“Any tariffs and barriers to trade are of course a worry – and highlight that we are dealing with a more isolationist White House,” says Tamara Cincik, the director of British lobbying firm, Fashion Roundtable. “This move signifies that Trump’s government will use trade and tariffs for poker play negotiations on the world stage, which all feels like The Apprentice.”

Unfortunately, for the majority of houses on Savile Row, US clients equate to around 70 per cent of their business. Most brands have their only bricks-and-mortar stores outside London in Manhattan, largely because New York’s banking community can afford a US$40,000 bespoke suit.

Now, tailors are now hoping that Chinese clients will tide them over. Japanese customers have long been a small but steady client base, and interest in Savile Row suits has been growing elsewhere on the continent. In response to this, Savile Row brands are increasing trunk shows in China: Huntsman & Sons, now takes its trunk show to 11 different cities in China – nearly twice as many as its first visit to China in 2015 – and to nine destinations around Asia. Gieves & Hawkes now has stores in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

“All of our trunk show destinations – in China, Singapore, Japan and Seoul – have proved receptive,” says Hadden White, the senior client manager for Huntsman. “One thing that is particularly interesting is the difference in taste between cities and countries. Singapore surprisingly orders our highest number of heavyweight house tweed jackets, whereas Tokyo is historically very reserved, opting for grey and navy.”

Richard Anderson, the co-founder of his renowned eponymous brand (not to be confused with Anderson & Sheppard), agrees, explaining that while US trunk shows have been a long-time staple, Asian ones are growing in popularity – and not just in Japan, where Richard Anderson has had a concession in the Isetan department store for years. “We’re seeing such an increase in customers in Asia that we’re considering yearly trips to Shanghai now,” he says.

However, fashion insiders have been wondering for a while whether Savile Row can survive the changing tastes in menswear. Even in London, few industries insist men wear suits to work regularly, while the recession and clients’ growing preference for casual wear has caused headaches for the Row.

“There is no doubt that there has been a huge casualisation in fashion and in luxury,” says Anita Balchandani, an analyst at McKinsey. “Having said that, there is no doubt that brands that resonate best with customers are those with heritage, something everyone on Savile Row can capitalise on. And there are new brands interpreting menswear in a competitive way, but they don’t have the authenticity.”

“What we see everywhere is that Asian men are increasingly commissioning suits, jackets, trousers and overcoats to wear out of work,” says Anda Rowland, the director of Anderson & Sheppard. “Even though the workplace is more casual today than it once was, there is a strong trend to dress in a more personal way for social occasions and travel.”

“We wouldn’t say that the [Asian] market is hard to crack, but that British brands are not as well known as Italian brands. Historically, British tailors are far better known in Japan than China and have been active there for many years,” she continues. “Japanese men feel very comfortable in tailored suits. But it’s important to remember that in the menswear industry today, it is generally agreed that many Asian men are better dressed than their European or American counterparts.”

Whether that is true – and these brands are certainly hoping it is – Asian men also have more options to play with than their European counterparts. From Hong Kong to Bangkok, the continent is associated with some of the world’s best tailors, who will make a suit for a tenth of the price that Savile Row tailors are charging. Which means that Savile Row tailors such as Huntsman are having to use their illustrious heritage to get ahead.

“Huntsman has made for international royalty for nearly 171 years and offers the best in handmade tailoring,” explains White. “International clients in places like China and Singapore are well versed in luxury products and expect the best.”

They also point to the fact that they make bespoke tweeds and lightweight superfine wools for hotter Asian climates, all of which are developed in-house and woven in the UK. “Every suit that leaves our workshop is cut in the inimitable house style,” says Anderson, “and you won’t find another tailor in the world that cuts the way we do; it’s what sets us apart. All jackets are cut with a high armhole, slim shoulders with minimum padding, high gorge and long lapel, the waist cut with a slight flair to disguise the round of the hips.”

Hopefully it is this craftsmanship, as well as the prestige and heritage of the Row, that will help it to endure this rather large bump in the road. To attract younger customers, Savile Row is also modernising – updating websites, moving into e-commerce and collaborating with mass brands such as Reebok. In 2008, the average age of a tailor on the Row was 60, now it is 40 and dropping.

“I absolutely believe Savile Row has a strong future ahead,” says Balchandani. “Digital media means they can easily become global brands and set their sights on markets with ultra-high net worth individuals. Savile Row has always been great with customer service, e-commerce means they can expand that to a broader base.”

With the right PR, marketing and tech, the world’s most prestigious suits will become easier to order and hopefully more desirable for the politicians, billionaires and James Bonds of China – if not for Donald Trump …