The one thing I love about reading biographies is how I am constantly introduced to individuals who I have never heard about. Tommy Nutter is a wonderful example of this. This book is about his rise to fame in the world of bespoke tailoring during the 1970s.

At the age of 26, Tommy Nutter opened up Nutters of Savile Row in central London. This would not have been a cause for great concern except for the fact that he had no formal education or experience as a fashion designer or tailor. All he had was an "in-built feeling for clothes". That must have been enough because he rose to fame quickly. His clientele included the likes of The Beatles, Twiggy, Diane Ross, Elton John and Mick Jagger.

I loved reading about what makes bespoke tailoring so special. It is the perfect combination of art and science where the clothing is literally made for the individual in question after countless hours of fittings and alterations.

The author includes various photographs throughout the text which I definitely appreciated. It is one thing reading about the avant-garde fashion found in the House of Nutter but another thing completely seeing what the clothing actually looked like.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading House of Nutter and highly recommend it to everyone!

I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From my June 2018 review in The Globe and Mail newspaper:
"Elton John. David Hockney. Diana Ross. The story of Tommy Nutter is the story of Swinging London. Both Bianca and Mick Jagger, for example, wore his bespoke suits, and so did three of the Fab Four as they crossed Abbey Road. With personal images from his brother and music photographer David, it’s a kaleidoscopic tale of how a 26-year-old iconoclast with no real tailoring training stormed staid Savile Row."

This was a such an informative read about the fashion and menswear trade from the late 1960’s and through the rock and roll years when a lot of his clientele were famous rockers among many other celebrities and worldwide famous folks. The book is also about the other Nutter brother who took up a career in photography and many times orbited around many of the same celebrities oddly enough, and on odd occasions at overlapping moments and locations.

The book recalls their lives and outcomes, following Tommy Nutter through his time in Savile Row learning to be a tailor working for another. Then when he’s finally able to get backing and open his first shop and breathe life into it and make his vision of fashion at last. Then he begins to dress the moneyed and famous and gains some fame of a sort for himself as he builds his business, always a walking advertisement himself and dressing his photographer brother in his fashions to advertise for him as well.

Brother David was often tasked to come in to do last minute photo shoots, getting great shots of the clothes on attractive volunteer friends and acquaintances who jumped in to help out and make things happen to get sales brochures out in time. There are lots of stories of becoming friends with the rich and famous and getting pretty successful, going out to all the “in” places, seeing and being seen and doing things to excess. They see the good side of things, and later the not so great sides as well. A very well told story that goes into other areas that are also important and gives a good bit of history. Well worth the read, but I don’t want to give anything away. An advance digital copy was provided by Netgalley, author Lance Richardson, and the publisher for my honest review.

Crown Publishers
Publication: May 1, 2018

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced eGalley of "House of Nutter: The Rebel Tailor of Savile Row".

On the surface, and based on its captivating cover, you'd think this was going to be a book centered around Thomas (Tommy) Nutter--one of the pioneering designers of the once ultra-conservative Savile Row.

However, it is about BOTH David and Tommy Nutter, almost in equal measure.

Both gay.

Both ahead of their time in their respective disciplines.

Tommy hoped to turn the fashion world on its head with his otherworldly suit designs. Designs that would find their way onto the bodies of  the Beatles (who wore his suits for the cover of 'Abbey Road'), Elton John, Diana Ross, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Mick Jagger. And while his successes would make him, at one time, the toast of London, his desire to remain true to his vision would also alienate and eviscerate relationships he'd develop with others.

One thing was frustratingly clear about Tommy, he wasn't willing to compromise under any circumstance.

His is a story of ups and downs--with the downs being nearly as notable as the ups--which culminates in his life being cut short by the growing AIDS epidemic. 

On the other side of the pond, in New York, his older brother David's story would take place in parallel form. While younger brother Tommy was navigating the fashion waters, David's flare with a camera would bring him into contact with music and art royalty.

In an almost 'Forrest Gump' like fashion, David's ability to take pictures brought him into the orbit of not only the Beatles, but Elton John, Michael Jackson (before 'Off The Wall' made him into an other-worldly success), Freddie Mercury, and Mick Jagger.

Truthfully, as one who adores pop culture history--particularly where music is concerned--I was more fascinated with the world David inhabited. I couldn't believe the serendipity of his life.

A life that, sadly, was also spent in the grips of depression, thanks to undiagnosed manic depression (i.e. Bipolar Disorder). 

David often turned to drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication, to no avail. By the time he figures out how to control his moods more effectively, he's endured more than his share of emotional, and physical, turmoil.

House of Nutter doesn't make it a point to dwell on David's mental health, but it was easy to see how it effected his ability to take better advantage of his opportunities--of which he certainly had many.

It also highlights how devastating the AIDS epidemic truly was, at that time. So many friends would eventually be lost to the disease--including Tommy himself (who died of AIDS in 1992).

That may have been the saddest part of all of this. Tommy didn't live long enough to see his influence come to fruition in many of today's most relevant designers--including Tom Ford.

An entertaining read for anyone interested in a time when creativity and innovation were at the forefront of progression, and art was about making something last, rather than setting a trend.

Being a lifelong Beatles fan, when I saw that this book involved Savile Row in London, England, my interest was immediately piqued. For I am well aware that the fancy tailors dominated that road. The Beatles new entertainment company Apple Corp. Ltd. set up headquarters in 1968 right in the middle of all that, at 3 Savile Road. But, little did I realize just how much celebrated bespoke tailor Thomas Nutter and his twin brother, photographer David Nutter's lives were intertwined with that of The Beatles. The three Beatles wearing suits on the album cover where they are crossing Abbey Road...were made by Thomas Nutter. Thomas Nutter also made the cream corduroy suit John Lennon was wearing when he married Yoko Ono at the Rock of Gibraltar. Not only that...David Nutter took the wedding photographs and was listed on the marriage certificate as one of the witnesses!

What is bespoke tailoring? It's the opposite of off-the-rack. Garments are custom made to your specific body measurements. At the tailor shop where Thomas Nutter first apprenticed, a customer's measurements were kept on file until they saw his name in the obituary! Another very interesting factoid was that 95% of men "dressed to the left".

Twin brothers Thomas and David Nutter were both gay, and each creative in their own way. Thomas became wildly successful during the late sixties designing suits and opening his own shop "The House of Nutter" on Savile Row. He was financed by lover Peter Brown, former personal assistant to Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Apple Corp. board member. Thomas made suits for Bianca and Mick Jagger, Elton John, The Beatles and other celebrities. David Nutter found his own success in photography working with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elton John. He created that famous picture of John and Yoko which covers a ceiling in the Lennon's apartment at the Dakota, where it looks as though they are flying among the clouds over a London skyline.

Thomas Nutter died of AIDS in the 90s, and the whole terror of this new unknown disease was covered as it unfolded in the eighties. David is still alive and quite happy that this book exists to document their artistic contributions, born during the sixties and lasting through the next few decades. He shared many personal documents such as diaries, letters and photos which add a great authenticity to this book.

I love reading about sixties London, The Beatles and other rock bands that were around at that time, so this book was quite an interesting read for me. There were also many wonderful photos included in the book.