Mark Powell (clothing designer)

In 2022 collaborations include an exclusive footwear range with the British brand Tricker's while Powell has introduced a more casual tailored range based on separates in corduroy and linen influenced by classic Continental and French Riviera styles.

Powell shifted his business to larger premises in the regenerated Carnaby area of Soho in spring 2020, by which time he had adopted new digital and social media strategies, as reported by Joshua Bluteau’s 2021 book Dressing Up.

Here Powell’s customer base expanded to include Bradley Wiggins, who revealed during his 2015 appearance on the BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that he discussed acceptance of the knighthood awarded to him by The Queen with Paul Weller while they were both fitted for suits by Powell at the address.

In June 2010 Powell opened the outlet Mark Powell Bespoke in Soho’s Marshall Street.

Daniel Radcliffe wore Mark Powell suits for three of the London premieres of the Harry Potter movies and British folk singer Billy Bragg commissioned a Pearly King-style suit from Powell for stagewear for his 2007 UK tour.

Noted for his "attention to detail" Powell produced a series of collections for Marks & Spencer’s Autograph range in 2007-8,collaborated with fashion brands Mulberry, PPQ and Michiko Koshino and made regular appearances at international menswear show Pitti Immagine Uomo.

Powell also contributed garments to the British Fashion Council's 21st Century Dandy exhibition of 2003 and appeared in the accompanying book. Other books featuring Powell’s tailoring include Paul Gorman’s The Look and Sharp Suits by Eric Musgrave.

Over the years Powell has organised fashion catwalk shows to coincide with London Fashion Week, notably at Savile Row restaurant Sartoria in 2001 and 2002.

In 2000 Powell took over a studio in Brewer Street where visitors for fittings included DJ/producer Goldie, the Earl Of Stockton Daniel MacMillan and singer-songwriter Kevin Rowland, who commissioned Powell outfits for the reunion of his group Dexys Midnight Runners.

Powell's suits were also worn by Mel B of the Spice Girls, for the group's meeting with Prince Charles in 1997, Bianca Jagger, Naomi Campbell, notably for her court appearances, and Keira Knightley.

A three-piece Powell suit is in the Victoria & Albert Museum's permanent collection and was featured in the museum's 1997 exhibition The Cutting Edge: Post War Fashion.

Powell was the focus of the BBC2 documentary series Soho Stories, directed by Chris Terrill in 1996 and appeared as a judge and mentor in the 2012 BBC3 series Young Tailor of the Year.

Following the closure of Powell & Co, Powell operated from an atelier in Soho’s D'Arblay Street and developed a customer base that included Bryan Ferry, who wore bespoke Powell designs on the sleeve of the 1995 compilation More Than This. British comedian Vic Reeves sported Powell's neo-Edwardian suits for his appearances on such hit television shows as Big Night Out and Shooting Stars and George Michael wore a Mark Powell tartan suit for his performance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.

Around this time Powell was identified as being at the forefront of the UK’s new breed of contemporary tailors, which included Timothy Everest, Richard James and Ozwald Boateng; in fact Boateng modeled for Powell when he presented his 1991 collection in Russia.

Powell’s clothing was featured in Julien Temple’s 1986 film Absolute Beginners, and also appeared in other movie productions such as 1994’s Shopping and 2000’s Gangster No. 1.

Subsequently, Powell worked at retro menswear retailer Robot, where he introduced a bespoke service while managing the company’s outlet in Covent Garden’s Floral Street, and in 1985 opened his first shop in Soho's Archer Street with partner Nick Tentis. Powell & Co initially sold unworn suits from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and then incorporated a tailoring business. Among the early customers was David Bowie.

Powell was born in London's East End and raised in Romford, Essex. His father worked in textiles and his mother for the central London theatrical costumier Charles Fox. In his teens, Powell showed an early interest in style by having 40s and 50s-style clothing made for himself by local tailors and learned about measure and cut in the late 1970s as an employee of Mayfair men's outfitter Washington Tremlett.

Mark Powell (born London, November 11, 1960) is an independent British fashion designer described as 'a giant of British tailoring; his name has been synonymous with creative cutting since the 1980s'.

One suit is called ‘The Vince’, a tribute to Vince Man’s Shop, which was established as Britain’s first male boutique in adjacent premises in Newburgh Street in the 1950s.