Newham College. I then learned my trade as an apprentice at Budd Shirtmakers, where I worked for 14 years before setting up Hume London.

VR: Have you any children or spouse (and how do they relate to your artisanal passion)?

JM: My husband is an interior designer, we challenge and inspire each other creatively everyday.

VR: …and your parent’s and siblings’ reactions back when you decided to become a shirtmaker?

JM: My parents are very keen on clothes, and always used to take me with them shopping; my dad is a customer of Anderson and Sheppard, a Savile Row tailor, so I was brought up surrounded by beautiful garments.

VR: What other hobbies or passions do you have besides craftsmanship?

JM: I love art and the passion you find in a brush stroke. I am a keen swimmer, I find gliding through the water very calming.

VR: How did you first become interested in shirts, and when did you turn your eyes to bespoke work? Why classic models instead of fashion?

JM: I knew I wanted to work in the clothing business, and at the London College of Fashion I quickly realised my real interest was not in the rapidly changing, seasonal world of couture but in making, and figuring out how things are put together. I followed that passion to the best place to learn about making high quality classic garments  – to Savile Row.

VR: How have you gathered your knowledge of the craft — from books, in-house training, workshops or somewhere else?

JM: The best place to learn a craft is by watching and doing it, making mistakes, and learning from them. I learned most of what I know from my time at Budd Shirtmakers, but since setting up Quailors I have met a broad range of tailors from many different skill sets (stage costume, film costume, couture, and more) with whom we share our knowledge and expand our skills. I also love looking back at the development of shirt making over the decades, I find you can learn so much from what has gone before.

VR: How would you describe the “House Style” of Hume shirts?

JM: Being a bespoke house the “House Style” is more a suggestion than a fixed thing, but in terms of a classic shirt it lands somewhere between traditional and contemporary. I love working with a customer to discover what really suits them and reflects their personality. I am known for my silk shirts of which I have a range of exclusive colours. I like to think my shirts are born out of craftsmanship but are always alive to contemporary influences.

VR: Do you have a favourite collar model and fabric weaver?

JM: My Cassius collar is my favourite, a long spear point, a very sexy, ’70s style collar. I love working with Alumo fabrics as they do the best quality cottons that are always lovely to work with.

VR: There are several fine shirtmakers in England — why should my readers try you ?

JM: There are only a few of us who still do the cutting and making ourselves and I can count on two hands the number of us trained the traditional way, and I would like to think we all do a good job. Someone might choose me because I have many years of experience, it is my passion to make the best I can for the client.

VR: What is your definition of a well-made shirt?

JM: One that lasts 10 years or so when looked after properly. It’s all about a balance, small neat stitches but not so small it ends up ripping the fabric, a neat, sharp point on the collars but not over worked. I try to incorporate hand work into my shirts where I can without it affecting the lifespan of the shirt.

VR: Who or what inspires you?

JM: A great many things inspire me: brands with personality inspire me professionally such as Maximillian Mogg, S.S Daley and Husbands Paris. A lot of my work is inspired by fine art portraiture. I am always looking at what people on the street wear and get inspired by trying to figure out why they chose that outfit or garment.

VR: Finally, what’s the benefit of bespoke shirts over very well made MTM-shirts?

JM: With bespoke the options are endless; as long as I understand what you require, I can do it. I am not constrained by a computer system limited to its programming for economic efficiency, I will do anything so long as it’s physically possible. Not to sound un-modest but if I can’t do it, no one can!

www.hume-london.co.uk