Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
A belief that the craft of bespoke tailoring is one of constant learning, development and evolution. Designed to dictate the decade.
This Latin motto has stitched the philosophies of LAWTON: the eponymous bespoke tailoring house by British tailor Kimberley Megan Lawton. Founded in 2022 and operating out of London, LAWTON seeks to capture the essential meeting point between craft and culture. A house style which combines the decadence of details from old Hollywood cinema with the magnetism of musical silhouettes from the seventies. A consistent promise of precision brought to life by individual portrayal.
The heart of this individuality is Lawton herself, whose fascination with form and fashion initiated her sartorial journey. Lawton first acquired her skills in garmenting at college in Yorkshire, England, before moving to the capital to study Bespoke Tailoring at London College of Fashion. Graduating with First Class Honours, Lawton also won the Upcoming Design Talent Award and the Shaftesbury PLC Tailoring Award for the alternative flair of her BA collection.
Following educational success, Lawton began to implement her skills on Savile Row – specifically through an apprenticeship under the Head-Cutter and Creative Director of high-end tailoring house: Huntsman. While versing herself in this professional cutting sphere, she met Joshua Dobrik: a like-minded tailor who similarly sought to inject contemporary flair into traditional craftsmanship. Bound by a desire to both explore and push boundaries, the pair launched their own house: Dobrik & Lawton.
Collaborating on technical sartorial skills and decadent creative concepts, the house was active for three years, during which it was granted a six month residency on Savile Row. This defined Dobrik & Lawton as the youngest duo to be hosted on the global home of fine tailoring in fifty two years, simultaneously marking Kimberley Lawton as a rare female artisan to hold a status above the street.
After deciding to pursue individual projects, the duo dispersed, and Kimberley’s vision of LAWTON was born. Combining her cutting experiences from both traditional and experimental environments, the LAWTON house is a portal for bespoke progression: readily on hand to dress all genders and identities – from those in business to those in music – with the utmost accuracy and attraction.
Speaking on her expertise in bespoke tailoring, LAWTON Founder Kimberley Lawton conducted a workshop to unpick the process of crafting a perfect suit. The workshop was hosted by the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in line with their "Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear" exhibit. Kimberley is also a regular guest speaker on the V&A'S Quarter Scale Dressmaking Course, explaining how the hand sewing skills they have learnt on the course are used in the tailoring industry. In July 2023 Kimberley was interviewed by radio host Jumoke Fashola to delve into the intricacies of the craft of bespoke on BBC Radio London.