Historic New England Travel Bespoke London: Fashioning the Future
October 20-26, 2025
Bespoke London: Fashioning the Future
Join Historic New England for a once-in-a-lifetime experience exploring the history and influence of design in London, with a lens on the textile and fashion history of this global capital.
Historic New England Board Chair Deborah Allinson, President and CEO Vin Cipolla and Curator Michelle Finamore will be your hosts for this exclusive Patron trip to experience all that London has to offer across the fields of art, fashion, design and more. Among the highlights will be a tour of the V&A East Storehouse, the new purpose-built home for the V&A Museum’s collection, a precedent for Historic New England’s transformative plans in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Experience behind-the-scenes tours of contemporary furniture designers and custom shoemakers, along with a visit to the Savile Row Bespoke Academy, one of the leading tailoring schools in the world. Visit Spencer House, the 18thcentury palace of the first Earl Spencer, ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. Travelers will enjoy visiting several private collections and homes, a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House, and its costume department and collection, and much more. Accommodations at Claridge’s, the iconic and timeless Art Deco landmark in the Mayfair district, will offer a tranquil and elegant place to rest during this dynamic adventure.
October 20-26, 2025 To
Monday, October 20
Arrival into London
• Arrivals from the USA throughout the day.
• Taxis (black cabs) are easy and plentiful from the airport(s), but if preferred a car and driver can be organized through the hotel on request.
Check-in to the 5-star luxury Claridge’s, nestled in the heart of London’s Mayfair district..
5:00 p.m. Depart by coach for a private candlelit evening tour of Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Welcome Reception
Return to the hotel for a welcome reception in the Fumoir Bar
Dinner
Foyer Private Dining Room.
Overnight Claridge’s, London
Sir John Soane’s Museum
The great architect, Sir John Soane, was also a teacher who encouraged the viewing of his private collection of architectural samples, pictures, and objects as didactic models, opening his home to students and the public.
In this treasure-trove house, whose size belies the extraordinary number of objects within, is also the ingenious cabinet of perambulating panels displaying Soane’s collection of paintings by Canaletto, Hogarth, Lawrence, Reynolds, Turner, Watteau, and others.
Tuesday, October 21
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant.
Transfer to the V&A East Storehouse and Museum in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford.
Lunch at the V&A East.
Continue to Duffy London, the studio of furniture designer Christopher Duffy. Return to the hotel.
Evening at leisure. Some may wish to book a theatre performance this evening.
Overnight
Claridge’s, London
V&A East Storehouse and Museum
Designed by New York architects Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, V&A East Storehouse is a 16,000m2 purpose-built home for over 250,000 objects, 350,000 library books and 1,000 archives. Offering an entirely new museum experience, V&A East Storehouse takes visitors on a journey across time, through self-guided tours and changing displays, exploring why objects are collected, how they are cared for, conserved and displayed and revealing the latest research emerging from the collections. Further spaces within the center host pop-up displays, workshops, performances and screenings alongside live encounters with the museum’s work – from conservation and research to exhibition preparation. Designed by Dublinbased architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the five-story V&A East Museum offers welcoming spaces to socialize, as well as major exhibitions, festivals, commissions, installations, live performances, pop-ups and late-night events. The main exhibition hall presents major shows by the leading artists, designers and performers of our time. Two collection galleries explore international production with new acquisitions, commissions and performances alongside collection displays.
Duffy London
Duffy furniture designs are ideasbased, combining art and function, and playing with the concepts of gravity, geography and optical illusion. Chris’s works have featured at Art Basel, Art Miami and 100% Design London. In 2016, Duffy London was partner for the PAD London 20th Century Design & Decorative Arts Fair.
Wednesday, October 22
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant.
Short walk to Savile Row to visit the Savile Row Bespoke Academy with a presentation by Founder Andrew Ramroop who will walk us through the steps of creating a bespoke suit.
Continue on foot to Lock & Co. Hatters where we are introduced to the craft of hatmaking by Awon Golding, Head Millinery Designer.
Next door we visit John Lobb, a family-owned bespoke shoemaker.
Lunch next door at Saint Jacques Restaurant.
Continue to Spencer House for a private visit.
Return to the hotel for some time to relax before our evening visit, or walk back to the hotel on your own exploring the many art galleries and upscale fashion shops along the way.
