2 minute read
Mason & Sons
from The Chap Issue 102
by thechap
MASON & SONS
Elliot Mason, who runs the company with his father
Gustav Temple treads in the footsteps of John Lennon, James Bond’s tailor and shirtmaker and Jimi Hendrix, on a visit to Montague Square in Marylebone, London
This was my second visit to a London townhouse once occupied by John Lennon – the previous occasion was when the Chap protested against Abercrombie & Fitch opening a store on Savile Row, in the old Apple building where the Beatles had played their final concert on the rooftop.
There were fewer police constables this time, and Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer wasn’t playing his ukulele, but there was a blue plaque: John Lennon, 1940-1980 Musician and Songwriter lived here in 1968.
David Mason with the Dr. No dinner suit and Goldfinger glen check suit recreated by Mason & Sons
David Mason with Dr No dinner suit and Goldfinger glen check suit
I was greeted by a long-haired, elegant young chap named Elliot Mason (pictured left), currently living and working in the house with his mother and father, owner of Mason & Sons.
The room has been tastefully styled, with red 1960s chairs and G-Plan sofas, in keeping with the flat’s history. All of the Beatles except George lived here at some point in the 1960s. Ringo owned it; Paul composed Eleanor Rigby here; John and Yoko retreated here after being kicked out by Cynthia from their house in Surrey. They stayed in bed most of the time, in what is now the kitchen, on a diet of caviar, champagne and heroin. The nude cover of Two Virgins was photographed here. Mason & Sons, the current leaseholders, run their gentlemen’s tailoring business from this iconic piece of Beatles history. The former living room is now the client’s showroom and fitting room, where the nostalgic and wealthy can have an exact replica of Sean Connery’s suit from Dr. No recreated for them. Mason & Sons relaunched the Anthony Sinclair brand in 2012, after it had been in sartorial
limbo for some years, as Elliot told me:
“Anthony Sinclair had a stroke in the late 1980s and passed the keys to his apprentice Richard Paine. When Anthony died, Richard continued making suits in the Anthony Sinclair shop on Conduit Street for a few years. But back then, nobody knew who Anthony Sinclair was. It wasn’t until the birth of the blog, and all the James Bond sartorial blogs in the early 2000s, that his name came to light again among the fans.
“Meanwhile, Richard had circulated, as many tailors do, around various houses on Savile Row. My father met him around 2005 and they became friends. One day in the pub, someone told my dad that Richard Paine owned the Anthony Sinclair brand. Richard just wanted to retire, but it was 2012, the year of the release of Skyfall. My father said it was the perfect time to bring his legacy back. They started by getting access to an original Sean Connery suit from You Only Live Twice, sold for $100,000 in Japan. Richard couldn’t remember if he’d cut it himself back in the day, but was able to
