Tailoring an Image

Two notable items made by Huntsman that will be included in the exhibition are Lord Fairhaven’s bright red leather cropped riding breeches, of which there are no comparable examples in museum collections or riding dress history literature, and his wine-coloured velvet smoking suit.

Roisin Semple, Property Curator at Anglesey Abbey, says: “The wardrobe at Anglesey Abbey bursts at the seams with notable names from London’s world-renowned tailoring quarter, including Huntsman & Sons, Bates Gentlemen’s Hatter and bespoke London shoemaker, Henry Maxwell.

“Through working with the team at Huntsman and researching their archives, we now know more about Lord Fairhaven and how he used bespoke tailoring to create one-off garments with a unique flair. Studying an individual’s clothing is a uniquely personal way of understanding who they were and how they wanted to express themselves.

“Lord Fairhaven’s idiosyncratic taste has created one of the most fascinating menswear collections in the country. In turn, the ‘Tailoring an Image’ exhibition invites visitors to consider what their own clothing says about them.”

Lord Fairhaven was known as a stylish dresser, regularly featuring in society magazines in the 1930s. Family wealth enabled him to enjoy the finer things in life, from collecting art to shopping at the world’s most prestigious tailors and makers.

Roisin continues: “Lord Fairhaven’s extensive wardrobe is a rare example of a 20th-century menswear collection that remains in the original setting of its owner’s home. Unlike most museum fashion collections – often dominated by women’s clothing and detached from their original context – this collection offers an opportunity to learn more about the garments and the man who wore them.”

The exhibition room in the house has been transformed into a space inspired by a Savile Row workroom and a specially commissioned film features as part of the exhibition, enabling visitors to delve deeper into the world of bespoke tailoring.

The film gives visitors an exclusive insigh Huntsman workshop on Savile Row, where Lord Fairhaven ordered many of his outfits. The clothes that he ordered were made by hand in the Huntsman workshop, a practice that continues to this day.

Roisin Semple visited the team at Huntsman last autumn to spend time studying their historic ledgers. Together, they discovered entries detailing Lord Fairhaven’s clothing orders right up until the last year of his life in 1966 and found a pattern of tweed that Lord Fairhaven had chosen for one of his outfits.

Campbell Carey, Head Cutter at Huntsman, remarks, “A bespoke Huntsman suit represents the work of at least eight pairs of hands and over 80 hours of handwork and so Lord Fairhaven’s wardrobe demonstrates hundreds of hours of craftsmanship.”

Meghan Curteis, Experience and Visitor Programming Manager at Anglesey Abbey, said, “We hope that this exhibition will not only provide insight into how clothes were made in the past but also prompt visitors to think about how their clothes are made today and how clothes can be used as a form of self-expression.

“Alongside this exhibition, we look forward to putting on a series of events for visitors including talks and personal style masterclasses, working with John Lewis & Partners in Cambridge, as well as a vintage weekend in the summer.”

The exhibition will coincide with the National Trust’s new publication 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the Collections of the National Trust in 2025, which features Lord Fairhaven’s wine-coloured smoking suit, and goes on sale from September 2025.

The ‘Tailoring an Image’ exhibition at Anglesey Abbey is open daily from 11am to 4pm from 1 July to 31 October 2025. The exhibition is free for National Trust members, otherwise normal admission applies.