Dinner and private collection visit at Crosby Hall with the owners.
Overnight Claridge’s, London
Savile Row Bespoke Academy
Savile Row Bespoke Academy is one of the leading tailoring schools in the world. Its objective is to protect, enhance and develop the value of bespoke tailoring by training aspiring tailors to the highest attainable standards.
John Lobb
Lock & Co. Hatters
Established in 1676, Lock & Co is the oldest hat shop in the world and one of the oldest familyowned businesses still in existence. Admiral Lord Nelson wore their bicorne into the Battle of Trafalgar and Sir Winston Churchill adopted Lock’s Cambridge and Homburg hats as his trademarks.
John Lobb is bespoke shoe-making at its finest. The fifth-generation Lobb brothers who run the shop today each had to go through several years of apprenticeship to learn how to craft a pair of shoes.
Crosby Hall
Spencer House
Spencer House is London’s most significant 18th-century house, a private palace built in 1756-66 for the first Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997).
This exceptional private collection is situated in a magnificent 1466 home in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. Inside the home is an unrivalled collection of English furniture and Old Masters paintings. Highlights include an impressive collection of 17th-century English and Dutch paintings including work by Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Pieter Paul Rubens’s protégée and the official court painter to Charles I.
Thursday, October 23
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant
Depart the hotel to the Royal Opera House for a private backstage tour including a special visit of the costume department and collection.
Lunch in the Piazza Restaurant at the Royal Opera House.
Continue to the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop and Costume Centre designed by Nicolas Hare Architects.
Return to the hotel.
Evening at leisure. Some may wish to book a theatre performance this evening.
Overnight Claridge’s, London
Royal Opera House
The historic costume collection at the Royal Opera House is the largest collection of theatre costumes in the UK still housed by its parent theatre. It contains 5,000 items from productions created for The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and The Birmingham Royal Ballet (1946–97). All types of costumes are represented for such diverse characters as kings and queens, peasants and soldiers, fairies and ghosts, citizens and Greek gods, representing all periods and styles. There are separate ballet and opera shoe departments and an armory which cares for both authentic weapons and those created as props.
Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop and Costume Centre
The Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop was the first of Nicolas Hare’s two buildings for the Royal Opera House at High House Production Park. The BREEAM Excellent sustainability building is a purpose-built facility for set construction workshops. The vaulted building form is designed to allow fully assembled scenery to be seen as it will be on stage.
The Costume Centre is the second Nicolas Hare-designed building at High House Production Park in Thurrock. The building brings together a number of specific spaces for distinct functions. New workshops accommodate the making and repairing of costumes. A purpose designed warehouse stores over 20,000 costumes for productions currently in repertory while another space provides secure and environmentally controlled storage for the ROH’s precious historic collection of opera and ballet costumes, props, artwork and historic musical instruments.
Friday, October 24
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant
Transfer to Syon Park for a private visit and lunch in the grand dining room at Syon House with Lady Caroline Percy (Caroline De Cabarrus) founder of Historic Decoration and Hotspur Design
Lunch at Syon Park
Transfer to the Design Museum with welcome by the Chief Executive and Director, Tim Marlow OBE.
OR
The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection with Anna Reynolds, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures.
Return to the hotel in the late afternoon
Dinner in the private Athenaeum Club
OR
Dinner at the Garrick Club
Syon House
Syon House looks out over the Thames towards Kew. Syon was acquired in 1594 by Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland and since that time, it has remained in his family. Caroline is an interior designer and consultant in Fine Art and Antiques. In addition to guiding us through the marvelous interiors of Syon House, she will speak about the history of British interior design. We will discuss the evolution of interiors through the centuries as well as explore how this knowledge can be applied when decorating a period home in the 21st century.
Design
Museum
The Design Museum’s collection tells the history of mass production, from the manufacturing innovations of the 19th century up to the digital of the last few years. The collection spans all aspects of design including architecture, fashion, furniture, product, graphic design and transport.
Athenaeum Club
Royal Collections
View the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection with Anna Reynolds, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures, Royal Collection Trust, curator of the 2023-24 exhibition Style & Society, Dressing the Georgians and author of In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion
The Athenaeum is a private members’ club founded in 1824 as a club for people with intellectual interests, and particularly for those who have attained some distinction in science, engineering, literature or the arts. The impressive clubhouse was designed by Decimus Burton in the Neoclassical style.
