If you look to the past – to the glamorous days when couture began in Paris and the "London Made" era of the 1920s and 30s – there was much more collaboration between design houses and customers. That's been retained in today's bespoke process. People will always want something unique, something made for their precise needs.
Gladstone London makes beautiful and timeless ready-to-wear leather products; however, customers sometimes want to go a step beyond that. For our tailor-made bag service, they can choose either an existing silhouette and customise the pattern, size, colour and internal configuration, or opt for a fully bespoke piece.
Fully bespoke requires a customer to call in to our shop in Shepherd Market in London, where, together, we create a completely original design especially for them. I ask them to bring in a selection of bags they like so when we sit down for the first time, I can gauge their taste. We can't copy other designs, but we can take inspiration from past styles.
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Function is the key driver as most people start with what they need to carry and we look at the best way to do it – from the most comfortable way of carrying things to the quickest and most secure way to access items such as mobile phones, laptops and earphones.
After they've emptied out their existing bag so I can see what that might comprise, I start by asking: "How often are you going to be using the bag? Will you carry it on your shoulder or do you need wheels? In what industry do you work? If it's finance or law, for example, women want the design to be feminine, but still sufficiently serious to take into the boardroom."
Our bespoke service combines craftsmanship and artistry. For those who want an extra level of personalisation, I've collaborated with a graffiti artist and an illustrator who can both undertake beautiful work. Past artistic commissions have been eclectic and include a pigeon wearing a bowler hat. Almost anything is possible.
When we develop a product, we do the drawing and get the first piece made up in a material that works a lot like leather so we can see how it's going to look. Based on feedback from the client, we then make design notes all over it and adjust it accordingly. If it's a big commission, we are likely to have four or five meetings throughout the process to make sure we get the bag exactly right.
I work with a small but specialist team of highly skilled craftsmen in London and Italy, many of whom choose to work beyond retirement age because they're so passionate about their craft. It usually takes around 26 weeks to produce a piece from start to finish, although this depends on the size and complexity of the commission and the time it takes to source the finest materials.
While the word "bespoke" can seem intimidating, not all commissions have to have a high price tag. I like working with a range of clients to help them make their vision a reality.
JOHN O'SULLIVAN started his career as a Saturday boy in the Harrods fragrance department. He then worked with leather-goods brands MCM and Tanner Krolle before founding Gladstone London, named after the Victorian bag design created to memorialise prime minister William Ewart Gladstone; gladstonelondon.com
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