About The Handcraft Tailor Academy
Founded in 2016 by Rory Duffy - a fifth-generation, Savile Row trained, award-winning, Master Tailor, former 3D lecturer of Parsons the New School and Master to an Apprentice of Savile Row founders Henry Poole & Co - Rory has built his school on the ethos of inspiring, encouraging and nurturing talent.
The Handcraft Tailor Academy is dedicated to preserving, teaching and enhancing
the art of handcraft tailoring throughout the world.
From the beginning of his career, Rory has aspired to open a school of tailoring styled on the trade schools of old, such as the former London based school The Tailor & Cutter Academy (1866 – 1972). This aspiration was further developed after a chance of meeting with the former First Lady, Michelle Obama in 2014 when she personally thanked him for his contribution to education. This set Rory on the path to achieving his life long dream.
In 2012, Rory released his video series The Making of a Coat and became seen as a leader in his trade. He spread the knowledge and skills of bespoke tailoring further than he could’ve imagined, gaining a bigger following which helped further establish his company name. Since its opening, The Handcraft Tailor Academy has helped many aspiring tailors from around the world achieve their dreams and support them on their sartorial journey. Students from every continent have been able to access the knowledge of tailoring, which without The HTA and its founder, would have otherwise eluded them.
Aspiring tailors and novices across the United States and the rest of the world have contacted Rory seeking his guidance and tutelage, which Rory provides in earnest. Knowing the challenges faced by anyone who desired to make the study of tailoring their life’s work, Rory sought to make the path to success easier for those who followed him. Carrying on a family tradition, Rory returned to his ancestral home in Ireland and founded his school in the area his ancestors had served as merchant tailors since the 18th century.
Steeped in the traditions of Savile Row, The Handcraft Tailor Academy teaches old world techniques aided by modern technology. At The Handcraft Tailor Academy, we feed the student all the knowledge they could require and offer the support and guidance needed to achieve their dreams. The time spent acquiring the skills of a master craftsman through our school is half that of a tailor’s apprentice. In eighteen months at The HTA, a student can go from novice to proficient in any chosen subject.
Whether one selects one-to-one training through live video calls or opts for an in-house intensive training program, the student is in control and able to decide when and how they wish to take a course.
We promise to develop every student's skill set, kindle their fire of determination and train them to the highest attainable standard.