The Garrick Club
The Garrick Club was founded in 1831 by a group of literary gentlemen under the patronage of the King’s brother, the Duke of Sussex. Displayed throughout the Club is its remarkable collection of art representing the history of the theatre with over 1,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures, theatrical memorabilia and prints.
Saturday, October 25
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant
Transfer to Custhom handmade wallpaper and fabric design.
Transfer back to the hotel at the end of the morning.
Afternoon at leisure for shopping or exploring on your own.
OR
Enjoy a fashion afternoon with Michelle Finamore.
Short walk to Mount Street Restaurant for dinner in the private Scottish Room.
Overnight Claridge’s London
Sunday, October 26
Breakfast served in Claridge’s Restaurant.
Departures throughout the day. Private transfers to the airport can be arranged on request.
Custhom
Custhom is a design studio that believes in simple forms, considerate design and quiet detail. The studio creates wallpaper, textiles and ceramics that invite contemplation and inspire connection between people, objects and the environment.
Fashion Afternoon with Michelle Finamore
Enjoy a special afternoon with Michelle Finamore, a Fashion and Design Historian, Curator and Author. Currently a Curatorial and Programming Consultant for Historic New England, Michelle is curating the upcoming exhibition Shoe Stories: Past, Present, Future scheduled to open in Haverhill, Massachusetts in Fall 2025.
Program Costs
$11,990 per person based on double occupancy.
$3,390 single supplement.
Claridge’s London
Claridge’s has arguably been London’s top hotel since 1860, when Queen Victoria visited the property. In all the years since it has remained popular with kings, prime ministers, presidents, captains of industry, society figures, and movie stars. Today the Mayfair landmark artfully combines history, Art Deco charm, top-notch service, a health club and a spa, all under one opulent roof.
To learn more, including information on how to book reservations through Benefactor Travel, please visit HistoricNewEngland.org/PatronTravel or call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com
Program Costs
• $11,990 per person based on double occupancy.
• $3,390 single supplement.
Deposit and Final Payment
• A deposit of US$3,500 per person is required to confirm your place on the program. The deposit is refundable up until February 1, 2025 less a $500 adminisrative fee. Balance of payment for the program is due 90 days prior to departure on July 11, 2025
• If you should have to cancel after February 1, 2025, but prior to and including July 11, 2025, your deposit would be forfeited. For any cancellations after July 11, 2025, your full payment becomes non-refundable
• All payments may be made by American Express, VISA, Master Card, or check.
Cost includes:
• 6 nights’ accommodation at the five-star Claridge’s, London.
• Full buffet breakfast daily in the hotel restaurant.
• 4 dinners with selected wine, beer, mineral water and tea or coffee.
• 4 lunches with selected wine, beer, mineral water and tea or coffee.
• All visits and events, entrance fees including special private openings, private collections, artists’ studios, curators’ tours as outlined in the program.
• All transport as outlined in the program in a luxury coach.
• Luggage porterage fees in and out of hotel.
• All taxes for all goods and services.
• All tips (drivers, hotel, restaurant and guiding staff).
• On-site services of Benefactor Travel staff throughout the trip.
Not included:
• Airfare.
• Arrival and departure transfers.
• Personal charges (laundry, minibar, telephone etc.).
• Travel Insurance. We highly recommend Travel Insurance.
Benefactor Travel strongly recommends that each traveler take out a fully comprehensive travel insurance policy. Many companies offer travel insurance. A few we recommend:
Travel Guard 1.800.826.5248
John Hancock Insurance Agency, Inc. 1.866.888.7803
Allianz Travel Insurance 1.866.884.3556
The price of travel protection is determined by factors such as your state of residence, region of travel, trip price and age. Please reach out to your travel insurance company of choice for an exact quote. We recommend that your policy includes coverage for pre-existing conditions. In our experience, this has been an important benefit. Please note some plans offer additional medical coverage plus additional benefits when purchased within 14 days of making your deposit, including coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, bankruptcy, and cancellation. You may also wish to check with your credit card company, as some card companies offer travel insurance, although it can be very limited.
In the unlikely event that the tour is canceled, participants will be informed no later than June 13, 2025, and any trip payments will be refunded in full. The itinerary is subject to change and modifications may occur depending upon the ultimate availability of our hosts or certain events.