City High Fliers
With two entrants into this year’s Golden Shears and Jorden Barratt winning the Silver Shears, the future of City institution Couch & Hoskin is bright
Article by Rupert Watkins Photography by Andy Barnham
As with any form of fashion show, the final couple of minutes on the actual catwalk are inevitably the result of months of hard work. Chatting with Couch & Hoskin’s two entrants to the 2017 Golden Shears, Jorden Barratt and Zoe Yates, the creative and tailoring process begun many months earlier in mid-2016, “I just can’t do a rushed job” Zoe smiles whilst Jorden admitted, “I seemed to spend more time choosing cloth than creating my pattern!” Nonetheless over rare slow periods in the firm’s Eastcheap premises the garments came together; Zoe’s outfit consisted of a men’s black and white tweed coat over a grey double breasted suit whilst Jorden went for a feminine version of white tie with silver braid detail and embroidered lapels. Both girls laugh that they enjoyed doing their entries in slow time – it allowed them to indulge in the actual creation and details of their garments.
Certainly both girls have long had a passion and flair for tailoring. Jorden’s grandmother was a couture bridal dress maker and she grew up surrounded by cloth and fabric, “I’ve always wanted to do a craft and do it to the highest possible standard I could.” Having studied couture and tailoring at university, she worked for Cad & the Dandy in both their Savile Row and City outlets; she preferred the City shop as there was a greater opportunity to build relationships with repeat clients before she lobbied Jonathan Becker, the managing director at Couch & Hoskin to come to firm. With artistic parents, Zoe has always been fascinated by craft consequently going to London College of Fashion, where in her first year she was able to do a day’s work experience on Eastcheap and she has stayed at the firm since.
Chatting with both, it is clear they are both fascinated by the precision and longevity offered by their art, “you can build shape and structure into things” remarks Jorden. Both love the very social interaction of tailoring, working with and developing a rapport with clients, as Jorden comments “it’s always hugely rewarding when the customer gets exactly the suit they want.” Having been at Couch & Hoskin a little longer, learning her trade under the now retired John Jacob, Zoe is now beginning to specialise in coat making whilst Jorden is a cutter.
Zoe Yates
Jorden’s Silver Shears winning entry was inspired by her passion for white tie, “it is my favourite, it’s just so elegant” she enthuses - especially she feels when done correctly for the female form. A suit wearer herself and inspired by 1930s photographs of the actress Marlene Dietrich, she felt that the outfit had to be feminine, “I’ve always liked women’s tailoring but it must be feminine and crafted for a woman from the very start. I didn’t want to make a crudely modified version of the man’s garment – there is nothing worse than seeing any suit that looks like it’s been made for a man and just altered.” Zoe enjoys the challenge of women’s tailoring as well though both girls are hugely aware it is a tricky area to pull off. The variety, influences and fast moving nature of women’s fashion and women’s relationship with it means many too often wish to change their minds too much, too late on in the tailoring process. Jonathan remarks the firm’s female client size has remained steady at about five per cent but all remark that where they see women getting the most benefit out of tailoring is where they have the least flexibility – where work dictates a fairly strictly proscribed uniform.
Both the girls were drawn to the Square Mile by the family feel of Couch & Hoskin, “people here stay for ever” says Zoe, “John who taught me, was here for 40 years, Jonathan’s been here over 30. It is a wonderful, close knit family.” Having worked on the Row, Jorden began to see through the veneer of the glitz and like Zoe has loved the tight knit feel in Eastcheap. Though Jonathan was certainly a little concerned about how some of his most conservative customers would react to having girls in the firm, the twinkle in all the team’s eyes seem to indicate that not only have Zoe and Jorden fitted in but they have also developed a loyal little following of City chaps as well….
Jorden and Zoe are determined to rise to the top of their craft, “I want to be the best coat maker I can be” stresses Zoe whilst Jorden hopes, “to develop a skill set that’s admired and respected by my peers and those in the know.” With these ambitions, the future of this 109 year old City tailors seems in good hands. In fact Jonathan can already see them running the firm, “I’d be happy to see the girls run Couch & Hoskin in the future and take it forward as directors” he comments. Long may this sartorial City secret thrive. 
Enquiries: Couch & Hoskin, 40 Eastcheap, London EC3M 1HD / 0207 6263831 / www.couchandhoskin.co.uk/