PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD C WATERS
In the world of luxury fashion, success is often measured by connections, pedigree, and deep pockets. But for one woman, it was all about hard work, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Growing up in working-class Britain, Jo Baker Waters had limited funds and industry connections, but what she did have was an unyielding passion for the arts.
From a young age, Jo knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but she also knew that it would not be easy. She remembers working all night to perfect her craft and sewing custom art clothes to build her portfolio. But through sheer will and determination, years of dedication, and a lack of sleep, she made a name for herself in the highly competitive world of fashion.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD C WATERS
For “Pattern Cutting Techniques for Ladies’ Jackets” by Jo Baker Waters
Despite the challenges, Jo managed to obtain an apprenticeship on Savile Row, the male dominated historic hub of men’s bespoke tailoring. This was no easy feat, as there were not many female apprentices being hired for formal gentlemen’s cutting at the time. She was turned down by multiple tailors on the Row in the beginning, but she never gave up. She repeatedly wrote letters until she was finally accepted at Gieves & Hawkes, London, by Alexander McQueen’s mentor, an eccentric Spanish coat maker called Andreas Gomez. Under the tutelage of Gomez, she learned the intricacies of tailoring and cutting. It was a challenging and rewarding experience that shaped her cutting style and taught her to appreciate the complexities and beauty of the craft.
While the diversity of craftsmen and product has evolved since then, there are now more female cutters and tailors in menswear on Savile Row, and Jo Baker Waters is proud to have been part of that change. She continues to push boundaries of gender fluidity and explore new techniques, always striving to improve the excellence of her craft.
After earning a highly coveted tailoring apprenticeship at Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row in London, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, Savile Row, established in 1327, Jo specialized in cutting and tailoring. During her ten-year residency as a Savile Row tailor, she crafted tailored clothes for high-profile individuals, including Charles III, William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Jack Black, Russell Brand, Jude Law, Nicky Clarke, and Marie Helvin. She also worked on the tailored coats and suits featured in the British film “44 Inch Chest,” tailoring clothes for Ray Winstone, Stephen Dillane, Ian McShane, and John Hurt.
In 2005, she won two highly prestigious Golden Shears awards in the Savile Row Bespoke Competition, the Golden Shears Award for Best overall winner, and the Silver Shears Award for Best Womenswear, both awarded on the same night and the first woman to ever do so.
In 2013, she relocated to New York to work for Calvin Klein, designing for the CK menswear line. She remained at the brand for seven years, working under the leadership of creative directors Kevin Carrigan, Raf Simons, Pieter Mulier, and Tim Coppens during the brand’s transition in creative leadership.
Over the years, Jo has grown her profile and business by making beautifully crafted individual clothes and art. She has also shared her skills in master classes, training in-house apprentices and collaborating with luxury designers. Her professional background has been extensive, having worked for fashion designers and Savile Row tailors in London.
As a fashion designer, she has worked with leading designers such as Anna Sui on womenswear collections shown at New York Fashion Week, Joe Casely-Hayford on the “Gieves” menswear collection shown at Paris Fashion Week, Jonathan Saunders on menswear and womenswear collections, Nicholas Oakwell couture, and Richard Nicoll.
She created some of Richard Nicoll’s most memorable showpieces at London Fashion Week, which also appeared in Vogue including tailored jackets with silk bows, mixing dress draping techniques with traditional tailoring, color block suits, LED dresses, and atelier custom looks for Florence Welch, Diane Kruger, and an artist collaboration with Linder Sterling. She remained close friends with Richard Nicoll until his death in 2016.
Jo is also the author of the groundbreaking book “Pattern Cutting Techniques for Ladies’ Tailored Jackets,” published by Cromwood Press in 2017; she is a highly skilled designer, cutter, and tailor. The monograph was seven years in the making and was dedicated to Richard Nicoll, documenting the design, cutting, and draping techniques required for tailored jackets. The book features previously unseen art jackets made for the project, along with mathematical grid formulas used to create first drafts using anatomical measurements from the body.
As a tailor of individual clothing designs, Jo creates hand-made items that are made to order with a sustainable vision, highlighting the complexities and beauty of the tailoring craft. Her video master classes, available on a digital platform, document the process of design, 3D draping, creative pattern cutting, complex mathematical formulas to draft pattern systems from measurements, and hand tailoring techniques. Her work for the A R T I S A N.44 project teaches subscribers the skills to make their own clothes, developing a unique, individual design identity not governed by trends and mass consumerism.
In a world where success is often defined by who you know, Jo is proof that hard work, passion, and a relentless pursuit of excellence can take you places. Everyone who has ever wanted to pursue a career in the arts might find inspiration in her narrative of triumph over adversity.
