Celeb tailor Geoff Souster on building a family legacy and luring custom away from Savile Row

The company has also diversified into ready-to-wear, and introduced some cheaper, computer-cut options for customers on a budget. “We have made sure that we can deck people out from head to toe,” said Mr Souster.

All the suits are cut by Mr Souster or his sons and the suits are entirely handmade; there are 5,000 stitches in a single jacket. This attention to quality has ensured a steady stream of referrals and repeat custom. “Eighty per cent of our business is repeat, and that’s only fallen from 90pc because of a huge increase in internet orders,” he said.

Souster & Hicks is a true family business, employing five members of the Souster family and three other staff. By training up his sons and his daughter-in -law, Mr Souster has ensured succession at the business.

Young blood was also crucial for staying up to date with fashion trends. “When [footballer] Joe Hart comes in, my son always deals with him,” admitted Mr Souster, 62. Today, the £800,000-turnover firm makes suits for crooner Michael Buble, TV presenter Eamonn Holmes, and comic Lenny Henry.

Today, all of Mr Souster’s growth plans are cautious and will be funded organically. “I won’t open another shop,” he said. “I’m going to grow the business within the business, and plan for adversity, never for success.”

The secret to being a successful tailor is all about customer engagement, he explained. “When we had two shops, customers presumed I was away on a yacht in the Bahamas when I was actually upstairs working on the books. When I’m on the shop floor, I’m building stronger relationships with my customers.”

He’s turned down offers from venture capital firms, preferring to to go it alone. “I have money in the bank and I don’t owe a penny now,” he added. “Why would I throw that away?”

Mr Souster, who became a tailor after leaving school at 14, has hand-cut more than 25,000 suits. “Recently I measured my oldest customer, a 94-year old war veteran. I was making a blazer to pin his medals on,” he said. “What shop do you know that can sell a trouser suit to a 22-year-old girl and a blazer to a veteran?”

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