Becoming The world's first female Master Tailor: Kathryn Sargent

Kathryn Sargent made history as the first woman to open her own tailoring house on London’s legendary Savile Row — a street long regarded as the stronghold of bespoke menswear. In this powerful episode, she shares her journey from art-loving Leeds teenager to master cutter and internationally respected business owner.

We dive into the traditions, challenges, and quiet revolutions of bespoke tailoring. Kathryn opens up about the gender barriers she faced, the emotional depth behind each suit, and how she now tailors for everyone from CEOs to creatives — with more women coming through her doors than ever before.

It’s a conversation about slow mastery, style as identity, and what it really means to break the rules with purpose.

Key Takeaways

• Tailoring isn't about fashion — it's about identity, confidence, and expression
• Kathryn was the only woman in a class of 60 on Savile Row — and still carved a space through grit and craft
• She spent 10 years training, often unpaid, learning by watching and staying late
• Clients today are 40% women — many of whom had never considered a bespoke suit an option
• She sees suits as emotional containers: worn at weddings, funerals, new jobs — milestones of life
• Being the "first woman" was never her goal — doing great work always was
• Her dream client? James Bond — and she has the sketches ready
• Kathryn co-founded Women in Tailoring to give women support she never had
• Her best advice: Dare to say no to what doesn’t align with you — and always keep going

Timestamps

• 00:00 — Intro: Kathryn’s childhood in Leeds and obsession with clothes
• 04:21 — Why menswear? Kathryn’s early style icons and influence from her dad
• 08:53 — The Savile Row break — winning an award and standing out with bright Harris Tweed
• 11:37 — Apprenticeship realities: being the only woman in a room of 60 men
• 16:41 — “They said we’re a masculine brand” — why she left and started her own house
• 22:10 — Becoming a master cutter and opening on Savile Row under her own name
• 28:45 — The shift: 40% of her clients are now women
• 35:33 — Bespoke as emotional work — Kathryn shares the intimacy behind tailoring
• 41:20 — What happens in a fitting room stays there: suit stories you’d never expect
• 47:12 — Why we still need suits — and how the uniform can still empower
• 52:00 — Dream client: James Bond — and her playful take on redesigning the classic suit
• 56:11 — Growing to Edinburgh and expanding the business with a different pace
• 1:03:10 — Kathryn’s dare for women: say no, trust yourself, and stay on your own path

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