Who is Quan Yingmei, the first Chinese female tailor to make history on Savile Row?
The first Asian female tailor on Savile Row says her work is her passion and she would not want to be doing anything else
Quan Yingmei is the first and only Asian female tailor on Savile Row – trained in the bespoke traditions that go back more than 200 years. She works as a director alongside her business partner, master tailor James Cottrell, owner of Welsh & Jefferies, 20 Savile Row.
Welsh & Jefferies, founded in 1917 on Eton High Street, became synonymous with Eton College while also establishing itself as a leading military tailor. Winston Churchill was a client.
Today the tailoring house has a thriving client base in China, creating superbly crafted clothes for both men and women. China accounts for some 40 to 50 per cent of the business – from zero five years ago – and that’s down to Quan.
She regularly travels to China to meet her clients. Typically, she said, they are successful businesspeople in their 30s. Some have up to 60 suits in their wardrobe – and they are looking for a modern twist on the classic styles.
Famous names include the magician Liu Qian, the owner of the exclusive Da Dong restaurant chain, Xu Xiangping, deputy general manager at Jiuzhitang Co., and the writer, Zhang Wei (Tangjiasanshao).
So how did Quan make her way to Savile Row and become part of this rich British tradition?
She is the daughter of a Chinese father and South Korean mother. She grew up and attended school in Heilongjiang Province in the city of Mudanjiang. For high school, her parents sent her to South Korea for one year.